Charlevoix county herald., 1916-01-22
School Work
In County
An Address by School Conn.,
May L. Stewart.
[Given at the Annual Meeting of
Charlevoix County School Officers.l

|
A common problem faces all school
officers. Teachers are confronted with
the same problems of school room i'm.
provement We must work together
to get results. II we work together but
part of the time we shall get only
partial results. We must work to-
gether from the beginning unto the
end.
The annual report is a source OF
some annoyance but is necessity to
the state department. Let us group
the mistakes of this year under three
headings. First-you get your statistics
at the top Of your report from your
teachers register. These registers are
of every kind and every description.
Many of them do not even follow the
directions of the state department in
finding totals. If every director in
CharlevoiX County will buy Hamlin
Smiths Combination Register from
Henry Pattengill, Lansing, Michigan,
for the mere sum of seventy-five cents,
we can start the new year with clean
page. | can then assure you that every
county normal graduate will have learn
ed how to make out this report and will
realize its importance. Every expert
enced teacher will have had experience
also in handling register just like
yours and it will be easier for her to
make correct report. am sure your
teacher will be glad to copy her term
| reports into new register and you
| will find that it is worth while. Per-
haps you already have this register; if
not that is what you want without de-
lay and with uniform registers thruout
the county, we eau save time, labor,
postage and temper. Second, no matter
what system of books yon as director
may be keeping, you should keep all
your receipts and all your expenditures
on two pages facing each other just as
the department has recommended in
''Digest of Schools Laws" With
everything altogether, you can COM
pute your totals at glance, you will
save great deal of inconvenience at
the close of the school year, and no
doubling elector can question your
method. The mistakes in the census
roll are due to various causes but if we
study the instructions carefully we can
easily overcome this fault.
The one thing have been trying to
hit the hardest this fall is the at
tendance record. There are many
schools in which the percentage is not
above sixty percent and nearly all of
the absence inexcusable. You pay
your teacher full wages every month to
teach the children who are enrolled.
Her time is wasted by thoughtless par
ents who keep their children at home
regardless of compulsory education
laws. We intend to enforce these laws
but we need your cooperation to raise
the standard in your district.
The boys and girls are anxious to
come in order to win the certificates OF
award and diplomas of honor granted
by every teacher. Would the parents
of your district not work also for a
district prize? Would you strive for
first place with your neighboring
district? During the June session of
the board of supervisors hope to OBJ
tain permission to offer an award in
money for the highest percentage of
attendance during the next school year.
This money would be sent directly to
the school board of the winning district
with the one proviso that the money be
spent entirely on school room improve
ment leading to a standard plate.
The state department endorses pota-
to vacations; we are glad to grant this
time to help the farmer and to show
our approval of hard manual labor. II
is good for boys and girls, good for
all of us but when the vacation is over
every child should be in school, not
part of the time but all of the time and
not on the second or third day bat on
the very first day after the vacation.
We, you and | have right to expect
this much from the parents of this
county as square American deal In
October just at the close of potato vaca-
ton, it was necessary for Mr.. Dean to
serve thirty notices in one week. Not a
square deal, is it? YOU have the
chance to tell your taxpayers this when
they ask for such vacation again and
you have the privilege of insisting on
perfect attendance when school is in
session.
/ Next year, thanks to our lawmakers,
every teacher must have either expert
ence or normal training or both. Your