The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-03-04

the ungraded classes part OF the
time, to the disadvantage of the slow
or dull pupils, but since occupying
the Lincoln building all this has been
remedied.
The departmental work in the up
per grammar grades continues to be
successful. BY this method the
teachers work is greatly lightened
and the results are vastly better
than those obtained under the old
system. Each teacher has charge of
the subject or subjects for which she
has made the best preparation, and
which she is best adapted to teach,
and the children, consequently, get
! the benefit of the best instruction,
not in few subjects, but in all.
Manual training has been estab-
| lished in all our schools from the
kindergarten through all the grades
of the grammar schools. This work
when properly conducted will coun-
teract the tendency to drop out of
| school and will transform many
dull, shiftless boy into a bright and
industrious one. The results, so far,
are as good as could be expected,
and, no doubt, the second semester's
work will demonstrate the value of
the work. In the primary grades,
raffia, light cardboard, and clay are
the mediums through which the
manual training ideas are worked
out. In the intermediate grades,
reed and passepartout, while in the
grammar grades the boys do shop
work and the girls take sewing and
cooking.
Two forms of work planned for
this year were abandoned during the
first semester because of building
conditions, those of special work in
language training and nature study
or elementary agriculture. The
| former will not be taken up this
year, as the teachers time is SEEM
ingly needed in the high school.
The latter will be taken up in an
other month, when conditions are
suitable for school gardening. This
subject is one of large Importance to
the schools of North Yakima, owing
to its farming and fruit raising in
dustries, and one which should no
longer be neglected. We hope to
convince you before long, if you are
in need of being convinced, that
school gardening or nature study
will give our children the habit of
accurate observation of the real
things Of their natural surroundings.
Before closing my report, permit
me to menti the slight difficulty
at the high school. or rather its set
Element, which occupied the atten-
tion of rhe public a few days ago. l
! think the difficulty was somewhat
magnified, and an undue Importance
attached to it. Several members of
the class appeared at my office by
appointment and discussed the mat
ter with me very frankly I discov-
cred nothing defiant or insubordinate
in their attitude toward school au-
thority. They stated that they in
tended by means of the paper which
one of the class drew up to express
their purpose of continuing the prec-
edent established by previous classes,
of holding The Junior Prom" an
annual function held for the purpose
of raising money to banquet the
seniors. Unfortunately, there had
been considerable discussion over
the affair, and this made the declara-
ton of the class appear defiant. but.
as soon as this was made plain to
them they decided they would take
their names from the paper as
unit, stating that they were unwill-
ing to do anything that would re-
fleet upon the good name of the
school. The paper was destroyed by
the president of the class and all re-
turned to their work This closed
the incident.
Permit me to say in conclusion
the teacher is the dominant force in
every school system, and the success
of the North Yakima schools is
largely due to the corps of efficient.
faithful, conscientious. happy teach
ers, all working together in har-
mony with the executive agencies of
the department. The superior quail
ity of the teaching force engaged in
the work of instruction in North
Yakima cannot help but make good
schools, and through them good men
and women of the boys and girls who
attend them.
Number enrolled for the month:
bo!S 10