River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-12-13
TEACHERS MEETINGS.


ISOLATION districts, and three meetings
were held in each district, as follows:
Maiden Rock, Oct. q Trimbelle, Oct. Is;
Elmwood, Nov. IS; Plum City, Jan, q;
Prescott. Feb. 8; Ell Paso, March 3: Olivet,
May 5; River Falls Goint with st. Croix
county,, May II, and Esdaile, June 2.
The Central Association was held at Ellis
worth Feb. IL, and was attended by
eighty teachers AS the roads are often
drifted at that time of the year, the Cen
trail meeting was held Oct. 10 this fall,
and over one hundred teachers Were in
attendance.
The Northwestern Wisconsin Teachers
meeting, held at Eau Claire, Oct. 10 and
20, was attended by forty-four teachers
Nearly all of the teachers attended at
least two of the meetings, and some at
tended five or six of them
The programs at the sectional meetings
consisted of from one to three class eXer-
cises, and papers and discussions on diff
cult school problems.
THE INSTITUTE.
A two weeks institute, conducted by
H. l.. Wilson, d. l.. Hennessey. w. A.
and G. W. Weldon, was held at ELS
worth July 1927.
The total enrolment was III, with an
average attendance of 108, as compared
with an enrolment of 49, and an average
attendance of rs last year. The conduct
ors and visitors expressed themselves as
being very much pleased with the work
superintendent Cary the official visitor,
commented favorably on the work of
teachers and conductors, and sent a spe-
cial article to the st. Paul Dispatch prais-
ing the work.
Institutes throughout the state are now
conducted in a business like manner, and
furnish an opportunity for professional
inspiration and Improvement that no
teacher can afford to miss
The County superintendent Associa-
ton and Convention were held at Madi-
son May $40.
TEACHERS EXAMINATIONS.
Examinations were held in the spring as
follows: Plum City, March II and 49,;
Spring Valley, March IA and Is; River
Falls, March 10 and 20; Prescott. March
fall examination was held at Ellsworth,
July 80 to Aug. q
There were sixty-eight applicants at the
spring series and eighty-two applicants
at the fall examination. OF this num-
Der ten received first grades, thirty re-
ceived second grades and seventy-seven
received third grades. Fifteen of the APP
Pllcants wrote on only part of the
wrote on all of the required branches
failed to secure certificates.
AS we have the Normal and four good
high schools in the county, it seems that
it should not be necessary to have to
call on other counties to furnish teach
ers for our rural schools. During the
past two years there has been a small
surplus of available teachers most of
the time though at no time has the num-
Der of unemployed available teachers
been greater than seven during the part
OF the winter and the spring terms 1 be-
lieve that all teachers wishing to teach
were employed.
This year one hundred and sixty teach
ers are required to teach the schools of
third grades, forty-six hold second
grades, twenty-five hold first grades, ten
hold Normal certificates, sixteen hold
Normal diplomas: fourteen hold College
or University diplomas, one holds a linn
tied state certificate, and one holds an
unlimited state certificate.
Forty teachers are employed in the
four high schools with qualification as
follows: Seven second grades, three first
grades four Normal certificates. twelve
Normal diplomas thirteen College or
University diplomas and one unlimited
state certificate.
4 DIPLOMA EXAMINATIONS
Diploma examinations were held at
eight places in the county February a.,
and June and 10. Applicants wrote on
six of the branches in February and in
June they wrote on the remaining
branches and on any of those in which
they failed to secure a standing of Go or
above at the first examination There
were one hundred thirty-one applicants
at the first examination and eighty-one
at the last one. FOrty-Six of the fifty
successful applicants are attending eth
er graded school, a high school or the
above there were thirty-six graduates
from the graded schools making a total
of eighty-six from schools below the hig l
school,
held at Ellsworth, July q. Thirty of TIE
forty-eight graduates present took part
in the program. All of the graded schools
held local graduating exercises.
ARBOR AND BIRD DAY.
and Bird Day, May 4, by having appro-
pirate exercises, cleaning the yard and
planting trees where needed. In April l
sent circular to teachers giving direc-
tiOnS for tree planting. I advised them
to select a few good trees from six to ten
feet in height, take them up so as to
preserve most of the roots, and cut away
most of the top before planting. 1 be-
lleve that it is a waste of time to plant
trees less than six feet in height as they
are nearly always destroyed the first sea-
son. My report shows that four hundred
sixty-one trees were planted Why have
a desolate forlorn looking school ground
when a little work and care now will
make it a place of beauty in a very few
years?
LIBRARIES.
The new library law, though it adds
considerably to the duties of the county
y.
The superintendent now has charge of
the selection, ordering and renting for
books. 1 sent an order blank and cir
cular letter mentioning for consideration
about forty of the new books that I had
examined and requested the teachers to
select books to the amount named at the
top of the recommendation blank I or
dered the books June %, and nearly all
of them were in the hands of the town
clerks before July 20. Four copies of the
list of books ordered for each town We're
made, one of which was sent to the town
clerk. When the books came he check
ed them up and reported whether or not
the order had been filled without sub.
stitution No money was sent to the
company till I was sure that all orders
had been filed satisfactorily.
I sent to the Eau Claire Book and Sta
tionery Co. for the library record sheets
which sent to teachers to make perma-
nent records of the books in all libra
ries These were arranged in order by
subjects and filed in the office alphabet
cally by towns and numerically by dis
tricts.
In schools where the regular texts are
not supplanted by library books the in
struction is sure to be narrow and un-
satisfactory. Tt is a matter of regret
that about the only use some teachers
make of the library is to have the pupils
draw story book occasionally and read
it in desultory rambling manner. Other
teachers spend much time searching for