Superintendent's Report

To the Board of Education of the City of Ann Arbor - In accordance with my duties as Superintendent, I hereby present to you my report of the Public Schools under your care for tlie year ending June 25, 1897. The ordinary statistics relating mainly to enrollment and attendance are the following: Tlie nuniber of children in the district of school age (between 5 and 20), census of 1896, was 2,643. The number enrolle! during the year was nine iess than that of the preceding year, while the average number belonging was 37 more, and the average daUy attendance was 27 more. Moreover, it is well to note that the per cent. of enrollment exclusive of non-residents, was 73, while the preceding year it was on] y GO. 130 of the pupils were neither absent nor tanly during tlie year, diatributed as folio wb: Higli School, 25, enrollment 043; 8th grade 5, enrollment 110; lst ward 39, enrollment 458 ; 2d ward 29, enrollment 257; 3d ward 20, enrollment 289; 4th ward 21, enrollment 246; 5th ward ,'J, enrollment 118; Oth ward (, enrollment 22S. Several pupils have tamed their attenclance intact lor more tlian one year. Tliey are the following : THREE YEASS. Leroy Childs, Bessie E arle, Albert Hall, Amelia Steeb, Albert Wurster. TWO YEAIiS. Fleda Anderson, Albert S. Benliam, Wal ter Bancroft, Clara Bock, Clay Dell, William De Fries, Effie Godfrey, Ernest Godfrey, Theodore Gauss, Liliau Hogan, Dana Hiscock, Sopbia Klager, Emily Kowalski, Anna Kettel, Lulu Lisemev, Robert Myer, George Moe, Bessie Morrisou, Reuben Scott, Eugene Sinke, Clara Schaible, Lneile Ptone, George Seybold, William Weinman,May Walsh, Clara Waltere, Lyle Whitsit. Here are some good object lessons for such families as permit their cliildren to be absent or tardy íor trivial reasons. PROMOTIONS IN THE ORADES. At the close of the year 927 pupils were promoted to a higher grade ; also 431 were moved forward to the 2d semester of the same grade ; in all 90 per cent. of the regular classes were duly advanced in their classification. In Feb. 298 pupils had been promoted to the next grade, making the uumber of promotions proper for the year 1219, i distributed as follows : From lst grade ' 179 ; 2d grade 194 ; 3d rade 234 ; 4th grade i 187; óth grade, Hl; 6th grade, 126; 7th grade 79; 8th grade 76. Tliis number excedes tliat of preceding year 175, due insome measuretomid-yearpromotions, practiced in some of tlio schools, tn this department of administraron we have a convenient accommodation floating bridge to tide over tlie customary troublesof promotions. Pupils who are not clearly ready for promotion inay be promoted conditionally, aud granted a trial of four to six weeks in the nextgrade with tlieir class. Lust year of 189 cases tbus treated, 17:; sueceeded and 16 failed, whicb probably shows that in the promotion of pupils, the average judgment of teachers was too severe. COMPütsORT ATTKXI.X i:. A year ago we set out to bring nto the schools all children included under the ompiilsory attendaiice luw, i. e., all tetweeu the ages of 8 and 16. The work if looking up new cases and taking care of refractovy ones kept the truant officer busy a large part of the year. It became necessary to send several children to the Iudustrial School at Lansing and to keep a strict oversight npon otlier cases wlio were let off upon suspended sentence. Nearly all of this classof children are now known and located and will be sharply looked after tlie coming year. It seems probable that Aun Arbor lias moro tlian lier share of vagrant children, and it ia a duty we owe to tliem and to the comraunity of which they will soon form an active part, to save tliem from the degradation and crime into which they are in danger of sinking. COXDITION OF THE SCHOOLS. Generally speaking, the schools are in excellent condition. A goodly percentage of the rooms will compare favrably with tliose of like grade in our best city schools. The teachers are hard students of their work and their pupils and are well posted in pedagogical principies, which they einploy intelligently in their instruction. Our schools do not seek for educational novelties, they do not waste much time in experimenting with fads, they practice no theatricals for entertaining visitors, hut they are hospitable to new educational ideas, are on the constant lookout for fresh material and methods tbat are real helps, at the same time holding fast to what is known to be solid and practical in education. SOME GÜIDINQ PRINCIPIES. Some oL the above statements may fairly cali for explanation, as grounds for acceptance. In reality, education (especiall y in lowec grades) coDsrsts more in tlie deepening of impressions already made than in the multiplying of new ones. One ofhe most serious dangers of curreiit educatioual methode is that the things taught are unrelated, scrappy, often interesting bnt moinentary in effect, and so do not minister to growth and strength. To prevent this result, this waste of energy, there must be central ideas to wbich instruction ever points, by which all iuformation lessons may be