Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-14
TO TEACH CHILDREN.
commencement of the National Kim
dergartcn Normal Institute.

Inc seventeenth annual commencement.
OF the Washington, National and Froebel
kindergarten Normal Institute was held
last night at All Souls Church. The church
was thronged with interested spectators.
and the pulpit was prettily decorated with
Palms and ferns. The audience was lavish
In flowers for the graduates. Around the
platform were exhibited those means by
which the minds of very young children are
attracted, entertained and instructed.
The graduates. dressed i'm softest white
100 HOOK seats on the platform as DIR. George
w. walter concluded Meyerbeer's ',Coro-
nation March" Rev. George b. Patch OF
Gunton Memorial Church offered PRAYER.
He called attention 20 the worthy cause in
which the graduates would engage. and of
tne responsibility, as teachers of youth
which was imposed upon then, by their
diplomas. "kindergartner's Hymn" the
words and music Of which We're composed
py Mrs Pollock, principal of the institute
was sung by the class. THE Kindergart en-
Philosophy was demonstrated by Miss
Isabelle w. Herrig. She stated thai the
principles of the kindergarten were making
friends among thoughtful people each day
They recognized the desira bility of taking
advantage of the susceptibility of children's
minds to inculcate noble ideas and good
impressions. The theory of the kindergar-
ten would have us act toward each child
as though that little one was a child OF
nature. Then, in demonstrating the utility
of certain kindergarten methods Miss Her
rig stated that there was a period in each
chiid's life when IL desired to take things
apart. This spirit should not be stifled as
II was the spirit of Investigation. 1t should
be encouraged. The mind of the child
should be lead by proper graduation from the
concrete TO the abstract. Love for the
beautiful should be fostered. The pretty
nursery duet. Our Baby" words and mu-
sic By Mrs. Pollock, was cradtably render
ec by Misses Ford and Pollock
Miss Nellie Rlancb (.iShurna rao,3 ms, -
say on :he Training of the Hand" in
which she maintained that these members
ILL strated the mental as well as the phys
zeal characteristics of mankind The hand
OF the child was a good thing to train be-
cause this would stand him in good stead
In after years. At a certain age a child
found his hands the most Interesting of
playthings, and by counting his fingers
gair ed from them his FIRST lesson I'm matha-
mates. and i'm the Use OF them gained his
first experience in self-reliance.
Finger and nursery songs were rendered
by the pupils.
Miss Catherine r. Watkins delivered n
pleasing and instructive essay On Long
iEgs for Light. as Illustrated in Froebel's
Song and Nursery Plays In this she
dwelt upon the Importance of the work
which they had in prospect. Incidentally
she paid many gracious tributes to Froebel
violin solo with piano accompaniment
was performed 10y Miss Baldwin and Miss
Thompson. anu Miss Ida Herndon Rogers
read an essay on The kindergarten for
the Poor" Miss Nellie Blanche Gisburne
played a piano solo with excellent finish
and the comforting of degrees by Judge Nc
Arthur followed. He. too. pointed out the
Importance of the kind ergarten work and
eulogized the young ladies Tor having enter
ed upon n career of such usefulness. The
graduation class gave A chorus composed
by Mrs. Pollock. and prayer and benedic-
ton by Rev. Samuel II. Green closed the
exercises.
The graduates were: Mary Edith Bald
win, Iowa: Mary Howard Bayly. Mary
land: Ellen Fannie Burden, England: En-
ma Eusenie Calvert Maryland: Mrs. L. NJ
Cleveland, South Dakota: Edith Bessie
Daskam. Washington. DC: Bertha Emma
E,nderle. Washington. DC; Frances Nir-
ginia Fisher. Delaware: NJ. Annette Ford,
New York; Elizabeth r. Fuller. New York
Nellie Blanche Gisburne. Washington DC !:
Clstie NJ Heffner. Pennsylvania: Mary
HaZlet Henderson. West Virginia: isabelle
w. Herrig, Michigan: Eta t. Johnson.
Vermont; Wellesca Pollock, Massachusetts:
Ida Herndon Rogers. Virginia: Mary Ellzey
Thompson. South Carolina; Jennie Marvin
Taylor. Washington. DC; Salle Eva Wat
kins. Pennsylvania; Catharne Rose Wat
kins, Washington, DC.
Candidates for diplomas. 1875: Mrs Lucy
Hamilton Armes. Washington. DC; Miss
Helen Hunt Potter, Maine.