River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-12-12

! Indications now point to shortage in
the supply of teachers here this winter
and the same conditions exist in all OF
the adjoining counties. These conditions
| are deplorable as they force superintend-
ents to license teachers who have not
been properly trained for the work.
DIPLOMA EXAMINATIONS.
Diploma examinations were held at
eight places in the county on Feb. % and
June q and 22. There were one hundred
twenty-five applicants, ffty-n1ne OF
which received diplomas. In addition to
this fifty were graduated from the elgnt
graded schools, making a total of zone
hundred nine graduates from schools be-
low the high schools, the largest num-
Der on record in this county.
The Central Graduating Exercises were
held at Ellsworth July n. The program
consisted of recitations, essays, talks by
NJ H. Jackson, A. ]. Ingli and G. l.. Hill,
and a spelling contest in which Hllda
Bjornson of the Ell Paso school was de-
clared the winner and received a padded
leather volume Of Winters poems.
My annual report shows that Arbor
and Bird Day was observed In lO6 OF the
schools and Memorial Day in rs of them;
313 trees were planted, most of which
were fair sized.
I LIBRARIES.
BY the Introduction Of the card cata-
lORueS.
more than doubled during these two
school years. The making of a card
catalogue is an arduous task, and one
which, if well done, requires much time
and patience.
Books were recommended and ordered
in the same manner that they were a
year ago, but the service given us by
the Eau Claire Co. this year was far in
ferior to what it was last year
The books for all but six towns were
ordered July / and the balance Aug. 10.
In three or four towns town clerks have
just received the books, and I'm in
formed that in two towns they haven
yet been distributed to districts
ATTENDANCE.
Irregular attendance always has been
and perhaps always will be the greatest
hindrance to successful work. How to
secure better attendance is certainly
worthy of serious consideration. At the
beginning of this year, l introduced
Hammond and Stephens system of per-
feet attendance certificates which are IN
use in many of the counties OF the state
Pupils who are neither tardy nor absent
for twenty consecutive days receive a
small certificate. Five of these entitle
them to Autographed Certificate OF
Award and pupils who receive TOUR Ger
tiful Diploma of Honor. Statistics snow
that in other counties, for every cent in
vested in these certificates the returns
were from 5UC TO $l.0U III euuCdIlOhs given
to the children.
The new attendance law will also do
much toward increasing attendance,
where it is enforced as it should be-
This law calls for reports from school
officers and teachers and where properly
enforced will probably make twenty or
twenty-five days extra work for the
superintendent.
Every friend of education should put
shoulder to the wheel and help enforce
this law by reporting and bringing OF
tenders to justice
STATISTICAL.
The following items are taken from my
last annual report to the State Superin-
Number of male children between -
Number of female children between GO
4 and 20 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 569O
Total number between and A.. 4O06
p,,h1ic school ...... 5.66S
Average daily attendance S,748.5
Number between and IA who re-
side more than two miles from
school NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. "a
Number male teachers Employed. u
Number female teachers employed. ISL
No of volumes added to libraries. 1851
No. of teachers required to teach
No. of districts that furnish free
text books 10
FINANCIAL.
Receipts.
Money on hand June 30, 1906. IS 22,15S.75
From taxes levied at district
meeting ......................... 5O,8U .95
From taxes levied by Co. Board. 1878. 40
From state school fund income. 1908. 06
From all other sources .......... 15,19S.S7
Total .$122, ola. 10
Expenditures.
For building and repairing. ......$ 7,64l AZ
For apparatus .................,...,. l,l5z. gu
For services of male teachers. 49, 31 .65
For services of femaN teachers. 4S,1l2. 80
For old Indebtedness .............. ALL. 68
For school furniture. .............. 8lS.97
For salaries of school officers. 1,246. 90
For all other purposes. ............ 1898. 10
Total 81, 500. 81
Deficit in two districts. 1905
Balance on hand June 80, 1907.... "A, 355. A
SCHOOL VISITATIONS.
1 visited every school in the county at
least once and several of them two or
more times. Prof. Wilson visited schools
with me three days last November and