Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-03

County Teachers association held
all day in the Junior high school
building. The meeting was opened
at 10 a. m. with president w. II. Pat
ten, superintendent of Waterville
public schools presiding. The first
hour was taken up, with a general
session at which Miss Florence Hale,
State Agent of Rural Education gave
a fine address. At IL o'clock four de-
partmental sessions were held in va
rious rooms of the building. At noon
I the meeting adjourned to the Getchell
street Baptist church where a dinner
was served at 1890.
The final session opened at 100,
with music by the Waterville high
school orchestra. A business session
followed and then J, O. Engleman,
| field secretary. n. F. A.. of Washing
ton, d. c., and DR.. Dallas Lore
Sharpe, professor of English, Boston
University gave addresses.
The morning session opened with a
| selection by the high school orchestra
| followed by prayer by Rev. E. A. Pol
| lard Jones, pastor Of the Methodist
! church.
Miss Florence Hale
! This morning as l came down to
! the train" said Miss Hale, Il thought
! how wonderful it was on this beauti-
/ full day to come to a wonderful
! building and wonderful city to hold
! this convention. This time of year
! l believe we teachers ought to take
our children out of doors and help
| them appreciate this beautiful sea-
J son of autumn"
Miss Hale said she had two things
| she wanted to speak about. First that
| oil 4f SlA
| time when appreciation of their work
| is greater than ever before. At this
| time she read a letter of anprecia-
ton published by president Kenneth
Stills of Bowdoin college to his tea
cher. Mrs. Sarah Gilpatrick, who re-
Gently died in Portland.
Salaries are one of the tangible
measures of this appreciation" de-
clared Miss Hale, land they are a.
bout doubled. Every day in the tea
ching profession and every year we
can begin anew"
Miss Hale spoke Of her second
point calling it the spirit of youth.
Il hear from some teachers" said
| she, that children are worse than
they used to be but | do not believe
it. Some teachers forget that they
once whispered in school. l do not
think it is right to put on exhibition
only the perfect papers in the school
room but all of the pupils should be
treated alike for often times it is not
the perfect pupil that makes the best
man or woman"
I'VE shold not take these standard
tests of intelligence too seriously''
averred the speaker. Don't tell a boy
or girl not to go to high school Just
because his 10 is not fully develop
Cd. Twenty years from now these
same tests may he discarded and a
new set brought into use"
Chairman Patten announced that
the departmental sessions would be-
gin and gave directions CONCERNING
the meetings.
Principal Neal C. Merrill of the
Junior high sCool was chairman of
the Elementary school division reid
in the auditorium.
Principal A. w. Bgelow Of Halo
well, spoke on the subject Of "Sclf
government in the upper grades. His
ADDRESS was mainly his own exper-
FENCES in successfully working ont
me plan IN HallowCll schools In this
division Miss Mildred A. Holbrook of
Augusta spoke on Number Work in
the Primary Grades"
In the rural school department
much of the time was taken up with
general discussion. Mrs. r. G. Cakes
OF Readheld gave an address on the
| iuraN school program and Miss Mar
ION lapIeY OF Oakland spoke on THE
Rural Teacher and Her School"
AT the meeting of school commit
tees and superintendent Of Schools
! Srpt. j. w. Hamlin of Winslow wa~
chairman. Hon. w. J. Thompson. OF
south China, Master of the state
orange addressed the members on
Scnool committee relations to Rura,
l,roblemS." Mr.. Thompson declared
shat 40 years ago the country and
city schools were competing on ever,
terms but since the magnircen,
buildings have been erected in the
cities for schools the tendency of the
country school was to grow smaller
as many moved to the city to give
their children the advantages of the
line schools. He said the solution
was either to build country schools
equal to the city schools or to take
the country children into the city for
their education. T.. Harold Dubord
gave a brief talk on school Com
mttee Problems"
Following the fine address by Prin-
cipal +. Il. Perkins OF Augusta on
the subject of The High SchooI-the
Place of Business" before the Sec
ondary school department. Professor
f.. c. Mariner of Colby college spoke
on the subject, English, the Key to
the Curriculum" Principal c. +.
Taylor of Gardiner presided at the
in part as follows:
Professor Mariner
A key serves 4 double purpose,
| 1nnl.S
double sense the study of English,
as related to the entire school pro-
gram, is truly a key 1t serves as a
medium for fastening in concrete
mental security ideas and impress
sions. facts and fancies, aspirations
and ideals. At the same time it is
an open sesame to the treasure house
of the worlds recorded thought, the
| tangible reVealer of all that has past
through the minds of the best men
in their best moods.
To observe that English is the
most important subject in the curri-
culum is trite and hackneyed. To
argue the obvious truth that all
other subjects depend unon it is a
borcsome platitude. But TO rciterate
, that English is in a peculiar sense
the key to the curriculum is neither
a platitude nor a hyperbole. For,
when the superintendent and princi-
pal as well as the classroom teacher,
once grasps the psychological signif-
icance of studying the mother tongue
when all engaged in the educative
process alike come to see that Eng
llsh is not merely q tool of express
sion, both active and receptive, but
| that 1t is also a vital means for de-
veloping thought-when that day
cawns. there will be no need for ap-
peals like that presented in this pa
per-appeals for definite. pdrposeful,