The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-13

just ended. The total indebtedness of
the incorporated district is now $4,000,
consisting of $4,000 in Canal street school
bonds; $4,000 in Oak Grove school
bonds, and $4,000, being the amount re-
naming unpaid of the $500 note
I'm order, therefore, that the district
may provide for expenses of every kind
during the coming school year, including
the payment of interest on bonds and
note, $1,000 of the principal of the Canal
street school bonds and at least $500 of
the principal of the Oak Grove temporary
note, we recommend that a tax of 90
cents be laid on the grand list"
Better Not to Build Now.
Principal E. b. Smith reports success
ful year and says that: t'Of the gradual
| ing class, 10 or more are planning to 90
on further with their education; of the |
others, almost all have thus early found |
something to do. No town in New Eng
land | venture to say, has so many oppor- |
tunities for boys and girls to enter on |
some career of business as Brattleboro; so |
Jour commercial course becomes increas-
ingly useful as the years go by
After commencing the work of the ath-
Iletic instructors, Mr. Stolte and Miss
of swimming and says: 1T is a matter
of great regret that no suitable swim
ming pool is available To know how to
swim is a most valuable accomplishment
Ii the health authorities of the state and
town would forbid the use of Milestone
brook as an open sewer, number of fine
Swimming pools could be made for the
use of both boys and girls. Mr. Stolte
I and Miss Tyler are both ready and anx-
: ious to teach the young people of the dis
tfict how TO swim. To clean up Whet-
} stone brook would mean the laying of IA
? sewer from West Brattleboro TO the vii
lage and that would involve considerable
2 expense on the part of the town The in
4 tricacies of town and village governments
might shift the responsibility back and
:, forth and so another reason is found for
not doing anything. Let us hope that
ipublc opinion may sometime wake up and
: demand some of these necessities for a
Better Brattleboro.'
{ Mr.. Smith discusses the report of the
/. Carnegie Foundation on "A Study of
; Education in Vermont" in which he ques-
tons some of the findings, ''The educa-
! ltional commission has not yet made a re-
Il port to the legislature" Mr. Smith states,
: but undoubtedly some of the recommen-
ldations Of the Carnegie report will be
: made into law and until the state does act
" it probably will be Just as well that this
!, district wait before it builds new school
. house whether for grades or high school
The Main street building is crowded
: and there are many difficulties in carrying
= on two school systems in one building, but
| until this district knows what the laws OF
; the state regarding education are to be
p it is the business of those now in charge
~ of the schools to make the best or things
Y Since 1905 the Attendance has gone m
- from about 40 to 255, The larger schoo
te has meant larger opportunity for tht
g. ipupils in a better course of study anC
n more teachers; perhaps there has beer
10 some sacrifice of individual work will
pupils on account of the larger classes.
Is can say, though. that the teachers of tn,
T. high school have given freely Of thei
at time afternoons to help individuals
in In a supplemental report Mr. Smitl
IL shows that for one or more terms the pas
m year the high school had 90 tuition pupils
n distributed follows: Brattlehoro tow
~ district, 40; other towns in Vermont, 10
AZ other towns not in Vermont. Is. The in
tn come from high school tuition was S3,3TS
Miss Wellman's Suggestions.
The supervisor of grades, Miss Florenc
NJ. Wellman, makes a number of sugges
tons She says it would be a good thin
:. if an assistant could be employed in eael
large building to work with backward ant
slow pupils. 1T would be economy in tn
10 long run. she asserts, ''as it would reduc
Il the number of retentions. She says som
n teachers are better trained than Others
,o show more originality and work harder
- hence" she says, Il believe increase il
- salary should be based on efficiency, pre-
= not wholly on length of service
10 The number of adult visitors in tn
IN grades the past year was 1876 proving tina
VI the parents are taking more interest tina
ever before in the school work Their
ea We're 7SS pupils enrolled with an averag
ar attendance Of GA Below grade + tn
es number of pupils being retained is 60, c
whom % are in grade 1. ''The chief eaus
all of this Miss Wellman declares, lis tina
N children start in school too Young. Mos
ID children progress more rapidly if not a
in lowed to enter school until six, but man
ul- enter in Brattleboro when only a fe'
ng weeks over five Much attention ha
been given to the relief of pupils who a
rer tend school msuliiciently dressed. TheI
Ter were - tuition pupils in the grades tn
lat past year
ON Good use could be made of a radiopt
m con, Miss Wellman thinks, in the stud
700 of geography and history in the hight
Igrades A Victor is needed in the Ga
nc Grove school. The Woman's club h5
- given so, raised at three socials, and 81
- thinks it should be used as a start towar
~. "a monograph 1t would be a step in I'll
'i right direction to use the school building
evenings as social centers. The girls
. the higher grades should be taught cool
,ed ing. 1t would be we'll to start sma
Tx printing department where the boys cou1
Vi print the numerous programs used
to Tho most cr,,;ng naed in Rrat+Iaboro
present, Miss Welman says, is a room f
nst special children who are below the grad
? | in which they ought to be and who cou
es. be taught by teacher having speci
The training.