The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-09

as last year, whose faithful and meri-
torious work deserves commentator.
/ 1t is desired that during the coming
year the oiGy physician make regular
visits to the school and attend to the
wants of the children along this line.
| One OF the greatest needs OF this
school is q dormitory building where all
the pupils can be brought together under
the charge of their teachers. To this
end efforts are now being made to OBJ
sufficient to purchase, repair, and equip
such building, with many probabilities
of success.
| In the High School improvement is
manifest in many lines. The number of
pupils attending being greater than ever
in the history of the school. At the be-
ginning of the year over two hundred
and fifty pupils entered from tine gram
mar schools while the class to graduate
number not given. The discipline has
been excellent.
STUDY OF ENGLISH.
AS was recommended in our report of
last year, more attention has been given
to the study of English than heretofore,
with special practice In English Compo-
course has been rearranged in part so
that one teacher gives all her sine, and
other teachers part Of their time to this
study, including frequent exercises in
defamation and composition. The
large increase in the mum Der of pupils
attending the school makes this work
very difficult as but little time can be
give to the individual wants of the
1c &c, cd OH
this line of working order to obtain the
fullest measure of success.
MILITARY DRILL
The boys of the school have done COM
mendahle work in the line of military
drill. During the early part of the year
the city government purchased for the
use of the school and equipment of 70
cadet rifles which gave great impetus to
this part of school work. Another COM
pany was organized, frequent drills were
had, and excellent work accomplished
for volunteer company, the beneficial
results OF which have been shown in the
physical development and manly bearing
of those belonging to the companies. It
should be rememb ered, however, that
only portion of the boys take part in
these exercises. The question, therefore,
will have to be considered the coming
year as to the advisabiliy of making
military drill compulsory, at least in the
exercise of the. setting up drill. 1t has
been suggested that this can be done at
small expense sby the employment of
some competent military officer in the
city, or, at thesproper time, some teacher
who, in addition to other duties, could
attend to the drill. There is also need of
some form of physical exercise Tor the
girls. ,,.'-sss,.eaz.
The school building has been con-
slant source of Satisfaction to all. The
heating apparatus has done is work per-
feetly under trying conditions, while the
assembly room on the upper floor has
been of great utility school.
TRAINING SCHOOL.
The training school for teachers has
done the same thorough work during the
year as in the past. the teachers in
training receiving thorough instruction
in accepted methods of teaching and
daily practice in actual teaching under
competent supervision. New methods are
also tried and accepted or rejected as
they are found advisable or otherwise,
so that when those in training enter ac-
tually into the duties OF their profession,
they enter it with practical DoWledge
of how to teach and control those put
under their charge, and it is pleasure
to remark as Il tesl imonial of the useful
ness of this school, that at the present
time over sixty of its graduates are en-
ployed in our schools and in general
are doing excellent work.
EVENING SCHOOL.
The evening school has had success
full term of eighty nights. 1t has been
located in the basement of the City
Building, entrance on Myrtle ST., where
four connecting rooms have been OBJ
tanned and fitted up with convenient
and comfortable desks. The rooms are
also lighted with electricity and well
ventilated. The school closed Feb. IS,
1896 This school opened Get. 8th, 1894,
with II pupils, increasing each night
until III were enrolled. The average
nun Der belonging was 1874 with an aver
age attendance OF So per cent. of this
mum Der, Il material increase over that of
| last year. There were enrolled GO fe-
! males and 1874 males, ranging in age
| from 1865 to 3S. The same course of
| study has been pursued as of last year
with the addition of the elements OF
civil government in the higher classes.
WRITING AND DRAWING.
During the year an innovation has
been introduced by Mr.. Smaller into the
methods of teaching writing. Hereto
fole the practice has been to teach each
child to make the usual stereotype form of
letters, taking as much time as was need
ed. This, Of course, resulted in fine pen
manship, but was nearly usless in prac-
tical life. This year a part OF the course
has been changed and the children
taught to write as rapidly as posi- BILE
| but at the same time preserving a neat
| legible form of letters and words, a
practice which cannot fail to be great
value after leaving school. Improvement
has also been made in drawing. Last
year the work in drawing was extended
| to the primary school under the charge
of Miss Bed!ow and now the little child
il the second year of school life is taught
the actual practice of drawing in which
good progress has been made. 1t is, how
ever, too early to say what the effect will
be until the child can enter the gram
mar school. Your board feels, however,
that this work is in line with that OF
the best schools of the country.
MUSIC.