Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18

Nh\X new school, the first one of
WV it's kind to form part of the
public school system of the
city. IT is a school where desks have
given place to household furniture,
sewing machines, work benches. tool
cases and the shoemaker's bench and
last. From it's classrooms issue con-
stantly the noise of hammer and saw.
the hum of the busy sewing machines.
the rattle of pans and dishes and the
swish of broom and brush.
Through the open door come the
rasp of file and plane, the rhythmic
thump of the shoemaker's pegging
The energetic horny sounds Of house
keeping float out to meet the visitor.
while the appetizing aroma of stewing
fruit and delicious baking custards ex-
tends fragrant welcome and seeks
Hospitality to subdue the uneasy feel
ing of intrusion that comes in the
wake of arrogant whiffs of fresh paint,
varnish and melting glue.
X
Books. papers. maps. charts and all
Of the stereotyped paraphernalia of the
conventional schoolroom are missing
The blacEboards are empty of history
outlines. columns of spelling words.
tongue-twisting geographical names
and brain-fagging mathematical prob
lens of percentage and discount, por-
traying instead working drawings for
the young carpenter, days menus and
the cost per article thereof for fam
lily of six. names of cuts of meat and
various terms in the lingo of cookery
and marketing.
Across the hall in the sewing class
room may be seen blackboard pictures
of fashions extremes. Here is a short,
fat woman attired in many fiounces
and b'llows designed for the tall, slen-
der girl. and another picture of a thin
woman emphasizing her leanness by
her skinny garments. Simplicity and
good taste, dowdiness and extrava-
Sance are taught by contrasts in
chalk.
1t is not until the startled gaze aT-
justs itself somewhat to the novelty of
the scene and the different classes are
studied Individually that the real
for it is school to dignity labor and
to give to boys and girls some idea
of the demands of life.
Though all signs of academic instruc-
Housekeeping department. these pupils
faithfully taught the traditional
RS" and all else prescribed in the
usual curriculum for the grades to
culture and drawing are curtailed, but
~"t entirely omitted.
" addition. the plan is to equip the
n"nii.' SO that they may step out into
the commercial world. and by making
use of the instruction they have re-
ceived here be able readily to secure
employment in a familiar line of work,
ND oil he
of apprenticeship. should they conclude
to use what they have learned as the
foundation upon which to build their
life work.
Though started only last November
as an experiment, with little money
and much faith behind it, this school,
in the Smallwood, on I street. near
AZ street southwest, with its enroll
ment of 155 boys and girls of the sixth
and seventh grades. is already teeming
with promise and prophecy, as well as
being a revelation to the skeptical and
an immense source of satisfaction to
its earnest advocates.
vocational training has long been a
term for educators as well as less
erudite people to juggle with. 1t in
wolves so much beyond the mere me-
chanical instruction that the estab-
lishment of such a school usually calls
for large expense and was therefore
deemed prohibitive to Washington
0HtAi euCu tiIuc dS congress might
ut to make appropriations for the
purpose
With a realization that no such ap-
preparations were Forthcoming in the
near future and also that a school Of
this sort If successful, might prove a
most effective argument toward obtain
ing congressional recognition and at
the same time be of immense beneft
to number of pupils whose schooling
of necessity ends with the eighth
grade, the school board and school Of
fcials conferred as to ways and means.
About this time it seemed expedient
to discontinue the Wisconsin Avenue
Manual Training School, and the equip
ment that had been In use there was
transferred to the Smallwood building
to form the nucleus for the shop work
for the new vocational school. BY
dint of much study and planning ar
rangements were made for similar in
struction for girls. Frank A. Wood
ward was made principal and a corps
of exceptionally enthusiastic and ex-
perienced instructors was selected to
carry on this work.
The pupils of the sixth grades are