Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-18
RoARp oF RpucATroN.

Report of Che Committee on Special | Instruction Principal Thomas
 Favors Changing the Commence
 ment Exercises to June.He PreSents |
 . Number of Arguments to Support
 His Position-The Site of the New
 High school still In Doubt.
 The board of educetion met last evening | at 7:30 o'clock. The committee on special instruction recommended the purchase and eBgrossing of diplomas for the senior class. The game plan of distribution of tickets for the commencement exercfses as was followed last year, with the exception that no distinction be made between the commercial and other classes in the dis tribution of tickets; that the building com mittee bs authorized to erect 6 staging (similar to the one used by the Gounod society,", to put up sounding beard and provide electric lights for commencement night; that the usual number of tickets for stage programs, etc, be ordered by the clerk; the purchase of material for the | sewing teacher to be used in fastening to- gether and labelling work of the classes, to the amount of $5; the adoption of s'Pro- gressive Lessons in the System of Phono-
 
 pamphlets for the claesss.
 Principal Thomas then appeared before the board In regard to the matter of having the as under the present curriculum. He said: | "The changes would not affect the grammar scnoois, put we would recommena that they De principally looking at wss its general effect on the i nigh school on the welfare of the girls and
 When we begin the new year in May we start | Of | vacation. Thus when we come to September we lose fully four weeks in getting to the point
 'Last June we had some very hot weather. | The thermometer stood between 80 degrees and 20 degrees in the rooms for a large part of the
 There were in the high school building at this aVe days in i the Wesk eea came at the end of June the greater part of the pupils would be out during the last two weeks and crowded rooms at that time.
 "The changes of the corps of teachers also generally. But the change of one teacher may mean change in dozen classes.
 "Much of the declamatory and essay work also comes after January in preparation for the
 April commencement. Thus the months of Feb months for hard study, are broken into If com mencement came in June the greater part of this
 Which are fitted % to that R snd % of wort. s1s 0n'n ) l "We would examine The incoming class from l the grammar schools in April as now, and then [ | which they would come to us in September in 6 much better condition for hard study. There will be 330 in the incoming class, with about 5O( , 1 others in the other classes, making over S0( pupils to be cared for in April We have found by past experience that about 60 pupils drop out ! of the incoming class through the summer v4ca l ton of each year. Thus we would not have tht | trouble of providing for these pupils througt
 in the high school building now, and ought no l to seat but 715.
 'Thus in fitting @ new curriculum with tho olc it would be very great advantage to have thes' two months at the beginning of the year"
 Miss Sheridan then appeared before the boart and spoke If the advantage 1t would be to tn f girls in buying graduating dresses to have tn . commencement exercises and promenade occu . | in June. She told of one girl who gave fourteen IA ating clothes and therefore could not attend t L. 1 studies, and of another who spent S100 on he | clothes and did not have anything very elaborate
 She thought if the exercises came in warme
 weather simpler apparel would be even nor | appropriate.
 .- Messrs. Marble and Booth then emphaticall | endorsed the arguments of Principal Thomas. j. The board then asked Principal Thomas wha a he thought of the high school promenade in rt gard to it's general influence on the high schoo d He replied that he thought the inh lence of tn I 1 promenade in general was not good. Fully on, half of the class were unable to bear the expens 1T One reception has been given by the class an
 The feeling is growing that the promenade ws | ot more importance than commencement itsel
 The class histories have already been eliminate ,e from the class day exercises
 Fl The board voted to refer the matter to tk 1 committee on special instruction and the con B. naittee on schools a joint committee. re The board then went into executive sessio t. which lasted about two hours, after which one .s was reached in the matter of selecting site f. Iii the new high school.