The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-12-16
HOW THE GARY
IL
SCHOOL SYSTEM
WORKS IN GARY
Florence Patton Writes OF Day
Spent in Model Educational
Institutions.
WORK ALL PLAY FOR PUPILS
Family Spirit Is the Strong Feature
OF the System-Teaoher Is Like
Mother Of FIock--Grown.Ups
Attend Night Schools,
BY FLORENCE PATTON,


Chicago A day IN the Gary lInd)
schools and a half hour with William
A. Writ, educational wizard has Just
been my privilege
The day began at eight and ended
at Ave, the regular school period OF
q Gary child, and came oway filled
with an almost reverent admiration for
this quiet simple man Of accomplish
ment. could understand why his
revolution OF Gary schools had urged
his name for superintendent OF Chita'
go schools to succeed Mrs. Young, and
why New York city begged h!s advice
to the tune OF $4,000, recently,
Standing Il the warm family atm6s'
phere Of thIs Gary model place, know
that had hated me stereotyped school
day; the stifr standing shoulder to
shoulder in line to march to class; the
everlasting sameness Of that morning
assembly; the cang OF the bell. the
depression OF that watch upon whis.
per.ng--I always did have 80 much
to say to Mary or Sadie or Rose;
the sit mp children straight ut
was 80 comfy to lounge q bit could
think better and all the rest OF 1t that
still endures and irks child unmerci
fully.
How can the grade teacher with her
smattering of information expect to
compete in interesting a child, with the
tutor, who, through specializing, is
thorough interpretive, intuitive and
resourceful?
II isn't the grade teacher who ia to
blame. It's the system.
1t came over me so suddenly, so re-
freshingly in the Emerson trip, that
I confess ! was ratified when William
A. Writ. superintendent of schools Of
Gary, said he was ready for talk.
What Is IL? What is it about this
place that fits one ike a rockine chair,
made to order?" | wanted - know.
And the quiet answer came pat; Its
the family spirit"
No Overworked Children.
mentioned the long period from
eight until five o'clock. Let nobody i'm
the Gary schools. Primarily. the extra
two hours from three TO five, are
meant to keep the boy and girl out Of
the street 1t Is a crime, according
10 Mr.. Writ. to let those two hours be
wasted, when they can be put in with
Interesting play In the school.
For there is no work in the Gary
schools 1t Is all play, meant TO be so,
And by the appearance OF the children,
you know this to be so. The Emer-
son, Ike the bigger Froebel school. &C,
commodities the high school pupils.
the grade children and the kindergar.
tens, all at the same time. Again II IL
the family idea. The younger ones
have constantly before them the ex.
ample OF the older children.
For instance, a kindergarten room
may be placed next to the botany room
or the physics laboratory, How the
big eyes stare into those more digni.
fed quarters, how the little magma
lions plan to reach there some day
And | saw n high school pupil racing
along a corridor with a little tad In
tow, when classes changed one hour.
AS to changing there Is not set or.
der. no rule, no stlff lining up. In class
and out, pupils are not subjected to the
constant "Sh!" ACCOMPLISHMENT The
teacher is MORE like the mother of
the flock or the big sister, and down In
the shops the boys appear TO be work.
ing with father. 1t is just because
there are no SET prisunlikc rules, that
there IS no noise and no disorder.
Some Group Always Playing.
And some group 10 playing all OF
the time. There are about 1--WE acres
OF playground about the school aud a
wading poo ana garden for the spring
gymnasiums and swimming pool are
seldom empty Some group is always
playing When one OF three groups
returns for arithmetic or drawing. an
other group gOra out 90 romp or &c
music in the auditorium OF down to the
city market And things are so ar
ranged that II the parents Of a chile
80 desire, a play hour may bee put In at
the family church for religious ins.ruc
ton The churches have coopcratet
with Mr. Wit, In this.
peepng into the class rooms saw
arithmetic pupils sitting about as they
pleased whispering II they chose han
ding objects freely In the shops
iD most cases. presided over by 8