The Oakes times., 1916-10-19
SuPT. BLuME ON
CITY SCHOOLS

Gentlemen of the Board of Education.
Oakes Special School District.
Oakes, North Dakota.
My dear Sirs:
In accordance with rule of our
board. herewith take pleasure in
presenting to you the first annual re-
port of our schools for the year 1916
1916. With Il view of having ii serve |
it's fullest purpose. respectfully re-
quest that IL be given the widest pub
licity possible. that our patrons may
be brought to IL knowledge of what We
have done what we are trying to do.
and what we hope to accomplish in
the future.
The most important work of any
community is TO provide public educa
tion for its children. DR.. Cubberley has
we'll said. In its deeper Significance.
this work completely transcends in
Importance the work of the police.
fire. or any other city department. II
works primarily to the future, rather
than to the present. and its aim is
now existing II is chiefly because of
this larger and more distant aim Of
education that the work of the school
is so frequently misunderstood by the
people,
There is probably no broader term
in the English language than c"uca-
ton. 1t seeks TO provide Il broad
FAM iuf ion fnt ay 90.
1t is pursued by those out of school in
life's school as well as by those en-
rolled institutions of learning. Any
thing that adds to the knowledge or
experience. to the breadth of vision.
to the culture to the development of
an ndiydual. in amy direction. is prop
erly included under the term educa-
tion.
Ii has been the constant aim of the
administration - extend The activi-
ties OF the school in a wise. sane and
efficient manner with The means
avalabl" for their execution. No
school can justify its existence unless
it administers u the needs OF the
community Ever: school should as
far u.; possible b, a leader in educa-
tiora, thought in The community.
Work in Reorganization
The past tTO years Elay be char
acteriZed as year. OF reorganization.
The courses of study for the grades
and high school have been thoroughly
revised the wori: for each grade has
been made more definite and old texts
MI
date editions. The curriculum. not
less than the equipment. has been in
creased as rapidly as the funds at
hand would permit. Three years ago
we found that about thirty per cent
Of each grade was advanced too far
for their ability. Our efforts have
since been directed to the reducing of
this condition to normal basis. which
has entailed no little study ana effort
AS q result. each grade is now more
uniform and is completing the work
that each grade should complete
Children find the work easier in tha:
their ability to do that work has been
increased. resulting in fewer failures
than formerly.
In proof of this. might state that
one of the best illustrations. though
quite typical of others, is one particu
lar class which this year did not have
a single failure in two of the three
language tests given at the end OF the
three.month periods. while last year
that same class experienced great diff
ficulty in passing the tests. This is
but one illustration out of number
that can be cited in contendine thai
our efforts in reorganizing and in rails
ing the standard of work are meeting
with uniform success. Much remain:
yet to be done. but an excellent be
ginning has been made.
Electric Lights
Three years ago. the high schoo
was provided with electric lights
thereby making possible the use
the high school assembly room AM
the adjacent rooms at night. No
only student organizations under tn
supervision of the school. but ais
meetings of patrons and citizens TO
various purposes have been held i
the high school. II is hoped that
more general use may yet be made q
the high school assembly room by cit
1ens and students alike.