South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-01-16
The Graduating System.

Mn. HARPER Mr. Wade quotes a.
gain from DIR. F. II. Patton. of West.
moreland county, Pa. 1.-THE Diploma
System has been a grand success. Nine
members of advanced class. after two
days examination by competent commit.
tee, received diplomas. l. enclose copy
of diploma. No event in history or
schools has awakened such interest, and
the good is just begun"
The State Teachers Association, held
at Martinsburg, West Virginia. 1877.
adopted the following resolution
"Reso'ced, I hat the system introluced
by Superintendent A. l.. Wade, into the
free schools of MoAongalia county. pro.
viding for grading schools, holding ar.
nual district examinations, and granting
Diplomas to pupils who complete the
free school branches, be recommended
to the county experimenting through.
out West Virginia for their adoption"
Hon. w. X. Peudleton, State Superin.
tendept, writes Mr.. Wade: "Ths next
meeting of the State Teachers Associa.
ton is August 9th. Would like you to
prepare paper setting forth, in practi.
cal detail, the methods OF grading COM
mon schools. The matter il attracting
interest in many parts of the State, and
many counties are in condition to intro.
duce the system"
would like to quote several of Mr..
Wade's extracts taken from various Jour
nails, commenting this system, but time
ID space will not allow me so / will
quote the following only, which is taken
from an article on the graduating system,
in the Wheeling Ndndard, written by he
editor, G. w. Atkinson. Esq after he
had spent one week in the schools of Mo.
mongolia county, witnessing the anr ual
examinations and commencement exer-
cises. MIR. Atkinson saws "Wo cannot
commend Mr.. Wade's plan too highly.
1t is just the thing to bring our schools
mp to the standard of usefulness and re.
spectability which they were intended by
the authors Of the law 10 be. 1t is a
common sense plan, aud wherever it has
been introduced it has worked like a
charm"
Mr.. John NJ. Satterfeld, Superinten.
dcnt OF Marion county, w. Va. wrote
Mr.. Wade, Dec. 3lst, 1877:
accept my thanks for the catalogue
you sent me, also allow me 10 congrat-
ulate you upon the great success with
which your graduating system is meet
ing. The system has certainly worked
wonders in the short time during which
1T has been in operation. One by one
the counties are introducing and trying
1t. Marion is laying the plan to this
end. Quite number of graduating
classes have been formed, some to com.
plete the course this year. So far as
have acted In this direction, the greatest
encouragement has attended me, and
am lei to believe that the system has
something grand in way of results for our
county Why should we be last to in.
troduce the system which has done so
much for the schools of other counties?
l would like all the teachers in Rom
| 1ey District to ascertain how many of
their pupils are willing to try to complete
The course OF study adopted for the pub
lie schools Of this county, and leave the
names of all who are willing to undertake
the work, and the length of time it will
take each TO complete the course, with
III. Il. Gilkeson, Esq, President of The
Board of Education If teachers will
, do this, We can form graduating elias es
in our district ut once. STIX.