Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-09-03
Letter FROM the County Superin-
t0dent.

-
tmdent.
Vacation days have rolled around.
School days are here again
Next Monday morning the school
bells will call the BOYS and girls back TO
work. / wish that l could emphasize
the importance of this call. / want TO
say to the boys and girls of Butler
County that they have no other oppor-
tunity so valuable nor no other privl-
lege SO great as is TO be found in our
public school system. Our great state
freely gives of her own money nearly
six millions of dollars every year and
says this is to help educate the boys and
girls. whether rich or poor, white or
black, exalted or lowly. And when she
goes one step further and says / expect
all children TO attend these schools and
secure this education, she does the
wisest thing both for herself and for her
children Any state which fails to do
this is courting her own downfall, be
cause progress and civilization rest up
on christian education.
Children need better education TO-
day than every before. The world Is
demanding from it's laborers more and
more eyery year Harder tests, finer
work, more. advanced ideas are taking
the places of usefulness, and we are
looking to our schools for all this
progress and improvement.
The day has passed by when main
strength takes the place OF brains
Culture wins, whilst ignorance loses.
Ii is with this fact before Us that L
earnestly request you school children to
do YOUR very best work this year in
school. Make it the best year you ever
attended. To do this you must start to
school at the first of the term and go
regularly to its close, for poor attend
ance kills the progress of any school.
Make up your mind at the first OF the
term that you are in school to work,
that is what schools aim to teach
There is no excellence without great
labor" 1t is work that counts every
where. Work begets discipline, disci-
pline makes character, and character
makes the man everytime.
As the term advances, and your work
becomes hard for you and you think
your teacher is Cross and demands too
much work, don't become discouraged,
but Just brace up and remember that
There are no gains without pains.
Teachers seldom scold without think
ing it is for your benefit to do 30.
Pupils, be SO polite and kind and obe-
dent and diligent and true, that
teachers will be ashamed to scold.
Boys and girls do your part well.
Respect your teacher everytime. obey
her commands, heed her advice, accept
her love, appreciate her interest IN you,
show back your interest in her, do in all
school work as she directs, and / tell
you that your school days will then be
both pleasant and profitable.
Parents, we look to you for your kind
cooperation in this work.
1t is for the benefit of your boys and
girls that our schools are maintained.
| well know that at this time OF the
year you need your children's help at
home, but / also know that your child
rem need to be in school In few
more years they will be the men and
the women upon whom will rest the
cares and the trials and the possibilities
of life
Will they be ready for this work
awaiting them if they have not had the
trainingr DO you want your children 20
go into life unprepared and unlearned,
or do you not not rather desire TO nave
them ready to think and to do'
knowledge is power and power Is
strength" Send your children to
school that they may get this power and
strength even if you can't give them
one acre OF ground or one dollar when
yon are to pass away
If your school is to prosper it must
have yonr sympathy. your support, and
your children.
Visit your school often and see what
= 90, I.a-
ing done. Why do parents not visit
their schools oftener than they dor Who
will answer this? Is it not possible.
parent, to find one hour each year which
you can give to your schoolf
Try it this year and see if you can
not do go The teachers want to see
you. They like to feel that they have
some real friends too. Parents, meet
your teachers. Invite them into your
homes; interest yourselves in them, and
they will take an interest in you.
1t is also the parents duty to help
discipline the school. This can be done
by the parent clearly teaching his child
rem that they must obey the teacher in
all -tl,inse. D1sobcdionee at sohool
ought to mean disobedience at home.
A kind word from parent to child
along this line often prevents much
trouble in school work. We too often
hear that old complaint of Partially"
- that charge that says, "he whips our
children for spite, or because we are
poor"
That charge maybe true sometimes,
but certainly not often. Is it reasona-
ble or natural to think that teacher
would do this Intentionally and thus in
sure their own failure2 Is it not most
ly true that the so called ''unjustly pun
ished chili' is disobedient or insolent,
or badly spoiled2
Teachers do make mistakes some
times. but it is always far more fatal
mistake for the parent to tell his child
rem so. This only invites more trouble.
The teachers work is difficult one.
The cares and the trials and the respons-
|ibilities belonging to the work are
many They need all the help and en-
couragement we can give them. With
this live, earnest teacher can do good
school work; but without it no teacher
can do herself nor her pupils justice.
I'm union there is strength" With
this thought in mind | here kindly re-
quest all officers and patrons Of our
schools to give them your best and
truest service, and thus help along a
cause which may truly be called the
strong foundation of our government.
Yours very truly,