Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-07-07
Annual Report of the Superintendent
of Schools.

HuoHCc tHe INCREASING ueInduu lOr uOlc
room in the various departments. The
| total enrolment this year has been very
near 600; of these over 60 have been ell
rolled in the kindergarten, 81 i'll Miss
Chase's room, 46 in Miss Button S room
90 in Miss McLaren's room, 62 in Miss
Eagon's room, ,42 in Miss Hubbell' S room
As in Miss Dunlaps room, A. in Miss
Bertha McLaren's room, II in Miss
Gaut's room and IS in the high school.
Scarcely week has passed without the
enrolment of two or three pupils from
other schools.
The foreign attendance has been prom
inent, $362,22 having been collected for
foreign tuition, more than enough to
pay the salary of any teacher below the
principal of the high school. Besides
this $27 of school tax has been credit
ed on tuition, making total of $3S9. 20
for tuition during the past year, This
certainly shows the popularity of our
schools with those in the country about
VINO seek Il nlgner euucatlOn.
During the past year our school has
been placed on the approved list of the
State Normal college at Ypsilanti, so
that our graduates who desire to take a
teachers course will be admitted to that
institution on their diplomas without
examination, and in the coming years
we hope that arrangements will be made
whereby our graduates can enter any
college in the state or our university,
without examination We believe many
of our boys and girls are worthy of a
broader training than we can give them
many of them are going away-out in
to the world and are worthy of better
and larger fields of labor than Alma can
offer them. Therefore we feel it our
duty, while we are endeavoring TO give
practical education to the masses of our
boys and girls, to pave the way for
those who are to share the larger duties
and greater responsibilities of life. To
this end there is now an imperative de
mand for catalogue circular of infor-
nation outlining carefully the courses of
study offered by the school, and stating
briefly the character of the work done.
/ would also call attention to the free
text books and the most excellent condi-
ton which they are in at the close of
the year. There are nearly 1900 books
on hand, and on these there has been
saved to the district and students buy
ing books in all about $780, which ordin-
arily would be the retailers profit.
In our report we cannot omit to speak
of the work Of our music department
which is worthy of commendation and
praise. Not only do our students learn
to read and sing readily any ordinary
piece Of music, which is an attainment
to be sought by every one seeking well
rounded education, but aside from this
the effects of the change that the music
period gives from the regular routine
of work, and the harmonizing influence
upon the hearts and lives of our boys
and girls is in our opinion of much
greater value.
At this time perhaps nothing is being
agitated more than manual training in
the schools OF the state. While at pre-.
sent it is impossible to introduce manual
training in our schools, we do believe
that a step in that direction is possible,
and by this / mean the introduction Of
drawing into our courses of study, This
has already been placed in the best
schools of the state. Many of our boys
and girls have shown some ability in
this direction, and we believe every pu-
pill should have the training in the use of
their eyes and hands which drawing
gives. And it would seem to be q very
feasible matter for the public schools of
Ithaca, st. Louis and Alma, to employ a
tirst-class supervisor of drawing at a
comparatively small expense to each
school and very great profit to all.
Think of it, nearly all Of the designers
and architects in this country are for
eigners, mostly Germans. Why should
not our boys and girls fill these profitable
positionsf
OF the high school we may mention
a few matters of interest. A literary so.
ciety which meets every week has beer
organized az permanent part of the
work of the school for the purpose of
training our students to use what they
learn.
The school has become q member Of
the State High School Oratorical Asso-
citation and won honors through its rep.
resentative at the contest held In April.
The prize offered by the State Agri.
cultural College was won by one of our
seniors against about 250 contestants.
In athletics we won field day against
Owosso by a score of 81 to 2S points.
And without doubt our school stands
first Of the schools of its size in all.
around athletics.
The scholarship offered by Alma col.