Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-05-02

III uePo''lnen'' ioul loi eAceienoe III oassiea'
studies, four Tor excellence IN mathematics
-FOUR Tor excellence IN Ehgiish STUDIES, anu one
eacn Tor composition, deciamatloh, reauihg,
ana French.
FIVE gentlemen, elected near the commence
ment OF the school year. ny the schooi ooaru,
put not members oI lheir own Douy! are 10 ACT
as Judges IN lhe award Oh tnese prizes; Anu
the regulation states that they sinai ne gov
erned IN their decision by the MARKS OF !he
scholars Tor recitation ana department during
The year, by their appearance ana pronclehGy
at the school examinations, ana Such other modeS
OF ascertalnlng their comparative merits as
they may think Ut to employ. AS no medals
have yet been distributed, (though they were
awarded last year Tor the hrst time the com
mlttee found themselves unalded III thelr
task by the experience OF previous years
They therefore consulted with one another, at
the outset, as to the best method OF ascertain
ing the absolute and comparative merits OF the
high school pupils, III tine various departments
for which prizes were to be gwen.
The medals for department come tlrst IN or
der upon the schedule, ana should be consul
cred as standing hrst III rank. The statute
defining the powers and duties OF this commit
tee in making their award, declares that un.
der the term department" is included good
morals, good manners, industry and assldulty,
regularity, punctuality, and every description
of honorable and mertorIous conduct. II
will be seen that this makes the term ''deport
ment" very comprehensive. The committee
wish it to be considered so; and the same
may be said OF the teachers and best friends OF
the high school. In the award OF medals,
andain the honorable mention OF excellence
i'll this department. we wish such award
or mention to be distinctly understood as ex'
pressive OF tigh-minded, polite, urbane, gen
tlemanly, or lady like conduct. 1t is testl.
mony to integrity, purity, aud hlgh-souled
honor Punctuality is only one element OF
good conduct, though a valuable one. A tech
meal conformity to school regulations, though
essential to this honor, Is but small part OF
that which entities pupil TO 1t. 1t is rather
the possession oil whatever Is graceful ana
courteous in manners, sweet and genial in tenn
per, and benevolent in feeling. SO lar as by
observation and inquiry, it is IOund that these
high qualities are possessed by pupils, whether
in the earlier or more advanced stages OF high
school life, it is hoped that they will be, from
year TO year, the successful candidates Tor
these particular medals.
Respecting the prizes awarded for excellence
in the classics and in mathematics, no explana-
tions are necessary. -Four are given Tor Eng.
lsh studies. These include all branches
taught in the school, except those for which
the other prizes are especially offered" The
difficulty of awarding these medals was found
to be so great, in view OF the variety of the
studies pursued in the school, and the impossi-
bility OF accurately comparing attainments i'll
one study with attanmenls in another, "that
the committee decided TO give these medals
for specific studies selecting the more impor
tant of those that have been pursued during
me year--giving one Tor physiology ana chem
t~rS ond one f,. dra,,, jr,C
Respecting the manner of deciding upon the
attachments of pupils it is proper to say that
the committee prepared eisht sg.s OF printed
fra Can,,.r,, p1%,'a;5'lo,,, "a Cha,,,,e,rv
History, and English Literature, there being
ten questions or topics in each set. All who
colnpeteu lor neuals IN ether Oh lnese depart
ner to write nnt tha hest answers thew vera
able, without the aid of books or communica-
ton with one another or with others. These
papels were Suosequen,y gA'.ii'ieu ~ .ne
ceiyed for recitations during the whole
year, and the average between the writ
ten papers and the per centage marks tor
~, "ti ~. NJ. s;, ~ ~ -
ings handed in wore carefully examined and
decided on by the committee, solely on their
merits without reference TO the marks ior the
Tho modols f., doolor,o,;nr ord road;no
have been awarded solely in view of the pub.
lie rhetorical exercises in The City Hall on a
recent occasion
tho coumirtea a,"or,i H. tha t'Uan,n ,eaois
NJ 11;oo;,.o, "a, - ,,a.,.s :, eor,l,
or el,odstior of ,l,o ,,Ian, odo,toa h tho ,r;vo
committoo uo said Ia MI, hoI roso,vod
from tho ,ooinnirc ~ trrst noth;,, 70
moro orol ovan,;nation hnt % .n,,,, - ooot
donortuon+ of tho so,,aol mr;,tan on,iro-
.;o,, H., noo,s ,f ,,n;,.od , III ro.,Lt
bod hoon hv Ear tho mos, tl,ororob exom;na
10, avor on,,l;od 81 orv school n woroao.
tar o,rroaohino in como donortn,erts tho
wos, pint standard of accuracy
ua on,ionod t,,o owls oon,monlv ohserved
n +ha nr;zo sveto,, ono vos tho over,
stimulus produced among pupiis' many OF
whom were already disposed to work too hard
aiming the questions as to test the thorough