St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-02-25
ST. JOHNSBURY'S SCHOOLS.


Of schools, has presented her report
for the town year just closing, and
from her excellent resume of the con-
dition of this most pOrtant depart
ment of municipal life we CLEAN the
following:
Schools have been kept in every district
for the number of weeks required by law,
and nearly every district has provided
for more than "a weeks of tuition. There
has been a marked increase IN the length
of the terms; two districts outside of
Union have had SO weeks of school, one
81. several 80. Several school-houses
have been repaired and all are very COM
Portable, with the exception of that in
Goss Hollow. The superintendent advo-
Gates the uniting of the schools at Goss
Hollow and Cold Corners (Nos. and
10 and hopes that if any more district
schoOl-houses are built III st. Johnsbury
there will be some deviation from the old
fashioned plan, and thinks that there is
no danger of getting a district school
house too convenient or attractive.
Another scheme that the superintendent
favOrs is the annexation of several
houses near the fair ground TO Union
district. Several families in that vicini-
ty she SAYS, already send their children
to the Union school; and as No. II has
no winter school, the best part of the
year is lost to the children there.
Many of the district schools are equip
ped with sets of charts, and the superin-
tendent finds that in these schools especial
ly good work has been done-the i'm
prOvement being very great as COM
pared with the work of three years ago.
Many of the teachers are attempting
work outside of the regular studies, and
as a result their pupils are becoming
familiar with standard works both in
poetry and prose, and learning something
of authors of note.
The best work has been done in those
schools where the same teachers have
been retained through the year. The
superintendent says candidly that the
work has been very uneven, and deplores
the fact that some of the instructors are
but poorly qualified for the work. "There
is ROOM" she says, Gin the poorest I'M
graded school for the wisest of women"
The superintendent finds schools in
town where the children are enthusiastic
and hard workers; and she puts in plea
for more blackboard room in every
school, set of charts where these are
lacking and a set of blocks to be used in
drawing. Reference is made to Miss
Ross excellent advice on the subject of
drawing, and the superintendent hopes
soon to introduce into the schools a
years course of lessons prepared by Miss
Ross. She expresses her appreciation of
the kindness shown her by the teachers
of the district schools.
THE UNION SCHOOLS.
Speaking of the Union schools, the ST.
perintendent says that the annexation of
Sumnerville did not cause any break in
tLa he Of +1,a LIT
place were so much like those Of Union
district that they fell into line easily.
The three rooms at Summervile are
among the most attractive, and we all
rejoice at the union, that has not only
enlarged the village, but given an impetus
to our work in education
All the school rooms in the district are
now fresh and attractive. with the excep-
ton of the shell at Fairbanks village,
and aids to work are increasing contin-
ually The progress being made in the
several departments is very gratifying.
Special attention is being given to writ
ing, drawing and geography. The high
est grade, under the head of ''News of
the Week, has given some time to current
events. Quotations from good authors,
illustrated compositions, committing
whole poems to memory, have taken
many hours in several grades. The time
to be given in the future to natural his
tory, using the specimens in the Museum
as aids, will be only an enlargement of
what has been done in the past. The pri-
mary schools have done work in this
study, including lessons on crabs and
squirrels. Thefirst intermediate did some
pretty work with pebbles and animals
the second intermediate with leaves and
animals. One of the grades has had some
lessons in geology. In every grade
great deal of attention is paid to Ian
guage work, both written and spoken.
Pres. Eliot attacks the waste OF
time in grammar schools from having so
much arithmetic. One of the most
scholarly gentlemen st. Johnsbury ever
had, made the same charge. We are
working free from that fault. In the
lower grades the number work is very
fine; in the higher the text book used is
so much simpler than its predecessors,
a great deal of time is saved, formerly
spent in working examples, that had no
value save in long multiplications and
endless decinals.
Those who were present at the exhibit
ton OF singing, given last summer, can
Judge for themselves of its success. The
day has gone by when anyone raises
a dissenting voice in regard to music as
a study of our schools.
We are very proud of our schools, of
the buildings, the teachers, the high
standard of scholarship kept, and the
still higher one aimed at. 1t is true the
schools are supported by public interest
and selfdenial, but the hard work is done
by conscientious and capable teachers. 1
often wonder if people realize how much
time and money teachers spend in find
ing out new methods and fitting them
selves to introduce them. Educational
magazines, visits to city and summer
schools, may give a great deal of pleasure,
but they are not had for nothing.
The superintendent considers the past
year successful one, because all along
the line have been attempts at improve
ment, marks of real interest in work, and
hopes the next year Will show still more
progress.
TEN CARS DERAILED.