The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-12
SCHOOLS in VACATION
GOOD RESULTS OF ONE YEARS EN-
PERIENCE IN CHICAGO.
Full Text of n Paper by Prof. Water
man, of Chicago University, Read
in High-SchOOI Hall.

the results that have been attained in Chi
cago by maintaining school in the Medill
building during six weeks of last summer.
Mr. Waterman is secretary of the Chicago
Civic Federation, which raised the money
necessary 10 maintain the school, He Is
also a teacher in the Chicago University.
A paper of this kind was desirable by the
teachers here on account of the discussion
Oh the subject two months ago wlen the
superintendent met here. AT that meeting
there was round table devoted to the
subject, but the teachers could not attend
ana hear the discussions. They became
much interested in the subject from hear
ing these discussions talked OF.
After the reading of the paper there were
snort talks by Miss Nicholson, Mrs HUFF
ford and others on the same topic. Miss
Taylor gave an account of what had been
accomplished here last summer in this
me- Mr.. Waterman's paper is given below
in full:
AT an educational gathering in this city
Two months ago Superintendent Lane of
Snicago, made the following significant
years the school boards of every large CITY
IN the United States will recognize that
vacation schools should be made part of
the pupic school SYSTEM.
Ihefe Is little question that this is a safe
prediction. In Boston, New York, Cleve-
iand and Chicago the public school author
tues are already making a careful study
or this question. In each of those cities
vacation schools have been conducted for
one o. more years past by voluntary asso-
buttons. The results in each case have
been Such as to warrant school boards in
regarding the establishment of vacation
Scnools as necessary step in providing for
pubic education and therefore "a necessary
part OF the duty OF a city school board. In
Chicago there is a growing conviction that
L., III. d
ings should be kept open throughout the
entire year and that, during the summer
session. the city should offer free education
to all of the children who desire to attend.
The question may be asked, Will any of
the children desire to attend? Does not the
very name of the school contain within it
self direct contradiction since TO the child
vacation always means freedom from
| school duties? This was the view taken by
Civic Federation proposed to open vaca-
| ton school last summer. but before the end
| that the vacation school plan offers a solu-
| ton of one of the most troublesome prob
| lens in city life. In Chicago there are
| 21o.00O children in the public schools, 10000
| in Catholic parochial schools and many
| thousands more of school age, part of
whom are in private educational institu-
| tons or else at work, and part spend their
| time mainly on the streets When the
| school year closes an enormous number of
| children is suddenly deprived of the regular
| daily occupation that has been such an i'm
| portant element in life during the winter
| months. Some go to the country; others
| live in homes where there is "a great deal
TO interest them and occupy their time; but
by far the greater number are thrown onto
| the streets with no public Fairgrounds ex-
| cept the widely-separated parks; no healthy
activity possible that is not likely TO inter-
fere with the interests of the neighbors;
and every chance that the demorallzlng
| influences which surround them, ana are
especially strong during the summer
months will have a most disastrous effect
| upon them destroying a great deal mat
the public school teachers have worked
hard to build up during the previous school
year One of the Chicago principals re-
| Gently said that he would rather Keep MS
| school open and perform the duties OF
principal for twelve months IN the year
| without increase of salary than TO see MS
| pupils lose so much during the long Vaca-
| ton. -
| In view of these facts, 1t seems not mere
| ly desirable but necessary to open vacation
| schools in al! of the crowded olstIictS IN IN
| our large cities. For my own part, L do
not believe that the need for these schools
| is confined to the cities. Children In the
city and country gr pS b Believe that Vaca
| ton schools, If properly organized; Woulo
help to direct this growth and development
| pense of establish hing them. My experience
| in this field of work. however, mas peen IN
| a city school and therefore l will conilne
| myself to a discussion OF the propieii Aiohi
| that standpoint.
FIRST WORK IN CHICAGO.
The plan followed last summer originated
with a few public-spirited citizens who are
! members of the Civic Federation of Chi
| cago. They raised the funds needed (about
| 5000 to maintain one school for six weeks
| The Chicago Record generously offered TO
give the entire school an excursion TO the
| country each week and did so at an expense
| of nearly $500. Fifteen teachers We're en-
ployed at salaries ranging from $50 to 500
for the term of six weeks and q principal
| at a salary of $125. The Chicago Board of
| Education gave the use of the Medill pub
/ lie school building. which Is one of the
manual training and kindergarten work.
| The school thus cost about $1,000, or $40
| and sl.40 for the excursions. There were 800
! pupils, drawn from one of the most crowd
ed foreign districts on The By, West Sldoi; m
| Norwegians, Russians and rev Amer
| leans. The majority came from homes
where no English was spoken en- .d,,oot,o,a,
committee of the Civic Federation chose
| the teachers with great care, provided for
| the equipment, outlined the course OF study
| and anticipated every want as Tar as pos
| sible but assumed that If vacation schools
| were needed. it would not be necessary
10 advertise the school. In this they were
| two pupils were enrolled. The committee.
therefore. had brief circular printed,
which read as follows:
| will be opened i'm the Medill Public School
building. corner Henry and Throop streets.
urday. from to IL O'Clock. The following
subjects will be taught: Manual training.
| sewing, drawing; clay molding nature
| study music and gymnastics. The school
will be open to all children in the neighbour
hood There will also be kindergarten
for children between the ages of four and
| six years"
| Copies of this circular were distributed
freely through the neighborhood. On the
second day the crowd of applicants was SO
| great that the school could not begin work
| until after IL o'clock. AT that time the
| kindergarten with fifty pupils, had been
| organized and also eight classes, with pu-
pills corresponding in age TO those in each
| of the eight elementary school years. One
thousand children had been turned away
| for lack of accommodations. During the
| following six weeks the total num-
| sand From the addresses given the prin-
| cipal learned that some of the children
| came several miles to apply for admission
| All the work of the school was planned
[ with direct reference to the excursion
| which occurred or Wednesday OF each
| to preparing for this excursion. Thursday
| and Friday to using the experience gained
| Each teacher was a subject teacher, and
| the pupils moved from room To room
| spending one period of forty-hve minutes
| in each Of the following departments: Ma
| drawing or clay molding and a half period
! i'm each of the other departments-musl6
| and gymnastics No textbooks were used
| in the school.
DIVISION OF THE WORK.
The work of each of the departments
may be summed up briefly follows:
| zro~,or four clagSpg a