Education Set=Up Meets California Requirements

Boosting the morale of school children and residents alike was the important event in the Education program. Dr. Aubrey Douglas of the State Department of Education and Herman Spindt of the University of California inspected and evaluated the school system within the center. Now in possession of the Education Department are credentials of approval stating that the local high school and junior college study meet the standard requirements of California.

This encouraging incident following only ten months after school was officially opened is proof of the hard work placed into the school system and assures the fact that the quality of the Manzanar school system is in no way inferior to other systems.

Headed by Dr. Genevieve Carter, Superintendent of Education, the school system is divided into Nursery, Elementary, Secondary, and Adult Education schools. Leon C. High is principal of the High School, Clyde Simpson, principal of Grammar School, Dr. Melvin Strong, director of Adult Education and Mary Schauland, head of Nursery Schools.

Chief concern at the present time is the crowded condition of classrooms. The building program has been approved by the WRA headquarters, and is hoped to be completed this summer. Nursery centers have undergone great improvement with parents redecorating the barracks and attendance mounting to 97%.

High school students have been particularly active this semester with the publishing of the school newspaper, organization of the student council, science club and choir. An honor roll system has been developed while a farm management class is now operating with six acres under cultivation.

Junior Red Cross, intramural sports, newspaper, and other grade activities have done much to unify the elementary school groups.

There is an approximate enrollment of 2081 students; 1021 in Elementary school; 1060 in High School. Although resignations have been turned in by some of the teachers at the end of the winter session, there were 47 teachers for elementary and 51 for high school. Out of these 34 were evacuee teachers.

Center residents through perseverance and hard work have developed one of the finest school systems of the ten centers.

Red Cross

Composed of some of the leading residents of Manzanar, the initial Red Cross board members met in May, 1942.

In January, 1943, the Red Cross office was stationed in the block 19 YWCA building, and artificial flowers and crocheted puppies were made and sold to raise funds.

In February, old clothes and remnants were converted into useful articles. Later, the Red Cross launched a drive which netted a total of $1,554.95. Minoru Hori is the present chairman with Elizabeth Moxley and Mrs. Asa Ikeda as secretaries.

Camouflage Building No. Four houses the Ceramic project which will soon make chinaware for the mess halls. The products will be sold at the Co-op and other WRA projects will absorb others.

Like any other school in this country, the three R's are taught to local pupils such as Yoshiyuki Masuda and Kenji Nakamaki shown in their classroom located at 3-15.

Nursery Schools Teach Cooperation

With obstacles overcome, such as adequate equipment installed, nursery schools decorated, and armed with a better and more thorough teacher training, evacuee nursery teachers are now in direct charge of Manzanar's youngsters ranging in age from three to five years of age.

Present nursery school teachers include: Mary Kakoi, Chizuko Hayashida, Midori Kaji, Sadae Yoshioka, Mrs. Lily Yamada, Mary Watanabe, Edith Wakamoto, Chiyoko Nagamine, Masako Uno, Yuriko Takeda, Helen Tabuchi, Fuyuko Sakai, Lillian Kawatsu, Emiko Miyamoto, Tayeko Kawahara, and Mrs. Kubota. Teachers have received instructions from Mrs. Snyder, Mrs. Gibson, Dr. Genevieve Carter, and Joy Soeda. Mrs. Kameyo Fujii is parent-nursery school co-ordinator assisting Mary A. Schauland, supervisor.

Pictured above is Ralph P. Merritt, guest speaker at the graduation exercises of the local high school, making his address to the audience.

Dr. Genevieve Carter congratulates Yoshiko Kuramoto as she receives her diploma. Students in the background smile: sheepskins in hand.