The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-05

The grade schools of Fargo are not
to be surpassed in any city in the
country. OF late years an average of
over 1000 children attended these
schools annually from whence they
go to the high school and receive the.
last step in public training.
Fargo's grade schools have stood in
the first rank and are an institution
of which the people Of the city are
justly proud. The course of study is
such that the child is given that which
is most needed in ordinary life, while
at the same time he is being fitted
for advanced work in the secondary
institutions of the city. Annually a
large class graduates from the eighth
grade some to enter the fields OF bus
mess while other pursue the last step
of public training in the high school.
The child is not only given the best
common school education that it is
possible to receive but his hand is
trained at the same time. OF recent
years this has become necessary as
the demands for men trained for in
dustrial pursuits has increased. The
grade schools are divided into three
prime epartments-the primary, in
termediate and grammar departments.
Consecutively the child passes through
these departments and emerges well
fitted to take up the high school work
or to enter the ordinary walks Of life.
Starting with the alphabet the child
is taken through the course of study
with thoroughness that could make
him a master of the common branch
studies. The best teachers to be found
are his Observation-Disclosures who have
studied the profession for years and
know the psychology of teaching. With
the attractive surroundings offered the
teacher strives to create an interest
in the work which is the only sure way
of getting out the best there is in q
child
Special Grade Studies.
AS has been said the hand of the
pupil is trained along with his mind.
This training first takes the form OF
drawing which is taught by a special
supervisor doing the work in all of
the grade rooms.
The object of art work in the public
schools Of Fargo is to aid in the de-
velopment OF the child's higher self
to bring into play that which will
lead the child to see the harmony and
beauty of the world about him. To
lead him to realize that it is his priv
flege and duty to add what he can
to make it more harmonious and more
beautiful not only from the stand
point Of esthetics but also in practical
and social life.
From the first grade up the child
is taught to observe and use what he
has observed by creating something
new out Of it. Thus he learns to pro-
duce. He is obliged to work with lin
tied material for it is working within
limits that the artist reveals himself
Even from the first the child expresses
his imagination, experiences or his
nature with a brush, piece of char
coal or colored chalk. He learns to the
most of what he has at hand. The
purpose of the work it to maS%e his
development along these lines to the
fullest possible extent.
In this work the method of proce-
dure is from the informal to the formal,
from the indefinite to the definite and
from the whole to the part All the
work is given in accordance with the
time of the year at hand and use is
made of the special days and holidays
as avenues of interest to the pupil.
All the drawing work is divided into
divisions-from imagination. from OBJ