The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
PRAISE IS GIVEN
SUMNER School
Work Of Y. M. c. A. Institute
Is Lauded by Superin-
tenident Davidson.
ENDING OF FIRST TERM
Glasses Will Be Resumed Tomorrow
and an Enrolment Of Sixty Is
Confidently Expected.

Closing its fisrt term yesterday. the
summer vacation school for boys of the
sixth, seventh. and eighth grades. con-
Quoted by the Y. NJ. c. A. Institute, has
been specially commended by Supt. Da'
wilson. of the public schools, for its ef-
fective work with the thirty boys who
have been enrolled. Principal Charles A
johnson, of the Smallwood School, or
whom the burden of instruction has
fallen, expressed his qualification over
the record made by the boys for the ses
sion.
Tomorrow morning the second term
opens. and IL the enrolment shows a
corresponding increase over last years
record. the total number will reach sixty
The classes are held uniformly in the
morning in the large. cool classrooms OF
the Central Y. NJ. C. a. Building. on G
Street The school affords opportunity &c
boys who have failed Of promotion OF
who desire to strengthen themselves in
grammar. arithmetic. and spelling espe-
cialIy, to do 80 in the six weeks of inten-
sive study, and receive credit in the pub
lie schools upon recommendation Of Prin.
cipal johnson.
This Y NJ c. A. vacation school has
been in operation eight years. and Is one
of the forty or more conducted by edu-
cat1Ondl OI tfe L NJ \. A.
throughout the country. According to the
report of the Federal Bureau of Educa-
ton, Washington is credited with being
one of the first places to take up the
idea 1t is estimated that children in
over $50 municipalities continue to attend
school during the summer months. Clar-
ence A. Perry, special investigator of the
Russell Sage Foundation. reported last
year 1i1 municipalities in which vacation
classes were held in one or more build
ings. Washington. while not in this list.
has this year made an informal volunteer
start in the Grover Cleveland School
social center" with semi-public classes
in industrial subjects.
steady Development.
Director Myron Jermain Jones, Of the
department of education in the Washing
ton Y. VI. c. A, commenting on the
movement toward a possible all-year
school, had this to say yesterday:
Starting originally as a humanitarian 4
movement. to keep children OFF the city
streets the vacation schools have be-
come an important part of the school
system, with tremendous influence in
the demand for the all-year school The
steady development from 55 cities in 1903
TO 1il in 1912 indicates that vacation
schools represent a genuine educational
demand, and not a mere fad. Some OF
the schools keep open as long as ten
weeks. but six weeks is the usual term.
III most cities the session is five days n
week. though eleven cities report ses-
sions of six days.
1.-THE school authorities have generally
provided the funds for the work. but
they have sometimes been aided by tuI-
ton fees or private contributions. AT
rropriations for vacation school work
in 1912 totaled more than 10000 The va
cation schools have been distinctly sue
cessful in most of the instances reported
to the Bureau of education.
'In Newark. n. j.. where the vacation
school idea is oldest, Supt. Poland
placed two elementary schools upon an
all-year basis in June, 1872. Some of tho
advantages claimed for the vacation
schools are: They have interested pur lis
who nave not been interested in the
work Of the regular term; they have beel
useful in giving deficient pupils a chance
10 make up lost ground, and they have
given teachers who have taught in them
a clearer insight into the real needs OF
school children.