The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-11-05
Rankin County ST.. A.

Dear Teachers, am giving you
this week, in part, a paper read
by Miss Tyna Pate, Of Coffeeville,
before the institute conductors at
the University last summer. Miss
Pate is 4 teacher Of great ability
and am sure each of you will en-
/ joy this paper.
In order that we NAV have
another meeting before the doors
are closed on competitors, the time
of entering has been changed from
Dec. Ist to Jan ,Ist.
We have had an excellent
picture lesson on this subject from
Supt. Kern, of Illinois. We have
listened to very clear and COM
Iprehenslve paper from Miss Powell,
setting forth the purposes and
plans OF the work in our own state.
and now we wish to bring the
work closer, by giving few prac-
itlcal suggestions and telling you of
some OF the things that have been
done. The people Will help in this
work of School Improvement if the
teachers will get hold of them in
the right way. The people do not
know that they can do anything
without money and they need to
be shoWnsthat there is much they
can have with little expense. 1t
will mean much hard work ON the
part OF the teachers, but teachers
like to work hard.
Many teachers do not know the
value of material which is plentiful
all around them. One day this
week a teacher came to Miss
Powell and asked if the trees and
shrubs were furnished by the I'm
provement association and where
they might be obtained. You
know Miss PoWell's answer. "Use.
what you find growing in the
country near your school. What
have you, the elm, maple, umbrel-
la china9 and she mentioned
several other trees commonly
found in this state. Nearly all of
these grew in the community of the
Iinqulring teacher. The graded
school teacher can help the rural
teachers of their county by going
out to the association meetings and
showing the work they do in the
graded schools, and better by
giving material to the rural teach
ers and showing them how to use
it. One young woman redeemed
her pledge by sending busy work
material and pictures to rural
teacher. The club woman may
help by giving magazines, plants
and papers read at their meetings.
If there are culture clubs in any of
the towns of the county, the mem
bers will be glad if given an OPP
portunity to help in the work. 1t
is the teachers business to give
them the opportunity.
The flower lovers can give cut
/ tings and plants. The seamstress
can make curtains. The carpenter
can, make shelves, racks, book
stands and window shades. The
/ patchWorker can make cushions.
/ The painter can paint blackboards.
Those who have nothing to give
can help scrub floors, windows,
Ipolish stoves and clean walls. The
merchant can give boxes for the
windows. When you approach a
business man and tell him about
the Improvement Association, have
a definite plan in view. A bust
ness man has no time to waste. If
he asks what he shall do have a
definite suggestion ready at once.
In Lincoln county the amount of
/ the prize, and the purpose for
which it is expended, are published
i in the county paper.
In competing for these prizes,
much is done for the Improvement
of the schools.
1t is big undertaking for one
teacher who has eight grades, to
give school entertainment; but
one young lady in Yalobusha county
made S3I.75 in one evening. She
had some friends in town who
were glad to help her. with music
land readings. The school children
sold the tickets. This same young
woman bought pictures for her
school room with her own money.
In regard to pictures, should like
to say that in some schoolrooms
pictures are thrown together, with
out any regard to grade. Often
teachers do not know what pictures
to get. Each picture put up should
mean something to the children.
Rankin County Union at Pickett.