Putnam patriot., 1920-06-18
A NEW COURSE
 FOR HIGH SCHOOL
Re adical Change For Girls of
 Freshman Class
State to Furnish Equipment and Ad-
 ditional Teachers

The town school committee has planned for rather radical change in the high school course for freshman girls.
 In these modern times. when so large a percentage of girls are going into the business world, it is quite q problem to decide just what is the best preparation for them. No parents can know for certainty whether their daughters will marry and become home makers. So to be really forti- fled for the future girl needs to be trained for two distinct professions, home making and some kind of trade or business.
 i Recently Mr. Trinder, State Super visor of Vocational Training, has come forward with most generous proposition, and the school committee has met him enthusiastically.
 Next year there is to be offered to the girls of the high school new home making course. which the town could not possibly afford tc give in addition to all the other subjects taught. except for the aid which the state will give through the Trade school. The state will furnish addi- tional equipment, a new and increas- ed teaching force, and every accessory to put it over in good shape.
 Every one concerned feels that for the last year or two the responsibili- ty of preparing the school lunch has seriously hampered the cooking teach ] CT and decreased the number of girls ! electing cooking So the committee ! has decided that the school lunch shall be completely disconnected from the domestic science department and run by outside parties. This leaves an opportunity to make a fresh start with every advantage for success. Believing that such course as they are now prepared to give will be in valuable to any girl, it is to be rSquir- 1 ed of all freshman girls in the general and commercial courses.
 Girls of the sophomore or uppe' grades may elect eef.ain ,nYre -. vanced work along ths sa'ee line iif they wish. =,
 Next fall the classical course will remain unchanged, and every, girl who expects to go to college should take it. Most girls will have. all they can do in the four years if they complete the necessary studies for college re- auirements. ..
 The following is the plan for all other freshman girls.
 Five periods of English week !; 1 five periods of mathematics a week, with a choice between Algebra and commercial arithmetic; five periods a week will be required for chemistry Of 1 foods. The rest of the time will be devoted to unprepared work as follows: Two days each week there will be double period of cooking, two days each week double period of sewing, while the corresponding double period on the fifth day will be used through the year for elementary instruction in a variety of allied subjects such as the study of textiles. drawing and dress making design, home decoration, household management, household hy- giene, millinery, and laundry work. l For the second years work, which is to be elective. the comfnittee has not allowed so much time. Two peri ods a day of unprepared work are to be devoted to home making subjects throughout the year. Cooking, in A broad sense, will occupy double period for two days each week; sew ing. dressmaking, and millinery will be allowed a double period for two days each week, leaving double peri cd to be utilized for instruction in home decoration, study of textiles, household management and household I hygiene.
 After the course is we'll started the second years work will be continu- lation of the first, but for the coming year. when some girls may elect 1t without having received the prelim- mary instruction, it will have to be adapted to circumstances.
 New equipment will be added to the domestic science room, the girls talk ing this course will be allowed to use the laboratory, and laundry tubs and electric irons will be installed in a room in the basement, so that each pupil in this department will learn from actual experience the principles of fine laundry work.
 It is the idea of the school commit tee that, in addition to the actual pro
 esses of cooking and sewing, the girls in this course will be taught how to design and buy suitable clothing for various uses, how to care for and. re pair the same. Also that they should have some idea of the accepted stand ard, cf furnishing home tastefully i and economically, as well as being able to plan expenditures and keep
 household accounts. In addition to all this a foundation knowledge of
 household hygiene will be required.
 The subcommittee appointed by the school board to arrange for this new enterprise consists of Mrs. Will } i;ar, D Rarber- Mrs. Edgar M. War