~ INTRODUCTION ~
|
The year just closing has been a most auspicious one for our High School. In many ways a better record has been made and our standards improved. In athletic sports a greater interest has been taken and better results have been realized than ever before. Our football, basketball, and baseball teams have all distinguished themselves and reflected credit on the school. Our standard of scholarship and deportment has also been raised decidedly, and while this at first was not appreciated by some, all are now, no doubt, willing to concede that it has made our schoolwork more valuable to the pupils, and the school itself more useful to the town. In mere material matters also we have had our share of prosperity. By the kindness of the Board of Education we now have an additional room for our high school work, and our Laboratory equipment for the study of Physics has been doubled. Perhaps the greatest advance that has been made is in respect to the curriculum or course of study. At the beginning of the year the Board of Education abolished the old three Year Course, and adopted two new Four Year Courses in its place. This now gives the student his choice between three excellent four year courses, the College Preparatory, the Scientific, and the Commercial. The College Preparatory Course is the Latin Course and is arranged to lead directly to the Freshman class at College, University, or Normal. This year the State High School visitor inspected our school, teachers, and courses and has reported to the State University that our course is thoroughly satisfactory and equal to the best high schools and academics in the state, and that we satisfy every demand for unconditional entrance into their Freshman class. The Scientific Course does not require Latin but makes a specialty of Botany, Physiography, Chemistry, and Physics, and is designed for those pupils who plan to enter some technical school immediately after leaving High School. The course lays splendid foundations for Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, etc. The Commercial Course is designed for those whose education will end with their high school course and who will enter actively into business enterprises. it does not require Latin and the Sciences, and in their place it offers thorough courses in commercial Arithmetic, Bookkeeping, Commercial Law, commercial Geography, Stenography, Typewriting and Economics. It is a stronger course than that given by the average business college, and it has the decided advantage of keeping the pupils at home under good influences, and eliminates the problem of board bill and tuition; while at the same time it adds the additional culture to be derived from the thorough study of English, History, and Mathematics, which are never taught in business colleges. Our Senior Class this year includes ten girls and three boys. Of these, four girls are taking the Three Year Course. the others are taking the college Preparatory. They will all reflect credit upon the school, we are sure. And we shall be greatly disappointed if some of them, at least, do not distinguish themselves elsewhere. It would be out of place here for us to eulogize them, but we cannot help saying that we are proud of them all. Our prospects for next year are bright. The present Junior class which will compose our Seniors consist of twenty members, which will be the largest Senior Class we have ever had. The Eighth Grade Graduates of this year who will constitute our Freshman Class number about forty. We sincerely hope that none of them will drop out of school at this time, especially since our course has been improved and made so practical. The present sophomore class will proudly advance to the rank of Juniors, and the present Freshmen will joyfully inherit the wisdom of the Sophomores. Next year to carry out the plans which have been adopted, a course in Chemistry, Economics, and Commercial Law will be given for the first time. This will mean some renovating and preparing of the rooms and equipment during the summer. Our Faculty consists of four members, two of whom are College Graduates, and two are alumni of the State Normal. It is the policy of the board to employ no one but college or Normal graduates for our High School and thus keep the teaching force up to the highest possible standard. We believe that the citizens of Osawatomie should awaken to the fact that we have a first class academy offering free tuition and the choice of three attractive courses to our boys and girls, and that this makes an opportunity which none of them can afford to pass by. We most earnestly solicit the cooperation of all that our High School may enroll larger numbers and that we may be constantly more helpful to those who come to us and to the community at large. |