Norwich bulletin., 1913-05-14
SCHOOL GRADUATION IN
Plan Adopted for This Year-Does Away with Elaborate Exercises in Theater or Hall.
THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS

According to the decision arrived at by Superintendent E. J. Graham, to whom the matter of graduation exer- cises was referred by the town school committee, the schools of Norwich are to fall in line this year with the Sug- gestion for greater simplicity along these lines which is at present being advocated in educational circles as far as grammar schools are concerned. There will be neither combined eXer- cises in one place for the graduating grades of all the schools together, nor elaborate individual graduation exer- cises after the plan in vogue when the city was divided into different school districts. These were two possible plans considered
 Instead there will be simpler exer- cises held at each school itself where there is a graduating grade, the eighth and ninth. This means at Broadway, Mt. Pleasant Street, Norwich Town, Occum, Wequonnoc. GreeneVtlle and Yantic.
 When the question of graduation ex- eroises under the town consolidation system came up it was found to pre- sent a large problem in a number of ways. One of these was in the matter of music. While the work being done in music is known to be up to high standard this year, it was easily seen that with only one instructor, 1t was absolutely impossible to do the special preparation which would be required to present a musical programme for several different graduationS should that be the plan adopted. To prepare such a programme would either require d large amount of work out of school hours or else take the teachers entire time from now to graduation in prep aration for it. This would also mean a, serious encroachment upon the reg ular school work, and it was cOnSid byrf I n pervising principals that the time of both pupils and teachers was too val uable to be so broken into.
 If a general graduating programme for all the schools together were to be held, the question was where was a place big enough to hold it. To bring all the graduating grade classes to- gether would mean from 200 to 300 pupils, and no stage in the city would accommodate them. while if they were placed in the auditorium of a hall there would be little room left for the immense throng of parents and friends who would naturally want to attend such union exercises.
 Another phase was presented, Su- perintendent Graham explained on Tuesday, if separate and elaborate graduations along the line of the old district plan were to be held It would mean an expense of from $500 to $400. and it was considered that the money could be put to better uses. On the ground of expense to the parents of pupils which the more elaborate graduation exercises involved, decision was reached against that plan It was suggested that too much was being made of grammar school gaduatiOn by exercises really on a par with what is done in high schools and that the eX- tra expenses invariably put upon par ents could often be but poorly afford ed. For the reason also that the nam ing of salutatOrian and vsledictOrian seem out of place in grammar school work, these will be dropped this year.
 In reducing graduation expenses for the parents of pupils some cities are now setting the example of imposing q limit which can be spent on dresses and some are adopting the cap and gown. at d cost of $5, which all wear and which does away with the rivally, entirely natural, which parents show in preparing their children for grad uating.