The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-25
A Progressive, Modern, Educational
System in Operation.
STUDY MADE A PLEASURE
History the City Scholastic Montpelier Policy to Give
Every Pupil Chance to Do His Best-Much Made of the
Social Idea-Advanced Sanitary Methods Used.

''To serve thy generation-this thy
fate.
Written in water, swiftly fades thy
name.
But he who loves his kind, does frst
and last
A work too great for fame"
This truth has a conspicuous place
on the walls of the office of the Su-
perintendent of Schools. Doubtless,
some such thought has urged on the
imposing array of school masters and
school ma'ams who have achieved,
collectively, though the individual has
been lost in the achievement, the
present Montpelier public school sys-
tenn, system of which the taxpayers
may we'll be proud and which is wor-
thy the -progressiveness of the CAPT.
tai of Vermont
The first school house in Montpelier
was long cabin affair built on the
banks of the stream near Middlesex
in 1889 and the first master was ia
cob Davis, Jr. Later sessions were
held in the home of Col. Davis in the
village proper and David Wing, Jr,
welded the birch. In 1894, the town
was divided into six districts and
schools maintained regularly, there
after.
In November, 1910, Montpelier
Academy was incorporated and in
1913, Washington County Grammar
School, was endowed with the rent
of school lands. The first academy
building was a two story wooden
structure standing in the triangular
intersection of Spring and Main
streets by the old academy bridge.
This building was burned in 1922 and
a brick structure replaced it, this
also being superseded by the Union
School building, erected to house the
grammar school and four school dis
tricts, at cost of $4,000. In con-
nection with the agitation just sub
siding concerning the securing OF
land for the new High School build
ing to be erected in the near future,
the statement in Hemenway's Ga
zeteer that the school lands OF the
city are sufficient for school pur-
poses for many generations to come,
is interesting. Evidently, the fore
fathers of Montpelier didn't look up
on ample Fairgrounds as strictly ne
cessary to the proper upbringing OF
youth. OF the former principals OF
the grammar school, or High School
Daniel D. Gorham and Joseph A. De-
Boer made the deepest impress and
various worthy men preceded and
followed them.
1t was a matter of few years be-
fore the Union School building was
overcrowded and a large wing was
added at the rear. Nine years ago
to house the overflow, the new schoo
building on East State street was
erected for the primary and inter
mediate grades, and today, the new
High School building is an impera'
tive necessity because the schoo
population again overcrowds the &C
commodations offered. And nothing
could speak more emphatically in be
half of the progressive growth of thu
town than the steadily and rapid!
increasing growth of the school pop
ulation.
This article deals, especially, how
nuor with tho nrocont Svefppa a.
planned and executed and improves
upon since the days of the Davise
and the birch rod.
The Educational Idea.
The difference between the genera
scheme of education systems tn
world over and the American idea l
that the former seeks to eliminate tn
unfit. That is, compulsory cours
is offered and the student who can
not meet Its requirements is droppe
out. So firmly has the eliminatio
idea fixed itself upon the educator
that some of them have been know
to congratulate themselves upo
wedding out the youngsters who fai
ed to pass. The American system
to give everybody chance and thf
is the system used in Montpelier Hig
School today, a system in advance
many of the larger centers of tn
country and in line with the Pre-
gressive policy of the best school
The idea takes root in the grade
There are three first grades, tw
for the accommodation of norm'
children, the other attended exclu
lively by those children who failed
pass from the kindergarten by rel
son of iii health, or other defect.
the end of the third grade, is VIII
is called the ga grade, which car
for those who failed promotion.
the end of the 9TH grade is the b..
also designed for backward pupi
and the students who failed prom
ton into the 9th grade and the stu
ents who became 9Th graders In u
regular course, are separated for q
remainder of the course through q
upper grades, the intention being
keep the birds of feather togeths
..fx,ino fha hrtOhtar nt,nf1s a chan