New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15
VACATION SCHOOL A JOY.
TEACHERS AT NO 90 COULD HARDLY
PERSUADE PUPILS TO GO HOME.
MODELLING. DRAWING AND SEWING ALL PoPU-
DEIIGIIT-FIXING FOR CLOSING


DErIGIIr-TIxING FOR CLOSING
EMERCfsEs.
One OF the most interesting Of the ten vacation
schools which the Association for Improving the
Condition OF the Poor has been operating for the
last six weeks is in Primary School Building No.
- at First-ave. and Ninth-st. The attendance at
these schools Is apt TO fall of toward the end OF
the season. but at No % It has remained about
the same-seven hundred-from the beginning. This
Is attributed b. the principal. Miss Edith Fowler
to the fact that the neighborhood is German The
Germans are constItutonally Industrious. and the
children love TO work. II Is with difficulty that
they can be induced to go home when the halliday
Of school is over. and almost all take work with
them when they do go.
They look happy In their classrooms that
envy the teachers says the principal
WORK OF VACATION SCHOOLS
The work in the vacation schools consists or
drawing modelling. sewing. woodwork and IAN
guage study. but ii IS varied In every school ana
by every teacher. and the children are also en-
couraged TO follow out their own ideas. 1t is one
of the features OF the vacation schools that as
much possible is done by the children and as
little possible by the teachers.
Miss Fowler says she never knows beforehand
what the morning exercises going TO consist
Of besides the salute to the flag with which they
always begin. She simply asks. who Is going
children find quotations select bits OF news from
the papers. and give them without any previous
arrangement.
Tho Junior Pcpubllc has charge Of the Friday
morning exercises and the Boys Glee Club has
\ song ready for every day The Junior Republic
Is an important figure In the school. and is de-
voting itself to the study 81 Greater New-York.
ART STUDY ~ ENJOYED.
The favorltc study in No - appears to be art.
L.
ing mud pies and OF the girls do their sew
Ing at home, so 10 have more time for their
drawing.
Another favorl;e study Is construction according
10 the German system. Most OF the schools did
not care to undertake this work. because II Is so
dnicu The parts of the object to be constructed
come In one large sheet Of pastcboard. and the
puzzle IS to cut them apart and put them together
properly. In this way the pupils Of No. 2 have
built ,rolley-cars and steamboats, two models OF
BROOKLYN Bridge a Ferris wheel and any number
OF smaller things
BOYS AND GIRLS SEW
Sowing IL done by both boys and girls. though
the former have not progressed beyond the most
rudnentary forms Of the art. The girls have done
beautiful work. and have made 10, Of things for
the Seaside Home. The youngest have hemmed
towels and the older ones have made sheets, pill
low-cases splashers. bihs. quilts and napkins
lot OF work Is also going to the hospitals Some
brightly coored pcture-books have been made In
the kindergarten and other classes. and the older
girls are making wonderful quilt consisting Of
saIarcs OF white cotton. with some animal form
outlined each one in red, the whole sewed to-
prther with red cotton. This Is designed for
children's ward. and Will no doubt help TO amuse
many little convalescents
Nature study IL introduced into the curriculum
TO as great an extent limited opportunities will
allow. Miss Fowler gave 4 number OF pressed
ferns 10 a class OF girls and each one has sewed
her fern neatly on sheet OF paper and written a
description of It beneath The boys have been col,
Letting leaves in Tompkins Square. copying them
with crayons and writing essays about Them
A BIRD LESSON.
A bird lesson arranged by Miss Fowler. who Is
much Interested In the preservation OF the feathered
race resulted in the following essay. written by
Arthur Gandt ten years old:
SONG BIRDS.
In Massachusetts there are so many birds being
Killed that Senator Hoar made a law that any
lady found with a song birds feathers Will be
fined $40. Senator Hoar said that ladies should
wear other trimmings The law has passed. and