The Portland daily press., 1882-03-04

with its many islands and the surrounding
country for many miles.
This building, named in memory of our.late
distinguished and lamented eo-laborer, the
"Shailer school," was turned over to the COM
mittee October 15, with the following appro-
pirate dedication exercises:
Prayer by Rev. G. d. Lindsay.
Singing by young ladies of the grammar classes,
under direction of Mr.. HAZEL, teacher of
music in the public schools.
Address and presentation of the keys by His Honor
Mayer senter, to the school committee
Reply by Supervisor John Brewer, Jr., on behalf
of the school committee.
Address by Rev. DIR. Hill.
Music.
Remarks by members and ex-members of the school
committee and by Hon. Henry FL. Burgess,
Rev. G. ID. Lindsay and others.
October II, at the earnest solicitation of the
people of this section, there was organized in
this building full primary and grammar
grade, not. however, without some grave mis-
apprehensions as TO the wisdom of this plan
on the part of some members of the committee.
The pupils for this school are those who
live on the hill and were taken from the
first primary and the North school, thereby
doing away with the colony in the Chestnut
street building andg reducing the numbers in
these schools to the proper number of pupils
that should be under the control of each
teacher for their proper care and instruction.
The classes were placed in charge of compe
tent and experienced teachers under the gen.
eral management of Miss Walker, as principal
a lady of culture and extensive experience in
the schoolroom.
There was, at first, slight want of
harmony attending the bringing together of so
large number of scholars from other schools
until they became accustomed to their new
surroundings and the new order of things; no
more so, perhaps, than might be expected
would attend any new enterprise Of the
kind. With this exception the school has,
thus far, been as successful as its most san
guine advocate could have anticipated.
Some improvements are needed in the
Spring street and School street buildings to
meet the pressing wants in these localities.
When these are completed the school accom-
modations will probably be sufficient to meet
the increasing wants of the city for several
years to come.
For an account in detail of the school
property and the repairs made during the
year by your faithful and efficient superin-
tendent of school buildings, we refer you his
report which is herewith appended.
The Portland school for the deaf, full ac-
count of its establishment, its purposes and
aims, the difficulty attending its methods of
instruction, and the great benefit to this un-
fortunate class of pupils in making them in
telligent men and women, SO ably set forth, in
our previous reports, has continued with more
than its usual prosperity during the year.
Miss Ellen L. Barton, the principal, has been
ably seconded in her efforts to promote the
best interests of the pupils by her assistants,
who become much more interested in them
the longer they are under their care and the
better they become to understand their press
ing necessities.
Their physical needs and care make large
drafts upon the teachers time out of school
hours.
Miss Mary II. True, the former principal of
the school, was employed as teacher on her re-
turn from Europe where she had been some
four years teaching the deaf and perfecting
herself in the very difficult science of visible
speech. She has contributed largely to the
success of the school during the year.
The number of pupils has increased seven
this year with fair prospect of still greater
increase pext year, thereby reminding us that
the school stands very much in need of larger
and better accommodations to meet its grow
ing wants, which the city cannot well afford
to neglect to furnish to any distant day.
The high school under its present efficient
management assisted by full corps of faithful
teachers.has met with the usual degree of pros
perity during the year.
The present arrangement of the rooms, well
heated and lighted, affording every facility for
the movement of classes and giving every pos
sible advantage for the physical comfort of the
pupils, has contributed largely to the success
of the school, and that it was wise to make
these changes no one has now any doubt.
The expenditure needed to make these i'm
provements though considerable was small in
comparison with the benefits that we hoped
to be derived therefrom, and we believe that it
has already been more than repaid in the
preservation of the health and mental yigor of
the pupils
The students seem to manifest more than
usual interest in the school and have advanc-
ed so far in their career of study and have
climbed so near to the top of the hill of science
that they are unwilling that the proficiency
they have made and the high degree of ex-
cellence to which they have attained shall re-
main secret any longer. here.
The Observer appears, sprightly paper of
eight pages published monthly by the Frank
lin Scientific Association" of the school, which
sets forth in very happy manner the various
incidents occurring in the school, the pro-
gress made by the pupils, besides presenting
and discussing the leading topics of the day.
The Normal Practice school on Spring
street continues to increase in favor and ef-
ficiency. 1t has been SO successful in pre-
pairing teachers for permanent positions in our
schools that it has become to be quite general
ly understood, that if not the best, still it is
one of the best places to prepare for success
full teacher and that an application for sit
uatien as teacher will meet with but little favor
from ore who has not prepared herself care
fully for her work in this school, or given sat-
isfactory proof of her fitness to discharge the
H.; &c +bo cohOp1 bvo n cr1i1or ar
alton elsewhere. All of its graduates have
situations, and though they may not all be at
present permanent still they probably will be
as soon as the proper vacancies occur.
The teachers have faithfully discharged their
duties to the schools and have heartily CO.
operated with the superintendent in carrying
out what they have understood to be the
wishes of the board, and the committee would
bespeak for them, in the future as in the past,
the sympathy and hearty corporation of the
parents in the discharge of their arduous but
important duties.
No cases of discipline requiring the attend
ance of the board have occurred during the
year.
Cases of corporal punishment are on the
decrease. and it is to be hoped that the
pupils may become SO alive to their sense of
duty and obedience to wholesome authority,
and SO sensitive of the reputation they are
forming while in school, as to lead them to
conduct themselves in such manner as not to
require this brutal and degrading method of
punishment to be inflicted. 1t is also greatly
to be desired that the teachers shall exhaust
all other means at their command to obtain
obedience to authority and conformity to
proper regulations before they resort to this
method, so that, if possible in the near future,
corporal punishment may be recorded among
the things of the past.
Truancy has received all the attention that
was possible to be given to it by one man.
| The truant officer has been indefatigable
| in his efforts to put an end to it and has in
a measure kept it under control, but has come
| far short of the object desired. He has found
| that the most difficult cases to control are
| those who are out of school with the knowl-
| edge and consent of the parents. 1t would
| add greatly to the interest and usefulness OF