Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-05-27
Anniversary Of the Eastern Normal
School.

NJ. Editor
The eighth annual examination oi the |
Eastern State Normal school, commenced I
Wednesday morning. Supt. johnson and |
Councilman williamson, an Old school |
teacher, arrived in town Tuesday noon, !
and Immediately commenced close ill., !
spection of the school in its every day as
peci. They visited nearly all Of the classes.
questioning the pupils critically, upon the
matter and method, OF their work.
CA Wednesday the Governor. Members
of the Council aud Board OF Trustees ar
rived. Class examinations commenced in
the morning. and continued through the
day. Glasses in Geometry. Grammar,
Physiology. Astronomy. History. Rhetoric,
Geology aud Geography. were la turn sub
jected to Il >carcliu. review Il principles
and methods Most OF the lcchati"n> were
conducted BY members of the elias. who
were thus cailrd 10 pat themselves aud
their theories To the t">t OF public in-pcC-
tors of practical work. Ihc test va, IN
some eases a most severe one. and the re-
suit gratifying and satisfactory To the
large number who crowded the recitation
rooms. These young teachers manifested
cummendable GOODNESS and caruestue>s. a.
they held theii CLASSES to prompt and ciit-
cal work. In the recitation of the senior
classes, all the member, became ia turn.
teacher and pupil.
The Governor. Supt.. aud members OF
the Couucil aud Board OF Trustees. maui
tested their sense of Tc>poH> ibI.iy and ill.,
tcrc,t bt frequent aud critical questions.
With them the inspection OF the work of
the school i not a mere Formally. During
the afternoon. the pupils from The mode.
school. occupied one Oi the recitation
rooms in the Norma building.
Although other classes were rcCltIuy IN ,
adjacent rooms, this mode. class room,
was the centre 81 attraction. aud wL-
crowded from fr-t To last. with visitors.
eager TO see the members OF The senior
Glass teach CLASSES at young pupils. he
po~I,tuH 81 t'..t..,. g. t.,u.i -u... go. Hut-
stances. wa> one ui more lnAh o-uIuait
difficulty: The pupils were Ia = room al
most ucw Ia thcm, placed face 10 iace Win
a crowd OF people. embracing ali cia--c>
and ages. from the little boy ui tour years,
To the Governor of the state. aud the gray
haired man OF seventy i've winters. fIr>t,
The. teacher must secure the fixed attention
Of every scholar OF the class, next. con
duet the TecitI,iOu- IA the best possible
manner. There were classes m Reading,
Arithmetic. Object lessons. Music aud hln-
dcrsa-ten WORK The teacher, and pupils
did their work 80 well. that only surprise
and admiration were expressed st The re-
suits produced.
The Model school which j. The .o"n
primary school, has been under the care
of the Misses Perhin, aud Br ,wn. graIu-
ate, OF the Normal school. who have done
most excellent work during the past year.
The students OF the Normal School have
been required to devote time to ul SerVa-
ton. and practice trachln. Ia th~ school,
tn, results OF which were seen ia the excel
lent work done to-day. i most Interest
\ tng ieailxe of tlIe work. was the singing
ex. rcises. la a school OF sixty, We noticed
but three who did not sing, aud the music
was very excellent and entertaining. No
one who heard the singing. and MAS also
aware that the teachers themselves, had
before they entered upon their WORK, new
er been known 10 sing. could doubt the
pract~abiliiy OF making the study ot mus
| ic successful in our public schools.
Thu sday opened rainy, but Normal
Hall was early filed by the state officials.
educators, citizens OF Castiae, and friends
OF he graduating class, all DESTROYS OF
| witnessing the closing exercises. As the
school iS professional in its character AS
! we'll IS literary, the Principal decided 10
| reduce the number OF essays to one third
the number of graduates. aud devote most
/ of the time 10 the theory and practice of
teaching.
The senior class numbering twelve
took seats IN The front OF the large hall
and drew twenty-four questions on slips OF
paper. upon such subjects "a the follow
| ing
Education defined. elements OF educa-
ton, history OF education. parental. m-
dyldpal aud public instruction, theory OF
education in the i. 5, change, needed in
our system OF education. the teachers prep
| aration and work, text books and olassd-
| cation. school houses and school govern.
ment &c.
\ list OF the questions Was given To GOV.
1 Dinghy who called Tor such as he desired
aud conducted the recitation in AN admira-
I ble manner. The students showed that
| they had studied thoroughly. this most i'm.
portan: branci. OF their Normal work. hv
their apt replies 10 the close Questioning
of the Governor and Supt As the party
from Augusta were TO leave at noon. many
OF the most interesting topics assigned
omitted for want OF time. and only the
Class History" aud Naledict0ry given.
These though differing much in subject
and treatment were much appreciated by
| the large audience. They were well written
( and distinctly rendered The report of the
Principal and his usual address 10 the class.
were also Omitted. A few statements we're
made showing the prosperity of the school.
IL closes its eighth year to-day. II has reg
istered more than eight hundred pupils
and has graduated one hundred: ninety
six of whom have taught. and probably
seventy five per cent OF the eight hundred
are teachers. Over three hundred pupils
have been registered during the past year.
representing ten counties and one hundred
towns. For several years, forty per cent
/ of the attendance have been males. much
| large. ratio than j. found in any other
Normal school in New England The
schools of our state need these young men
| and this Institution retains them. Nv pre-
pairing them tor an honorable, remuuera-
tive work. The Governors address to the
! graduating class was honest. earnest and
sound. and elected warm and enthusiastic
| applause. Although the exercises of the
last day We're largely reduced by the ne.
| cessity of closing. 10 alloy the state ofiic-
| ias to take the steamer. the examination
and graduation was in many respects the
best We have had. The work OF the school
and the promise of its graduates, give
much confidence TO all interested in Edu-
cation. The fifth alumni meetings held on
Wednesday and Thursday evenings. were
| very interesting. all of the six classes be.
ing well represented, and the exercises.
social and literary. valuable and entertain
ing.
The Eastern State Normal School, closes
its eighth year with honor TRUSTEE.
CAsTISH, May 22th 1875.