The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-10-04
WORK FOR THE TEACHERS
PRINCIPAL POWELL oUTLIN Es IT AT
THE TEACHERS MEETING.
The Capitol Hill High school-Teaching
Cooking and Dressmaking-Bene
ofthe Free Book System-Chit Chat
OF the Schools.

An important feature Of the public school
system is the teachers meetings. These
gatherings keep the teachers in touch with
one another and enable them to compare
notes at frequent intervals, in addition to
their main object, that Of receiving fresh in
struction and inspiration from the higher
school officials. The first series of teachers
meetings OF session is naturally the most
important OF the year, as at them the work of
the session is outlined and the impulse given
which Will result in success or failure.
Teachers meetings Of different grades were
held daily during the last week In the Frank
lin Building. On Friday the Sixth grade was
reached and superintendent Powell addressed
the supervising principals and teachers. He
outlined the work for the year and indicated
what work would be expected of the Sixth
grade. History was the first subject taken
up. "It is hard work to teach history
right" he said. ga pupils mind is blank
and the teacher must first pave the way for
history by teaching the pupil to observe life
and events transpiring around him. Teach
tions, and then dovetRil this knowledge of the
present into the historical facts of the past
Without this preparatory work it is vain to
try to give correct ideas of history When
and where man was born and what college
he graduated from Is not half SO important as
to know what man is in the present or what
he was In the past" He insisted that scholars
be Taught "step by step to talk about what
they observe In clear terms as a re gular So
quence OF statement of facts observed, is of
more Importance in life than grammatical
construction, although that will come in time
II the statement is first correct See for saw,
dld Tor done, ETC., are not mortal offences,
but can easily be corrected if analyses
OF OF ots sentencas is taught before parts
principals address the health teacher,
Miss Stoneroad, addressed the class, and laid
special emphasis upon the duty of the Sixth
grade to teach the laws Of life. She said:
III lie In this Sixth grade that tight acing first
Fuller, the drawing teacher, then gave brief
remarks upon how to start the pupils anew
on art work. Superintendent Powell said of
this meeting: "The work outlined in this
grade is q continuation of the work of lower
grades. All school teaching now is on this
plan, calculated to draw out the mind and fix
the attention of pupils upon facts In daily life
TO which the knowledge of things they are
learning from day to day is applicable. The
ola methods merely taught by rote lot of
facts which the pupil could not apply, having
mad no preliminary training Of the uses Of
things or life about him."
Principal j.. j. ChickerIng, Of the Wallach,
school, reports $50 pupils on his rolls. There
are nine schools in the building and three
There has long been good cooking school
for one-half of the Third Division schools,
located In this building. 1t embraces the
Wailach, Lenox, Tyler, Towers, and Brent
Buildings Miss Douglas opened her course
OF cooking the past week with instructions to
classes OF girls as to the varieties of wood and
coal, and their different properties. Next
week she will teach these little ones all about
the uses of kitchen stove and how to build "a
nre. IL VIII be another week before cooking
hn afh
In the Wallach Building are to be devoted to a
dress making school, where dresses will be
cut from measurements and put together from
the cutting to lifting and making. This school
Will receive It's patronage from the older girls
who wish to TO learn how to make dresses
MT. Chickering, principal, says: sit does
take time from intellectual studies, but that
ls question for parents and pupils to settle
for themselves-as to how much industrial
training they wish to take. 1t is not compul-
sorry but elective"
Mr.. A. L. Stuart, supervising principal of
the Third division, favors extending the free
book system, just introduced, into the four
lower school grades. 'Tbe same conditions
socially and pecuniarily exist in the higher
grades" he said the other day. "Already the
average attendance seems to be increased by
the new method of furnishing books. It
seems pity that any child should lose any of
the advantages OF public school education
loI WANT oI DOCKS, anu bnere Is no doubt that
parents OF large families sometimes find it
very difficult to make the necessary changes
from year to year; and no child should be 80
placed as to make it feel it is an object of
charity Free books for all alike smooths the
way for many who have hard struggle for
existence at best"
The Peabody Building is so full in the upper
hoors, where the High School is located, that
both central corridors have to be used as
school-rooms There are $50 new scholars in
this school. Some of the pupils whose parents
had moved out of the district refused to be
transferred. There are four new teachers, Miss
Phoebe Holmes, who will take charge of the
German class; Mr.. Swartzell, In charge OF the
Latin and Greek classes; Mr.. e. w. Williams,
professor of mathematics, and DR.. Buchner'
who will teach chemistry and physics. Miss
Holmes is graduate OF the High School class
OF 'S4, and has spent her time since In Ger
many perfecting herself in the language. Mr.
Swartzell and Mr., e. W. Williams are High
school boys and graduates of Columbia Col
lege also.
School Notes.
Miss McNight is one of the new teachers In
the Towers Building, fresh from the Normal