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SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Period Ending July 31, 1906

To The Honorable Board of Directors:

Gentlemen: I herewith present you a report of this school for the biennial period beginning Aug. 1, 1904, and ending July 31, 1906. This period covers the thirty-ninth and fortieth annual sessions of the school.

During the school year 1904-5 there were in attendance 91 pupils, 54 male and 37 female. Of these 13 had not previously attended this school. During the school year 1905-6 there were in attendance 92 pupils, 58 male and 34 female. Of these 12 had not previously attended this school. During the biennial period there were in attendance 108 pupils, 66 male and 42 female.

The school work has been carried on as heretofore in three co-ordinate lines, the literary, musical and industrial departments.

The branches of study pursued in the literary department correspond to those of the public schools of the state. As it is the primary aim of the school to give to the blind the same general intellectual training as is furnished to those with sight, it is fitting that the same general plan should be pursued. In this department the first eight years of the course cover the same amount of work as do the grades of the public schools. The last four years cover the regular work of the high schools of the state in three courses, English, German and Latin-German.

The branches of study in which classes have been maintained during the last two years are given below with the text books in raised print which have been used in class work.

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Schiller's Jungfrau von Orleans,

English; Snow Bound, Marmion and German; Harris' Lessons and Reader, shorter poems such as Vision of Sir Launfal, Deserted Village, Paul Revere's Ride, Prisoner of Chillon, etc.; also original essays.

The above authors and titles published in raised print give some idea of the range of school literature available for the use of the blind. In addition to these an extensive selection of the best standard and classic works of history, science, and other general literature is on our library shelves for the use of the pupils.

The extension of the use of the library to blind persons throughout the state, made practicable by the free postal law, has been greatly appreciated by a considerable number of the educated adult blind of the state. The library has been increased by extensive purchases during the past two years until it now contains all books published in the New York Pointprint. No school library for the blind has made such large additions as this in recent years.

In the musical and industrial departments excellent work has been done along the lines of opportunity afforded, but no material changes have been made in either department.

At the close of the school year 1904-5 Leslie Hake, Agnes Hogan and Fannie Jackson completed the regular High School course,and David Rau completed a special course covering much of the ground of the High School course. At the close of the school year 1905-6 Bessie Hake completed the High School course, and Nels Knutson a special course covering the High School course with the exception of the mathematics.

At the close of the school year 1904-5 Mrs. B. P. Chappie resigned her position as head music teacher and Mr. H. I. Carpenter as teacher of tuning and the pipe organ. Miss Mabel Hamley was appointed to the position of head music teacher and Mr. Robert Maxwell as teacher of tuning and the organ.

At the close of the school year 1905-6, Miss Anna Stubstad and Mr. Maxwell declined reappointment and their places were filled respectively by Miss Jennie Driver and Mr. W. J. Gay, who are now filling satisfactorily the places vacated. In the spring of 1905 the efficient matron, Mrs. T. De

Harven, was given a leave of absence on account of ill health, and on account of its continuance her place was acceptably filled at the opening of the year 1905-6 by Miss Naomi Pinch.

Additions and Improvements.

A new boys' building which accommodates about 30 boys was completed for use in March 1905 at a cost of $18,000, and was immediately fully occupied with boys who had been quartered in the hospital building and in the gymnasium of the main building. In the summer of 1905-6 extensive changes, additions, and renewals were made in the main buildings. Much of the plumbing in the north wing and center building was taken out and replaced, floors were renewed, various rooms replastered and remodeled for new purposes, extensions of stand pipes and fire protections was made, and considerable external repairing of roofs and chimneys was done.

Also the boiler house of the main steam plant was entirely reconstructed and considerably enlarged to receive a new 100 horse-power boiler, and the plant was changed from low pressure to high pressure. The coal sheds were also rebuilt, as the space occupied by the old ones had been taken into the remodeled boiler house. Parallel with these special improvements have gone the ordinary repairs and renovation made necessary by the wear and tear from year to year.

The generous appropriations for music and library extension have enabled us not only to add extensively to our raised print library, but to maintain in good condition our musical equipment. During the period two Schimmel pianos and a Cecilian piano player have been purchased, all of the other pianos have been more or less extensively repaired, and the pipe organ has been carefully gone through, repaired, and tuned.

Improvements Needed.

I renew the recommendation made two years ago that the old frame Faribault building be removed from its present connection with the main buildings. It is hardly possible that it should be other than unsanitary and unsafe from the conditions that prevail. The same pressure also exists for suitable laundry facilities as did two years ago. The laundry work of the school is entirely done by hand and under conditions which make it impossible for satisfactory results to be secured. Provisions should be made for a laundry building with the machinery and power of a modern plant.

I recommend that the old Faribault building be removed from its present place and put in the rear of the boiler house; and that it be remodeled into a laundry building. This location will give it easy connection for power and be convenient for practical purposes. The building is adequate in size for the purposes proposed. Its location would involve the removal of the ice house, which is desirable, as the latter is not of sufficient capaci ty for our needs, and cannot be conveniently enlarged where it stands. Such enlargement should also be provided for. The gymnasium planned for the boys in their building has never been completed nor have the music rooms on the upper floor. These should be provided for. The superintendent's cottage is a building which has been put together piece-meal

and contains very little room on the second floor, as the various additions have been made one story only. I recommend that the entire building be raised to a second story.

The removal of the Faribault building and its utilization as a laundry building will make necessary the provision of a substitute for the room so taken away. Additional provision should also be made so that no pupils should be compelled to sleep on the third floor, as quite a number still have to do. To meet these needs and provide some leeway for future growth I recommend that a building be constructed on the boys' ground in such proximity to the present boys' building as to make a harmonious appearance with it, and of the same size and general structure. This will provide for 30 or more boys and will enable us to remove all of the boys from the main building, leaving that for the girls, for schoolrooms and for administrative purposes. Such a building could not be constructed at present for less than $25,000.

The appropriation heretofore made annually for ordinary repairs and renovation has not proved adequate to keep the buildings and grounds in proper repair and with increasing age considerable expenditure is called for by the deterioration and wearing out of material. An appropriation covering a portion of such necessary renewals was made by the last legislature but much yet remains to be done. The returns of the steam heating system of the center building and north wing are in bad condition, and the whole system should be changed from the old two pipe system to the more modern one pipe system. The radiators can be utilized by plugging and re-tapping, but pipes and valves must all be replaced. Much of the plastering in these portions of the buildings needs replacing but it cannot safely be done until the renewal of the heating plant is made, as the frequent leakage of water from the present defective system would speedily damage and deface the new plastering. Some interior rearrangement in the north wing and the extension of the veranda and entrances are called for by the removal of the Faribault building. When these provisions have been made, an annual appropriation of $1,500 will probably be adequate for maintaining the ordinary repairs and renovation.

The various special needs thus detailed may be summarized as follows:

Removal and refitting of Faribault building for laundry purposes with outfit

$ 6,000.00

Repairs arising from removal, changing icehouse, cold storage, etc.

New boys' building

2,000.00 25,000.00

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By the cancellation of the standing appropriation of $12,000 in the Revised Laws of 1905 we are deprived of more than half of our appropriation · for the current year. Immediate provision will be required to meet this loss and enable the school to continue through the year.

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