The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-12-08
SCHOOLS
oskALoosA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

OSkAlOOSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The following teachers report per-
feet punctuality: Lincoln school, Ken
worthy, Richards, Grace, Moore, owen |;
jefferson school, Frost, Smith, Dorgan
Hoffman; Webster school, Forsyth,
Williams, Welch, Leslie, Cricket;
Grant school, Bingaman, Erwin; Whit.
tier school, Drinkle, Thomas, Ruan,
Schneider. Webster school leads all
others in percentage of punctuality
with standing of 1895. In attend
ance, Grant school leads the other
Grammar schools with a standing OF
1864. 4s..
The city schools will close for the
regular holiday vacation on Friday, De
cember 49, They will reconvene for
the winter term Monday, January 2
At the close of the present term the
regular rhetorical programs will be
given in the different rooms.
The first semester of the year is ap
preaching the end, and teachers and
pupils are looking forward to an esti
mate Of the half-year's work. 1t Is
very apparent that many cases of fail
ure will be due to lack of application
social distractions or indifference. Tt
quote from circular issued last
spring: AT least two hours of sys
tematic home study is essential to sat
isfactory progress in the High schoo
department and, as far as possible
nothing should be permitted to inter
fere with such study. Social functions
or other diversions should be enjoyed
at the weeks end and not permitted
to tax the pupils strength, Us well a:
divert his mind from the more serious
tasks during the school week. Mos
cases of encouragement and failure
date their origin from social distrac
items, or poor attendance. 1t should
be remembered that the school is {
place of business and regular, promp
attendance means such in the daily
preparation of lessons assigned" We
would make this statement as strong
as possible and sincerely hope tina
pupils, and parents alike, will see to il
that the regular work has the right o.
way. 1t has been generally agreed
that two hours Of home study Is neces
sary to certain progress in the Higl
school, and this Is the concensus o.
school teachers and patrons every
where. While it Is not necessary il
the upper Grammar grades to devote
so much time to study at home, yet we
would advise at least one hour of care
full, systematic effort devoted to prep
aration of school work.
We wish to call attention to the de
partmental work now being carried OF
in four of the city schools, namely
Jefferson, Webster, Grant and Whit
tier. 1t has long since been found al
excellent plan of conducting the wori
in the High school, but in compare
lively recent times has departmental
work been seriously attempted in the
upper grades. Briefly stated, depart
mental work means that certain sub
jects in several grades are assigned t.
one teacher who conducts the recita
lions, assigns lessons, and has genera
oversight of those subjects in her par
ticular grades. The advantages of de
parbmental work are many, among thu
more important of which may be men
TONED the following: First; The plar
permits of specialization on the part o.
the teachers and enables them to en-
rich and enlarge the given subjects
for their classes; second: the plar
enables the teacher to follow the pu
pill in a given subject throughout sew
eral years and TO know his strength
and weakness in that subject, thereby
enabling her to strengthen the pupi
where needed; third: The plan pre-
pares the pupil for departmental wori
found in any High school of consider
able size. BY having work under diff
ferent teachers in the upper grades
the change is not so abrupt for the pu
pill on entering High school where hC
comes into contact with several in
structoTs. In the Jefferson, Grant and
Whittier schools the work is conduct
ed on the departmental plan in the
sixth, seventh and eighth grades, while
in the Webster school the work reach
es down into the fifth grade. Instead
of the pupils going from room to room
as Is done in the High school, the
teachers change rooms at stated inter
walls. The plan is being watched care
fully and excellent results are antici
pated,
All are familiar, We presume, al
least in general way, with the move
ment throughout the country for equip
ping Fairgrounds with suitable appara
tus for children's plays and games. A
determined effort is to be made local
ly on behalf of our schools in the same
direction during the current school
year; in fact. the Lincoln school has
already made an effort and very sue
cessful one, towards securing funds fol
this purpose. The time has come wheI
the use and value of the playground as
an educational factor. is being recog
nized more and more. In the larger
cities of our country considerable
sums have already been expended II
providing, not only grounds themselves