Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-14

mittees for the years work for Kous-
since Chapter.
The program of the afternoon was
opened with the salutation to the
flag, followed by the singing OF
America" led by Bryce Little. Mr..
Little then delighted the audience
with his rendering of two songs
which he sang while in war service
in Y. NJ. c. A. huts in Coblenz and
outlying towns. "Freedom for All
Forever" (B. c. Hilliam), and "God
Keep You Safe edward Cuthbert-
son). Later in the program he sang
very effectively Il Hear Your Voice in
the Shadows" (Effie Coombs). Mrs.
Susan Brickett accompanied on the
piano.
Mrs. Jones then introduced the
speaker of the afternoon. H. H.
Stuart, superintendent of schools Of
Augusta, who held the closest at
tention of those present with his in
structive and clear-cut address on
the subject. THE Junior Senior High
School Organization" A digest Of his
address follows:
The Junior Senior High School Or
9anization
consider this an unusual oppor-
tunity which have in presenting to
you briefly, but somewhat in detail,
the plan Of the Junior-Sen high
school organization and just why
your superintendent Of schools and
Board Of Education not only advise
but urge it's adoption in this city.
This country has just passed
through a great emergency and as
is customarily the case, at such
times. it is taking reappraisal and
revolution of those ideals for which
SO much has been sacrificed to see
how far short our practices are of
those ideals.
Naturally our educational system
has come under the scrutinizing eye
Of publicity.
Furthermore. vast sums of Money
are being solicited by our great edu-
cational institutions to enable the m
to carry on their work more effec-
lively along lines which will rendar
greater service to society. Notable
among these institutions are Har-
ward. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Princeton, Columbia,
University of Pennsylvania. Cornell,
Dartmouth, Smith and Mt Holyoke.
Civic organizations also are ac-
lively taking up the work of educa-
ton and are rendering great assist
ance to duly constituted educational
organizations. The D. A. R., un-
derstand, has a definite educational
program along the lines of Ameri-
canization, conservation and thrift,
besides 1t work with the children of
the soldiers who have fought this
great fight for US.
1t Is, therefore. very appropriate
that you. representing as you do.
various social and civic organizations
should be made acquainted with any
plans for the reorganization Of the
public school system in this city
which your Board of Education may
have in mind.
The Junior senior high school plan
of organization is rot an immediate
product of the war. but had rather a
widespread popularity among edu-
Gators before the war began. The
war, however, has given it a tremen-
dous impetus by bringing to the at
tention of the educators the grea.
waste Of pupils time and energy IN
der the present eight grade system.
There are minor reforms and sup
erficial readjustments which are
local or transient in their character
This plan, however, is not one Of
them but a fundamental change
which is calculated to adapt the
schools to community needs and to
give all the children Of all the people
equal educational opportunities.
First. wish to tell you exactly
what the junior senior high school
plan is; what your Board of Educa-
ton expects it to do for the older
boys and girls in this city; how /
think it ought to be applied to Au-
gusta conditions. and lastly meet
some of the objections which may be
raised.
The junior high school in it's full
est sense is: l. A separate education
al institution embracing the seventh
and eighth elementary grades and the
freshman class of the high school.
2. 1t has a course Of study in the
seventh and eighth grades enriched
by the presence of several high
school subjects and by the broaden
ing and vocationalizing Of the So
called common branches.
g. It promotes by subject even in
the seventh and eighth grades.
4. 1t permits and encourages a
differentiation of courses for the diff
ferent pupils.
/ desire to tell you more fully
about these four salient points Of the
Junior senior high school plan.
1t has been we'll established in the
minds of the educators that the first
six years of the child's school life
should be devoted to the mastery Of
the fundamentals Of education; that
at the beginning of the seventh grade
the pupils individuality or person
atty begins to express itself emphat-
ically in new ways. He begins to APP
ply these fundamentals which he
has acquired in the first six grades
to his own life. Whether we recog-
nize 1t or not. like 1t or not, his tastes
and viewpoint begin to mark them
selves of from the tastes and view
point of other members of his class
Up to this time he has yielded to
mass treatment. but from this time
on. II the boy or girl does not find in