Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-07-02
sFHE ! REPORTER.
u ADAMS I SON. p,opri..or..
OFFICIAL PAPER OF DAT COUNTY
WEBSTER SCHOOLS

ii
II is quite customary, especially in
villages and cities, to publish a
school report at the close of each
school year. But it is not because
II is customary, fashionable, expec-
tod or any other similar reason that
prompts this one.
Indeed, it would be very desir-
able condition OF circumstances,
were it such that q report would be
Of no account, because even the
most careful and elaborate discrip-
ton Of anything viii not convey as
correct IN idea rs observation. And
il there is anything that should con
Germ parents and at least make them
have interest enough to form some
idoa about, it is that place and
manner in which their sons and
daughters are being instructed. 1t
is hardly probable that there are
any who do not know that place is
in our public schools and that that
is the only place to go for correct
idea of the manner Of instruction
your boy or your girl is getting.
Parents--haye you shown your
selves thus interested by your con-
duct during the past year? School
ofiicers--how is it with you?
Hardly probable-seldom the case! !
But | wonder il there are not those
who have pros re- sed slower and con-
sequently less than it WAS hoped
they might when they started to
school last fall or winter. All! Did
you hope. or didn't yon know school
had begun until ten days afterward?
These are questions that should be
answered by individuals for them
selves. No one can answer them
for another.
Ii is hoped that each parent send.
ing children to school knows what
reader they read in last, how far
they studied in geography and just
what part and how much Of their
arithmetic they mastered during at
least the last term. Those who do
not know these can hardly know
whittier the public school teacher is
a fit person for that responsible
place or not. Is it not every par
ents duty 10 know this? They
should also see that no trivial thing
detains their children, causing them
TO be taFdy or absent. 1t would be
quite useless TO ennmerate here the
evils growing out of these two de-
ficiencies, because, those who have
arrived ut manhood and womanhood
and hare not learned these, would
hardly be convinced though one rose
from the dead--to say nothing Of
simple marathon.
l know il is hard for busy men to
leave business and equally difficult
for women to leave household cares
to visit the school. But no one can
Justly say that it is useless or of little
So il it is my lot to
teach in Webster another year, as
certainly hope it may be, / wish
each parent and patron Of the schools
would make it point to see their
children in school as often as once
mouth. II you do not see them
there at all, don't wonder when
there's an apparent disinterest in
your children, or, what is equally
detrimental, want OF interest in
the studies on the part OF the
pupils. II parents are not interes-
ted in their children, does it stand
to reason that anyone else will be
interested in otherpeople's children?
Notwithstanding what | have said
regarding a parents obligation, |
feel obliged to those whether they be
parents or not, who have interested
themselves in school Mates in any
good way, whether by visiting school
suggesting good measures, or con-
tributing help in our picnics as
many did generously And espec-
tally to those who not understanding
something regarding school and
their children, have come and told
me Of it and talked nationally and
sincerely regarding the matter.
! think may add with little risk
of belittling myself, that IL | re-
main in Webster another year, no
less care and painstaking will be
exercised 10 insure advancement in
the schools than has been during
tho past year.