The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-05-12
School Entertainments.
By JENNIE +. KEYsoR, OMAHA. Nrl

BY JENNIE f. kEYsoR, OMAHA, NEB.
For the ordinary school entertainment
singing, recitations and dialogues,
wholly apart from the regular work OF
the school, there is no place, at least.
there should be no place Such exer-
ercises are more harmful than beneficial.
They are harmful in that they invariably
take time aud strength from pupils aud
teachers which is needed for straight
class work. They do further damage
by cultivating an undue degree of pride
in some few pupils who perhaps recite
or sing better than others.
Shall we Il en- have no entertainm ent
in our schools? | hear asked by dozens
of voices. Certainly we should. but
three things should be laid down as
principles To govern in getting up such
exercises First. let the programmes
Invariably grow ont Of the school work ::
Sc cond, avoid mixed programmes, ex-
ceptiDg As you use music TO add variety ::
third, make the exercises general. Have
all the pupils take some part, no matter
how small.
Let me explain what | mean bv let
ting the exercises grow out OF school
work. For instance class, or several
classes, have been working up some
author. say Longiellow. or course, in
this work essays have been written on
several subjects naturally suggested by
Ipngtelow aud his work. Inspire
and train your pupils 10 do their best,
and then. as you correct the composition,
select two or three Of the most interest
ing ones and have them laid aside to be
read at your entertainment. Long and
short quotations, too, must have been
committed, some long enough to make
good recitations. aud you have found
out those who deliver best The sto-
ries Of tic longer poems have been dis-
cussed and perhaps reproduced-some
Of these can also be nicely used. Now
arrange your programme, adding a few
pieces OF music, and TO your surprise
you will find that you have enough toI
make most interesting afternoon and
al from your school work, too. The
quotations make valuable part Of the
exercise, for by using them you can
make the entertainment general instead
of having il confined TO- few pupils,
as is usually the case in school exhibi.
tions. BY an unmixed programme,
mean, IL you plan to have literary en-
tertainmenl, let il be that all through,
and not part literary, part historical,
and part nothing, that is, made up Of
comical recitations that are worse than
nothing. for they take time and give no
valuable returns. either to the one who
recites or 10 those who listen.
Historical entertainments are very
satisfactory. They may be made up
from the United States history work, or
in more advanced grades, from periods
in general history or from English his
tory.
After using Lambs "Tsles from
Shakespeare" for supplemental reading
it il an easy matter TO get up, not only
one, but several interesting programmes.
And here, as in Longtellow, il is not
necessary TO 90 outside of the author
even fr the music, for Shakespesre's
songs are almost az famous as his plays.
Parents, you will find, will enjoy this
sort Of entertainment tco. and be proud
to see a bit ot their chidrens, work
brought forward so advantageonsly dis
p;ayed-s choice to be sure, but = part
OF your everyday work, nevertheless.