Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-16
NORMAL SCHOOL NO. |.
~; Cd
Graduating Exercises Held
This Morning.
DIPLOMAS AW ARDED
COMMISSIONERS MACFARLAND'S
HAPPY ADDRESS.
A Practical Talk Made by Supervising
Principal Kimball-Other Features
of the Program.

School No. / were presented with their
diplomas in the lecture hall on the third
floor of the Franklin School building this
morning before a large assemblage, made
up OF District officials, officers of the board
of education and parents and friends of the
graduates. The hall had been converted
into perfect bower for the occasion. The
walls surrounding the platform were
draped with trailing vines, and in every
crevice about the walls the corners of the
rooms. the tables. pianos and supporting
Orders were placed huges masses of bloom
ing flowers of every conceivable color and
form. Long-stemmed American beauty
roses We'd with the dainty, soft colored
heliotrope in such solid masses of bios
SONS and green leaves that the flash of
color pervaded the room with the sweet
scent of the flowers. OF the forty-seven
graduates, seated in a solid bank three
chairs deep on the platform, all but one
were CARRIED in the daintiest of white cos
tunes and all but one were young women
waiting nervOuSy for the simple ceremony
which would transform them forever from
pupil to teacher and give them place In
the school system of the District, which
their own effort alone would promote or
detract. Behind the three rows of grad
yates arose other rows of seats, which were
filled with the pupils of the first year of
the Normal School, who will not receive
their certificates of graduation until they
have completed another year of the diff
cult course of study. These young women
we're gathered on the platform to help out
! with the music and to enhance the beauty
of the scene.
On the Platform.
In the long row of chairs that formed
semicircle about and facing the platform
were seated the most prominent of the
officials of the District and of the public
school system In the center of this half
circle was Mr.. J. Holdsworth Gordon, the
presiding officer for the day. Near him was
seated Commissioner Mcfarland, Miss
Anne M. Goding principal of Normal
School No 1: Gen. II. V. Boynton. Gen.
George H. Harries. Mrs: Harries, Mrs.
Henry l.. West. DIR. Richard Kings
man. DR.. A P. Pardon. Mrs. w. H.
| Hoeke. Mr. A. t. Stuart. superintendent
| of schools: Mrs. Stuart, Mrs. Myers as
| sistant superintendent of schools: Dr. Mont
| gomery. DE-. Mayo, Mr.. c. S. Clark, DR.. f.
| G. Kimba1l Mr.. WI b. Patterson Miss L.
I A Denny, Mr.. N p. Gage. Mr., ]. 7. Free
| man. Mr.. j. T. Keene. Prof. Maurice Fran
| els Egan and the teachers of the Normal
| School. Two pianos weresused during the
| exercises. over which Mrs. Byram and Miss
| Martin presided. The principal feature of
| the entire program was the chorus work
| of the members of the graduating class
| assisted by the undergraduates. The young
| women have been trained to the highest
| degree of excellence by Miss A. S. Bentley.
| directress of music in the public schools.
| and after the exercises yesterday one
| of the graduates came in for more con-
| graduation than did Miss Bentley for the
| manner in which her work was done. The
exercises of the day, were opened by an
| overture by the two pianos. followed by
| a short selection Merry June" by Vim
! cent. Rev Alexander Kent d. D.. then
| pronounced the invocation. and Mr.. ]. Holds
worth Gordon made short address. intro
| ducing Commissioner H. B. F. mcfarland.
Mr.. Macfarland's Address.
Mr.. Macfarland spoke of the great
| sponsiblity that the training of the children
| devolves upon the teacher. He said:
Il bring the congratula lions of the Com
| missoners and my own special fluctuations
| as the Commissioner in charge of public
| schools We believe that the graduation of
| these future teachers. themselves the last
| product of public school system is of
| deep significance. 1t is not simply that they
| are about to enter a profession. but that
! they are about to enter the service of the
| community. They are not to be compen-
sated with money, but with the spiritual re-
| wards which come to the true public ser
| want More than this they are to be a fac
| tor in the progress of the country, and
| therefore of the world. For they are to
| have more than any one else except the
| mothers to do with the boys and girls who
| shall presently take places. They are
| to give them not only instruction, but in
spira ton. Their example will be more i'm
| portant than their precept. They have re-
| ceived we believe, the best possible techni-
| cal instruction. and they are able to i'm
| part it. But that alone will not be enough
| They must have the spirit of the teacher
| the spirit of the great Teacher love and
| the patience and sympathy and insight
| which love only can give. In the trying ex-
| periences of every school room they must
| be serene They must be just they must
| be merciful, they must be encouraging and
not discouraging. The day of arbitrary
cnhn rnx-arv n x1ytf
| punishment, always an evidence of inferior
| moral character and often merely an ex-
| preston of personal anger. The altruism
| which is the moral principle of progress
| must appear more and more in the school
| room as in the affairs of men, So the
| teacher shall be able to really lift I'D the
| scholars and advance through them the
| highest interests of the state. We believe
| that these graduates go out in this spirit
| and therefore that they will succeed"
Other Features Of the Program.
The young women sang an old Irish mel
| ody, Spirit, Sweet. of Summer Time" at
! the conclusion Of Mr.. Macfarland's address,
| and supplemented this with the rendition
| of "Blue-Eyed Grass" by Vincent both Sc
| lections being applauded to the echo. DR..
| f. G. Kimball. supervising principal of the
| fourth division of the public school system.
| then made short address, in which he ad-
| vised the newly made teachers to be most
1
| the school room The teacher must remerber
| he said. that forty pairs of eyes are CEN
| tered on her. and forty young minds are
taking her measure as accurately as it can
| be taken. 1t does not take the pupil long
to find out just what he must expect from
the teacher. the speaker continued. and he
| acts on what he learns whether it be
good or evil taking his fun measure of the
| good and drawing his own deductions from
! the evil DIR. Kimbail warned his hearers
not to be too hasty in informing parents of
| the utter depravfty of their offsprings Pa
rents do not like to hear this sort of thing.
| he said even II it BE true and might re-
sent it, Above all things DR.. Kimball
warned the graduates not to permit them
| selves to neglect sociaf-pleasures and men
| tai relaxation He admonshed them to
take interest I'm other things than the
school: to keepup their music or their art;
to take plenty of exercise IN the fresh air,
| to study the birds or the wild flowers. or
| to do anything rather than to get in the
| rut of the commonplace that induces in
| ertia and sends one on rapidly to a time of
mental petrefaction and ma chine-like hab-
its. This he said, was the greatest evil
| that can befall a teacher. and must be
| guarded against strongly, Dr. KimbalTs
| address pleased both those for whom it was
-, t.