Letter of the day: Recalling when social skills were graded along with '3 Rs'

While going through some old files recently, I ran across one of my early public grade school report cards. It was my first grade card from the fall of 1930. In addition to being graded for the normal "three Rs" and penmanship, I noticed an area at the bottom of the card. In this section, I was graded for care of school property; industry; dependability and politesse. I wonder how many grade school kids returning to school this fall, 80 years after I did, will be evaluated on these traits. BOYD PHELPS, BLOOMINGTON