The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-06
THE VACATION SCHOOLS
AZ EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO HAVE
FOUR THIS YEAR.
They Are OF Great Advantage to the
Poor Children of the City
Last Years success.

The vacation-school problem is one that
the club women in indianapolis are very
much interested in and one which should
interest all citizens. It has been found
from past experience tina. it is a work the
good results from which are already begin
ming TO be felt. 1t affords children who live
in the densely Inhabited parts of the city
and have nc Fairgrounds an opportunity
to learn something, as well as to come in
contact with good influences. The summer
school last year was conducted in school
No. 5, on West Washington street. and
children attended from all parts of the
city. the majority coming from the south
ern and extreme western part of the city.
There is no book study in the vacation
school. The school is one for play and the
learning Of some OF the useful lessons of
everyday life. such as taking proper care
Of ones person. mending one's clothes and
looking after ones brothers and sisters.
as well as learning how to cook and keep
a house clean Though not equal to a large,
cool plot Of grass. a schoolhouse is pref
cradle to the hot Of the down.
town streets. The main object of the vaca-
ton school is to substitute for the evils
of the street wholesome restraint, cool,
clean schoolrooms, cleanliness. and with it
plenty OF recreation. The teaching is all
in the kindergarten method. Last year
the children of the vacation school were
taken on several excursions by the teachers
TO the various city parks. where they were
given boat rides, played games and had
lunch. These excursions were a source of
great enjoyment to the children, and they
looked forward to them with much antici-
patton. In the vacation school the small
boys are taught paper folding, pasting,
sewing and modelling. The older girls are
taught sewing, oressmaking, cooking and
housekeeping.
Last year the committee appointed by the
Local Council Of Women had full charge of
the vacation school,, and IL was a splendid
success. Mrs. Philip Rappaport was chair
man OF the vacation-school committee, and
mas been reelected Tor this year. The
other members OF the committee are DR..
Marie Haslep and Mrs. Bertha Wade. The
school last year cost about $3.50, which
was donated by subscription. This year il
was the intention of the to have
more than one vacation school, situated in
different parts of the city. so that the chill
dren would not have so far TO go. The
managers say there ought to be four-one
for the South Side, North Side, western
and eastern parts of the city. Mothers
VINO nave to work for a living for their
children used to bring the little ones TO
school last year and thank the teachers
for caring for the children during the
morning. They said ii was such a COM
fort while they were working to know
where their children were, instead of
thinking Of them running the streets. The
largest attendance last year in any one
day was over two hundred children, but
the daily average was about rs children.
Mrs. Rappaport has sent out circular let
ters this year asking for contributions to
the vacation school. and If about s., 900
could be raised four schools would be
started.
The idea of the vacation school originated
In New York in 1891, and it's history, though
brief, is wonderful. Application was made
10 the Board of Education for the privi-
lege of using through vacation time four
school buildings in the poorest neighbor-
hoods Of the city. It was readily granted.
An appeal TO the public for funds to carry
on the work was made, which met with
success. As soon as the children under
stood that no books were to be used. and
that play was to be mingled with the work.
they fOcked to the schOOlhOuses. In 1895
six schools were started and in 1897 ten.
The children came i'm such numbers that ii
was impossible to carry on the summer
school as a private charity, and in 1898 the
Board of Education appropriated $4,000 to
incorporate the vacation-schoo system
with that of the public schools. In New
York the school buildings are selected
about a mile apart and the children are di-
yided into classes. In one school are found
Italians, IN another German children and
In another Americans, and SO on. One
day each week they are taken On exodr-
slonS to the parks or the country. Each
class, with its teacher, will examine the
trees. flowers and insects, catching bees
and butterflies to take home for study.
The vacation school has the moral sup
port OF the Local Council of Women of
indianapolis, but the majority of the
various clubs affiliated with the Local
Council have each their own charities to
support. and ii would be almost impossible
for them to contribute largely to the va
catiOn-school fund. However, IL should be
an easy matter TO raise s.. 200 for the sum-
mer school and make ii a permanent fea-
ture in indianapolis, and later the School
Board may become interested enough in the
undertaking to make il a part of the pub
lie schools, as has been done in other large
cities. Last year not only the poorer class
or children attended the school, but chill
dren attended from every part of the city.