The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1921-02-12

FOllOWln8 IS the report OF ChaS.
#. Trudeau on the condition of
the high schools in Jefferson Da-
Wis parish, located at Jennings,
Welsh, Lake Arthur and Roam
oke:
!, For the past several years
this parish has been known as
one of the most progressive Schol
parishes of the state; the people
here are proverbially school" bost-
IerS," and have been for some time.
Yet, what was considered good
and sufficient even a year ago in
the way of buildings and equip
ment is now found to be made
quate to the needs of the parish
because of its growth and its de-
mandS for better and more up-to-
date conditions. And, while school
conditions are improving all over
the parish as money and other
necessities make it possible for
the system to grow, ii is at Jen-
nings, Welsh, and Lake Arthur
where three of the larest high
schools of the parish are located,
that we find a most striking eX-
Inhibition of the determination to
grow in spite of depressing bust
ness conditions that now prevail
throughout that portion of the
state. There are now in process
of construction four splendid
brick buildings buildings that
will be ready for occupancy with
in the next three or four weeks.
The large three-story building be-
ing erected for the Jennings high
school will, when completed, be
one of the finest in the state. Be-
sides this building. another splen-
did brick structure is nearing
completion in another part of
this town, building to be used
by some of the rades. Together
when completed. these two school
plants will cost $2S5,000.00. At
Welsh, another very attractive,
substantial and handsome three
story brick building is almost
completed. When completed, this
school plant will cost $175,OOO.00.
AT Lake Arthur we find another
splendid three-story brick struc-
ture almost completed, and, when
finished, it will cost Sl60,0O0.00
Each of these houses will be the
pride of the community in which
| it is erected; all of them may well
be the pride of Jefferson Davis
parish. The whole people of this
parish including, especially, of
course, all school officials, should
feel proud of this distinctive
achievement. And they do.
| 2. 1t can be said with all safety
that this parish has today the best
teachers that it has ever had
teaching in its high schools. The
various faculties, taken as whole
are of a high type and seem to CO.
operate splendidly in the work
Certainly, the school officials have
been fortunate in securing the
services of such capable teachers.
And, following naturally from the
above mentioned fact, the class
room instruction is very good in
deed. Ii needs scarcely be men
toned here that the instruction
of some of the teachers is SUI
Iperior to that of others, for teach
erS differ in their measure of skill
and ability, and some teachers
work harder than others. There
fore the results are not the same
throughout the various schools
nor in the various classes of the
same school. But, viewed as a
whole, the classroom instruction
iobserved at the schools visited i'm
pressed us very fayorably indeed,
3. Let it be mentioned, too, to
the credit of the pupils, that we
noticed a much better disposition
on their part to approach their
work in the proper spirit. 1t is
true that many of the children
have not yet settled down to real
hard work, that their parents pay
too little attention to the time they
give to their books at home and
to the conditions at home which