Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-22

IflaE SCHOOL building TOT the seventh and eighth grades is the greatest need of the local educa tional system is the statement made by Superintendent Edward J. Graham in his annual re- port to the town school committee and the citizens of Norwich. The first section Of the report con- siders, in a brief way, certain phases of the work and conditions in our schools for the year 1915. The sec ond section contains the statistics with reference to teachers, enrolment, graduates, buildings and finance. The third section contains a list of the teachers. jainitors and text books. School Building Repairs.
 The policy of the school committee for the past four years has been to do something each year towards the reno vatfon and proper upkeep of the build ing, both as to their interior and ex- terior. It is expensive to keep in proper condition so many wooden buildings. The chief items of repair for the year 1915 were as follows:
 Broadway School-A new room 20X40 was placed in the basement adjacent to the domestic science room, to be used in connection with this depart ment The exterior woodwork paint ed; steel ceilings placed in two of the rooms and the woodwork ref1nished; the ceiling and sidewalks of one room kalsomined; new desks placed in the STSQG 1OOIn, d new SI00I 1IOn ceiling in the boiler room a new slate urinal for the boys toilet; a new fence on the north and south sides of the building and a new weather vane placed on the roof.
 Mt. Pleasant Street School-The ex- terior of the building painted. Greeneville-A new fence placed on the north and south sides of the Pros- pect Street yard; two new fire es- capes placed on the rear of the large | building; a new fire escape placed on l the rear of the small building; new desks in the eighth grade room; the | partition between the grammar and l recitation rooms moved so that we now have two equal sized rooms for | the use of the seventh and eighth grades, respectively; the roof and fire 1 escapes painted and a new hard ma 1 pie floor placed in the assembly room. Taftville-The entrance hall and the .steel and brick wor in the toilet rooms and roof of basement entrance in the upper building, painted. l Lower Building-The roofs of the two basement entrances painted and a new steel ceiling placed in two rooms | on the upper floor.
 Pearl Street School-The roof re- l paired and painted; all exterior and | interior woodwork painted: the side walls kalsomined; the desks cleaned and refnished; the radiators and pipes | bronzed, and the fence repaired and painted
 High Street School-The exterior of the building nainted: the interior l woodwork painted; ceilings whitened and sidewalks kalsomined; the desks cleaned and refnished; two new win l dows placed in the kindergarten room; l the radiators and pipes bronzed: the 1 fire escapes painted; a new fence property and both yards refnished | with asphalt.
 West Thames Street School - The desks and seats cleaned and refnish- ed; the closets painted and new doors placed on the cellar way
 Norwich Town School-The ex- terjor- of the building painted; new gutters and new roof of Neponset gray asphalt shingles; the belfry re- paired: new steel ceiling placed in the first grade room. and a new fire escape added at the rear of the build l ing.
 Boswell Avenue school-A new tin roof; the exterior and interior wood | work of the building painted; desks and seats cleaned and ref1nished; the ceilings whitened and the sidewalks lIalsonined.
 West Town Street school-The fence repaired.
 sturtevant Street school-The exte- rior of the building painted.
 New Walks.
 Broad Street-Walk in front of the building resurfaced.
 Boswell Avenue-Approach to the school building resurfaced with as- phalt.
 High Street-Boys' and girls yards resurfaced.
 Pearl street-sidewalk and ap- proach to building resurfaced. Mt Pleasant Street-Approach to the building refnished with asphalt. | RTnedWay- Snhnn1-A T7E l concrete walk in front of building and | approaches to the building to be re- ] surfaced with asphalt.
 Monthly Reports. One of the greatest sources of in efficiency in our schools is found in ir- regular attendance. Pupils regular in | attendance seldom fail of promotion It is not sufficient that we should know | the record of our schools in this inn portant matter of attendance at the end of the school year only. It should receive the careful attention of prin- cipals and teachers continuously dur ing the year.
 A monthly report of the enrolment attendan c. tardiness, transfers, mem bership, absence of teachers, number of corporal punishments special pro- motions, pc rcent. of attendance etc. Is received from every school at the end of each month A summary ot | is prepared in the office of the super intendent and sent to each principal that record of all the schools may be utilized for the purpose of inform ation and comparison. This month ly report is posted in the halls or cor riders of the various schools for in spection by teachers and pupils. By these means of giving publicity to the monthly records a greater concerted effort is made to lessen the inefficien- cy through tardiness and non attend ance.
 Retardation.
 When the principals reports were received in October. 1915. and the age and grade chart was compiled it was found that the retardation of pupils in our school system had been reduced 2.3 per cent since September, 1913 when the study was begun. The principals and teachers have taken 2 keen interest 1n his subject and intel. ligent effort has been put forth tc !i correct the fault. The needs of the individual pupils have been studied special help has been given, thus many pupils have been promoted who other wise would have been retained in the grade.