Celebrating History: Education Week in 1924

Emily Mayer

It was Education Week in 1924, and the Havre Daily Promoter was full of news regarding the event. Havre Junior High was hosting many of those activities, with the itinerary published in the November 16, 1924, issue.

JUNIOR HIGH PLANS EDUCATIONAL WEEK ACTIVITIES

The teaching staff of the Junior high school is urging parents of pupils to visit school during Education Week and has arranged a number of interesting programs.

Monday has been designated as “General Visiting Day”, and all the students have been asked to invite their parents. One of the original features of the day will be the teaching of classes by the members of the class in order to give the teacher more time to greet the guests.

Several of the pupil teachers have arranged the most interesting and unusual recitations. The geography and hygiene exhibits will prove instructive as well as entertaining.

The Freshman Dramatic club will present “Never-the-Less” in the junior high auditorium at 3:15 and will give another presentation at 4:00 o’clock Monday afternoon for the school children. The play will be repeated in the evening for the parents and friends.

Tuesday afternoon the matinee performance of “Windmills of Holland”, the junior high operetta, will be given for the benefit of the grade pupils in the schools and Wednesday evening will be presented to the public.

Thursday night is called “Parent-to-School Night”. Each parent will be given his child’s program to follow and school will start promptly at 7:30. The dismissal bel will ring at 9 o’clock and a hot lunch will be served by the pupils in the foods class. Parents, like students who are tardy, will be sent to the office of the principal for admittance slips.

The week’s activities will close Friday evening with the American Legion program at the high school auditorium. Several prominent speakers have been invited to address the gathering on present day problems in the city schools and on other matters pertaining to ‘Education Week’.

The Daily Promoter reported later in the week that visitation of the schools was strong, as well as attendance for the play and the operetta.

Parent-Teacher Organizations for Sunnyside, Devlin, Washington, Lincoln-McKinley and the Junior High scheduled meetings for the week. The school board were invited guests to the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club. Mrs. Henrietta Crockett, field nurse of the Child’s Welfare division of the Public Welfare department headquartered in Great Falls scheduled visits this week to all the schools in Hill County to assess the health of the students and was organizing daily clinics to address the needs of the children.

The Rotarians also held a meeting regarding the schools this week 100 years ago, with a novel idea being proposed.

ROTARIANS LEARN ABOUT COUNTY AND CITY HIGH SCHOOLS

Conrad Wellen of the educational committee of the Rotary club had charge of the regular weekly meeting program last evening and the proposal to vote on a county high school was discussed.

The speakers were C. B. Wilson, president of the school board; Superintendent Sherwood, and E. C. Carruth former clerk of the school board for many years.

The questions of expenses, taxes and advantages were gone into thoroughly.

At the mass meeting that Friday, hosted by the American Legion, the current situation of the schools was discussed, along with the request for an additional levy of five mills to operate the schools; the county high school was discussed; and how expenses have increased along with student numbers, but revenue has decreased thus making it more difficult for the schools to properly function.

Many of the subjects discussed at the mass meeting are just as relevant today as they were 100 years ago, but none sums up the similarities than the editorial published in the November 20, 1924, edition.

VISIT THE SCHOOLS

One great obligation resting on the present generation is to see that the next one is prepared through education to conduct the affairs of the world. You owe you boy and your girl a good education.

While the state should see that facilities are provided for properly training the young, no parent is justified is passing the duty of education entirely up to the teachers and professors provided by the state. Parents should take an intimate part in their children’s training.

It may be done by participating in the activities of parent teachers organizations, in visiting the schools and consulting with teachers and faculty. Every parent should visit the schools where a child attends frequently throughout the school year.

This is education week in the nation, a mighty good time to begin. Teachers of the Havre High School have extended an invitation to all to visit the school this week. The invitation should be accepted by all parents who have the interests of their children at heart.