!4—Lancaster Farming. Saturda:
2<
Hinkletown
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three-R approach to
education, which com
plicates the lives of those
who find they later have to
leave the farm.
“As these children quit
school at 15, they go to work
on the family farm or in the
family home. Although some
will remain on the farm,
increasing numbers are
forced to eventually leave
the farm and become em
ployed in other occupations.
The farms are already of
such a size that they cannot
be subdivided among the
children, and the number of
farms in the area is
decreasing so that additional
farms cannot be purchased.
“As a result, these
students are entering the
labor market without any
training or special skills, and
those who do remain on the
farm are forced to work in an
increasingly competitive
occupation without the
benefit of suitable
education.”
Herr discussed the
school’s genesis and ob
jectives one day this week in
the office of Robert Simon,
who is the* school superin
tendent for the Garden Spot
District. Simon, Herr said,
has been instrumental in
developing the kindergarten
Robinson Elected
PennAg Treasurer
George W. Robinson,
Kreamer, Pennsylvania
business executive has been
elected Treasurer of PennAg
Industries Insurance Trust
at a recent meeting. The
Trust is affiliated with
PennAg Industries
Association which
represents agribusiness
throughout Pennsylvania.
Robinson is a past
president of PennAg In
dustries Association. He is
President of the Kreamer
June 15. 1974
through adult vocational
agriculture program at
Garden Spot, and has been
keenly interested in plans for
the alternative school.
"To our knowledge,”
Simon said, “this will be the
first school of its kind in the
state. Harrisburg is very
much interested in our ap
proach, because the school
will be stressing educational
basics, vocational training at
an early age, and because
we’re trying to relate to the
needs of our community.”
Is this a terminal
program, designed only to
make an employable person
out of a 15-year-old farm
youth? “No, indeed,” Herr
said. “These kids are going
to be getting a full academic
workload. We’re not sub
stituting vocational training
for academic work, we’re
integrating the two. The
students here will be just as
capable of going on to ninth
grade and high school as
students from other eighth
grades. They might even be
better suited, because we’re
stressing the basics.”
Simon added that one of
the school’s main objectives
was to broaden the horizons
of the young people at
tending, so that they would
have at least some exposure
to a variety of work areas if
Feed Store, Inc.
Robinson replaces Orville
E. Hauck, owner of Hauck
Feed & Supply at Kutztown,
Penn., a feed and grain
dealership.
William H. Sprenkle of
Spangler and Sprenkle, Inc.,
York, Penn., was re-elected
Chairman and Donald W.
Parke, PennAg Executive
Vice President, was re
elected Secretary of the
Trust.
they did have ta leave their ‘
home farms' to find em
ployment. The eight'
vocational areas In the
program include;
agriculture, horticulture,
carpentry and cabinet
making, power mechanics,
nursing assistant, power
sewing, homemaking, /and
food trades and services.
“We chose these areas,”
Simon said, “because
they’re the ones with the
greatest need for workers
here in eastern Lancaster
County and the rest of the
county as well."
Herr added, “We want to
create an interest iff, and a
good attitude toward
available jobs. Local in
dustries have already ex
pressed a lot of interest in
the program, and many of
them have offered to send
their people in to instruct
some of the classes. Power
sewing, for example. We’ll
probably have a training
supervisor from one of the
garment factories in here to
teach the kids all about that
subject.”
Traditionally, con
servative fanners have been
very reluctant to try in
novative programs such as
the alternative school, but
Herr said there’s a waiting
list for the first year. Offers
of tuition students from other
school districts have been
turned down. And, Herr said,
although the program was
designed with children from
conservative families in
mind, any applicant would
be considered.
The state department of
education has paid for most
of the equipment to be used
in the school, and has also
agreed to fund part of the
instructional program. The
building itself, presently
known as the Hinkletown
Elementary School is
a brick structure built in
1962. Simon pointed out that
the elementary school was
due to be phased out of
operation anyway, because
of declining enrollment.
Over the summer, the
building will be converted
into an alternative school
facility. Included in the
renovation plans are
classrooms for sixth,
seventh and eighth grades, a
multi-purpose room for
power sewing, practical
nursing and special areas, a
library, and classrooms for
agriculture and power
mechanics, cabinetmaking
and carpentry, and
homemaking and food trades
and services.
On Storing Fertilizer
Give the fertilizer room to
breathe by leaving an air
space of six to eight inches
between each stack of bags.
Always store in a dry place.
Don’t lay bags on a dirt or
concrete floor because they
will pick up moisture and
“setup.” Do not stack fer
tilizer over eight bags high
and keep it away from
animals, caution Extension
agronomists at The Penn
sylvania State University.
HAY &
STRAW SALE
EVERY
WEDNESDAY
AT 12 NOON
PAULZ. MARTIN
SALES STABLES
2 miles East of
Intercourse
Sale managed by
Harvey Z. Martin