The age-herald., 1898-09-25

ready forth reception tomorrow of the thousands of boys and girls who for the next nine months will make the halls ring with their happy voices. All of the teach- CTS, except a few who have been unavoid- ably detained. have returned, and they are ready to begin their work of instructing the youth of Birmingham.
 The authorities of the schools are count ing on having the largest opening that they have ever had on account of the en- tire abolition of all fees for children living within the city limits At least 5000 of them are expected to be in attendance, though in a city of this size there should be 5,OOO.
 It is not feared that the schools will be- come too crowded, for the first month or two. There are plenty of teachers unless there are far more pupils in attendance than is expected. If the schools do become crowded, there are plenty of teachers all ready qualified that can be used.
 County Health Officer J. w. Barclay again calls attention to the rule passed by the board of health that all pupils must show that they have been successfully vaccin- ated before they will be permitted to con- tinue their studies at any of the schools. Vaccinations will be made free of charge where it is desired.
 Teachers Have Meeting The teachers of the public schools met in | the high school building yesterday morning.
 = first teachers meeting of the
 "e9''oii oi io'0-''' r---a all seemed bright and l joyous eager to enter . 4hoir ohoso,
 work after the rest of the long v~.4,o,
 Among the new teachers present were
 Prof. F. L. Bruce, of Norfolk, Va, the
 newly elected principal of the Paul Hayne 1 school, and Prof. Samuel Adams, of Annis-
 ton, who has been elected to take charge
 of the department of Latin and Greek in | the high school.
 The call of the roll showed that several | of the teachers were absent. Among the
 number were Misses Thornton and Klos of | the high school, and Misses Anderson and | Cleary, of the Paul Hayne school, the lat
 ter having been detained in Mississippi by | quarantine.
 | Prof. Cunningham, principal-elect of the | high school was also absent on account of | illness. Among the faces that will be es- | pecially missed in the corps of teachers | this session will be that of Prof. A. C. | Moore, former principal of the high school, l anu ol hiiS J <Allce Neely, DOtn or whom l resigned at the close of last session. after
 service of eight and ten years respective | ly Mrs Neely is very much beloved by all
 the teachers, and sent the following beau- l tiful letter which was read by Superinten- l dent Phillips:
 | Mrs. Nealy's Letter | My Dear, Dear Friends:
 | Now that you are all gathered together | once more, come to ask you to allow me I fn t1nf, na1, l tribute of affection sent me at the close of | the last term. l can never forget your ten- 1 der, loving words, and now that my heart | IS heavy with a sorrow too deep for utter lance, those kind words come as a precious
 balm to my sad heart l expected to be | with you today, but for fear my sorrow
 might be shadow over you on this open-
 ing day of our Beloved schools I stay away. | Don't forget me. I love you every one | With tender affection,
 U. ALICE NEELY." | The formalpart of the meeting was occu- l pied by Superintendent Phillips in explana- | ton Of arrangements reati to the open- | ing of the schools. The chief topics touched
 upon were the enrolment, classified ton and | assignment of pupils; the course of studv | textbook lists and the requirements of the | board of health in regard to vaccination of | pupils.
 Dr. Phillips Address | In his general address to the teachers. l Dr. Phillips said that the two-fold aim of l the public schools must be kept in view | by teachers well as those committed to 1 their maintenance; these aims are first | the training of the mediocre masses into | sound citizenship, by providing the general
 elements of intellectual and moral culture. | and, second, to provide unlimited scholastic | advantages. For the gifted few. whose | mental and spiritual organiZa tions raspond | readily to the appeals of the highest cul- | ture.
 He emphasized especially the importance | of the lirst aim and as means to that end | he counselled the teachers Ito make them | selves and their school rooms as beautifu, | as possible. He dwelt upon the influence | of good pictures and proper decorations
 for the school room and deplored the yit-
 lated taste and harmful influences of ad- | vertising cards and low grade pictures dis | played on school room walls | He dwelt also upon sympathy as an ele- | ment in teaching. English officials are mo- | ticeable for their politeness and uniform | courteously. The heart element is want | find those in official position policemen | conductors, performing their duties coldly l and mechanically and often gruffly and dis 1 courteouslyl. The heart element is want | ing. Teachers are In danger of becoming | mechanical.- He urged them to be cour- 1 teous, sympathetic and not to let their cold l feelingless dignity wither the sensitive | souls of the little ones that look to them | for help and guidance.
 The third counsel given was to enlist the sympathy and cooperation Of the home: this Is the new field in educa ton today It is not enough to enlist the interest of the child. but of the childs mother as we'll Much Is being done by mothers meetings tc develop the school. and also to infuse the ] culture of the school into the home
 EAST LAKE ATTRACTIONS.