The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-11-10
NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS.
Interesting Discussion Last Night
New Building Necessary.

L
New Building Necessary.
About l95 persons gathered In the high
school building last evening at the in
vitation of Principal T.. b. Smith for n
conference of teachers and parents and
the occasion proved decidedly interest
ing and instructive. From 7.30 TO near
| ly 10 o clock the parents visited the
different rooms and Inspected several
displays of work made bv grade and
| high school pupils, or listened to the
talks given bv Principal Smith, Rev.
T.. q. s. Osgood Of the prudential com
mittee, Miss Florence Wellman, super
visor of grades, and Dr. Henry u. Hol-
ton. The visitors were received IN the
lower hall by Principal Smith and sew.
eral teachers, while other members Of
the teaching staii explained the various
exhibits. The keynote of the talks
given by three of the speakers was the
need of another school building, quar-
ters for gymnastic Instruction. phvsl-
cal director for the entire school sNs-
TEN and playground.
The soyd exhibit in the seventh
grade room on the second floor was
naturally the center of attraction for
the visitors aud many compliments
were accorded Miss Lillian Whiting, in
structor in this department. The room
in the basement where the BOYS con.
struct various articles Of wood was Wis
tied and here on! was Immediately i'm
pressed with the urgent need of more
room. II this work is to be carried on
successfully adequate quarters will have
to be provided and with another school
building provision can be made for
rooms for both boys and girls engaged
in this branch of study. The present
room used bv the boys engaged in slovd
work is hardly larger than a good d.siZed
closet and contains II benches with the
necessary equipment of tools. The lock
erS along one side of the room, in which
articles in the course of construction
are stored. take up considerable space
with the result that class of 29 boys
has barely room to work.
The first hour Of the conference was
spent in visiting the several rooms
though the majority of the parents de-
voted the bulk of their attention 10 the
exhibit of drawing and handicraft in
the seventh grade room. Many of the
articles and samples of work displayed
were marvellous examples of ingenuity
and showed careful attention TO detail
upon the part of the pupils. One of the
most interesting parts of this exhibit
mpnding. button.hole stitching, en-
hroidering and other ueedlcwork of he
sixth. seventh. eighth and ninth grade
and high school girls. The arts and
crafts work on leather, wood and metal
and the iewelry made by the ninth
grade and high school pupils were very
clever examples of original designs
and the workmanship displayed showed
careful training.
At s.4j Principal Smith asked the
parents and other visitors to assemble
in the high school room. He prefaced
his talk hv referring to the exhibition
of sIoyd work Just inspected and called
attention to the inadequate quarters in
which the boys are given instruction.
Mr.. Smith spoke of the partial solution
of the question of more room in the
high school building by transferring the
third grade pupils to the Fleming house
on Grove street. As more room will be
needed another wear Mr.. Smith said he
hoped the prudential committee would
also quarter the fourth grade pupils in
the Fleming building as there is room
for them there He was of the belief
that the Main street building could be
utilized TO the best advantage by de
voting il exclusively to the needs of
high school pupils. If this is to be done
he urged the construction of another
building after the style of the Canal
street building. The principal pointed
ont as one of the disadvantages of hav
ing the grade and high school pupils in
the same building, the confusion caused
by pupils entering or leaving the build
ing at times when many of the pupils
are engaged in recitation or study. This
cannot be avoided under the present
conditions as the grade pupils must
laaN "a a
of the high school pupils are at recita-
tion. He expressed himself as heartily
in favor of systematic instruction IN
athletics for all pupils and hoped that
the prudential committee would see hi
in the near future to provide a physical
director for the grade and high school
boys and girls. Mr.. Smith laid particu-
lar stress upon gymnastic work for glrIsS
and said that he was really interested
to "A greater extent In intra- scholastic
rather than interscholastic athletics. He
touched upon the necessity of home
study. Mr.. Smith said that each pupil
in the high school ought to study two
hours outside of school. i
Miss Florence Wellman, supervisor of
grades, referred briefly to a few matters
in which the parents could cooperate
with teachers. She urged that pupils be
started in school with the beginning or
the term following vacation instead
of allowing them to enter three or four
davs late. Home study should be urged
by parents and the parents should as
sist pupils. Parents were urged to visit
the schools often.
Rev. f. O. S. Osgood of the pruden.
tial committee expressed pleasure at
seeing so many parents present and
spoke of the earnest effort upon the
part of Principal Smith to secure in
creased accommodations for the pupils.
He thought, however, that the pruden-
tia committee was between two fires
tLn tnvnnrnrS nnl tho ont hu u q st ic al. |