La Junta tribune., 1912-03-30
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or the article to be produced. the
greater the demand for this perfect
harmony. The people OF La Junta
justly pride themselves In having n
school system that In point OF eff
cheney and equipment ranks among
The first In the state. No city can
have any greater asset The pres
ent status OF our school system is
brought TO bear upon 1.-THE able
management OF the board OF educa.
ton. conscientious Discharge OF duty
on the part OF loyal and interested
patrons This latter element enters
more vitality into the case and Is
more potent factor In the success
of our school system than many peo-
pie are Inclined to think. Remove II
or even substitute for It Il spirit Of
apathy or antagonism and you 10 ~
fectually hamper the machinery Of
our public schools that no amount
OF Interest. ability. or industry on
the part OF officers and teachers can
produce any progress
\ short time ago scheme was
introduced into the school system OF
Ia Junta that had for its purpose the
elimination of tArdiness among the
pupils So prevalent had this habit
become that II was demorallzins
school work as well as teaching the
pupil TO have a disregard for pune
iuality that threatened to work scri-
ously against him In time to come.
The scheme inauguratcd was briefly
this. The room or rooms having no
misconduct In the lines OF march In
and out Of the building and not more
than five eases Of ,ardiness during
the month should be granted half
holiday at the end OF each school
month without any conditions being
placed upon the same When this
schem. vas prupo cd there we're
those who saw III to demur on the
ground that such action was liable to
carry with II demoraliZing influence
and that any such loss OF time vas
inconsistent with the spiri, OF a
public school Institution For the
benefit OF any who might have enter.
,ained such ideas as well as for
those who might be interested In
knowing some Of the results OF such
system In operation In our schools
"" quote few figures to show what
has actually taken place in one build.
that the results In any or all the
others have been equally satisfactory
In September of the present year
iauo,ing for this one building the
total cases of tardincss was ii3 For
October n was 25s. for November
900. for December t,hc first month
the halfholiday regulation was in
forcei %. for January ~; for Febru.
AIRY a. for March rs Figuring that
these ,ardinosses average two min.
utes each land they actually average
more than that the total time lost
by tardiness for the three months Of
September. October aud Novemb:J
when IN" half holiday plan was moi,
In operation was as follows For Sep.
iembcr three hours. for,y.six min
utca. Tor October eight hours. thlr
ty.six minutes: FOR November six
hours. forty minutes. To partially
offsc, the time los, by the giving
OF one afternoon In the month as a
holiday II was decided to begin
school at s.i5 O'Clock instead Of 9
o'clock as before In this manner one
hour and forty minutes was gained
per month In actual school work.
lowing two minutes as an average
time for tardincss We find the re
suits for the months OF December,
January. February and March to be-
as follows For December tn" time
lost. Including n half holiday. three
hours forty nine minutes. for January
thrc. hours thirteen minutes. for
February two hours one minute. for
March one hour eleven minutes.
Comparing In another way: Grant.
Ing the half holiday ~ . reward only
three minutes more time VAS lest In
December than In September and the
number Of cases Of tardincss was ak
teen j.ss. Granting the half holiday
nvc hours and t~cnty.six minutes
i~-s time was lost In January than
In October and the number of cases
Of tardincss was i7s icss: under this
aa,nc condition. four hours and THIRTY
aine minutes less time was lost II
February than In November and th'
number OF cascs Of ,Ardincas WAS is'
less. IN March with the half day of
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