Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-02-21
SCHOOL NOTES.
To liz public:

ments which may be OF some interest &c
the citizens.
Two years ago we were crowded into
the old building, oom poorly lighted,
no working system OF ventilation at all,
no water supply except as furnished m
tanks placed in the halls with cups, and
many other inconvenience. Today We
have eight as fine class rooms in our
new building as can be found in the
Northwest. The rooms a-e large, well
lighted and ventilated, and In our halls
We have the most perfect drinking sys-
TEN that can be found-saying nothing
as to our fine basement, clothes racks.
etc. Very few citizens know what we
have in this building, because they have
taken no time to visit and see.
As to the number of pupils, we have
all our new room full end are using
one room in the old building for grade
pupils-the up stairs in the old building
being given to the high school. Two
years ago a new teacher was placed i'll
charge of the seventh grade which then
numbered twenty-seven pupils all told,
n may say this class is our first year
high school class now, and numbers
about thirty-five, and the eighth grade
was seated in the high scnool assembly
room, and their teacher was given one
half of her time to the high school Eng
lish, offering no United States history,
drawing or writing at all, as she was
obliged to assist in high school work.
Let US note some of the changes. The
seventh grade at this time numbers fifty
pupils (what can we expect two wears
hence in high school?) and the eighth
grade has been removed from the high
school assembly room and given a
teacher of their own, who devotes her
entire time to this room. u. S. history
writing and drawing have been put
where they belong and the pupils given
a fair chance, the same as in other
grades. That the pupils in the seventh
and fifth grades might receive more
assistance, a new room has been formed
from these grades. Seventeen pupils
were taken from the seventh, and thir-
teen from the fifth. A new teacher has
been placed in charge of these children.
Now, as to the number of pupils in
the other grades, if you will but notice
the report of the school given in last
weeks issue, you will get some idea of
the number OF children in the different
rooms Remember this, too, hal no
teacher should be given more than 30
pupils. Our first grade has 56 in actual
attendance, and We have been obliged
tnrn away more than p dozen because
of a few days or weeks in age and many
who were unable to enter classes already
formed, although old enough. Is this
doing the children justice to place so
many in the hands of the teacher? But
we must accommodate this many
Second grade has 46; third 80; fourth
36; fifth As; sixth A; seventh so;
eighth 81. Total, 1853 pupils in the
grades the eighteenth of January.
Since then several new pupils have
entered.
The above refers to accommodations
and number of pupils. What about the
work done? What can be said about
that? Come over to our school and let
us show you? We are attempting to do
the best we can do for the children
under our charge, and if you will but
come around we shall try to show
whether or not we are accomplishing
anything. You do not see very many
pupils lettering on the streets, do you?
And when you stop to think that our
entire enumeration for this school dis.
trict is about $50, and this includes
those attending catholic schools and
other private schools and all persons
who have graduated from our high
school, and persons clerking in stores,
in fact all under 81 years of age and
above s. Now, when You take these
facts into consideration. you may want
to know where we get our 42I pupils
(high school included) as said above this
was the number the middle of January.
Start out to rent a house in this town,
and see if you understand. You will
find the houses occupied. I know this
to be true from the fact that persons
moving into town, on bringing their
children into school always mention the
difficulty they have in finding houses.
This speaks well for our town, whether
II is be because of our schools, churches,
desirable place for homes, enterprising
business men or the fact that we are a
"dry town. am not able to say. Last
spring you could have found as many
as ~thirty-five vacan houses; try it now.
But we have a high school, and per-
haps you would be interested in that.
Now. 1t is said, that the standard of the
high school Is the gauge of q city school
system, and this is true to a certain
extent, at least. If the high school is
OF excellent standing, it is taken for
granted that the grade work is good,
for the grades furnish the high school
pupils. and without the proper training
in the grades the weakness must exist
in the more advanced Glasses.
Two years ago we had q total enroll
ment of 43; this year we have a total of
IS, and we can reasonably be safe in