The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-10-08
Letter to School Patrons,


letter given to The News and adj
dressed to patrons of the public
schools. asks for earnest cooperation
from parents of pupils, in view of the
new feature in the schools, in order to
obtain the best possible results from
school work. Following is the letter.
To the Patrons of the Norfolk
Schools: Whatever inefficiency may
be charged to our public schools is due
as much to lack of full understanding
and cooperation between teachers and
school officers on one hand, and Ia
rents on the other, as to any other
one cause. 1t is the wish of the school
officers and teachers of Norfolk to
minimize, just as much as possible,
this lack of cooperation, which |
think exists even at present in much
less degree than in many other places.
To this end | wish to call attention
to new feature in our schools; to
explain it's purposes, method of ope-
ration, ETC., and to ask your unquali-
fed help and hearty cooperation in
making it effective.
This is the departmental plan in the
VI, VII and VIII grades. The purposes
four grade teachers in the high school
building to handle more easily the
large number of pupils which must
necessarily be handled in these grades
and rooms which is increasing with
each school-year. In the second place
the plan is intended to decrease the
number of failures in these higher
grades by having pupils study always
] Il no rigin
the help of teacher.
Under this plan each teacher has
her special subject to teach instead
of teaching all the subjects of one
grade as heretofore. She teaches this
subject in all five divisions of the
department. The teacher can in this
way bring her very best effort to bear
upon the subject in which she is
really most skilled. Her teaching can
be much more effective than when
her effort is divided among ten or
eleven different branches
Perhaps the greatest advantage is
the supervision of study. OF the four
rooms used by the department, one
is always used as study room. The
teacher in charge of this room has
nothing to do but see to it that pu'
pills are studying the proper subject
and to give assistance to those who
need it. Under the old system q
| teachers time was constantly oc-
Cupied with recitatiOns. She had op'
portunity only out of school hours
to help backward pupils, and then OF
course could only help one or two
pupils each evening. | think there
can be no doubt but that this plan will
decrease materially the number OF
failures each semester.
One thing however is very essential
That the pupils follow exactly the
study program as outlined. 1t is nee
essary that each pupil study each sub
iect in just the proper period. A Ger
tain amount of studying at home is
required. This is in subjects that re
quire no reference books. Pupils OF
the eighth grade are expected to spend
one and onehalf hours each day in
home study. The home subjects fol
grade eight are grammar, physiology
and spelling. In some cases spelling
can be studied at school before schoo
begins in the morning and afternoon
But every eighth grader should have
his physiology and grammar at home
each evening. The time spent at home
SlOulu Dt upOl ltdl SOllh Sluuy ehN
not in half-play, half-study.
The seventh graders are expected tC
spend one hour and forty minutes il
home study. Their home subjects are
grammar, physiology or reading cor
alternate days. spelling and menta
Arithmetic. The same thing applies t.
spelling in this grade and the sixth
b as in the eighth, but the other books
should be brought home every evening
Pupils of the sixth B are expected
to spend one hour in home study
upon reading, history and spelling.
Your cooperation in securing thu
best results from this home study Il
most earnestly requested. Each pupi
in this department has been givel
two copies of the printed program
for his grade-one to take home t
his parents the other to be kept a
school, Unless this program is fol
lowed exactly, good results are i'm
possible. We hope through your as
sistance to make this plan accomplish
all it is intended to do for the boy
and girls of Norfolk.
Most sincerely yours,
Fred. NJ. Hunter