Putnam patriot., 1915-06-18
Exercises at RoSeland Park
Friday, June llth, A Red Letter Day

Al o'clock Superintendent Barber called the company to order, prayer was offered by Rev, r. R. Harrison, and the following program was car ried out tn manner which reflected much credit upon both teachers and nnp,ls.
 Presidents and flag exercises
 East Woodstock Poem, Great wide wonderful world,
 Hill school Leafiet, Twenty froggies, Song, Sweet and low,
 South primary Flag drill and poem Valley school Song, Coming through the rye, Recitation, The daltodils,
 Harrisvilie History facts to be memorised
 English Neighberheod Recitation, June,
 Song, Vacation,
 South grammar Rose drill Center Recitation and exercise, Trees in
 Rhyme, Elmvale Physiology preeepts Quassett Arnold and Andne
 Song
 Red White Physiology poem Skinner Memory gems and essay Chandler Circle drill
 Memory gems
 North As stimulus for pupils to do their best work the certificate plan has been used in the schools this year and from time to time these certificates have been awarded to pupils who have earned them by good work MT. Bar- Der then presented diplomas to twenty one pupils.
 One pleasing feature of the day was most merilofious exhibit of pupils work. In the home work were se wing and cooking and large number Of bird houses made by the children. Much interest in nature study has been aroused by the teachers and The bird and flower calendars were records of good work done along those lines Progress books, map drawing, Illus. trated histories of town and state written by the children and many other specimens of work done by all grades were proof to interested friends of our local schools of what the chill dren are being taught.
 The work Of Superintendent Barber in putting before both teachers and pupils high ideals and his practical methods of helping them to reach these ideals Is being appreciated in the town of Woodstock. Mr. Barber has been assisted in his work by Miss Mary Potter whose long experience as most successful Woodstock teacher enables her to speak with authority when she testities emphatically to the great improvement In the schools un- der town supervision The teachers of the town were the committees who planned and carried out Fridays pro- gram.
 Prof. E. II. Giddings of Columbia University and member of Board of Education for New York city has re. gently written an article upon Educa- tion, the following clipping from which Is timely in the light of the problems which present themselves 10 the promoters of education in the country schools where grades are being established in schools of varying ages: aOne cause of educational failure to which attach importance Is the prac. tice of grading without an attempt to offset the inherent evils Of the graded school. Our professional educators smile with conscious superiority whenever the old-fashioned citizen who has risen to eminence and in- fiuence pays his naive tribute to the old red sehoolhouse.
 The educator knows that the teach. ing in that red .scf oolhouse was not the amazingly superior article that has been predicted. Usually It was distinctly poor. Nevertheless, strong men did get the essentials of educa- ton there. The specific thing they profted by has been overlooked. It was the eommingling in one school  room and on one playground of boys and girls of all ages from childhood to early manhood and wonanhood. In that eommingiing the younger pupils were always on mental tip-toe, admir- if;g; the pesies achievements of the older ones, initiating and emulating them. Their minds were always in contact with things beyond their reach, yet not hopeiessiy so.
 This is natures plan Of education and man has not yet invented any satisfactory substitute fer il.
 Tue practical problem therefore is to discover If we can some way to sup plement or to modify the grading sys- tenn whereby pupils of all ages can mingle more freely than they now do in their school work and in their rec reation thereby restoring the natural psychological conditions of effective intellectual activity"