City of Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island

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I am reminded, as I begin my fifth annual report, that Rogers High School can scarcely be longer called a new school. But two of the pupils enrolled during its first year are at present among its members, and they, only on account of the loss of a year from sickness. At the end of its fifth year the diploma of the school will have been given to fifty graduates. Of this number, eighteen are young men, of whom thirteen at least have entered or will soon enter higher institutions, a follows: Harvard, four; Brown, three; Yale, two; Institute of Technology, two; Lafayette, one; Boston University, one. Of the young ladies, one graduated from the Normal School before taking her diploma here, one has graduated since, one has taken a partial course, and one is at present a member of the Normal School; two are teachers in the schools of Newport, and several others are in the line of appointment as vacancies occur.

The whole number of pupils enrolled in the school since its opening, exclusive of special students, has been two hundred and sixty-eight. Of this number, not far from one hundred, as nearly as we can judge, will reach the senior year.

The five years have witnessed important changes in the corps of instruction. But two of the original teachers remain. The only change during the past year has been occasioned by the resignation, at the close of the last school-year, of Miss Anna G. Chase, since Mrs. Coggeshall. She is too well known in the community to make it necessary for me to speak at length of her record as a teacher. It was a long and very honorable one. My own intimate acquaintance with her and her work reaches back more than eleven years. She was a teacher in the Newport High School for nearly six years, and had taught in Rogers High School from its organization. She wa not only very successful in her teaching, much of which was in the department of mathematics, and unerringly faithful and prompt in the discharge of every duty, but she always displayed a most happy combination of gentleness and firmness, of affability and dignity, which won for her the love and admiration of all her pupils. She withdrew amid the universal regret of all who knew her worth and the value of her influence. ...

FREDERIC W. TILTON Head Master. Newport, May 13th, 1878.

The number of school months, ten: weeks, 40; school-days, 200. Number of legal holidays falling within the school year, one [Fourth of July].

The Evening School in Clarke Street opened Nov. 14th with 147 pupils; the following week the number increased to 175 in actual attendance. The school was graded the same as last year. Each of the lower rooms being full, it was found to be necessary to form another class to accommodate the large number of adults who desired to attend. Accordingly another teacher was engaged and assigned a place in the Book-Keeping Department, and 15 persons placed under her charge. This class soon increased to 30, with an average attendance of nearly two-thirds of the enrollment. The average age of this class was 25 years.

The Evening School, Thames Street, has continued its regular course during the year, and while the number registered has not been so large as in former years, yet the attendance has been better and the interest of those attending is more marked.

The fruits of these schools are not seen in the school rooms, though there, even, is a goodly sight and truly encouraging, but may be seen in its effect upon the day schools. During the last year, upwards of 40 pupils who entered the evening schools are now regular attendants upon the public schools; fifteen or more applied the week following the close of the evening school.

We have urged for several years that a different course be followed in regard to the study of this branch, in order that the pupils may have at least fair samples of the English language to study rather than its manikin.

There is drill and discipline, we will admit, in parsing and analyzing, but technical grammar can by no means be considered as chiefly conducive in teaching children to write and speak correctly. What is especially needed, is a thorough change or breaking away from a system, the tendency of which is to destroy originality, and make mechanical one of our most important branches of study. If pupils were to build up a language and classify the elements, no more proper course could be devised than the one now in use. The English language, however, has been established some time, and does not yet need re-building; its foundations are good, and its superstructure not in particular need of repair. It will improve upon acquaintance, and the aim of the school work should be to bring the language before the pupil to study, so that he may become familiar with the best methods of expression.

This branch is now regarded by educators as one of the most important of school studies. It is not only an additional help in making the work of the schools more practical, but is an essential aid to the pupil, and will enable him the better to follow any profession or work. It is the beginning of Industrial Education....

As with singing, so with drawing, the work of the visiting teacher must be supplemented by the earnest and enthusiastic efforts of the regular teacher. Our teachers understand this fully, and give willing attention to the drill in definitions and work. Fifteen minutes per day for four days in the week, besides the half hour given by the drawing teacher, is the limit of attention to drawing.

FREDERIC W. TILTON Superintendent of Public Schools. Newport, May 13th, 1878. 

  Newport School Report for 1869-70

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