The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-24
ST. PETERS SCHOOL,


ST. PETERS SCHOOL.
A Visit to the Various Glasses and Thslv
Methods Explained.
The closing exercises OF st. Peter's Parish
school will be held on Friday, June s, and
all who are interested in the educational
development Of the city should take this
opportunity of seeing the result OF tho
excellent work that has been accomplished
this year. 1t is surprising to find how few
persons there arc who have any idea OF the
work the parish school is doing, and dong
with remarkable SUGGEST beginning only
six years ago with small number of pupils
the school first opened its doors "a kim
dergarten, from which, through the un-
firing energies of Rev. 4. r. Webb, ii has in
creased i'll proportions and ambitions until
for the past two years pupils are prepared
there for the college. About year ago .
board Of trustees was formed, consisting Of
the gollowing prominent gentlemen: Rev.
+. 4. Webb, president, and Messrs. w. A.
Chessman, s. Word, G. A. Broadwnter, "A.
w. Lyman, d. A. Cory, l.. q. Phelps.
+. Il. Edgerton and s. g.. Ash
by. At a recent meeting. of the
directors there was an expression of tho
greatest satisfaction in the condition Of the
school and the instruction given. And very
interesting, indeed, it was to spend day
last week IN hearing some of this instruc-
ton. The pupils and teachers first assem-
bic In the large classroom for devotlOnAl
exercises. after which the quotations are
heard and which always make both an en-
tertaining and instructive feature OF the
morning. The classes then disperse for
their different recitations. Miss Flint. the
instructor of the primary and grammar de--
partment, is an unusually gifted teacher.
Coming from the center of education, Bos-
ton, she is graduate Of the celebrated
Quincy training school which. in the edu-
cational world, is recommendation enough.
But Miss Flint does not con-
fine herself to the Quincy methods.
On the contrary, she combines all
of the progressive methods, but with such
tact and so many 1ririnai ideas of her own
that the children are constantly interested
i'll their work. On the particular morning
mentioned the first GLASS in this department.
was the tiny folks, in numbers, and it was
very remarkable to see the little ones Of
seven years add, multiply and divide, etc.,
with the greatest rapidity and unusual
accuracy. These were the little folks with
whom Miss Flint began last year, and who
learned their first numbers in object lessons
from thescube4+ checkers and dominoas.
In reading the word, phonic and object
m ethods are used and it was remarkable to
see how much could be learned by such lit
tie folks IL one year. Among the older
pupils the reading lesson is also made
given to the articulation and expression.
class read from sight with unusual free
dom, and the expression with which they
read poetry would have done credit to much
older readers. Perhaps, however. the most
interesting lesson was that in geoprRphy,
The topic was first reoited and discus scd,
after which the class was divided and 80 me
sent to the board to draw maps while others
were sent to the moulding table aud
whole continent was modelled as we'll as
drawn. The mountains. rivers, capes, ETC.,
were described rs they grew into shape and
interesting facts concerning climate, pro-
ductions, cities, ETC., were given from timo
to time. thus making a most ENJOYABLE les
son and certainly no child thus travelling
over the continents every day could ever
forget them. useful feature in this les
son was the geographical spelling test, the
introduction of which into school work
will probably prove u blessing to the post
office department. All the time these
classes were reciting, the little folks were
constantly occupied, sometimes with work
lures, etc. Their penmanship WAS
wonderfully good for such little
ones Some of the graded Glasses
were preparing compositions. some Of which
were written from given subject. or stories
from pictures, which called out the descrip-
tive powers.
At the noon hour the primary pupils are
dismissed. The intermission OF half an
hour gives an opportunity to enjoy the
finely equipped gymnasium which tho
school owns, for with all progressive schools
particular attention is paid to physical cul-
tuse, which the principal considers most
important feature. The room IL supplied
with cross and horizontal bars, pulleys, etc.,
and even the youngest class has calistheni0
exercise. The precision and order in which
the classes came and went from their reci-
tations was one of the many noticeable evi-
dences of the forethought and skill with
which the whole minutim of tho school
Is conducted by the principal. Prof.
Simpson, to whom 10 much OF tho
success and progress of the school IL duo.
and who has heartily co-operated with MIR.
Webb in his endeavor to make tho school
one of which the parish may be proud.
The FIench CLASSES of Miss Delphine
Mayronne arc heard in room devoted to
that purpose, and all who come under tho
instruction of Miss Mayronne's cultured
French cannot fail to make tho required
improvement. But there was not time
enough in one day to visit all of the classes
of the school, especially those OF the prin-
cipal, whose subjects arc all on tho higher
branches, and will probably quite fill tho
next day We have to spend at tho parish
school