The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-03-07

Public
School
Notes.

tNt+5Ts II 1OAAOWluk 010 "O10 11ON0S ,1EOI
the semi-annual report of Principa
Brayton:
New Library Room-The gen
eral library has been removed to tn
principals office, as this room is prop
erly heated at all times. A regula
course of reading is outlined for th,
high school classes, and for the furthe,
benefit and direction of their readine
the principal has acted as librarian thu.
far this year.
Library. Classified-The entire library
has been classified in tile following
divisions: Arts. sciences, 40 volumes
history, biography, civics, 80 volumes
poetry, drama, DC. volumes; moral,
religious, So volumes; geography, adj
venture, travels. 40 volumes; general
literature, essays, ETC., Sd volumes;
fairy tales, folk stories, myths, "a vol
umes; fiction, 1874 volumes; pedagogy.
methods, ETC., 80 volumes; ~cycloEedias,
dictionaries, As volumes; text books,
ETC., 10 volumes. All of which are
catalogued in the permanent record
book of the school, together with the
cost of each, the author, and the grades
to which the juvenile books are adapted.
The interchangeable introduction Of
experimental laboratory work. followed
the purchase of sufficient apparatus.
The laboratory was not equipped for
show. although quite a number of
pieces of apparatus are of fine quality.
The main idea kept in view was its
utility. With the present equipment
enough experiments will be performed /
to fit the classes for college entrance,
usually about 100 in chemistry and
fifty in physics, all performed by the
students themselves.
Elementary Science-Another great
benefit which comes through the pur-
chase of apparatus is the use of many
laboratory instruments in the lower
grades. Perhaps in this connection it
will not be inappropriate to mention
the excellent work in nature study be-
ing carried on IN several of the rooms.
The younger pupils are interested in
nature, and they begin to investigate
and observe simple objects and pbe-
nomena. Already some rooms are pre-
pairing cabinets Of natural objects Of in
terest. W."
Rhetoricals-If no other object had
been accomplished by the Introduction
OF regular rhetorical exercises it would
seem that the added number of visitors j
would alone be worth the extra efforts !
put forth by teachers and pupils. But !
exercises have merits of their !
own, not one Of the least of which is \
practice in the art of thinking on =
feet. Some one has said that a !
man doubles his powers when he be- !
comes able to speak in public. At any n
rate. pupils nowadays must meet broad :
or conditions of life than those met by +
their parents, and scarcely any branch
Of school work gives such an all round
experience as rhetoricals. These exer-
clses enable teachers to recognize and v
encourage those special aptitudes of O
pupils which SO often escape notice il
among the ordinary studies. "
The Accredited Schools-Early in :.
ne schol year twas reported that our =
chools were not Oh the list Of schools ~
accredited to the higher state institu- !.
ions because of a lack of laboratory ia "
llitles. Since then the authorities of =
ne state university Of Nebraska have .
.sked permission to send their state in V !,
pector OF high schools here with a .
lew to the placing of our school on the
accredited list. When orr %
Ugh school work bears an excellent ~
equation among the instructors of p
higher state schools and colleges, y =
will be gladly welcomed to all con = :
lderations justly our due. py
Cit
The Teaching Foree-A very con Ii,
1enoable feature of our teachers work ia,
the noticeable school spirit that per- ms
aces al departments. No serious an tai
OF a personal nature have an
risen, but IN a spirit of more than cir
ourtesy reaching ever to strong friend. wi
ZIP, the teachers have uniformly De
aced the welfare of the schools above TIL
own personal ambitions or An
wa
+ in
School Patriotism-Th students gen. ti1'
ally have shown a kindly regard for inc
9 wishes OF their teachers, and with vi
" exceptions have tried to do the wa,
ork assigned them. At tho hoo;n gal
OF the year, however, there was a OF
cuilar lack of school patriotism, very we
to teachers and patrons in tne
fested IN the highest success of the OF :
nools. Usually a majority of the era
plls OF almost any kind of a school pat