Gilpin observer., 1908-02-06
NEvADAvILLE SCHOOL NOTES.

NEVADAvILLE SCHOOL NOTES.
Primary pupils have added sixty new
words to their stock of knowledge with
in the last three weeks.
A sixth grade pupil who was assigned
the subject, corn, on which to write an
essay, after saying, I'VE have corn-fed
cattle, corn-fed sheep, and corn-fed
hogs" closed with this amusing climax:
1--WE have had several corn-fed school
marms, and one corn-fed principle in
this school.
During the past month the following
pupils were neither absent nor tardy:
Primary Milton Rutherford, Roy Pas
coe, Ada Reilly and Julia Reilly. Inter
ediate-John DAILY. Chalmer Ruther
ford, Annie Davy, Jeanette Davy, and
Florence Wearne. Grammar-Gladys
DAILY, Lillian Murley, Viola Richards,
Lillian Richards, Pearl Nichols, Hazel
Slater, Annie Trezise, Beatrice Stevens,
Delmor Brown, Fred Harris, Elmer
Rule, John Trezise, Bennie Waters and
Ernest Kloer.
The sum total of whole day absences
for the whole school, for the school
month of January was 1872 days. Per-
centage of attendance made by whole
school was 81 1-2. By departments it
was as follows: Primary, SS 1-2 per
cent; intermediate, 81 1-2 per cent;
Grammar, ..96 1-2 per cent. The records
of the Nevadaville school show, that not
even once before in the past fifteen
years, which is as far back as the rec
ords are available, has there been a
month, that the percentage of attend
ance by pupils of the grammar depart
ment, reached Sc l-2 per cent.
Last weeks discussion dealt with the
legal power vested with school boards
and electors for enforcing the Com
pulsory Education Act" on parents who
refuse to send their children to school.
Now when both the school board and
electors, of any third-class school dis
trict, allow the feelings of indifference,
apathy and timidity, toward this ques-
ton, to enter their minds through the
door of faint heartedness, and sweep
good intentions and resolutions into that
area of the brain, where the spirit of
inaction holds sway, who is going to
take up "the white mans burden" of
dealing with delinquent children, as
well as with the chronic absentees., If
all other: elements that make VI the
school, are indisposed, except the tech
ers, it must, if dealt with at all, be TAX
en- up by the teachers. But what motive
for all that school boards and directors
maybe indisposed, can impel teachers
to tackle aTproblem that is beset with
so many nasty and delicate intricacies,
all of which are supposedly foreign to
teachers regular routine of work.
Would it not be far easier for the teach
er to gosalong with his or her work, en-
tirely needless of, and inactive toward
the wrongs and losses done to children
both mentally and morally, as result
of the. continued delinquency and peri
odic absentism of children. Parents,
generally speaking, think so, and when
the teachers proceed with the plan of
taking upon themselves the task of call
ing on :parents to do by peaceful and
diplomatic methods, what they can to
better the attendance record, it not in
frequently occurs that the title of med,
dler is amply conferred upon them.
Teachers, who stick steadily at the job
of hunting Iup delinquents and periodic
absentees, soon get hold of some very
stern and stubborn facts, when it comes
to the point of showing the two-faced'
ness of some seemingly self righteous
parents. Parents Of delinquents anc
absentees may, and generally do show
all sorts Of false attitudes toward the
school, to lead teachers, who call upor
them to enquire into the cause of de-
linquency and absentism, to make then
believe that it is all very noble anc
grand from the standpoint of interest
! in school work, that teachers shoult
have the welfare Of their children SC
much at heart, that they come to con