The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-09-14
EDUCATIONAL.
(BY G. W. MEISNEST.

have their impressionable years filled
with all the ennobling picture that can
be thrown upon natures great canvas
the earth. TO perfect this crop un-
der favorable conditions it is essential
to enrich, beautify and broaden country
life" A teachers first duty after
school opens is to see that the school
room and the grounds are in an invit-
| ing condition. The ground which has
been deserted for three months, now
| covered with grass, weeds, ETC., should
be at once transformed into well dir
ected play ground. Supt. Cary in a
circular declares that more can be done
to stamp out that dreadful disease, the
white plague, commonly known as con-
sumption, by proper physical culture
and out door plays and games than by
building sanitoriums.
1T is said that three million people
are constantly i'll in our country and
that half of these are suffering from
preventable diseases. tuberculosis
alone, in one year nearly causes as
many deaths as the number killed in
the four years of our Civil War.
Years ago when child went to
school only three or four months year,
there was not much likelihood that
their health would be impaired by the
strain of school work and confinement
in the school room. Now with the
lengthening of the school term and
with our compulsory attendance law,
the maintenance of a child's health be-
comes an important problem. 1t is not
intended and teachers must consider
that compulsory education shall not
mean compulsory i'll health.
The school by proper ventilation
systems, by we'll directed plays and
games and by the teaching of hygiene
and its immediate relation to the prac-
teal preventatives of i'll health, can do
great deal toward combating diseases
In fact no other agency can do so much
for humanity as the public school.
1t is the general impression of educa-
tors that well directed list of plays
and games should be part of the
course of every child who attends
school whether in city or country.
The argument given by country people
that country children get play and ex-
ercise enough is not sufficiently true
to dll the requirements. All children
must be taught how TO play and they
must learn new games. children in
herit the instinct to play, but they do
not inherit games.'
The subject of physical education is
now required to be taught by all the
Normal schools and county training
schools. With such little training as
this and such other as the teacher may
pick up he is supposed atleast to spend
part of his time at recess and noon
hour on the playground teaching new
games and directing old ones. There
is danger of some teachers losing pres
tige in their school room by so doing.
In this of course the teacher must be
careful.
There are many good results received
from physical open air education. The
value o. play may be summarized as
follows.
/. "All work and no play makes
Jack dull boy"
?, Play teaches honesty, ga square
deal, and "fair play The saying
Cheat, cheat, never beat" will be
made true especially in adult life,
3. Play makes active and graceful
bodily movements.
4. 1t is better to play than to just
hang around and loaf
5. Much justice in later life comes
from justice in play.
6. Play teaches respect for law, or
der and rules.
7. Play trains loyalty.
s. Play is enjoyable.
There are many other advantages of
well directed play. A few quotations
as follows are self explanatory in the
point they emphasize:
zone person can take care of child
ren on a playground, while it would
take eight policemen to watch them on
the street."
"The playground is our great ethical
laboratory"
"a playground before is cheaper
than "A tuberculosis sanitarium after
wards"
"a merry heart doeth good like a
medicine"
"Joyless children do not make great
men"
1t is not so much for the exercise
and fresh air that country children
should play properly, but for the other
good derived therefrom. AS for the
city children, they reap all the benefits
including exercise and fresh air.
At the spelling bee at the state fair
Wednesday morning Susan Ref of
Franklin won first place in the oral
contest and second place in written
consest. Emma Braun OF Rapids won
first place in the written contest.
There were fifteen candidates for the
honor of champion speller Of the state.
The following is list of the contes-