The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-10-30
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
How the Young Ideas Are
Shooting.
A Visit to the Third Avenue
District.

Yesterday morning. clothed in all tn,
humility ofour plebian simplicity, We CALLED
forth to witness and chronicle, for the bene'
} fit ofthe public, the progress the "kHivs
school marms" are making with the young
and vigorous pupils placed under their
charge.
Our destination Vas the Third Avenue
Caravansay of learning, and when We
swung aside the outside door We encountered
q forlorn looking boy, who with streaming
eyer. blue nose and benumbed fingers, stood
in the hall in obedience TO sentence passed
upon him BY his tescher for high crimes and
misdemeanors committed in the school room-
We offered few words of consolation to the
little wretch and then passed into the
room presided over BY Miss Ho.ick, where
seventy-tvo bright and intelligent pupils
wrestled with the besi!derinx complies
tions of the seventh grade. The recitation
in progress was on gsometrical figures. and
the responses given to the questions pro-
pounded BY the teacher, showed pretty con-
clu.ively that the instruction in this de-
partment was efficient and thorough.
The exercise in writing and drawing was
creditably performed, and the singing with
which We were favored was excsllest. Mis-
Hosick 10 one OF the best teachers employed
by the Board, and no other guarantee Of
this fact is wanted than the present condition |
of her school.
In the opposite room We found Miss Grid |
hard at work with dock Of about six,y-two |
little urchius, who have started on the low
est round OF the wearisome grade ladder. |
they were somewhat varigated in appear
ance. Many of them have been on the
streets all summer, and now that cold
weather has put 10 an appearance. have
washed their, ordinary dirty little faces, &C.
cepted of premiums. and set out in good
earnest for learning and responsibility.
The reading Of sentences printed upon the
blackboard was indicative Of tho -ough train
ing, and the little ones 'did Themselves
proud" in the line of vocal mu-ic.
They also gave a foe exhibition of march
ing, and kept perfect step to the beat of the
teachers baton.
The eighth grade was next interviewed.
Here We found Miss Farrell busily engaged
in counting with her pupils. They seemed
70 be remarkably apt in running up to one
hundred by threes, and acquitted themselves
nobly.
By request the physical exercise was
zone through with. and aflerwsrd the pit
pills sang one or two pieces Of music 10 ex-
,ellent time.
The ninth grade had been dismissed early in
he morning on account of the cold, and We
we're denied the pleasure of interviewing
hem. One fact we noticed in relation to
he school rooms devoted to the lower grades
There il total lack OF ventilation. All the
upper sashes of the windows are unmovAble
md cannot be lowered, and the only way .
hat fresh air can be procured is to open . (
loor or window admitting direct draft.
This is q most reprehensible state of affairs,
md the School Board should remedy it At
,Ece. Again the rooms were actually un- !
In the two north apartments
he thermometer scored So and 52', aud 70
he amount of caloric was not sufficient to
Keep teachers and pupils from freezing the
ninth and tenth grades were dismissed.