The Portland daily press., 1900-07-14
PINE TREE KINDERGARTEN
Third Season PROMISES TO Be tn
Fest.


The Portland branch OF the Pine Tree
Kindergarten association is now wei
filled and this season, which is the thirc
since the association was organized,
promises to be the best in its history
When the officers of the association begaT
to look about for accommodations In TIL
summer of '98, Bev, francis Southworth
the pastor OF the Bethel church on Fore
street, offered the free use of the church
This offer was o most timely one and thl
kindness of Mr.. Southworth has ever
since been much appreciated.
The association In Portland is organized
for the special purpose of looking al er
the children in tha jewish section. Tn
mission is located right in the heart o.
the Jewish quarter and has thus been
found to be very convenient, THE objec,
is to take the little ones off the street ant
TO interest them in affairs that win late.
on be to their advantage. The work tina
has thus been accomplished is something
that the members and friends of the or
ganlzation feel proud of.
In the first summer there were about
fifty children who were given instruction
Last year there were over one hundred
This year great deaI of interest has
been manifested and The demand for &C
cancellations has bsen SO great that many
children have been, and are still, contin-
uaily turned away. The church has been
found to be all too small and the teachers.
Miss Jane Proctor and Miss Eleanor
Smith, have been able to lock after not
more than fifty pupils. Miss Proctor. Is
one Of the teachers in the New Hamp-
shire state normal school at Concord, N.
H., and Miss Smith comes from Chelsea,
Mass. The ages of the children who at
tend range from four to seven years
Boys and girls of eleven and twelve years
also go to the kindergarten every morn
ing, but they are not allowed to remain
after the morning talk has been given
and the singing has taken place. The
sessions continue from nine O'Clock to
twelve O'Clock in the morning and are
held every day in the week except Satur-
day and Sunday. The term began July 5
and will continue until the first of Sep
TENDER. One of the first lessons which the
scholars learn is that of obedience. All
of the pupils file into school every morn
ing and sometimes as many as fifteen
minutes are taken until this little detail
is given in as perfect style as possible.
The singing is very pretty and the chill
dren are accompanied in this by the
piano. The most of the songs are of the
patriotic order. There is no teaching by
text books but the children are strictly
taught the letters of the alphabet so that
they may learn to read. Moulding and
drawing exercises are also a branch of the
studies and in this connection the boys
and girls make paper ornaments of many
kinds. Last year department of manual
training was in vogue ana excellent pro-
gress was made. But this year this has
been found to be impracticable and Will
probably not be adopted as part of the
course. It is the intention to soon ar
range an afternoon session in order that |
the mothers of the children may be in
vited to attend. Then lessons in sewing
and in other useful lines will be given.
1--WE feel well encouraged in our under
taking" said Miss o. Donnell, the chair
man of the committee of the association
which has the work in charge, yesterday
afternoon. 1.-THE children have shown a |
fine degree or enthusiasm in the kinder
garten and we are every day turning
away many who would like to be enrolled /
on the list. Boys of twelve years old and
thereabouts come every morning and
state their willingness to do anything,
but they cannot be accommodated ana
have to be turned away. Here in this city
the association is not very large, but the
citizens have been very kind to us and
through their aid we have been able to do
lot of good. There has been consider
able talk that the Civic club would be-
come interested in the movement and
would help us. Thus far, however, moth
ing has been done in this direction.
think that the city ought to take hold OF
this"
In Bangor there is also branch of the
association which is about as large as the |
one in Portland.