Arizona republican., 1896-05-27
EDUCATIONAL PHGNIZ Closing of the Scholastic
 Term. Commencement Exercises To-
 night.
The Advancement Of the Schools During the Year Just
 Closed

1 With the commencement exercises this evening of the Union high school the most successful year of school work ever known in Phoenix is brought to i a close. The grammar school depart ment closed on last Friday. The Union high school on Monday and ] Tuesday of this week holding ''insti- l tute'' sessions.
 In the grammar school depar tment twenty teachers were employed, four males and sixteen females. In the Union high school four male teachers were employed. The city superintend- ent of schools, Professor w. B. Creager, l is employed jointly by the two boards 1 of trustees and has charge of both schools
 i In the high school Principal H. H. . Brown has during the year instructed classes in literature, rhetoric, gram mar, trigonometry, geometry, advanced algebra, these studies being divided between the two terms into which the year is divided.
 1 Professor B,ount was instructor in botany, physics, physiology, physical geography, beginning algebra, arith- metic; Professor Randall in political economy and Latin; Professor Ander- son in bookkeeping, commercial law, arithmetic, penmanship, stenography typewriting and drawing
 In the institute work of the past two days each pupil in the various classes had assigned to him or her topic for discussion, or which all the important points were to be given close consider ation, and presented in what the stu dent considered the best manner Topics in physics and physiology were made interesting by use of apparatus and drawings. Literature by selec- tions from ths-1Yuthors discussed, etc. j Parents aid those interested in ed ucation who have been in attendance have been surprised and highly pleased with the work presented by the stu dents, and the evidences of the thor ough work that has been done this year in all of the classes.
 When the course of study was adopt ed a year ago there were many who said that it was impracticable; it was
 too extensive, they averred, to be handled by the force of instructors provided. TO such objectors the pub lie exercises of this week have been an object lesson in educational possibili- ties.
 At the commencement this evening In the opera house there will be but two graduates, Miss Isoline Coombs and John Merriam, the small class be- ing the result of the encouragement and lengthening of the course of study. Next year, however, a large class is expected to be graduated.
 This evening will be the first year in which the pupils of the grammar school will have a public graduation. Neat diplomas will be presented them on the stage at the completion of the exercises of the high school. The fol- lowing named persons compose the class graduates:
 Nellie Battin, Ada Boyd, Normad Damron, Etta Dawson, Estella Daven- port, Jamie Irvine, Sara Jacobs, Beat rice Kincaid, May Maddox, Reba Hey man, Ethel La Chance, Helen Marshall, John Carmody, Elmo Collins, Gay Goodin, Sell Good.n, Ernest Graf, Spencer McKern, Alex Pendleton, Charles Rebstock, Leo Rosenburg, Lawrence Sergeant, Frank Wood, Turner Heflin, Edgar Hall
 In the grammar school department,
 work of the most thorough kind has
 been required and a high standard for
 promotion maintained, so that next year even better work than has been done this year may be expected. Many
 pupils whose standing was good in
 every study except possibly one, will be held to answer for the one doubt branch next year when the school opens before they will be permitted to pass into higher grade.
 This requirement of examination be-
 fore being promoted in such studies as
 they are backward in, has caused
 some pretty severe, yet unjust, con-
 ment on the superintendent, but is
 made an absolute requirement. in all oi the fundamental studies, and will have
 much to do with raising the standing
 of our city schools and if persisted in will make Phoenix schools second to F none.
 There can be no doubt in anybody $
 mind who is familiar with the schoolsoi
 Phoenix that during the scholastic year
 just closed the institutions of learning ' have been conducted with some regard for system-something that was here 1 tofore lacking. Superintendent Creag CT was unjustly criticised wh:i aa ii :: took charge of the schools e. Pn :
 by not following the established cis
 tom of his predecessors in leaving th: g teachers have absolute control of tn. Q schools without the necessity of con sulting the superintendent
 : Professor Creager changed the ordel
 of things when he took hold and ever.