Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-04-04
BETHEL SCHOOL MODEL
STATE SUPERINTENDENT ALDER.
MAN SAYS FINEST IN STATE.
After Inspecting Polk County Schools
He Is Well Pleased With
Conditions.

/ Polk County has the model rura
school of Oregon. Such was the opin
| ion expressed by State Superintendent
of Public Instruction L. r. Alderman
in an interview given the Observer
Saturday morning. Bethel" said he
has by all means the finest countr,
school in Oregon. 1t approaches near.
est the ideal. They have the adyan.
tages of the city school amid the
healthful and undistracting surround
tngs of the country-where the pupils
are at home at nights and attend
school in the daytime They have
there graded school with an excel
lently conducted manual training de-
partment, where the practical educa-
tion of the child is developed in con-
junction with the usual theoretical
training. 1t is indeed a pleasure to
note this advancement in our most
common form of education-the coun-
try school,"
Inspected Rural Schools.
superintendent Alderman had Just
returned from tour of the county in
company with County Superintendent
Seymour, during which they spent
week in holding night meetings for the
benefit of the patrons, directors and
teachers of the various school dis
tricts included in the sections visited.
Meetings were held at Salt Creek,
Buell. Ballston, Perrydale and Rick
reSll, and in every one of them there
was large attendance and gratifying
interest shown.
Il wanted to see the actual work as
it is carried on in the rural schools"
explained Superintendent Alderman.
in speaking of his trip. "And / was
delighted with the conditions that I
found. The necessity of maintaining
the health of the pupils is, of course,
the most important element in any
system. I discovered that
this feature has been very carefully
taken care of in this county. Individ-
ual drinking cups are now in use in
almost every school, and the abolition
of the universal towel has been very
nearly accomplished. Ventilation. an
other and equally important matter,
has also been given attention, so that
the majority of the schools which I
visited are now equipped with window
boards or defleetors. All of these
things are very essential to the well
'are of the boys and girls in our
schools and we will keep on until
very school in the state is equipped
With them
School House Lighting.
THE manner in which a school
house is lighted is also worthy of care
ul consideration. Investigation has
hown that the best results are OBJ
aimed where the light comes in over
he left shoulder, and not from both
ides, and in all of the new school
louses we found that the lighting had
een properly arranged
Asked as to what he considered the ;
most important needs of the schools
ere, he replied: More interest on the
art of parents and directors. more
cooperation between parents and ]
eaehers, larger grounds, and in some [
laces there is need of consolidating {
mall schools-there is more need to ,
ire horse than to hire a teacher. {
I'm some places larger grounds /
hould be provided. Children require c
mple Fairgrounds, and in some
chools there is not enough for ball {
rounds, There also should be grounds
lrge enough to allow them to carry
n practical experimental work In l
etc.
Il would have agriculture and do
lestic science taught in every school.
would put a Babcock milk tester in
very school where they teach the s
'venth and eighth grades, as a means q
giving instruction in percentage N
here should be a close connection be- o
veen the life of the school and the I
home life of the pupil. The c.
between them "
lould be made apparent. u
District Picnics q
we are now launching movement Il
have the third Monday of June i'm b.
-ch year devoted to a general picnic ei
every school district throughout W
regoh. on that day every parent TT
Id school patron and their friends al
m be invited to take their lunch bas- er
It's to their school houses, have a Sc
od time and thoroughly investigate &C
e condition OF the building and er
ounds. It Is a matter Of great i'm
rtance that every patron should ne
ep i'm close touch with these mat CO
rs, and il is thought that there is no So
tier way TO arouse their interest 81
d cooperation. The plan will be put ar
10 operation this year for the first an
ne. People are finding that they ne
lst invest something besides money
schools" mi
Alderman COM
ended the plan for more high schools
Itch is being urged by County Super
endent Seymour in this county,
lereby through the aid Of the county
yh school fund several additional
,h schools may be Instituted. High ,
iools are maintained in Dallas. Falls
", Monmouth. Independence. Beth
Perrydale and Ballston. and efforts II
. now being made to have them In -,
st Salem. Rickreall and Buena -
ia. and IL is expected that by fall -
least 10 high schools will be In op- =,
.tion in Polk County.
Funeral Saturday. -