Evening star., 1901-07-13
THE SUMMER SCHOOL
Another Successful Season in Progress
at Greenleaf Building.
PLANS PROPOSED FOR NEXT YEAR
Manual Training Will Be a Para
mount Feature.
PROPOSED PLAY GROUND

An eminent educator once declared that
most successful results would be reached
in teaching the young by interesting the
scholars while instillfng in their receptive
minds the principles of knowledge The
truth of this has been abundantly proved
by a Washington pedagogue, who has al
ready attained distinction in the District
and whose system is attracting increasing
attention from teachers throughout the
country. Mr.. Ray Riordan the protector
and principal of the vacation school new
in progress at the Greenleaf building, has
followed the course described ever since
he became connected with the District
public schools, and his success has been
demonstrated by the enthusiasm of the
youngsters who are under his direction,
winter and summer
The Vacation School, which Mr.. Riordan
originated at the Mccormick building in
1899 and conducted with the aid of Volun-
teer teachers as ardent as himself, with
out assistance from the public school fund,
and which was continued at Greenleaf
last year under the same conditions Is
now in operation at the latter building
This year, however, the expense Is being
met from the appropriation for schools,
the board of education having recognized
the great value of the institution as an
adjunct to the regular school system.
Evening Star readers are familiar with
the method followed in the Vacation School.
All grades are taught and besides the
knowledge derived from text books the pu-
pills are given a wide range of instruction
that is useful and at the same time inter-
esting The little ones are entertained also
Wednesday night last, for instance, the
eighth grade pupils and the teachers had
roof and garden party, and a royal good
time was enjoyed. There was to have been
today an outing in the country of hun
dred of the scholars, but the rain prevent
ed The attendance thus far has been re-
markably good Over 55 per cent of the
children have not missed day, and none
of the others missed more than one day.
unless sick, the rule being that such are
dropped and their places filled by anxious
ones on the large waiting list of applicants.
Numerous visitors call at the school, and
Mrs. Myers, the assistant superintendent
of public schools, makes weekly visits,
which have greatly encouraged the band of
devoted teachers The latter are enthusi-
astic in their work, and average an hour
or two each night looking up interesting
Information to impart to their f1ocks next
day.
Plans for Next Year.
Mr.. Riordan has already laid out a pro-
gram for the Vacation School next year.
According to this, only the children who
have attended regularly this year will be
enrolled In 1902, and thus the same schol-
ars will attend. 1t is confidently expected
that more money will be available. and
consequently a new plan more adapted to
continuous summer work has been formu-
lated In this new plan manual training is
paramount. A sample of the days work in
next years schools is given below. The
plan, be 1t understood, has yet to be sifted,
and before It is ready for the youngsters
Mr.. Stuart, Mrs Myers, Miss Watkins,
Miss Cooling and Miss Breen will separate
the chaff from the wheat
All grade-kindergarten to high school
will be in session from to II O'Clock. The
first two grades will spend the day as fol-
lows:
8 to 9:15 opening exercises.
9:15 to TO- each child Will have on his
desk a specially prepared set of pictorial
letter blocks. AS the word and picture is
formed by the child the teacher Will tell
some little things of interest concerning
the picture. Nature work, etc, of the
previous winter Will be supplemented In
this way. The cost Of these blocks is about
equal to the paper and pencil which work
they will supplant.
10 to 1890. reading to supplement pre-
vious period with blocks These lessons are
to be from reading sheets-not from books
the sheets being prepared during the pre-
vious winter by pupils in rooms Of teach
ers interested in the vacation work. After
the lesson Is over these stories, and there
will be several on each sheet. will become
the property of the child. At the end of
the term he will possess quite a nice little
reader, and one which will mean Inore to
him-due to its pleasant associations-than
the ordinary Scnool BOOK.
1880 to 10:40, recitationS and recreation
10:40 to 11:10, finger play and songs from
kindergarten work, these youngsters not
having had previous kindergarten training.
11:1O to 11:45, manual work - making
things of paper, cardboard. wood, doth,
etc. This work will be carefully thought
out during the winter and made to fit the
children.
II :45 to 10, songs Assembly. Dismissal
Third, Fourth and Higher Grades.
In the third and fourth grades the work
will follow as below:
0 to 9:15, opening exercises.
915 to 10. each child will have on his
desk piece puzzle map of the United
States, and as he puts 1t together will
have related to him by the teacher little
things of historical and geographical in
terest.
10 to 1890, reading from sheets made
the previous winter supplementing the map
work, sheets to become the property OF
child after lesson.
1870 to 1910, recitations and recreation.
1910 to 11:1O. finger play.
11:10 to II 40. manual work.
II As to II. songs, assembly, dismissal.
The following routine work will occupy
the higher grades:
@ to 9:15, opening exercises.
9:15 to 9:i5, contemporaneous history,
paralleling and contrasting with United
States history pretty thoroughly exhausted
this session.
9:45 to 1915. fiction supplementing his
tory work. This will give children the
habit of reading other than home authors
and about home subjects. The fiction work
this year has resulted in very systematic
reading of good literature on the part Of
the older children. A goodly supply. In
duplicate, of books discussed are kept on
hand for circulation.
1918 to 1O:45, typewrting.
10:45 to 11:15, carpentry; boys and girls.
1115 to 11:45, electrical construction;
concerning the erection Of phones, bells.
telegraphs, etc
II AS to 12:15, cooking; gas range.
On alternate days shoe patching, net
making to take place Of carpentry and
electrical work; also machine sewing.
Municipal Play Ground Project.
''The afternoons. 1t is planned. can be
spent in the projected municipal play yard.
which 1t Is hoped the next Congress will
see fit to provide for" said Mr.. Riordan to
a Star reporter today. AT the play yard
4