Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-05-24
AMONG THE SCHOOLS.
The Evil Of Asking Teac ers to Elk
cuSe Pupils.
The Real Value Of i he Friday
Afternoon Literary Exere ies-
commencement Performers May
be Selected by New 4...o-The
School Year Nearing It's Close.

same lllHS over anu over again Is III
easy task. Perhaps, though, it is we'll
now and then to say the same thing sew
eral times in order that il may have the
designed, desired and Statutory effect on
the mind of the reader. There is an
evil in our schools to-day which | think
has not been specially mentioned in
these notes, and it IS one that ought to
be mentioned time and again until the
evil is abated. We refer to parents
asking that their children be excused
after remaining in school but short
time after roll call. The teachers must
respect the wishes Of the parent, but so
often there is no occasion TO ask for the
excuse. 1t is done merely to crafty
the desire of the child to get away from
school, If the parent really compre-
hended how much injury this is TO the
child, what an annoyance to the te@ch-
er. and what a hindrance it is to the
general progress OF the school, these re-
quests would not be made so often.
Then, so many pupils stay away from
the Friday afternoon performance. This
in many instances is done TO avoid TAX
ing part in the literary exercises that
are held in nearly every room in the
schools. Some parents pretend to be-
lieve that the hour or more speN thus
on Friday afternoon is just about as
good as wasted, hence they allow their
children to remain away from school
entirely on these occasions. There is
no greater mistake than this. No ses-
sion of the week is Of more real prac-
teal benefit TO the pupil than the one
devoted to literary exercises, and the
pupils who do not make the most OF
the Friday afternoon exercises will SIM
ply regret it as long as they live. In
order to know thing as 1t should be
known, it is necessary that we know
how to tell it,, and these exercises are
intended for that very purpose. They
are simply a drill in telling we'll our
own thoughts and the thoughts OF 9TH
ers. But few people know how to do
this properly, and it is fact that our
public schools to-day are not only lay
ing that foundation for good scholar
ship, but are turning out generation
of good takers.
Apropos to the above, the rule adopt
ed by the Board of Education to here
after select the performers for COM
mencement with reference TO their elo-
cutionary ability, rather than scholar
ship, is having the effect already to
cause more attention paid to the art OF
speaking. 1t is surely move in the
right direction, and the coming COM
mencement performance, and those to
come in years to follow, will show it
to be true.
Our seniors have one more trial under
Supt. Anderson to see how they will
stand in the various branches. Next
Friday they battle with geometry, mu
sic and physical geography for the
mastery. After this a few days of anX-
iety and the agony will be over. There
will be some disappointments, no doubt,
for their per cents. will not reach as
nearly 100 as they had hoped. This
may not be so important as what is
still TO follow all this. 1t is in the
school of life where they are to make
their mark. and thought they may not
stand high in scholastic lore, they may
by patient toll make their mark in life,
by being true men and true woSen.
We have heard it suggestI> that the
action OF the Board Of Education in
permitting a half-holiday to Richie
school on next Thursday afternoon to
attend the lecture to be given by DR..
Talmage on the State Fair Grounds,
savors of class legislation. The writer
thinks otherwise. Suca things ought
to be encouraged. The lecturer is a
man of national reputation, the lecture
is to be given for the benefit OF church
in the ward, many of the teachers and
pupils of the school are members OF the
church. and have been active workers
in trying to make the affair the sue
cess it deserves 10 be, and it Is but right
they should have the privilege to attend
the lecture. The Board Of Education
have their thanks.
The lectures to be given by Prof.
Herman Stahl to the different schools
of the city in the near future, will be OF
great educational benefit to all who
hear them. 1t has been the good pleas
ure of the writer to know Prof. Stahl
for many years, and to know him to
be one Of the very foremost educators
of the day, and that his only aim in the
display of his great collection OF curi-
osities, and the delivery Of his schol-
arly lecture is for the good of the rising
generation. We will have more to say
concerning these lectures after they are
delivered.
The teachers of Richie school 1--we
finished their Rotations in Gordy's
psychology, and those who have faith
fully studied and attended all the meet
ings feel we'll repaid for so doing. They
feel that they are stronger teachers
every way than they were before they
studied. This good work so well begun
this wear will be continued next year by
taking up some other subject and hold
regular meetings for its discussion. All
teachers ought to do this, for it keeps
them alive and abreast Of the times. 1t
causes them TO grow in everything that
pertains to the development OF the
minds of their pupils, and this is just
what is needed in teachers.
Five more weeks Of school and then
the year is over, and what is the record?
Although about five weeks were lost on
account of the smallpox, still the work
of the year has been we'll done in nearly
every school room of the city.
-OL
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT 1T.
OF the greatest Silk offering that was
ever inaugurated in this city, now is