The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-11-28
CITY SCHOOLS
IN GOOD ORDER
BOARD MEMBERS INSPECT ROOMS
Find Cheerful Faces and Perfect
Harmony Between Teachers
and Pupils.

and Columbia buildings. The trip
made the director happy. He found
everything in good order, band of
happy, earnest children, and corps
of faithful, efficient teachers. Mr..
Reed asked the teachers to conduct
classes in reading and literature that
Mr.. Rand might get an idea Of
what is being done in those subjects.
The results were more than pleasing
and the superintendent reports an
improvement of at least 100 per cent
over the work of the previous month.
AT the Central school dramatiza-
lions of Red Riding Hood, Who
Stole the Birds Nest, Barbara
Frietchie and How Big Was Alex
ander, were listened to with much
interest, as was the rendition of
Memory poems, proverbs and the
flag salute. The music of these
grades pleased the visitors also, as
did their good order in passing in
and out of the rooms.
At the Columbia the same grades
were visited, and the same work lis
tened to as at the Central school,
showing the unity of our system.
Mr.. Rand was especially pleased with
the memory work of the first room
he visited, the language exercise or
the Second grade, and the music of
the Eighth and First grades. The
examination sent out from the super
intendent's office this month was in
spelling and the results were pleas
ing to all concerned Nearly 80 per
cent of all the Eighth grade pupils
and if they continue to attend regu-
larly and keep up their daily lessons
will not be required to take a fur
Their examination for promotion. a
smaller per cent was reported from
the lower grades as having reached
the passing standard, but still the
number was satisfactory and the re-
suits indicate that strong work IS
being done in this important branch.
Following is the report of the city
superintendent submitted to the
bos-d
To the Honorable Board of Directors,
North Yakima, Washington.
Dear Sirs: Permit me to express
my satisfaction at the conditions
which have prevailed in the North
Yakima schools the past month, as
result of the progressive policy
adopted by you prior to the opening
of the fall term Your decision to
give your superintendent entire con-
troll of the pedagogical work of the
schools, empowering him to formu-
late policy which would raise them
to the highest standard of efficiency
consistent with the finances of the
district, was a wise one, and has re-
.oeived the hearty approval of teach
ers and patrons. You have been
made acquainted with each step of
the superintendent policy and to
your hearty approval and generous
support much of the success attend
ing 1t is due Some features of this
policy are herewith given:
The establishing of feeling OF
goodfellowship among the teachers.
in order to bring about unity, har.
mony and loyalty. The reception at
the home of Mayor Reed, the general,
grade and building meetings all
tending to accomplish this much de-
sired result.
The institution of the department
tai system of instruction in the up
per grammar grades. BY this means
each teacher specializes in branches
TO which she is most adapted, and
pupils get the benefit of the prepa-
ration the teacher is thus able to
make.
The establishment of an ungraded
room in connection with the larger
grammar grade buildings. Two OF
these have been started, one at the
Columbia in charge of Mr.. A. w.
Schwartze, the other at the Central,
taught by Mr.. ]. l.. Willett. The I'M
graded room is the best way of pro-
yiding for individual teaching. The
ordinary crowded school room neees-
sarily neglects the slow pupils, and
the unevenly graded ones, for lack
of time. Thirty of these pupils have
already received such help from the
ungraded rooms as to be able to pass
into the next higher grade, and 9TH
ers are almost ready to take the ex-
animation.
The building up of a school library
containing supplementary books IN
geography, literature. history and
elementary science, books of reference
and books for home reading. Your
generosity in furnishing us with the
necessary funds to purchase books
is an indication that you intend TO
supply teachers with the best of tools
and then hold them responsible for
results. Our grammar grade and
nigh school libraries now contain
nearly 5000 volumes, and the in
creased interest of both teachers and
pupils indicates that the money spent
for these books has not been spent
in vain. BY means of home reading
a taste for good literature is beng
cultivated. The study work Is being
done at school, thus leaving time al
home for reading.
The study circles organized al
each of the main buildings for self
Improvement, the grade meetings
held for the purpose Of planning and
unifying the work, the placing OF
athletics in the grades upon good
basis, all have had their effect upon
the school system; a spirit OF loyalty
and harmony prevails and all seems
to be working In unison for the wei,
fare of the schools.