The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-10-04
SUPERINTENDENT RICHIE
MAKES SCHOOL REPORT
First Month OF Present Term Shows
Increased Attendance. -. More
Il
Room Is Necessary.

1n,
A. P. Richie, superintendent OF
the Bemidji city schools, has issued
the following, as his first monthly
report of the schools for the present
term:
1T is with pleasure that submit
to you the following report:
The first month ended Sept. 27,
1907. The opening of school has
been very satisfactory, as far as
attendance and interest shown is
concerned. During the month, 391
boys and 396 girls have been en-
rolled, making a total of 7s7 pupils,
against 6S6 for the first month last
year gain of 101 pupils. The at
tendance has been most gratifying,
but three rooms have reported an
attendance below 95 per cent and
none as low as 94 per cent-an at.
tendance of 1874 per cent.
In the case of punctuality, SC
much cannot be said-68 cases OF
tardiness were reported; 27 of these
were from two rooms. These Ger.
tainly. need waking up Two other
rooms report no tardinnss whatever
Parents should see to it that their
children are on time.
only thirty-nine visits have been
made to the schools during the past
month. This does not represent
thirty-nine different persons, as one
person makes several visits. Would
it not be better for parents to visit
oftener, and thus become acquainted
with those in charge of instructing
their children? Do not be too hasty
in judging or condemning the school
from the reports made by children
Remember that children see things
through children's eyes.
Three cases of truancy were re.
ported; more may have occurred, and
not been detected. This is being
rapidly eliminated and we hope will
soon be ? thing of the past.
The teachers are supposed to
be in their respective rooms at least
thirty minutes prior to the opening
of school in the afternoon. Three
have reported that on one occasion
they have failed to do so, by {
margin of two minutes, and think il
will not happen again.
'As most of you know, we were
compelled to place two rooms ir
the Reed photograph building. L
you visit there you will find about
95 pupils huddled together in two
poorly lighted and still poorer ven
tilated rooms, struggling along
under adverse circumstances. trvine
to secure an education.
In the central building, botf
of the primary grades are compelled
to attend only halliday sessions or
account of the lack of room.
'The high school has grown from
eleven girls and one boy,in thesprine
of 1904, to an enrolment of "a, O
which 80 are boys and AZ are girls
This increased enrolment is mos
gratifying,a and especially the increas'
in the number of boys.
The high school room is over
crowded, by about ID. Sixty desk
are all that can we'll be placed in tn
floor space; however, 70 have bee,
crowded in. This still leaves fou
without desks. We have had t,
overcome this by arranging for SOM
pupils to take all their work in tn
forenoon and others in the afternoon
There are about 40 pupils in tn
Eighth grade, this year. It is saf
to say that at least 80 of them will
enter the high school next year.
What to do with the crowde,
conditions of our schools is prob
lem for the people of the district t,
solve in the near future.
Take it all in, all, we are no
complaining, but on the other hand
teachers and pupils seem happy anc
delighted with their work.