Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-24

ernor of the State, and is one of the
finest school buildings in New England.
Its style of architecture is particularly
graceful and its surroundings among
the most beautiful in the city. 1t is
splendidly adapted to the purpose for
which II was built. The school is now
one OF the most popular among the col
leSe preparatory in New England. 1t
mas large corps of able teachers and a
great variety of courses, the principal
one being the college preparatory
Ihere is fine general library of sew
eral thousand volumes, a smaller
scientific one, a gymnasium, reading
| room, etc, etc. The school is to the
'front.' in all the activities common to
| those of its class. Music physical Gull
ture, athletics, all receive their proper
share of attention, while the standard
of scholarship is very high and in
keeping with that attained when DIR.
/ Hanson was principal
The death of DR.. Hanson was a Sc
we're blow to the school but the trustees
found a very able young man in the
person of F. w. Johnson, a graduate of
| Colby in 81, and under his direction
the school is enjoying its most pros
|
made in the management, the second
| method OF separate board of trustees
being revived once more. The school.
however is one of the four Colby fitting
schools and is under the general super
vision of the Colby trustees, a method
| that is found to work admirably. Great
plans are being worked out for the
| school and its capacity is expected to
be greatly increased in short time.
At the basis of Waterville's educa-
| tional system are her splendid public
| schools. The town early recognized
the necessity of furnishing means for
educating the children and began early
| to provide means fer t!::a. At Il town
meeting held in 1868, the town was di-
vided into five districts and an agent
appointed for each whose duties We're
to assemble the district and collect all
| the children of a school age. making
returns to the selectmen. The first
schools were held in private houses or
shops and among the earlier teachers
was George Danna Boardman, Colbys
first graduate.
But buildings were soon constructed
and the town had an excellent system
for the time. From that meeting in
|
ways received much attention from
the town and city fathers. The stand
ard maintained has always been very
high and at present the system is one
of the best in New England.
The schools are all accurately graded
the child passing by easy stages from
the kindergarten, through the lower
grades to the High school and thence
to college if desired. All promotion de-
Ponds on the rank attained in the pre-
ceding grade and each scholar stays
in a grade until he has mastered the
studies there. The most modern meth
DDS are in use everywhere and nothing
is lacking that can be found in any up
to-date school system in New England.
The schools have increased in size
so rapidly of late that they have out
grown the buildings and several new
| ones are needed. The old buildings
however, furnish comfortable accom-
i modations ana new ones are being sup
piled as rapidly as possible. Within
| teW,years the city has constructed two
| elegant brick grammar school build
Iings AVID the next will doubtless be an
elegant new High school building. 1t
/ l., the desire that when this is con-
4 structed it snail be pride to the city
i and ample accommodation to the
J'~rhool for many years, hence the work
has been delayed somewhat. But the
-ity Will soon be in n position to build
| now that the City hall is out of the
| way and will have one of the finest
school buildings to be seen anywhere.
The city has always been very
proud of its teachers from the primary
grades to the High school and believes
they are as good as can be found any
where. A very high standard of char
| acter and ability is demanded by the
| school board and met by the teachers
| in every grade. The system is in
| charge of board of education. elected
as the other city officials, and a super
| lntendent. The Board at present con-
| sists of A. L. Lane. a teacher of life
| long experience who is chairman,
| Ralph S. Wormell, r. w. Dunn. (. L.
| Hall, G. w. Abbott, A. l.. Rose. Harry
Beliiveau. f. 7. Wyman is superin-
| tendent and secretary of the Board
He is a graduate of Colby and a Phi
Beta Kappa man. He has held the po-
sltion for several years. going to it
from the edtorship of tie Waterville
Evening Mail, the local daily paper.
He has had great success and the
condition than under his leadership.
A notable feature of the school Sys-
tenn of the city is the parochal school |
conducted under the auspices of the st. |
Francis de Sales church, the teachers |
being sisters of the convent of the Or |
der of Sisters Ursulines. This includes |
boarding school for girls and a day |
school for both sexes. A large num- |
Der of pupils are accommodated and |
it is found a great help to the general |
public schools. The institution is a |
strictly Catholic convent school and |
draws its scholars chiefly from the |
members of the Catholic parish.
The school has outgrown its pres
ent quarters and q large addition is
now in progress of construction. 1t is
located next the church of the society
on Elm street and is housed in fine
large buildings finely adapted to school
purposes.
In addition to the public and large
private ones there are several small
private schools of various grades and
uniform excellency. Special instruc-
ton can be obtained in almost any