The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-03


The average standing of all the
schools in attendance and punotuality
for December was 1895 against 97.16
for November.
-Four teachers were absent during
the month for periods of half a day to
six days on account of sickness and
Miss N. Peters, Mr.. Spiers, Miss Z.
Ellis and Miss Pearl Royce acted as
substitutes.
The superintendent report conclud-
ed with the following suggestions and
recommendations:
LAS usual, after the holiday vaca-
ton, the schools do not open with a
full attendance. The evident falling
off in several of the grades is due In
some measure to sickness. BY next
Monday. however, we hope to see
every child at the post of duty toiling
upward towards higher grade.
Herewith is filed for your reference
and comparison the usual statistical
report for the month closing Friday,
Dec 81. From that you may note
gratifying increase in attendance and
punctuality. This improvement is due
largely to increased interest and eff
fort on the part of teachers and the
spirit of competition among the pupils,
but has the added stimulus of a more
rigid Requirement recently fixed by you
relative to hardness and non-attend-
ance without legitimate excuse. Rails
ing the standard of scholarship by Ak
ing a higher minimum passing grade
causes many dull pupils to attend more
faithfully and work harder In order to
secure promotion.
Teachers are learning more and
more to appreciate the educational
value of a clear knowledge of matters
of Immediate and local interest such
as the history, geography. botany,
These subjects may be studied more
successfully than others because near
at hand and of more practical i'm
portance and interest. OF equal value
also with the subjects named Is the
civics of our own state, and i am
happy to say that there has been re-
Gently published by two prominent
citizens of our city, Librarian John F.
Davies and County Superintendent
John +. Davies, a work which admira-
bly supplies our needs. This "Civics
of Montana" contains in clear and at
tractive form, such facts of our states
history and civil government as snouio
be known by every child VINO COM
pletes a grammar school course. Inc
work was unanimously endorsed by
the Montana State Teachers associa-
tion last week at Anaconda and VIII
douhtless soon be in use In all the
schools of the state. I therefore COM
mend IL to your examination ana rec
ommend that II be adopted Tor use IN
the Butte public schools as supple
mentary to the civics now USED IN 'he
seventh and Eighth grades.
..rhe first semester will close In three
uaeks AT which time the A class OF the
Eighth grades will be ready 10 grao
nate from the grammar course anu
enter the High school. The matter OF
their accommodation which mas peeh
under Amusement should be settieo Al
this time. In most respects the scnUoss
aondition and the teachers heartily APP
Treciate the sympathy and wise gulo-
ance given by the board.
Af,er ,disposing of lot OF routine
business. the question OF the aoVlsa,
bility of closing the South Butte scnooi
| on account of the dipntneria seaIe We
broupht up. and 1t was decided 10 ciose
he School indefinitely, and therefore
,here will be no school held In the
| south butte building to-day. The trus-
| tees recognized the seriousness OF tne
| matter and agreed that vigorous meas
| ures should be adopted TO cheek tne
| snread of the disease. II was suggest
| "a the city or the city health depart
| ment be requested to place a guard
| over the auarantined buildings, ano
| nreyent the members of the stricken
| families from mingling with tnefi
| neighbors, but some members or tht
/ board thought that such a reques'
| would seem like interfering with the
/ city's affairs. and nothing was don'
| about 1t. 1t is said that absolutely nj
] restriction is placed on the "quaran'
| tined" families and that neighbors 81
| in and out, and the heads of the fam
lilies go about their business as usual
| One of the trustees stated that unies'
| sornething was done TO check the di
sease. 1t might result in closing all tn
| schools. and that a question of econo
4 my or of dollars and cents should no
| be allowed TO enter into the considers
| ton Of what should be done
The board allowed number OF Dill
| and renewed some insurance policies
| All the trustees were present at tn
board except Calderhead and Bray.