The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-09-11
THINGS EDUCATIONAL.
BY o. W. COURSEY.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT

OIL Une teachers already
employed for the schools Of the
county this year are beginners.
Misses Amanda Tritle and Edyth
Jones, Of Brule county. and H. L.
Teeters, Of Nebraska, have Joined our
ranks for 1904.
From April 1st to July 7th the
state department issued fifty first
grade and one hundred sixteen state
certificates.
i. The superintendent was kept busy
during July appointing and qualify
ing school officers. In Beulah No. q
nobody could be found to take the
treasurership. The patience Of this
Office became exhausted and the APP
pointment was rendered to II. r.
kibbee, cashier of the Commercial
and Savings bank Of this city. He
gave bonds at one and the money
will now be well cared for.
July 13 certificates of award were
issued to Roe Waugh and Arthur
Dondelinger, Miss Mae Lewis teach
er.
The board of regents has ordered
that a flag be placed on each state
educational institution, and that
they shall be unfurled each day in
the year. Wise men. Your action
will be endorsed by a patriotic pub
lie.
Amount of July superintendent,
So. $3.50. II amount Withheld for school
libraries. $3.50. 90. Or the balance,
$5,35S.2l, S2.2S6. SO went to the city
of Mitchell and the remainder to Mt.
Vernon, Ethan and the rural dis
triccS.
This column will again be made a
medium of communication between
this Office and the citizens of the
county. Each week it will be TANNED
full of facts about our schools, de-
cisions of the attorney general, and
other Intelligent information. 1t
will be published as usual by each
paper in the county, thus the public
can keep posted by reading their pa
peiS and will not need to be chasing
into the superintendent Office on
Saturday.
Report OF August teachers eXa.ni-
nation: There were nine applicants
for first grade certificates, seven for
second grades. and ten for third,
Under the present law the manu-
scripts Of all first and second Grade
applicants are sent to Pierre to be
graded by a board Of examiners, Sc
lected by the state superintendent.
Miss Katherine Craig, Of Ethan,
was the only first grade applicant who
was successful. OF the other eight.
SIX received second grades and two
failed entirely. Five of the second
grade applicants also failed. Nearly
all of the third graders passed, as the
requirements are only 60 per cent in
each branch with an average Of Is,
besides a large bulk of them were
high school graduates.
Teachers meeting at.-Mitchell last
Saturday was O. k. 1t was decided
10 hold three teachers meetings each
month beginning with the tirst..Sat-
urday i'll October, at the court house
in Mitchell, the second Saturday at
Mt. Vernon, and the third Saturday
at Ethan. Every teacher in the
county Joined the Reading Circle and
they will keep up their professional
work. Each meeting will be in ses-
sion two hours. The first hour will
be given to r. c. work, and the next
half hour to current events, and the
last half to giving the anwsers to ten
questions on general information, to
be supplied by the county superinten-
dent to each of his teachers each
month. This will be a regular men
tai gymnast.
1t was decided that each teacher
was to supply his Or her own month
ly examination questions; but month
ly reports must he made to this
office.
The superintendent requested each
teacher in the county to teach less
theoretical grammar and more of the
practical by having each boy and gill
write an original production at least
once each week during the entire
year, thus drilling them in written
expression.
The excessive number Of teachers
who have failed ia spelling in the
past few years was introduced by the
superintendent to show that the pres
ent methods of teaching spelling do
not get as good results as the old
ones, and he recommended a revival
of the "old fashioned spelling school,:
in each township this winter. Which
township is going to lead?
The institute for 1904 was dis
cusSed. and the superintendent in