Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-05-13

A portion Of the irregularity Of attend
ance is doubtless owing TO the prevalence
Of measles during the winter term.
From ob5ervati n | shouli Judge that
this Report will compare favora1ly with
that Of any previous year, but as no records
have been kept the exact truth cannot be
obtained. This Board have now instituted
a general system OF records and reporting,
which will enable them in the future to give
exact statistics Of every department and
every term.
The new term just opened bids fair to
be one OF unusual prosperity. A greatly
increased number of pupils are already 10
attendance and several Of the departments
have every seat occupied anda large number
of surplus pupils.
This board and the teachers have Of late
been trying to institute measures for corr
recting evils resulting from irregularlty Of
attendance. From The report of the teachers
accompanying this, it will be seen that this
irregularity is enc Of the most serious evils
in the way Of the progre 80 of the Schools.
The teachers generally estimate that one
half Of their time and cffortp are wasted
in consequence Of it. And at late meet
ing Of the School Inspectors the f,llIwing
Regulation. designed to remedy the evil,
was adopted unanimously:
Resolved, That for three days unexcuscd
absence the principal teacher may suspend
any pupil from School, ant said pupil shall
not be entitled to resume his place in
School without written permit from Gee.
Ii. Woodruff, if belonging to District Ne. l,
aad from S. D. Simonds, if belonging to
District NJ. Q. Whenever any pupil is
suspended under this rule, the principal of
the room shall Immediately notify the
parent or guardian of the pupil and the
member of the Board designated to take
cognizance of such matters. Three cases us
uue<cused hardness shall be considered as
equivalent to one days absence.
am happy to state that the reports from
the several departments so far, this term,
indicate much greater average attendance
than ever before. and have no doubt that
the application of the above regulation and
the hearty efforts Of parents directed to this
end, will still further reduce this irregu
larity.
TEACHERS.
The steady policy of the board has been
TO employ permanent teachers aud to
chsnge as rarely as possible We have now
in our employ several who have been with
us for long time. and those who have
recently been emFl ,yed have been selected
with reference to permanence as well as
fitness. We would feel ns though Injustice
would be done did we not paw tribute to
the faithfuness, zeal and Industry of the
whole corps of teachers They have faith
fully discharged the duties devolving upon
them in their several departments, and in
their weekly meetings have been indefati-
gable in deVising new measures 20 make
their teaching more practicable and eff
cient.
AT the close the last term Miss DonnelI
resigned the prime? alship of the Primary
Department in Dist. No 2, a position she
has so ably filed for several years. She
had peculiar happy faculty in managing
her department, winning without apparent
effort the good will of all her scholars.
Her success was so apparent that il was a
source OF regret to the entire Board that
they were compelled to accept her resisna>
ton. We have succeeded in obtaining for her
successor the services of Miss Abbie Den>
ton, and Judging from her former success
IN the same department, it will not be suf-
tered to retrogade 5utwill keep ITS former
repEtatiou.
The Board have employed Mr.. Johonnet
Tor another year. We felt in the present
condition OF our Schools we could not dis
pense with his services. His l,rg expert,
ence In matters connected with Public
Schools, his entire success for the past year
as principal tf the Scbe, in Dis. No. 3.
and his reputation as a School man, which
Is rot circumscribed 5y State lines render
Ell IL the unanimous opinion of the Board
to continue his services for Bn,ther year,
at a salary of 81 zoe. We know this is a
large amount tor US to pay, but under all
the circumstances we deemed it expedient
aud for the best interest of the School.
SALARIES.
In consequence Of the financial embar
ressments OF the country we have temper
ally reduced the salaries Of tho teachers
as ioIiows: All those receiving $3.50 per
annum to $500, and oil those receiving
$50 to sos. We hope that the necessi-
ues winch prompted these reductions will
soon pass away so that we can again puy
our teachers with our former liberality.
FINANCIAL.
The only moneys which have rassed
through cur hands for the past year is that
derived from nonresident scholars. which
is as foillws:
Amount reported one year ago s.so,
April Is, lsdl, Reed orc. G. Van Horne $1,000
June II, q AZ @. QnHck enbush 2to
July 30 " G. ". Roberts, IOp0
Jan. an. Van Horn.. Go9 as "a
Total 1850
This money is now in the hands of the
Secretary subject to the order of the Board.
bile the patrons of the Soho, /, gener-
ally have shown the highest resrcct and
confidence IN the teachers emil vel. nm
IN the general regulation Of the Board.
ieel that they ought to do more to testify
tais o1nfl0nce. They do not Isl, the scboois
sufficiently often, and in c0nseq'e ce MANY
sre prepared to believe absurd charges
which from time TO time are made in re-
gard to the motives of Teachers and School
inspectors, and to condemn actions q.
which they know little or nothing. This
leaves the Schools Ineasurably at the mercy
of every mischief maker who chooses 70
malign them. | wOul1 earnestly ask every
parent to yisi: the schools and become
more familiar with their workings. and
ulsl to elrefuliy study the general School
eystem of the city. l would also urge up-
on the members Of the Cmmon Council
the importance Of occasionally visiting our
schools. Such visits would tend to stimu>
late opth the teachers and pupils, rs they
would feel more that the public eye was
on them, aud that faithful labor would be
seen AMI appreciated. The impression is
too geacral that the School belongs to the
Board of School Inspectors, Tor some mem
bers o. it This impression can be cor
rssted by all taking an interest in their
progress, and then all can feel tina. thew
are ''o,T Schools" thu "peopls's Colleges :
For the details of the working of the
Schools as well as the COURSE of study .
YOU are referred to the Reports Of the
IpsTiatendents accompanying this.
S w. STONE, Sec.
Board School Insp.
E%Adviees from Pittsburg, Landing
state that Gen. Halleck iri IS citizens