St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-16
CHILDREN At SCHOOL,
A Model Structure Where
Young Ideas Are Taught
to Shoot.
Principal and Teachers Who
Instruct in the Van Buren,
Building.
Music Made a Feature in All
the Summaries Of
the City.
Fourth Grade Pupils Usually
Put to Work by Their
Parents.

happy one, as, meeting Principal Nc
Gee upon the stairway, he was
Informed that calisthenic exercises
were about to be performed
and he was invited to witness them.
The offer was gladly accepted, and for
the space of three minutes the news
gatherer was pleasantly entertained
with the monOtonOus twanging of the
piano and the arm and head motions of
the young students. AS a relaxation
from study and in that way a relief to
mind and body, these exercises must be
of incalculable good to the pupils. who
generally appeared to enjoy the eXer-
else afforded. A few of the elder pupils,
naturally enough, looked down upon
the proceedings as very small affair,
as indeed it was compared with the
other great duties deyolving upon the
teachers Of the school.
Better ventilated and more conven-
lent rooms for instructing large num-
bers of pupils could not be devised than
those of the Van Buren,. Each room is
light and airy, while the heating, as in
all the public schools of the city, is eX-
cellent. To demonstrate this personal
visit was paid TO each room. Principal
McGee willingly accompanied the re-
porter on the tour Of investigation.
dropping remark here and making an
explanation there in a pleasing, self
fOrgetful style. The tour was in con
sequence all too quickly made, as IN
many Of the grades the reporter could
have fingered for hours.
This is our second grade b." said
Principal McGee, as he opened the door
and ushered his visitor into that depart
ment. The reporter walked in, and was
met with a chorus of "do, IA, me-"
from the throdtS OF forty little Threats.
These youngsters, the majority not
having seen six winters, were being
trained in the rudimentary principles
of music. They were happy, content
ed looking lot, obedient 10 the least re-
mark of their capable instructresS, and,
AS may naturally be supposed, in the
presence Of stranger, their voices rose
higher and their
LUNGS STRETCHED MOST ALARMINGLY.
Music is made feature in the public
schools, and for this purpose special
teacher oversees this instruction in the
whole of the schools. The thorough
ness with which this portion of the
scholastic training OF the pupils is at
tended to was, within the past two
weeks, specially commended by Prof
S. S. Taylor, the superintendent of city
schools.
ton. of our large public schools are
those devoted to the lower grades. The
younger children are more attractive
than the older scholars; they look. and
are more dependent upon the will
of the teacher. Years must pass
over their heads ere they
assume that naughty indifference so
closely allied to the older students.
Then. too, their studies are more inter-
eSting to the outsider. Parents can con-
1idently be recommended TO pass an in
teresting hour in the Van Buren,, and
witness the training Of the rising gen
Grafton enrolled in the lower grades.
The most succeNfuI teachers are al
lotted to these classes, and their work
is, perhaps, of the most eXhausting
nature. But beyond that there is more
satisfaction, as by gentle intuition the
young mind is made TO grow and grad
nally, bit by bit, step by step, taught to
comprehend the use of letters and the
character and value of objects. In the
Van Buren, school the lower grade
classes were noiceably we'll filled.
They each contained not less than forty
pupils. all being accommodated with a
small desk to himself or herself. When
not seated at these, they were assembled
around plain wood table, lCttered with
various model objects, by means of
which they might be taught the use
of words and other lessons. Teachers
also make use of the school rOom-itS
furniture and decorations-and the
toys and pets OF the children as objects
for language lessons.
Special effort is made To attain thor
ough efficiency among the children in
the lower grades. For instance, in the
first grade there are two departments,
Il class and A class. In the A class the
children are not merely taught the cor
rect use of words; they are also III
Structed in writing them. eve find
this necessary" explained Principal
MCGEE, ''aS by the time the children
reach the fourth grade they drop out of
school. Half of. the children he con-
tinued in response to inquiries, leave
our school when they
EMERGE FROM THE FOURTH GRADE.
This is not the only case in this
school; it is the rule III all the schools
of the city. \ census was taken in the
schools at Milwaukee. and it was found
that 81 per cent of the pupils left school
at that time. They are then between
twelve and thirteen years old, and their
parents. usually, are unable to keep
them at school longer. That is my rea-
son for so large number of people
leaving ut iHOl SLluC. Iii SuHpOiN vi
this statement, visitor to the Van
Buren, school will particularly notice
the well-filed classes in the lower de-
partments. and the pancity of students
in some of the higher departments. The
major portion of those who do take
up the full course of school are
mainly girls. 1t is, however, satisfac-
tory to learn that when the Fourth
grade is climbed the pupils have Sc
cured the groundwork of thorough
elementary education in reading. writ
ing, arithmetic, history and geography.
Bearing upon the subjects tonight,
and the instruction given in the Van
Buren,. which is Identical to the whole
of the public schools, Principal MCGEE
had much 10 say. Besides the ordinary
branches of learning, if parent elects,
any child NAV take up German. Civil
government is also made 4 somewhat
heavy study in the higher grades. For
instance, here are some question no
ticed OH the blackboardS OF the adj
Vanced classes:
City G9vernment-Howc created? Diff
ference between a city and town? Gov
eminent by whom? Branches?
County Government How created,
State-How created? Government?
Officers. elective and appointive?
National Government-KindS? Gov
eminent of the United States?
Territorial Government - Political
machinery. Elections? Boards of can
rassers?
History and geography are also taught
Econ, O local aS we'll as a general stand