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

Notes OF inspection OF schools by tho
County Superintendent.
Datrict 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, recitation-seat,
teachers desk, globe, blackboard, and a set
of outline msps 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 16 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
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 q
mark or blemish while she is in charge.
The school officers, Nessrs. West, Violin and
Morey, take front rank as men of progres.
sive and liberal views.
Joint district No. II, has IN 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 ha. so namc. 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 RS" he the sum
total Of his instruction. Reading was
taught thoroughly and spelling admirably.
have found no livelier 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 Il motto :
able lack of order and system in the days
work this is partly owing to the wretched
and inconvsnicnt school room, aud partly to
the great variety Of exercises. In arithme-
tic they were working in interest and conf
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
cs 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 its pupils,
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 16 pre-.
sent. Spent five hours in this school, ex'
amining, teaching, and conferring with the
three school officers, and other patrons who
were SO kind as to meet me there. Thit
school gives premise of much usefulness
if parents allow the children to attend re
gularly, and Haggins Bend will hereafter bt
as we'll provided with educational facilities
as many another nsighborhood of greater
pretensions.
Joint district No. 20, has a fine larg,
school house at Gayville. with good dn'
desks, table, rostrum, and a very larg'
blackboard. This being of very poor q ual
ity and surface, steps were at once takel
to give it coat of 'liquid slating." Th
school board has recently made a commend
able advance, by providing twelve dolla
globe and full set of Camps outline maps
and the teacher, Mr.. N. M. Hills, does no
let day pass without giving the little one
pleasant general exercise upon these maps
He had "a pupils on his list, and 26 presen
December 7th. Ny visit here of three hour
| was one Of the pleasantest. Mr.. Hills ha
a great capacity for doing much work in {
short time. His recitations are quick activ
and full of life; and he has all the primar,
part Of the school drill regularly in menta
arithmetic, sounds Of letters, singing Of tn
states and their capitals, and other genera
exercises. New books, new methods an,
and new apparatus have reused good intere,
throughout the school, while excellent orde
and systematic adherence to programm
are noticeable. The only thing that threat
ems to injure the school and neutralize. MI
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 childre
learn English, and prefer to support oppe
sition schools in their own language. Nj
Hills has . class in grammar and one i
composition, which have daily work o
their states.
! District No. l6 held its first school NEE
ling October 30th, and made arrangement
for school in 8. c. Presbas house. Tn
whole burden falls upon four or FIVE fam
lies, who deserve credit for enterprise. Mi
, Addie A. West was teaching with eigl
, pupils Dec. l4th, and doing excellent worl
The pupils are all Of very elementary grad