Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-07-20
A Successful School.

i Mr.. Edat0r:-A very pleasant and enjoy
able entertainment was given at the Oat
Hill school house, in Medey's district, il
the latter part of last month, on the occa
sion of the closing of the private schoo
which was taught by Miss Rebecca Leigh
of Clarksville, Va, near the southern Dor
der of that State.
She taught at Sunny. Side, the elegant res
idence OF Mr. John Jones, near Martinsburg
| Md. The school room was tastefully deco
rated by the ladies of the neighborhood- -
An appreciative audience greeted the pupils
who underwent an examination in the diff
ferent branches of learning in which they
had studied. The examination of the pu-
| pills in the presence OF discriminating au-
dience is an important exercise that is too
often omitted from the programmes of the
| great majority of our elementary schools on
the occasion of their closing ceremonies
The recitation of few dialogues, speeches,
and pieces OF poetry, selected from books
and conned by rote, interspersed with vocal
an d instrumental music, and the whole per-
formance aided and set off by spectacular
a accessories, seem to constitute the sum total
of such exercises, while the audience is left
In blisslul ignorance of the progress the pu-
pills have made in their studies, or Of their
attainments in the more necessary and use
ful branches Of solid learning. Those are,
or sh ould be, the chief objects of their stud
les; but in the closing scenes of the schools
they are kept out of view. 1t is like play
ing Hamlet with the part of Hamlet left
out. IL this respect, the examination and
exhibition Of the Sunny Side school was
a commendable departure from the stereo.
typed programmes so generally followed by
the more pretentious of our elementary
schools, public and private
Miss LEIGH 6acarvae recommendation far
thus submitting her pupils to the scrutiny of
the audience, as related to the progress they
had made in their several branches of learn
ing After the examination in the various
studies which they had pursued, including
Orthography, Reading, Arithmetic, Geog-
raphy, English Grammar and History, in
which all the pupils acquitted themselves
creditably and showed laudable improve
ment, the programme. consisting OF dia
iognes, recitations OF poetry and vocal music,
Was taken ap and carried through to the end
with much spirit by the pupils in manner
that reflected credit upon themselves as well
as upon their teacher, who had been so in
detatigable in her efforts to effect improve
ment in her pupils, not in their studies only,
but also in their morals and department.
She has gone 10 her Southern home, but she
has lelt behind her the aroma OF h fair rep
utation as gentle, educated lady and u
conscientious, dilgent and efficient teach
er that will ever remain fragrant in the
memory Of her pupils and of others who
were SO fortunate as to enjoy her acquant
ance and the pleasure Of her society
The following is the programme of the
closing exercises Of the shool; Opening
address by Marie Hickman; Little Ora.
tor Hays Jones; reading, Hays and DollIe
Jones' psalm OF Life" reciteu by Ciarce |
Hickman; "lnto Elch Life Some Sorrow
must Fall" recited by Miss Leigh, and cor,
responding song by the same; Coral In
sect" read by Lillian Hyatt; dialogue by
Cara Hickman and Alice Magaha "a |
Bestcr L.nd,' by Mary Hyatt and Miss
Leigh; Sowing Seed" by Dollie Jones;
viii the New Year Come To night, Nam,
ma?" Mary Jones; Anthem, Guide me
q Thou Great Jehovah," sung by Miss
Leigh, Lillian Hyatt, Clara Hickman, Alice
Magaha, Willie Trundle and Jesse Hyatt, led
by James e. Phillips
The distribution ol prizes were "For dill
gent practice" Mary Jones; Spelling, Marie
Hickman.
After the conclusion OF the exercises the
audience and pupils were regaled with u
bountiul supply OF delicious ice cream and
cake, which they enjoyed with u zest cred.
liable to the caterers and commensurate
with the pleasure enjoyed by all ON that
occasion. X.