Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-05-31
EIGHTH GRADE LEAVING
A Patient Crowd Listens to Twenty
Four Reciters.

The Eighth Grade Graduation.
as it is called. which completes the
grade work OF the public schools and
is supposed to mark the promotion
into the high school. took place dur. Z.
ing the afternoon of Friday at the
High School building. These exer-
cises are OF even wider interest. as
to numbers. than the high school
graduation. and the limited space of
the high school room was simply in
adequate to accommodate the attend
ance of parents and friends on FRI
day afternoon. Educationally the oc-
casion is ono OF importance in that
il marks the close of school life for
n much larger number of boys and
girls than does the high school grad
uation. Unfortunately an indihcr-
encc to the value of an education on
the one hand. and the real and fan
or lead to n large percentage OF pu-
eighth grade work. The very large
number OF 81 pupils have been pu,
through the eighth grade curriculum
OF the Rocky Ford schools the pas,
year and arc entitled to enter upon
high school work mex, fall II they so
elect. OF these some j represent
the finishing class OF the spring term
and to each of these was assigned
some part on the graduating" pro-
gram. The Enterprise published the
long program in detail two issues
ago. To the large audience, many
OF whom stood through the whole
performance. everything looked well
on tho surface. and the pupils acquii-
ted themselves ereditabiy as whole.
showing much painstakinH appliea-
ton in tho eommittal OF so many
lines.
Hat beneath the surface everything
was not quite so pleasing. Al Mrs.
Forbes request the Enterprise glad
ly' gives space to her explanation OF
what happened. which Is as follows:
Friday afternoon. before the hour
for opening tho exercises arrived, u
was found that I, would be simply i'm
possible TO hear everything on the
program in the time assigned to IT,
This presented a problem. and the
only solution of !, seemed to be to
ask who would voluntarily retire
from the list. Some seven OF the
graduates did so. and the remainder
OF the long program was gone
through with. the patience OF the aud
iiors enduring to the end. But Prin-
cipal Forbes was not out OF the
wods yet by any means, 10. several
disappointed parents who had come
especially to hear their own children
dcciaim. came down upon the unwi'-
ting teacher and gave expression TO
their feelings. Some of them did so
in very unS,in,cd terms. She had
done a lot OF hard work in prepara-
ton of her pupils. and would have
been a. happy as anybody TO have
them all show their metal. according
TO schedule. BIZ, as ;ha; was seen TO
be imprae,icabic she fcl, that vol.
un;ary withdrawal was the best
method to adopt. as IL would leave
ont those who would be lcas, hurt
in having to give ZIP their parts. They
were jus, as well prepared as were
the res, and no discrimination was
made. But the bcs; laid plans o
mice an men. and school ma'ams
,oo." gang ai; aglcc:" and cxplana-
,ions arc oft of no avail.
And so. the Eighth Grade gradma-
ton exercises. creditablc as they were
TO teacher and pupil, arc likely to live
in memory rather for wha, wasn't
done than what was. Yet it IS just
such things as these. o. Hamlet.
that make calamity OF so long life.