The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, January 21, 1887
School Report – Following is the report of the Union school, near Lexington, for the month ending January 18: Number of pupils enrolled – males, 24, females 22, total 46. Average attendance during the month – males 21, females 19, total 40. Percentage of attendances for males 94, females 93, total 94. The following have not missed a day during the month: Clayton Shreiner, Eddie B. Markley, Willie Weaver, Wayne Gantz, Wilson Gantz, Adam Showers, Wilson Enck, Henry Young, Robert Beamesderfer, Walter Clair, Monroe Eckert, Wayne Enck, Jos. L. Keith, Harvey Clair, Emma Enck, Olivia Williams, Hettie Clair, Annie K. Brubaker, Cora A. Eckert, Mary S. Hershey, Lottie M. Hertz, Carrie V. Hertz, Ella G. Kryder, Cora E. Gantz, Clara A. Hertz, Alice L. Keith, Ella Showers, Emma Zartman.
S. CELINDA HEISER
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, February 11, 1887
The Coming Event – Teachers and friends of education are anticipating with pleasure the thirteenty [as spelled in article] district teachers local institute to begin on Friday evening and continue Saturday in the Lititz public school building. The following programme has been arranged: (Here follows four paragraphs of items which will be presented.)
Saturday evening: Elocutionary and musical entertainment at 7.30 o’clock in the Moravian Sundayschool chapel.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, February 18, 1887
THE TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE – From the headline of this article we see that it is the second annual session of the thirteenth district, comprising Manheim, Elizabeth and Warwick township and Lititz district.
[Noted for the afternoon session on Saturday:] The institute was called to order by president Metzgar at the appointed hour. The attendance was much better than during the forenoon session.
After singing a selection, the secretary, Miss Cora Sweigert, called the roll. The following members were present: M.W. Metzgar, Allie E. Bonine, A. Janet Fobes, Elizabeth A. Kemper, A. Birginia Grosh, Alice Stormfelts, Lottie B. Hacker, A.B. Lehman, W.H. butler, W.S. Stauffer, A.J. Dunlap, Kate Drukenmiller, Emily Warren, H.S. McNabb, H. Swartly, Sue E. Biemesderfer, I.K. Huber, J.H. Hershey, H.R. Gibble, H.P. Fry, J.J. Biemesderfer, Wm. H. Ney, Chas. McMullen, A.M. Stauter, Cyrus R. Gibble, Emma V. Huber, S. Celinda Heiser, Jno. H. Enck
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, March 4, 1887
Rothsville Remnants – The entertainment given by Miss Cora Sweigart and her pupils of the lower Rothsville school on Tuesday evening, was a grand success. The programme consisted of recitations dialogues, pantomimes, &c. Music was furnished by the Rothsville Cornet Band, which rendered music which speaks well for the progress the band is making. The audience was large, the school room being crowded. Much credit reflects on our teacher, who is an excellent one and does her work well.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, March 18, 1887
Summer School – On the first Monday of April I intend opening a summer school of two months duration in the Brunnerville school house, provided parents will give me the necessary encouragement by sending their children. Terms will be reasonable. For a trifling sum the children can be sent and will receive all the attention in my power, and which they will never regret as they grow older.
GEO. L. KEITH
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, April 8, 1887
Doings Around Lexington – Our select school has nine enrolled. Our village should do better.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, April 22m, 1887
LENGTHEN THE SCHOOL TERM – The defeat of the six months’ school term bill in the Legislature will be regretted by the friends of popular education. The bill passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate, a body from which better things are expected. The denial of a reasonable amount of schooling for the children of the state is a crime against the public, unless the teachings of history and the opinions of knowing and thoughtful men are to go for naught.
It is difficult to fix any definite limit which shall be sufficient for the instruction of the young, but six months’ school in every year seems to be about as short a period as the law should recognize as a school term. Without compulsory provisions in the law parents will send their children to school as their appreciation of education , their convenience or their caprice suggests. Whether there are many or few in attendance, the schools should be kept open at least six months.
The length of the school term is a pretty reliable gauge of the intellectual and social status of the neighborhood. A long term and a crowded school house generally implies an active, advancing community. It is reasonable to expect that land will sell higher there and that it is in all respects a more desirable place of residence than the district which has narrower ideas on the subject. There is a practical material side of this question which invites attention. Taxation for school support is not a hardship. It is a dividend-paying investment.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, May 6, 1887
Examinations For Teachers – Prof. M.J. Brecht, the superintendent of public school for Lancaster county, announces the examinations for teachers for 1887 for this section as follows:
- May 16, Rapho township, Sporting Hill.
- May 20, East Lampter township, Bird-in-Hand.
- June 1, Earl township, New Holland.
- June 4, Manheim township, Neffsville.
- June 6, Ephrata township, Ephrata.
- June 7, West Cocalico township, Schoeneck.
- June 8, East Cocalico township and Adamstown borough, Reamstown.
- June 17, Manheim borough and Penn township, Manheim.
- June 23, Elizabeth township, Brickerville.
- June 25, Clay township, Clay.
- June 26, Warwick township and Lititz, Lititz.
