Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-06-22
Commencement Exercises.

The present has been the week that
is always looked forward to by the schol-
ars of our Graded schools during the
school year, with bright hopes and many
expectations. To those who were about
to close their relation as scholars in the
school, the day was especially looked
forward to, while to the others it meant:
Had their work been well done during
the year? an advancement of one step
towards the goal for which all are striv-
ing. Each and every one is Interested,
not only in the schools, but in the exer-
cises of Commencement week, and the
attendance at all the different exercises
has been large. Such an attendance is
always gratifying to the scholars, as 1t
shows them that interest is takehN in
their work, and that their parents and
friends are DESTROYS of knowing what
progress has been made by them during
the wear that closes with Commencement
week.
The exercises this week have been
quite varied, as the published pro-
grammes show, fully as interesting and
as well carried out as any that have pre-
ceeded it in the twenty years existence
of the present school. The teachers and
scholars of each room had We'd with the
other in their efforts to make their sew
eral rooms veritable blowers of beauty"
The tramps to the woods for ferns, the
rumaging of the meadow and pasture
for daisies and buttercups, the visits
here and there for roses, lilies, etc., the
timespent in arranging them, so that as
clustered together they would present
the handsomest appearance as arranged
in the rooms, was a labor of love, and
many of the younger pupils, with that
feeling natural in one of the age, asked
the BANNER scribe as they were met at
the door of their rooms: Don't you
think our room looks the prettiestP'
What more could one do than to say:
"Of course it does" In the primary
rooms there were many displays of kim
dergarten work which shows what pref
ty things can be made by little fingers,
and the great difference between the
methods of teaching at the present time
and forty years ago. These exhibitions
were among the most attractive part of
| the whole exercises, which were in
themselves highly creditable both to the
teacher and scholar, and the memory of
which will remain throughout the COM
ing year as one of the bright episodes in
school day life.
The programmes of the week,
the same as published in the BANNER
of Friday and Tuesday, were all well
carried out, and it is only necessary to
say that every scholar participating in
them did we'll.
The event of the week, however, was
the graduating exercises which took
place in the hall, Thursday, which is al
always the case, was packed to its ut
most seating capacity, the aisles and
space in front of the seats being filed
with camp chairs. The stage was occu,
pied by school trustees, clergymen and
prominent citizens of the village, teach.
ers, etc.
The front of the stage was handsomely
decorated with house plants and flow.
ers, and large part of the audience had
with them bouquets which were giver
by them to the graduates, as they finish,
ed their respective parts, and every one
was, figuratively speaking 'loaded down
with flowers" 1t was near eight o. clock
when the exercises began and which
were as follows: