St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-23

pupils in the primary department drop
out in the cold winter months because
the parents cannot provide adequate
clothing for them, and many of1the
families are kept most of the time by
the charitable organizations Of the
city. During the warmer months, how
/ ever, every child in the district of the
proper age is enrolled. 1t might be
expected that the parents, most of
whom are uneducated and illiterate,
would fail to appreciate the advan-
tages of an educatio and keep their
, children out of school, but such is not
the csc 1t is not unreasonable to
credit the cause of this gratifying
showing to the influence of the kinder
garten. The one year instills in the
pupils the desire for better living, and
the parents see the advantages of edu-
cation.
Miss May I. Cummings, principal Of
Lafayette school, in speaking to a
G l b reporter of the kindergarten
work in her school said:
Il believe the greatest objection to
the kindergarten by people who look
upon it as mere nursery. They think
that the parents send the little ones to
us to be saved the trouble of their care
and that no other benefit comes there
from. If this were true the objections
would certainly be well founded and
those who wish the kindergarten abol-
ished would have good cause for the
stand they take. But, / am glad to
say, that impression is very erroneous,
and from the first day the children
enter the department they are under
going instruction. OF course it is very
light and Is given to them largely
through games, yet it is of such a ma
being developed preparatory to the
subsequent school work.
OF course in, the Lafayette school the
kindergarten department probably does
more good than in any other part Of
the city because the patrons are from
a very poor class Of people. L presume
the average schooling Of children in
this district does not exceed two years.
The abolition of the kindergarten
would therefore result in cutting that
average down one year. But very few
of our graduates go to the high school
because they have to begin earning
money when they get that old. The
kindergarten also acts as a feeder for
the primary department, because it
takes them when they are too young
to be put to-Work and a percentage of
them thus received remain.
The teachers here lin the building
have organized among themselves a
charitable society. We make occasion
al visits to the families in the district
and thus know their exact condition.
We find them all interested in the
kindergarten;. they recognize what 1t
is doing for their children and in this
way it has an influence for good upon
them. Their interest is shown by the
fact that they frequently make visits
to the school and they always express
their delight at such times. The de-
partment has been esta blished about
four years in this school. I have been
here all that time and am in position
to see the benefits derived in the school
work
There is a marked difference in the
actual work of those who have had the
advantages of the kindergarten. They
are stronger in every way, the simple
reason being that they have had one
years careful training in the sfunda-
mental principles. Then the moral
training cannot be overlooked. - The
children, taken as they are from illit
crate homes, are under refining inf1u-
ences. They are taught lessons of the
good and beautiful: at Christmas time
they are given the thought that it is
more blessed to give than to receive.
These lessons, coming at the time in the
childS life that they do must prove
of lifelong benefit, and Of particular
value to those who must too soon be
thrown upon the world.
The German school, located on Front
street, near Rice, is also patronized by
a class of people who receive but lit
tie benefit from the high school. John
G.. Donnelly is the principal. and told
an interesting story when seen by re-
porter for the G l OBJ e:
1--WE have in the school," said Mr.
Donnelly, "a very practical illustration
of the benefits that come from a kinder
garten department in our school at the
present time. Last September a class
came in from the homes and were
placed under the instruction of a teach
er who has had ten years experience
in teaching, aside from a competent
course in the teachers training school.
She is, I consider, one of the best teach
ers in the city. AT the same time we
had class to enter the primary depart
ment from the kindergarten. They
were placed under the instruction of
young lady who had never taught
day in her life. Of course the ability
of the teacher has much to do with the
pupils progress, and in this point the
ores coming from the homes had a
great advantage, but notwiths standing
this, the kindergarten graduates are
now six months ahead of the Others
They are now in work that the others
have had six months of schooling
This consider an excellent recommen-
dation for the work done by the kinder
garten department of our school. 1t
shows how thoroughly the children are
instructed in the underlying principles
Their powers of observation and con-
centrat:on are developed; the work also
strengthArs and trains the hands and
so it is an easy task for them to learr
to write. They are also given much in
struction as prepares them for the SIM
pier problems Of mathematics. The
class of which speak came from the
kindergarten last fall and can now
read and write sentences of considera-
BILE length and solve problems in addi-
tion, subtraction, multiplication and
division. They also have fair gen.
eral knowledge of United States his
tory. particularly those parts most
closely connected with the lives of the
greatest characters, such as Washing
ton and Lincoln"
do many Of your graduates enter
the high SCHOOL,"
You will be surprised when 1 tell
you the number. I have been principal
of the German school for ten years,
and there have been less than twenty
of my pupils who have gone to the
high school. To show you how very