The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-03-19
1858 IN
CITY SCHOOLS
SuptD Fosters Monthly Re-
port Shows Progress In
School Work
tFrom Thursdays Dally)

]
ending March 6, Of superintendent
c, c, Foster. Tho report which il
addressed TO the school board which
gives interesting information and
comment on the enrolment and 9th,
err details of the work, Is addressed
TO the school board and is as follows:
Appended hereto is a statistical
report OF your schools for the month
ending March 6, 1908.
Need New Buildings Now.
"Yonr attention is especially d.
rected 10 the enrolment OF 1858
to the number OF eases OF hardness
224, and to the number OF cases OF
corporal punishment, 13.
"one may well SEQ from our en-
rollment that the proposed new
buildings could be used TO advantage
now N We had thom,
with the active cooperation OF
patrons the number OF cases OF tar
diness could he reduced so per cent.
There has been some improvement
in the punctuality OF pupils during
the past month, but we hope to show
much better reports next month.
Fewer Corporal Punishments.
1t Is worthy of remark that the
number of cases OF corporal punish
emnt this month Is much less than
during the first months OF tho ses-
sion. This may be attributed partly
to the uniform firmness OF the dis
cipline throughout the school and
the better understanding on the part
Of some pupils that violations OF
laws are almost invariably attended
by unpleasant results. But good or
der without punishment is due less
to the fear of punishment than to
the fact that busy, right-minded pu-
pills have little inclination to violate
laws. With their interests centered
upon their tasks while within doors
and with proper encouragement in
sports aud games upon the play
ground By teachers whose regular
duty il Is 10 supervise the grounds,
their activities are directed rather
than restrained Lessons OF self
control, OF self-discipliue, are thus
learned, while the fear OF punish
ment as an incentive to correct con-
duet Is gradually giving way to prop
or incentives. With fewer pupils
to the teacher and more attractive
surroundings Il is reasonable to as
sumo that teachers could accomplish
better results by awakening a more
lively interest In school work, and
cases OF corporal punishment would
be exceedingly rare
Studying the Boy Problem.
Our teachers institutes have been
devoted largely to the study OF the
Boy Problem, and we, are gratified
with the practical results. We I'M
derstand more fully the interests of
pupils during different stages Of de-
yeTopment, and our sympathy for
them has deepened with this under
standing.
Considerable interest is mani
tested in the writing and drawing.
After employing an additional teach
er for the sixth grade we made some
exchanges that enabled her to give
her time TO teaching writing and
drawing. For instance, Miss Jones
teaches the sixth grade history while
Miss Krister teaches the writing in
Miss Jones' room. A similar ex-
change Is made with other teachers
of the fifth and sixth grades and the
work is so combined that every pu-
pill below the high school depart
ment has the opportunity OF taking
writing and drawing under a spe-
cialist.
"The drawing material was order
ed by us and has just been delivered !
to the pupils at wholesale prices,
The cost to primary pupils is 22 |,
cents and to all others SO cents, and I,
the outfit viii last a year. Pupils /
who do not wish to take this work .
are not required to get the material. |
However there are not over a dozen
who are not taking It.
Practical Value of Drawing.
Objections to taking drawing
have arisen from misconceptlon
Of its purpose and advantages. 1t is
by no means the purpose, as some
have suggested. to make artists Of
any OF the pupils. Drawing is thor
oughly practical, when we consider
that every house, every railroad, ev-
cry car. every desk, every carpet
every piece OF wall paper every de-