Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-18

o
The school had IA pupils, 10 being present.
All but two had learned the English letters
this term; yet all were actually reading
quite understandingly, and have nearly
mastered the pronunciation of our words
-Four little girls read page SO, Monroe's first
reader, in a manner that surprised me; and
two boys who also were in their abc's three
weeks ago, read page 60. After reading,
they gave the substance of what they had
read. The spelling and writing were Of
equal thoroughness, and intense %s:udiousness
made the school a perfect beehive OF indus
try and zeal.
District No. %, near "Rudd's, was visited
the same day, Feb. Z. Here w. ii. Bram-
mer rules a flock of "a when all are present,
in a mud.kitchen belonging to a Russian
farm house. The interior dimensions of
his room are about ten feet by eleven. One
small t%ottering desk aud some low benches,
a small blackboard, table, stove, and twenty
boys and girls made the room appear full
but when spelling schools are held, it holds
all that come. Five were American pupils,
the rest Russo-German. No criticism nsed
be made upon the order or discipline, and
the degree Of scholarship WAS much better
than l had expected. All are learning to
write and to read writing. There was a school
meeting to be held that night, to decide on
building a school house
District No. 81 has had one very inefi-
Gent school. a year ago and last summer
built a large substantial 10. school house.
The people are Of the German and Bohe-
milan races chiefly. The school consisted,
Feb. s, of 40 pupils enrolled and &c present.
The teacher, Miss Julia D. Koontz, has
taught eight weeks, and raised the school
to an excellent condition Of discipline aud
study. Reading was not quite up to the
proper grade, as the voices We're faint and
smothered. 1rficteons also needed train
ing. Most Of them appeared unable to
name the marks Of punctuation, a 3. fault ex.
listing in half the schools in the county.
But good attention is given 10 writing.
spelling. and arithmetic. The black beard
is used to good effect, though they need one
five times as large. Miss Koontz' manner
Of teaching is quiet. ladylik and firm, and
the district is greatly pleased with her
success.
District No. Is had II pupils enrolled
and 81 present Feb. 1871. Miss Mary Nor
ton, the teacher, was Just finishing her
third or fourth term. | unfortunately
: raonInl Tive e,I,N,l a,,,o t,..
the teacher was absent at dinner, and was
shocked at the bediam in and around the
I. house, the quarrels Of boys locking each
! other out, and the loud profanc swearing
! that was going on among them rs a regular
S pastime, both outside and in the presence
5 of the girls. When school begun, the or
der and study were pretty good, and /
5 found thGt much useful instruction had
! been given. EXAMINED i: writing, sounds
e of letters, primary geography, and mental
! arithmetic, in all of which the teacher had
: given valuable general exercises to the
t whole school. The classes moved in good
9 order at the bell tap. but the great genera
q fault Of the school Was that of low, smo,h-
. cred, inaudible voices. l never saw a schoo'
r so defective in this particular. A great
o deal Of every days time was wasted in tell.
5 ing them TO repeat loud enough to be heard
which command ives in not a single in.
! stance well obeyed. The people are chief
ly B%ohemians, Danes and Americans.
District No. II is pcopled wholly by
Bohemians and Polanders. 1t has a good
roomy log school house, in which Miss
: Lille NJ. Almy has a pleasant school Of 8:
{ children. found % on duty Feb. 18th
: Here there is a general fault Of short, indis
tinc', smothered pronunciation, but t mus
" be explained that until recently the greater
part of these pupils could speak no Ian
y guage hut Bohemian. Last summer they
would not utter a word of English unles.
compelled, but owing TO Miss Almy's eff
e forts and her popularity among them, they
are al rapidly learning to read, write anl
speak our language. Nearly all could reat
il all wrote on the board, and copy il, fairly
on States. IL primary arithmetic ant
y geography they showed good training ant
n prac,icc. The house was unusually still an(
orderly, but there are a few things yet tt
LEAN, such as to walk across the floor Quiet
ly and to cultivate an! improve their
n voices. No whispering at all was seen
The majority Of them hav. yet to learn tn,
q marks of punctuation.
n 10 the last seven schools mentioned
taught the first principles Of geograph,
from q globe, which was carried to be ex
r hibited to those who had never seen such
o. map of the -earth.
REPORT OF SCHOOL DISTRICT 80. 50.
The following list shows the attendance an,
/ markings of those pupils whose credits for dc
pertinent exceeded IS per cent. forthc last tern
d Those whose department is below - per cent
are omitted.
!: !: ...... 81
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