The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-10

AiS LiiipNiHSS lldillCu oCHOOlS-phli- ner, Shelton avenue, DiXwell avenue, Winchester, Zunder Dwight, Wooster, Lowell, Quinnipiac, Roger sherman, Oak street, Fair street, and the State street kindergarten, sent liberal dona- tions of miscellaneous household arti- cles, groceries, etc.. to us for dlstribu- ton.
 In quantity, there was more than was given last year, by about 15 barrel. With these goods, and with the money received at this time, we have been able to render material assistance to not less than 250 families. representing probably 1,250 persons, so you will see the great value of all helping a little.
 We are sure that you would have been delighted if you could have seen the radiant smiles and the happy faces of the people, as they carried away the big bags of miscellaneous articles, and everybody who met them had smile also, so the happiness inspired by your kind thought was wide spread and gen. eral
 Hoping that all your days may be as happy as you have made this Thanks giving for others, we are with respect
 Yours truly,
 s. o. PRESTON, Agent.
 Many schools not included in the foregoing list of schools will make con- tributions at the time of the Christmas holidays.
 I report that the Whiting street even- ing school for Russian Jews was closed on the evening of December 5th and the pupils transferred to the Webster school where they were accommodated. The attendance at the Whiting street school was small, and by this transfer the expense of the maintenance of the school is saved and one less teacher is necessary.
 It gives me pleasure to say that the teachers of the city have again shown their professional spirit in the organi- zation of teachers lecture course for the season. These lecture courses have been maintained during the past three years and this will be the fourth conse- cutive season of these lectures.
 These lectures are given in the Col lege street hall, the use of which Is kindly donated to us by the authorities of Yale university, and I recommend that the secretary of our board write to President Dwight expressing the appre- citation of our board for this generosity. The lectures treat of subjects not only of interest to teachers but to all who are interested in teaching.
 The course opens December 16th by a lecture by Dr. Emerson F. White, of Columbus. O., on instruction and Book Study" Other speakers in the course will be Superintendent Thomas M. Ballet of Springfield; A. E. Win ship, editor of New England Journal of Education; Dr. Frank McMurry, Teachers college, New York; Dr. B. A. Hinsdals, professor of pedagogy, Uni- yersity of Michigan; Professor Andrew Draper of the Illinois university These lectures are maintained in part by voluntary contributions on the part of the teachers. This year such contri- buttons will not exceed 40 per cent. l from each teacher.
 I recommend that an appropriation of $50 be made by the board to partly sus- | tain the course, the total cost of which will be upwards of s2Oo.
 In this connection it is only fair to say that the teachers of the city are manifesting a gratifying spirit of pro- fessional improvement in other direc- tions About 225 are enrolled as mem bers of professional reading circles, car ried on in the several sub-districts un- der the direction of the supervising principal of the sub-distrlct The teach CTS meet from week to week for the reading and discussion of some book pertaining to the science and art of ed- ucation Eighty-three teachers are en- rolled in the courses for teachers at Yale university and many others are regularly attending the lectures in the | university extension,