Putnam patriot., 1915-03-19
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT RESIGNS
Resignation Accepted With Regret Words Of Commentator For Work Done
 Mir howry To Become Superintendent Of wOOnsocket Schools
Reports Superintendent February

days absence of pupils and S6 pupils tardy, with total of l30 cases Of tardi- ness. 24I pupils have perfect at tendance record for the month. The total enrollment is an increase of I4 pupils since my last report. The pres ent membership is more than was re- ported at the close of January.
 am holding series of meetings with the teachers of the primary and grammar grades. The first meeting was held Feb. 19 for teachers of Grades l, 2 and 8. A meeting for teachers of Grades 4, and was held Feb. land meeting for teachers of Grades and 8 will be held March 4. We are dis cussing at these meetings in consider able detail, the work which is covered in each grade in the various school subjects. We are considering the adaptability of the school work for the grade in which 1t now appears, and are discussing carefully the advisabili- ty of diminishing or increasing the ground covered in the different sub. jects of each grade. 1 stated, in an earlier report, that l had found a marked lack of uniformity in the work which teachers of the same grade were attempting in different schools. The meetings which are now being held are preparatory to formulating an out line course of study, which will be uniform for the schools of the same grade and better adapted to the needs and capabilities of the children.
 My supervision of the school work has made apparent certain definite needs which find the teachers meet ings have also emphasized. It will be necessary to meet some of these needs before schools open next fall, if we are to secure the proper results from our school work. The teaching of pen manship needs to be taken vigorously in hand. The pupils of Putnam are, as a rule, poor writers. The desired improvement may be brought about by one of two methods, the employ ment of supervisor of penmanship or the adoption of one of the modern sys- tems of writing which gives definite instruction to and requires definite re- suits from teachers as well as pupils. Our school system is not large enough 10 warrant the expense of employing a supervisor of penmanship. We can, however. adopt at comparatively small cost one of these systems of writing 10 which l have referred and which are giving the desired results in other places.
 Our course of instruction in the low CT primary grades needs to be consid- erably revised. I find that too much emphasis is being placed upon arith- metic in the first grades and too little upon the reading The teachers share my opinion in this. l seriously ques. tion if arithmetic or formal number work has any place in our first grade schools. The immature minds of the majority of the pupils have serious diff ficulty in grasping this difficult sub ject. l know, too, from actual expe- rience in schools formerly under my charge, that pupils may begin arith- metic work in the second or third grade and advance so much more rap idly that in two or three years they have covered as much ground as they would have covered If they had begun this work when they first entered school. With your sanction 1 shall metic work which has previously been required in our first grades and devote increased time and attention to the reading. Pupils should have a very solid foundation for reading when they leave the first grade. 1 shall recom- mend to you later some modern sys- tenn of reading for our primary schools which shall embody definite and con- siderable drill in phonetics and which will make our work in this subject uniform in it's requirements for all the schools of the town. Another need which you will be obliged to consider for the next school year is the equip ment of the schools with new text books in geography. We are using this year books which are badly worn and some of them hardly fit for use. There is no surplus stock in our supply room. I believe it will be wise, in considering a renewal of our equip ment of geographies, to select differ ent text book tban the one now in use.
 I have outlined in the above para graphs some of the more pressin 5 needs of the department. They do not re- quire your immediate action. l bring them before you at this time in order that you may have opportunity to take them under consideration. 1 shall probably later recommend 10 you the adoption of definite systems oi reading and penmanship and a definite series of geography text books with state- ment as to the expense necessary to meet these iadoptions. This expense may be incurred after the close of the duou4 voag md xu5ll ho