The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-05

special appropriation made by the local
county board of education. Jefferson
county's activity in school Improvement
societies has extended over several years
and has resulted in greatly improved con-
ditions in the county schools.
Within the past five years Jefferson
county has inaugurated uniform examina-
tion for all pupils of the county COM
pleting the seventh grade.
These are some of the improvements
made in the schools of the county during
the past 20 years. Those who have taught
during that time and have watched the
steady progress appreciate the develop
ment Those who can remember the coun-
ty schools of 20 years ago would hardly
recognize the present county schools as
an outcome of that early and unpropitious
beginning. 1t has taken infinite patience
and perseverance to accomplish these re-
suits, and those who have done this work
notably Mr.. McAdory and Mr.. Hewitt
have done more good for the county than
can ever be realized
The Present Year
One advantage in teaching is that one
can start anew each year. that every fall
there is opportunity for a new beginning.
Returning to the same school room or
going to a different one, there is ever
increasing opportunity for Improvement
and further achievement. Teachers ap-
preciate this fact, and they have happy
faculty for counting each new year the
best If the fortunes of the past year
were ILL., they disregard those failures or
disappointments and plan for a more sue
cessful new school year. f they succeed
ed, they raise their ideals of satisfac-
tory accomplishment and plan For greater
attainment. Always the new term must
be tine best.
SOFT is that the mar Which has Just be-
+Ia Iaff cfho 10 {p ta
surpass those now past. There has been
much systematic planning on the part of
the officials of those schools, and there
! is no reason why the new term should
mot be successful. The county BOARD of
| education has prepared pamplet contain
, ing an explanation of the regulations by
which the schools are to be governed,
and the course of study to be followed.
/ IT includes brief outline of the duties
of school trustees, teachers, patrons and
| pupils; a list of the places in the county
where the state adopted books can be
! purchased. and the laws governing the
! use of these books.
! rhe course of study is well planned,
slowing the effort made to have the ad-
vancement from grade to grade be the
! result of systematic progression. In the
| first second and third grades hygiene Is
! taught orally, preparing the pupils for a
/ fourth grade textbook called Health Les
I sons. Nature study Is taught in the
same way preparatory to geography,
which is introduced by a textbook on
Geographical Nature Studies.' Ian
guage and grammar are preceded by
stories and oral sentence building. in the
first grade. The county now outlines Q
full four-years high school course. Sev-
eral schools have the first two years OF
the high school course. but the complete
cou-so is new in the county schools. This
is q recent step toward the rural and
small town high schools. which are SLOWLY
beir developed, and which undoubteds
will be perfected. Pupils who complett
the seventh grade of the grammar school.
and PASS uniform authorized examina
tior win be exempt from further exam
natter for entrance to these high schools
Aready there is one school In the count,
having only. the advanced grades. Th
Is the Hewitt Lodge school. near Fulto'
Springs where the seventh, eighth an,
lninil grades are taught. The neighborinl
schools do not have these grades. bu
lscnd their pupils to this consolidated hig.
school This arrangement Is praiseworthy
for II Is an economy to send the pupil
from three or four nearby schools to on
high school instead Of maintaining ad