Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-30
Montpellsr Union School.

Ith0iSuBH uuuNnllOH WuiCU Cuu w " ""
the scholars 10 the district, under the best teachers
and by the most approved modes Of instruction.
The annual examination commenced Friday, the
18th, and closed last Friday with rhetorical extrcls
es by the students in the Grammar School, and 10
the highest grade of the Union S,hool. We
have Mt space to speak of this examination with
the detail necessary to give complete idea OF
the graded system and its results but we cannot
refuse an institution so important to the best in
terests Of our town some space in our columns.
In rooms Nos, and 2, under the charge Of
Miss Sweet and Miss Camp, the examination
proved what patience, care, attention and good OF
der can accomplish in commencing the education
Of small children. These rooms have each many
more scholars than are found in any Of the higher
departments, Miss Sweet having sometimes more
than 100 under her charge. In the manage
ment of SO many little children great judgment,
tact, patience and frmness are required. 1t
seems quite wonderful that these teachers succeed
in making so orderly and well trained scholars in
these primary departments, and the result is high
! ly creditabls to them.
OF the next room in the ascending grade, No
), the behavior and scholarship exhibited, gave
evidence of the fitness and competency Of Miss
Hobart, who has the department under her
charge. The scholars had made good progress
and, as they say in the army kilograms, the teach
er had them well in hand and was master Of
the situation The foundation having been laid
in The two lower grades, here the structure Of
what we call good common school education be-
gins 10 appear and take shape, and the boys end
girls begin to exhibit the quality Of their intel
ects aud we regard Miss Hobart as well quail
fed to manage these budding inteects and tit
them for the higher grades Of the school.
Of the next room, We regret 10 say that the
examination proved not SO Satisfactory. The
leao er in this department is quite likely compe.
tent to teach 10 less difficult situations, but she
has proved hardly equal to the work here.
Neither the order nor the scholarship was what
it should have been, and the department, at the
commencement Of next year, will be put in charge
Of new instructor.
Miss Bronson, who had charge Of room No 8,
gave an excellent examination. She is evidently
thoroughly competent teacher, understanding
classes and classes in Arithmetic gave the best evil
denoe Of thorough drill, not only in the text
books, but in the principles oil the sciences they
were pursuing The masters and misses, who
gave taste of the quality Of her instruction in
} Reading and Defamation, established not only
the excellent character of their instruction in these
exercises, but their own aptnesS in profting by
good teaching Miss Bronson leaves the school
now, and we trust the Prudential Committee will
be fortunate enough 10 secure an instructor equal
ly competent to take her place.
d The next department, the Grammar School,
, was examined during the whole Of two days. The
e examination the first day was conducted by Miss
SPaldirg 3, and embraced Arithmetic, Algebra
? French aAd Rhetoric. We were very much graf
fled at the character Ct this examination, both
d evidence Of the good work the teacher had done,
T and Of the good material she had had to work
e with. And while the examination was a success
in all the studies, ii is still due to Miss Spalding
to say that she did not take the department until
e the latter part Of the winter term, and did not
: then find in the highest condition, the teacher
who preceded her not having kept the school
= up to that point. Ia spite of this drawback,
i however, her examination was highly credtable,
and proved her proficiency asa ,eacher.-0n Thurs
It day, the examination in Mr.. Gorham's depart
ment was devoted TO Latin and Greek, and occu-
pied the entire day, beginning al the rudiment,
'' of these languages and including Cicero ana
Aenophons Anabass. The peculiar excellence
i exhibited here is undoubtedly due to Mr.. Cor.
}. hams familiar and thorough method Of instruc'
o ton. He knows all abou, what he teaches, and
u he means that his pupils shall advance no faster
!. than they can and examine every inch Of the way
h The grammar and the construction Of the Ian.
guages are with him the FIRST thing, and he believes
V truly that when these are attained, the other
!, things will be added We never witnessed a
Q more exhaustive examination Of scholars on the
" foundation principles upon which al accurate ac-
quaintance with the classics Is based, and the
!, very general readiness Of the students to answer
a questions proved that the examination was but
. repetition Of an everyday method Of instruction
9 in his school, We were especially pleased
. with the class in Cicero, composed of young gen.
e tlemen and ladies', and the class Of young men in
Xenophon, who gave smooth and elegant transla-
tons, and were thoroughly at home 10 the gram.
, mar Of the languages, and we believe no school in
the country anywhere can show better or mere
b promising students of their age than these.-Tht
: class in Geometry was not examined for lack q
/ time.
. OF the rhe torical exercises, Friday, we cannot
I, speak,, as we we're unfortunately compelled to at.
tend tie other ana less interesting rhetorical exer
4 cises of the Democratic rty,-though we under.
e stand that these exercises,-tbe former, not the
! litter--were in the highest degree creditable ia
the schoo and to its instructors. 10 the evening
p the SCHOLARS enjoyed reunion iu the Hall Of the
!. Union School building, and, with this festive &c.
casiop, closed the labon and delights OF the schoo
! year,
d PosTAoE Tho new Postage Law goes into
effect on the LIST Of July. On and after tina,