Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-08-22

: Without effort to secure it, we have had
a fair share of patronage, and very gener
: ally from the best young men and wOmer
4 of the country. The number who have
) prepared for college, for advanced standing
in higher seminaries, with those who cntel
directly upon professional studies, from Oul
: Public School, attest the sOundness of oul
work.
Weare always thankful for suggestion;
towards improvement, but frequently sur.
! prised with expressions from patrons like
the following: 1--WE were visiting our daugh.
! ter in ", last week, and she told us about
their schools. How the teachers keep q
merit roll, and scholars are kept after
school if they don't get their lessons, and
the teachers take so much pains to teach
their pupils singing and good manners, and
they have a nice piano in the High School,
&c. &c" and close by wishing "we had
such interest in our Schools" This reminds
one very forcibly of the adage; ~ proph-
ct is not without honor save in his own
country" The citizens of Warren have
all the facilities, including wealth and tai
ent, for making their Public School equal,
in every respect, to the best scminaries.-
1t is their duty to demand this excellence.
The Board are rccreant to duty if they en-
plOy Teachers incompetent to give the
school this position, and the Examiners are
culpable for sanctioning their admission to
the schools. But we boldly challenge COM
parison in modes of instruction, in thor
Oughness of scholarship, in effectiveness of
discipline (unlcss it be the discipline of
despotism) with any school of like grade
either public or private. In grade we ac,
knowledge no superior short of the college
III fact, and there We will compare on all
the English Branches of the first three
years.
If mothers distrust their cake making
abilities, or fathers their steadiness ofnerye
to curb the boys Young America, it may
be well to place the daughter under the
domestic training of a "Female Collegiate
Institute" where her music can be proper
ly attended to under the eye of Madam
Dandolano, and the son where he may
learn to climb bed cords by moonlight
while Professor Augustus Serverus enjoys
sllis itful slumbers. In short, home is the
place to practice bread.making, and to learn
obedience to wholesome rule, and that vii
lage home is in an unfortunate locality,
where all the requisites for acquiring 4
good practical elementary education are
not supplied in the public school. Warren
has no such homes. Parents may here
save their 5000, to $3.50, per year, on each
son or daughter. until they are prepared
to enter an advanced course at college.
Would parents give their school 4 repu-
tation equaling the character it merits, let
them patronize it steadily-cherish it in
their affections, remember it in their pray
ers, and guard it sacrcdly with their suf- /
frages. And let them not be deluded by /
the gay show of flaming circulars, formida-
bic arrays of Profs., many of whose names
only are used for effect, or the vain false
hood that home is not the place to learn
good manners.
There has been marked increase of in
terest in reading and spelling in our schools
during the last year. By the hberality of
several citizens, three prizes were awarded
to the best spoilers in each grade. Twelve
regular prizes were thus distributed, and
four others awarded to worthy contestants,
all costing about S34. Several months
were devoted to the preparation, and per-
manent Improvement is the result. The
spelling did not embqrrass other studies,
but even if it had for the time, We should
have approved the effort on that much neg
Iected branch Of education. In this con-
nection We would also recommend some per-
manent arrangement for especially encour-
aging excellence in reading and spelling.
In conclusion permit me to thank you in
behalf of the Board of instruction, for
your kind encouragements during the past
,ear; also, through YOU to our visiting
friends who have 50 often cheered us; more
rcquent vlsitations would naturally stimu-
ate US to still better exertions.
Appended is a list of those scholars re-
ported not to have lost half days atten-
lance This list is much larger than any
'reyious year. We hope to see it increase.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES MARVIN.