The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-04-11

so many pupils. We know not how
many lives will be shortened thereby,
how many bodies as we'll as minds are
weakened, even of those in school,
and how many might have SUI
perior ad vantages for education had
we sufficient room and equipment.
You are undoubtedly doing YOUR best
With the means allowed and we
teachers, | know, are doing our best;
but We are often sorrOwful in view of
what might be, aud how much better
work might be done in the economy
of life for the children.
In reference to whole or half day
sessions l have this to say: The half
day seems to be preferred by q large
number OF the parents. In the pri-
mary, first, second, third and fourth
years, pupils are required to attend
both forenoon and afternoon, how
ever crowded; but pupils above the
primary grades, five to twelve inclu-
sive, are permitted by written request
OF parents to study at home during
the session in which their recitations
do not come. Some of those parents
who complained most of half day ses-
sions have been among the first to
petition for this permission. At date
we find the following numbers have
thus been accommodated: High
school, IL; Miss Hutchison's depart
ment, 2S; Miss Thomas department, AZ.
II no more room is to be provided in
the near future, [ suggest that you
consider whether it would not be we'll
to refuse admittance to nonresident
pupils below the high school who may
be at all accommodate ed in their home
schools. If they have no home school,
| think they ought to be accommoda ted
some where somehow. To relieve the
pressure of the lower grades, the
eighth grade might be seated in the
high school room under the govern
ment of the principal, but be enrolled
as grammar school pupils and be con-
sidered as such in all respects. l
would admit free of tuition to the
high school, all young people from
the country who pass the common
school course with a standing not less
than Is IN any item. This would help
to build up a grand high school and
it would be a good thing for the
school and town financially, in my
opinion, if we only could have the
room. | present this thought only
incidentally for consideration, not with
the hope of its becoming popular at
present. We have not much room for
expansion.
There are % pupils in the eighth
grade this year whom we expect to
promote into the high school. There
r Is in our high school graduating
class, so that there should be more
coming in than going out. With those
coming in from the outside, with the
few already in, there will be, I Judge,
about 80 in the ninth grade next year.
During the three years nearly
past, we have enrolled 142 pupils in
the high school. Out of this number
we shall have graduated Al, something
over % per cent, an average of nearly
IA in a class. AZ would have given
just an average of IA, an average
sufficiently high for a school of this
size with a full four years. course.
For convenience of estimating, one
daily study for a year or an equival-
ent is considered a point. Sometimes
two half year studies are put together
for one point. Four points a year or
Is points besides general exercises
are necessary to graduate. Those
who take the full Latin course, four
points, may graduate with IL points
of English, or they may take all the
English as we'll as all the Latin, max
ing 20 points, Or some of the Latin and
some of the English; but each pupil
must make at least Is points. Our
present class will make the following