Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-02

Department sessions were held at the
High school building. beginning at 2
r. Nj. Miss Marietta Parshley of Gar
diner presided over the Primary de-
partment work. Miss Lucy M. Sweet
sir and class. Of Grade ", Highland
avenue school, Gardiner, gave a dem
onstration of primary Work in Geog-
raphy. Music in Primary Grades"
was taken up by Miss FLORENCE Per-
k.ns of Waterville and Superintendent
Dennis E. Bowman of Waterville
treated of Limits of Number Work
in the First -Four Grades -,
Principal Weston Lewis of the Will
liams Grammar school, Augusta,
opened the discussion as to "How
Early Should Technical Grammar be
Begun" The discussion from the
Grammar school standpoint was open
ed by Miss BERTHE E.. Libby of Oakland
and the High school standpoint was
considered by Principal II. L. Pratt of
the Lawrence High school, Fairfield.
Miss Susie Carey of Gardiner, assist
ant ir the Highland Avenue Grammar
school CAV" II demonstration of a
class from Grade TX in analysis and
passing.
Principal Farnsworth G. Marshall of
Cony High school. Augusta. presided
in tho Secondary school department.
The impression upon the. pupil of
four years of High school life was con-
sidered by Principal George L., Jones
of Oak Grove Seminary, Vassalboro
The troublesome question of the eek
tent of Schel Authority with Reference
to Athletics" was taken up by Prin-
cipal Burr +. Jones of Waterville and
discussed by Sub-master Charles w.
Davis of Oak Grove Seminary and
others. superintendent William L.
Powers of Fort Fairfield discussed the
"Place' of Nature Study in the School,
Especially in the Secondary School"
Superintendent Powers work in con-
Quoting nature study classes while
principal of the Gardiner High school
gave him an especial qualification for
discussing this subject and he was
listened to with much interest.
The department sessions closed at 4
p NJ. At 4.40 by invitation of Mayor
Atkins, a party of about 60 of the
teachers took trip to the National
Home at Togus, while others enjoyed
sightseeing about the city.
The evening session was held n
Library hall beginning at 7.30 P. M.
The first speaker of the evening was
DR.. w. p. Giddings of Gardiner, whose
subject was Education" DR.. Gid
dings' address was scholarly one,
sketching briefly the history of educa-
ton and then treating of the scientific
principles underlying educational pro-
gresS. '"'' "~'''' -" - r.
Dl~+
In order to prepare the audience
present for the address of Prof. Will
liam r. Foster Of Bowdoin College
upon ''Simplified Spelling" just before
the opening of the meeting tracts upon
spelling reform were distributed among
those present. Prof. Fosters argu-
ment was a plea for what he called
independent Thinking" upon the sub
ject of spelling. He characterized the
sentiment what has been should be"
as most pernicious idea, particularly
when applied to language. He declar-
ed that many of the accepted spellings
We're unscientfic and unreasonable and
came by chance or the caprice of the
dictionary makers.
After a charmingly executed piano
solo by Miss Alice NJ Richards of the
Gardiner High school faculty the clos
ing address was given by State Super
intendent of Schools Payson Smith
His subject was Common Things of
Life" and dealt particularly with the
common school and the home and their
influence upon the child. He said that
people were just beginning to realize
that they should send the whole body
Of the child as well as the head to
school and argued that the school
needed the corporation of the home
in order to do it's best work