The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-11-28
THEY TALKED IT OVER
Teachers and Parents Had a Con.
ference Thursday Evening and
Talked Over Matters.

100 ana the parents OF the DuDllS
1t has been thought to be impossible
simply because one or the other die
not cross it. Ar effort is being made
in this city to close up this seeming
gulf and it does not seem to be Sc
wide o so difficult of accomplish.
ment.
This matter of bringing the teacher
and the parent into closer relations
has been under discussion for several
months, and it lead finally to arrang-
ing for a public meeting to which the
patrons of the school we're sent indi-
Tldual invitations to he present.
This meeting was held in the assembly
room Of the high school building
Thursday evening and every seat was
occupied when Superintendent Quig-
ley called the people to order. Seine
very interesting papers were read on
subjects selected by the committee as
being the most applicable for discus
sion at the present time. Mrs. Jose
Prime Nermilyea set forth the objects
OF the meeting ana what was hoped
70 be attained in the plans. The
main idea was to bring the teachers
and patrons into closer relationship:
which was best to encourage and
which to discourage in the matter of
school interests: what is the best wav
to get at it. She beiieved that the
schools would DE much betterf3 this
kind Of a meeting.
There were two subjects under dis
cussion at Thu time-one being on
tardiness. absence and and
the other on recreation. The first
was treated by Miss Lille Patterson.
which she said every teacher had to
contend to a great extent. Size Gid
not think that Hardness was so much
the fault of the pupils, as it was the
lack OF cooperation with the schools
on the part of the parents. \ good
many OF them did rot think that a
few minutes late at school would make
any particular difference with the
school Or the pupil. Parents. she said.
diG not realize what effect a tardy
pupil has on the rest of the scholars.
Invariably the attention OF nearly the
whole school is arrested when d pupil
comes in late. and it takes some time
Tor the pupils to get back to their
normal condition. In the matter of
excuses for hardness or absence she
said that in a great many cases the
excuses sent by the parent was very
brief and indefinite. It is often the
that the excuse is not brought at
the proper session. and this causes
the pupil to be questioned before the
school why the excuse was not
brought. She thought that it was
very embarrassing 10 the pupil to be
queried several times before his
schoolmaCes.
Superintendent Quigley discussed
the point Of defnIteness Of the excusa |
for absence and Hardness. He said
it was not the idea Of the teacher 10
&c arbitrary as to what formed A def !
Unite excuse for absence. and they did |
not presume to be the sole Judge as !
to what would constitute an inpera-
necessity for the absence OF 4
child from school. for what would
satisfy a parent as III imperative Ne
for the absence OF their child
from school might not De regarded As
such from the standpoint Of a teacher.
This matter Was discussed by
people in the audience. Rev.
\ oungman thought that the written
excuse was All imperrinence and al
Interference with the home. SPEAK
ng with reference to the yisitations
% the schools he said that years ago
gave up the idea Of visiting the
chools as il thoroughly Impressed
that when he vent into the
chool room it disturbed the scholars
en times more than when q puUiI
anne in late.
LIZ Nd-t1E u vas dis
USED by Prot. Eos. PRINCIPAL Of the {
Ugh school He said there was no
Eals in life but what Eeeded recrea- s
1on, il ~as Necessary fr0na the Close :
~pplcacion u business and studies. {
70 the child he thought they should ,
+ allowed To follow their own tncIia- I
loEs in the matter Of play On the :
chol ground h said he would GLAD 7
Danish foo- c&lI. which he thought ID
@nzr@g TOO vigorous. He en- :
outraged the recreation Of reading. Z
~ suggested cEar SONS care be taken {
: 10 what the child read He went
hEo1Z- his rcon one day AMI dis
and collected some detective
t12As. which NJ consigned to the
1En2c@ Hs Ca1Gghc parents should
5T@ 11cse &~cce2EI02 III the literature
11g-g@1 51 By their children. I
pe4EI1g o. Ga@ profanity and WI
2rFg @12el NJ Gs*S been told is ure-
aE=Tgr ". rkgE s,~nrnT uyrg7rrEa erd nm