Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-11-05

4 ny
winds.
CITY SCHOOL BoARD.-At the month
IL meeting of the City School Board
hold last night there were present
Messrs. Thompson, Aitcheson, Mankin,
Cbsnman, Marbury. barley, Carne,
HARRISON, and the Superintendent.
In the absence of the chairman Mr..
Harrison was elected chairman pro
The superintendent stated that the
rrincipal of Hallowell school had asked
{or a larger stove for her room AMI the
matter was referred to the committee
IN schoolhouses and furniture.
The resignation of Mr.. W. F. Vim
cont as trustee from the Fourth ward
was accepteN.
fnauce in favor of an increase of IS per
month in the salary of the principal OF
the Washington school was presented
and laid over till the next meeting.
:, number of bills for supplies and re.
nairs were ordered to be paid.
Tb, superintendent reported that
he had waited all the schools dur.
;Ng the nsss month Z; there were
- schools in operation, including 3
white ard > colcred halliday schools;
the attendance was increasing, there
hang 20 more white and 20
mers colored pupils there since
the asst report; in Halloween
school, colored girls, 80 children
were awaiting admission; he thought
;aat by opening another halliday
school, making two. instead of one,
such schools for colored girls. nearly
all those waiting could be admitted; but
Ten waita children were awaiting ad.
mission.
The superintendent also submitted
his apnual report, copy of which was
hid On the desk OF each trustee.
Col. f. l.. Smith was unanimously
reelected chairman and MIR. Hubert
Snowtiea clerk OF the board.
The Superintendent in his annual re-.
port says:
Tae wear has been satisfactory in re
spect Of the work of the teachers, as
well IS the progress of the scholars.
Ny efforts TO promote the efficiency Of
the schools have been zaalously second
ed by the teachers, and the scholars,
nave shown commeudeble diligence in
their studies and, with few exceptions.
conducted themselves in an orderly
manner.
At the risk of being. thought over
otfcous, ! must again call your atteu-
ton to the fact that the amount Il
money furnished to carry on the schools
is utterly inadequate to meet the ever
increasing demand for room IL the
schools, to supply such additional school
furniture as would be needed, ifall VINO
apply are to be provided with sittings,
and to employ teachers for such new
schools. Some financial scheme must
be devised for securing such additional
funds at once, or We will not be able to
comply with the law, which requires
the opening of new schools whenever
the number of pupils makes it neces'
sary. In order that all of our children
mey be provided with the opportunity
OF obtaining an education, your finance
CON mittee, I trust, will lose no time in
perfecting @ plan for raising all the
money needed.
During the past session there have
been in operation thirty.nine schools
saught by thirty-three teachers, six be-
ing halliday schools.
In Washington school for white boys
during the past session the entire en-
rollment was 657: in Lee school fol
white girls, The entire enrolment was
COG; in Snowden school for colOred
boys, the entire enrolment was 376; in
Hallowell school for colored girls, the
entire enrolment was 442.
The course of study, whilst prepared
by one who had had large experience
in teaching and we'll arranged to meet
the requirements when our schools
were first organized, must soon be re-
vised and enlarged to keep pace with
the present progress and bring our
schools up to. the standard attained by
others. While I maintain that our
teaching is of high order, there is one
subject whose unquestioned importance
none will deny, in which the pupils Of
our public schools are sadly deficient
and that is reading. This deficiency
on the part of our pupils is due in large
measure to the neglect of this study fol
others deemed of far greater impor'
tauce-arithmetic for instance, to
which great deal of time is devoted IL
all the grades and to which, it seems
all other studies must be sacrificed
This, in my opinion, is altogether
wrong, especially in the primary
grades. l would not dethrone arith
metic from the lofty pedestal upoI
which it has been placed, but would
insist that more time and attention be
given to reading, as study of equal
ii not in some respects, greater import
ance.
There is also one other thing thai
ought to be done as soon IS practica
bic, and that is, to elect an additional
male teacher for Washington school
thoroughly competent and experience
ed man TO take charge of the Sth and
9th grades and thus leave Col. 7. 81
Ficklin, the accomplished principal
free to organize The 10th grade or High
School, wherein would be taught only
the classics, the higher mathematics
end other kindred branches.
The free Art School, under the di
rection of Miss Kate Critcher, our OWE
accomplished artist, assisted by Misses
Francis and Edelin,. has done most e1
cellent work during the past session
and too much praise cannot be accorded
to these ladies, who without hope o