14 Th Nw-Rviw, Rotaburg, Ort. Mon., Feb., 27, 1961
Roseburg School District Stresses
Importance Of Ability Grouping
Looking back into the history of
Roseburg I puDlic schools wouia
provide an interesting story tilled
with many fond memories for
scores of former pupils but the
important story of education here
as elsewhere in the world is what
is being done today and planned
for tomorrow.
The "good old days," or "not so
good old days," depending on your
particular viewpoint on education
in the past, have echoed down the
hall and disappeared so our Prog
ress Edition view of the Roseburg
public schools will deal with the
present and the future.
Beautiful buildings, athletic rec
ords and other non-educational
sidelights of school life all add to
a pleasing over-all picture of any
educational institution and Rose
burg has its share in just about
any field you can name but the
basic value of education remains
with what goes from the books and
the teachers into the young mind.
Rtcord Good '
In this field District 4 of Rose
burg stands high and is reaching
even higher in the unending quest
of the best method to offer the opti
mum education to every student
at the level he or she can best
grasp it.
This is being done through a double-barreled
attack scope and se
quence, and'ability grouping. Those
are the terms. How they fit into
the curriculum and the everyday
life of Roseburg students is the key
to Roseburg's public education sys
tem. Scope and sequence is a hazy
sounding phrase that means simply
the task of deciding what goals you
intend to reach in education
(scope) and what steps you must
take to reach them (sequence).
Up until a very few years ago,
schools offered an education aimed
at the average student. The more
gifted student was forced to sit
through classes in boredom while
others grasped for goals he bad at
tained long before, and the slower
student sat through in pretty much
the same shape because most of it
was going over his head.
Sequence Changed
This "average education" of the
past has now become the basic
scope of the fundamental education
District 4 tries to offer every stu
dent in his 12 years of study. The
sequence is greatly changed, how
ever, as gifted students may now
attain the average education in
nine or 10 years instead of 12 and
go on to study in advanced fields
which challenge their minds, while
the slower student may take more
time on fundamentals. While he
may not grasp the entire program,
he gets what he can handle with
out having words float over his
head because he can't understand
them.
The average student is still the
average student, and he benefits
also as the teacher may spend
more time at his level and he is
not forced to share it waiting for
the teacher to devote even the
smallest portion of time to the oth
er ability groups.
Field Broadened
As the brighter student completes
the average curriculum, his scope
New Junior Hi
Set At Sutherlin
By BARBARA LIESINCER
Occupancy of the new Junior
High School building next fall will
mark a new era for the Sutherlin
(chool District, for all buildings
Mil then have been replaced since
the end of the second World War.
The end of the present school
term will see the demise of the
old building, which for 50 years
has housed classes, the greater
part of that time grades one
through 12. Cost of this building
was less than a small present-day
dwelling, with much of the labor
donated by local citizens.
Calls for bids for the new struc
ture will be made in the near fu
ture. Breeieways Featured
located on a site recently ac
quired just east of the high school,
the building will feature open
breeieways connecting classrooms,
the library and other units. Junior
high students will then have easy
access to the athletic field and
music rooms, which will be shared
with older students.Through fore
sight and careful planning by the
School Board, funds for the entire
cost of construction already have
been set aside, relieving taxpay
ers of the district of an added
burden.
Many excursions to Inspect ex
isting facilities in other communi
ties were taken by the board in
en effort to determine the type of
structure best suited to Sutherlin's
needs. From their conscientious ef
fort Sutherlin will at last have
the modern and adequate school
facilities befitting a progressive
community.
Increase Expected
Although high school enrollments
have slighlly decreased over the
last two or three years, an in
crease next fall is again anticipat
ed as the large eighth grade class
enters high school.
An outstanding feature offered
at Sutherlin is an advanced place
ment mathematics course on the
college freshman level, using Uni
versity of Oregon textbooks. In
' MructeH hy Frank Moss, the course
allows those students who plan to
continue their education to acquire
college credits, upon passing ex
amination. Full time arts and crafts cours
es are also available, and an en
larged and remodeled ahop is used
to much advantage by students
with aptitudes in that direction.
Here, senior sludenlt are assigned
to advise freshman classes, and
to assist with shop maintenance.
Newly Incorporated into Suther
lin's school system Is the Curri
culum Center, directed by Mrt.
Ruby Holloway. During it three
years existence, functions of this
department have been greatly expanded.
is broadened by a sequence of ad
ditional courses. The latest addi
tion in this field is college study
courses, which District 4 officials
hope in the near future will result
in students here being able to earn
college credits while still in high
school.
Ability grouping is the job of
dividing students into classes or
special study groups where all
have the same general educational
ability. This started in rather re
verse order in Roseburg nine
years ago, when the first classes
were broken into ability groups in
the bigh school. The most desir
able start of course would be in
the elementary schools, and it is
now used lor students starting in
the fourth grade.
