Fergus County Democrat., 1916-12-21
ENROLMENT IN
!. GRADE SCHOOLS
AN INCREASE OF EIGHTEEN PER
CENT is SHOWN AS COMPARED
WITH LAST YEAR.
SOME NEEDS THAT ARE URGENT

The Lewistown city schools now
have an enrolment of LOTS children
an increase of 18 per cent over last
year, and taxing the capacity of the
| school facilities to the limit.
1t is not necessary to say that the
constant aim is to increase the eff
cheney of the school. To train chill
dren for good citizenship. is the pur
pose of the public schools. That re-
quires attention to the three-fold ma
ture of the child, body, mind and
heart. The first requirement for good
citizenship is a healthy body together
with trained capacity to make an
honest living. The necessity for the
former has too long been neglected
To make better provision for the same
a health department was instituted
last year in charge of school nurse
The results OF the first year were SC
gratifying that the department has
been retained and the work expand
ed. This year specialists, who kindly
volunteered, are making an eXamina
tion of every child, conditions are
notated, and a report is sent to every
parent. The nurse follows this up
with a personal visit as far as possible
and in this direct way brings in
struction and advice where necessary
to the parent In addition she takes
into the home needed information in
regard to care of children, and san
itation. Under her direction is the
sanitation of the school buildings and
the instruction of children in health
and physical well being.
Closely linked to the above is the
work in physical training, providing
for the physical development of school
children. All the children are re-
quired to do is regular and system
attic work every day. These periods
come as a relaxation to the mental
work and aim at stimulation of physi
cal vigor.
The manual work is as good as
ever During the summer the boys
of this department huilt another
school house under the supervision
Of the director. The work was done
very creditably and cheaper than the
district could have secured it under
contract. The school house building
is becoming to be habit Of this de-
partment.
| The domestic science department is
maintaining it's high standard of work
| Well organized and directed by de
voted and hard working director, the
work in the department is introducing
| the girls to the essentials in home
making. Add to this the industrial
arts work, training awkward fingers
how to become nimble and skilful, and
awakening an appreciation for the
artistic and beautiful in life, and the
excellent work in music, and it car
be understood how the city schools
are aiming at the symmetrical devel
orment of the children of the city.
An exhibit representing all phases
of school work was gathered and sent
to the state fair at Helena this fall
This was added to the exhibit gath
cred from the country schools to make
a county exhibit Fergus county re
ceived second prize in competition
with the counties of the state.
The upper grades of the school are
under departmental organization. The
fifth and sixth grades form one de
partment and the seventh and eighth
another. This makes it possible tc
get a larger number of pupils of the
same grade together, and economize
time in instruction. Also teachers
may specialize in one branch of work
with resultant increased efficiency. A
big factor in this arrangement is the
opportunity offered for individual hell
to pupils.
In cooperation with the high school
an evening school was organized
Classes are organized in all the bust
ness branches salesmanship, sewing
and in the English language for non
English speaking people. These
classes meet Mondays, Wednesday,
and Fridays, from to $50 o'clock
The present enrolment numbers IL!
students.
The public schools should be com
munity service institution. Their EN-
ployes, the teachers, should be public
servants, not in the restricted sense
of simply teaching children reading
writing and arithmetic. but in all man
ner possible they should serve ant
touch the many sides of life and i'll
terests of the community. Such is the
aim of the Lewistown schools. IT
order effectively to reach out beyond
the school room doors, it is some
times necessary to batter down wall:
of prejudice and habitual limitation.
set to teachers activities. But thu
walls are coming down.
The need for enlargement and i'm
provement are measured only by the
growth of our city and the vision o.
its leaders There are at the present
time number of urgent interests tina
might be centered in the schools
Mention may be made at this time o.
only the supervised and directed play
ground work, particularly for summer
months. A kindergarten department
becomes increasingly urgent. Tht
present facilities will not allow it.
A new building for next year i.
imperative. The board is taking thu
necessary steps. With the increased
facilities il is hoped to extend The
usefulness of the schools.
The patrons of the city schools art
kindly minded towards the same
Without their support little could b.
accomplished. Whatever of merit thu
schools may possess must reflect will
credit upon a patriotic and intelligen
patronage.
/ THE koLiN BANK.
The charter for the Kolin State
bank. incorporated recently with a