The Portland daily press., 1896-09-21
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
How Matters Are Progressing in the City,s
Temples of Learning.

The school year has opened very sue
cessfully and things are now running
smoothly in Portland's temples of learn
ing.
In the North school the attendance ia
large, there being in the primary, gram
mar and kindergarten departments near
ly 1000 pupils. The second, third and
fourth GLASSES are considerably crowded.
Several plans have been submitted for
the new school house on the hill but at
the meeting of the school committee last
week, at which there was no quorum, an
informal expression of opinion favored
the plan presented by Architect Tomp-
son.
In all the kindergartens more children
have applied for admission than could be
accommodated.
Mr.. Severance, the new teacher in the
high school, is already popular among
his pupils and his work in the school is
going on smoothly and satisfactorily.
One OF the scholars in the third class,
classical department., has counted up and
finds that the pupils each have Is books
with which to struggle. This number
includes several, of course, in some of the
branches. 1t is believed that the un-
lucky numb will not, result DISASTROUS
~ to the young mems hopes Of college
honors.
Last years class at it's entrance to the
high school num bered about 200. This
ears class is equally large. Should
the increase hold in the next few years
it would make necessary the erection of
a second high school building.
There are about 65 pupils in the deaf
school, as many as there were last year.
This year there will be two sessions of
the school daily, change from last year
when there was only forenoon session
the SO me length as that of the high
school. fhe older pupils spent the after
moons in learning trades, etc., and an at
tempt was made to keep the younger
employed by providing small carpenters
benches so that manual training work
might be carried on. The benches have
not been forthcoming SO 1t has been de-
oided necessary to havo two sessions
day for the smaller pupils. The older
still spend their afternoons as heretofore.
The West End school Is crowded and
there are not rooms enough to accommo-
date the pupils. making it necessary 20
add two rooms in the near future.
The Vaughan street school is also more
than full and it will probably become
necessary to send more pupils from that
district to the Mcclellan school.
Miss Barstow, the teacher of the Gem
ter street kin dergarten, is much pleased
at the arrangement made by the oom-
mittee at it's last meeting to have but
one session day. She thinks the pupils
will profit by the change.
The plan of having variety of United
States histories IN the grammar school
GLASSES has proved very satisfactory the
past year. This year the first class are
using Fishes. Egglestone's and Scud-
der's histories and tine second class
Banes's and Johnston's. Each pupil has
one book, the histories being divided
about equally in each GLASS room.
There are six or eight applicants for
the vacancy in the high school caused b
the resignation Of Mr.. Marsh teacher of
Latin and Mathematics. The applicants
include graduates of Tufts, Harvard and
Colby. Several of the applicants are
ladies'