Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-11


 education and Americanization work are | four topics upon which recommendations are made by School Superintendent F. J. Graham in his annual report that has | been printed ready for distributitn to the citizens along with the annual report of | the school board.
 He treats upon these subjects os fol- lows;
 Fairgrounds.
 In most cities today there Is a great need for larger number of adequate playgrounds. This is one of the most serious menaces to the morals and gen eral welfare of city boys of today. It has been shown again and again that the lack of playgrounds and juvenile de linQuency in the great cities of the east are closely related, No boy who IS denied opportunity for vigorous play with his | fellows can reach his highest develop ment either physically. morally, socially or democratically The town school com mittee with the Playground association 1 should acquire suitable grounds and ! equip these recreational centers so as to i give to the children ample opportunity | for satisfying one ot their most funda- i mental instincts. More playground space | for the children is one of the best pos i sible investments that city can make. | Tie school buildingS ana plaYgrounds are the logical p.sc,s fer lecreational cen l ters and the educational department of a city can administer and supervise this part of community's duties better and to more purpose than any other depart ment, for, in it's essence, the work of recreation center is primarily an educa- tonal undertaking.
 The importance of planning for the future at this time can hardly be over estimated,
 Visual Education. Visual education embraces the work involved With lantern slides and stereo- graphs. All of the schools which have eight grades are equipped with stereo- | graphs Broadway, Greeneville and Mt. Pleasant are each supplied with the full set (600) stereographs, slides and a Ian tern.
 One of the most evident movements i1 educational progress has been along the line of concreteness in presenting the work in geography history and nature study. Other means of obtaining know ledge than by the printed page brings increased attention and interest to the pupils. The lantern and slides make it possible to take an excursion to the mine or to a foreign country where the pupil gets a much clearer and more last ing impression than he can possibly get from the printed page. The study of a country industry or the customs of a people, by the aid of the stereograph l with the printed page, calls for closer l observation. and develops more original ity of expression on the part of the pupil than is possible to obtain from the text t alone. The pictures create interest and insure a better understanding of the subject matter. The pupils, when recit- 5 ing, give a regular stereopticon lecture l upon the subject under consideration. Ii r makes a splendid opportunity for work r in oral English.
 l Physical Education.
 The chief agency for the administra- tion of a health program in the public 2 schools is an adequate and efficient med
 ical inspection department.
 Since the adoption of medical inspec- . ton in our schools, there has been g S steady and marked improvement in tho ' celanliness and health habits ol our pu- :. pils, They have lost no time because ol - !, the closing of schools during epidemic! II which results in a great gain educat ton. u ally for them.
 It was decided at the town meeting 1T
 October to place the work If health su.
 pervision under the direction of a healtl I committee appointed especially for thar Q work. Three doctors were added to tn, | - the physical examinations which wert - made durng the frs two months of tn,
 school year. These examnations should e be made at the beginning of the year st |, that wahtever defects are found the! n may receive proper attention and b. "a remedied as soon as possible. ,1 During the past year through the hell - of the Red Cross a dental survey ha , been made of the condition of the teetl U of the pupils. It is hoped that througl < the means of this survey the work o saving the teeth of the children will b
 put upon permanent basis and tha D. adequate provision will be made for H. dental clinic.
 ie The work of a health department work le ing in the schools could rightly cover tn > following points:
 l. A physical examination of tn
 children.
 2. Correction of physical defects. c 3. Contrpl of contagion.
 4. Proper ventilation and sanitation ( S. school buildings.
 m 5. Health instruction in the class d, room.
 r. 6. Special classes for children who al d. defective and need medical treatment ne '. Dental inspection and care of th ne teeth.
 Americanization.  III way, Greeneville and TaftvilIe-wel
 opened from Oct. 5th to March 24t
 The sessions were two hours long, thrC
 evenings of each week, giving a total $ 75 sessions for each of the schools. IT
 enrolment in the evening schools was 4 n- -1S3 in the adult classes and 307 o- the continuation classes. or In 1919 the legislature passed a la of making it obligatory for all pupils b ,,+ i tween the ages of 14 and 16 who hay s- not completed a grammar school cour
 to attend the continuation classes for u
 purpose of completing their elemental
 education, eight hours week for - weeks. It is evident the state wishes u oh youth to be better trained for the respo h- sibiities of life.
 Since this law was passed many ma sr' ufacturers refuse to employ children u 'e' der 16 years of age, while pupils ther
 selves find it desirable to secure m eighth grade diploma before going on work.
 'ht Twelve experienced teachers were CT
 ployed to instruct these classes nine eI' the F were normal school graduates W ye had had previous experience in nig
 school work. Samuel J. Brown of t E" state department of education, who is eW expert in teaching foreigners the Engli al language and customs of America car
 to Norwich by invitation and held a, tw m- day institute with the teachers instrut m ing them in the best methods ofA9reser al ing the work to the pupils. This nc
 was invaluable to the teachers. Su m- preparation and interest upon the pa eW of the teachers surely results in the b. nd torment of fine class work