The Mena weekly star., 1917-09-06
TO THE PATRONS AND PUPILS
 OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Note to the Public.

order that the schools shall Desin work the first week without any loss of time, shall have equipped my office in the high school building and shall be glad to meet any pa irons, teachers, or pupils who wish to visit the building to discuss school work.
 l have prepared a manual for the Mena Public Schools as instructed by the Board of Education. The manuscript has been handed to the printer for publication and will be ready for distribution in few days. We hope to have them ready by Tuesday noon, September i. l shall let the public. know just when they can procure them thru the columns of this paper. should be glad for those interested to call at my office and secure copy.
 Among the topic of interest in the manual will be found the rear rangement made in the high school course of study. To meet the re- quirements of the State Department of Education for four year high school, and to meet the needs of the Mena schools, 1 am offering two courses. the classical course and the general course. Tho much of the work in both courses is elective, they differ in the requirements for graduation; a pupil who finishes the classical course must complete at least two years of a foreign lan- guage, while no foreign language is required in the general course. The classical course prepares pupils to enter the College of Arts and Sci enees of the University, while the general course prepares pupils for life and makes it possible for them to enter any vocational school.
 Among the new rules adopted by the Board of Education is the one concerning the time of entrance into the grade schools. To begin the task .of overcoming the loss of time to those pupils who finish the eighth grade in February, the following rule has been made. Pupils who are six years cid when school opens .on September 10, or who will be six before the first day of the second term of school. January 20, may en- ter at the beginning of the first term only. No beginners will be allowed .to enter after the first day of the second month of the school year, but any child who is prepared to enter Ia class already formed may do so lat any time during the session.
 We wish also to call the public at tention again to the compulsory at Tendance law which was passed during the last session of the leg isiature. This is statewide law and includes every town, city and rural district in the state. It will be strictly enforced by the proper authorities in this district All children between the ages of ' and f5s inclusive, must attend some school beginning not later than the first of the third week of the first term of school. The law also pro- vides that children between these ages must attend at least three fourths of the regular school ses- sion. This means that children in Mena between the ages of : and f5 must start to school on the third Monday of the regular session and attend at least 27 weeks during this school year
 Let us. also, call attention to the new law regulating the use of text books in the grade schools. The last legislature passed an act requiring all grade schools to use a uniform series of text books. To comply with this law the Mena Public Schools will use those books adopted by the State Textbook Commission. All new books have been ordered and will he on hand at Nails Book Store in a few days. No parent should purchase a book for their child until after the child has been classified by school principal or teacher The teacher on the first day of school will furnish each child with slip with the names of the new texts required of them Provision has been made whereby old books may be exchanged when buying new ones.
 The State Board of Health has made a ruling to the effect that all teachers and pupils of the public schools of the state shall be vaccin- ated. No pupil will be permitted to enter the Mena schools this year who has not been vaccinated. 4 cer- tificate from the family doctor des- ignating the date of vaccination and whether or not 1t took, will be suf- ficient to comply with the ruling oi tba c4afa poard of Hnattb ffr4