ST. PETER GRADED SCHOOLS. The present term of our school opened Sept. 18th, and continues till Christmas. This is our second year in the new school house, and we are beginning to realize fully its advantages. The school is more prosperous, and is accomplishing more than ever before. We have attained a higher standard of both attendance and scholarship than ever before; this is owing to the increased efficiency of our corps of teachers. Our school at present consists of nine departments, seven regular grades, one German, and a High School Course (not definitely fixed yet). The rooms are all very much crowded, so that we shall have to open a new grade after the Holidays, and increase our accommodations. The school house, a model in its way, is of brick, three stories high, with a basement. It is 70 by 70 feet, with re-entrant angles, and is heated by hot air; we find, however, that two furnaces are insufficient to heat the whole building. Cost of building between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars when complete. Our Graded Course comprises the same amount of matter that is included in the ten-graded system, based upon that of W. H. Wells' Course with some modifications. The work is properly apportioned between seven teachers of the regular grades, one German teacher, who has classes from each of the other grades, and the Principal who conducts some of the classes in the higher branches, including Higher Arithmetic, Higher Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Latin and French. Our grades are not as sharply defined nor as definitely fixed as they will be when we have fully ascertained by actual experience the exact amount of work that can be done by each teacher in a given time. Each teacher is working strictly to the course, and endeavoring to accomplish the given results. Some of our teachers are Normal Graduates and most of them have had the benefit of Normal training. MINNEAPOLIS BUSINESS COLLEGE. Holding a very important place among the private educational enterprises of the State is the Minneapolis Business College, conducted by the proprietors, Messrs Carson, Barnard & Baker, in the city of Minneapolis. It sustains a very creditable reputation, and the gentlemen who conduct it have had quite an extensive experi ence in the common schools. ORGANIZATION. There is in every city of any considerable importance, as well as in every business community, a very large class of persons, who, either from having neglected their golden opportunities, or from having been unfortunately so situated as to have been altogether deprived of them, feel the necessity of making some exertion to secure a better preparation for business and the active duties of life. Finding it impracticable to spend several years in the common school, which is of necessity a place for the training of scholars by a protracted and comprehensive course of study, they naturally seek for some institution where they can obtain the greatest amount of practical information especially in the technical branches, so-called, in the shortest time, with the privilege of devoting all the time and attention to a single study if necessary. To supply this very pressing demand the proprietors opened the above institution, in the summer of 1870, continuing it with the most gratifying results, until it has arrived at its present flourishing condition Located in the midst of the business portion of the city, possessed of the best facilities, and placed under the control of competent and well skilled instructors, its future success and prosperity cannot be doubted. The number of students in attendance since its commencement has been quite large, being somewhat in excess of one hundred and forty; and the satisfaction it has heretofore given to its patrons, gives the best evidence of its efficiency. COURSE OF STUDY. A course in this Department includes Bookkeeping in all its forms as applied to Mercantile and Manufacturing Business, Partnership, Single and Joint Consignments, Merchandise Company transactions, Commission, Partnership Settlements, Banking, Business Forms, such as Notes, Drafts, Orders, Bills of Exchange, Accounts Sales, Checks, Certified checks, Insurance Policies, Deeds, Leases, Contracts, and Partnership Agreements, Political Economy, Commercial Law, Commercial Arithmetic, Penmanship and Business Correspondence. REPORTS OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS. ANOKA. Rev. Moses Goodrich, Co. Supt. I have succeeded on the last day of the time allotted me, in securing an annual report from each of the school districts in this county, save one. A few of the Clerks have been prompt and within the limits of the time prescribed by law, but most of them have been be hind from one to ten days. This delinquency has been occasioned partly by ignorance of the late amendments to the school law; these amendments not having reached the clerks. Next year I feel confident the case will be improved. One hundred and fifty-three more scholars are reported this year than last. Six new districts have been formed, making now thirty-one. In this number is included our Graded school in the village of Anoka, comprising six departments and numbering 426 scholars in attendance out of 504 in the district, between the ages of 5 and 21. Whole number as reported in the county, 1,649. Of this number there have been in school at some time during the year, 1,042. Four new school houses are in contemplation. We now find teachers with better qualifications than those we employed two years ago possessed, and the wages of female teachers have risen from $3.50 to $4.50 and board per week. The Teacher's Institute held in Anoka the last week in September, was beneficial in its effects, 34 teachers in practice and in prospect were present, and received profitable instruction, both in methods and matter of teaching. Our Scandinavian and German settlers are showing considerable zeal and unity in praparations to educate their children. Our Irish settlers show some zeal but not so much unity, and in one district of 40 scholars, they will have no school this winter unless I go and mend up the school house for them. The interest in education in the county is increasing and the assistance derived from the State School Fund by the half yearly distributions in encouraging and exciting an interest in feeble districts is not easily measured. |