guided. Our schools believe tliat excepting Arithmetic, the greater part of school instruction may be comprised ander these four subjects, viz., Geography, History, Xature Study and Literature. Subject matter and means of illustration may be drawn from widely different sources, but notliing is tobe selected tfaat does not bear with soine force upon one or more of the four maiii lieads. And so the effect will often be better to confiue tlie attention to a distinct section of one of the four divisions. More geography may sometimos be learned in a given time by studying half the globe than the whole of it; and it might be more profitable to spend a year upon Hiawatba than to commit to memory ñau a uozen sucn poems as good, even, as The Children'a Hoor. Good teaching then consiste more largely in good grouping for intensity than any other one thing. Froua wliat has been said it will be inferred that nstruction must be made interestintr. No great success can be had without it; but tliere are two kinds of interest; viz., (1) that ivhich is dramatic, sensational, evanescent, and (2) tliat which springs from the relations of the graver, practical subjects of knowledge. This latter species is the only productive school interest. Depending so largely upon wide knowledge, ready imagination and cleariusight, itissometimes fatally lacking in the school room. I say "fatally," as e. g., if the subject matter of a readiüg lesson cannot be interestiug it better not be read, and so of other lessons. It must be confessed that in this way teaching sometimes lacks its most vitalizing element. These principies iuclude other more familiar ones which are faithfully observen 111 the daüy work of tbe school. ' COMPETENOY OF TEACHERS. It is ofteu said that a good primanteacher must lie a specialist. The Bayng is but half the truth. The whole trut h is that each of several of her branches as Kindergarten, nature studv, literature, and physical culture, might well employ the skill of a specialist. In this regard, primar}' teaching is in Doarked contrast with High School work where nearly every branch has its spe2ial instructor. Consideriug all the 2onditions, it seems to me probable that the primary teacher occupies the most Jifficult and most responsible position n our systemof schools. In this connectiou it may be well to recall to mind that n my lust report I suggested the possibility and hopo that we might establish a training school to meet some of these conditions in tlie warde. BOOKS AND READINO. The general reading and library facilities in tlie schools have (K-en for some time a matter of serious consideration. Year by year it becomes more evident that the career and iisefulnfss of our young people wíl] depend largely upon their reading habit - taste forgood books. I he teachers have done mueli to encourage and direct the library reading of pupils; considerable poetry lias been coinmitted to mernory, especially in connection with nature study, but the nieaus at cotnmand have not enabled them to satisfy the demanda of tlieir respective schools. The special need is more books suited to the degree of maturity of the varions grades. Pupils should be brougbt into more familiar contact with the rightbooks. The books should be in their presence, often on the teacher's table where she can bring attention to them, occasionally refer to them, give outlinea of contents, or read to pupils interesting passages. Our general library is on too small a scale for such work as this. It lias oceurred to me that a travelling library of 300 books for the special use of the ward schools might be established at a moderate cost. These books divided among the wards would furnish 50 books per ward, which could be interchanged as often as desired. Several schemes for procuring the books have been suggested, which can be weighed wlien the natter comes up for action. III STORY. If possible, without overcrowding the course, we ought to give about a year more of U. S. History tlian we do in the grades. If no other way seems open, I tliink we would be justifled in putting sucli history in place of the regular reading in the 7th grade. All the formal history we now have in the grades is contained in Scudder's Short History of the United States, which is greatly 'inadequate. PHYSICAI. CULTURE. One of the constant needs of the grades is attention to the pliysical condition of pupils. Some of tliese conditions, as proper food and clothing, while often affecting the progress of pupils in study, can he controlled by the teachers only in small degree, and then indirectly. Other conditious, as of sight, hearing, nervous ailments, etc, coming directly under tlie purview of the teacher in child study, will modify botli instruction and government. Covering all conditions, it is the duty of the school management to see that pupils always have proper light, good air and sufficient, well devised pliysical exercises. Severa! years have elapsed since onr schools liad the benefit of expert instruction in this department of school work. A repetition of such instruction at this time