The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-09-09
OUR SCHOOL"
Supt. McYay.

TEs
The success of this work depends on
the teachers for the instruction andIthe
management of the classes, and upon
the patrons and the children for faith
full attendance and earnest application
to school duties. The teachers alone
can not make a good school without
the effective cooperation of the pat
rons and scholars; and in turn the pa.
irons and scholars are dependent on
the work of the teachers for the fullest
success of the school work.
In the past school year there were
It's working days. Scholars present on
each Of these ITS days, on time, made
q perfect record of attendance; and of
course had the full benefit of all class
recitations and school exercises. Sur
prisingly few scholars of the school
were able to make this perfect record.
This list is brief: Volma Stevenson,
Vivian Cass, Carl Becker, Selma Treick,
Olive Falkinberg, Ralph Hermann,
Ellen Wicks, Anna Hajek, Ruth Nc
Way, Mabel Wetzel, Esther Treick,
frankie Hermansky, Frances Kadlec,
Pearl Hird, Roland Whitman.
In contrast with this most excellent
record, the school has a larger list in
the various rooms who shappened" to
be tardy or absent with a discouraging
frequency. 1t is this latter group of
children who need to be aroused out of
their indifference, or c%arelessness, into
an active interest in their school oppor-
tunities. Quite commonly also, an oc-
casional tardv mark or a half days alb
sence is consented to by the parents to
obtain some small convenience, as run
ming an errand, or performing some
home duty, and school matters are
thus made ''second fiddle" to other
things in the child's field of Judgment.
If the child can be impressed with the
idea that schools his great opportunity
and is his first and only business du-
ring his years of school age, much of
this loss and waste of school opportu-
mites by absence and hardness would
correct itself.
System, thoroughness, and purpose
belong to school life, surely; and do
they not effect the fortunes of men and
women everywhere to the utmost? Is
the slack mechanic, or clerk, or bust
ness man. any more likely to make a
success of his affairs than the slack
scholar? 1t is rare that the industrious
and responsible, and earnest scholar is
shy on enterprise, or is Indifferent in
his duties when at work for himself or
his employer. His mistakes n more
likely to be caused Ivy too ambitious
efforts, not by slackness or lack of care.
Our records show an average grade
Attendance, first to seventh grades, of
2O3 scholars per month for the months
September 1914 to May 1915. In these
months the absences totaled l31 days
per month, or stated in terms of schol-
ars, six and 11-20th scholars were alb
sent daily during the entire year, out
of a total enrollmento of 2O3 as all aver
age. This is practically n scholar
absent every school day throughout
the year from each grade below the
high school.
The average loss in the High School
is slightly less, in per cent, for the first
five months of school, before bad VIA
ther hindered those coming from the
country. These five months show All
average monthly attendance of ninety
high school scholars and an average
monthly absence of forty days. This
means the same as two scholars absent
every day of the five months out of the
average enrolment of ninety scholars,
The above absences make a total OF
nine scholars absent daily from the to-
tai average school enrolment of 293.
This is very nearly three per cent a v
erage loss ofschool services by absences.
On the basis of the ordinary cost OF
maintenace the tax payers of the dis.
trlct are losing $500 per year by non,
attendance of these nine absent schol.
ars. On the basis of the regular tn.
ition charge for outside scholars the
lost school services by these nine absent
scholars totals $270,
This school is "our school," we have
a common interest in it's largest sue.
cess; this problem OF absences and tar
diness is ''our problem" We, al
school, will ask for written excuses tt
be furnished from home in explanation
of the absence or tardiness Of the schol
ar. We will also, on the report card
give a summary of the scholars atten
dance and punctuality for the pas
month. Both the excuse and the care
notify the parent of the failures in full
attendance at school aud should be tn.
occasions of efforts at home to guar6
against these failures in the future.