The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-05
~HAsBROUCK T

The Kindergarten Glass at Hasbrouck In
stitute Is composed Of bright little boys and
girls who are perfectly happy IN their
school room. To one who has been educated
under the old regime it seems strange to see
children learning almost unconsciously.
Tho kindergarten room at Hasbroucks is
large and sunny. There are long tables and
little chairs for the children, VIII are taught
to seat themselves properly. The walls are
decorated with pretty littlo brown and gold
mats woven by the children, with
colored maps, with bright paper lam
terms and other ornaments made
by the kindergarteners' skiIfui little
fingers. For one OF the main objects Of this
sysfem Is to make the little pupils ready for
future training in the more difficult branches
of manual education. To this end the kin
dergarten pupils are taught to cut out care
fully paper squares, circles and other geo.
metrical forms. Yesterday In preparation
for the closing day Of school the children
were making dainty little paper ornaments
of gold and silver paper to hang on the
walls. The skill of the little ones is truly re-
markabie.
Miss Virginia Fair, the teacher of the
Kindergarten, has a pleasing panner which
cannot but win the affection of her pupils.
She is assisted by Miss Jessie Per Lee, who
has charge of the musical instruction. Yes
terday the teachers were engaged in finish
ing the work Of the term. helping hose who
had besn absent TO complete their exercises.
Miss Per Lee, presiding at one table, was
surrounded by q group OF eager-faced chill
dren, watching her work. She was showing
them how to cut out certain pictures, and
then paste them in a blank book. On the
first page the children were told to paste
cuts of different houses-the American
mansion, the wigwam of the Indian, the
G~reenlander's hut, the oriol's nest, the home
OF the squirrel, and, in fact every sort OF
house that it has entered into the heart OF
man, bird or beast to devise.
On the second q were to be arranged
the various articles of clothing worn by
man, on the next those belonging to woman
and finally those peculiar to children. Miss
Fair explained that this work meant more
than appeared at the first sight. Each of
these pictures she said, sgives us an OPP
portunity to explain to the children how the
object represented is made. Thus the Kinder
gardeners have acquired much practical in
formation. They know how the birds build
their nests, how the beavers construct their
dams and how the Esquimaux build"
Miss Fairs division was busy weaving
bright mats and making the paper ornaments
already mentioned. To show her visitor the
pupils knowledge of colors she asked them
TO 20 through the color drill without any
assistance. This they did perfectly, showing
a thorough knowledge of compleme ntary,
secondary and tertiary colors.
After hnlShlng this the cnldren sang tnelr
marching song. Then the nine who were
chosen to take the part of bootblacks hung
their boxes over their shoulders and stepped
into line. They sang, Here come the boot
blacks enthusiastically, polishing imaginary
shoes with great vigor. This is one of the
songs for the closing exercises of the kinder
garten, and will please all who hear it.
In the grade just above the kindergarten
the pupils are taught to model clay maps.
On the cabinet shelves were excellently exc
cuted maps of Europe, the mountains and
rivers being clearly markedA In this class,
too, the pupils learn to model from nature,
some very pretty plaster corner pieces of
wild rose design showing their proficiency in
this direction.