The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-04-17
enc Californian.
Gentlemen Of School District No. 4,
Lyndon,


three months summer and three months
winter school in each Of our school
houses.
That the uttcuduncr ofscholurs upon
the schools has been little above the
average number Of former schools, aud
the schools have been somewhat above
the average for quality, The improve
mcnt Of scholars has been quite salts
factory.
Tho expense or sustaining your
schools for the year has been S273,46
BY the Treasurer report you will
learn that he has received and has paid
out S26777-uf which silO,98 was for
m old debt, the last against the district
The'disniGt NOW owes slO,67. deem
II desirable that hereafter the District
"pay rs they 20, and have no debts,
An estimate Of tie expenses for the
coming year warrant mo in recommend
ing that you raise 5000, 90 to meet the
same.
The experiment recommended last
year, Of having but one instead Of three
Prudential Committee, has givcuuniycr-
sal satisfaction 10 the district, and you
will naturally follow the practice Of il /
hereafter,
Upon mature considerations think .
a change IN time and length Of the
school terms might be- made with great
advantage Three, months seem 10 me
to be too long u time 10 confne children
ut school, The third month Of a school
| have observed to be Of little benefit
TO the scholars, The teachers and the
scholars all become tired and weary
the scholars are more or less absent
some become sick, and nearly all lazy
If they really study three months it
Injuries their buin-it is demanding
mental exercise for too long time from
children, But majority Of them really /.
study but very little during the Inst
month Of school and instead form habits
Of Incidence, Indifference, and even Of
dislike TO study-habits it is very dc'ir-
able they should never acquire
Again, three months confinement in
the foul Dir of Il school house more or
less affects their health. have noticed
that children, during the last month of i
school, are apt to become dull, pccvlsh,
aud irritable; often complain ofhcadache
and some ofthcm even grow thin Of flesh /
These effects gradually subsido in few .
weeks after the close of the school. An
over loaded stomach lins much 10 do
with child's feelings and progress in !
study. | have frequently been called
professionally TO visit children who were !,
i'll, and found that they were attending ,
school, or had just finished their attend
nncc, and had hot head, feeble digcs-
ton aud u constipatcd condition Of the :,
bowels, because their stimulated brains
had attracted too much blood from those =.
organs, to itself My only prescription
in such cases, is TO avoid books aud -
study, for time, TO regulate the diet, 4"
and TO take abundant exercise in the =
open air. Il
q. 1T is cruel ifnot positively wicked Il
not to allow children to BIO children Il
while. they are children. Or 10 pre- "
vent their taking abundant cxer- GO
else in play. 1t is natural for them Il
it is their right, The young Of oll Il
animals frisk about abundantly ia pnys
and have you never observed that the +
lamb, the calf or the colt who lriskcd ii
about the most was the best animal. 1t AZ
is not your proper, steady, discreet ami I'll
nal, that make the best and most valued b,
grown animal, b,
July is n warm month, and month --
If berries. Very many oG the scholars
stay out this mouth, and those who re- Fl
main learn but little. February is cold la
md stormy, and scholars get but little b.
good out Of this month. do
Instead of having two terms of m
months each. | think three terms Of 81
months each would be bcttcr. We might br
nave n summer term in May and June sis
"A fall term in September and Octo- su
,er, and II winter term in December ab
nd January. If you are disposed to co
ry the experiment, | would suggest
hat You vote to have six months school of
n each house during the year, and that Ca
he number and duration of the terms
'e left discretionary with your comm on
nittce. tn
l deem it important that more time
nd effort be devoted to the teaching of
cading tones, infections distinct
less of utternce, sound of letters, pro-
of words, &c--and also of
polling If these are not learned in
ur district schools, they are seldom hu
yor vol learned Again, good read IN
RS and spoilers oftcncr become good pc,
,holars, than poor readers andspellers. W"
'cachcrs tell me however, that they
nd great difficulty and frequent inn ter
in properly and sufficiently bel
,aching that department, because to
oholars ace not aware Of its importance
nd object to spending the necessary
me and effort, beiieging they can be
49,. 49,. Ii :.