The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-26
UNDERGRADUATES GOOD WORK.
WHAT THE BALDWIN CHARITY Is
DOING FOR THE STREET TOTS.


ity, Hut n system of Education.
The Baldwin school Has Nearly
Reached Its Limit tn Numbers.
The Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten
will hold Thanksgiving exercises Wednes-
day morning, between ana II O'Clock to
which the mothers OF the pupils and
friends of the institution are expected 20
be present.
The school, which was opened less than
two months ago, now has a membership
of about lfty, and pupils are daily being
added. The limit VIII probably be reach
ed within the next day or two. and then
no more children viii be taken until after
Christmas.
The general interest that has been shown
in the work, and the many inquiries that
have been received. have induced the
superintendent, Miss Martha G. Baclzus.
to prepare the following short sketch of
it's methods. and aims, which will prove
of undoubted interest to the public.
There Is one aspect of kindergarten work
that may be seen at a glance. namely:
That a number of ntt,e children are
brought out of the streets, looked after,
given lunch and made happy for three
hours a day. There is another side, how
ever, much more important ana likely 10
he overlooked, to which we would like 10
call the attention of every visitor to the
Kate Baldwin free kindergarten. The
point we wish to make Is this. that the
work you see going on here every day Is
the fundamental training for all life, the
foundation of every kind OF education,
whether of the hands, head or heart
There is nothing done that is not rooted
in the science Of pedagogy, nothing with
out definite aim and object the end of
which is the cultivation Of the childs phys
icat, mental and spiritual powers, stimuli
taneously The kindergarten is not sim
ply a charity, II is system Of education
as much needed by the wealthy child as
the street Walt but this fact gains ground
slowly, because the charitable aspect Is
apt to overshadow the educational If you
will watch the morning exercises you win
see that we are working out some parts
of great principle, which Is embodied
in the plan of work being used.
The seasons of the kindergarten are, or
ganzation, when the child Is brought to
recognize law and order and 70 obey the
signals used here; thanksgiving, Christ
mas, midwinter. when the child is5 brought
to a sense of his duties as a member of so
ciety and learns that the good of one is
the good of the whole and Easter or
spring, when most of the nature study Is
done, In the form of various plays and
games, he Is given the best sort of phys
zeal exercise for the whole body; he Is
trained mentally to perceive quickly, rea-
son out cause and effect from his own
judgment of things by contrast and com
parison, and rely upon his own opinion.
Spiritually, lessons of courtesy considera-
ton of the rights of others, self respect
honesty truth, and love are made habltual
to him by daily practice, so that he will
become used to choosing right actions In
preference to the wrong ones
In the gifts he learns valuable lessons of
form, number, color, proportion and rela-
ton of things to each other, so that a
child of 6. who has been three or four
years In the Kindergarten, Is a child far
advanced In primary work and for whom
reading. writing and the science OF num-
bers VIII have no terrors. Tn the Occupa-
lions, the eye and hand are trained togeth-
err so as to 1T the child to go on with man
ual training easily. He has. in a crude
way. investigated the industries of the
world; he has made brooms, plated straw
hats, woven baskets and would surprise
you with his knowledge of the processes
of many things such as bread-making,
carpenters work and others.
Prof. William James, the eminent psy-
chologst, says of manual training: THE
most colossal Improvement which recent
years have seen in education Is in the in
PRODUCTION OF manual training schools, not
because they win give US a people more
handy and practical for domestic life. and
better skilled in trades, but because they
will give us citizens with an entirely dif-
ferent intellectual fiber, Laboratory work
and shop work engender habit of OBJ
servatlon, a knowledge of the difference
between accuracy and vagueness, which
once wrought into the mind, remains there
as lifelong possessions"
A kindergarten child knows a thing be-
cause he has done Il; he can go 10 work
and show some one else how he does IT.:
and can tell why he does It. Is this not a
much Better process than stuflinR his YER
bal memory? The memory is well trained,
toe but like all his other faculties the
training Is done unconsciously to himself;
he remembers simply becaufe he is inter-
ested enough to remember. A chlld's in
terests are centered In the great fInda-
mental activities OF lfe he is in
the same stage of development as
our forefathers. primitive man. hence
the same things have an absorbing IN
terest for him. All plans Of work, there
fore are based on the activities pertain
ing to the necessity for food, clothing and
shelter, and this brings in every art and
science known TO man. The child, In
play, Is made familiar with these activl-
ties. his sense OF the artistic Is fed, and
his desire for creative activity IS satisfied
by having many outlets of expression
provided.
IF any one Is inclined to think that This
is too large an order 20 be filed by Kin
dergarten work, we only ask that he or
she will spend a week Of careful observa-
lion Of our methods 10 be satisfied that
we are speaking scientifically, exactly and
accurately. We welcome all visitors
heartily. and thank those who come with
minds open TO the truth of the hight,
depth and breadth Of kindergarten train
ing. as It Ia our desire 10 see In the near
future every citizen of Savannah ready 10
work to obtain the privilege OF kindergar-
ten training for the children of the city.
The assistance of all who are interested
in the maintenance and extension Of the
kindergarten system in Savannah will be
most cordially welcomed.
II may be extended by assisting In the
establishments Of additional schools, by
furnishing funds for the midday lunch. or
by sending children's cast-off cothlng for
those who need IT,
Address either Miss Nellie Fl. Baldwin.
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