The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-06-04
ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS
The Usual June Institute will not
be Held Until July.


June it has been thought for some time
that we would be unable to hold the
usual June institute in this county. Part
OF our instructors will not be able to be
with us in July and the early part of
August, so we have finally decided that
the best time for the Decatur County
Institute this year will be the last two
weeks in August and have set that time
for the institute. The full announce
ments and final arrangements will be is-
sued sometime in July. Since we can
not have the institute in June we be-
lieve that the last two weeks in August
will be as good if not a better time for
the institute than any other time dur
ing the summer. 1t will enable teach
ers to go right into their schools with
what ideas and methods they have OBJ
tanned in the two weeks institute and
the weather will not be very much hot
| ter than the usual June weather. Besides
we will be used to hot weather. Ar
| rangements will be made so that there
will be no inconvenience to those who
wish to take the teachers examination
for certificate. 1t is intended to make
the Institute examination part or per-
haps all OF the examination for certit-
cate. 1t is hoped that all those who
wish to teach in Decatur county this
year or those who are thinking of teach
ing will attend the institute. The ac-
commodations will be better than ever
before for comfortable rooms for the diff
ferent grades. The new high school
building will be used and the rooms in
this building are very fine for classes
the size of our institute grades. The
following most excellent corps of in
structors has been selected for the work
in the various departments: Prof r. A..
Hardness, of Fairfield, Mathematics and
Grammar; Prof. Stephen w. Stookey, of
Coe College, Science; Prof, J. H. Drake,
OF Leon, Orthography, Physics, Algebra
and Economics; Prof. J. r. Cash, of New
Market, United States History and allied
subjects; Prof. Tillman Smith, of Baxter,
Iowa, Economics and Civics; Prof. A. L.
Lyon, of Garden Grove, Didactics; Prof.
&. P. Reed, of Van Vert, Geography;
Mrs. Della B. Davies, of Graceand Col
lege, Music; Miss Mabel Homer, of La
moni, Reading.
With the above corps of instructors
we shall certainly have most success
full institute this year and no teacher
can afford to stay away or not attend at
least one week. The work of each in
structor will be hard this year from the
fact of the final examinations but we
have the work so arranged that all can
find plenty of time to finish the work be-
fore having to return to his home, and
teachers will be able to get their grades
Immediately after institute closes.
Xxx
Miss Kathleen Ogden of the south
side school, Leon, the past month had
the following pupils who received 1907
every day on spelling: Roy Garrett,
Alden Farnes, Leta Kern, Florence Cof-
fin, Lester Webster, Ruth Farquhar,
Earl Biddison, Wilma Caster, Frank
Caster, Harold Smith, Fredie Kentner,
Coral Matsler, Maudie Newman, Henry
Martindale, Vessel Garrett. The above
pupils were of the A class while the
following are the members of the B
class who were perfect in spelling:
Vernon Wakefield, Chester jenkins,
Eliza Allard, Mabel Still, Henry Butler,
Fern Bennett, Nellie Coons, Robert
Combs, Hazel Coffin, Leland Lutz, Mar
garet Smith, Nellie Cain, Mae Pryor,
Mae Hines.
***
Prof. Chas. X. Coontz, one of our most
valued and excellent teachers of Wood
land township has been elected to the
position of assistant in the Lineville
schools for the coming year at salary
of $4,000 per month for term of nine
months. Good wages and better posi-
tions are taking out of the county
many of our best teachers.
| Xxx
We trust that all school boards this
year will contract with teachers for at
least the fall and winter terms of school.
There can be no better step taken for
the good of the rural schools and for the
teacher. The frequent changing about
of teachers has degenerated the rural
schools all over the state more than any
other one thing. If it is a good thing
for town schools to hire teachers for the
whole year why is it not just as good
for the rural school and teacher to hire
for at least the fall and winter term of
five or six months?
4 ~
i Before drawing an order for the last
months wages all teachers must file
with the secretary Of the school board a