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Engli £no over footii sage. Sh tioi lesslj $4) amoti j^oil "H ?in« the were "SoJ "or r* it lik| She" Two men are vo an®wI •whic on tf "It Who over "A 1 A lexi trai SIPERINTENDENT'S ANNUAL EPORT, SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 22 Virginia, Minnesota, June 16, 1906. I To The Board of Education of the City of Virginia, Gentlemen: Herewith I submit my report for the school year 1905-1906 with Ibis Auch comments, recommendations, and suggestions as have occurred away me. ^con School Accommodations. Our school enrollment has now reached 1250 having nearly doubled the past two years. Additional rooms were opened in the Roose windi |4it, the Central, and in the Primary buildings, all of which are now save idled to their utmost capacity. Early in the winter it became evident them ftjat more grade rooms must be provided whereupon at a special meet Th. jiik of the district held April 1906 it was voted to erect another brick open M»ool building at a' cost of $40,000, which building at this time is for well under way and will be completed soon after the opening of fall term in 1906. Summary^i School Rooms. Roosevelt—8 grade rooms. 1 high school assembly room. 3 recita rooms, 2 laboratories, 1 library, 2 stock rooms, 1 auditorium (102x 2 dressing rooms, 1 domestic science room, 1 commercial room, 5 rooms, 6 bathing stalls, 6 rooms in basement for manual train boilers. engine, fan. store rooms, etc., 1 office. Central—7 school rooms. 1 office and stock room. Primary—6 school rooms- 1 stock room. Franklin—3 school rooms. Homestead—1 school room. John A. Johnson Building—9 school rooms, stock room, 1 gym nasjum (90x40), 1 rest room and office, 3 toilet rooms, 1 boiler an-1 engine room. looked ^he total seating capacity of all the school rooms in the district "It aftef the completion of the Johnson school, will be 1600. den— Janitor Service. birds employed as janitors at the Roosevelt, one at the Central, one at the Primary, and a woman performs this service at ..v 5 the Franklin. Considering the drawbacks of unpaved streets and the adhesive quality of the Virginia mud, the buildings were very well kept the past year. In a system of schools the position of janitor is "•^jj am«ng the most important. He should be an active, conscientious "Y,| man and one who is in sympathy with modern sanitary ideas. He "It* should not be one who is content to sit and smoke bis time away, -deniej while a hundred things about his building are demanding his atten for oi tion. The rights of school children and teachers to have a clean, "13 comfortable room in which to do their work should be respected. ThLet me rehearse what I conceive to be the duties of a janitor who is earning his salary, and let it be remarked in passing that public school money should buy as much service and as good service in every par ticular as the money of any private corporation. Duties of Janitors. Janitors are to care for and protect all school property, within and without the buildings the buildings, grounds, and fences about the same. They shall keep the buildings clean, well ventilated, and in a sanitary condition at all times, when school is in session. To keep a building clean means to keep floors, stairways, and corridors clean with brush, broom and mop, particularly all corners where dirt and dust are likely to be deposited. To thoroughly wipe all furniture— pupils' iesks including castings, teachers' chairs and desks, bookcases, cabinets, chalk rails, tables, window sills, picture frames, woodwork around and above blackboards, all woodwork about corridors and stairways, particularly banisters and between balusters, doors, shelves in closets, radiators, pianos and stools, and to keep windows and Vene tian blinds clean and free from dust at all times. To keep blackboards and erasers clean, and inkwells lilled. being careful not to spill ink on pupils' books. To keep toilet rooms clean and in a sanitary condition, free from bad odors, including the clensing, on the outside and inside of toilet recepticals, bath tubs and wash bowls, polishing the fixtures, providing clean towels, soap, and keeping the cabinets properly filled. They snail promptly remove pencil marks, chalk marks, or other obscene marks from toilet rooms, buildings, fences or walks, and re port the perpetrators thereof for punishment. It shall be the duty of janitors to start fires in the different build ings in time to have the same properly warmed by 8:30 a. m.. and to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the day of about 70 decrees. To wind clocks and keep the same regulated with the master clock In the superintendent's office. To keep the walks in frbht of the buildings free from snow and in a passable condition. To lock doors and windows, turn off all lights, and properly bank the fires before leaving for the night. To provide brooms and mats at the outside doors and see that pupils do not enter the buildings with muddy feet. To keep the grounds picked up and in an orderly condition. The school grounds should be models of neatness to the rest of the town. To care for flower beds and lawns after these improvements have been made. To sound the gongs as indicated, to open doors for the admission and dismission of pupils, and to assist in preserving order in the corridors and on the grounds. To keep all basement rooms clean and in a