Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-08-23
Educational.
70 School District officers, and All Whom il
May Concern. "a
Madison, Aug. 10 1870.


TO School District Officers, and All Whom il
May Concern.
From close observation and much
thought upon the subject, ! am led
to believe that all the school we
have in any school district in one
year should be taught between the
beginning of the last week in August
and the 10Th day OF the following
June; or better still, between the
lst day OF September and the 10th
day OF the next June. The best time
for school is from the 1st day of
September to Christmas week.
During that time pupils feel the most
like studying, and teachers the most
like teaching; and as the roads are
gen orally good, it is just the time to
send the small children to school.
The next best time for school is from
the close of New Years week to
about the goth Of February. After
that time both pupils and teacher
begin TO grow weary Of the school
room, and unless the school closes
by the 10th or, at tarthest, the 18th
of June, it will be found nearly or
quite impossible to keep the pupils
interested in anything that is con-
neoted with school. Besides, The
physical injury to children is greater
in attending school any two to four
weeks from the 10th or 18th of juno
to the 25th of August, than it is in
attending the remainder of the year.
In any district school, after the 10th
of June, You will seldom find one-half
of the pupils registered present at
any one time, and frequently less than
one-tourth of them on an Average
about one-third not more. OF those
present | generally find some asleep
and others who wish to be so and
would be if not "afraid !" and really,
if they must be there, they need sleep.
If you doubt it, try it yourself for
half day and then think what it
must be to follow it up week after
week. When you have done this |
believe you will join me in saying
that surely all our schools should
close by the 10th Of June or uery
soon after When | ask the teacher
of any school the cause Of their de-
crease in numbers | generally receive
the reply that they are sick that is,
not altogether confined to their beds,
but those who are not are "ailing."
OF course they are Calling" and who
wonders at it after considering the
matter. Which of you can sit and
| study or listen to some one talking
two and half hours twice each day
for FIVE days in each week during
the hot weather from June 10Th on
to the close of the term in July Or
August and not be "ailing?' Now
my plan would be to have school
begin any time after the beginning
of the last week in August or the
first in September and continue till
Christmas week, then have two
weeks Of vacation then let school
begin again and continue till the
close Of next to the last week in
March. If you are then to have
more school let it begin, after you
have had three l0eekS of vacation,
which will be during the breaking
up OF winter, and closed by or before
the middle of June. This will make
short spring term yet it will be
long enough for the small children
to begin to grow weary; but they
can regain health and spirits by the
first Of September when the fall
term should again commence, and
by the time severe cold weather
comes on and the roads are blocked
with snow, the little ones viii again
need rest and they can "drop out,
while the older ones who have just
done with the "fall work" can "fall
in" and make the numbers good
again. Please think Of this and do
Justice to the children.
Respectfully,
w. II. HoLFoRD,
Bloomington, Aug. 20, 20. County supt School,