Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-07-19

Herald
''Yes, 7 said the level-headed school
boy, I'm at the foot O. my classes, and
l calculate to stay there. Then don't
have to stand the wear and tear Of anx-
iety for fear I'll lose my place. Boston
Post.
THE IDEAL COUNTRY SCHOOL. Sup
erintendent Mary West. of Galesburg,
Illinois, has found the ideal country
school in one of her districts. This
school, she says. :. is, all things con-
sidered, the best school / ever saw
that is, the training its scholars arc re-
ceiving is the nearest my ideal of what
the training of children should be. Its
teacher is lady of thorough college
education and fine culture. She has
been offered the prineipalship of several
of our town schools, of ladies' semin-
airy, and other positions with double
the salary she now receives, but her
love for this school binds her to it.
And this loveis thoroughly reciprocated.
never saw such intense devotion to
school among any other set of scholars,
and this feeling is shared by every
man, woman and child in the district.
And these scholars feel like intense
love for their country homes. Boys are
usually in the majority in this school,
but among them have never known
an instance of the restless desire to 90
to town before they are out of their
teens, which is the bane of so many
country neighborhoods. Their teacher
has skillfully directed their studies in
natural history SO as to develop a great
love of nature, and for the vocation of
farming, which brings them into such
close communion with nature. Their
idolized teacher is farmers daughter;
their fathers are farmers, no other call
ing seems to them so noble. Several
have gone from this school to college,
fitted therefor, as regards Latin and
mathematics by their teachers, or in
other vocations. Wherever they are
they bear the impress of that school,
showing marked individuality, habits of
close application, of independent study
and investigation. They POSSESS also
unusual power of expression, both
with the tongue and pen, and the
ability to think upon their feet -Ex.
How TO SPEND VACATIoN:-It is a
mistake to suppose that vacation invites
idleness. 1t does not mean vacancy.
1t signifies recreation or change. If
one has performed the proper amount
OF intellectual labor during the school
year, there is a certain depression of
the physical natureiwhich needs recup-
Grafton. For this reason il has been
wisely arranged that there shall be
certain periods in the year when the
body shall be particularly cared for and
developed. In former times, in the
Eastern States the school year often
lasted from 45 to so weeks; but it has
been found that the pupils health and
progress are better subserved by con-
densing the years work into from sc to
AZ weeks, and giving more time for re-
creation. In vacation, then, the stud
ent should take more physical exer-
else than usual; he should do a GER
tain amount of manual labor daily; he
should be much in the open air; he
should spend considerable portion of
time in social employments and recrea-
tons; by travel, If practicable. and, if
not. at least by close observation, he
should endeavor to learn as much as
possible of the practical lore of life
that cannot easily be learned from
books. But is this all? Though he
gives particular exercise to his muscles
and observation, and special opportun-
tiles to his health and social nature,
shall he entirely neglect the faculties of
mind that he has been trying to culti-
vate during the ycarp Shall his periods
of physical rest be spent in idleness?
BY no means. True rest is not yacuitv.
but variety. Books should not be ban
ished during the summer. Then is the
time to read standard authors, History,
travels, biography, magazines, news.
and fiction, for which is
not allowed during the school year.
How delicious it is after work on the
farm. or long walk or drive, or any
physical exertions. to rest the body
while we improve the mind in the rich
realms of literature! More than can be
imaginedis lost by failure to judiciously
alternate physical and mental activity.
Nor should the school-books remain in
complete disuse. Has the student failed
in the last examinations? His failure
might be frequently made up during the
summer. so as to go on with the class.
Every one fails in some points. There
is good opportunity during the sum-
mer to ''look up" those points and fix
them. If this is neglected, they may
continually trouble and retard him in
the future. Again, the student should
endeavor to keep fresh what he already
knows, SO that when the new year opens,
he is 1T least as able TO advance as when
school closed. After other examinations.
the thorough teacher recalls and repeats
principles that have been missed, in the
regular rotations; but after the long
vacation this is impracticable, and, es-
pecially when there is a change of teach
ers, it is often desirable to devote sew
eral weeks to general review. This
ought to be done by the pupils during
the summer, and the time thereby saved.
If students were only willing, and pa
rents little watchfu, much might be
gained in progress by little systematic
review study during the vacation. Nor
would this in the least interfere with
rest and recreation, which appropri-
ately belong to vacation, but would
heighten and improve them. Students,
try this summer to devote at least an