Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-12-13
Grade Principal Gives
Report on School Work
BETTER ATTENDANCE WOULD
BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE
ED BY TEACHERS

One thing we teachers desire very
much is better attendance on the
part Of many pupils. We would like
to see every pupil at school every
school day Causes such as illness
will prevent us from realizing this
desire but we can secure better at
tendance from those who have not
just cause for being absent.
How can we accomplish this? First,
by teaching the children in our rooms
the value of regular attendance; and
second, by speaking to the parents.
We take this means of addressing the
parents who have the welfare Of their
children at heart.
A nationwide survey known as the
Ayres' Report gives Wisconsin the
rank of thirty-third with the other
forty weight states in education. This
survey brought to our states attention
that attendance was one of our big
failings.
Not for the raising of Wisconsin to
first rank with the other states, but
for your own child's sake sec that
he begins his schooling at the proper
time in the fall and that he continues
it throughout the year and each sue
ceeding year
A recent survey of conditions in our
own school brought out this fact, that
there was undue retardation from
the first grade up. Thirty-nine pu-
pills out of each one hundred in the
school have lost from one to six val
liable years. mainly because of a late
start in the first grade and irregular
year thirty-eight per cent of the pupils
according to age should be out of the
first grade and into the second, third
fitch or sixth grades. The beginning
grade should not contain over one or
two people at the most who are over
six years of age This then is the
condition in one grade and the grade
in which retardation should be practi
cally none.
| Of course attendance is not the
only contributing cause but we be-
lieve it, is nearly SO.
Of what difference does it make if
pupil is retarded year or more in
his school work. 1t means much to
your child
1T may mean The abandoning Of his
schooling before completing the
grades. If he continues on through
school it means a year or more of
productive work with the attached sal
airy lost. He will not get the type Of
teaching suited to his development.
An eight year old child in the firss
grade is out of place because methods
for teaching six year old child are
not those used for eight and nine
year old people. 1t means the expend.
ing of money for your boy that is not
being made use of by him. It has
the tending to overcrowd certain
others meaning a waste of money and
time and poorer teaching.
We faithfully believe the parents
will do their duty toward their child
rem and assist us to establish a bet
ter educational institution through
better attendance. May we also ask
this of you as matter of charity or
as favor whichever it may be, that
where there is a known case of a
child of school age who is not attend
ing school you help it to get started
1t may be that he has not suitable
clothes to attend school in or some
other matter in which you may be
able to help him so that he may at
tend school.
The following is a list of names Of
the pupils in the graded school who
have a record of perfect attendance
this year Others have similar re-
cord but were not present the first
days. While there are still many
more who have been absent only a
day or two because of Illness.
And then there are those who have