The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-06-30
SCHOOL MEETING
TONIGHT WITH NO
STORM IN SIGHT
Proposal to Change Name of
Seventh Ward School
TO CORA WHITNEY SCHOOL
John NJ. Leonard viii be Candidate
for Trustee to Succeed Howe
in Ward 5

The annual school meeting of the
graded district will take place this
evening at high school hall at 3
o'clock.
There is not much special interest
in the warning except the proposal 10
name the Seventh ward school the
Cora B. Whitney school, in honor OF
Miss Whitneys more than 80 years
service as teacher in the public
schools of Bennington.
The terms of Trustees Frank II.
Howe in ward and G. S. Perry IN
ward I expire this year. Mr. Howe
has served eleven years as trustee
and will not be a candidate for re-
election. Mr.. Perry who is chairman
of the board will accept reelection
il 1t is agreeable to the voters.
In the fifth ward John N. Leonard
will be a candidate for trustee to
succeed Mr.. Howe Mr.. Leonard is
a graduate of Williams college and
has been resident OF Bennington
for the past four years. Last winter
he married Miss Mabel Cooper and
they have fitted up new home on
Silver street. Mr. Leonard at the
outbreak Of the war enlisted in the
navy and was successfully promoted
to the rank OF Lieutenant. 1t is also
reported that George NJ. Hawks Will
be candidate for trustee in the
fifth ward.
The school reports were issued last
week and will be available at the
meeting. A. w. Varney the retiring
superintendent Of the district in his
report makes some criticisms. HIS
report is In part as follows:
To the Board of Trustees and
Citizens
A superintendent report is made
TO present existing school conditions
as a basis for recommendation for
the next school year. AS am not TO
have charge next year. any sugges-
tions | might make would seem pre-
sumptuous. therefore, / shall make a
very brief report.
The elementary schools are mex
cellent conditions and in the hands OF
a most capable corps OF teachers.
There are three Kindergartens, two
on school street and one at the
Seventh Ward school. Above kinder
garten pupils are graded into eight
grades: Room 2, Seventh Ward has
first grade; room 3, grades 2 and g.;
and room 4, grades 4and 5. in rooms
having two grades there Is no sub
grading. In the School street build
ing there are two rooms for each or
first five grades. Grades l, 2 and 3
are sub graded into three divisions
one teacher having the best and poor
est divisions. the other teacher hay-
ing the middle division. Grades and
are not sub-graded but both rooms
are made up of few excellent pupils
with some not as able. This plan We
have found better than putting all the
slow pupils in one division. Sixth
grade fills three rooms.
The seventh and eighth has been or
ganized as a departmental grammar
school. have promoted to these
grades filling three rooms with
seventh and two with eighth. Crowd
ed conditions may be expected in the
eighth grade rooms.
In my reports for several years
past, have informed you of my plans
for a Junior high school. We have
not been able to form one nor car
one be formed next year. The trouble
is that pupils do not remain in high
school In the country at large about
80 per cent OF those entering high
school are graduated. In large cities
the percentage is much less, falling
In, Wnrl. L.,
The average of 35 per cent is made
by the higher percentage graduated
in the smaller towns. A place the
size of Bennington having a popula
tion as well-to do and as intelligent
should graduate 60 per cent. If thil
we're done the high school would nun
ber 800 and the first year class coult
be held with the seventh and eight
grades in the old high school quarters
on School street and organized as
Junior high school.
The high school lacks stability botl
moral and intellectual A studen
body cannot be stabilized. cannot b.
filled with moral and intellectual am
bltion by any faculty that is constant
ly changing. A teacher first year |
largely taken up with gettinI
into touch with the spirit O
the school. in establishing int
mate personal relations with tn
individual pupils. When schoc
opened in September, 1918, ther
we're present of the ten teacl
ers of the previous year only thre,
Mr.. Mabrey. Mr.. Judd and Miss Gu
ler Again in September. 1919, ther
will be three teachers OF the previou
years corps Miss Cutler, Miss Gran
and Miss Crissey, the two latter ha'
ing been in the school only one yea
Miss Cutler has been head of IN
English department for years and tn
English department Is the one stron
feature Of the school When a grea
er permanency OF tenure can be @
tablished in the high school facult
a high school can be built up grad
ating SO to GO per cent Of the pupi
who enter, instead Of the 25 per Gel
which have been graduated durlu
the past six years. Then you may g
L a.