sanitary condition To not allow ashes to accumulate under rocking grates in furnaces to the injury of the same, and to keep boiler flues well cleaned. Janitors may not smoke themselves, nor permit smoking in oart of the building where the same will vitiate the air to be breathed by the teachers' and children. Saturdays and vacations should be used as general cleaning up times when all minor repairs should be made other repairs should be reported to the superintendent. Any other similar duties that incidentally arise in the conduct ot the school belong to this service and should be performed by the janitors. Teachers. The service rendered by the teachers during the past year was very satisfactory, and deserting of much -praise. Virginia was fortunate in getting together a faculty that in scholarship, personality, and genuine character, was of a high order. The results of our schooi work during the past year were first class showing that our teachers did their work in a conscientious manner, exercising tact, good judge ment and having patience and sympathy with the children In their work. Young teachers often fail in their work because they allow themselves to be carried away in the social whirl, thinking of nothing higher than bridge whist and dancing. Such teachers never pursue their work in a methodical manner. They accept poor work and thus lower the standard of scholarship. They fail to make proper explana tion of lessons assigned. Their personality, such as it is, is negative and lacks force, there being no inspiration in it. "The great teachers of the world have been those who taught not by precept, nor from the printed book, but by the example of their simple lives." School superintendents are constantly on the lookout for teachers who understand and like children, who have high {deals, whose scholarship is exact, broad and thorough, who are open to conviction and profit by criticism, carry out suggestions readily, are loyal to authority, punctual in appointments and of mentality keen and bright so that they enjoy a good solid book. Such teachers get results. They deliver the goods. They use English gramatically and with pre cision, and their pupils soon acquire the same habit. Their pupils know their arithmetic, they can spell, and write a respectable letter, they acquire good manners and grow up a joy to all with whom they are associated. It pays to get such teachers and then when secured it pays to keep them. The Common Branches. Special attention and emphasis was given throughout the'year in all the grades to work in the common branches—reading, arithemetic, English grammar, United States history, geography, and penmanship. In fact the common schools are run primarily for the teaching of the common branches. In reading children are not only taught to get the thought from the printed page but to express this thought to others with the proper articulation, pronunciation, and intonation. Among so many children whose ears are tuned to foreign sounds this work of vocal English expression is very important. In arithmetic unusual stress was laid, the past year, on the utility side of the subjeet, to meet the demand of business men that boys and girls acquire speed and accuracy in the fundamental operations and a knowl edge of such business terms and practices as are current in the ordinary work of life. Geography was taught with the view of develop ing the power of tracing cause and effect and answering the why of things. What is the geologic or climatic reason for the location of such a city, or the development of such an industry, or the growth of a given product, was emphasized. History in the grades was studied to acquaint the pupil With the machinery of our government and to development good citizenship. In a school such as ours there ls a great work in making Americans in the rough. Children were en couraged to use reference books, hold debates and write discussions about men and measures. Strong work was done in spelling, iimgnage, composition, and grammar in all the grades: This work was emphas ized also all through the high school even in the senior class, whose any members took review work in the common branches, particularly English grammar. Text Books. The Board has continued the liberal policy of supplying all text books, and all supplies needed in the grades and high school. There is not a thing needed by A pupil in school work but is supplied to him free oncost. Besides the text books and supplies purchased in the regular routine, 150 Webster's Academic dictionaries and three Webster's International dictionaries were bought last year. It is the plan to supply every pupil in the high school, eighth, seventh, and sixth grades with an academic dictionary. The dictionary nabit is a good- one for the pupil to acnulre. Decorations. A number of valuable pictures were added W our collection during the year,also ten fine drawings executed by members of the mecuanicai drawing class have been framed and bung on office wans. The beauti ful statuary casts left by the last two classes as memorials deserve" special mention. The class of 1905 presented "Minerva," the goddess of wisdom and the patroness of all the arts and trades and "Venus of Melos," said to be "the most admired single existing work of an tiquity." The class of 1906 presented "Diana of Versailles," "the pro tectress of the young," "Niobe "and her Daughter," and "Victory.' The first four mentioned are of heroic size, being over seven feet in height. Classical stories and elevating sentiments are connected with all of these. The Night School. Beginning in October, 1905, and continuing to the last of March, 1906, a night school was maintained three evenings a week* for "new comers" who were anxious to become Americans and learn to read, write, and speak our language. This school reached over 100 men and 10 women, ranging in age from 18 to 46 years, and did much good. There is a grand opportunity for service along this line of work, in helping to assimilate the more than twenty different national ities represented in this school district. The school was free, except for the last two months when a small tuition fee was charged to pay the teacher. Valuable assistance was rendered the superintendent in this work by Mr. J. I. Fadum, Mr. O. E. Petterson, Mr. M. A. Ayello. and Mr. Sigvert S. Dahl, several of the public school teachers also generously assisted on different occasions. AH the students were very much in earnest and made rapid progress. Five hundred dollars could not be spent to better advantage than in' maintaining such a class every year. Suggestion for a Sub-School of Mines. A College of Mining and Engineering was established at our state university a few years ago which was right and proper. Some pro vision however should be made by our state for a sub-school of mines at some point on the Mesabi range where the mining f8 done, tc make the work more practical and to serve as a fitting school foi the mining college at the university. The state is already providing sub-schools of agriculture at different points, why not a sub-school a mines on the Mesabi range? I suggest that a committee be appointed by the Board to take the initiative in this matter and see what can be done. It would seem that the greatest mineral producing state in the union could afford to have a sub-mining school in the midst of the mines. ,• Permanent Improvements. During the year modern steam heating plants-have been installed in both the Central, and Primary buildings connection being made with the city water system, and sewer system for both these buildings making it possible to install modern toilet facilities, and orinking fountains, which was done at the beginning of the year. Both these buildings have had the interior walls renovated, the woodwork painted, the floors scraped and varnished, the doors and windows put in condi tion and the Central has been painted on the outside. Window guards have been placed on all the basement windows of both these buildings, and, new Venetian blinds have been hung in the Central. New walks have been laid in front of both buildings. At the Franklin school outside shutters have been made for all the windows, a gateway made on the east side and a number of minor repairs made on the interior At the Roosevelt the floors have been scraped and varnished, the toilet rooms repainted, racks made in the basement for ladders, hose, lumber, etc., lockers constructed for tools, and pedestals built for class memor ials, a stock room furnished 6n the first floor, the commercial room finished, not to mention many minor improvements and repairs. A sub stantial fence built with heavy posts and iron .piping has been put -around the Roosevelt grounds. A janitor's closet for brooms, mops, pails, etc., nas been con structed on the second floor. A school museum was started during the year. Prof. C. W. Hall of the state university contributed a num ber of valuable geological specimens. An appropriate case in which to care for these specimens is needed. Contributions for the museum are solicited. Miscellaneous. I repeat my recommendation made last year concerning manua1 training and domestic science. There are many boys and girls who will never get a clutch on life unless they learn how to support them selves while attending school. Work with the hands should accompany work with the mind. The practical and the theoretical should go hand in hand. Apparatus for the new gymnasium should be supplied at the open ing of the year. The cost to start with need not exceed $300. The school reading table has been well patronized the past year. On the table may be found The North American Review. Atlantic. Harpers' Monthly, Harpers' Weekly, Century, Scientific American, Forum, McClure's, Review of Reviews, Outlook, World's Work, Primary Education, the Journal of Education. Educational Foundations. Youth's Companion, The Little Chronicle, Literary Digest, Moderator, The Young Citizen, What to Eat, Primary Teacher, Kindergarten Magazine, Minnesota Journal of Education, School Education. School Review, and several others. A lecture and entertainment course was maintaihed throughout the year at a cost of $296.31. The course was a success in every •particular. A number of public rhetorical exercises, spelling matches, music recitals, entertainments, and athletic contests have taken place during the year, detailed accounts of which may be found in "The Mesabi.' FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF STUDENT ENTERPRISES. Statement corcerning the publication of "The Mesabi," for the year 1905. Receipts. Cash from advertising $295.50 Cash from saie of books. 