TROISIÈME SECTION

— 406 —cottage v officer who is off duty or sick, so that their hours mayseem to be of the same length as the other officers, whichshortens their time to work up new material and to refreshtheir minds with gênerai reading.The teaching force remains the same as last year exceptin two positions, which are the instructor in plain sewing andthe teacher of the highest grade in the book school. The formerposition has now its fourth incumbent, the first leaving formarriage, the second being a temporary appointée and thethird taking a better position. The book school teacher accepteda better position elsewhere. We are now employing six bookschool teachers and one in each of the following departments:cooking, laundry, model sewing, plain sewing, dressmaking(whichincludestailoring), physical culture, singing and gardening.Our book schools have a seating capacity of only 164 pupils.The new school room in "Lowell" cottage is nearly completedand will be opened early in October for the use of thosegirls whose conduct has been such as to exclude them fromthe other schools. We are anticipating great improvementfollowing the change from the poorly lighted and scantilyequipped school room in the old hospital building to this newand attractive room, well lighted and furnished with newblackboards, globes, maps and other necessary apparatus.Last year a new set of reading books turned the attentionof the girls toward nature study, agriculture and such questionsas how the world is occupied and fed. This year, the birthdaysof some noted personages, the historical célébrations heldon Lake Champlain and along the Hudson River directed thetrend of thought toward history and literature. Taking advantageof the material found in such abundance in current literature,especially in the Jielps sent out by the State Educational Department,an interest was aroused, an appetite created and afoundation laid for a more extended course in history andliterature than we have felt able to attempt in the past. Thèsechildren are hungry to read, glad to read good things, eagerto memorize choice bits of thought and quick to make theapplication to their own needs. Much of the disciplining here— 409 —is accomplished through the right quotation given at the psychologicalmoment.The larger number of paroles and final discharges and theincrease in capacity caused by opening the new cottages havechanged the population of our schools to such an extent thatexcept for the fact that we have better equipment for handlingit, we are in the same situation as four years ago, when thepopulation increased at such a rapid rate that the school wasfilled with new girls in a few months time. However, ourteachers have the benefit of past expérience, we have moreteachers, more and better equipped school rooms, so that pupilsare responding within a much shorter time to the school'sinfluence. Thèse girls gathered from ail parts of the state,from ail kinds of schools or from no schools at ail, are alreadydeveloping a class spirit and manifesting a willingness to yieldselfish desires and inclinations to the good of the whole. Thereare few absences from disciplinary causes. Attendance atschool is considered a great privilège. Misbehavior of a girlis no more popular with the majority of the pupils than withthe teacher. Ordinarily when a girl misbehaves, the spirit ofthe class is sympathetically helpful, that is, they are sorry forthe offender in that she has failed in self control but resenther encroachment upon the rights of the class. Should shepersist in her misconduct, she is made to feel that her présencein the school room is not acceptable until she can regain theproper spirit.Arbor Day was celebrated with more enthusiasm than everbefore. With the literary program rendered by the bookschoolpupils was combined much out door work. Continuing the spiritof Arbor Day, the grounds around the school building weregradually made more attractive by the planting arid cultivationof both flower beds and salad gardens. The latter were sosuccessful that in June salad luncheons were served to eachgrade from the products of its garden.The School Library — There has been no purchase of booksmade for our school library, and it is of no value for theprésent class of pupils. A few books have been presented to us