Evening star., 1914-07-23
TEACHERS DISPLAY
INTEREST IN WORK
Prepare to Broaden Their
Activities in Schools
of Capital.
OPERETTA TO BE GIVEN
AS SOCIAL CENTER AID
Young Women Directing Geniuses in
Grover Cleveland School
Entertainment.

Interest of Washington school teach
tiers in their work does not lag even
during the summer vacation. An illus
tration of this is found in the fact
that a group of the young teachers are
at present devoting most of their time
to preparing for Industrial recreation
and social activities in their schools
next session. which will supplement
the regular class work. Several of
them are writing little folk lore, fairy
and historical playlets for the children,
and making themselves more proficient
to give instruction in folk and rhythm
dancing.
Four of these young women have for
several weeks been rehearsing a gypsy
operetta, compiled by two of their
number. which is to be presented at
Grover Cleveland School tomorrow
evening to raise funds for the contin-
uance of the recreation, industrial and
social center.
They are Miss Edna Carr. teacher at
the Gales School; Miss Anna McCoach,
teacher in the Emery School: Miss
Ednah Robinson, teacher in the Thomp
son School and Miss Cecil B. Norton,
teacher in the Grover Cleveland School.
Activities of Others.
Another young teacher, Miss Dorothy
Hellman. teacher in the John Eaton
School at Cleveland Park, has devoted
much of her time since the schools
closed to developing her faculty as a
story teller. She has gratuitously given
several entertainments at the Grover
Cleveland School center and is to act
tomorrow night as matron to preserve
order and welcome the more than 500
little guests expected at the operetta.
She is to be assisted by Miss Frances
Farley. principal of the school. who is
devotins her entire vacation to work
in the Grover Cleveland civic center.
which is being used as an experiment
station. with view ultimately to hav
ing similar centers established in all
the schools of the District.
There is no fund for the mainte-
nance of the Grover Cleveland civic CEN
ter. The District board of education
allows use of the building, and all
the District government and school
officials are sympatheticaliy interested
in the success of the experiment, but
Congress has SO far failed to provide
funds for the work. Miss Farley was
empowered by the school authorities
ploying Miss Cecil B. Norton as direc-
tor. 1t is supported by voluntary con-
tributions. and the operetta tonight Is
the only paid entertainment. the pro-
ceeds of which will be devoted to the
continuance of the center.
Those Who Will Take Part.
In the entertainment tomorrow night
Miss Norton is to appear as the gypsy
queen, Miss Carr as Lucella, Miss Nc
Coach as Babita and Miss Robinson as
Calita- Miss Anna Norton. who is de-
voting her time to free instruction in
stenography and typewriting at the CEN
ter. is to take the part of Rhody
Other roles are to be taken by members
OF the girls and boys clubs and of the
glee club. They are Colder Norton
Alvin CLANCY. Willie Larkin, Michael
Dennison, Frank Larkin and Robert
Smith.
A feature of the entertainment will be
a dance with tambourine by a little
three-year-old girl, Trita Schaeffer, who
VIII be dressed as gypsy boy. Miss
Mildred Raymond will also do a gypsy
solo dance with tambourine. The ac-
companists are Misses Blanche Poikin-
horn and Kathryn McCoach.
Scenery for the piece has been built
by the boys of the center. who have also
arranged the lighting effects.
Experienced in Dramatics.
All of the young teachers who are stag
ing this operetta have taken principal
parts in dramatcs while at the Normal
School. under Miss Alberta Walker, and
III diulllNl productions since then. They
also took the leading parts in the mov-
ing picture play financed and produced
by Miss Norton and Miss Geneva John
ston, which is TO be shown in the palace
of education at the Panama-Pacitic ex-
position in San Francisco, in 1915.
Miss Hellman has been called by critics
the best Shakespearean actress that the
Normal School ever produced. She has
made a speciality of story telling in con-
nection with school work, and il has been
suggested to the board of education that
an experiment be tried in devotins all OF
her time to this work, visiting the vari-
Gus school buildings and telling the pupils
stories ON certain days. Since she has
been at the John Eaton School she has
put into practice many original schemes
TO hold the interest of the pupils, and
she has also done considerable work in
connection with the House OF Play. She
took the part of Epimetheus. the leading
male role, in the moving picture film OF
Pandora
Miss Edna Carr, while a teacher at
the LanSdon School, gave several out
door plays, and has been gradually
interesting the pupils in the industrial
and recreational features of school
work. She had the leading tragic role