Evening star., 1899-09-18
SCHOOL WORK RESUMED
First Day of the Term Devoted to Prelim-
inaries.
Pupils Enrolled and Classified - At
tendance Greater Than Tint
of Last Year.

This is great day for the youth of the
city, the date of the reopening of the pub
| lie schools. There is only one other day in
the year to compare with it in the minds
of boys and girls of teachable age. and that
is the day the schools close. 1t was esti-
| mated that about $1,000 young people went
to school this morning. Some went glee-
fully, hopefully and ambitiously. Others
did not go at all-they were dragged These
were the bad boys. and there are some
grown-up bad boys, doubtless. who remem-
ber how these little fellows must have felt
this weary morning.
But it is safe to say that the unwilling
| ones We're in the minority. One would have
thought SO, at any rate, upon seeing the
merry crowds outside the several big school
| buildings of the city. Old acquaintances
| were renewed, cid feuds recalled, too. and
any person living within square of one of
these school buildings would have had no
| difficulty in recognizing the fact that school
had opened again.
The first day at school was devoted, as
one principal said, Ito getting acquainted
with the children. The rolls and records
were made up. the children seated and
school discipline enforced. Teachers recog-
nize that there is great deal in first inn
pressions with children, and on the open
ing day we try to make things pleasant for
them.
Today only the children who were in
school last year were admitted. They We're
enrolled and classified. Tomorrow the new
comers will be taken in. and by that time
it will be possible to obtain some idea of
the total enrolment. 1t said at head
quarters this afternoon that the attend
ance of the old scholars fully up to the
average, and would probably ahead of
| last year.
It is impossible at this time to make an
estimate of the number of pupils to
"a 10 re- n
is said, however, that all indications point
| to the enrolment being very large.
The Colored High school.
The High School of the ninth, tenth and
eleventh divisions began its work this
morning with an unusually large number
of first-year pupils. There were promoted
to the High School 257 pupils from the
eighth-grade schools cf the city and forty
two pupils from three eighth-gra;;e schools
in the county, making a total of about 3oo
new pupils in round numbers. This num-
Der will be somewhat increased by pupils
who Will take the entrance examination
wherever it does not conflict with the
cent order of the board of trustees relative
to nonresident pupils. The corps of teach
ers numbers twenty-eight. 1t is not yet
possible to tell how the pupils will be di-
vided as to the courses of study-academic
scientific, technical and business. The
principal, Mr.. r. Terrell, in instructing and
| advising the pupils on their selections, laid
special stress on the value of the technical
course to the boys. combining a. it does a
High School literary training, with in
struction in the Manual Training School.
The real work of the school today
the examination of those pupils of last
year who We're promoted with conditions.
The total enrolment is about $40. This
| number will be considerably increased to-
morrow.