The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-04
SUMMER TERMSFOR
RURAL SCHOOLS
CORRESPONDENT PLEADS FOR
SCHOOL WORK FROM FERRu.
AIRY TILL THANKSGIVING AND
GIVES GOOD REASONS FOR HER
POSITION.

bautry, N. d., aug. Ito The Fo-
rum:
Three times round went our gallant
| ship,
And three times round went she,
And three times round went our gal
| liant ship
And she sank to the bottom of the
sea-"
There! see those pretty. little girls
whirling round. The wind Is initiating
settle down gently; making what these
daughters of the farm call "a full
cheese"
See them go with light, sliding,
| step, singing gaily
Now we are off to the merry may
She"
What surprise to yours truly to
find that name years after in a Cana
dian province as Miramichi!
Where are those gay girls now?
They grew in beauty side by side.
One taught school for years in south
ern California, which she reached by
way of the Isthmus.
Another is making friends with the
little Boer lassie in, south Africa, while
brothers are keeping store, practising
law and medicine, doing pioneer work
generally in Rhodesia.
Five fine girls have made home aft
er home in Wyoming.
One Is amongst the Gentiles in Utah.
and insists that you must wear your
best bib and tucker when you come to
tea.
One has been at the front. in Dakota
for twenty years. and has at least
some scars TO show.
But all, are loyal to the old school
house where the ideas of John Knox
have been put in practice for 800 years,
and men and women OF fine strain
were sent out from the country high
school, to do work that would wash in
in the worlds need, and keep the color.
Dakota has no villages such as New
England grew; only cities and towns,
where the trans continental railroad
deposits the daily mail. And the rural
mail and telephone are bringing on the
brotherhood of man in a hurry. o..
While Dakota was growing, short
terms were the rule. in the country
schoolhouse. Spring and fall terms
brought gay young schoolma'ams rid
ing out to the farm; sometimes from
the farms themselves to the school
house.
Maybe it was fine lad who used
his spare hours to study law And he
was sometimes persuaded to teach all
winter, so that the big lads might go.
But just as often 1T was the girl
teacher who was persuaded to stay
and teach in one of the homes, because
her scant salary did not permit of a
journey home every winter. Nor would
it always permit term in the train
ing college.
However, frightening terms, a little
more money, and erterprising students
from the university, opened schools
that were busy all the summer long
Too hot? Is it too hot for the farmer
in the field? Does the farmers wife
cease to cook and wash and sew be-
cause the thermometer rises?
Rather does she not persuade John
to build the new home with the kitchen
away from the morning sun?
Does she not learn to open her win
dows early and late while 1t is cool,
and then shut out the midday heat?
What of the shady groves now so
frequent on all the farms, that are at
least three years old and settled by
real homesteader?
Why can't a school be aired early
and late? Keep the blinds down?
Sprinkle the floors with cool water?
As / write, am spending the even
ing in a schoolhouse where all the
windows are covered gaily with the
wild cucumber vine, and the light
shines in so softly. You know how
pretty light Is when it CLEANS gaily
through the green. And there are
blinds of solid dark green on each
window.
There is a good well in the play
ground.
There is a fine row of gardens Just
beyond the baseball diamond, and the
great American game is practiced even
by the kindergarten crowd One girl
Of hit the ball every time today,
and made good dun every time Five
little 6-year- old boys did the pitching
and catching and did 1t well. too.
Everybody in the team was under
10, but big boy made good UNI
pire.
Oh, yes, the gardens show several
object lessons, just as life does. But
when they are graded every Friday
afternoon each small gardner likes
to see his plot in the first class.
Now the text that prompted this |
letter is resolution in the proceedings |
OF the North Dakota Educational asso-
citation held at Minot, December, 1909 |
The resolution committee was COM
posed of fine folks but we would like |
to offer them u few thoughts on their |
recommendation that terms be made |
uniform in rural city schools,
That certainly means Sept. l, to June |
|, and the work graded accordingly. |
An it pleases ye, my friends, just look |
at the vacation school of today last /
Ing all through the summer. The sum |
mer schools where the teachers all |
swelter through July and August, and |
In the cities at that.
Next look at the present trend of |
requirements for the rural school, try |
agriculture and home economies.
Is 1t best to study these in winter? |
And the little children on the little |
trodden roads in the country winter? |
Even transporting the children in |
a bus is difficult in winter, unless the |
country is thickly settled. and there |
Is home on every quarter.
Just think of the late and early |
hours for children of all ages, when |
they must breakfast by lampIight, to |
be ready for the bus, and fall asleep |
over supper, when. they have spent |
their day on the road in a closed rig
and shut up in schoolroom, where |
Jack Frost closes the windows and |
shuts out the view?