Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-09
URGES NEW SCHOOL BU|lD|NG
Superintendent Chittenden Says
Burlington Needs 1t.
Advocates Also n Vacation School, No-
cationsI Guidance and Placement
bureau, aud Leaves OF Absence
for Teachers with ray.

An efficient teaching force. well
planned course OF study and adequate
school buildings are the essentials OF a
good school system, said Superintendent
Of Schools NJ. y. Chittcndcn, in his ad
dress on IAN Ideal School system in
Burlington" delivered Sunday noon at
The College Street Church. Burlington has
good teaching force, a good curriculum
for its schools, which is constantly being
improved, but our housing system, while
good, suffers lamentaby FOR lack OF room
To care properly for the pupils Of the
city during the next twenty or thirty
wears, we should have a first class junior
high school building erected either on the
site Of the grammar annex at the corner
of Main and South Union streets, or in
the rear of the high school building. Such
a building would care for the pupils in
the present grammar school building and
the freshman class of the high school
The present grammar school could he
used for an elementary school and be-
cause of its central location would draw
pupils from nearly all OF the schools in
the city and relieve the present marked
congestion. In his discussion of the teach
ing force of the public schools, Super
jntendent Cllittenden advocated a Years
leave of absence with full pay at var.
jous times for such members Of the
force as had shown marked ability in their
work. this time to he used in the study
ing OF new and improved methods o,
teaching
The present course of study in the BUT
lington schools provides for six years in
the graded schools, two years in the
o1. school
four years in tho high school In the
hut history and civics are taught in all
OF the classes, continuing through the
grammar school. as we'll as physiology
and hygiene. while the pupils also study
the lives OF authors and artists AS Il
formative background for a later APP
probation of art and literature. Sewing
is also taught the girls in grades three,
four. five and six The speaker also men
toned the close correlation between the
public schools and the Fletcher Free
library, eight per cent. of the total cir
collation. of library hooks being among
school children.
In the grammar school or junior high
school, departmental work is given under
the instruction of experts. and there are
"
Clude Latin. French, cooking and shop
work. Each pupil is required, however,
60 take certain amount of academic
work. This system has been found very
successful and has also aided in keeping
pupils in school for much longer period
of time than was formerly the custom,
the attendance at the grammar school
having nearly doubled during the last
three years and that of the high school
having increased 20 per cent. Superin-
lcndent Chittenden also spoke of the
work of the night school and advocated q
vacation school for pupils who
had failed in their work dur
ing the year and which might
also be attended by pupils who AT pres
ent spend the summer months playing on
the street. lie also emphasized the need
of A school for abnormal and suhnormal
children. which they might attend with
out feeling that any stigma attached to
their doing so. Among other improve
ments he advocated a vocational "nid-
Rnce and placement bureau fnv '''.''