St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-03-20
Report

/ OF HE SO hlNIiNDENl or CpMiON
SCHOOLS IN ST. JOIINsBURY FOR TIE
YEAR ENDING MARCH 81, 1868.
To tie CaiselaS Of ST. JohnSJmy:-By a
clause of the school laws of the State of
Vermont, | am required to present you
at this annual meeting, with a report of
the general condition of common schools
in this town, for the year ending with
the 3lst of March, instant, and | here
with submit the following:
There have been twentv-four schools
in town the past year, sixteen of which
sustained fall terms. 1t affords the su-
perintendent no small gree Of pleasure
TO he able to report rs II general remark,
that So far as he is able 10 judge the
schools throughout the town-in most of
the terms, have been quite successful,
and i'll 4 good degree profitable. Their
intellectual status has been quite above
the usual standing of common schools,
and the observable improvement has been
encouraging and in good degree satisfac-
tory. The attendance has been generally
COOL throughout the year, when not pre-
vented 10y sickness. In some districts.
however. sickness has prevailed TO con-
siderable extent, nearly or quite breaking
up the terms in some instances, and which
will very naturally lessen, to consider
able degree. the average attendance.
The scholars in the schools have IN the
main been diligently studious, and in
their department and improvement have
done themselves and their teachers credit
The personal appearance of the schools,
III care of their school-room, and persons
has been neat and becoming. There are
exceptions indeed, i'll which the most
strenuous efforts of earnest teachers, have
failed TO awaken to any considerable eX-
tent an interest in study on TIE part of
scholars, and consequently they have
been little protited. And there have been
few exceptions in which a faithful use
of the broom in the school-room, of soap
and water on hand, and face, of comb ON
the hair, and brush on the clothes, would
have been highly crcditabi9 to all con-
Ccrned.
The teachers for the most part have
been really Ire ones, and have manifested
good degree OF interest. not to say en-
thusia>m in their vocation. In some OF
the schools we have been favored with as
tiAe examples of ability and tact in the
management of SchuUlS-both in their
government and in the communication of
knuwledgc-im close practical methods
and thorough drill a are only rarely
seen. They have not been content in
simply carrying 4 pupil through any
given textbook, but on Y with thorough
and practical knowledge of the science
taught. In most OF the s.houl- the
scholars have been required 10 master
whatever they have taken in hand, TO get
what they did get thoroughly.
The practice quite too common in the
schools of guessing at answers in rccita-
tion-aS well is the mechanical process
Of going through the books of study-has
been i'll some good degree discarded and
scholars have been put upon their knowl.
cdge Of the subject matter of lesson,
given them. The method of allowing a
scholar to try several times upon word,
or i'll answering Il question, is a bad one
one that fails of the end To be had in view
, in class dnl.-the acquisition of knowl
edge. 1t Is usually Il mere matter o
! guess work, and the answer given, cveI
if right, depends very little upon the fac
of knowledge With most teachers | be
| lieve an answer, under ordinary circum
, stances, and making all necessary allow
anccs, has been required at once, or th'
lesson repeated until it could be thus Civ
en-. In some instances however, teacher
, nave seemed TO possess no well defined
: id :, of the proper method TO be pursue,
t III teaching and their management of th'
4, school has been OF Il corresponding char
acicr.
J.. Public examinations of teachers wer
c held twice during the year, on the 1T
OF May ;.'.d 23d of Nov, 1867. Thirty
d four applications were made for licens
: to teach, and thirIy-three were granted
D Of whom twenty eight applicants wer
ladrc, and five were gentlemen.
It the superintendent has visited tn
= schools to the amount of about siXt
Il DAYS Of time that could be spent i
a schools. Aud has taken the opportunit
OF acquainting himself with their cond
st ton III all respects as far rs he has bee
| able.
# Districts l, and consolidated i
the graded schools of the corporate Vi
:. lage OF ST. Johnsbury, are divided into
k schools of three terms each. They pro
| fer excellent facilities for educational pul
~ poses, being quite generally turnishe
d with the necessary furniture and apper;
II tus of the modern school room OF the be
grade. The methods OF government al
instruction in these schools are very sy
ID tematic and thorough. And the schola
p. ship is of as high order as can be foun
Id in but few schools ot the country of Il
er like grade. Care is taken 10y the teacl
,d ers in tile smaller schools TO frequent
L. relieve the tCtllousness of close methods
m bv exercises in singing and gymnastics
it which are engaged in with great zest
=. the scholars The year has been one
S. prosperity throughout, with the exec
he llon of the fall term of the first primal
ed in brick building which was not W.
V managed nor profitable. Sickness al
has broken the term to consideraE
ar. extent. On the whole, however, t
II schools have done themselves great cred
An examination of classes was held
at the prudential committee in nearly
the schools at the close of the wint
I'D term, which gave evidence OF thorou
ly, practical, training and close applicable
nd and was as Il whole highly gratifying
tn" committee.
40 In district No. 4, the summer tel
III was of weeks, and was fairly succe