The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-28
Novel Correspondence Started
by Principal Carter.
His Pupils Write to ScOtIan,
Children.
INTERESTING ANSWERS
New Way of Learning About
Foreign Countries.
Samples of the Letters Re-
ceived From Scotland.

A novel scheme for practical fnstruc-
ton and amusement OF the scholars of
the public schools has been devised and
adopted by Principal John Carter and
the scholars Of Oakland school. It is
a system of international correspond
ence.
The plan for international CORE
spondence, as method of instruction
in letter writing and language work
has been adopted in comparatively few
schools, and the Oakland school of To-
peka is the first Kansas school to take
up the new work.
1t was during the last school year
that the idea was conceived and put
into practice. The members of the
seventh and eighth grades of the Oak
land school were asked by the prin-
cipal to prepare letters to send to a
school in Scotland.
The school selected was Sunnyside
school. Alloa. Scotland. The address
was secured from John Macdonald. Of
the Western School Journal
Alloa is a town of about IA, 900 in
habitants near Edinburgh. and on the
Firth of Forth. The town is u miles
from the birthplace of Andrew Car
negie. The school of Alloa from which
the letters are sent has an attendance
of ZOO pupils of all grades. The prin-
cipal, man named Furgeson, receives
a salary of 81, 900 per annum.
The tuition is free. A training school
at which manual training is given is
maintained. Gymnastics are also en-
couraged and swimming taught. The
girls are taught cooking.
School is kept al the time during the
year with the exceptions OF vacations
amounting in all TO only nine weeks.
Education is compulsory at AllOa.
Pupils cannot quit school until they can
get a labor certificate or a merit
certificate"
The letters were sent to Alloa at the
end of the last school year here, and
in return about thirty were received.
They were written by pupils whose ages
average about Is years old. They are
written in the vertical hand, and to
the average person, accustomed only to
seeing the writing natural to an Amer
lean, the penmanship seems peculiar.
Some of the letters give evidence of
very bright minds.
The letters from Alloa. are to be read
in the school on Friday afternoons.
Another lot of letters will be prepared
and sent to the scholars at Alloa again
this winter. The correspondence will
be carried on in larger way, and let
ters viii be written to scholars in Ire
land and other countries.
Mr.. Carriers object has been to OBJ
tain better letter writing and to Gull
tivate better language as well as to
stimulate interest in foreign lands and
bring out facts concerning the same.
PRINCIPAL Carter expresses himself as
exceedingly we'll pleased with the re-
suits.
One little girl Alice Craig. of Tulli-
body Road, writes an interesting let
ter about the Forth bridge The let
ter of description is Illustrated by a
pen sketch of the bridge as it appears
from a side view. The letter and pic
ture is reproduced herewith verbatim:
''Sunnyside School, Alloa, 26th June,
1901
ITO any Pupil In Oakland School. To-
peka, Kan
Dear Friend:-I have much pleasure
in telling you about the Forth bridge.
1t is eight miles from Alloa To explain
the Forth bridge: It consists of six can