The Washington herald., 1913-02-28
Topics of Interest to Every Woman
EDITED BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI
MOST REMARKABLE
SCHOOL IN WORLD
Where the Theories Which Are Taught
Are Put to a Practical
Test.
By FRANCES sHAFFER.

| II one knows all about the Washington
Irving High School for Girls. in New
York City. one appreciates why It is 10
often quoted, its work, its aims. and its
5000 girls.
And now that it has moved into It's
new quarters, one feels pretty safe IN
saying that it is the most Interestingly
remarkable girls school in the world.
1t is a big, eight-story structure. with
a school greenhouse on the roof, and a
complete equipment from cellar right up
to the top for working out the very
things that the ordinary school Is content
to teach in theory.
Everything about its equipment 10 real.
even to the babies in the domestic SCI
ence department. For. along with their
| other instruction, the girls in that par
ticular branch are taught how to dress,
| to bathe. to care for and to feed small
folk when they are well. and how to
treat them for the little ills they are
heirs to. And for this purpose they bor-
row the babies-trom one to five years.
they run-from the homes of the older
girls, who use them for models" a few
hours or so at a time.
Just the Beginning.
And that is just a beginning. For on
the domestic science equipment. there Is
an actual fiat, consisting Of living room,
dining-room, bedroom nursery, Kitchen,
buffers pantry, and bathroom And each
girl in this branch has her turn in taking
care of the fiat, even to the furnishing.
| For there are four separate sets OF fur
| niture. different color schemes and all,
and by the time the fiat is made over on
the last new lines the girl has had to do
a ioe OF thinking.
She hso learned the cost Of furniture
the amount OF paper required for wall.
or Of carpet for a floor. and has worked
out for herself the pretty problem Of
putting It all together In a practical and
artistic way. Then comes the work Of
keeping 1t Alright, for she must DO the
marketing. get the meals. make the beds,
look after the dining-room. and other de-
tails. And then-she must mind the
babies And, Of course. she is taught
first aid" In plumbing.
| Apart from the fiat. there are four big,
sunny kitchens on this floor, with gas
ranges, tiled walls and white sinks and
each worker has her own little stove.
And in the lunchrooms, where nine hun
dred girls can be cared for at a time,
the domestic science girls serve meals of
their own preparing.
Real Institution.
Then they have a bank. a real institu-
ton where the girls may deposit their
savings. learn how to draw checks. to
figure out accounts and TO be practical
in financial affairs. For the Washington
Irving Savings Bank Is not just a pretty
dummy: It is as much a bank as any in
the big city.
There is the theater or auditorium,
where the students conduct their own
assemblies, present plays of their own
writing. and exhibit the work of their
hands and their heads and where, once
a year. on appreciation day" they en-
tertain special guests and former teach
ers
And the salesroom. This Is store
where the girls learn TO be salesworen
and where they sell articles OF their own
manufacture, books they have bound
dresses they have designed and made
and wonderful products of their cook
ing art.
In the dressmaking department. where
there are working rooms and "parlors."
the girls learn to cut and fit. to design
10 know how to plan and make their
own clothes or to serve In some Of the
big establishments where many of them
eventually go later on. One OF the rules
Of the school Is that each graduate from
the dressmaking department must make
her own gown for commencement. Five
oolarS must ne tnelr lifnlt nut the OOliar
gown is much more in favor.
In the art department there is a three
year course in technical art. so thorough
that of last years class all but two of
the graduates Immediately located in
profitable work in their chosen field.
And the two exceptions were due to the
fact that scholarships were won and
the girls were going higher up.
And there is the geological garden with
its different kinds Of animals and birds,
as an adjunct to the biological depart
ment.
Open-air Gymnasium.
And up on the roof. where the green
house ffourishes. there Is a big open-air
gymnasium and a tennis court: and there
in the sunshine and among the flowers
Of their own raising and tending. the
girls enjoy basketball, fancy dancing
and all sorts of games.
In the bindery, the students get out
their own circulars and announcements
and learn the art of printing and of
binding books.
And they do everything that is to be
done, from running the elevators up and
down the eight floors to contributing to