The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-06-18
SCHOOL GROUNDS AND THEIR CAR


SCHOOL GROUNDS AND THEIR CARE.
BY MISS CLIFFORD MITCHELL.
(Read by Miss Johnson of Humboldt at June
meeting of Horticultural society at HumbOldtl
The famous recipe How to cook
hare?' began with The sage counsel
First catch your hare" Too many
school houses have comparatively no
grounds. AS We drive through the
country how many school houses do
we find with only few square feet of
ground adjoining, how many do we
find stuck up on the highest, rOckiest
hill in the district. Too often it is the
case that the poorest, most unpro-
ductive piece of land in the neighbOr-
hood is selected as a site for the
school house, probably because it is
fit for nothing else. One important
element to be taken iutO account in
discussing this question is the indif-
ference of a great majority of parents
and tax payers respecting it. They
say "What is the use?" Unless they
can see some immediate pecuniary
advantage accruing to them from it
they are Indifferent. Too often is it
true that in the district many of the
barns and out houses are more neat
and orderly in appearance than the
school buildings and grounds. Seem
iDgly they care more for q suitable
place i'm which to keep their horses
and cattle than for pleasant and in
viting premises where their children
spend so large a proportion of ::their
waking hours. The identifying of
school grounds involves in substance
the education of parents and tax pay
ers respecting the value of the beauti-
full in human life. This can only be
accomplished by the determined eff
fort of those interested. Our State
sets aside one day each year, known
as ArbOr Day, for the planting of
shrubs and trees. If only one tree
were planted each ArbOr Day in
every school yard in this county, it
would not be long until the school
yards of Allen county would be cele-
brated. lin the entire neighbOrhOOd
only one building with its accompany
ing grounds can be made light, clean,
pleasant and beautiful that building
ought to be the public school, for it is
here that the future men and women
learn the lessons which are to make
them useful i'm the days to come. The
influence of their surroundings is. felt
far more by children than by adults
The impressions of chill thood a g
deep and, lasting. The ement OF
beauty appeals most powerfully to
child nature. A picture or flower or
plant or tree awakens interest and
calls forth expressions of delight.
Why not minister to this from the
very beginning of school days and
make this innate sense of beauty con-
tribute to the child's education and
happiness and leave its Impress on
character and life. In identifying
the school grounds one thing should
be constantly kept in mind and that
is that they are the children's play
grounds. There have been school
grounds so decorated and adorned
that there was no place left for the
children to play. What a pitiable
sight to see a hundred or more chill.
dren cooped up in small back yard
or wandering listlessly through the
grounds on three foot walks, watched
carefully lest they step upon the
grass. The sign keep off the grass
has no place in a school yard. NJ
part of the grounds should be too
T good for the children. do not NEAR
, by this that any child should be per
mitted to destroy or injure flowers
shrubs or trees growing there, bu
right here is good place and time t.
. cultivate in the child an honest re
, spect for thriving, growing tree.
The grounds should be sown with
the most beautiful and hardy grasses
f and an abundant supply of tree
, should be so arranged that they will
, afford shade and pleasure, but no
interfere with the sports of the chill
dren. If possible the children shOulC
have q part in the planting of thu
trees, so that there will be more of (
feeling of interest and ownership il
them on the part of the children
; which will go far toward securing tn
needed care for them. 1t is no
f enough-the whole duty has not beel
f done when the tree has simply beel
planted. 1t needs care in a schoo
yard just as much as any tree planteC
in your own door yard. AnOthe
suggestion, do not plant the yard ful
of trees of one kind, let there be
variety. The children will Observ
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