The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-25

finger, or raging toothacbe has not
been eased before the child was sent
home. Especially interesting is the
fumigator, small pump filled with
oil of cedar which is effectively spray
over the person Of the young cigarette
fiend who is booted by his companions
as long as the cedary smell remains
in his clothing. Especially progress
i've has been the Montpelier idea in
securing and installing individual
drinking cups, individual paper tow
els, liquid soap, etc, and inquiries
have been received from Maine to
California concerning these new feat
ures AS result, healthy mouths
and brains and bodies are the usual
thing.
Other Notes.
| An organization which has brought
no small renown to the school is the
Montpelier Fife and Drum Corps, led
by w. d. Bartlett and comprising
many nationalities in the small army
of fifers and drummers, the largest
organization of similar kind in the
world Ovations have greeted the
youngsters wherever they have trav-
eled, and they are practicing at 1t
daily. The Boys of Vermont is club
comprising of "a youngsters who
have not the advantage of the Y. M.
G.. A. and who play indoor baseball,
basketball etc, and while away the
winter evenings in wholesome
way.
The privilege system in the High
School frees the seniors, practically
from regulations and the influence of
the upper classes has wholesome eff
feet upon the younger in good govern
ment. This system is preferred to
the self government system which is
in vogue in many places.
The school board itself is peculiar
ly constructed. The city elects one
representative from each of the six
wards and the Is trustees of the
Washington County Grammar School,
a self-perpetuating body since 1913,
elect three of their number who join
the school board forces, making a
board of nine progressive, wideawake
men. The policy of the board has
been and is progressive, and this Pc
culiar construction has proved Of in
finite value in guarding the make
up of the board from political in
fiuences alone. Montpelier has pro-
gressive superintendent of schools
and it's High School faculty is OF
the progressive order, as is evidenced
by the work accomplished in recent
years.
The teaching staff is up-to-date in
every sense and not few literary
productions have been or are to be
published from this source. Prof
Brownscombe's book on secondary ed.
ucation was published year ago and
has been very favorably commented
upon by educators. Principal E. S
Abbott, of the High School has fur.
nished the New England supplement
for a standard arithmetic and has
written song poems. Miss Rose Lucia
principal of the new school building
has completed history for young
people which Is in the hands of the
publishers; Mrs. w. E. Terrill, of the
grades, is preparing book upon ply
| steal training, and Miss Rundell, o.
, the musical department, has writer
music for several songs.
Just how close an eye the schoo
authorities keep upon the children IL
instanced by the following statistics
of one fifth grade, similar statistic!
: having been compiled in every othel
grade and in the High School: Ag'
of greatest frequency, 10; average
age, ia; defective hearing or sight
80 per cent; backward children, 81
per cent; normal, AZ per cent; ap
proximate percentage of backward
children whose condition of nutrition
and clothing is not good, 9 per cent
SohC VI MI hloi ShAiuiOhs ", pei SOHs
of children who have had kindergar
ten training, 81; their comparative
standing, high, 4; average, 3; low, 0
J. per cent. in industrial work, 100; val
I ue of this in interest, EXCEPTIONAL,
! good; in discipline, very good; tardi
ness, per cent. q; causes, doing er
q rands and slow clocks; sex rankin
3 high, boys, SO per cent; girls, 81 pc
3 cent; failures, boys, SO per cent.
girls, Al per cent; foreign birth o
!, parentage failures, per cent; tota
a per cent. of children Of foreign brit
s or parentage, per cent; number re
e ported for contagious diseases, II; pc
u cent born in Montpelier, 40; else
where in Vermont, "a; elsewhere 4
9 United States, IA; foreign born, s pc
i cent; the relation of attendance t
G scholarship, very close; causes {
: non-attendance, illness, work q
u home; relation between average an
. dropping out, close; children VIII
l. have never failed promotion, 26 pc
Is cent; those who have failed once, 8
n per cent; twice or more, IL per cent
X Should we have medical inspection
B. the schools? Yes.
10y