The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1919-08-26

september ~.
Compulsory attendance m.
Make three copies>of g nsus
and report by September 8
Clean up school house a. in
sanitary condition.
Build toilets where needed accord
ing to instructions.
Employ teachers at once if you
have not secured them and send CON-.
tracts in. "A
Present repair bills in time for the
board to pass on them the first Mon
day in October.
House and. property are in the hands
of the local school committee. Please
see that the house is kept locked and
property is kept in good condition.
In letter to the committeeman of
the various school districts Prof.
Speas says:
September 29th is the date set for
the opening of all six months schools
giving three months before and three
after the holidays. The eight months
schools should open September /, If
possible, and under no circumstances
later than the Is.
compulsory attendance Is now re-
quired for the full term, whether it is
six, seven or eight months. In other
| words, children between to IA are
required to attend school from the
day of opening till the day of closing
except children who may be excused
according to law. We Now have one
attendance officer for the entire coun-
| ty, Mr.. r. S. Macfarlane, who has his
office in the court house. The last
Legislature established the office of
Ncounty superintendent of public well
fare and a part Of his duties will be to
see that children of compulsory age
attend school.
Il am sending you blanks sufficient
to make three copies of your school
census. Make one for your principal,
one for the attendance officer and one
| for me. Bring all three copies to me
and'I will see that the teacher and
attendance officer get their copies. 1t
will not besdiff1cult to make out the
census If you will read and follow the
instructions on the front page BE
sure to ill in every blank on first hage
under summary and see that all items
ttally. Please do not wait to I'LL In
tIt Will take just offs time to tale ne
census, and am asking that you do
this Saturday, August 30. If it is i'm
possible to complete it that lay, finish
the following Monday, September 1st.
Send in at once. If for any reason you
can not attend to this appoint some
one. l suggest that you get the teach
er to take the census for you if possi-
BILE. Make out with pen and ink. Do
not fail to get down date of birth.
For one time | want an absolutely cor
rect school census of the county.
The board of education adopted the
policy several years ago to furnish oil
| for the floors where the patrons clean
up the house and oil the floor free of
charge. This plan has worked we'll ex-
cept in few places, and such schools
are now suffering because they failed
to take advantage of the offer 1t is
different to get teachers to return to
school where the committee and
community will not cooperate in put
ting the house in a fairly sanitary con-
dition before the opening of the
school. If you want to make a good
impression on your teachers and have
your children take pride in your
school, you, tn committee and pat
rons, must show a community spirit
in putting your house in order and
not wait till after the opening for the
teachers and children to clean up the
dirt and filth that has accumulated
since the closing last spring.
L suggest that you appoint a day.
say a week or so before the opening
of the school, and all join in cleaning
up the house. 1t is a big job for one
or two. 1t will not be large one for
number.
Last year an effort was made to put
in sanitary closets at all the schools.
A few have not installed them. 1
sent out blank to the newly appoint
ed members in July, asking that a re-
port be made not later than Septem-
Der l, of the needs of every school in
the county, as to repairs. If you have
not made that report to me please do
so at once and include toilets on that
report if you need them. See DIR. Bull
la about the plan. These must be in
stalled before the opening of the
school. Let me have your report for
repairs on school buildings before the
first Monday in September if you want
anything done this year.
Enclosed you will find teachers
contract blanks. Please let me have
these blanks filled out and signed
when you send in your school census.
If you have not secured teacher let
me know and | shall assist you all |
can to secure one. The law requires
that six hours per day exclusive of
recesses and twenty days exclusive of
holidays be considered a school
month. You will please keep this in
mind. The state recognizes Thanks
giving day as holiday for which the
teacher can draw pay. This is right,
we think. If the board so orders, and
the local committee agree, the usual
school day at the fair will be given as
a holiday, provided teacher and chill
dren attend. Watch announcement in
papers about that the first Monday in
October.