Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-15

TOMORROW, WHEN PARENTS AND FRIENDS ARF
ISvrrED-oLosISa DAY WEDNESDAY.
Decked with flowers the public school rooms
of the District wore 9 gala appearance today.
1t was teschers''day, the first Of the three days
which mares the closing week in the public
schools Tomorrow viii be children's day.
when their parents and friends are invited to
visit the school rooms % the guests
OF children and teachers. Wednesday
will be the closing day when the usuaPliterary
and musical exercises will be held, which have
always been customary on the last day OF the
school year. Today. however, was set apart as the
time for the teachers to visit the different
schools.
VALUE OF TEACHERS DAY.
In this way they obtain an intelligent idea
OF what is being done in the same grade in
other schools than their own and, also, they
can take a comprehensive view of the entire
school system as shown in the work which is
on exhibition in every room. Ii is of course
expected that on such an occasion there should
be display OF copy books and specimens
OF the skill attained By the pupils in
writing. But . school exhibit Is by no
means confined to an exhibition of the accom-
plishments OF the scholars in this important
branch OF education. In the rooms where the
little ones are taught, the schools Of the first
grade, NAV be seen the beginnings of the
system of instruction which finds its highest
Illustration IN the rooms of the upper grades
The little tots five and six years of age are
taught to use their hands in representing what
they observe with their eyes in q variety Of in
genious ways.
WORK OF THE hrTTLE ONES.
For example, the children are given brightly
colored splints of wood and they are encour-
aged to place them in the different shapes
which can be given to straight lines. The
square is OF course the simplest form
The splints are fastened on paper by
means of paste and the children
think that it is great fun. Some Of them fol-
low the models which they have furnished
them. Others originate designs and in some
OF the rooms can be seen very good representa-
tons of houses. pumps, &c. which the children
make, thus giving the earliest illustration of
the ability to train the hand TO form what is
seen by the eye. Another interesting exhibit
seen In the rooms of the first grade are the ex-
amples of free-hano drawing. Here are vari-
GUS designs, either original or copied, made
by pasting gayly colored pieces of paper
in certain related forms. Then the child is
given pencil and asked to draw these designs
The results in large number of cases are re-
markable -as showing the frmness and ac-
curacy with which the little children can make
lines.
DRAWING AND WRITING.
The work is entirely free hand. A child is
given a sheet of paper with a pressed leaf of
some tree pasted on it. An outline Of the leaf
is drawn by the child in free hand and then
filled in with a water color to initiate the color
of the leaf. Some of this work is surprisingly
good, while of course there is some that is
more or less imperfect. 1t is. however
all shown in the rooms, the good bad and in
different. Then there are specimens of hand
writing. which are confined in some instances
to the letter form, of which the following is a
specimen
Dear mamma,
1 love you dearly.
JAcK."
The round. labored handwriting of the child
Is seen In the characters forming these words
and while the essay could not be called elabor-
ate, to most mothers it would probably mean
more and be more highly priced than the most
of the age.
CLAY MODELLING.
In another form the little tots are taught to
make the hand obedient to the eye. This is in
clay modelling, where the plaster substance is
nodded by the little fingers into various shapes,
the most common being the sphere. There are
also attempts exhibited at leaf modelling which
are very interesting. The form and shape of the
leaf are worked out in a clever way, such as
would be difficult for An older person I'M
trained in such an art to initiate. Many
grown man and woman would be I'M
able to do what some of these
little tots do as part of their daily school ex-
ercises. The clay modelling. the structural forms,
the drawings. DC, which are represented in the
exhibits found in the rooms of the first grade
are only the beginnings in the course of train
ing.
SAME EXHIBITS IN HIGHER FORM.
In every room that you enter Of the succeed
ing grades may be found the same exhibits,
only in a higher form and more intricate
shapes. In addition tothe ordinary branches
which form the foundation of all
education, namely, reading, writing and
arithmetic. there is carried on this other
training, which teaches the child to see and to
observe and to use his hands if necessary in
reproducing it all in some form or
other. In the rooms of the higher
grades the exhibit constantly appeals to
the admiration of the visitor. There are
specimens of advanced drawing which rises at
times to real art. There is originality and in
genuity displayed. The children evidently do
their own thinking and are encouraged in it.
LIKE FANCY BAZAAR.
Some Of the rooms remind one Of fancy
bazaar, because hanging on the walls are
dresses, aprons, embroidery and other speci-
mems of needle work. The girls are taught
to sew and their work is exhibited
alongside of their drawing and composition and
penmanship. Then the nostrils detect an odor
of lunch or dinner, and lie finds that the pro-
voking cause is tempting array Of bread.
cakes, pastry and preserves, which the girls
have learned to make in the cooking
school. Rather a singular exhibit in a school
room. some may think to see specimens of
fancy work and needlework and q toothsome
array of good things to eat. But that is the
way the children are being educated in
the public schools today and when the
exhibition season comes around they want
their parents and friends to see how nicely they
cook, sew and do carpenter work, as well as their
proficiency in writing, composition, DC.
VISITORS DAY.
Tomorrow the teachers, as well as Q good
many of the scholars. will be in attendance at
the rooms and visitors will be given every at
tention and shown about. Those who are not
up to the new tangled WAYS of teaching will
have a chance to learn exactly how it is done
and see for themselves the results.
The High School, 7th and o streets north
west, will be open to visitors from ~ till s
the school visit the building and inspect the
class rooms, study halls, library and labora-
tories. In the drawing department there will
be an exhibit Of the regular class work. as web
work IN charcoal, water colors and clay
modelling. The work of the manual training
classes will be exhibited at 626 o street, oppo-
site the school building.
THE BUSINESS HIGH SCHOOL.
The Business High School this year has no
graduates. The second year pupils who were
transferred to that school from the business
course of the main High School will graduate
Thursdav evening Juue IA at lincoln