The Somerset reporter., 1906-03-08

Muse bsD DyEH.'t.
The v * i'm these SUBJECT has taen gsn
tinucd Al ng the hines 81 previous years
With the opening Of the fall term an entire
separation Il the two subjects hss ben male
and Mi lo"ne has met the rafz' teacher, a.
their meetings and has visited each II The
rural s1huo.s ior instruction ard supervision
IN muse as often as possible IN al ION l..
the VOL he las heretofore doue IN jh,
grades Il is unfortunate that the distance
Of these schools makes 1t mpassiIl, f him
10 give more frequent attenti n h. them ami
this Is equally tue Of the drawing. y hile
instruction in music and drawing has been a
requirement in the grades tgr i've years i has
not seemed best 10 Introduce these subjects
into the High school. he superintendent
urges that the time for il has come and that
arrangements BE made 50 that al the opening
Of the school in the fall they be offered a.
electives and that all those pursuing them
receive proper credit in the way Of points as
in the other studies The spring exhibition
OF drawings was visited by good number oi
the towns people and gave general sstisfac-
ton. II IS a matter Of regret that Mss Muir
ply could not be retained as Supervisor Oh
Drawing but a more lucrative position else
where caused her TO decline re election
lo TIL the position the committee chose Mis-,
Martha w liaskins, who has taken up the
work with enthusiasm and under her super
vision excellent results are being achieved
TEACHERS MEETINGS.
Teachers meetings have been held the
past year IN much the same manner as in for
mer years Weather permitting the rura
teachers have met on call OF the Superntend
ent for instruction in music and drawing OF
Saturday mornings, thus giving opportunity
Tor exchange of ideas and consultation. The
grade teachers have met regularly on alter
nate Monday afternoons at Ak for the di.
rections Of the drawing teacher and to con.
slider other matters from time to time and
thus organized a study club taking up as sub
Iects Grammar aid Geography, each teacher
having prescribed part at some one Of tht
meetings. These meetings have been held al
the Academy school on the Monday after
moons not taken by the other meetings iii
were possible to arrange another year to hav,
occasional lectures and talks by people IRON
outside the teaching force It would be o
great benefit and would add to the interest o
these meetings.
School ROOM DECORATION.
Considerable addition to the decorations o
the various school rooms have been made thi,
year, thus bringing before the pupils exam
| pies OF good art and materially adding to tht
| attractiveness of the rooms. An exhibition
of pictures in the spring Noted quite littl,
sum OF money which is being expended il
the purchase of these pictures and addition,
have been made in a number Of cases through
the energy Of the pupils. In order that tn,
rural schools might partake of these advan
tages the pupils Of these schools were urgeC
TO raise sums by entertainments or in othe
ways and one picture at least has been OF viii
be soon placed in each OF these schools. Tit
interest in the study of pictures and the ap
probation Of them has been greatly stimu
lated. 1t is hoped that more can be don't
another year
RECORDS.
There has been kept in the ofhce Of tht
Superintendent for several years card cata
logue giving the data required by statute o.
every person in town Of school age which ha.
PROVED of great value. This year there ha.
been added a smaller one designed 10 give in
a readily accessible form a complete school
history of every pupil in the public schools
and in connection with this the report cards
of the pupils have been changed so that in
place Of the old form Of term cards the new
ones are arranged to cover the entire
school year making the system more compact
and simple to keep. Other weekly and daily
reports are required of the teachers which,
while not being particularly burdensome on
the teachers, are of assistance in systematic
ing and keeping record Of the work ac-
complshed.
AGE or ENTRANCE
1t IS ruling Of the committee made sew
eral years ago that children OF FIVE years OF
age may be admitted to the primary grades at
the beginning of the year. 1t is now gencr.
ally urged by those that have given thought
TO this question that this is not wise. A
child Of eight is mentally capable and physi-
cally more able than the child of FIVE and can
do in one. or at most two years, the work now
required in the first three grades. Children
for the first six or seven years Of their lives
are much better off when not forced into the
physical restraint and mental activities of the
school room and develop much more natu-
rally and BEAUTIFULLY at play. Parents are toe
impatient for their children TO get into school
or too DESTROYS for them to get through
either to work or attend college In the
words OF another, I'VE are forgetting that it
takes time to grow" and every year We have
the experience Of keeping back in the first
grades quite proportion OF the class for the
one reason that they have been hurried into
school as soon as they were Of the legal age
and have not sufficiently matured to be able
TO assimilate the work Of the grade In view
Of this it is recommended that the present
rule be changed SO that no child who Is not
six years old at the opening Of school in the
fall or who is not to have the sixth anniver
sary of his birth before Nov. Of that year
shall be permitted to enter until the next
year, and that either the kindergarten course
be extended to two years or the age of ad
miuancc to be made five years, SO that If
either case the child would not hnish hi.
kindergarten course before he is eligible tc
admittanee to the primary grades
MEDICAL INSPECTION.
During the past year the physician on The
board has most willingly responded 10 call!
from teachers snd superintendent 70 inyesti-
gate cases of illness and the like and ha,
rendered prompt aid at times. As this IS an
important matter the superintendent urges
that some arrangement be made for regular
medical inspection. Not only would this be
Of great value in preventing the spread Of in
fectons diseases, Of which fortunately ",
have been exceptionally free, but i, is prob
able that great deal # the headache and
consequent absence Of pupils from school i
due in large me- sure to eye strain unknown
TO pupil or parent which a slight examination
would establish and lead to proper treatment
before becoming more serious
klNphRGARTEN.