The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

doors and the largest high school
in the world is moving into the
worlds greatest public school building.
The new home OF the Washington irving
High School for Girls is completed and
the moving day has begun Into the big
structure, with it's real geological garden
and real savings bank, its real theatre
and real greenhouse, real shop and real
five-room flat. real kitchens, lunchrooms,
inf.rmary tennis courts and some OF the
finest scientific laboratories in the coun-
try, the students are hSrrying for their
first classes. The school numbers 6,0OO
pupils and 217 teachers; and there is
nothing of the kind nearly so big all the
world around.
And yet, when the girls actually en-
tered the much-talked-of new building a
couple of days ago, it wasn't the bigness
OF the Place that impressed them first;
1t isn't the highness of the school that
impresses any one first; 1t is a certain
homelike air-that seems accidental and
has, as a matter of fact, been carefully
arranged For in the great hall. as soon
as the girls had pushed open the door,
the first thing they saw was a huge fire
place. with big logs burning cozily across
the andirons, and inviting, roomy settles
on each side. And over the fireplace, cut
into the woodwork, is the new building's s
motto:
g The fire of hospitality in the home and
the glow OF cordIality in the heart"
The inscription is taken from Brace
bridge Hall" and it is the slogan OF the
high schools moving. For. as a member
OF the Faculty pointed out. '' We want the
new school TO be really home for every
tho f0k n1
them all seeing the fireplace first. The
fireplace in the big hall is symbolic"
This new home of the Washington lrv-
ing High School is the most remarkable
school building in the world. 1t is on
Irving Place and takes in the entire block
from Sixteenth to Seventeenth Street.
But it is not only the biggest public
school; it is also unique. Outside II is
plain enough, by no means extraordinary,
not at all the sort of building to arouse
curiosity or awe. But inside the COM
pleteness of its equipment, its provision
for the education of six thousand girls.
makes 1t entirely different from any other
school in existence.
And its unique quality consists in just
one big thing-the Washington Irving
High School has place for its pupils not
only to be taught how to do things, but
TO do them. There's a hint of that even
in the homelikeness of the big comfort
able fireplace in the hall Homemaking,
no: in theory, but in practice, is by no
means the least of the d" subjects " in the
Washington Irving " curriculum"
On the first floor of the new building.
in addition to the offices of the high
school Principal and the head of the night
school, is the big theatre, or auditorium. |
that seats between fifteen hundred and !
two thousand persons. The hall is both !
theatre and auditorium. In it the girls |
will gather for the morning assemblies
and every one who knows the Washing
ton Irving High School knows that these
daily assemblies are conducted not by any
of the teachers. but by the girls them
selves. In it the students will meet for
lectures. And in ii. on its big stage. will
be given the plays that are one of the
most important features of the Wash
inGton Irving High School life
As the decoration department advances
in its work the girls put plays on the
stage; as the English department studies
literature and composition. the young STU
dents write plays; as the costume design
ing department attacks problems of de-
signing, the pupils work out ideas in cos
tuning. i ne anIludl Appreciation Lay, lOO'
will bring its guests and its schoolgirl
players to the Washington Irving Theatre.
The theatre is well supplied with large
pieces of stock scenery. and the students
work out the details of production for
themselves. As for the room itself, it Is
large. airy. we'll lighted, and well fur
nlshed in dark wood. and II boasts very
beautiful dull green curtain, with the
Washington Irving High School seal in
the centre.
The first floor has SIX other rooms. too.
There is the big school library. with its
brown woodwork. its shelves Of books,
and its comfortable chairs and reading
desks, and just behind that is the library
classroom. The library school at the
Washington Irving is not the least OF Its
vocational departments. A class OF girls
goes out each year to find work in the
city's libraries. Further back is the book
bindery for the students who include
that craft in their art course; and at the
back of the building is the printing press,
where girl students get out the schools
circulars and announcements and make
themselves thoroughly proficient in the
business of printing we'll as of bind
ing books.
On the northwest corner of the build
ing with door of its own toward the
street is the school salesroom. If the
theatre strikes one note in the scale of
the schools reality, here is another. This
Is q real store, where the students sell !