The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-21
OUR SCHOOLS ALL RIGHT
The City Of Anaconda Described From
an Educational Point Of View.
BUILDINGS. METHODS. PLANs
Superintendent Kern Contributes
an interesting Paper on the
Copper City's School
Facilities.

tor, which IL devoted to the educational
interests of the state, is an Anaconda edi-
ton and contains the following descrip-
ton Of the public schools of this city from
the pen of Professor Kern:
''The city of Anaconda il about 10 years
old. Starting with single teacher and a
few ungraded pupils, there has been q
rapid growth of her school interests until
now. nearly 1000 pupils, all classified and
graded, are presided over by q corps of 20
hrst-class teachers. At present the
schools are conducted in four large brick
buildings, well lighted, heated and venti-
lated and fully equipped with modern
facilities for theoretical and practical in
struction.
The board of education has always
endeavored to sustain q liberal policy, to
the end that the best instructors and full
equipment for theoretical aud applied
work might be furnished. In no place
can money be made to count so largely as
in the liberal equipment of good schools.
II judciously expended, heavy school
tax Is splendid investment. Each room
is furnished with all necessary appliances
helpful for the regular instruction, to-
gether with supplement ary material for
special drills and creative work. Each
building has its library selected with ref
erence to the grade of pupils, while for
the lower grades material is furnished for
carrying on some lines of kindergarten
instruction with beginners, to be followed
with clay modelling and other busy work.
For the higher grades, and especially the
high school, there is furnished quite q
complete set of apparatus and other APP
pliances. Reference books, manuals his
tories, biographies, encyclopedias, charts,
maps, globes, tellurium, microscopes,
typewriter, piano, guns, drums, flags. etc.
The laboratory is supplied with an outfit
of chemical and physical apparatus suffi-
GENTLY complete to illustrate the prin-
ciples and perform all the experiments of
the ordinary high school text books in
these branches. A good geological cabinet
and some natural history specimens is
the nucleus for q museum to which con-
tributions are very acceptable from any
source.
"The. primary and grammar grades
have a course of study in harmony, in the
main, with the other graded schools in
the state, using OF course the same text
books. Each grade represents two classes,
A and B, the B class doing the work of
the first half of the year, and the A class
the second half, by which plan pupils are
promoted each half year. ANY pupil may
be promoted at any time he completes his
own class work and one half the work of
the succeeding class.
'.The high school, established five years
ago, has made a steady growth, GRADUATE
ing one pupil in 1898, seven IN 1894 and
has a class of seven to graduate this year
from the full course. There are four
classes of four years each, namely, Eng.
lish Scientific, the German or Latin Scien-
tiic and the Normal. There is also a
business course of two years.
"The teachers in all grades strive to
create an interest in and a taste for
music, composition and speaking, giving
frequent entertainments, all of which are
highly creditable. In the more advanced
grades these exercises, together with de-
batting, are still more encouraged, reach
ing their elimination in the high school,
where the delta sigma society, consisting
of all members of the high school, con-
ducts the exercises, holding b-mon thly
meetings.
This society gets up good school pa
per and gives creditable entertainments,
consisting of vocal and instrumental mu-
sic, plays. recitations. debating, etc. SIM
liar work is done by the Washington
society in the eighth grade. General news
and live current topics are regularly given
by the pupils in connection with the OPEN
ing exercises each day. Arbor day and
the anniversaries of certain great men
are appropriately observed.
1.-The military organization of the school
consists of a battalion of four compa MES
of about 30 men each, fully differed and
partly uniformed. They are fully
equipped with training guns, drums, flags,
etc., and are becoming quite proficient in
marching manetlvers and mammal Of
arms. Military training is popular with
boys generally and is highly educative
and beneficial in many ways If properly
conducted. Thus far it has proved q sue
cess in Amazon la and we strongly recon-
mend II to other schools. Free gymnas-
tics, marching and other calisthenic drills
are given the girls while the boys are on
the drill grounds"