Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-03-14

A1mory 1t is perfectly proper that
all of the parents should know the
real fact of the situation as it exists
the re-. not only that they may do fuli
iusticc in their minds to the superin-.
tendent and teachers but that any
fears for their children's best welfare
NAV be at once diSpellcd.
The journal, upon calling at the
Armory, at the close of the second ses-
sion OF school, expected to find stan
of discouraged looking teachers with
despondency felt in the very air which
thew were forced to breathe. Instead
there was an air of hOpefulness ana
serenity which was i'll amusing con-
rrast to the surroundings. When ask
ID by the reporter as to the outlook for
the terms work, one of the teachers
replied:
why it is perfectly surprising how
well the scholars are becoming adapt
ed to the place. We expected that 1t
would be next to impossible to enforce
enough quietude in the different de-
partmentS to make successful teach
ing a possibility, but, on the contrary,
we have not had SO good success in
many particulars. the preservation Of
order included, for many weeks"
The Armory, as one enters, looks
like an encampment of soldiers and to
one entering as a stranger to the city
and the conditions lately produced, it
would be somewhat difficult for him
to comprehend the situation. There
are eleven departments or, properly
speaking classes. in the building, three
~. H..
ard one of which. in charge of Mrs.
Holland, is situated on the stage. Mrs.
holland while attending to her duties
as teacher is able at the same time to
command a full view of the entire
room.
The classes on the floor of the
Arnory are divided, during the recita-
ticn periods, from the rest of their
companions by curtains of bleached
Cloth which hang upon wires about
the different grades and grade divi-
sionS. Every depar tment of study
which was pursued in the former
school rooms has been resumed and
the progress during the first two days
since the fire has been fully up TO the
average.
It has been 4 matter Of some mis-
understanding on the part OF many as
to how it has been possible to resume
full operations i'll this school with the
entire loss of the supplies with which
the 800 pupils were furnished in their
former accommodations. In answer tc
a query fer this information, Supt.
Bowman said that as the fire occurred
Saturday morning, very large per-
| 49, I, 4
taken honac by the scholars The
school supply fer books for the spring
tclln. moreover, had recently been or
dcrcd and We're delayed in transporta-
ton just long enough TO avoid the fate
suffered by the rest of the contents of
the building. These available supplies
in addition to the books which it was
lossiblc to obtain from the other
schools Of the city of similar grades
have been ample to meet the wants of
the scholars.
That the conditions of the newly 10
7a;ed scholars and teachers is not so
sad as some may have imagined may
5e seen from the fact that the atten-
lance during the past two days has
been % per cent. of the total enroll
nent-l percentage, 81 ii is said,
which is far above the average even
Of this school.
Despi-> the encouraging aspect of
appearances. It should be considered
ny the public that the teachers are
far from being benefited by the
change. Not only is the best condition
possible 10 b. realized by the combin-
ed efforts Of all concerned with the
school far short of the conditions as
they existed in the happy school home
which has just been destroyed but the
teachers are seriously handicapped III
IL cir work by personal LOSSES many of
which thcy say can never be replaced
The school in the Armory represents
labor under difficulties and many eX-
amplcs Of heroic efforts which should
rot be overlooked by the parents ana
friends of the scholars.