Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-23

begin with
II lsT.-soHooL BUILDINGS.
1t is, OF course, desirable that the place where
our children are to meet for school purposes
should be made comfortably pleasant, There il
necessarily some confinement In the school. rooms
and to some children the lessons come to be look
ed upon as task. II in addition to this the school
house is SO cold that the bare mention Of 1t makes
the poor child shiver-if the windows rattle with
every gust if just ready to drop the heads Of
the children-f to preserve comfort the scholars
are obliged often to 90 to the stove and warm
themselves-plainIy, such q state Of things must
detract very much from the benefit that ought to
be derived from the school, to say nothing Of the
injury to health which such exposure brings
Some convenient outbufdines are also essential
to the comfort Of the school house. II, in sddi-
ton to the essentials, little pains taken to
render the school house Pleasant and attractive #
would, no doubt, be profitable investment.
Pleasant grounds, shade trees-maps and pictures
on the walls would help to draw the young to the
school house and help to relieve parents from the
task of urging their children to the school.
| 2ND.-scBooIs.
There have been schools in four of the school
districts in the town. The teachers were in each
case examined before commencing their schools,
and all the schools have been visited by the Super
intendent each term in district No., North
Ira, each term, the Others twice. It ia plain
we have not yet reached perfec'isn in our schools.
but to our imperfections is one important step
towards improvement.
9RD.-DrsTRIcTs
No., North Ira-summer term, Miss e. Pike !;
winter term, Miss Nettie Hunter. This was Miss
Pixies frst attempt, and she exhibited some de-
srable traits for a teacher.
Miss Hunter closed her school before the term
expired. Of the reason for closing and the cir
cumstances, am not informed.
No., Tower Hill-summer term, Miss Jennie
| M. Smith winter term, Mr.. Arden Taylor. Miss
| Smiths health failed her and she was obliged to
give up the school when the term had about half
expired. For the winter term they were fortu-
nate in securing Mr.. Taylor, under whose man
agement the school appears to be doing well. The
general department of the school seems to be i'm
proved and there is aQuietness in and around the
school-room that is pleasant to observe.
No, Center-summer term, Miss Belle Gill
more; winter term, MIR. G. Champion. Though
young Miss Gilmore brought into the school-room
some excellent traits for teacher, with the ad-
vantage of Normal School training. she has a
fair prospect of making flrst-cass teacher. Mr..
Champion had taught the school before, and had
| given Il understand good satisfaction but for
| some reason the impression has obtained with
some that the school has not been profitable as
| it might have been.
| No, South District-summer term, Miss Mary
White; winter term, Miss Annie A. Peck. As
Miss White has retired from the list of teachers,
it is needful only to say that if she is success
full in her life work she was in the schoolroom,
life will not be failure. Miss Peck entered the
school with the advantages Of experience and the
District expected good school. think their ex-
pectations were realized.
With regard to the selection Of teachers, may
remark here that Superintendent is very liable
to mistake. 1t is well understood fact that the
best scholars do not always pass the best exami-
nation Not less true is it that something besides
education is needed to qualify teacher for his
responsible place. There is q tact in managing
and an aptness for teaching without which the
best education would be failure in the school,
room, so that a Superintendent would very prop
erly be Influenced somewhat by teachers repu-
tation-by previous success.
Again, teacher may succeed with one class of
scholars, but when in another school or under
other circumstances he may not be equally sue
cessful.
Or, a teacher having to manage a variety
dispositions-who have been differently govern
ed, or perhaps ungoverned at home-a stranger, it
may be, TO his scholars, is liable to mistake. He
must be more than human if he were not. My
judgment with regard to these mistakes is that un-
less they are of a very serious nature they better
be home than to break up the school Some pa
rents do not appear TO possess the faculty OF good
government; yet a poorly governed family Is pet-
ter than to have the family ties broken and the
members scattered. A school cannot be broken
up without great harm.
4TH-vIsITISG SCHOOLS.
I have noticed sad defect as look over the
Registers. But few of the parents visit the
schools. If you employ man to build you
house, you look at his work occasionally to see if
it is well done but when the foundation is to be
laid for an intellectual structure-as much more
important as the mind is nobler than brick or
mortar-it is left largely to the jude ment Of
young teacher, with the occasional official over
sight of a single person. The money expended in
our schools, their Importance to the individual
welfare and the nation Il prosperity, demand
more attention from the citizen and the parent.
5TH.-UsIoN OF DISTRICTS.
With our schools, as small as they are, and the
difficulty of obtaining good teachers, 1t becomes
a question worthy of thought-whether the
schools in this part of the town if district could
not in some way be united, SO as to employ less
number of teaehers-whether a single school in
some central location, employing two teachers in
winter, perhaps one would be sufficient for sum-
merO would not be an improvement on the pres
ent system.
Is it not an open question whether the money |
saved in the wages and board Of teachers would
not balance the expense incurred in bringing the
children that would need to be carried from the
remoter parts. Whether even IL the expenses
were somewhat increased the schools would not
be enough better to pay for the additional ex-
pense.
6TH.--ATTENpANcE.
The Registers and the streets reveal the fact
that quite too large per cent of the children Of
school age are not constant attendants at school.
would here call your attention to the late enact
ment of the Legislature, which provides for com.
polling children to attend school. If general
intelligence is deemed so important that man
who has property is obliged to aid in the support
of schools is it not Of sufficient Importance to de-
mand that if school privileges be provi ed for
children they be required to avail themselves of
them
And here take pleasure In naming two schol-
ars who. during the las. summer term, were pres
emit every day at school, land believe with no
tardy marks. They are Ida squiers and Sarah
Adams.
Respectfully submitted,
L. KINNEY, Superintendent.
March IS, 1871.