Mexico Missouri message., 1917-01-04
RURAL School NOTES
BY w. CLYDE JIHNsON,
Superintendent County Schools.


or the schools recently visited,
Fisher deserves special mention be-
cause Of the Improvements made in
the last four years. A few years ago
1t was hopeless, desolate wilderness
sort of place. Now, the house sits
on a solid foundation and has been re-
paired and neatly painted inside and
out, the out buildings are good, neat
ly painted and have blinds. the yard
is clear of brush and is covered with
fine sod end beautiful forest trees.
I hey put IN new heater let 'SlI.
thus bringing their equipment up ~
meet tie standard set by the State
Department, so that they now rank
as one of the approved schools OF the
county, and this has been done in
spite of the fact that their valuation
is but S37 900, and they help to main
tain a school for their colored chill
dren. They also have free text books.
They pay their teacher $50 per month
and would gladly pay her more IL the
State Aid Law would permit 1t. She
is very capable teacher, one of the
best in the county, and they are very
fortunate that they can keep her.
And they truly appreciate the fact
She is Miss Ruth Cook.
For four or five years, Fisher has
drawn State aid, which is now 5000
for those districts that have a val
uation less than $4,000, that levy
IS cents on the 800 valuation, and
maintain a daily average attendance
of l 5 to 65 per cent of the enumera-
ton. There are six or eight that
could and should take advantage of
this aid.
Ringo is another weak district with
but s45,O valuation. but they keep
improving year by year. Miss Flynt
again is teacher and is giving thor
ough satisfaction. This year a new
book case, new books, and stand
table have been added. Miss FIynt
was encouraging good spelling by Civ
ing those who had a perfect lesson
cards on which they wrote their
names and then hung on a little
Christmas tree. The spelling work
was commendable.
Mrs. Florence Begeman is the
teacher at Dye. This is an approved
school. She now has fine chair and
desk.
Several schools lately have met the
requirements for approval and now
number have their certificates. They
are seven IN number: Boyd, w. E.
Llewellyn, teacher; Prairie Mound,
Miss nellie Ball, teacher; Cornett,
Miss Ethel Smith, teacher; Beagles,
Miss Gertrude Nagel, teacher; Nc
Clintic, Yea Smith, teacher; Culwell,
Elvis Rhoads, teacher, and Fisher,
Miss Ruth Cook, teacher. A number
of others lack but little and I hope
that they will yet meet the require
ments before school closes. No
school can be first class school, can
be what it ought to be for the best in
terests of the children without meet
| ing these requirements. Then why
not be an approved school? Do you
know why your school is not ap-
proved? If not, ask your teacher. If
she does not know, l shall be glad to
talk it over with you.
8eaglcs has added many new books,
case of maps and a concrete we'll
OPP to their equipment. They are not
trough yet Hazel and Ellis are also
weak districts but they continue to
improve. The former put in fine
! ODE and some beautiful pictures
hich are so badly needed by every
school home-almost as generally
cking il the school home as they
are generally present in the farm
iome The latter also has some new
,ctu~es. maps, and new windows.
Duly has made everything look like
new with coat of paint and has put
law curtains on the windows.
Mclno has also everything shining
in new coat of paint, and besides
has built a new fence Central looked
re-y much as usual. Goodwater has a
sandtable, wash table and outfit
'oHplote with paper towelling, and
New books. Naylor has replaced their
burnt out Waterbury heater WITH a
heavy stove which seems to be work
ing we'll. They also have a new solid
foundation "a new well, and an c~gan.
Miss Vim seems to be able to ""0use
them to do their duty by their chill
1ren. There is nothing ike a live.
vi'e-Hwake. capable teacher who