The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-09
BACK TO SCHOOL!
Riddles VIII Resume Their
Studies Next Week.
School Board Has Plan To
Make Up Work.

After a vacation of four weeks and
two days, with ne place to go, the
school children of Topeka are looking
forYard to the opening of the schools
again on Monday The Topeka school
board is arranging a plan for making
mp the work lost during the epidemic
and the consequent closing order.
I'VE always have to figure on lost
time in the schools" A. j. Stout, city
school superintendent said today,
.-caused by individual cases of illness.
Last year the loss of time thru
week per pupil. The arrangement
for making up the time consists in an
extension of the present term one
week. bringing the end of the semes-
ter on February I. Another week
will be made up at holiday time, when
the Christmas vacation will be short
ened from two weeks to one week.
That will give us sixteen weeks in the
first term, instead of the regular eigh-
teen weeks. We hope to make up still
more time by extending the school day
one-half hour.
Lengthen Days Work.
I'm the grades, the pupils will re-
main a Ealf hour later in the after
noon than they did formerly. In the
high school the extra time will have
to be made up by extending the recital
ton periods five or six minutes. Ex-
perience in other cities has shown that
the plan of holding school on Saturday
is unsuccessful. The children, and
especially the younger ones. need their
Saturday playtime. and q great many
of the older pupils have jobs that re-
quire them to work on Saturdays"
The teachers are to have their full
pay for their time during the closing
down of the schools. There was not
so much as a question of the paying
of the teachers from any member of
the board" Stout said. 1.-The teachers
We're in no way responsible for their
enforced idleness; many OF them
stayed in town week after week, ex-
pecting the re-opening of the schools,
remaining here on expense. and the
money is due them without a doubt.
Anyhow, the vacation that they did
not want only means double work for
them thru the rest of the year.
Teachers Have Right Spirit.
1.-THE teachers have shown a fine
spirit of cooperation" Stout said. "in
frying to assist the board in finding a
way to make up the lost time. They
have sighted their willingness to take
ron the intensive work that the effort
for making up time will cost them. y
With the beginning of the school
again, three new teachers will be on
duty at the high school. Miss Evelyn
Alexander has arrived from Chicago TO
fill the place left vacant by Miss
Frances Lindsay, who has gone into
the war work. Miss Alexander will
have charge of the art department in
the school. She is a graduate OF the
University of Chicago and of the Art
Institute. She has taught in Hull
house, and in the Art Institute.
TIrs. Rachel Loci-e Short will take
the French classes formerly taught by
Mics Marian Thompson. who has gone
sGbroad for the Red Cross. She has
been teaching in the University OF
idaho.
y Deimer Dewey has arrived from
Fort Og1ethorpe, Ca. and will teach
science and history in the high school.
He vas formerly principal of the high
! school at Paola, and left that school
to go into the army. At camp he was
re-classified being placed in class 5.
<. The commercial department of the
school is now without a teacher since
the resignation of Mr.. Partridge to
enter the government service. Until
a teacher is found for that depart
rnent. Miss Lena Davis. supply teacher
for the school, will cuTl,iuct the classes.