Evening star., 1901-09-23
Washington Public School Pupils Re-
sumo Their Important Duties.
REOPFEING OF TEE INSTITUTIONS
An Enrolment of Fifty Thousand
is Probable. /.
OUR NEW BUILDINGS

months and were forced to bow to the
superior numbers Of small people who tod
died along thoroughfares, ambled over ave-
nues and sturdily made their way along
streets, bent to the common destinations OF
schools. Boys and girls, from the High
School youths and misses to the youngsters
who will make their first essays in the ele-
ments of study, were given their final In
functions by loving parents or careful
guardians and sent off or taken to the
rooms where the teachers would have re-
sponsibilfty for them for many months to
come. From the mansions of the rich, from
the homes Of the well-to-dO and from the
humble abodes of the poor the army of III
tie ones was recruited to meet on common
level of equality on the broad field Of edu-
cation.
The old pupils had great times renewing
friendships with their companions of last
year, and the new ones looked on furtively
and bashfully and wondered how long it
would be before they would be equally at
home. Personal peculiarities of boys and
girls were quickly noticed and nicknaming
occasioned thereby was in general order.
Say, Skeeter. where dyou live?" asked
a round-faced boy at the Franklin School
at noon today Of a slender and attenuated
lad.
The latter looked pained. but 'Skeeter''
will probably be his familiar appellation
New Conditions. -
At all the buildings the principals and
teachers were on hand early to re-
Ceive the pupils. and the attendance of the
latter was excellent in point of numbers.
For the teachers the future looked more
propitious than ever before on similar
. occasion. In past years their tenure of Of
. flee was only assured for a single term, re-
appointment being necessary ere they be-
gan another year of duty. The board Of
education wisely determined when it as
sumed control Of affairs to change this con-
dition, which caused so much uncertainty
among the teachers, and decided that the
iatters' places should be permanent so long
as they filled them satisfactorily. So they
approached their responsible work with
more cheerfulneSS and ardOr.
In another direction the commencement
of this term was also important. The
board has made changes in the courses of
study over those formerly in vogue, espe-
cially in the branches of primary study
and the next few months will show Whether
or not the new order of things will meet
the expectations of parents and tehchefs
and officials alike. ..a-.< i
1t has not been and is not the intef,tfon
of the board to indulge in radical reform.
and consequently 1t has approached the
subject of changing the curriculum With
conservatism. One important Improvement
Is the introduction of the study of Uilited
States history in the fifth grade 'Whefe
hitherto 1t has not been taught Mont
gCmerys elemental history will be used
The normal, or Powell series Of readers,
have been dropped, and MerriiPs course in
literature substituted. The Eleanor Smith
Series of modern music readers have re-
placed the Mason readers up to the eighth
grade, being retained in the latter
In every sense, therefore, this openfng
day was marked in "a greater desrees ha n
ever before by harmony between $stlperih-
tendent, supervisors and teachers, and the
oo.oo children who are expected to receive
the advantages Of the local public school
system will doubtless be substantially bene-
flted by this congenial sympathy.
Superintendent Stuart had a busy day
Saturday. He visited all the schools and
talked with supervisors and teachers and
at each made brief address Using the
theme OF the late terrible tragedy which
cost the Union a President and humanity
one of Its most illustrious men, he rem-
phasized the necessity of impressing upon
the minds of scholars the principles of
good citizenship. He dwelt upon the Inn
portance Of the child to the state. Anarchy
must be crushed he said and the weapons
to accomplish it were education and re-
ligion. He was more than pleased with the
spirit showed by his little army of fighters
against the foes of ignorance.
Children who had secured tickets of ad-
mission last week thronged the school
rooms. and many who had neglected this
important preliminary We're forced to post
pone becoming pupils until they got their
cards this afternoon, the announcement
being posted at all buildings that such
cards would be given out after pm
The morning was spent in the graded
schools in transferring pupils, who had
won promotion from their old grades to
hlSher ones. and at the High and Manual
Training schools in receiving and seating
the new scholars.
Four New Buildings Occupied.
Four Of the five new school buildings
erected since the last school year were
opened and added substantially to the
c1ty's capacity for caring for it's children
These were the Dent. the Webb, the Birney
and the TakOma schools. The work of get
ting the Birney building ready was credita-
bic in the extreme. The furniture for its
equipment arrived in the city only last
Thursday. but everything was in readiness
this morning
Formal opening exercises of the Dent
School will be held Wednesday at IL o'clock
am. and OF the Webb School the same
day at o'clock p.m Both are named in
honor of former District Commissioners
and it is expected that brief recitals of
their careers will be made by Superin-
tendent Stuart, and that General Boynton
president of the board of education will
make short addresses at both.
The Lovejoy School is still Incomplete
but Is expected to be In readiness in No
vember E@-s1.,.' &
The work Of improving the Curtis School
has not been completed, and will not be
for several weeks. The grounds between
that building and the Addison School are
torn up, preparatory to erecting boiler
room and toilet rooms, which are designed
to accommodate the pupils Of both build
ings. Both structures will be heated by the
same apparatus.
Manual Training Schools.
The new buildings for the accommoda-
tion Of the manual training schools are
also unfinished. No. 1, 7th street and Rhode
Island avenue, designed for white scholars
will be ready In January or February. No.
2, Situated on p street between 1st and Sd
streets, to be used by colored pupils, will be
ready in November or December. Mean
time these schools will be conducted re-
spectively at the Central High School, 7th
and o streets, and at the Douglass build
ing. 1st and Pierce streets northwest.
Pupils who were certified to either of these
schools from the eighth grades last year
reported at IL o'clock this morning.
Probable Attendance $4,000.
There were 5000 pupils in the District
public schools last term. and it is believed
the number will reach $4,000 this year. The
exact number will not be ascertained until
reports from all schools are sent to Super
intendent Stuart and the board of educa-
ton.
Tho lot hodu mill hold w.