The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-10-03
SCHOOLS ARE BETTER
Supt. 5. ]. Race Makes his Last Annual
Report as Superintendent of
County Schools.
Magnificent Work Done in Twenty Years
Regrets to Leave the System
He BuiIded.

S. j. Race has just made his annu-
al report to the superintendent of
public instruction-the last report
that he will make as superintendent,
and in it he reviews the work of the
year, of some Of the work of the
past 20 years, and then extends
thanks to the people for the aid and
encouragement they have given him.
He says:
The school year just closed marks
a general upward trend of theschools
of this county. Last year we thot
that we did well, but this year is the
banner year during all these years
since my connection with the schools
of the county. Many important i'm
provements have taken place.
SCHOOL OFFICERS MEETINGS.
Heretofore, we have had several
meetings for school trustees, but
there was no provision for payment
for expenses, but since the statutes
now provide for the travelling ex-
penses and per diem, the attend
ance is almost universal for each
district. Such meetings are GER
tainly helpful to many of the trus-
tees, who really wish to know about
what the schools of the county are
doing. At the last meeting held in
this gcourty, June 9th, there were "a
school districts represented in the
meeting, while we have but 100 in
the county.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
Under this heading, excellent
work can be reported. All schools
save one in the county have good
libraries. which the people find very
helpful to the children in the school
work generally.
The one general weakness of the
library work for rural schools, is
that the additions are not chosen
early enough. The library ought to
be enriched yearly before Nov. l.
This would help the older boys and
girls who do not get into the schools
before that time and leave before
March 10th.
DECORATION AND SANITATION,
There has not been the improve
] ment in this line that we hoped to
have made. Still there are a num-
Der of school districts that believe
in keeping the yard cleaned and the
school house painted. The water
closet question is better than it was
one year ago, but still, there are
many districts that ought to move
upward, that are still thinking that
the old way is good enough. The
old shack that once adorned the
4 playground is almost gone. Cleans
ing the closets, under the direction
of the trustees, monthly at least,
has not come to us in any very great
degree. The use Of corrosive subli-
mate, chloride of lime, or even COM
mon lime, has found little favor in
the eyes of school trustees. One
half bushel of common lime emptied
in the vault monthly, would do a
great good for the children's health.
To get the school room cleaned
monthly, is quite task, that some
districts are meeting bravely. Some
clean twice a month. Why not?
Our homes, if Clearly, are cleaned
weekly, semi-weekly and many times
daily, by progressive housewives.
This is a day of wash up, fix up,
clean up, be up, stand up and stay
up.
HEATING AND VENTILATION.
recall what change has taken
place in this county within ten years
on this very important question. AS
it is now recalled, there was but one
school (outside the villages that at
tempted to make better the health
of the children and teacher, and
thereby increase the working power
Of both. There are now IL rural