21.00 Total .7. Disbursements. Cash paid for photographs and material $ 25.00 Cash Bureau of Engraving, 40 half tones 130.6S Cash Southern Printers Sup. Co., 7 half tones 6.25 Cash postage and express 1-1.78 Cash Sigvert Dahl, distributing 1.50 Cash locals Virginian Cash printing and material W. E. Hannaford 174.57 Disbursements $350.85 Receipts ?. 316.50 Deficit paid by L. Bliss $ 305 Statement concerning receipts and disbursements of Senior Clasa Play given June 8. 1905. 1 Receipts. Cash from tickets sold $ 97.2C Disbursements. Cash paid expenses of play. $ 5.00 Cash paid statue Venus de Milo 37.50 Cash paid statue Minerva 56.25 Cash paid for pedestal 5/J4 Cash boxing and packing 6.65 Cash 2 name plates 4.00 $316.50 1.10 Total $350.85 Total $114.74 Disbursements $114.74 Receipts •. 97.20 Deficit paid by L. Bliss. ... ..$ 17.54" Statement concerning Entertainment Course, 1905-1906. Receipts. Oct. 20, To 170 Season Tickets at $1.50 $225.00 Oct. 20, Jo door receipts. 2.90 Nov. 22, To door receipts.... 11.30 Dec. To door receipts ..... 5.15 Jan. 25. To door receipts 7.85 March 10, To door receipts 18.25 March 11. To collection. ..... 24.56 Total .$325.01 Disbursements. Oct. 20 By paid Nat M. Brigham. 55.00 Oct. 14, By paid postage............. us Nov. 16, By paid loeala Virginian... 1.50 4 Nov. 18, By .pftfd postage... 1.50 Nov. 22, By paid Imperial Entertainers. 55.00 Dec. 11, By paid postage.* Dec. 18, By paid Dr. W. D. Atkinson. 45.00 Jan. 25, By paid Marion G. Kerby 45.00 Jan. 25, By paid postage L30 Mar. 10. By paid postage.. 1.30 Mar. 10, By paid Willson's Orchestra 10.00 Mar. 10, By paid Royal Male Quartette.... 40.00 Mar. 11, By paid Royal Male Quartette 32.56 Mar 12, By paid posters (2 sets) 5.75 Receipts. Cash from Flaaten Band concert $ Cash from tickets Midsummer Night's Dream, June 1 215.95 Cash from tickets Midsummer Night's Dream, June 5 44.80' Half tones "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 50.00 PLAN YOUR TRIP To the Minnesota State Fair Via the The Great Northern Railway #The Comfortable Way" From Virginia, Minn, to St. Pattl and Return. Tickets on sale from September 1st to September 8th With filial return limit of September 10th H. H. BENTZ, Agent, Virginia, Minn. Minnesota State lair and Return 1.15 Total $296.31 Receipts $325.01 Disbursements 296.31 Balance in treasury $ 28.70 Statement of receipts and disbursements of Senior Class Play given June 1- 1906. 15.00* Total $275.75 Disbursements. Cash expense of play $ 22.75 Cash Diana gs!oo Cash Victory ."!.*!!!."!!!!!!!!!! Ii 0(r Cash Niobe and Daughter 80.00 Name plates q'a Freight 2e:5s Total $268.27 Receipts $275.75 Disbursements 268.27 Balance on hand 3 7.48 STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1905—1906. Assessed valuation of District 22 $4,757,893.00 Rate in mills school tax 10 1-10 Cost of fuel for past year 2,309.84 Cost of teachers' wages for 1905-1906 20,669.13 Estimated total for teachers for next year 25,225.00 Cost of library books for the year 349.93 Cost of text books and supplies I 1,399.24 Cost of apparatus and furniture -. 3,578.85 Cost Mr repairs and improvements 7,844.33 Number of pupils entitled to apportionment. 1,207 Number of pupils not entitled to apportionment 37 Total number of pupils enrolled 1,241 Total attendance in days by all pupils 182,835 Average attendance in days of each pupil 147 Number irom 5 to 8 years of age 406 Number from 8 to 16 enrolled 783 Number from 16 to 21 enrolled Total number from 5 to 21 enrolled i,241 Number from 8 to 16 who have attended 12 weeks or more 743 How many male teachers in the year 1 -How many female teachers in the year 29 Monthly salary of male teachers 90.00 Monthly salary of female teachers 64.30 How many teachers are high school graduates 31 How many teachers are normal school graduates 16 How many are college graduates 6 Average cost per pupil text books .87 How many trees are planted on school grounds 40 How .many books were taken from the library... 3,254 Enrollment in Night school 122 In closing this report I wish to express my appreciation to the members of the Board of Education for their kind interest in the schools and the excellent support given me at all times in carrying forward the work of the schools. The year, while full of strenuous work for all, was a very pleasant and profitable One. May the same pleasant relations, between board, teachers, parents, and pupils, that have obtained during the year just past, continue in the future. Respectfully submitted. LAFAYETTE BUSS, Supt. City Schools. 47 A. L. GRAIG, a P. T. Mgr., St. Paul, Minn. $6*34 tjjj Via Ditltfth Missabe and Northern Ry From September 1st to 8th inclusive the Duluth Missabe Sc Northern Railway will sell Round Trip Tickets to St. Paul or Minneapolis for $6.34 good returning until September 10th, 1906. Cafe Parlor Car service from Hibbing through to the Twin Cities. Two trains daily. Direct connections at Duluth with all lines. Notice. We the undersigned have agreed to keep our potograph galleries opened on Sundays from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. only, begining Sunday, August 5th. All wishing to have lettingB on Sunday please take notice of this fact. O. E. MOILAN, S.R. MAKI. rr*- J. B. HANSON, G. P. A. I $6.34 State Fair and Return $6.34 1**1 1 im itimnii eMralBattattteolkge Duluth, Minn, will open the fall term Sept. 4th, 1900. Courses in Shorthand, Bookkeeping, Penmanship and Tel egraphy will be taught Write for catalogue, 30 East Superior street. The management will engage room and board for all who desire.