The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-07-09
THE WIDER USE OF
THE SCHOOL PLANT


for the advancement Of learning.)
The children who went to school back
in the eighties skipped out Of the
schoolhouse door at $3.50 and scampered
down the street shouting with glee.
The schoolhouse was then turned over
to the janitor for sweeping. An hour
later he locked the doors and the build
ing was not used by anybody during the
rest Of the day. When he got through
on Friday afternoon the school premises
were closed until the following Monday
morning. On Saturday and Sunday the
school grounds we're Stunned as forbid
den territory. During the long sum
mer months no one entered them, ex-
cept possibly workmen TO make repairs.
The whole school property was used
from nine to four during one hundred
and eighty days out Of the year. less
than one-half of the total utilizable
period. The rest of the time 1t was alb
solutely idle. 1t was not only giving
no service; it was deteriorating.
Within a couple of decades all this
has changed. Public school buildings
are now open in some places every
week day in the year. They are not
only open days, but evenings as well.
Classes occupy them during July and
| August "a well as the winter months.
| Children 90 TO them Saturdays Us well
as Mondays, and in some places the
schoolrooms are not left unvisited on
SUNDAYS. In word. the school equip
ment is not nowadays employed merely
for the ordinary day-school work. IL
| is being devoted TO a wider use.
The schoolhouse has become place
where good times may be had as well
as dry AS dust study; where children
may DO things with their hands AZ well
AS pore over books; where youths can
continue an interrupted education;
where shop girls can enjoy exhllirating
physical exercises after the days grind;
where neighbors may gossip and
mothers get together and learn how
they can supplement the school
teachers work in their own homes.
The activities which yield the new
opportunities now afforded in the
schoolhouse and yards during the margin
of the time left by the regu lar day
school work these constitute the wider
use Of the school plant. ..
In winter the school buildings help to
meet the needs Of children throug h u
wider activity known as the evening
recreation centre The most highly
efficient organized recreation centres
IN this country are those conducted ny
the New York Board Of Education
For the sake Of breaking the crowd
up into small, fixed groups which can
be made TO rotate in the use Of the
various privileges the youngsters are
urged to Join some one of the numerous
literary or debating clubs which are
kept going by competent club-organl-
ger and member of the principle = staff.
These literary societies meet IN
classroom certain nights IN the week
and carry out programs OF essays,
orations. mock trials or debates. On the
other nights they play basketball or use
the gymnasium apparatus.
The unattached youngsters take their
turn at shuttle board, rlng-toss, ping
pong or some Of the quiet games, such
as checkers, chess and domnoes. In
the girls centres they do great deal
of folk dancing in place Of the rougher
sports liked by the boys. A reading
room and circulating library are also
run at the recreation centres.
Another recreational use which Is
made of school buildings during the
winter months is designed more espec-
ially for the benefit of the adults. This
is the schoOhouse as a social centre.
In this sort Of wider use work the
greatest success has been attained by
Inc Rochester Board Of Education.
Certain of the schoolhouses were
equipped with gymnasiums. shower
baths. a number Of chairs. tables, a
travelling library from Albany and
set of table crockery. The people who
wished to use the social centres were
organized into civic clubs, OF which
there were three kinds: mems civic
clubs. women's civic clubs and coming
civic clubs for the young people.
During the early part OF the week
the different clubs rotate in the use OF
the meeting room and the various other
facilities. On Fridays the men and
women meet together, hear lecture,
enjoy an entertainment or a concert
and end up the evening with general
dance. Sometimes the clubs all get
together for feed. They keep the
gymnasium, piano and reading room in
use most of the time. When the
amusing features begin to get slack
they liven up things with a debate on
woman's suffrage, or put two opposing
political candidates into the arena and
listen to a battle of words.
The civic clubs hold loan art exhibit
tions, illustrated lectures and minstrel
shows in these school social centres.
Sometimes a civic club from one OF the
weather. districts will entertain club
from poorer district, and then in turn
the latter club will entertain their
former hosts.
During the winter of 10000 there
were at least forty cities whose public
schoolrooms were the scene of some
sort of recreative or social life during
the long winter evenings. -.
These are the chief ways in which
modern enterprising communities are
utilizing the marginal capacities OF the
school plant and obtaining from it a
vastly wider use; evening classes, dur
ing the winter, giving academic or tech
meal instructions TO youths and adults;
morning classes for children during the
summer vacation months, affording
hand-work and an opportunity to make
up delinquent studies; during the same
period afternoon classes in organized
play, making use of apparatus in the
yards and sometimes classrooms and
Easements; recreation centres mainly
for boys and girls between the ages Of
fourteen and eighteen, and affording
games, physical exercises and literary
training during the evenings of winter
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