The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-08-27
Proceedings Of the School Board
Donaldsonville. La. Aug. "a, 1910.

lntendentS office, With henry y. BfauQ,
president pro tenn, in the chair. and the
following members present: E. P. Melan-
con. George Bergeron, Prosper Rodriguez,
ST., w. B. Stuart, j. E. Walker and Albert
Muller. ABSENT. N. Pugh.
The reading of the minutes of the last
preceding meeting was dispensed with.
The superintendent submitted the fol-
lowingreport:
Donaldsonville. La. Aug. q, 1910
To the Honorable President and Members of the
School Board of the Parish of Ascension
Gentlemen Since the last meeting of the
board the time of the Superintendent has been
taken up principally with the selection and en-
gagement of teachers.
In accordance with your request l have pre-
pared a list of regulations governing the duties
of the high school janitor and submit same for
your approval.
calling for applications for this position of
janitor and have received five applications
which ! shall present under the head of COM
/ have also published notices in the official
organ of the board stating the date of the ex-
aminations and also the date of the opening q
the schools of the parish.
/ have notified all teachers engaged to work in
the parish to be present in Donaldsonville on
the morning of Sept. to take part in a two
days teachers meeting: expect PEI to give out at at
the schools the reading circle books to be used
in institute work during the session, and also
the old and new registers, teachers monthly re-
port blanks to the superintendent. pupils
monthly report blanks, copies of course of study,
school laws and parish school regulations.
Plans will be laid for the work of the session and
special aims discussed. 1t Is expected that this
meeting will help to unity the work of tie
schools and that mutual understanding and
sympathy in the work viii be established.
This meeting will offer splendid opportunity
for the members of the board to see and meet
the teachers collectively and individually, which
meeting is necessary in order to secure best re-
suits.
Perhaps one of the most important educational
moves in the parish since your last meeting was
the pledging on the part of the patrons at Burn
side their assistance and cooperation III estab-
fishing at that point graded school rms
move grew out of the convictions of the people
there that their children are entitled to as good
educational facilities as are the children of other
sections of the parish Never, perhaps, in the
history of Burnside have the people been more
interested in their school than they today,
is evidenced by this demand to have two
teacher school. backed by their willingness to
go down into their pockets and put up the money
to erect and furnish the building at no cost to
the board.
A meeting was recently held and called to or
der by Mr. Henry G.. Braud, who selected Mr..
Mcfarland as chairman. Mr.. Mcfarland ex-
planned the object of the meeting and took the
names of the children who would be sent to
school. He spoke in favor of the school and
showed the need for same. The superintendent,
who was present, explained the advantages OF. a
graded school. Mr.. w. b. Stuart was present at
the meeting and is prepared to speak mtell1-
gently on the subject.
Since as far as can judge, the best interests
of the children of Burnside demand graded
school, recommend that this school be made a
two-teacher school and that same be limited to
seven grades and that $500 be added to the bud
get for the purpose of engaging another teacher.
I beg to submit that after contracting with
Mrs. Tusson for teaching the primary grade in
the high school. I was notified by the state
superintendent OF the existence of a resolution
of the State Board of Education passed in Jan J,
$40, prohibiting the employment of any but
irst-grade teachersin the accredited high schools
Of the state. Upon receipt of this notice inn
nediately visited Mrs. Tusson and had her write
the state superintendent and wrote also in her
behalf, d copy of my letter being on file and
oDen to your inspection. l received a reply
stating that no concession could be made in the
interest of Mrs. Tusson. This reply is also on
file and open to inspection.
While / regret exceedingly that Mrs. Fusson
will be unable to qualify by meeting the de-
mands made upon those schools entitled to
grant state diplomas and receiving the special
appropriation of $500 year from the state, and
while /, who am perhaps in q position to know
Mrs. Tusson's worth better than any other per-
son in the parish regret to lose her services and
to her deprived If her position. still my dnty
is clear and must ever lie IN the interest OF the
school and not OF the individual.
! therefore recommend, much to my regret,
that in order to continue to have the privilege Of
having the high school retained on the list of
| approved schools; in order to have the privilege
this and succeeding classes, and in order to OBJ
tain the $500 appropriation made yearly to these
schools, an amount SO badly needed today the
contract with Mrs. FuSSOn be cancelled.
i further recommend that Mrs. Tusson be
given the privilege of conducting a private
school in one of the class rooms in the high
school building made vacant by the inability to
employ a teacher for that room on account OF
lack of funds allotted for the maintenance OF
the high school.
have bought, subject to your approval, reg
1zEo, EoA he fooP hnrc IF ha
monthly report blanks to be filed by the teacher
and given out in all OF the schools also file to
facilitate the handling of teachers monthly re-
ports to the superintendent.
In as much as in the future the pupils OF the
high school will be deprived of the use of the
public square as playground; in as much as
| the campus is small for the number of children
who occupy it; and in as much as the public
road adjoining same and separat ing the school
campus from the park is seldom used for traffic
I recommend that the board petition the town
council to condemn this street as a public
| thoroughfare and dedicate same to the school,
campus l recommend further that the Park
| Commission be asked to remove the brick ban
anette and fill in the bitches and thus make the
campus continuous with the park beautifyine
| same and assisting the school authorities in
| identifying the school campus.
In selecting teachers for the schools of the par
ish there are many points to be considered toe
numerous to mention here. Among them are
| the character and personality of the teacher and
her adaptability to the particular community
| This calls for some knowledge of the character
/ and disposition of the teacher obtained through
| personal acquaintance or through school boards
! principals or Superintendents. Good character
! should be placed first because the prime duty o.
the teacher is to train for future life and hence
| the highest and noblest characters are hone toe
good as models or ideals for the pupils to follow
| The teacher should, when possible, be a trained
| teacher that is, she should have made "a study
| of her profession as the physician has of his
She should have good working kno Wedge OF
| the brain and of its faculties. and how best tc
| develop them and in what order they develop
| She must know at what stages of the child's
school career the perceptiye and imaginative
| faculties are strongly in evidence craving food
material and again when the faculty of reason is
calling for development.
/ The trained teacher who has studied the his
/ tory of educational development of countries
and nations who has studied pedagogy anC
| methods and psychology has been trained tC
| think along these lines and is not so apt tt
/ make the mistake at the expense of the children
and the schools as is the unframed teacher who
/ for instance knows nothing of the imaginative
age of the child the age of story and myth, ane
who is Just as apt to expect children of one stage
/ of DEVELOPMENT to do what properly belongs t.
/ another period in the mental growth OF the in
dividual or the class
/ There are hundreds of opportunities which
/ present themselves in the classroom and on tht
! campus which the trained teacher sees and takes
/ advantage of which pass Unnoticed by the un
| trained and this is one of the many reasons why
] orr ,oc% .SocTT offta for