The log cabin Democrat., 1913-09-04

ehS SoiiCoPohuihS oeouy Witu tue eighth grade, retaining their place in the seventh grade until all work in it has been finished.
 Library.-The use of the library will be strictly regulated. Pupils will do all their reading of library books under supervision. Books will be let out at stated times, but the pupils will be required to give such account of the book as will show they have mas 1 tered it.
 Parents who wish us to do so will be furnished a written statement of their children's needs. This is to safe guard them against waste of tablets, books, etc. Children spend three to 10 times as much as is necessary for tab lets, pencils, etc.
 Five per cent is deducted from the monthly grade for every lesson miss ed. When a pupil is obliged to miss lesson, the teacher will help him make it up on his return; but the teacher is under no obligation to make up work when pupils miss from in- difference or choice. They are paid to do their work once, not twice.
 When pupils are out as much as half time, their only chance to pass will depend on a special examination towering fully the ground passed over. The superintendent will prepare all such examinations. Such examina- tions are naturally more difficult than those prepared for pupils whose daily work Is matter of record.
 Children visitors.-Small children will not be received as visitors unless accompanied by their mothers. The superintendent will either pre- pare or examine all examination grades and inspect the grading after the teachers have passed on it. This l is merely to promote the largest pos sible measure of uniformity of test ing.
 The meaning of grades.-High grades are reserved for students who | rank high in their work. To get an l E, a pupil must do excellent work. 1 Two poor lessons a month make an E impossible, unless the other eigh- teen are absolutely perfect. It is the rare pupil who makes E on his work. G denotes good. The G pupil spells IT out of 20 words day after day, works IT out of 20 examples, etc. The ordinary boy or girl is an M pu- pil and should get a grade of M. His work is satisfactory but not worthy of special compliment. We shall try to put honest marks on the work of our pupils. To do differently were to do a dishonest thing hurtful thing. So we urge our patrons to study closely the grades sent them, for they will be our honest estimate of the work their child is doing.
 A last word.-Many parents try to help their children prepare their les sons. After eighteen years of experi- ence we unhesitatingly declare that nine out of ten children SC helped are hurt rather than helped. Not that we look with disfavor upon the effort; far from it. We heartily wish more parents had enough interest in their children's welfare to be willing to try to help them. But get the point; the trouble is in the way help is offered. Let us explain.
 The average parent goes over the tomorrow's lesson with the child. That is the mistake. In the first place, the child goes to school next day feeling that he knows the lesson and need not study much if any. Natur- ally he falls into habits of idleness- sometimes into mischief. But that is not the worst result. He forms the habit of depending on someone else to do his thinking for him. He fails to develop powers of originality. He may, and probably will, make good grades while so assisted, but he rare ly develops, and almost invariably be- comes weaker as he grows older. What should the parents do? you ask. The answer is easy, put all your time on work already passed over. See if he knows the lessons of yesterday and let him alone so far as This method may not get immediate, visible results, but it is the one meth cd on which you can rely unfailingly. While the other method tends to pro