Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-16
THE OPENING DAY.
The Children Once More at Their
School Work.
a Journal Man Visits Some Of tn.
Grades in the Village Districts.

"ouTHal man ifldue Drlef call at the
rooms in the Grove Street, Nash and
William r. Smith schoolhouses. The
hearty welcome given Mr.. Nash by
teachers and pupils alike, showed how
fully they appreciated the devoted
and unselfish work he has done for the
schools of the Village district 1t has
been labor of love with him, and out
of his sympathetic appreciation of the
needs and limitations of childhood
and his broad grasp of what was best
and most practical in modern educa-
tional methods, has grown school
system in whose high standard OF
efficiency every voter in this district
may feel just pride.
The visit of yesterday showed an
overcrowded condition in many of the
rooms Notwithstanding the fact that
an unusually large number of people
are taking their vacations this month,
and that considerable increase in the
number of pupils may, therefore, be
looked for next week.
1t is never desirable to have pupils
especially young pupils-up three
fights of stairs. Parents always OBJ
ject to it, and very properly so, for not
only is the climb a constant physical
strain upon young children, many of
whom are not overstrong; but there is
always the danger that would come
from fire under such conditions-even
where the great care prevails that is
exercised in all of our school buildings.
Notwithstanding these very sub
stantial objections to school rooms
thus elevated, the overcrowded con-
Of Villa lictr Cohnolc
has forced the use of the whole of the
third floor of the William r. Smith
school to be utilized for the accommo-
dation of the two divisions of grade
VII. which are taught by Miss john
son and Miss EdgecOmb. 1t has even
beer necessary to provide desks for
Miss Edgecomb's division in the hall
where district meetings are held, which
was never designed for such use. 1t
has always been difficult to heat the
rooms on the third floor of this build
ing, especially the hall, in cold weather,
and the problem ahead for the coming
winter is one that is giving the direc-
tors much anxiety. They have done
The best they could under existing con-
ditions: but the district has grown to
such an extent that present accommo-
dations are wholly inadequate for the
school needs. The problem has be-
come a pressing one, which must soon
be met by the district. 1t is very
evident that the time has arrived when
| the need of a new and modern school
building has become both immediate
and imperative.
At the present time there are noless
| ;nh in the Will
! liam r. Smith building beginning with
| grade T., where the little ones are
starting out in their educational life,
| and ending with grade X. whose pupils
will graduate into the Cony High
school next June.
Grades V. and vi. are accommodated
| in the Grove Street schoolhouse-an
| old fashioned and poorly ventilated
| structure-which is already overcrowd-
ed with a prospect of a number of ad-
| ditional pupils to come.
| 1t is never n good plan to have the
| lower and higher grades of the district
under the same roof 1t doesn't give
the very little children fair chance.
The directors of the Village district
| would be very glad to separate the
grades. as they should be, if they had
| the facilities for doing so, but. under
| existing conditions this is impossible.
Admitting the fact. however, that
orr present accommodations are in
| ADEQUATE there is much to feel proud
| of i'm the splendid corps of teachers in
the district, and the good work they
J are accomplishing with their pupils.
There is Il full house" in grade l.,
at the Nash schoolhouse, where MISS
Elizabeth Donaldson is beginning her
| work as a teacher. Although the little
| ones in this room were new to school
| life they were evidently impressed
| with its Importance, and one could
not have asked for a more decorous
| assembly. 1t was a bright faced. alert
looking gathering of the rising genera
| ton. out of which will come the citi-
zers of tomorrow.
Across the hall is grade H., taught
by Miss Selbing, one of the most sue
| ccssful teachers of Augusta. MISS
| Selbing had &c pupils on the opening
day-about the number a teacher can
handle to the best advantage; but
there will. probably. be number OF
additional pupils before the term Is
far advanced.
| On the second floor are grades Ill.
and ". Miss Clancy, a teacher VINO
has a most happy faculty for winning
the affections of her pupils and keep
| ing them interested in their work, is IN
| charge of grade III. Miss Thomas,
new teacher who succeeds Miss Voter,
has charge of grade ". and the direc-
tors feel that they have secured IN her
| a very capable teacher.
Grade |. in the William X. Smith
| school opened up with 81 pupils, and
| there are probably more to follow.
| Miss Shaw who teaches In this room
has been very successful in her work.
| and certainly has reason to feel proud
of the good appearance of her pupils.
Miss Sprague. another of the strong
teachers of the district, is in charge
of grade III. in the William r. Smith
building. and has very attractive
| gathering of young people under her
instruction. Miss Barry new teacher
| is beginning her work in grade Ill, and
| gives every promise of making
| gratifying success with it. Grade Nv.
! is taught by Miss Cony. who had 96
/ pupils at the opening day, ana IS 6.
| superior teacher. Last year she
| taught successfully two dii1erent
| grades: but it is more work than
| should he put on single teacher' ana