The herald., 1893-05-28
THE CHILD GARDENS TEACHERS,
Interesting Exercises Given by
Training School Graduates.
They Show the Result Of Their Care
full and Able Training.
Some OF the Advantages of the Froebe-
lian systsm-ATiss Annie Browns
Very Interesting Ad-
dress.

On Friday evening the First Congrega-
tional church was crowded with inter-
ested spectators to witness the com
mencement exercises OF the Los Angeles
training school for kindergartners, class
of 1913.
The young lady graduates, attired in
white and wearing the class flower.
sweet peas, presented very attractive
appearance, and in the graceful move
ments accompanying their songs showed
the careful training they had received in
the principles of Delssrte.
A novel feature OF the evenings pro-
gramme was A Morning in the Kinder
garten. After the opening class songs
kindergarten tables were brought in
and so little children, each carrying a
chair, marched to their places. Then,
lead by Mrs. Eveline, Mrs. Winslow and
Miss Eleanor Mercer, they sang with &C.
companying gestures several pretty
songs, thus giving a glimpse of the
opening exercises in our public kinder
gartens. The almost perfect movement
of the many little arms and hands. the
keeping of strict time and the good at
tention of the little ones showed what
can be accomplished through the Froebe.
lian system.
Following these songs was very
bright lesson by Miss Kittie Mills, COM
pairing the soft worsted ball of the first
gift with the wooden sphere of the sec-
ond gift. The lively interest, the ques-
tions and answers of the children, proved
the success of the charming story, en-
tirely new to the little ones.
The success of the evening was the de-
lightful original story of the wind, by
Mrs. Nora Mills, fraught with large
original drawinge, illustrating every
phase of the winds work. In further
illustration WAS o genuine storm OF
wind, hail, rain, thunder and light
ming, as represented by the hands of the
children, who followed closely the direc-
tions and motions of the story-teller.
This was greeted with a loud burst of
applause, and WAS as much appreciated
by the children as by the audience.
Miss Elsa Hasse gave @ pretty build
ing exercise with delightful story, in
which she brought out the building OF
the California MISSIONS.
At signal from the piano the chill
dren rose and marched out again,
carrying their chairs. When the plat
form was cleared, the large doors at the
back were thrown open and the little
ones entered for the grand march. After
many pretty figures, circle was formed
and the merry games began. The fuzzy
little caterpillar wiggled about and final
! ly went to sleep in its cocoon till lovely
butterfly came forth to sip honey from
the flowers. With strong arms the
blacksmith welded the hammer at the
forge, shoed horse, mended broken
chain and sang merrily while at work.
Just before the diplomas were
awarded the class sang The Pretty
Moon. by request of Superintendent
FTiesneT, whose approximations of the ttie
kindergarten has been an inspiration TO
the kindergartners of this city. 1t is
with regret that they see him retire
from his faithful service. ''Mr. Friesner
ia one of the most progressive, wieest
and most efficient superintendent in
the state. He has shown great organic.
ing and executive talents in the rapid
growth of his schools. ."-T Pacific Coast
Teacher.
The success OF the Los Angeles kinder
gartens is due to Mrs. Nora d. MAYHEM,
who is graduate of the st. Louis city
normal school, and trained by Miss
Susan E. Blow. She has worked long
and faithfully to establish the kinder
gartens on firm basis and to keep the
work up to the standard, and her work
has certainly met with marked SUCCESS.
The children who took part in the ex-
ercises were selected from three schools
and the stories and Lessons presented on
this occasion we're entirely new to them,
they having no idea what would take
| place when at their tables.
The most excellent essay to be read
was omitted because of the illness of the
writer, Mics Annie Brown.
The peroration of the paper, which
was very interesting, was ae follows:
"There are many, am sorry to say,
who look upon the kindergarten as be-
| ing very frivolous. We pity those who
see nothing in the songs, games, occupa-
tions and gifts for the children, but mo-
mentary amusement. They are all based
on simple principles OF art. science or in
dustry. At the same time they strength
en- the body, make the limbs supple,
| train the eye and ear, enforce moral
training through strict obedience un-
der gentle law, and quicken all the
| senses.
The aim is to put the little child in
possession of every faculty it is capable
Of using; at bringing him forward as
far as strength will allow, on paths he
will never need to forsake, and at teach
ing him things he will never have to un-
| learn.
This is accomplished through the
songs, games, occupations and gifts, as
pleasing as they are beneficial. Pleasing
in that they are presented as play and
beneficial as moral, spiritual and in
tellectual training. A bond of unity
hold them firmly together, go that an
| idea advanced in one is emphasized by
being reproduced in the other. For ex.
ample: When the season comes for the
pretty and always interesting story of
the caterpillar and butterfly, portion
OF the singing hour is devoted to songs
of the butterfly and it's habits, after
which pictures of the butterfly and cat
erpillar are served during the occupa-
tion hour. In the games which follow,
just eight children represent the cater
pillar, which is transformed into
cocoon, from which comes
beautiful butterfly, which promptly fits
from flower to flower. A run in the
open air for 10 or 15 minutes and then
back in the kindergarten for the "gift'
lesson, at the expiration of which the
tables present picturesque appearance,
as each child with the sticks and rings
has made a caterpillar, butterfly,
! flower to gather honey from, and the