The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-29
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEET.
Many Subjects of Interest Discussed
and Acted On.

anu Acteu Un.
City Solicitor Chapman Speaks of the Germ
Theory-Study of Nature and Elemen'
tary Physics-CIeansing of School
Houses.
| The regular meeting of the school COM
mittee was held Monday afternoon. Messrs.
| Brownson, Hall, Vose. Mcdonald. Allan
and Superintendent Lord were present. In
the absence of Mayor Baxter, Mr.. Allan was
| chosen chairman pro TEN. 1t was voted mat
| Miss Harriet Grant be allowed to take a
partial course in the training school for the
| remainder of the year. Four of the nine
members of the school have dropped out.
The resign alton of Isabelle B. Hughey.
| teao her of the West Long Island school. was
rec eived and accepted. Mr.. Hall was given
power to fill the vacancy.
| 1t was voted to pay Mr.. Charles O. Cas-
| we'll, of the High school. fifty dollars ] as
compensation for meeting the grammar
school teachers for the purpose of giving
them an elementary
COURSE IN PHYSICS.
This is in pursuance of plan to intro
duce elementary physics in the first class of
the grammar schools. The idea is to give
the scholars in these classes some elemsn-
tary knowledge of the phenomena of heat,
electricity. etc. Superintendent lord says
that this change in the curriculum is ap-
proved by successful experience in other
places. 1t Is planned to ft up in each gram
mar school neat fall a table large enough
for twenty pupils, on which there will be
apparatus sufficient to enable each pupil TO
perform experiments. The idea is generally
approved by the grammar school teachers.
The moderate amount needed to begin This
plan o. operation was voted on motion of
DR.. Vose.
The following resolution in regard to
CLEANING SCHOOL BUILDINGS
was introduced by Mr.. Brownson and
adopted:
"That the school committee again call the
attention of the committee on public build
ings of the city council to the need of
thorough lilly cleaning the school houses at
least three times year, and ask them to
consider the ad visa bility of cleaning all the
school buildings, except the North and But
Ter school houses. during the coming Febru-
airy vacations"
City Solicitor Chapman was present and
brought to the attention of the Board the
method Of caring for the books in the
schools. He said it WAS the practice in at
least some of the primary schools for the
school books to be put OIL the teachers desk
every night. and for them to be distributed
anew every morning In this way the IS
gsgag9BOOKS OF THE SCHOLARS
were continually passed from one to an
other. If there was anything in the germ
theory Of disease. it would seem that BY
means Of these books germs Of scarlet fever
or diphtheria might be carried. He would
suggest that each scholar keep the same
books through the term, and that in case
of contagious disease the books of the sick
one be destroyed.
Superintendent lord said that only the
reading books were thus passed around.
The other books were given the scholars to
be kept as long as they had use for them.
The reading books had been passed about
because it seemed more convenient and
economical. The spread of disease had not
been thought of when the plan was put in
operation. He thought there were some
reasons for modifying the plan on the lines
suggested by Mr.. Chapman. The Board de-
cided informally to look into the matter.
superintendent Lord brought forward a
recommendation that an appropriation be
made to engage good teacher of botany
to introduce
NATURE STUDY
into the primary schools by giving the
necessary instructions to the primary school
teachers.
A sum not to exceed one hundred dollars
was appropriated for blunt scissors to be
used by Miss Bedlow in the geometricai
paper work. which Is part Of the course in
drawing.7ggHe OF 15T2 aG319iE w
Mr.. George Il. Allan was chosen to- write
the ann al report.9x sua5a Is pc ggas54 sg
40 1t was5voted that the evening schools be
closed about the :20thsof February. Fs
soPay roll and. pills the amountof 50. l2S.4e
were approved .1l eFs paegs eea
ssEE.fg714Se - : - - -