The purpose of this program, as
slated before, is to offer the most
education possible to everv stu
dent. There is some ability group
ing m me nrst three grades, but
for all practical purposes it starts
in the fourth and continues through
the 12th.
The scone and seauence series
started here with the mathematics
program and is now being used
for math classes from the fourth
to 12th grades. It's being used in
Knglish and history from the sev
enth grade on through graduation
and in reading from the first to
sixth grade.
Most of the work on the nro-
gram is done by local teachers,
who are assigned and paid to set
up a program of subject matter
to include the full average facili
ties, extra courses for the more
gifted students and extra help
courses for the slower students.
Program Effected
Once the Droeram has been set
up, it is put in use throughout the
district.
This program has gone a long
way in helping eliminate one phase
I of schooling local .educators are
against in all but a few instances
failing. Actually,' failing has be
come a dirty word, and the act of
holding a child in a grade for
more than one year is now called
retention.
In previous years it was usually
pretty much of a one issue deci
sionif the student didn't get good
enough grades be failed. A child's
emotional and physical develop
ment play just as big a role in
this field now as his learning ca
pacity. If the child has not yet matured
with the rest of his age group,
and if he's small in stature, the
chances are pretty good he can
fit in with the next group coming
into his grade the following year.
If, however, he is normal in size
and emotion development, the
chances are great he would be a
misfit if held back! ,
Drawbacks Loom Big
Besides, under the lower divi
sion of the ability grouping sys
tem, he will be offered the same
subjects from the same textbooks
in his next classroom anyway. So.
the educators generally agree that
unless there are some unusual cir
cumstances involved the benefits
of retaining a child would be few,
while the ' drawbacks might be
many.
In all cases, the teachers and
principals attempt to develop a
close relationship with the parents
so both can work toward the same
goal of giving the child the best
education possible.
That's the general system of ed
ucationnow let's look at the sub
ject matter taught in the Roseburg
school district.)
The three R'f are still the three
R's and form Ine foundation of the
lower grade school , education. As
the student moves on in classes,
he's given science, history, geog-
1907 Saw Last Graduation
At Drain's Normal School
By MRS. WILLIAM GUTHRIE
The first school in Drain was
held in 1857, ten years after War
ren Goodell first received a 320
acre donation claim. This claim
was sold to Jesse Applegate in
1858 and to Charles Drain in 1860.
In 1881 School District 22 was
organized.
In 1883, the townspeople built an
academy. In 1893 the academy
building was sold to the IOOK,
when the Central Oregon Normal
School was organized.
A two-story wooden structure
with nine classrooms, library,
study hall and office was built
where the grade school now stands.
In its first few years the average
enrollment of the normal school
was 75, but the increase to 150
necessitated the building of a north
wing in 1905. The last graduation
exercises of Central Oregon Nor
mal School were held in 1907 with
43 graduates.
High School Organized
In 1908 (he normal school was
disbanded, and a high school was
organized. At this time the grade
school occupied the first floor of
the old normal building and the
high school top floor.
to 19.10, Drain, ieona, and tinni
er combined to- form Union High
School District 12. . -
In the fall of 1934 during the
first week of school, the building
burned. Although a new building
had been'started that summer, it
wasn't yet ready for occupancy.
In the meantime the grade school
students attended school in the
Methodist and Christian churches,
and the high school students met
in the Community Hall.
Grant Made
The new high school building
was fashioned after Lowell High
School. The cost of the building
ana equipment, obtained through a
PWA grant, was $65,000. In Sep
tember, 1935, the new high school
building was first used.
The new building, which was de
signed to hold 100 students, was
filled to capacity in 1944. By 1950
enrollment of 145 made it neces
sary to provide for an addition.
On May 22. 1951 the voters ap
proved a bond issue of $215,000
to provide facilities for 250 students
by renovating the existing building
and adding several classrooms and
a cafeteria.
Classrooms Built
The summer of 1952 saw the
construction of five new class
rooms including a home economics
room and a band room. All the old
classrooms were reconditioned, the
office moved and the library and
science rooms enlarged. The stage
was moved from the side of the
gym to the end. and folding bleach
ers with 900 seating capacity were
added.
At the present there are 188 stu
dents enrolled at the high school.
Martin League has been principal
of the school for - the last four
years.
raphy, physical education and oth
er courses that will prepare him
for the big step into junior high
school.
Junior High Examined
The following curriculum infor
mation deals with junior high and
high school subjects to be offered
starting next fall, when Roseburg
switches to a three-year junior high
and a three-year high school, rath
er than those given under the pres
ent 2-4 system. Actually, the ma
terial is about the same, but will
just be given in a different build
ing. Jn junior hiah school the sin.
dents must take three years of
Knglish, history, mathematics, sci-
cute aiiu pnysicai education, in
addition, they are offered instru
mental and vocal music, art. Snan.
ish and French as elective sub
jects. Moving into the final three years
of District 4 education, they are
iaccu wim inrce years ot English,
two years of math and science,
three years of history and one
year of physical education. For
elective subjects they can turn to
music, Spanish, French and Latin,
business education, shop, vocation
al agriculture and home economics.
This District 4 of which we speak
involves Roseburg and the imme
diate area, including Melrose on
the west, Wilbur and Winchester on
the north and Green on the south.
Almost 6,000 Enrolled
All told, there are more than
5.800 students in the district. With
the new junior high - high school
3-3 arrangement next year, there
will be more than 3.300 students
in the elementary schools, 800 in
each of two junior high schools
and 1.100 in the high school.
Pupils receive their education in
more than 250 classrooms, with
more than 240 teachers (not includ
ing principals and other adminis
trators) on the staff.
It takes more . than $3 million
to operate the school district, and
more than Jialf of this amount goes
for salaries.
That's the picture of the educa
tional facilities Roseburg has to of
fer today. They're above the slate
averages now and they're going to
be improved even more in the
coming years to do the most good
for the most students, says the administration.
Tri-City Incorporation
Movement Being Pushed
Efforts are being made ot In
corporate the Tri-City area just
south of Myrtle Creek. Success
would bring Douglas County's in
corporated cities' total to 13.
If the proposed boundaries were
adopted, I lie city would contain
between 400 and 500 families. Myr
tle Creek and Tri-City would be
come the county's first twin cities.
State Highway Mileage
In Douglas 342 Miles
Douglas County's mileage of
slate Highway is 342.08. The total
rates as the fourth in the state.
topped only by Lane, Klamath and
Malheur counties.
The county's Aolal Includes 18.9
miles of concrete paving, 170.64
miles of bituminous, 53.12 bitumin
ous macadam, 85.8 miles of oiled
rock surfacing and 13.62 miles of
unoilcd rock surfacing.
filler's Past.. i
-mmim .-flirt. 1
i' tb 1 ,'' " J
fe4Mtni'aataWMjaalB
RONDEAU SCHOOL A comporison of the educational
facilities of yesteryear and the fine buildings of today
can both be found in the Tiller area now. Above is the
Rodeau School built on the Tom Rondeau homestead in
the Red Butte area northeast of Tiller during the early
part of the century. Everything but window glass and
noils used to build the one-room school was produced on
the spot. Below is the gymnasium wing of the .present
,TiHer-Drew Grade School. ,
... And Present
Two Church Groups In Umpqua
Join Others In Area Development
There are two Christian Organ
izations in the Umpqua area. One
is the Free Methodist Church, with
the' Rev. Harvey Timm as its
pastor. The church has a very
active Ladies Missionary group
and a large group of young peo
ple, some of whom have won not
only in state contests, but also in
national ones. New Sunday school
rooms were built recently.
The other organization is the
Umpqua Sunday School, which is
a non-denominational group af
filiated with the American Sunday
School Union. It meets each Sun
day morning. It has a small mis
sionary society and carries on a
youth program.
Another active group is the
Calapooia Women's Club which
has -recently completed a new ad
dition and a well-equipped kitchen,
has a very busy welfare program.
The women are planting and beau
tifying the clubhouse grounds for
a picnic area. The clubhouse is
used for all community meetings
such as the Farm Bureau, the
4-H meetings', the home extension
unit, family reunions, young peo
ples' parties, the garden club and
others. There is another women's
group- which meet at the op
posite end of the Umpqua area.
It is known as the Hubbard Creek
Needle Club.
First Tiller School
Was In A Log Cabin
Presently there are about 100
students attending Tiller-Drew
Grade School. High School stu
dents are transported by bus to
Days Creek High School.
At one time or another, several
schools were maintained in this
area to serve children in the im
mediate vicinity of each. The Drew
School on Devil's Knob road and
the Tison School on what is now
known as Tison Road offered edu
cation to children living southeast
of TiUer.
The first school at Tiller was
held in a log house located on
property to the rear of the present
Community Church. In 1906, a new
schoolhouse was built on the R. A.
Knipps homestead near where the
present school stands.
Court Petitioned
The upper river country, despite
lack of a road, was well settled
by homesteaders and in 1908 they
petitioned the County Court for a
school to be-located in their area.
The court could not see any way
to finance 'such an undertaking
at. that time so residents offered
to build the school if the county
would provide a teacher. Result
of that offer was the building shown
in the accompanying photograph,
known as the Rondeau School as
it was built on that family's home
stead near the present Red Butte
road. It was built entirely by vol
unteer labor and everything ex
cept nails, windows and hardware
was produced at the site. Walls
were of logs chinked with mud apd
moss and the roof was of hand
split shakes.
