Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-17
PRINCIPALS Meet
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Principals Mcct
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ing of the boys and girls the things
that will help them to take their
places in the communities. Many OF
these phases are extra-curriculum,
! but are of vast Importance. and even
the school assembly is of great value
, in this respect.
The high place that these extra
curriculum school endeavors hold in
the fitting of the pupils for their flu
ture, was emphasized in a brilliant
address given by DR.. Romiett Stevens
of the Teachers college at Columbia
| University, Thursday evening at the
Augusta house, at the fourth mid
year conference of Secondary School
| Principals whic hopened yesterday.
| Or. Stevens discourse on the subject.
The Social Organization and Control
| of the Secondary School," was ole
of the splendid features of the days
program. DR.. Stevens Is woman
who has made a speciality Of class
room procedure, social organization
and the development of the school
and brings a message filled with sng-
gestions along these lines that are
! certain to be of great benefit TO High
school principals and teachers.
Secondary school principals. over
! 100 in number coming from all parts
of the State gathered in the city yes
| terday for the opening sessions of
| the conference, which will be contin-
ued today with meetings in the
morning. afternoon and evening. The
purpose of the conference is to DIS
! c,lss the problems of High school
teaching and plans for improving the
schools. Among the speakers at the
meeting last evening were Governor
! Percival Z. Baxter and Hon. A. O.
Thomas, State superintendent OF
schools.
! Opening Meeting
At the opening meeting of the
| conference which was held at 4
o'clock in the Senate chamber, near
! ly so principals and people interest
ed in secondary school work We're
present to listen to very helpful
! discussion on THE present weak
nesscs in secondary education and
| low to improve them. u. w. Tay
lor, supervisor Of secondary educa-
ton presided over this discussion
and helped to bring out points which
were especially worthy of mention.
| The discussion was opened by
Principal James d. Hewlett of He
| Acc ho al 81 tvn
| striking weaknesses in the system.
The first is the lack of cooperation
between the school and the home. He
said that after the sixth or eighth
years at school the parents of stu
! dent lose interest in the school work.
! This is often due to the increased
self-consciousness Of the student
| who tells the parent that he or she
is not wanted by the teacher when
visiting school.
/ He then told of work which had
been done in some schools where the
parents first receive a letter from the
| teacher explaining what they are do
ing and hope to do after the school
is working on its regular schedule,
| the students are asked to bring the
| parents to the school at special
! time and regular assemblies are held
! in which the parents get acquainted
with the teachers, students and 9TH
! er parents and learn how they can
i cooperate with the teachers to
promote the interests of education.
Another thing that could be i'm
| proved is the fact that the brighter
students are held back by those who
| are not so quick to learn. In every
school there is a small percentage Of
| students who a'e quicker to learn
and can handle more in given time
than the average. These students
are in many schools held back by the
others and not have the chance
to learn all that they are capable
of learning.
Mr.. Hewlett thought that there
should be divisions in the grades
which would allow the pupils OF more
than average intelligence TO work
with others Of the same type and so
progress faster than they would if
forced to wait for the average stu
dent He thought that each grade
!
divisions SO that they might have
the best possible chance to get into
the proper classification.
Principal Quimby OF Cony
Principal Quimby of Cony High
school of this city then gave his ideas
on this subject. Although the secon-
Diary school field is different than that
of the High school ilr. Quimby said
that there were many things in COM
mon which they might remedy. One
Of these is the lack Of sincerity from
an exemplary standpoint. The speak
err said that he felt that if the stu
dent were to be prohibited from
smoking then the teacher should not
smoke and that the teacher should
endeavor to be an example of the
type which he was trying to form in
the schools.
He said that the present day teach
er fresh from college, was accustom-
ed to wearing stylish clothes and that
if this trait was carried to an ex-
treme the result was lack of respect
upon the part Of the student. He felt
that the teacher should dress and
conduct himself in manner that
would create respect.
He felt as the preceding speaker
did, that there was a necessity for
Reconsideration of the grades. An
other thing which he regretted was