The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-12-24
THE oWosso SCHOOLS.
Badly Crowded, but Dong Good Work
What the High School Is Doing.


The city schools closed yesterday for the
holiday vacation of one week after one OF
the most difficult terms as well as one or
the quetest and most successful In their
history.
The principal difficulty has been caused
| by the lack of SUFFICIENT school room. This
feature of the case was emphasized by
Supt. Simmons who said that In none Of
the eight years, preceding this. of his
superintendency in Owosso, had he had so
much difficulty In regard to making trans
fers from one school building to another on
account of the lack of room.
The schools are all badly crowded. In
most cities it is well recognized that 1t is
useless to try to have one teacher keep
more than thirty.five pupils under his con-
troll, and the rooms are usually seated to
hold only that number. In Owosso, how
ever. practically all are compelled to have
as many as fifty-ive pupils each while
there are fourteen who have between fifty
five and sixty-fve each. 1t can easily be
seen that this does not pay. There are
few pupils so bright that at some time
they do not need individual personal as
sistance. But experience has shown this to
be thing practically impossible for a
teacher with more than thirty-fve pupils.
The Washington school is the most crowded
and the Central school stands next. 1t Is
thought, however, that two additional
rooms at the Washington school would re-
lieve the congestion when the resulting
transfers are taken into account. There Is
some talk of building such an addition
during the coming spring. Every room In
every building, large enough to be used for
school room, is now in use and the Union
chapel also accommodates grade.
With the exception of the crowded con-
dition the buildings are in excellent con-
dition. The heating and ventilating ar
rangements are satisfactory. The Central
school is the only one supplied with closets
connected with the sewer, but the Smead
system is working in excellent shape in the
Emerson and Washington schools, some
occasional report to the contrary n0twith-
standing.
Teachers meetings, as heretofore, are
held on alternate Wednesdays at four
o'clock in room IL, Central school. The
assembly room will soon be In shape to be
lighted, however, and then it will probably
be used for that purpose. At these meet
ings the study of the latest methods Is
pursued and the best writings on education
al or allied topics are read. These meet
ings are open to any who feel an interest I'm
such matters and a number of outsiders
are availing themselves of the privilege of
attending them. Besides these general
teachers meetings, meetings are OCCASION
ally held of he different grade teachers for
the discussion of methods more appropriate
to their work, business arithmetic and good
reading having received especial emphasis
lately.
There are at present one hundred and
forty-four pupils in the eighth grade and
there is no reason why the number of pro-
motion to the high school this year should
not far exceed that of any previous year as
1t certainly will. In the eighth grade as we'll
as IN the other grammar grades more stress
than ever is being placed on arithmetic
geography and grammar while the work in
reading is considered quite as important as
any of the other studies and just as essen
tial in determining the pupils fitness for
promotion.
In connection with the eighth grade work
II may be mentioned that plans are being
considered for holding promotion exercises
In one of the churches next June when the
one hundred and forty, or thereabouts,
pupils to be promoted to the high school,
will receive certificates of promotion. If
carried out, however, it will be only an in
expensive exercise, not in any way to take
the place in the pupils minds of graduation
exercises, but rather TO be of nature to en-
courage them to 60 further in their studies.
Here 1t may be mentioned that the COM
mencement exercises this year will take
shortening of the school year which will
close on the 9th Of June.
The high school closed yesterday with an
enrolment of two hundred and twenty one,
and there has never been fall term in its
history when the work has passed along
more smoothly and with more good feeling
between teachers and pupils than this,
fact which must certainty be gratifying In
the extreme to Prin. ID. f. Mertz and his
five assistants.
Especial emphasis has been placed lately
on attendance and punctuality In the high
school with the result that hardness has
been reduced practically to a minimum,
being but fractional part of one. tenth of |
one per cent. for November, while the at
tendance for the same month attained the
high rating of ninty.nine per cent.
Some will doubtless be interested In what |
the different high school teachers are busy
ing themselves with, and what the pupils |
are doing at present. To such the follow
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