Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-09-08
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Hunts Perfect
Baking Powder
and F1avoring
Extracts
some ADVICE TO
PUPILS PARENTS
FRANCES TEACHER SENDS OUT
CIRCULAR TO PATRONS IN
HIS DISTRICT.
At Request Of County Superintendent
Of Schools vioness it is Herewith
Printed for the Benefit of Other
Districts.

l. FrInteo TOT INC oeneHt OF Otne
! Districts.
The following letter was sent to the
school patrons in the Frances School
District in this county by the teacher
employed there.
County Superintendent Vigness
found that the letter contains so many
good points that he asked the teacher
for permission to publish it for the
benefit Of parents and guardians in
other districts as WELL
1t is herewith published:
Dear Friends:
AS the beginning of another school
term draws hear it occurs to me to
write letter to you, my co-workers
in the business Of educating your
children, in order to acquaint you
somewhat with what we wish to &C.
complish and more especially with
what you may do to help along.
1t gives me pleasure to note that
all the patrons Of this district seem
inclined to encourage the school, and
this causes me to believe that you will
all be glad to cooperate with me to
achieve as much as possible this com.
ing term.
The course of study. for the com.
mon schools of North Dakota outlines
work for eight years of nine months
each. All teacheAs are supposed to
follow this course, but it is almost
impossible to do so where there is less
than nine months school in a year
and they change teachers every year.
You see there is work outlined for
every month Of every year in every
subject So if child has to lose a
whole month of school while his class
Is going right on, he either has to
make that up on entering school or go
into another class or else keep the
whole class back till he catches up.
1t is not fair to hold whole class
back TO" one pupil, but that IS what a
pupil generally expects when he has
been out. This point always causes
considerable trouble. For instance,
last year good many pupils only
came five, six or seven months, al.
though there were nine months of
school. Now 1 suppose when they
come to school again they will expect
to 60 right into the same classes they
were in last year in spite Of the fact
that the class did the full nine months
work. You can easily see that it
would be out of the question for them
totry to work with a class several
months ahead of them. Then what?
1t wkon't do to put them back into the
next lower class for then they would
be away ahead of the class The
more advanced they are the worse it
Is far the more studies they have.
This is only one of the many per-
picking things that discourage most
teachers in the country and cause
many of them to disregard the course
of study entirely; and thus it is that
somany pupils do not know what
grade they are in.
Right here is where l am going to
call on you for help. Every child that
went to school vast year should be
at the school house Monday morning,
Sept. 18th. Won't you please help to
have them there? And not only that,
but keep them coming right along?
am especially anxious to have them
all enroll the first day, even if they
cannot come regularly for a while.
From that date until school is out in
the spring no ch.4d under fifteen years
of age should have any other business
so important as school. Let US make
it point to see that no child between
the ages of eight and fifteen years
loses more than ten days of school
during the entire school year, except
for sickness. And give the older ones
chance to come regularly until they
get through the eighth grade at least
Am asking too much? 1t is for
your children l ask it, not for myself.
1t would be easier for me to let things
run along in happy-go-lucky sort of
way without bothering about grades
or anything, and the fewer scholars
the better-but my conscience won't
stand for it. Will yours?
Now we would like to see you at
school little oftener than we did
last winter, and to that end we are
going to establish series of "Parz-
ents' Days"-one every month. On
these days we would like to have as
many of you parents as possibly can
to come to the school; either all day
or for the afternoon. Then we can
compare notes and you can see what !
we are doing consequently be better
prepared to help along. The dates
will be as follows: Sept. 80, Oct. %,
Nov. Is, Dec. %, Jan. q, Feb. "a,
March "a, April %, May rs.
You will be welcome any time but !
we wish you would make q special ef-
fort to be present on as many of above :
dates as possible.
At the end of this letter will write
the names of those in your family who
should be encouraged to make up lost
time If they wish to keep ewith their !
classes. or there are any such in
your family)
As a last word let me remind you
that teachers aften make mistakes,
and If You see anything going wrong
please tell ME- about it first. !