The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-11-27
The snaarfish Normal.

your readers and finding q few minutes
at my disposal | shall attempt to
initiate them into some OF its mysteries
The Normal school building is ssituated
on slight elevation about one mile to
the northwest OF the center Of town and
presents a very attractive appearance,
| but the surroundings could be made
more attractive if a little money were
appropriated for the purpose as there.
are hydrants in the yard and two irri-
eating bitches passing through the
grounds. The building has five recita-
ton rooms, a couple Of halls and ladies'
and gents clothes wardrobes, each OF
which is fitted out with sink, glass,
comb, ETC., or. the first floor, and on the
second are three recitation rooms, the
library, principals office and assembly
room where the pupils have their seats,
ff6AH, 116F atbsaip; pting to do III dins''
months what like schools take ten for,
makes it necessary that pupils prepare
their studies outside OF school, to do;
which they are required to be IN their
rooms after seven p. nj.
The assembly room is divided into
four sections, each grade as nearly as
| the room.
There is telephone in the principals
office to which with the principals
consent the pupils have free access.
The whole building is heated with fur
naces and the ventilation is excellent,
doing away in great measure with
that tired, restless feeling students SO
often experience. We have all
heard OF schools that run like clock
work. Five minutes before school time
in each room an electric alarm is
sounded by means Of the clock III the
assembly room to which they are con-
| into seven recitation periods. Glasses
go each time to recitation room, but
one teacher each time is left at liberty
who presldes over the pupils not recit-
ing. (Some periods more than one
teacher is at liberty.) The clock is SO
4 arranged as to ring these alarms five
minutes before time for the recitations
to close and again as a signal for closing
and passing to assembly room. Ateach
iagress and egress of classes some one Of
the students, before appointed, plays q
march on the piano.
The seven recitation periods do not
include the morning and afternoon open
ing exercises at which Ill are required to
be present. The former consists OF the
reading OF a psalm alternately by princi-
1
the Lords prayer and the singing OF a
hymn. At the latter preparation is
made for the following morning S singing.
During these exercises the B and D sec
tions are seated with the AS and Cs
and at the close they all march to
music to their seats. 1t is truly a beau
tiful sight to see almost the whole school
in solid ranks marching to and from
recitations, sometimes one division
] waiting for another to pass by, some
times two waiting Wis 81 Wis for third to
get out OF their way, sometimes one 60
ing across the room one way and an
!, all stepping to music and all done SO
i systema tically as to loose scarcely any
time at all. The halls and aisles arr
carpeted with mattlng SO that all this
| is done almost without noise,
The teachers ara all masters OF theil
subjects, pleasant and good natured
sparing no pains to see that the pupils
) every one in each class, shall make the
!. most possible use oil then. opportunities
: and derive the greatest possible benefit
/ therefrom.
i But the special attraction the past
month has been Mrs. Preecc's work OF
cises in physical culture, gesticulatin!
and voice culture. 1t is not as some
5 might think, a goody-go od-for-nothin
something, useful only as an accomplish
ment, but an every day practical work
, consisting OF such exercises as tend tc
: the improvement OF health III natures
: own way and in such as leads one into
J unconcious correctness in the details o
: life, such as rising, sitting, walking, talk
; ing, reading, ETC., combining strength
, and freedom OF every part OF the body
with ease and grace. the latter following
4 as natural result OF the former and j.
: nothing SO complicated but can easil.
e be taught i'll Our public schools and vii
the future. Mrs. Preece comes here a
considerable expense to the state TO
;, one month only, which time expired OF
the 24th. Although her work has gene1
9 ally been highly appreciated and vii
undoubtedly tell for good on the form
OF the students, still it's real value can
not ever be estimated as the seed no,
SO carefully sown will only begin t.
bear fruit to any considerable degre
i when the students enter their fields {
: labor as teachers and we begin to Sc
= our rising generation with better phys
: ques and more manly and womanly o.
. . account OF it.
L Before leaving Mrs. Preece intend
:, RlfluS an cIlItfC1UultuU Y Ill Ullc ClUy u6t
= for which she has two classes, one {
young ladies, the other OF gentlemen PR
pairing some additional exercises an
,, about which I hope to give you
y fuller account at another time.
=, Mrs. Preece will return next May an
spend another month with us. Mean
- while Miss Swain, the new teacher
= music and reading, who is a disciple (
Z the delsarte method of training and hs
y e been a pupil OF Mrs. Preece will in
measure continue this work with the
and d classes in connection with reat
ing. One needs but to see Miss SWAT
tsl and to. know her to have been .;traine
,r by the delsarte movement to realize il
le value.
Tt does not seem to be general
es known that this school is not restricte
W to those who intend to become teacher
y but is at present open to all who wish I
iattend and observe regulations whic
% are very liberal indeed. OF the IL
= now enrolled forty-six are boys an
IN for teachers. Some are here prepari1i
g. for college and would say I do nt
at think they could do better any wher
h as the work is pushed with q vim an
Sc thoroughness is required in every d
u, partment. Some are here taking
I'd business course and others who seem
er have no other aim than to obtain mo-
knowledge are better fitting thenlselv'
y, for life's work. Iiisfia ore now, outslt
or OF tt.ie iesg',iar courses, cl;,ases in Lati
Greek, German, solid geometry, ete
tie and a disposition of other speci
I'd classes to accommodate those attendil
~ If necessary.
i'll In closing would urge my count
friends who have children far enou,
,r- advanced to enter this school and cs
a. in any. reasonable way get along withol
he them for three, six or nine months
lo, make an extra effort by another ye
in to have them here. Rent is not We
lr- high and by a few clubbing togeth
ew and boarding themselves they 9.
nc. live nearly as cheaply as they can
home and / can assure them their o
set port,lnities are many times what til
as lre in the BEST nossibla comm,