Crawford County, Iowa, IAGenWeb

School Histories

Denison High School

1920 Junior High School History

In the fall of 1915 came the first move toward the establishment of a Junior High School in the public schools of Denison. The seventh and eighth grades had up to this time been located at the North Brick School, and upon being transferred to the Central Building, were put in with the high school students, but they continued to use separate rooms. The advantage of this move was that the pupils might be promoted by subject, rather than by grade, without encountering the inconvenience of making a transit from one building to another.

The school year 1915-16 brought no changes in the course of study, but during the year 1916-17 more History and Geography was added to the course of study. Physical Training was introduced in 1917-18 as a special department, with separate teachers for boys and for girls.

During the summer of 1918 the old college building was equipped with desks and seats, making it ready for use in the fall. In the fall the Juniors and Seniors were moved to the college and the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth grades were brought together under the same schedule.

When the school re-opened in the fall of 1919 the Sophomores were moved to the college building and a Junior and Senior High School was established. Then was formed a six-three-three plan: six years in the grades, three in the Junior High and three in the Senior High.

"Promotion by subject rather than by grade," has been the motto of Junior High. Especially has this plan been carried out in connection with English and Mathmatics. Our Junior High has hour periods; one-half of which is to be used for recitation, while the other half is for study. Under the personal supervision and effective guidance of Superintendent C. E. Humphrey and Principal Mabel A. Paull, the Junior High is proving, and will prove, itself a thorough success.