The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-02-01
LETTER FROM
COUNTY SUPT.
Addressed to Teachers of Hand
County
Miller, S. D., Jan. 16, I91

~ tiiC iSdSicTS VI fldtlC SOuTly.
AS | sit in my office this cold morn
ing with the thermometer away
down among the twenties, | think of
the many girls and bows, teachers
and pupils. all over this county who
have Travelled one. two or three
miles to reach the little white
school house." all shivering and
stamping the snow. | wonder if you
all realize the thing you are doing,
and that this is the time in all your
life when you are making character.
| wonder if our public school teach
ers fully appreciate the fact that
they are the character makers of
the Universe. The mother has been
called so, but the teacher has the
child the major portion of the time
with the feeling and understanding
that all of the teachers time is to
be given entirely to the child.
Control both yourself and your
school. Do your best. Be kind and
considerate of every child that at
tends your school. Help one as
much as you helf the other; that IS
treat them all alike. in other words
give them all "A Square Deal"
Do your work 20 nicely that there
will be no doubt IN the minds of the
members of the school board as to
your ability to keep order and actu-
ally teach school.
If you are giving satisfaction and
enjoy your school, make application
for the same school for another
year, because believe you can do
better work the second term than
you did the first year.
Opening exercises may consist of
a variety of things. By all means
sing nee each day. Teach the
children good school songs and also
patriotic songs. Have quotations
or memory selections once in a while,
and have current events once each
week. Encourage the children to
read good books. We have a certif-
cate to be yipen for reading five
books, and a larger one for reading
fifteen books. There is more truth
than fiction in the saying The more
we read the better we can read"
Diacrltical markings should be
taught in the first grade. Teach
the sounds Of the letters according
to the diacritical markings. Do not
pronounce all of the words for the
children any more than you would
work all of their problems in arith-
metic When a child asks for the
pronunciation of a word suggest
that you ask the child to give the
sounds of the letters Of the word.
If the diacritical markings are not
given in the lesson the child can find
them in the back of the Readers.
This process tends to make the pupil
self-reliant. Through all grades
paw great attention to the diacriti-
cal markings, as well as the rules
for spelling. All seventh graders
must pass the Rank in Class *.
animation before they can enter the
eighth grade. The Rank in Class
examination questions will be mail
ed to the teachers near the close of
the school year. Upon request
these questions will be sent to any
teacher to be used before the boys
have to stop school to help in the
field.
In planning your exhibit work re-
member that pen and ink work is
what is wanted. Let all of the out
lines of your maps be of pen and ink
work. 1t is permissible TO color
with water colors and crayons, but
do not use bright colors. / would
like to have one of each of the fol
lowing maps from each school: A
finished map of Hand county, a fin
ished map of South Dakota, a finish
cd map of the United States, a fin
ished map of North America, a fin
ished map of South America a fin
ished map of Europe and n of
Africa. would like a display of
penmanship from all Of the schools
would like physiology drawings.
either a collection drawn by one
person or by several persons. Draw
ings to represent the five senses or
cross sections of the vital organs. |
would like a pen landscape Of homes
and of school houses. Please limit,
YOUR exhibit work to about twent 2
pieces of the very best work yo' N
school can do, Please bring yc u,
exhibit work with you when ,Iot
A.