The Mankato free press., 1923-06-29
Statement Submitted To
Board By E. c. Selle
PAST YEARS WORK
Increase In Enrolment; ReIie.
ious instruction To
City Pupils

Selle in his annual report to the
board of education. the Mankato
schools are increasing In scholar
ship. There is an increase OF 1877
pupils over last year; 1924 pupils
attend the city schools. There is also
a larger attendance for the summer
school this season than at any prev
ious time. Over 200 pupils are en-
rolled in co operation with the Blue
Earth County Farm bureau club
activities.
The plan for the week day re-
ligious instruction was adopted in
the summer Of 1921 and was contin-
ued throughout the past year with
out change. except that the work
was extended downward to include
the third. fourth. fifth and sixth
grades as we'll as the Junior alsl
Senior high schools. About 400 pu-
pills were enrolled. Churches which
or joined with other churches III
conducting them were as follows:
! First Presbyterian, First Baptist,
! Centenary Methodist Episcopal,
| Christian. Congregational, Welsh
Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Evan
geliCal, lmmanual Lutheran. Ger
mani Immanual Lutheran (Swed-
ish) Bethlehem Lutheran. The work
| has gone smoothly, and with no 1r-
regularities worthy of mention.
The separation of the Junior
from the Senior high school. A com
plete separation of these two units
was brought about during the past
year. This did not involve the EN-
ployment of any additional help, nor
! any added over head expenditure.
| -;oI
! in the course Of study. | believe
that after the first two months last
fall, every teacher in both the junior
high schools favored the separation.
, The feeling of the Junior hign
school students themselves was
summed up by one of them in d
talk at a social affair this spring, as
follows: Last year. no matter how
good a record we made in athletics
, or scholarship or anything else, no
one ever paid any attention to us.
Everyone was interested in the old =
er boys and girls. But this year
there was always omebody to slap
us on the back and we have a cheer
leader and assemblies just like the
Senior high school.
The Teachers Meetings
! II believe that the plan of holding
!
forenoon each month proved much
more satisfactory than an attempt to
hold them after school hours After
school hours, meetings are necessar-
lily hurried. Everyone is tired. No
one can attend more than one meet
ing or conference on any one after
noon. and so some teachers are
asked to come not only one after
noon, but several each month. The
Saturday forenoon arrangement.
overcame these difficulties. Most
teachers offered no objection, a.
though few did object to giving up
time on Saturday.
AN increased number of legal
tions mean that we must have a
school year of only about ITO in
stead, Of 1S0 days. Many school dis
tricts for this reason have length
ened the school year to nine and
one half to ten months. believe
that two weeks ought to be added
to the school year in Mankato.
The elimination of the position or
grade supervisors means somewhat
disconnected series of grade rooms
instead Of elementary school system.
No business man running the sim =
plest kind of business would consid-
er it economy to have as little over
sight of his employees as we have
had the past year And out business
is not simple-it is decidedly com
plex.
Some provision ought surely to
be made for additional help in music
and art. There are no fads or frills-
they are among the oldest courses in
any curricula. For the city of Man l.
kato, which advertises itself in mu-
sic and an art center, to neglect "
provide the very best in this line for
its children seems to me inconsist-
ant to say the least.
Noon Day Lunekeons
Noon day lunches were served
at the high school throughout the
year and at the Lincoln school dur
ling the second semester. l do nu.
believe that the management of the
Lincoln school lunch room where
simple lunches are served, will be
carried in addition to a full teach =
ing schedule. Shifts of two, three OF
four girls can easily take charge OF
the food preparations under the
teachers direction. At the high
school, the work is of course heavi
er. but If one woman helper is em
ployed and one class in lunchrooni
cookery devote its time to this work
| believe that not more than one
free period per day need to be given
the teacher in Charge.
The Lincoln cafeteria account
shows a balanceho of $5.57. The high
school account shows a deficit OF
$89.53. This service should certainly
be self supporting. l have been told
by the teacher in charge that the
children have good food than tha,
the service be made to pay. / an
sure that by careful planning this
service will pay out and very salts :
factory lunches can be provided al
the same time.
Equipment of Buildings
'"The equipment of the building
was built UP considerably by the
contributions OF the pupils. Al
Christmas time 225 books were con
'tributed to the library, among them
four very handsome sets complete
Seven hundred pictures were
mounted and filed away in the Ii
brary with the help OF the librarian
The collection is invaluable as illus
trative material for classes. The
!, main value of the work lies in the
interest the pupils feel in the IL
brary because they have helped to
build it up. No program was given
with the express object OF making
money. The plant for one are com
spleted and left to be carried out