The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-19
RURAL SCHOOL LETTER NO. 2.
CThe County School As a Community x Builder, By H. w. F'oght.o

The present-day rural school is
 striving to fit itself into the needs of
 the community where it is found. The
 school of the open country which fails
 to root itself to the soil is no longer
 worth while. The school must be a
 leader in everyday agricultural life or
 it will be stamped a failure. One of
 the many schools which is doing
 real work for country uplift is found
 in western Charles Mix County, South
 Dakota. The school is twenty miles
 from the nearest railroad station. and
 has been doing a, remarkable work for
 the community for more than twenty
 years. It was established as post
 office which. took it's name Academy
 from the school itself. The school is
 organized on the academy of high
 school plan and is strong enough to
 give the people of the western sec
 ton of the new state all the educa-
 ton they really need for successful
 farm life.
 E The founder of the school, Rev. l..
 E. Camf1eld, has been seer enough to
 understand that the country districts
 ought to have schools so complete in
 themselves that farm children should
 plete their education,. since this gem
 erally means weaning away from the farm.
 The time when the school was es tab1ished was a period of panic, of low prices, and mortgaged farms and ehattels Still out of their poverty and need, the settlers gave everyone,
 a little for school. The local church
 helped to furnish teachers-the pastor
 and the pastors wife who had been college teachers taking part in the work from the first. The pastor from 1 a neighboring parish also devoted q ! part of his time to teaching. The l school received assistance from the | church, and in its turn lent aid to the church. In a short while, smaller district schools were established, these came to be feeders for the Academy, i which insisted on teaching the univer- sal subjects in a, very thoroughgoing manner.
 | From the school went out in short l time teachers for the entire country community and practical men of af- fairs in other lines A school farm l was added at very early date. Here I regular lessons in farm building con structfon, repairing, the use of ma chinery, tools, etc.a were given. In 1 deed, general farming was co-ordi- mated with classroom practice in re- Iating the education of the school to the life. of the community. The work ! of the school was practical from the
 drst,- doing it's utmost to answer the
 needs of. the community. Its enroll
 neft grew from few students to 145 in a. few years. As old buildings were outgrown, the students took an 1 active part in building the new. A school home life was developed and the teachers have done a great work as companions and leaders of the students by giving them individual help and encouragement. To this may be traced some to the really remark able men who have gone out from | this community. All the household cares and duties of the school are or ganized under the department of l household economics so that the care | of kitchen, dining room, laundry, and 1 the living rooms is left largely to the 1 women students under the direction 1 of a competent Tnatron.
 l One of the things of special appeal is this:-The pastor who came to the community in the early days has re- mained throughout the years, preach l ing and teaching, building and farm ing. The Christian spirit Of respect and reverence for work, for knowl- edge, and for duty is strong in the
 school and equally strong in the com
 munity. Here can be seen, then, a ] typical rural satisfied country homes, and 8 country school and a country church, each doing its share in helping the people to love the soil and make the most of them i selves.
 l. Inspired young men and women who have the real vision of country life needs may find opportunities in every part of our country to do the work l that these pioneers have done so sue
 cessfully in a poor western pioneer l district.