The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1913-08-08
School Progress
New idea in Educational
Work

NOoi'NJ va ONi! - = - Nv
ion was made to show what improve
ments ca be made ina one teacher
school house in one dav of eight
hours community work. The build
ing selected was Of t e average type
described by w. F. McCarron, IN
The Athenian:
The average country school house
in Tennessee is usually the least at
tractive looking place in the neigh
borhood. At each vacation, which
is from six to eigh months in the
year, the door usually stands open.
the shutters, if any hang bv one
hing, the chimney peeps barely
above the roof, tie Notwithstanding
has been torn off in convenient
places; if the house stands on hill
side, there is no underpinning while
hogs or sheep find comfortable
quarters beneath, or if not under
meath, they are still better housed
on the inside.
When school opens, the under.
growth Of the forest in which the
house may be located, has taken
possession Of the yard, but if there
is no forest or gro e to afford friend
ly shelter from the scorching sun,
or winter blast trees are never plant
ed, the weeds are waist high. deep
gulleys have washed across the path.
way, and to complete the picture Of
neglect and desolation. owls and bats
are the only inhabitants who feel
that the house was really built for
them
In order to show what neighbor-
hood can do by united action in
one day in the improvement Of
school house the Neil school three
miles from Athens was selected.
The following is taktn from Nc.
Carron's article;
Led by Prof. Haworth, armed
with buckets of paint, whitewash,
shovels, hoes, rakes and axes, all
the attendants at the normal, num-
bering about one hundred, represent
ing every school in the county. went
early in a body, many on foot,
others in wagons or buggies. They
were met on the school grounds by
the teacher, Mrs. Callie Hixon, and
a large delegation of the more pro-
gressive and interested patrons of
the school, including several direct
ors, and other citizens, The as
sembly was the elimination of
series of addresses which had been
given at the county normal by Prof.
Haworth on the Model One Teacher
Country School, under the heads of
The Grounds'', THE Building"
THE Library" THE Course of
Study, THE Teacher. +"
Though the Neil school house at
worst was better than many others,
it was fair sample OF what elbow
grease, water. paint and hammer
and nails can do in few hours.
1t was a fine object lesson in
manual training" to see Prof
Superintendent Zeig.er
Prof Jarvis and Middleton, sling
paint, build a higher chimney,
clean up rubbish, nail on weather
boarding, etc, assisted by both |
Gen and women in general clean
ng up of the grounds, and
thorough scrubbing of the floors, in
he latter of which many of the
young ladies were the special objects
If admiration by manageable
,oung men.
To the ladies particularly was
.iven the task of renovat;ng the
Interior which included the making
t curtains for the windows and
ook shelves which the boys had
uilt for the teacher, hanging ap
ropriate pictures on the wall, a
lpply of which Mrs. Hixon, had
ever been without,
In speaking with Prof. Haworth,
no is in Maryville visiting his
arents, we learned more of this
ew feature of school work, The
rofessor stated that $4,000 wore
cured from the school fund and
i&h this money they bought II
lions Of naint 6ua oo Homo EnSood