Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-02-08
SCHOOL ABSENCE
AND MAKEUP WORK

The first week of January saw a
great falling off in attendance due
to so much sickness, principally
measles. The second and third weeks
had the most absence and averaged
over a hundred day in the grades,
The upper grades and high school
suffered the least and recovered soon
est. There is no way to overcome
the entire loss caused by so much
absence. The best that we can do
is to make this loss as small as pos
sible. We have been trying to do
this and wish to explain our method
so as to secure the best possible in
terest and support from the parents
of the students who have been affect
ed.
To some it may not seem necessary
to pay any attention to what has
been lost. This it not true as school
work is now done. Each grade has
a certain amount of work outlined
for it, We call this a course of study.
In the first place this work is very
largely lost if it is not made up.
Our work is so organized and planned
that each step is foundation for the
next. When a student loses a few
of these steps he often becomes lost,
founders about and then fails at the
end of the year. Future progress is
endangered by lack Of a thorough
knowledge of everything that is in,
the course of study for any subject.
Again examinations cover work
missed as we'll as that which has
not been missed. The average amount
of work missed during the last few
weeks has been about ten days. By
ing TO overcome the loss in large
measure.
Right from the start we kept the
lower grades, where the absence was
greatest, reviewing and drilling as
much as seemed best. This meant
that when absent students returned
they found that they were not as
far behind as they expected to bel
and at the same time gave the stud
ente who remaiaed in school valuable
drill and strengthened them for fu-
ture progress. This did put each room
somewhat behind but prevented an
uneven condition of work made up.
We are now trying to gain some
of the ground lost. To do this it is
necessary to do some work after
school that would not be necessary
otherwise. We are trying to or
ganize this the best that we know
how and take up the most needed
subjects and keep the students who
have lost most. Too many students
and some parents as well regard any
after school work as punishment.
This is the wrong viewpoint. School
is out in the grades at three o'clock
in only one sense. Those who have
done satisfactory work during the
day are dismissed. Those who have
not and need help we keep to give
this help either individually or in
small groups or classes. This is one
of the ways that individual help can
be given to each student as his needs
require. We teach students as in
dividuals and work on them accord
ing to their needs as far as time per-
mits. 1t is unfair to expect this in
dividual attention in regular class
time, however, when you have tol
keep a whole class of well prepared
students waiting while you work on
one or two who have failed to get
the lesson. Several teachers have re-
ported that some students stay after
school to get this individual help
against their wills and in a poor at
titude to learn much. They are I'M
der the impression that they are be-
ing punished when they should un-
derstand that they are being helped.
A number of the students who have
missed work have brought written
requests from their parents asking 7
that their students be excused I'M
mediately after three in the after 7
noon and not detained. We want to
cooperate with these parents and
have almost always done so if the ex-
cuse seemed reasonable and was not ]
sent too often. This is a poor way
Of getting backward students up to 9
standard and we believe that If par
snts realized the real purpose of af-
.er school help there would be fewer
requests for excuses.
This little article is for explana- :
-ory purposes in general. We are ,
always glad to have you visit school }
md talk over the case of each stud
snt