The Lamar register., 1912-01-31
School Notes
This is the first week of the

second half OF the school year.
On Monday the entire school sys-
TEN of Lamar was regarded ON the
plan of the half year system. The
change was completed in all but
four grades and these will be
brought under the new system by
the close of school. Under the new
plan grades will be a half year
apart instead of year apart as
heretofore. After this year. pro-
motio,,s will occur twice each year
and classes will be received in
all grades and in the high school
at the middle of the year. Pupils
who fail in their work can be put
back half year instead of an en-
tire year to find work suited to
their ability. With grades but a
half year apart. teachers can place
pupils more nearly where they be-
long and the general graduation of
the school can be greatly improv-
ed. 1t is believed that this is the
be made to improve and modernize
the Lamar schools and 1t is crafty
ing that a change involving so many
children could be made with 80 lit
tie friction. Patrons should feel
that every classification is made
with great care and with the sole
purpose of advancing the interests
OF the child and they should also
feel that their criticisms and sug-
gestions in personal conferences
will be at all times welcome. The
work has been SO carefully done
that it is not likely that a classifi-
cation once made will be chang
ed except through superior ability
shown by the pupil in his daily
work. In that case. the half year
plan itself permits the easy ad-
justment Of the pupil's work to his
ability.
In regarding the school. no pro-
motions are made at this time. Pu-
pills who are doing the work OF
the grades we'll are held in A
claases., Pupils who are not strong
in their work are put back a half
year into b classes. Anyone ex-
perienced In school work will see at
once that this " an exceedingly
unpopular move for teachers to
make. Lamar u fortunate in hav-
ing a corps OF teachers with the
courage to unanimously endorse and
put through q proposition OF this
kind, regardless OF criticism. be-
cause they realize that 1t means
30 much to the schools. Those plac-
ed in b classes will be given spec
ial opportunity to do supplementary
work. and special effort will be
given to making their work inter-
esting and helpful. These classes
will not be large and opportunity
for personal work will be increas-
ed. On the whole the pupil who
finds himself in a b class under the
new arrangement will find his work
much more satisfactory to himself
than to be dragging along behind
the grade on the one year plan.
The first of a series of contests
10 plain old fashioned addition will
he held between the north side
and the south side next Friday af-
tesnoon at three o'clock. A second
contest will be held Friday. Feb
ruary l6. and a public contest in
the high school auditorium March 1
All the schools are working hard
aud the contests promise to be
close.
The basket ball game between
the Lamar Savages and the Rocky
Ford team was too one sided to
be very interesting. Neither team
played very good ball after the first
ten minutes. Collie Breslin distin-
guished himself by his fine throw
ing OF baskets on fouls. The score
was is to in favor of Lamar at
the end of the first quarter of play. |
1t was more at the end of the first |
half and was rs to13 at the close |
of the game. Friday night Lamar
will meet Las Animas at the arm |
DRY. The game will be a fast one |