would seem to be timely. If this cannot be done, there are some special facilities which, if furnished, would materially aid the teachers in tbeir daily work of this nature. PUBLIC EXERCISES. As hearing on the ethical aiins of the schools, I wish especially to commend to the favorable notice of patrons the public exercises held in each ward school upon kindness to animáis. These exercises were carefully prepared and well received by the genereus audiences always in attendance, including delegations from the Humane Society and School Board. Patriotic exercises also were held in all of the schools, and were patronized by the G. A. E. post in the way of committees specially deputed to this service. Patriotism is a customary theme in t)ie regular work of the schools and tliese exercises are intended to fasten the impressions oí sueh instruction in the pupils' mental habit. DRAWING EXHIBIT. A very interesting and creditable exhibit of the work in drawing was made in the High School building at the close of the year. It included cast drawing, model and object drawing, decorative designing, and illustration from all grades, from the first to the High School. A number of the best pieces of work were sent to the annual meeting of the Western Drawing Association held at St. Louis, Mo., in Marcli. This all implies that the drawing work in the schools is in excellent eondition. MTSIC. I cannot willingly close this part of ray report without remarking that the music never before has reached so high a degree of efficiency as it occupies ;it present. HIGH SCHOOL. lilis department has made an excellent record during the year of strong, successfnl work. Tlie enrollment registered a trifle larger than tliat oí the year preceding. In nuDiber of classes and average studies per pupil, the school carried somewhat more than i ís normal amount of work, caused by the new requirements for admïssion to the U. of M. It happened that notice of the new requirements had not been received in time for us to fully adjust our program to tliem at the opening of the f all semester. Soine of these requirements increased the work of the junior year in rertain branches ; the result was tliat the meiabers of the Scientific and English courses, senior elass, could not complete their preparatory work without carryitig extra studies. Part of the sectioi; so, tlie others continued upon the courso. The outcome of all tliis was tliat at tlie close of the year the University generously admitted all the pupila upon the same footin;.'. ENG-LISH. The conrees of stndy in the High School are now fairly well adjusted and balanced. If there is ariy exceptiou I think it wilJ be found in the quantity of Epglish reqnired- although in tliis a in otlier branches, we do not fail to meet the requirementa of the University. At present we assign only two Jiours per week for General English. Now conaidering the practical valne of gooil and ready English in the affairs of life, this seems to me inadequate to a complete high school educatiou. We ought in some way to intensify the work done in two hours, or add to it a third hour. Jt is an eneouraging sign that many of our pupils are specially ■ ested in the improvement of their English .speech. The several literary socf eties are very well sustained, both +- to numbers and class of exercises. Also during the past year the pup (nominally the senior class), published a quarterly periodical, The Breeze, which afforded opportunity for some additional writingand criticism. I commend this publication to our frienda, and especially to the High School alumni, as a means of coming into closer touch with the school, of hrincrinir Hi - ■ " 7 - ■ V A I a-J iñ IJ L til " school into notice, and of encouraging our young friends in a laudable a tion. THE GYMNASIUM. I ain glad to make mention here oí our new gymnasium recently fitted up in the basement of the High School. It is a pleasant room 30x30x10 f eet,provided with hot and cold water baths, and facilities for all kinds of indoor atliletic exercises except those of the race-track and suspended rings. It is understood that the use of the gymnasium, especially in the matter of instruction will be in charge of Messrs. Springer and Jocelyn of the High School faculty. When some special fixtures and arrangements slialj have been made for the young ladies, the question of physicai culture in the High School will seem to be approaching solution. VACATION. ■'What shall I do witli my bov in tion?" is an annually recnrring probiem for many an anxious parent to solve, For many pupila the long vacation is worse tlian wasted ; it neutralizas much of the good secured in the 38 weeks oí school. Have the patrons or tax-payers any responsibility here ? The questiou may admit of argument pro and con, but that the evil could be in some degree, remedied must be admitted on a little considera tion. In the north basement oL the High School is a large room whick could be easily and cheaply equipped for a elass in wood-working. Some parents surely would be glad to pay a reasonable fee for instruction, perhapa enough to pay a teacher. Other kinds of work could be provided for, if desired. Sach a class might well be opened also to the upper classes of the grammar department. Details can be considered as interest in the scheine muy warrant. Jf vacation can be made a source of product instead of waste, we think aa attempt should be made, to bring about sucli a result. Tlie nnmber of pupila in each of ths branches taught in the High School is given below : BOYS. (3IKLS. TOTAI. Astronomy ]k2 7 ]; Arithmetic 7!) 