OBSERVATION, DIRECTED TEACHING AND RESEARCH
STUDIES.
Laboratory facilities are made available through the coöperation of the
school systems of the County of Albemarle and the City of Winchester, the local
school boards in each case having approved such coöperation. This arrangement
gives to students in the Department of Education a splendid opportunity to study
the problems of both city and county school organization and administration.
The school system of Albemarle County is now organized on the county
unit basis. It consists of the following schools for white pupils: seven accredited
four-year high schools, four junior high schools, five four-room schools, four
three-room schools, fourteen two-room schools and twenty-one one-room
schools. A number of the small schools are recognized by the State Department
of Education as standard in their respective grades. During the session
of 1922-23 there were 4500 white pupils enrolled. These were taught by 130
elementary school teachers and 36 high school teachers. The supervision of the
county schools is under the direction of the county superintendent and four full
time supervisors.
The total value of sites, buildings and equipment is $435,000. This includes
several new buildings of modern construction.
The school system of the city of Winchester is open for observation,
research and experiment by students of the Department of Education. This
school system is divided into four departments: Primary, consisting of kindergarten
and Grades 1, 2 and 3; Elementary, consisting of Grades 4, 5 and 6;
Junior High School, consisting of Grades 7, 8 and 9; and Senior High School
consisting of Grades 10, 11 and 12. Each department is in charge of a supervisor
who gives all of his or her time to supervision except in the case of the
supervisor of the junior high school, who does part time teaching temporarily.
There are twelve teachers in the primary department, ten in the elementary
department, and seventeen in the junior and senior high school departments.
The new plant opened in 1923 provides many features in addition to the regular
classrooms. For the elementary school division there will be a covered play
court with fresh air ventilation for year-round use; a nature study court; outdoor
classrooms for convalescent and anemic children; and facilities for hot
lunch provided in the high school cafeteria. In the junior and senior high
school division, besides the regular classrooms equipped with movable desks,
there will be a business department with special equipment; science laboratories
and science lecture rooms; sewing and cooking laboratories with special equipment;
art studios; music studios; industrial shops for woodworking, metal
working, electrical working and agriculture; library study and reference room;
gymnasium and swimming pool; teachers' work room and library. For recreation
and community service there will be provided an art gallery exhibit and history
museum, auditorium seating twelve hundred, an athletic stadium, tennis courts,
golf course, arboretum, and public park.
