Evening star., 1897-08-26
The Little Ones Regretfully See the
Coming End Of Vacation.
SCHOOLS open IN THREE WEEKS
Busy Secretary FaIck Preparing for
the important Event.


in cne dream Of enjoyment, at the sea-
shore, on the mountains and in TIE coun-
try, 1t is nevertheless cold fact that three
weeks from next Monday the public schools
of the District of Columbia will resume
their sessions. Vacation is rapidly draw
ing to a conclusion. In a fortnight the
seashore, the mountains AM. the country
must be forsaken. A few days later Lit
tie Mary and Little Johnny books in hand
will trudse reluctantly to the nearest school
building for nearly ten months of what
the little ones consider weary, useless
grind
There is already most pronounced stir
OF activity throughout the entire public
scnocl system Of the District. Especially
is this noticeable at the Franklin building,
wherein is located the office of Superin-
tendent Powell. A Star reporter who
called there this aftcihoon found that re-
markably energetic individual, Secretary
Joseph g. Falck. literally up to his ears in
work. BE 1t said right here that Secrc-
tary Falck has not h Id moments vacation
all summer. In this connection, it is a
matter of record that he has been con-
stantly on what is never-ending duty for
the past half Il dozen years. But Secre-
tary Faick is ever pleasant and smiling.
supervising principals hasten away from
the city as soon the school year termi-
mates and forget to forward their reports
Other OnerOus Duties.
of course, all this delays the work of the
secretary, but ne seems to thrive on if.
Then, every school official and every teach
er. or great many of them consider the
ofhce of the superintendent a bureau Of in
formation, and they ply all sorts of ures-
tfons by mail Mr. Falck is supposed to
make answer. He does. In addition he
must remember every request made last
year by a thousand or more teachers and
principals and bear in mind Just what each
desires IN the way Of supplies for the COM
ing session The secretary must look after
all repairs and improvements, the cleaning
of the school buildings, the moving of sup
plies and the employment of help. Mr.
Faick works hard all through the school
year, but when vacation for every body else
is inau2urated his troubles begin The
continue steadily on the increase unit! fall.
when another school year is launched In
short, Mr.. Falck is perpetual motion per
sonlled These days he is receiving v;s-
itors, one after the other he is attending
to vast variety of mail, he is issuing or
ders in regard to requisitions, he is direct
ing the work of the jantors and making
general preparations for the opening of
the schools. MIR. Faick is perhaps the
busiest man in Washington today.
Superintendent VIM. b. Powell departed
Monday last for a two weeks stay at
Mountain Lake Park. Mr.. Powell has been
in the city all summer with the exception
of a visit to Milwaukee for the purpose Of
attending the national educational conven-
ton held there several weeks ago. Dir.
Francis r. Lane. director of the High
Schools, is summering at East Gloucester,
Mass; Miss Edith G. Westcott, principal of
the Western High School, is in Europe;
Mr.. Hosmer NJ. Johnson, principal of the
Eastern High School. has just returned
from an outing at Ocean City. and Mr.. AL
Ian Davis, principal of the, Business High
School. is at home. He also attended the
educational convention at Milwaukee.
Annual Teachers Meeting.
Although nothing official in regard to the
opening of the schools except the date has
yet been determined, it is practically a Ger
tainty that the annual teachers meetings
will be held Saturday September IS, the
teachers of the fifth division assembling
at the Corcoran School at 8 a. m. those of
the first division at the Dennison School at
10 am; seventh division at the Franklin
School at 10:30 am: second division at the
Seaton School at IL am; sixth division at
the Gales School at l 30 a. NJ; third dvi-
sion at the Wallach School at 30 pm;
eighth division at the Tyler School at =
p M. fourth division at the Jefferson School
at ) pm; ninth division at the Sumner
School at p. m.. and the tenth ard eleventh
divisions at the High School at 4:3O pm.
Admission Rules and Attendance.
Cards of admission to all grades below
the High School will be issued at all the
tembcr II and 49, from s to 10 am, and
from to pm each day. The principals
of the High Schools will be on duty at the
High School buildings according to the
same schedule. Applications for tickets
should be made by parents or guardians at
the buildings nearest their respective resi-
dences.
The attendance last year aggregated A.
0a0 pupils The average annual increase is
between 600 and 500, and that number of
additional pupils is expected to present
themselves next month for enrolment. The
change of administration and the appoint
mant to public office here of a large num-
Der of outsiders may figure to consider
able extent in the increased attendance.
Repairs to School Buildings.
Perhaps every public school structure in
the District is now or will soon undergo
repairs. A new roof is being placed over
a portion of the Franklin building, and
several of the rooms, including the Office of
the superintendent, are being plastered
The same hold good. as a rule, to the other
buildings. Carpets are being cleaned and
woodwork scrubbed, and in many cases
painted The janitors are required to
thoroughly air the buildings every day
during the summer. Each janitor just
about this time is washing windows and
seeing to 1t that the proper amount of
wh!tewashing is done. There is no doubt
that when the buildings are thrown open
pupils everything will be as spick and span
coIld be desired.
New buildings to Be Occupied.
The opening of the school year will mark
the occupancy of several new buildings.
Supervising Principal Patterson of the
sixth division will have at his disposal
new eight-room building for white pupils
at 9Th ard X streets northeast. The
building has not yet been named The
eleventh. division will lake possession of
the Anthony Bowen school for colored pu-
pills at 9th and E streets southwest. This
building has been in coutse of reconstruc-
ton since last spring. A room has been
rented at Twining City for the eighth di-.
vision. A first and second grade for white
pupils is TO be there established. No
school has been located at Twining City
heretofore.
The seventh division will have a new
fCur-room structure on the Conduit road
near the junction of the Foxhail and New
Cut roads. There will be three schools for
white pupils. and provision will be made
for receiving pupils in all the grades from
the first to the seventh. The old one