Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-21
COUNTY SCHOOLS.

COUNTY SCHOOLS.
Notes Of Inspection Of Schools by the
County Superintendent.
District No. 80 has lately opened school
in its new building, which is far the best
built and furnished Of all the district school
houses in the county. 1t has complete
outfit Of patent desks, q recitation-seat,
desk, globe, blackboard, and set
Of outline msp> Of the best kind, All these
advantages were being used to their utmost
by the teacher, Mrs. E. J. Everett, to pro-
mote the rapid progress Of the l6 pupils
under her care Dec. 4th. This lady is a
teacher Of over twenty terms experience,
mostly in Wisconsin, and her management
Of the school was such that in four hours of
inspection nothing was observed worthy Of
criticism or correction. She has the house
and all its contents neat and orderly, and
the property promises to be kept without a
mark or blemish while she is in charge
The school officers, Messrs. West, Violin and
Morey. take front rank as men Of progress
sive and liberal views.
Joint district No. II, has an old log build
ing in extreme contrast to the last, but there
is an evident purpose to build anew one ere
long. The teacher is Mr.. T. s. Dickson,
who taugh, there so successfully last sum-
mer. He has 80 name. enrolled, but owing
to furious storm, but Is were on duty
Dec. 5,h. Mr.. Dickson has too much love
of general knowledge and hard work in his
school, to let the "three Re" be the sum
total Of his instruction. Reading was
taught thoroughly and spelling admirably.
l have found no livslicr spelling than there.
and their peculiar system of head-marks
tells on their lessons Small d;cti 'naries
we're bu.ily used in preparing for the SPELL
ing class, where every day a given list Of
words must be defined. There is motto. :
able lacl, of order and system in the days
work this is partly owing to the wretched
and inconvsnient school room, aud partly to
the great variety Of exercises. In arithme-
tic they were working in interest and COM
pound proportion, in philosophy, in prob
lens Of the mechanical power.. Geography
was we'll .aught with books and globe, ply
siology was taught orally with chalk sketch
es to supply the lack Of charts, and history
was treated topically. Fresh interest in
reading classes was evident since the abolish
ing of the WORKOUT books and adoption Of a
new series.
District No. s. opposite St Helena, has
never had good Accommodations for itspupils,
but is providing for them much better this
winter. Mr.. James A. Dickson is teaching
his first school there, and conducting it in a
very creditable manner. Twenty-Five pu-
pills enrolled. in the first week and l6 pre-
sent. Spent five hours in this school, ex-
amining, teaching, and conferring with the
three school officers, and other Htrons who
were so kind as to meet me there. This
school gives premise of much usefulness,
if parents allow the children to attend re-
gularly, and Haggins Bend will hereafter be
as we'll provided with educational facilities
as many another nsighborhood Of greater
pretensions. -
Joint district No. 20, has a. fine large
school house at Gayvills. with good fine
DESKS table, rostrum, and q very large
blackboard. This being of very poor quail
ity and surface, steps were at once taker
to give it q coat Of '1iquid stating" Th.
school bolrd has recently made commend:
able advance, by providing twelve dollar
globe and full set of Camps outline mape
and the teacher, Mr.. N. NJ. Hills, does moi
let day pass without giving the little one,
pleasant general exercise upon these maps
He had "a pupils on his list, and 26 present
December 7th. Ny visit here Of three hourt
was one Of the pleasantest. Mr.. Hills ha,
. great capacity for doing much work in 8
short time. His recitations are quick active
and full of life; and he has all the primary
part of the school drill regularly in mental
arithmetic, sounds Of letters, singing Of the
states and their capitals, and other genera
exercises. New books, new methods ant
and new apparatus have reused good interes
throughout the school, while excellent orde1
and systematic adherence to programme
are noticeable. The only thing that threat
ems to injure the school and neutralize. Mr.
Hills earnest labors to teach the Is lega
pupils Of this district, who are nearly al
Scandinavians, is the fact that some Of tn
parents do not care to have their childrel
learn English, and prefer to support oppo
sition schools in their own language. Nj
Hills has class in grammar and one i,
conposition, which .have daily work Of
their states.
District No. 16 held its first school meet
ling October 30th, and made .rranseniut
for school in g. C. Presba's house. Tn
whole burden falls upon four or five fami
lies, who deserve credit for enterprise. Nj
Addie A. West WAS teaching with eigh
| v,,,rsls O>c 1Ath and dn;n1 svcsllent vor2