ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1955-02-09
This IS GARY!
Host, July 2-3-4, 1855
Fourth Junior Convention


William A. Writ, the city's
first school superintendent,
early incorporated in the
schools of Gary, Indiana, which
will play host July 2-3-4, 1855,
to the Croatian Fraternal Uu-
ions 4th National Junior Con-
vention.
Changes have taken place in
the original system as the city
has grown and the times have
changed. Suggestions made by
two tside surveys, the
Reaves Report and the Purdue
Study, resulted in changes in
many of Gary's schools.
Parent-Teacher groups and
the city-wide PTA have helped
plan important improvements.
But the basic Writ idea of the
child-centered, community-cen-
tered school remains funda-
mental in Gary.
Rank With The Finest
Graded by recognized tests,
Gary's schools rank with the
best in America.
All Gary high schools have
met the requirements neces-
sary to belong to the North
Central Association of Col
leges and Secondary Schools.
The average active enroll
ment in the city's public
schools is about 25,000, and
around $500 children are en-
rolled in the ten parochial
schools of Gary. There is a
predicted increase of 1000 and
more children a year as the
city grows and prospers.
In cities all over the nation
the housing of school children
is a serious problem-in Gary,
too-because the depression,
and then the war, made it i'm
possible to keep up repairs or
erect new buildings.
Gary's phenomenal growth
has made this a particularly
critical situation there. Since
a $O.40 building levy was
granted in 1947 Gary has spent
a million dollars a year on
buildings, but the need for ad-
ditional rooms, repairs and
new buildings continues to be
imperative.
Gary now has "a public
schools, 8 serving all grades
through high school, 16 serv-
ing only elementary grades.
Unique "LeveT Method
Gary has 825 school teach.
ers, many with more than four
years training. The uniform
salary schedule is planned to
encourage teachers to obtain
further training and to remain
in the system.
The program Of in-service
training of all school person
mel IS one of the methods en-
ployed to help the schools
keep up to date on new meth
DDS and changing needs. Par
ents are invited to participate
in the workshops" in which
these problems are discussed.
Modern methods help prim-
ary children learn to read and
write. They progress by the
"level" method which allows
each child to learn at his or
her own speed. There are 8
levels of work in the first three
grades and each child may ad-
vance as rapidly or as slowly
as his development indicates.
Have Broad Curriculum
The high schools of Gary
offer a broad curriculum. Not
all subjects are available in
every school, but a student can
get such a subject in a nearby
school.
In addition to the CONNER
cial and pre-college courses,
Gary schools have an unusual
ly good vocational program.
Unusual, too, is the way in
which the city's great steel
mills, the building trades and
the union contractors coope.
rate through an apprentice
training plan to make this pro.
gram successful.
There are many schools ir
the country which offer only
the basic courses outlined
above-or less. 1t is part o1
the Gary plan that many Other
opportunities be made a regu
lar part of the school cur
riculum.
There are auditoriums, ar
rooms, "home living" rooms
science rooms and excellen
libraries. Two schools hav,
we'll equipped metal shops, ant
all schools offer general shol
to the grade school boys.
(To Be Continued)