Evening star., 1939-06-17
Longer Glasses
Ordered for
Junior Highs
New Schedule of Five
55-Minute Periods
Ruled by Board

Beginning with the next school
term, all junior high schools in
Washington will inaugurate sched-
ule of five 55-minute classes a day
IN place Of the present seven 43-
minute sessions-a change that is
designed to equalize the teacher
load and provide for more system
attic study.
The new schedule, which re-
ceived the approval of the Board
OF Education yesterday, is based
on a three-year experimental Pc
riod at the Deal Junior High School.
DR.. Chester w. Holmes, assistant
superintendent in charge of junior
high schools in divisions one to nine,
told the Education Board that the
junior high school principals of
both the white and colored divisions
had studied the experiment at Deal
and that all had expressed a desire
to try it out.
Outlining the advantages of the
plan, DR.. Holmes explained that it
was felt the arrangement of hav-
ing longer, but fewer classes tended
to produce better educational re-
suits because it reduced fatigue
and tension in both teacher and
pupil. 1t also tends to equalize the
load for the entire faculty.
More Flexible Program.
Teachers in the Junior high
schools, DR.. Holmes said, would
be expected to devote approxi-
mately 80 minutes of each period to
recitation, with the remainder of
the session devoted to supervised
study. He said he believed this
arrangement would give slower
pupils better opportunity to re-
ceive the personal help of the
teacher in studying.
Other cities are going even fur
ther than this in lengthening the
class period" he said.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superin-
tendent of schools, said he believed
the plan would aid in reduction of
fatigue by requiring less moving
around the building in changing
classes.
Miss BERTHE Backus, principal of
Deal Junior High, recently filed a
report with the board explaining
that the experiment at her school
has resulted in a more flexible and
more satisfactory activities pro-
gram.
Following up its recent action
transferring the Wesley Heights
Spring Valley sections from the
Western High and Gordon Junior
High area to the Woodrow Wilson
High and Deal Junior High area,
the Education Board yesterday ruled
that no new nonresident pupils
will be admitted next September
to the IA and 7-B grades at Deal.
Deal Favored.
This was ordered because a poll
OF 80 students from the Wesley
Heights, Spring Valley and Po-
tomac Heights section now attend
ing Gordon Junior High showed
that is wanted to transfer to Deal
next year.
Only six Western High students
from these three residential areas
asked to be transferred to Wood
row Wilson next year, and only
seven graduating from Gordon ex-
pressed a desire to attend Wood
row Wilson, so the board decided
| there was no need for changing
the present practice of admitting
nonresident pupils at Woodrow
Wilson.
If it should develop that a sub
stantial increase in the number Of
pupils in the Wesley Heights area
should choose Woodrow Wilson. it
may be necessary to recommend
action similar to that at Deal, DR..
Ballou told the board.
To better equalize the load on
teachers and supervising principals
in certain divisions. the board, on
recommendation of Dr. Ballou,
transferred the Adams, Force and
Ross Schools from Division 8 to
the first division and the Barnard
and Petworth Schools from Di-
vision 3 to Division 5. The changes
will become effective September /.
Questions Recreation Aid.
Calling attention to the fact that
the District of Columbia Rrecrea-
ton Committee has not held a meet
ing since he was appointed as the
Board OF Education's representative
on the committee, DR.. Ballou ques-
toned whether the board would be
justified in continuing to give its
support to the employment of the
co-ordinator of recreation.
AS your representative on the
committee" he said, Il have not
felt that it was incumbent on me
to raise any question as to the lack
OF activity on the part of the COM
mlttee since I became q member. In
submitting this report, however,
trust the board will consider this
matter as well as the fundamental
question as to whether or not the
Committee on Recreation is func-
tlonlng In accordance with the plan
agreed to by the Board of Educa-
ton, and whether in the absence of
the activity of the committee, the
continuance of the boards support
to the employment of co-ordina-
tor for recreation can be justified
during the next school year"
DR.. Ballou explained the board
contributes $500 for employment
OF clerk for Lewis r. Barrett thA