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<br />But in no school have the studies pursued been more tho-
<br />roughly taught in their elementary principles than in this.
<br />In the South school there have been large scholars and ad-
<br />vanced studies. There have been among the pupils young
<br />gentlemen and young ladies, entitled to these appellations
<br />not only from age and stature, but from conduct and charac-
<br />ter. Here too, as in the North school, there has been man-
<br />ifested, on the part of the pupils, an affectionate regard for
<br />the wishes of the teacher, a spirit of prompt obedience, and
<br />a teachable disposition. In no school in town have the
<br />branches of English grammar and the higher Mathematics,
<br />been more thoroughly taught than in this. In this school
<br />a plan was adopted for the purpose of preventing, if possi-
<br />ble, the dread of English composition usually felt. A pa-
<br />per was started, containing contributions from the pupils.
<br />This plan, by affording an opportunity for the exercise of
<br />the playful and sportive feelings of youth, accomplished, in
<br />some degree, its purpose. And the committee were happy
<br />to learn that the young gentlemen of the school, as well as
<br />the young ladies, contributed to its columns. As an indica-
<br />tion of the state of feeling existing between the teacher and
<br />pupils in this school, it is worthy of being stated that the
<br />pupils, having been disappointed in regard to an anticipated
<br />sleigh -ride for which they had made arrangements, appropri-
<br />ated, of their own accord, the money that was to have been
<br />so expended to the purchase of a present for their teacher,
<br />as a token of their affectionate regard for her. The experi-
<br />ment then of employing a female teacher for the winter
<br />schools has in the North and South districts been in all
<br />respects successful.
<br />In the West school there have been, as already stated,
<br />some violations of order. Some others not guilty of viola-
<br />tions of order of sufficient importance to require the special
<br />attention of the committee, were not as obedient and as at-
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<br />tentive to their studies as they ought to have been. Such
<br />pupils absented themselves from the closing examination.
<br />Those who were present on that occasion did both their
<br />teacher and themselves great credit. The committee are
<br />fully of the opinion that any apparent want of perfect suc-
<br />cess in this school, cannot be attributed to any want of ca-
<br />pacity, faithfulness or tact on the part of the teacher, of
<br />whose qualifications they were led to form a very high o-
<br />pinion, but from want of co-operation on the part of the pu-
<br />pils. The inhabitants of the West District have done one
<br />thing, during the past winter, which is worthy of being im-
<br />itated by the inhabitants of every other district in the town.
<br />They have contributed some six or eight dollars for the pur-
<br />pose of increasing their school library, by the purchase of
<br />new books. A few dollars, each year, in each district,
<br />expended in this way will be the means of opening, from
<br />year to year, new sources of information and interest to the
<br />pupils that may attend. This record of the result of the
<br />employment of female teachers during the winter season, as
<br />far as the experiment has been tried during the past winter
<br />in our schools, the committee have felt themselves in duty
<br />bound to make.
<br />Your committee have felt somewhat anxious in regard to
<br />the moral influence of our schools, and have ,feared that the
<br />requisitions of the law bearing upon this point have not been
<br />as fully heeded, as those which relate to intellectual culture.
<br />In the Revised Statutes we learn that it is made by legal
<br />enactment" the duty of all instructors of youth to exert their
<br />best endeavours to impress on the minds of children and
<br />youth, committed to their care and instruction, the princi-
<br />ples of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth ; love to
<br />their country, humanity and universal benevolence ; sobri-
<br />ety, industry, and frugality ; chastity, moderation, and tem-
<br />perance ; and those other virtues, which are the ornament of
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