The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-09-14
new GRADING FOR
COUNTY schools
County Superintendent Jones
Issues Explanatory Letter to
Teachers and Patrons.
MEET IN REYNOLDSVILLE SATURDAY

am glad to be able to announce that
the Department Of Public Instruction
has prepared course Of study and
manual Of Instruction for the elemen-
tary schools OF the state. This will
materially assist US In our school work.
One Of the great sources Of waste In the
past has been the fact that teachers
have been at loss TO know what sub
ject matter to use In the various grades.
This new course OF study makes this
matter plain, and elso gives much VAL
liable instruction In methods and man.
agement. Districts now having q dis
trict course OF study will continue to
use same or adopt the state course, as
the principal and school board may
decide. In all other schools it is UNDER
stood that the new course goes into
effect at once and 1t is the duty OF the
teacher to secure copy OF the same in
the manner hereinafter named and use
the same intelligently. All diploma
examinations will be based on this
course, and teachers will be examined
to ascertain their knowledge OF the mat
ter and method presented In this man.
ual. | will closely observe the use made
OF this course Of study, and failure to
properly grade the school and teach
the matter set forth for the different
grades will be considered serious
neglect OF duty.
have received notice from the De-
partment that copy OF this course for
each teacher has been shipped to me.
am very desirous Of meeting the
teachers to discuss the new course and
Its application and other pressing
school problems; am therefore calling
two teachers meetings, and will at this
time give each teacher copy Of the
course Of study; several instructors will
be procured for these occasions. Every
teacher is expected to cooperate by
being present at one Of these meetings.
One will be held at Reynoldsville Sat-
urday, September 18th, and one at
Brookville Saturday, September oath;
both meetings will begin promptly ct
$50 a. IN. Teaching is the main bus-
iness OF teachers and you should not let
something else keep you from attending
one Of these meetings.
The course Of study must be wisely
used; In order that we may intelligent
ly discuss its use al our meetings, I am
going TO make few preliminary sug-
gestions.
Grading: The school must be intel
ligently graded; II they are not in the
proper grade. they must tactfully be
placed In the grade to which they be-
long.
Alterations: In one. room school Il
Is impossible to maintain separate
classes for each grade In all the
branches. In the past several grades
have been combined In most branches.
This Is really what Is done In alterna-
tion, but the combining is done with
such system that the pupil passing
through the school is given all the
work OF all the grades grade by grade;
we have the regular union OF two
grades OF pupils, both grades doing the
work OF one grade in one year, while
the other years work Is entirely omit
ted for that year. The next year the
work Of the grade omitted the previous
year is taken up and that done the pre-
vious year is omitted. 1t often happens
that the classes in country schools are
small; this makes It difficult TO MAIN
tain interest; alienation will make
the classes larger and more interesting.
The following plan Of alienation for
the ungraded schools Of this county IL
given: Seventh and eighth years. work,
alternated In everything: fifth and
sixth alternated in everything; thi, d
aud fourth alternated in everything;
6rst and second In part Of the language
and all OF the hygeine. In each G. se
the more advanced Of the two grades
that are to alternate is to be taken up
this year and all even numbered years,
then the other of the two alternating
years work is to be taught in the odd
numbered years. Thus the work OF the
eighth grade will be taught to both
seventh and eighth grade pupils this
year, and next year both the eighth
and seventh grade pupils will be given
the work outlined. for the seventh
grade. This matter will be fully
threshed over at the teachers meeting.
! trust all teachers will be present to
help with the .hreshing. am,
Respectfully,
n