The examinations will be both oral and written and will begin at 9 A.M.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, June 10, 1887
Brunnerville Brieflets – The summer school came to a close on last Friday, after two months of good attendance.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, June 17, 1887
Items of Local Interest – The school board of Warwick township met at the Warwick House last week and organized for the year by electing J.R. Bricker president, E.R. Shirk treasurer, and H.S. Miller secretary. A tax rate of 1 7/10 mills was levied. Teachers salaries were fixed at same rates as the last session.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, June 24, 1887
Received an Appointment – Mr. J. Lincoln Hertz, of Lexington, was chosen principal of the Lincoln school of Upper Marietta, Donegal township, at a salary of $51 per month and seven months school. There were over fifty applicants for the nineteen schools of that township. The township has established a central high school at Maytown, where pupils wishing to receive instructions of a higher order than be had in the common schools, may attend from any part of the township. This is a new idea and no doubt will be found to work well. This township also raised the school term from six to seven months without reducing salaries as many other do in order to get even with teachers who they are compelled to pay during institute week. Let other townships ponder over the advancement made in Donegal and do likewise.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, July 1, 1887
Teachers’ Examination – Teachers’ examination was held here on Monday. The class numbered eight, six of whom passed and got certificates. A fair-sized audience was present. What they saw in the young aspirants for the positions of teacher was of interest well grounded with the technalities {as spelled in article] of the educator. The questions put to them were confined to the general live topics of the present as well as text books, illustrating the importance of reading such a class of matter as is found in the newspaper in general. Two members of the class underwent the ordeal of a first examination. Making allowances for the unforeseen barriers in their first trial, they have reason to be encouraged for future efforts. Miss Alice Stormfelts received the best certificate, but the class did not pass the mark as creditably as might have been. Prof. Brecht closed with a few remarks on the importance of reading and making it a particular duty to enlarge their course of study beyond the ordinary historical text book, which is a mere skeleton of the form to be found in more complete works.
Teachers Appointed – The Warwick township school board met on Monday evening and made the following appointments:
- Buch’s – Ella D. King.
- Rome – J.H. Oberlin.
- Fairview – A.S. Yoder.
- Martin’s – Maud M. Breneman.
- Sunnyside – J.J. Behney
- Millport – Mary E. Buckwalter.
- Upper Rothsville – J.L. Ruth.
- Lower Rothsville – Cora B. Sweigart.
- Pleasant View – A.N. Stauter.
- Lookout – Lizzie Gibble.
- Brunnerville – Benj. U. Martin.
- Union – Cyrus Gibble.
- Lexington – J.H. Enck.
- Huber’s – J.W.G. Hershey.
- Warwick – I.K. Huber.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, September 30, 1887
Notes and Events – The Brunnerville school opened on Monday with 51 scholars on the roll. The RECORD has heretofore suggested a graded school at this place, and the board of directors will find that they must do something in this direction before long.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, November 4, 1887
Rothsville Items – Mr. Ruth’s school is to be furnished with a Webster’s dictionary by subscriptions from the patrons.
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, November 11, 1887
Editorial – In the address of J.F. Ruth , teacher of the lower Rothsville school, at the meeting of directors and patrons last Thursday evening, he stated that he had been teaching since 1874, thirteen years, and in all that time he had only been visited by ten patrons! What a comment on our public schools – no not on the schools or teachers, but on the parents. Either they must have great confidence in their teachers, or very little interest in their schools. (excerpt from longer article)
The School Directors Meet the Patrons and have a Talk. – The board of directors of Warwick township have conceived a new and very good way of interchanging thoughts and ideas with the patrons of the public schools within the district. Printed notices are sent to parents of children attending the school intended to be visited requesting them to meet the directors on a specified evening. The turnout generally is good and the plan works to the entire satisfaction of both parties concerned. (excerpt from longer article)
The Lititz Record, Friday Morning, November 18, 1887
Teachers in Session – The thirty-sixth annual institute of Lancaster county teachers opened its sessions in the Court House on Monday Morning. 595 teachers were registered up to Tuesday morning. [The rest of the article concerns the election of officers for organization and the speakers and their subjects that they presented.]
Too Many Pupils – The Brunnerville school now numbers 68, and some 8 or 10 more are yet to come in after this week. This is certainly too many children and youth for one teacher to manage. Especially is this so in a county district, where the school cannot be graded. It is impossible to properly classify the pupils so as to give them that attention necessary; either the lower or the higher grades must be neglected. The teacher has little or no time for explanations, being kept constantly at work hearing recitations. Directors and parents do very wrong in thus crowding a school and then expecting the teacher and pupils to make advancement.
There is no reason why this school should not be divided, making out of it a primary and a graded school. We are of the opinions that if this is not soon done they after a while will find difficulty in obtaining suitable teachers for it.
The Lititz Express, Friday Morning, December 9, 1887
School Reports – The report of the Union school, Warwick township, for month ending November 30th . Number of pupils, 47; girls 22; boys 25. Percentage of attendance, 95. The names of those present every day are listed.
The report submitted by C.R. Gibbel, Teacher. The report of Lookout school, Warwick township, for month ending November 29th. Number of pupils 50; girls 22; boys 28. Percentage of attendance, 96. The names of those present every day are listed. The report submitted by Lizzie R. Gibbel, teacher.