Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-21

GREENLEAF VACATION SCHOOL
OPENED THURSDAY MORNING.
Overflow Attendance and Great Inter
est Shown-What the Children
Are Taught.

At the stroke Of the; bell Thursday morn
ing at S:45 651 children from all parts Of
the southwest and nearly every portion of
the city filed into Greenleaf School build
Ing ready for six weeks term of prefita-
BILE occupation, and occupations sequence
happiness. At 8 o'clock, although it was
pouring rain at the time, several hundred
Of these youngsters waited about the build
ing for admittance These children were
gathered not through chance, but by sys-
tematic registration conducted the past
month Those who were regular attendants
last year were given first opportunity; then
those in the immediate neighborhood; then
others from neighboring schools
Ihe school accommodates but 400 and 1t
Is the intention to gradually get the at
tendance down to that number, it possible,
by Judieious wedding out. The surplus
ought probably to be sent away, but such
course would cause tears to be shed and
mothers to beg, that their youngsters be
kept off the streets, so it has been decided
TO keep them for a while, even if the rooms
are overcrowded So. packed to overlooking
with seats, floors and almost the ceilings &C.
cupied-with not only the school rooms
proper In use, but the basement play rooms
and the halls as well-the work goes on.
The first day, with all the strange children
there-strange to their companions, strange
to their acknowledgement child was put
TO work and made to do something The
teachers-faithful women who have given
up rest and needed rest, to do for others
had no complaint to make, but pitched
right in and met the conditions. One teach
er after the school was dismissed said she
thought she could get along with the 100
she had, but was little afraid to tackle
any more" Just think of 100 kids under
eight In charge and profitably handled by
one little, faithful woman. incidentally,
not one OF the assistants receives in the
winter school work more than $500 year.
Baskets, Hats and Mats.
And so the school is in working order.
Children are making baskets, hats, mats,
odds and ends of raffia and rattan. Others
are cooking and, by the way, it is a sight
to see the boys in the improvised kitchen.
Friday they cooked beans and prepared Gu
cumbers-things brought out of the school
garden; things raised by the children them
selves. These cooking lessons certainly af-
ford valuable instruction, and, taught as
they are by whoe-souled and skillful
woman like Mrs Burns they will mean
much to each family who has boy or a
girl at school. Two nights a week Mrs.
burns teaches classes of parents.
Along with the cooking is housekeeping.
What a picnic for those fellows to make a
bed, and the joke is on the fellow whose
dirty hands soil the bedding, for he is or
dered to the wash tub to clean it. They
are taught to launder light goods. The
bed room is an interesting corner to all the
classes Mrs Burns plans to teach the chill
dren to wait on a patient in bed, and re-
move and renew the linen without moving
the patient. ALL good work.
The Carpenter Shop.
In the carpenter shop, where Mr.. Dakin
Yields his scepter OF influence, the boys and
girls are learning sto carve and build a
miniature house. The girls are evidently GO
ing to excel in the carving. These carpen-
try classes will also make set Of furni-
ture-six pieces-to furnish one of the
rooms; The shop was rugged up between
noon Wednesday and midnight the same
day.
In the lower grades the youngsters are
learning to plat AND do much work in pa
per flower makings ta.sfascnating and in
structive employment. .tOnly the lower four
grades have recess sn uhe, yard. These re-
cesses-happy periods, so, profitable in ,ev-
cry way-have been fully discussed in The
Star.
In the seventh and eighth grades Vene-
tan iron work is being taught, and the re-
suits thus far have been most gratifying
The upper four grades are each given one
half hour in typewriting each day The
school sessions are from 0 to II school
days, with free wood trips for the children
Saturdays. These trips are not labeled
charity, however, and the children are
taught to look upon them as part of the
school equipment.