Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-15
PuBLlc--SCAOOLS
Open Tuesday Through
out City Of Augusta.
Auspicious Outlook and Sp|en.
did Corps Of Teachers.
New High School Building In
Shape for Occupancy.

! The public schools of Augusta
opened Tuesday in all grades. The
High school session began at $50 and
the grade schools at A. M. Superln-
tendent of Schools D. w. LaRue states
that the outlook has never been SO
suspicious for good schools in the city
of Augusta as at the opening of the
present school year. The corps of
teachers is distinctively the best that
has ever been engaged in school work
| in this city. improvements along the
line of buildings and furnishings have
given a decidedly better school plant
and made possible an amount and
quality of work that has not been at
tainable under previous conditions.
Supt. LaRue desires that parents,
who have pupils of school age and who
wish them to enter school at any time
during the year should see to it that
they enter Immediately upon the re-
opening of school. The kindergarten
and first grade work is seriously ham,
pered each year on account OF the late
entrance of pupils, who should nave
| been present at the beginning of the
term.
| The addition to the Cony High school
+, building is not completed in every de-
| tail, but the interior is sufficiently COM
peted so that it can be used to adj
vantage and the new building was oc-
cupied upon the opening of school.
| The High school building with the adj
dition will be occupied by the pupils
of the four High school grades and
Grade TX as well, which is hereafter to
be known in the school scheme as the
Junior High school.
Courses in advanced music and free
hand drawing will be offered in the
High school this year as electives.
| The work in elocution in the High
school will be continued as it was last
year. Advanced algebra and trigo-
nOmetry and first year German are also
authorized as electives in the High
school curriculum and these courses
will be given if at least five students
elect these subjects. Instrumental
music pursued under the direction of
approved instructors outside the school
will be given credit in points. The
course in German contemplates work
extending over two or three years and
replace the course in German offered
several years ago. which was incom-
plete and only provided for single
year course.
The Junior High school pupils will
observe the same hours as those in the
four regular High school classes.
These pupils have been assigned to the
first floor of the new building and Will
occupy two large rooms on the west
side of the building. The classes TAX
ing the commercial course have been
assigned to the second floor of the old
building. The large room on the first
floor of the old building, formerly the
general assembly room. will now be
used as study hall. The new gen.
eral assembly room will be on the third
floor of the new building. Miss Lottie
NJ. harrington will have charge of the
Junior High school and will be assisted
by Miss Mary S. White.
The number of changes in the gen.
eral teaching force in the public schools
is about the same this year as usual.
The work in manual training, which
was begun last year has been extended
to department and Miss V. Gertrude
Fletcher of this city has charge of the
organization of the work of this new
department. Miss Fletcher is a gradu-
ate of Pratt Institute and has taught
in SkOWhegan and other places with
marked success. The work in manual
training outlined provides for a system
to extend from the kindergarten to the
High school and prepares the way for
a future extension of the course, which
shall =
ing for High school students.
The work up to Grade VII under stlIe
present plan will be local for EACH room
while Grades VII, VIII and TX will be
taken care of in the basement of the
old High school building in which
benches for the work are now being
installed. The work in manual train
ing before this year has applied to the
pupils of the first four grades only and
included clay modelling, weaving and
basketry.
Miss Mildred r. Cate of Salem,
Mass. has been chosen to have charge
| Of the work in sewing in place of Miss
| Ella A. Parton, who resigned to take
| up other duties. Miss Cate will begin
the work in sewing at once. A course
| in cooking will be offered to pupils of
Grade TX.
| All the school buildings have been
put in first class shape for school
work during the summer vacation
Extensive repairs have been made at
the Smith building. A new floor has
been laid and the settees and chairs
painted in the assembly room. The
partition has been removed between
two small rooms on the third floor.
making one large room, which Grade
| VI will occupy. This change has been
made possible by the removal of
1 Grade TX from this building to the
4 Junior High school.