68 Algebra 2W 174 Botany 97 8t Book-Keeping 67 ■!:; Chemtatry íi: 84 Civil-Government 55 -i Com. Correspondence il 12 23 Com. Law 15 6 2i Engiisli 227 173 Englisli Literature 28 32 68 Elocution 25 56 81 French 19 25 44 Grammar 51 12 Germán P5 7:; Greeh ___ a 30 71 Georaetry 89 62 151 Historv, American 61 5--! lis Engllsh 20 26 ' General 70 41 114 Greek 20 53 " Koman 15 2! -H Lattn 176 156 Political Eoonomy ti 9 ] ", Physiology 1 12 ti is Physies 97 87 181 Physlcal Qeography 12 7 n Rhetoric . '_ 24 31 6ñ Trigononietry 22 1 23 It may be noted in the above list that, of the scieiices, those required for admission to the U. of M., as botany, chemistry and physics, have a large eurollment, white those not accredited at the University liave a correspondinglv small enrollment. This fact shows how greatly the preparatory idea predominates in the school; also, that, aa iniich as it seema desirajble to continue the old English conrse, it may become pmhnrrflnJiÍTiff fo dn an ALUMNI REUNIÓN. The Alumni Association held its customary reunión and banquet Fridaj evening of Commencement week. The attendance was large, the greetings of graduatea were inany and hearty, the toast responses were apt and well said ; altogether it was a gratifying occasiou. Mach of the success of the Association is due to the secretary, Miss Chapín, who, . by correspondence lias kept iu touch witli a large proportion of the alumni. The folio wing officers were elected : President, J. Mills Gelston Class of '63 Vice-President. Mary B. Cooley.. " " '91 Cor. Sec'y, Luey E. Chapin " " '79 Ree. Sec'y, Ella M. Bennett " " '82 Treasurer, Cari F. Braun " " '95 Fx-pcutive ) H. Bennett. Garamon " " 90 Bxecutiye i MiunieS Beal ., „ ,92 Committee ) jay Fox " ■ (See page 7 for continuation) . ANW ABBOB PUBLÍC SCHOOLS (Contlnued froiu 3J page.) The teachers forthe coming year are to be as follows : W. s. PERBY, Sctperisttendebt. HIGH SCHOOL. J. O. Pattenglll, Principal.QreeU. and Lalin HoratloN Chute _ __ __ Physies Levi IJ. Wines Higher MaThematica Allee Porter Latln Mary E.Hunt -Jlathëmatics Louis P. Jocclyii Mathe.natics Sara V iiedoii Engllsh Literatura Jabez Montgomery __ Sciences ertnule T. Breed. French and Latln Durand W. Springer Book-keeplng and „,, _ ., , ICommerclal Law Kliza R. Snnderland Historv Genevieve K. Duffy Pollticai Ëconomy Lulu ]!. Southmayd Civil Government „ „ „ [and Historv Nancy E. Purdum Khetoric and English Alice E. Rothinan _.. Germán MSïï Ella Bennett Botanical Laboratory Roy B. Smilli Chemical Laboratorv Ellza B. Cady - Elocutlon Nellie S. Loving Librarían ;i:ammar and primary departments. centkal building. Eliza C. Ladd, Principal, Eiglith Grade. Anna IJ. liobiuson ___ " Abbie A. Pond HI__. " FIRST WARD SCHOOI.. Clara O. Hympton, PrÍ7U!ipal,Sevenlh Grade Emily J. Eldrldge __. Rutli B. Durhelm Sixth " Wllhelmina L. BeDder __ Fiftli " LurettaP Saundere Fourth " Carrie L. Dicken ■■ ■■ Jeannette 8. West ___ Thirii " KrillieG. Beckwitli- . " Ma gieT. McDlvHI Second " Jenuie M. Seeley First " Assistant and General Substltnte. SECOND WARD SCHOOL. Emlly Gundert, Principal - - -- Fifthand Sixth Grades. Augusta W alter Fourth ■ mauae a. uess Ttiird. '■ Emily R. Marehke Seeond ■' Malinda K. Mogk _ First ' Bertha Feiner _"_ ' .. THIKI) VARD SCHOOI,. Emily .1. Purfleld, Principal, ....Sixth Grade Brama C. Weltbrecht -Fifth ' Anna E. Shannon __ ..Fouríh ' Carrie A. Wlieeler Tliird " Mabel A. Benham _ __ Second " Pauline Wurster First " Carrie P. Krause FOLTÍTH WAU) SCHOOL. Annetta L. Alies, PrinoipaZ._Seventh Grade. Julia A. Howard Flfth and Sixth " Charlotte L. Millard Fourtli " Sarah V.O'Brlen . Third " MInnie A. Drake Second " feugemn Moglt Kirst " Firril WAKD SCHOOL. Mattle E. Goodale, Principal,.. -v, &-; Fourth and Fifih (irades. Mae H. O Hearn Second and ïhird " Anna L. Clinton First Grade. SIXTH WAIUJ SCHOOL. Lulu G. Downs, Principal,.. B.11 ,- ,T----, Fmh and 81th Grades. Ella L. W right Fourth Grade. ülsle Grace Anderson -ïhird " Louise .May Cody Second '■ Sarah Ballah First " SPECIAL TEACHERS. Lucy K. Cole Music Mat tic Cornwell i I.Drawiiig! As I close tli is report I am deeply sensible of the obligations I am under to the Board not only for their cordial support in the duties of my office, but also for numeróos kindnesses and favors accorded to me ander circumstances peculiarly trying. My heartfelt thanks also are extended to the teachers in all departments, who, duriiig my absence from illuess, made such considérate and efh'cient efForts to carry on the work of the schools. Respectfully Submitted. Aun Arbor, Sep. 1, 1S97.