The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-08
RratHebOrO Local
rHE HIGH SCHOOL
AND IT'S FUTURE
,,,,r,stng Talk by Principal Smith
\. conference Between Parents and
rescheys in School Room Wednes-
a,y Eyening-The Athletic Side.

reachegs in School Room Wednes.
day Evening The Athletic Side.
Tic dt'asc OF rain on Wednesday |
,,,5ing prevented large number of |
,sns from attending the conference !
atais aud teachers Of high school
'.n. in the high school building,
Gsr we're % people present, includ'
1, nh, teachers. Principal T.. Burr
S1tb gave an informal address hay'
,,to do principally with what it was
s,se5 the future would develop in in
',i,gus the facilities of the public
.bool, in Brattleboro. Mr.. Smith
,,.t took up the report of the teach.
:, convention in Burlington, laying
',sFisl emphasis upon the work out
f,s5 by Governor Fletcher ID. Proctor
|, the convention. The principal
,tsggbt that the district supervision
,s.eatly instituted by the state would
INA more good than any plan ever
,l5pted TO bring the schools as a
vb5le TO a higher level. The need of
ND the good to be accomplished by
Al industrial department in the high
sbooI was the subject of part of his
address. lie said that he believed
NAT the time was now ripe for the
ip,pduction of such a department in
ne Brattleboro high school that would
rive the pupils suitable manual
RAINING. The mechanical phase of
M education here is almost entirely
I@king, he said,
Mr., smith then took up the matter
Al physical training and spoke at
some length on the way the commit
Zee was endorsing this movement here.
He said, in part, that Deidrich Stolte
had been employed by the school au-
,horities and that he could already see
results developing from the interest
that many of the boys were taking.
Dating former teacher of his Mr..
Smith said that the boys needed
Mace where they could "kiek up their
heels. More than this, he said the
attention that the boys gave this line
Of work did much to better their
minds. Mr.. Stolte, he said, could as
sst the parents and the teachers in
be fight against smoking on the part
Of the boys by showing the harm that
comes TO an athlete from tobacco. The
hwless element in boys is eliminated
to great extent by this physical edu-
cation. He said the boys in the grades
from sixth to the ninth inclusive had
been divided into three sections and
that each section was 10 meet MI.
Stote at the fair grounds at least
twice this fall This is to be a prepare
tOp for an athletic meet in the spring.
Mr.. Stolte is now training the basket
ball team and teaching several squads
in the art of playing this game.
In regard to the cigarette habit, MI
Smith said that he could do little more
than to forbid smoking on the sehool
grounds and in the building. he
thought that public sentiment should
be aroused to cooperate with tne
teachers and parents in stopping tne
smoking habit. Mr.. Smith next told
something of what the teachers were
trying to do in the way OF whipping
the freshmen into shape for good
work, The break between the meth
DDS of the grammar school and those
of the high school is a decided one
and il takes much serious attention OIL
the mart of the teachers to make the
pupil understand the responsibility o.
bis larger liberty in the matter OF get
ting his studies thoroughly. lie SPOKE
briefly of the marking system, par
ticuarlv as to its relation to th'
pupils standard of excellence and a.
an incentive to better work on TN
| part of those who were a little de
fcient He then took up the good re
suits of the school paper and tine mat
ter of prizes that spurred the pupils u
do their best in story writing.
In the way of recommendation y
the parents he thought that NOR
should be done in public speaking, es
peciaIly among the pupils of the higl
school Mr.. Smith said that he looke'
for a commercial course to be adoe'
to the high school curriculum mex
year This he hoped would embrac'
such courses of study as would be pur
sued at a business college.
Several people spoke of matter
that concerned them individually
Perhaps the only point of importanc,
brought out was that of written worl
which the principal acknowledged wa
something in excess to what ought ~ :
be required, but further said that tn
added amount of work required 3,
the colleges obliged the teacher I
give an extra amount.
The next meeting should be attend
ed by every parent having pupils
the high school. It will afford d,a an q !
portunity to meet the teachers ln:1s !
whom the education of the child
entrusted and will furnish chanc
for the the parents and the teachers J,
clear away misunderstanding tina h,'
nav arise in the discipline OF tn