Lumber was cut by use of a
whipsaw brought by Anton Erie
bach and his brother from Chi
cago when they came to Tiller in
1906. He is the only remaining
local resident who worked on the
school. The whipsaw process in
volved digging a pit deep enough
for one man to stand underground.
The log was worked inio place
above so a second man could grip
the upper saw handle while the
man in the pit held the other
handle. In this manner, they la
boriously cut slabs from the log
and the lumber thus produced was
used for door and window casings,
the door itself, floor and even
desks and benches. First school
was held there in 1909 for three
or six months with Floyd Watson
as teacher.
Aboitt 1925, a second school was
built to serve pupils living even
farther upriver. Known as the
Upper Tiller School, it was located
on the old Homestead Road near
the present Proefrock place, and
cost 51,750, paid to a Roseburg
contractor for the job. In 1932, the
upper river district consolidated
with the Tiller district and a new
room was added to the Tiller
School to take care of the increas-
WINCHESTER BAY
The Winchester expedition also
established Winchester Bay in
1850. The bay, creek and settle
ment were all named after Heman
Winchester.
ed enrollment. Drew district con
solidated with Tiller in 1948.
Additions from time to time have
resulted in a building which can
now accomodate about 150 students
adequately. A combination gym
nasium and auditorium and a mod
ern cafeteria seating as many as
100 students are part of the struc
ture, which is all under one roof.
MC Enrollment
Sets New High
The Myrtle Creek School District
reached its highest enrollment in
history in October 1960 with 1,657
students.
The previous all-time high was
in 1956 with 1,647 students, and
this was prior to the closing of
the Umpqua Plywood mill. The
school district includes a primary
building, an upper elementary
area, a band building, a gymna
sium, high school building, shop
building and the Tri-City School.
With the facilities completely full,
the elementary school will need a
room every year for the next four
years.
Lunches Served
The school cafeteria serves hot
lunches to between 600 and 700
students daily from one centraliz
ed kitchen. Hot lunches for Tri
City are transportated in vacuum
jugs by school bus to at least
250 of the 700 students participat
ing. Two grade and three high
school athletic teams practice and
play their home games in one gym
nasium. Myrtle Creek High School re
quires 22 credits to graduate. Stu
dents have a six-period day with
all students taking six subjects.
Two foreign languages are offered,
German and Spanish. There is a.
full home economics program of
fered anv girl.
Myrtle Creek School District has
nine buses transporting more than
950 students to and from the
schools.
Special Ed. Used
A special education program is
also a part of the Myrtle Creek
School curriculum. With one quali
fied special education teacher and
two corrective reading teachers a
remedial reading program is of
fered from grades three through
12. Children who are normal or
above in intelligence but consider
ed below grade level in reading
skills are referred to the Special
Education Department. Other serv
ices provided by this department
are sight saving'books for the par
tially sighted, a corrective speech
program, physicological and read
ing evaluation and home bound in
structions. The Myrtle Creek School District
has an excellent band program.
Beginning in the fifth grade and
on through the 12th, students have
an opportunity to play in as many
as five different bands.
PLANT APPROVED
The city of Riddle has approved
plans for construction of a water
treatment plant. The plant's treat
ment capacity will be 400,000 gal
lons a day.
The water will be piped from
Russell Creek and Cow Creek.
UNION SIGNS PACT
The Roseburg Retail Clerks Un
ion has signed an agreement which
gives male journeyman clerks
S99 for a 44-hour work week. The
pact also increases experienced fe
male clerk wages to $84 for a 40
hour work week.
WINSTON STORE OPENS
A second- hand furniture store
has just been established in the
Winston area. It is the Winston
Second Hand Furniture, owned by
Mr. and Mrs. Guy M union. It was
opened in the former Baldwin's
Clothing Store.
OPEN MONDAY EYENINGS TILL 9
etter (Quality Merchandise
WK'RE ADDI
NO y M
MY HIOHIR FASHION LINKS..,
LARGER SELECTION
QUALITY MERCHANDISE
FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE
BRIGHT, CLEAN, MODERN
TWO SALES FLOORS TO SERVE
YOU BETTER
PUBLIC REST ROOMS
USE OUR LAY-AWAY PLAN
LARGE COAST-TO-COAST BUYING
POWER FOR BETTER SELECTION
YOU'LL ALWAYS FIND MORE AT NEWBERRY'S
w .I c - W
J It n
i ft n . :!rV
To ALL
Aids The Cause
of
PROGRESS
LABOR IS ESSENTIAL
TO PROGRESS...
ORGANIZATION IS
ESSENTIAL
TO LABOR...
LUMBER & SAWMILL
WORKERSAf.ft
LOCAL 2949