The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-30
0CALA SCHOOLS OPEN
After the summer Vacation. the Teach
ers and Pupils Resume Their
Work of Education

This was a pleasant morning and
the agreeable weather helped the
opening Of the OcaIa schools to ne an
suspicious occasion.
BY $50 a. m. the high school
grounds were alive with children
whose bright faces and neat appear
ance made them look more like they
were assembled for picnic instead Of
entering on what to most Of the young
folks not many years ago was a stern
ordeal. II fact. going 10 school is
much more OF a pleasure in these days
than it was a decade or two ago.
At the tap Of the bell the younger
children formed in double files and
marched into their class rooms. where
their teachers were soon busy assign
ing their studies and helping them
make out lists Of their books. This
opening day is promotion day for near
~ all the children. every scholar un-
less set back for some reason the
term before going in a higher grade.
The principal exercises as usual
were held in the high school room. the
most pleasant and best equipped in the
building. Good work has been done in
this room in the past few years. a
number of Ocala's young men and wo-
men going straight from ii into higher
institutions OF learning. TO 90 right on
with their studies like going from one
grade to another. Wiley Burford is
the latest instance: a high school
graduate last spring and a student in
Princeton this fall. This room, the
home of the ninth. tenth. eleventh and
twelfth grades, was well filled this
morning. Present besides the teachers
nd
Coleman. Superintendent Crimson and
several other patrons and friends of
the school. There was appropriate
music by the school and prayer by Mr..
Coleman, after which brief but in
structive addresses We're made by
Messrs stephens and Crimson. Later.
Revs. Ley and Hilburn came in and
also spoke to the scholars. Mr.. Hilburn
who has for years been president of
Southern College, taking particular in
terest in school affairs.
As usual. the attendance on the first
day is incomplete. but it was larger
than usual and there are yet a hun
dred or more scholars to enter. This
|. Principal Workman's tenth year. He
is conceded the best principal the
Ocala school has had in many years. \
strict disciplinarian, only the incOr-
rightly bad have reason to fear him.
and he possesses the quality of bring
ing out the best there is in pupil in
a high degree. His Ocala friends are
glad to know that there is now a bet
ter prospect than ever of his becoming
a permanent resident of the city. His
assistants, Mr.. Milne, Miss Addie Bart
lett and Miss Isabel Mays, are new to
the city, but they come highly recon-
mended. and are evidently able to
make good.
The work in the lower grades was
rapidly getting into shape Miss Cora
Murray in the eighth and Miss Mar
garet Lawrence in the seventh had
their rooms full. Miss Elizabeth Mi
zelIe in the sixth is another teacher
that Ocala is beginning to take a pro-
prietary interest in. This is her fourth
year and all her pupils say every fall
that they want to go back and take
another term with her. Mrs. Todd and
Mrs. Wesson seem to have fitted eX-
actly into the work of the fifth and
fourth grades, where the little chaps
cease to toddle and begin to walk on
the educational road, needing tactful
sympathy in the highest degree Miss
Josephine Bartlett is the bright young
assistant of Mrs. Wesson.
The shabby looking old schOolhOuse
has been put in as good shape as pos
sible. Everybody hopes there will be
new one by this time next year, but
there is going to he good work done in
the old one this term. The city should
put a sidewalk all around it if pOssi-
BILE, in front at least. The ragged bed
Of lime between the front door and the
gate should be removed or taken
away altogether. This work should
have been done during the summer.
and should be attended to during the
Christmas holidays.
over at the primary school. Misses
Stevens. Clark and Bell had a house
full of bright-faced children. many of
whom were accompanied by their par
ents. They soon sorted them out and
sent them after books and the real
work will begin tomorrow.