Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-10-22

ATTRACTIVE SCHOOL HOUSE AND YARD
majority of the people in that certain
district live and respect prosperity
and up to date living. When you see
the old schoolhouse you see few mod
ern, up to date farm homes, and when
you see the new schoolhousc you see
many modern farmhouScs and new
barns. Also when community interest
is strong and all work together for the
good of the neighborhood and school
we see better SchoolhouSeS and sur
roundingS.
while visiting in another county, in
driving out into the country, l. admir-
ed the well kept farm homes we passed
by before we reached the SchOOlhOuSe,
but when we came to the building
l saw plainly that the schoolhouse
and yard represented the vicinity. The
schoOlhouse was Il beautiful brick
structure with (sOme) modern fixtures,
and, best of all, the building was we'll
cared for. Around the school yard
was good fence; also Il neat walk
leading TO the door. While there were
no flowers or trees in the yard, it was
seeded to blue grass and clover, and
there were several nice large shade
trees just outside the fence around
the yard, which furnished nice shade.
'EverH hing in the schoolroom repre-
sented neatneSs. The walls were
clean, ty windows and seats were
clean, and the organ showed signs of
good care. Under the room was a
good basement where coal was kept.
In short, everything about the school
house and yard was beautiful and in
viting. And | was quick to observe
that the school house and yard were
very unlike ours. Our schooIhousc is
a big old style room with four rows of
double seats. There is no fence, no
trees, no flowers, no grass, no hitch
posts, nothing, attractive. When l
pass it during vacation weeks the yard
reminds me of temporarily deserted
horse lot.
II think the farm children deserve
the very best schoolhouse that can be
constructed. 1t should be built as
though it were to be inhabited by hu-
man beings from morning until even
ing: hence 1t should be built somewhat
like a dwelling house with the eXcep-
ton of bedrooms. The interior fur
nishings should be ample and modern
in every way. The school yard, like
the schoolroom, should be planned
very much like the home yard, for it
is intended for children and should be
also cement walks, with plenty of
space for a playground, and the school
ground should be neatly fenced.
"And after we get the modern school
house and neat and trim surroundings
1t requires the willing heart and hands
IF the teacher, pupils and par&ts to
make the school house and grounds
homelike and the most attractive
meeting place in the district. The
modern school room and grounds ere
ate i'll the children a better desire Io
go to school and stimulate in them a
real love for country life and a realiZa-
ton of its possibilities; also teach
them all how to live clcanly in a mod
ern house and to care for flowers and
trees. A beautiful, sanitary school
building and yard have telling effect
on the children who attend there. They
give them IL high idea of farm life,
refined feelings, a desire to build up
instead of to tear down, and what they
learn and observe there are used as
stepping stones to make their trend
upward in after life. SO let each rural
school district work for modern
school house and yard, for the best Is
none too good for country children"