Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-31


large 20 permit every child to have
OF physical exercise or play. In the
new buildings now under construction
Ne ahall provide for this space by
building covered outdoor play courts
or roof Fairgrounds In addition to
the gymnasium.
In connection with the gymnasium
activities and play It II advantageous
from an administrative point OF view
tn have the wraps of pupils located
in tho basement or halls. 1t Is fire.
uucntly desirable to have a part OF the
physical training. period indoors and
part outdoors. The close proximity
Of the wraps to the gymnasium saves
time and confusion.
The physical education department
co-operates closely with The auditor
ium. Drills, dances and stunts from
the gymnasium are frequently re-
produced In the auditorium. Dances
and drills which form a part Of OPP
erettas and plays are developed In
the gymnasium. The gymnasium
teachers also make practical appli-
cation OF the hygiene and physiology
taught In the auditorium
Socialix,ug Unit
The auditorium OF the platoon
school adds to the elementary school
an entirely new and important So
cializing unit which the traditional
school did not have, In the opinion
OF Mr.. Spain. He says the posi-
blities OF this unit are almost UNI
limited and he believes II will event
.ually prove to be the most effective
cduca tional force In the entire school
organization.
In the Detroit schools visited by the
Wilmington delegation last week the
auditorium did not have the atmos-
phere of the paraphernalia Of the
school room. 1t had rather the gem
eral spirit OF freedom from restraint
found In an ordinary public assem-,
bly,. IT Is here, under the platoon
system. that pupils meet daily in
larger groups OF their fellows and
participate in those activities which
make them conscious of their social
relationships and teach them how TO
act and react among their compan-
ions. The platoon system provides
thirty minutes daily in the auditor
ium for every pupil.
Mr.. Spain says no one can predict
what IL will mean for a child TO come
into this atmosphere and under this
sooalizing influence $50 minutes a
week or 5000 minutes for 200 day
school year or $4,000 minutes during
the six years of the elementary school
course. He says, further, that no one
can contemplate these figures without
realizing the tremendous possibilities
in the auditorium of preparing the
children to be socially efYicient and tc
be loyal patriotic citizens.
These figures also show the very
great responsibility that rests upon
us Of developing the auditorium pos
sibilities TO then fullest extent" says
Mr.. Spain, and of having every min.
ute which a child spends there coun,
definitely toward making him the
highest type of social being and citi.
zen possible"
In the Detroit schools the auditor.
ium as at present organized provide.
for so pupils each thirty minutes dur.
ing the school day. 1t is in constan,
charge OF two teachers who are sc.
lected because OF their personal Mt.
ness for this work. Generally speak.
ing one teacher il primary grade
specialist and the other Is a gramma,
grade expert. These teachers co.
operate In planning auditorium &C.
tivities and in carrying on the work
Each auditorium teacher in Detroit
Is paid 5000 per year in addition Il
the regular elementary school salary
Teachers of the very highest type ar,
selected for this work demands init,a,
tive, originality, enthusiasm, leader
ship. Mr.. Spain saws a teacher a
power can do unlimited good in Al
/ auditorium. He saws. also. that III,
auditorium as an integral part Of tn.
elementary school has two distinc
functions .-As socializing unit and al
an migrating and oerrelating unit.
In describing the auditorium as ,
sociaiizing unit Mr.. Spain saws:
The auditorium as an educat ons
unit seeks to bring TO bear upon tn
children all of those influences which
VIII help them TO realize the grea
social aims. All auditorium activitie
nave behind them the social motive
Thus In this unit OF the school ou
best equipped teachers consciousl,
and definitely attempt TO train chill
dren FOR social, life and for citizen
ship. The development of auditorium
possibilities is still in an experimental
stage, but enough has been done I,
convince the most skeptical that thi
is an educational factor (which is de
stined TO be recognized in the futur
not only in elementary education Blu
in intermediate and secondary school
as we'll. In my opinion there can b
no question that r secondary schoo
pupil who could participate for on
period day throughout his cours
In the well-organized social activitie
OF the auditorium would thereby re
ceive inspiration and training which
would mean vastly more TO him in hi
social and civic life after graduatio,
than an hour a day In Latin. mathe
mat tics or any other secondary schoo
subject could mean.
The various types OF auditorium ac
tivities which We have so far develop
&c and the social aims which they ar,
Intended 10 realize may be stated a
follows:
Health.
Personal hygiene.
Civic Hygiene.
Civic Ideals.
Rights and duties Of citizens.