The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-06-23
THE PUBLIC sCR0OLs-ASNUAL EX
AMINATIONs.


AMINATIONs.
The annual public exercises of the schools con-
Quoted under the management Of the Board OF
School Directors, which had been so auspiciously
inaugurated on Saturday by the exhibition at the
Normal School, were resumed yesterday in the
primary and grammar schools of the First District
twelve in number, and at most of them proved of
a character extremely interesting to those who
have the cause of education at heart. We first
visited the
FISK SCHOOL,
| Situated corner of Perddo and St. Peter streets
| Here the number of pupils averages 1--WE hundred,
and has been during the past season As high as
five hundred and sixty four. But Mr.. Pierce the
principal, informs Us. and in fact al each school
we visited the same fact was remarked. that dur.
ing the last month, since the summer exodus 10
the watering places and the North has begun the at
tendance has seDsibly diminished During our visit
10 the FIX School we had the pleasure of witness
ing The examination of the first class in grammar.
Some sentences aud clauses OF intricate structure
were parsed by the pupils in way which showed
| them completely masters of the language, and
pTecluded any possibility of their having learned
| The rules only by rote, a. is too frequently the
| case with youngsters. When we left the exam
nation was stll progressing, and was to conclude
| IN the afternoon with compositions and decama.
tion. The faculty of the school consists of Mr.. j.
| first assistant; Misses Alice Shumwell aud N. n.
| Walton, second assistants Misses NJ. Finlay A.
A. Finch and A Shean, third assistants and Misses
NJ Lepper and A. M. Beach supernumeraries.
We next visited
THE GRAvIRR STREET SCHOOL,
For colored children, under the tuition of Mr.. P.
| NJ. Williams, principal, and Mrs. Mary Williams
| Miss P. Williams and Arthur Williams assistants.
Mr.. Williams, who, with his wife, son and daugh-
ter has entire charge OF this school, is graduate
n n.II.
| clas-mate of ex military Governor Flanders. He
was also for several years principal of of the
public schools for colored children in New York
city, and evidently brings to bear upon the educa
| tion Of the youth OF his own race great abilities
1 rs an instructor. The order preserved among the
| children during the exercises was perfect. Let
| but whisper be heard, and glance from the
| principal speedily quieted the transgressor. 0ne
| or two simple airs were sung in good time aud
| very correctly by the children. Mr. Arthur
Williams accompanying them upon the Piano
The first class in geography passed very credi-
table examination, replying with pr0mptitude to
several impromptu questions by avisitOr. including
such as bound and give the capitals of Louisiana
| Connecticut, Rhode Island, Missouri Tennessee"
| On the 9Th of November last, when this school
was transferred by the bureau to the Board OF
| School Directors, there were but sixty pupils.
| There are now two hundred and twenty, and have
| been at one time two hundred and eighty five.
The ages vary from four to eighteen years. Some
| of the boys mounted the rostrum during our visit
and decaimed very creditably. 1t is pity that
better school rooms could not be found for this
institution for in their present quarters the pupils
are huddled together uncomfOrlabiy close.
THE COMMON STREET SCHOOL,
For coloIed children, was the next we visited.
Here there at present one hundred and twenty
five children, although there have been two hun
dTed and twenty-three. Nor is this building any
too large or commodious for the purpose to which
il ia devoted. The school is uuder charge of Miss
COruplIa ClarkSOn. n q
peTience and ability an nstructress, and of Miss
NJ. A. TraeDor, who has charge of the primary de-
partment. Miss Clarkson feels pride and very
jusiidsbly too, in the success which has attended
her Efforts. One of her pupils, girl Of fourteen,
read composition entitled " Nothing New under
the sum-" which would have done credit to many
older people, while another scholar, James Ken
nedy, bright boy Of about the same age, &C.
quilted himself handsomely in defamation, and
answered by mental calculation the following i'm
promptu question: addressed him by visitor, viz
- II a has two apples, four times as many as A,
and c twice as many as and together how
many have they in all? " He thought moment and
replied thirty" Some difficult examples in interest
were worked upon the blackboard BY the class in
arithmetic, and any number of offhand questions
were correctly answered by the class in geography.
Among the visitors at this school daring the day
was his honor Mayor Conway.
THE MADISON SCHOOL.
Entering the Madison School, one of the best
buildings in the city for school purposes, we were
graiined to find not only very respectable. bat
very select attendance OF scholars and visitors in
the department Of Mrs. NJ. Z. Mcdonald, principal,
who presented very numerously signed roll of
honor, TO which was appended q note stating that
it was particularly her duty to mention the names
of Misses Kate Morrow, H. E. Egsn, X. Dalton,
M. Fallen, j. BagnsdO, G.. Cauded and four
others who maintained marks Of credit IN all the
studies required, varying from 80 to 100 per cent.
since January last. The aggregate number of
pupils Is AS. present attendance 42S, and sent
eight TO the high School last year. We found the
pupils exercising in geography. and their swers
were so correct, prompt and decisive, that Mr.
Rogers varied the regular order of the questions
by uayersing from Europe to America, then
TO Africa, Australia, etc., ETC., in which
the rivers, mountains and boundaries of
each were carefully and correctly defined.
Miss l.. M. Wagner, first assistant, has a very
humorous collection of little girls IN her depart
ment, who are well advanced in the several
branches taught. and we must beg OF our
readers not TO charge us with being invidiOus
WREN we give the names Of Emma Homer Henri.
eta Scott and Annie Conwell, aged only ten
years, and each read a very creditable compost
tion, particularly the first, which spoke of the
pleasures of journey TO the High school. The
other assistants are Misses N. Brugniens, NJ
McCOrd, Marion Porter, Mrs. K. G.. McCann Miss
NJ. Cuggy and Miss n. Flanagan. Our time was
so limited that we could only visit the department
under Mrs. McCann, wheIe the superintendent
examined her first class, and was persuaded by
Atle AllC6 Mdybu " "all q Lnpmbub lOlBbI "
hear her recite her piece, entitled 'rhe Trials of
an Editor and it so excited our risbilities that
we shall publish it IN few days.
THE BRANCH OF THE MADISON SCHOOL,
At the corner of Gssque and Treme streets affords
tuition TO l20 pupils, who are under the control
and instruction OF Misses Jackson, CONCEAL and
Bishop. At this school salutatory address to visit
ors was delivered by Miss Ella Lindsay, fair
little lady of fourteen, who spoke with clear
voice and winning manner. The subsequent ex-
ercises were in the highest degree satisfactory,
and reflected great credit upon both pupils and
teachers.
THE MARSHAL (BOYs) SCHOOL,
Under the careful management of Geo. W. Lane,
principal, is one of the most important in the