The Princeton union., 1908-09-03

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
VIII Open Monday Next and Fun Attend
ance Is Reuueateds

ag /.
VIII Open Monday Next and Fun Attend
ance Is Requested.
Our public schools open next Mon
day, September !, and it is thought
proper at this time to call the atten-
tion of parents to a few things in
which all ought to be interested.
1st. School opens Monday and not
a week from Monday. There are
usually a few who keep their children
out of school for week or two think
ing that the first few days of school
are not very important anyway and
that the work can be made up without
difficulty. This is a serious mistake
and works a great damage both to the
child and to the school as we'll. When
this child enters school a week or
two after it has commenced the teacher
has to 60 over the ground second
time for the special benefit of this par
ticular boy or girl or else give him
individual assistance after school
hours; or, as is done in some cases,
let him catch up the best way he can.
The latter is too often the case, and
those children who enter school late
never get the first part of the ground
that has been covered. They become
discouraged and lose interest, and
that quite naturally.
Therefore, unless it is absolutely
impossible, have the children start the
first day of school.
I'd. The second point that I wish
to mention is irregularity in attend
ance. This is, in fact, more impor-
tant than the first. Irregularity in
attendance will absolutely and without
qualification destroy the interest of
any boy or girl in school work. There
are so many causes why children are
kept out occasionally. Sometimes to
go to the fair, sometimes to take care
of the baby while mother goes to tie
club, sometimes for one reason and
sometimes for another reason. We
realize of course that there are good
and valid reasons why a pupil should
be. detained at home as, for example,
sickness of the pupil or sickness in the
family. We are not discussing these
cases. e 80 =
Irregularity in attendance works
great injury to the school and where
there is very much Of it teacher can,
with difficulty, do good work in the
school room. The greatest injury,
however, is to the pupil himself.
When one is Irregular in attendance
he naturally falls behind his class, and
as soon as this happens all interest in
school work comes to an end. The
reason why so many boys and girls
are so anxious to stop school when
they reach the fifth, sixth and seventh
grades is because they have been so
Irregular in attendance at school that
all interest has been lost.
You would think a farmer verv
foolish if, when harvest time came
around, he were to harvest grain one
day, go fishing the next, to the fair
the third day and then return to his
harvest field the next day. You would
think rightly for he would be foolish
man and lacking common sense. And
yet that is just what is happening to
our boys and girls when we do not
keep them in school regularly. We
are having harvest in the various
school houses every day, and if your
children are not present they simply
miss the harvest. -.-s= -.
Therefore keep the children in
school each day and every day the
year round, unless in case of absolute
necessity. f..
I'd. In case parents feel, at certain
times, that their children have not
been treated just right by the teacher,
1t would be "a positive kindness to the
teacher If the parent would 60 to that
teacher and state in a kindly manner
just what the grievance is. In most
cases difficulties can be easily settled
WAeu parents can meet teacher face
to face and have talk. 49,
4th. 1t has always seeemd to me
that those having children in school
should make it a point to visit the
schools often. In this way parents
and teachers will become acquainted
with each other and at the same time
the children would soon see that their
parents were interested in the welfare
of the children.
J. G. Marshall, supt.
Onamia Village Election
At the first village election held in
onamia last Friday the following
officers were elected: President of the
L ~ T.ssN - Tn {