Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 293, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1919 — COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES [ARTICLE]

COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES

The Jasper county board of education met in one of the recitation rooms of the new high school building at Fair Oaks last Monday. The following trustees answered to the roll call: Lefever of Gillam, Poole of Hanging Grove, Huff of Jordan, Duggleby of Kankakee, Fairchild of Keener, Postill of Marion, Wood of Milroy, Rush of Newton, Harrington of Union, Pettit of Walker. The board voted two days on pay to teachers for holiday purposes. All other dismissals must be made up in the spring. Length of Christmas holidays was left to each school corporation to be settled by the trustee with his teachnra hlanh tru'fttPA iirrjinHftd to Hot the semiannual manuscripts to the next institute when tha manscripts will be distributed to the teachers for the first semi-annual examination. It is likely that the state department will fix a date prior to Christmas holidays for this examination. But to date no one knows in Jasper county when It will be held. ~

Union Township Rural Educational Conference „ One of the best meetings ever staged in Union township took place at the new high school building in Fair Oaks last Monday afternoon. There were more than 100 patrons and friends of education from all angles of Union township present, ine program started promptly at 1 o’clock and closed at 4 with no intermissions nor minute delayais. The school at Fair Oaks prefaced me speaking program with songs from the primary and intermediate rooms, piano solos, recitations and a community song for all. Prof. A. C^jCampbell or Fair Oaks then opened the speaking program with a very pleasing address of welcome. Prof. Campbell then turned the meeting over to County Supt. M. L. Sterrett, who offered a few remarks in the form of a plea for fair play in educational work for the rural boys and girls. Mr. Sterrett then presented Trustee Postill of Marion township who is also president of the tenth congressional district on rural educational conferences. Mr. Postill delivered a fine address of about 20 minutes in length. He argued for good teachers, good buildings, good roads, and proper means of transportation. Mr. Postill was followed by Trustee Duggieby of Kankakee township. Mr. Duggleby expressed thorough satisfaction of the school at Tefft where all children in Kankakee township are educated. Kankakee townsnip nas the unique distinction of being the only fully consolidated township in Jasper county. Trustee Duggleby was followed by Mr. Pettit, who is trustee of Walker township. Mr. Pettit gave a very forceful argument in favor of consolidation but insisted that j»t is unwise to consolidate until there is an assurance of good roads either existing or in sight. Trustee Pettit was followed by Mr. Poole, who is trustee of Hanging Grove township. Mr. Poole offered a few remarks about school housing conditions in Hanging Grove township. He stated in very emphatic terms that he was ready and willing to house the boys and girls of Hanging Grove township in more sanitary quarters as soon as the patrons asked for it. Trustee Poole was followed by Mr. Rush, who is trustee of Newton township. He expressed himself as thoroughly favoring better schooling conditions than exist at present in Newton township. Mr. Rush was very enthusiastic about the country boys and girls and deplored the fact that his township was not housing the children in healthful rooms. He announced that he hoped to see big changes in Newton township before the expiration of his term. Trustee Rush was followed by Mr. Harrington of Union township, who gave some definite reasons why the boys were leaving tne farm- Trustee Harrington also argued that it was wrong to have all boys and girls remain on the farm. He cited Lincoln, Garfield and stated further that every state in the union had at some time in its history a good governor who had come from the farm. Mr. Harrington argued very forcibly that the housing conditions in the country should be on a parity with the cities so that our children could attend school without jeopardizing tfieir health. Editor Hamilton gave an excellent talk of about 16 minutes, giving a contrast between the times when he began teaching and today. His clean-cut sympathy for the boys and girls of the country I districts found expression throughout his talk. C. M. Sands gave an impressive address emphasizing that truancy would cease to be a problem when the housing conditions in the country became as attractive as in the city. He also gave a clear and concise statement or the provisions of the present truancy law. County Agricultural Agent Learning spoke tor about 15 minutes on the subject of the schools as an Americanizing medium. He pleased his audience with his pointed stories and attitude of earnestness- Felix Erwin of Fair Oaks gave a few minutes talk that was straight to his mark. He emphasized the inuuence of the school building, teachers, equipment, etc., upon the children of the homes. He presented a point formerly touched upon by Prof. Campbell that a school that was large enough for a community room was a township asset and not a local one. Howard Gilmore, a member of the senior class in high school at Fair Oaks, spiced the program when called upon by the chairman by stating that he had been assigned to talk upon ‘‘A school for home boys and home girls,” but that some one had tricked his subject by drafting "ly” on to “home.” He positively refused to talk on such a subject since there was no such school. This little jest prepared ' the way for Miss Nettie B. Jordan, I Ult i.wu -MA’ I ’ • ■ 3 county, who acquitted herself ver;

creditably by briefly summarizing her duties to the rural schools. Miss Jordan closed her 15-minute talk by giving a Summary of the 98 children that she had examined in the Fair Oaks school. The speaking closed promptly at 4 o’clock. ; The board examined toe new building in the process of construction north of town and the new Parr building while enroute to Fair Oaks. They also examined the magnificent structure at Fair Oaks as well as some of the work done in that school. The domestic science class, under the supervision of Mrs. Sterrett, prepared and served an elegant dinner to the board and its guests. The board px»Tnined some garments made by this class which were on display. They also examined the annual training articles on display in the department.