The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-05-31
FOR BENNINGTON COUNTY
%. DEVELOPMENT AND
'TTERMENT
This Department Edited by Secretary
Willard w. Bartlett of the County
Improvement Association
$500 Prize Contest Closes May 9th.


of this county entered their schools
in the contest held by the Bennington
County Improvement Association $500
is to be divided among the rural
schools of the county in proportion to
the amount of money raised by the
teacher and pupils for Improvements
during the time of the contest. No
one schooE however, is to receive
more than Sc. If the apportionment
OF any school exceeds this, only $5
will be given. improvements secured
by work of pupils or by a neighbor.
hood bee will be given an approximate
value in money and will be credited
the same as if money were raised and
the Improvement purchased improve
ments secured by money voted by the
town or school directors will not be
credited
Much enthusiasm is being shown in
the contest by the parents as well as
the teachers and pupils and in many
cases friends and people living near
the school house have given and
helped in many ways. 1t often hap.
pens in rural schools that the teacher
may have a splendid training and am
bition to make her school one OF the
best but she is handicapped by lack
of material and equipment. Manual
tlaining and domestic science classes
are now a feature Of most town and
city schools. This instruction is need
ed just as much in the country school
and can be established with a small
expenditure oi money and the help Of
the parents and friends of the chill
dren. Attractive school grounds,
simple playground equipment and re
PAIRS inside the school house have all
been accomplished by schools entered
in the contest.
The money for improvements is
earned by the pupils in various ways.
Soap orders seem to he the most popu-
lar way Of raising funds, then come
entertainments. Some of the schools
have held ice-cream sales, candy sales
and May parties. one school held a
rabbit-pie supper from which they
there is little social life, these little
gatherings are worth much to the par
ents as we'll as to the children The
schoolhouse has always been com
mUnity center, In New England
church services, town meeting, and
political gatherings used to be held
in the sChoo-house. An attractive
well furnished schoolhouse can easily
be used for a social club house. In
one district in Montana, the families
have organized a neighborhood club
with meetings at the school-house Sat
urday evenings. During the school
year an interested teacher of elocution
in nearby city meets the club mem.
bers twice a month. helping them with
little plays and entertaining with
readings of her own. She gives her
time and services. only asking trans.
portation to and from the city.
Through her efforts a circulating Ii.
brary has been installed, and in the
summer time tennis and croquet courts
are maintained near the school
house
| The improvements that usually sug.
| gest themselves when We think of the
country school. such as slate black
boards, flags and flag poles, tCeter.
boards and swings for the playground
| flowers for the yard, etc, have been
successfully carried out by many OF
the schools in the county. Carrying
these suggestions further, grounds
have been graded and gravel walks
| made with the help OF some kind neigh
Dor or parent who drew a load of gray
el to the school yard; boys have beer
taught to make flower boxes and put
them or brackets at the window.
while the girls planted flowers ant
made curtains, etc, Floors have beer
oiled, desks and furniture varnishcC
and the inside Of the rooms painted
and kept clean with the aid and di
rection of the teacher
Some unusual improvements hayl
been made that show great thought
iulness on the part of the teacher ant
benefit to the pupils in her charge
One teacher writes that with som
money earned they purchased an on
medicine cabinet which they file
with First Aid' supplies; with thes
the children are taught FIRST aid
principles. In another school an II
terested person gave some dishes an
, an oil stove. The teacher has give
two cooking lessons in school and con
Quoted an evening party for the chi
dren and their parents, preparing SON
new dainty on the oil stove for r
freshments--a lesson to the old,
8 cooks as we'll as the beginners VI
o trolas have been purchased or al
r wanted in many schools and when "
u think OF the important place mus
l. holds IN our social life, the use of
l. Nictrola in the school has endless pc
d sibilities as means of instructiC
e and entertainment one teacher
a, using the money raised to provit
Ic warm lunches for her pupils at no,
y and another hopes to build concrc
n steps To the school house.
b Aside from the use and possessi,
lof these things, there is wonderi