The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-11-27
CARY To
CHANGE It's
VACATIONS

To the Parents: Yesterday the Gary
board of education authorized the chang
ing Of the Christmas vacation Of two
weeks TO the present time TO begin on
November 20 and TO close on December ..
The unusual conditions confronting
the Gary schools made this step neces-
sary. The childrens work has been
practically ruined so far this year. Ev-
erything was going smoothly when the
state board Of health closed the schools
the first time. But the teachers had to
begin all over again when the children
re-assembled after an absence Of two
weeks from their studies. Then came
the second closing just as the work was
well under way again.
Granting that the schools reopen on
December ?. which is the earliest date
now thought possible. they would he in
session only two weeks if the regular
Christmas vacation were to be taken. IL
they We're TO open a week later as may
be the case then they would close gain
in one week. 1t can readily be seen that
this procedure would leave us in Janu-
airy at the place from which we started
in December.
The only alternative aside from that
of sacrificing the children's work from
the first half of the year is to keep the
schools going without further Interrupt
lions once they reopen.
Certainly~no one person or set of per-
sons is responsible for the renewed raw
ages of influenza in Gary and no ono per
son or set of persons took the initiative
in closing the schools again last week.
Public sentiment demanded that the
schools be closed as one of the protec-
tive measures to the whole community.
am sure that the parents OF this
city appreciate the fact that the local
school board does not prescribe the
courses Of study or the conditions gov
erning high schoI graduation. These
matters are controlled by the state of
Indiana. which imposes the same de-
mands on the Gary children as IT does
on the other school children as to the
quantity and quality Of the work they
must do to earn promotions or the high
school diploma, in corresponding types
Of schools and grades within these
schools.
Parents and teachers well appreciate
the fact that the degree OF success at
tanned by the children in their attempt
to do the school work of today depends
on how well and how thoroug hly they
have mastered the work of yesterday
Therefore. If we were to try to crowd
a years study into a period of half the
time the results would be detrimental
to the children's educational present and
future
The children Will be given eve9y :. =
sible aid when they return. All who
may wish TO attend the Saturday school
or the after-school classes may do so
The older pupils. with the consent OF
parents and day school principals, may
attend evening school until back work
is completed.
The school auditor states that teach
ers have never been paid for The Christ
mas vacation Of two weeks. Therefore
this change IN vacation does not affect
their salaries in any manner.
II seems to me that all of us ought
to put aside all thoughts Of self so as to
meet as best we can this unfortunate
situation that none Of US could antici-
pate, much less control.
Signed. G. w. SWARTZ
Acting Superintendent
Gary. Ind. Nov. q. 1918.