School Starts Despite Scarlet Fever in Hickory, 1916

“A Good Start,” by S.H. Farabee, editor of the Hickory Daily Record, Sept. 25, 1916

The fact that 750 children entered school Saturday despite the recent scarlet fever scare indicates that this is to be one of the best years in the history of the public schools here., The editor of this paper always has made it a point to be just as close as possible to the school people here and elsewhere, and he has never seen better spirit among teachers, parents and pupils. And that means the success of the schools.

We have every right to be proud of our schools, of the children who are attending them and of the men and women who are instructing the children. The people of Hickory, without regard to wealth or position, rallied to the playground movement, further demonstrating that we pull together all the time.

Schools are run differently now from what they were 20 and 30 years ago, and there is no comparison between the methods of teaching. A 12-year-old girl can teach arithmetic with more success than a whole lot of teachers could 30 years ago—though we are expecting some of the old fellows to challenge this statement.

With a new building soon to be erected and with a superintendent and corps of teachers with their heart and minds in the work, Hickory will continue to make progress. It is bound to do it.