The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-15

Report of Mr. Wentworth, Principal OF
the North School.

the North School.
NORTH SCHOOL, March Is, 1871.
By request, I respectfully submit the follow
lug report OF the classification and work in the
North School during the past year:
| The primary department of this school is d.
vided Into six grades, and the grammar de-
| paItmeut ntu four, each being one year in ad-
| vance OF The next lower, aud the amount to be
learned i'll each is desig mated 10 be as much as
| pupil OF average ability Can accomplish in a
| year. 1T any pupils are prepared to enter a
| higher grade, they Can do SO at any time, and
| pupils who have FALLEN behind their classes by
| absence or irregular attendance, by indoltnce
| or lGattentiOn are transferred to the next
| lower grade on consultation with The Super
visor.
| In the primary department. singing, calls
| themes, and wrtIDg upon states are daily ex-
| ercises 10 all the grades, aud repeating verses
| and maxims in the loUer classes.
| The course OF instruction in the loves t
| grade, sixth class, combines the word
| Method, phonelic., and object lessons Will
sons charts are used in the first part of the
| course, followed by the Progressive Primer
The pupils of this class are taught to write the
alphabet and small words upon their States,
and to count and number to one hundred on
the numeral frame. The First reaoer is used
in the fifth Glass; and the Secoad Reader in
the fourth. The pupils in these classes are re-
quired to spell the words in their Readers by
letters and sounds.
The Roman notation to one hundred, and
the Al able to one million are taught, aud Q
idea ot addition, subtraction, multi ,l,cat gu
and division developed by the use of the nun =
era frame.
Oral instruction is given on form, color,
parts, qualities, and uses of common things
The drlil in phonetic spelling has been very
successful and marked Improvement In read
ing he result.
Ia the third grade the intermediate Reader
is used, Mental and Written Arithmetic ale
completed through division, including thor
oush knowledge OF tn correspond NJ tables
Inc Ch'lds Book OF Ma ure Is used as a basis
for object lessons, and drawing has been intro
doced in one division of the class.
These exercises were we'll conducted and
proved both interesting aud profitable to the
children.
The first and second classes use the Third
Reader. The primary course OF instruction is
compile ed in the Mental and Written Arlth-
metic in the first class, and sometimes 10 Que
division of the second. Elementary Geogra-
ply is commenced in this grade.
One hundred and twenty pupils were pro-
moted from these classes to the grammar de-
part1 ent at the beginning OF last term, and
about onehalf Of This number were sufficient
ly advanced for admission to the third class in
the Grammar School, where they have sustain
ed themselves credltably.
Que OF the most important advantages
to pe gained by bringing together SO many pu-
pills in one school, is the increased facilities Iot
q
pills in classes in the best order and to frame a
first rate programme of study and recitatiou.
and to put it in successful operation requires
time as well as patient labor.
The classification in the grammar department
is lot yet quite satisfactory, and the course
OF study is too Indefinite, but both are gradual
~ improving, and we are making special eff
forts 10 have them as perfect as they can BE-
made.
The methods of instruction in arithmetic are
oil Cd
branch has been divided about equally between
Mental and Wntten, the same tonic being
taught in both kinds at the same time.
Grammar is tau2h hit orally in the fourth class
Gceene's Gramm At is used In the secot and
third classes, and Weld and Quacenbos in the
first.
Reading has improved from last year, espec-
tally in the thir! and fourth asses, although
tnere are too many poor readers now, but The
cau-e Is beyond the control of teachers The
teachers 10 this department. have spared no
pans to raise the standard OF readlpg
The writ ng progresses well under the.direc-
ton OF Mr.. Shayior, aud the pupils are laying
the foundation tor good penmauship
More time is given to geography than we can
well att nd and more than would be neces .ary
it We were supplied with d se't of outline
maps; and too little attention is given 10 spell
ing for want of time.
BY using outline maps, we could save fifteen
minutes daily, and devote this time 10 spelling,
which would be an Improvement.
The attendance has been considerably din,in-
isbed by the prevalence of measles and whopp
ing cough among the small children, but the
success OF the truabt officer in securing regular
attendahce Of many who were fJl merIy bnb,-
tuallS trnant compensates in part for the loss |
by sickness.
This is the most expensive school building in |
the city, the last erected, and 10 many respects
the best adapted to school purposes. II lh-re-
fore seems to me highly i'm portant that all the !
pputeuaoces should be CONNIE nsurate win |
the expenditures ALREADY made, and such az |
Will enable Us to put the school 10 condition to |
Compare favorably with similar schools in other |
cities OF equal size.
Our maps, charts and other school material
were swept cut Of existence by the great fire.
and h i've never been leplaced. 1t is yery de-
sIrao'e mat small appropriation should be
m u,h 10 iurtish Outline mrps, charts, and such
other means for Illustration as are iudisnensi-
ole to the high. st successes In or work.
Inc teachers have all la ored faithfully and
earnestly, aud 10 most cases, succe sstullv. and
think there has been gradual IMPROVEMENT
lnrinS the year in ali departments of the
school. Respectfully submitted,
EBEN WENTWORTH PRINCIPAL |