The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-12-07
HOW NY DISTRICT SCHOOL
COULD BE IMPRON I'D
Second Prize Essay In Recent Con-
test Of State Education Depart
fueuf

test Of state Education Depart
ment.
on the morning OF March %. | vis-
lted the rural schoolhouse in District
No 2. Quarry Road. wiIliamstown,
Vt. and this is what saw
4 good sized room with five win
dows on three sides. without cur
tains. eleven double desks. one chair
at the desk OF the teacher. a good
jaeketed stove. two maps. one en-
tirely dilapidated. a flag half on the
stan. the entire room presenting a
dingy and unattraetive appearance.
The floor was IN fair condition but
extremely dirty entered through
a hall Of goodly size and with posi-
bilities. a woodshed opened of II,
which also was so generously dimen-
stoned that a playroom suggested it
self There were two toilets at the
rear Of the building reached BY
divided passage-way. well rooted. ].
lighted, good floor and opening out
of the schoolroom.
Carrying an official rating card for
vermonts Rural Schools and re-
memberine that our town voted to
raise s420 town tax, $3.50 Of IL be-
ing school tax. at her last town meet
ing. | still had the courage to be-
lieve that this type of school building
could be put on the list Of standard
schools two or three years hence
To make this more realistic and
vivid. imagined myself entering
the building as teacher, Sept 1922.
What would | do? I would try TO do
this. During the first two weeks
would procure some good interior
views Of that building, then | would
ask the children il they would like
to see pictures of their schoolroom.
/ am sure of their answer. After
they had looked at them | would
show them views Of attractive rural
sehoolrooms previously obtained
from Miss Rose Lucla) and suggest
some minor Improvements we could
make. Having aroused their interest
and secured their cooperation we
would commence cleaning They
would clean their desks, | would
wash the windows Saturday, REIN
forced by older pupils df l had
them) or better still. by some Of the
mothers of the .neighborhood. we
would clean the room Then we
would buy paint Cor rather the
school Board would and the follow
ing Saturdays we would paint the
entire interior including the hall
The ceiling would require a mans
labor but we hope 20 secure that In
i the local vicinity In the meantime,
the School Board has been asked to
/ furnish adjustable window shades
/ for we feel that the town owes cur
tains to every school building in
which II maintains a school The
floor will be scrubbed by paid labor
and oiled by the teacher A few
chairs will be solicited, painted and
made ready for the guests or for
recitation periods We hope to de-
wise some plan for warming the hall
from the school room, thus making
IT more comfortable for cloak
room. and enabling US to screen off a
lavatory. The screen might be made
in the shop of the Senior High
School Possibly. too. this room
the hall-might be used for a play
room
Thanksgiving vacation arrives and
We stop and look around ito view the
land Our little room is quite
transformed in its treatment OF bun
and brown. light tan shades. witt
window boxes (which have been fur.
nlshed by two boys) filled with tiny
spruces for the winter These were
gathered on a Saturday excursion "a
the woods by the teacher and pupils
4 new Gag graeed the walls and two
or three pictures. suitably framed
lad been donated BY interested
friends
In the intervening time between
Thanksgiving and Christmas We vii
hold an entertainment az the school
house with ivofoId rurHoset,
promote community sriHt ana 9,
raise a small am 81 money tti9 q
&15l 70 make an initial pas meat on
&25 yictroIa and 10 purchase feV
records
In The next two months sociai ai
fairs ufl be- held at the sch7alhou
and at the homes gor good times an.
for paying for tie vietrola
spring comes with stirrire r
plant and animal life our sa'r
tftfr holder we HHrEoa 2.