Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-01-28

liz hardly any doubt but that II will
be Installed In Wilmington schools. y
Another assurance almost equally
certain In that Wilmington will have
at least one new school within year.
In this matter have admitted that in
all probability one modern school, built
In such way that It will be possible
to install the platoon system therein.
Will be constructed here during the
next twelve months. Once II Is, those
advocating the work study play plan
feel Confident 1t will prove to be such
a revelation that others will qoickly
follow and that within q reasonable
time the entire school system here
will be operated and maintained under
this plan and in new and modern
buildings put up to conform to this
innovation. No attempt will be made
to have this first building as elaborate
as any OF the school, in Detroit. II
viii be plain, but serviceable. and
properly equipped and advantageously
and strategically located.
1t may as we'll be understood that
this city's present school buildings
cannot be adapted to the work study
play plan. They are too ancient; their
lay out Is not suited to II and the dis
tricts In which they are located at the
present time are too congested. The
one building which will be put UP will
probably be constructed on q site
near or adjoining one OF the city's
public Fairgrounds and by so doing
the city will save much that Detroit
has had to pay for It's school play
grounds. for every new school there
has big playground attached.
The plan OF organization OF the
platoon school In Detroit Is worthy OF
close study by every resident OF VIII
mington because OF the contemplated
| installation OF the system In at least
one OF the proposed new schools here
In the fall Of 1913 the platoon organ
ization was installed In six schools In
Detroit. In the fall OF 1919 nine adj
ditional schools there were provided
with this form of organization. Up tc
May ]. 1920, six platoon schools had
been in operation for year and nine
months and in nine schools for nine
months. In his report on tho results
attained during this period, Charles l.
Spain, deputy superintendent Of
schools In Detroit, bases his data ant
conclusions upon the observation anS
Investigation OF the work az carried
on In the entire Is schools and ir
this connection ne says:
In selecting the original six schools
involved in this experiment. the oni.
controlling factor was tho fact tina
these six buildings had auditorium
and gymnasiums. without which thi
kind OF organization cannot functio,
sfYectually. OF tho nine additiona
platoon schools organized this year
1920, three were selected because re
cent additions to these schools in
cluded auditoriums and gymnasium
The remaining six were organized
chiefly because of the crowded con
ditions in these localities and becaus
OF the insstent demand from princi
pals that this organization be intro
duced.
six Of the schools now in operation
have no auditorium or regular gym
nasiums. Each school. however. ma
n large, double class room. seatinl
~ PhPiop WhiSA LOO oCcA H5S'
as an auditorium, and a basemen
Iplayroom, which has been utilized 70
physical education.
In Introducing this organization
into schools already in operation. a
far as possible, the corps of teacher
already in the school has been retain
ed, but II has been necessary in
number of cases to select, from out
side Of the school, teachers with spe
cial qualifications for the auditorium:
gymnasiums, music and art rooms.
Gin several of the Is schools tn
platoon organization includes the frs
and second grades, but In the majorit
II does not extend below the thir
grade. The standard school day adopt
ed IL six hours long, a three-hou
session in the morning and three
hour session in the afternoon. TIL
usual morning session is from $50 {
11.30 and the afternoon session fron
1890 to $3.50. Some schools have
somewhat longer noon hour. Wit
the exception of pupils OF the frs
grade and those especially excused. a.
pupils remain in school for six hour
|. and are busy during this entire period
THE school membership is divide
into two groups or platoons. Will
one group is engaged in the "hom
! room or regular room. the other grou
is attending classes in the specis
rooms. Thus half of the pupils are I
the home rooms at any given tim
and the other half are engaged j
special activities. For home room
activities the school day Of six hour
Is divided into four periods of 90 min
utes each. Each platoon has HON
room work for 80 minutes In tn
: morning and 80 minutes in the after
noon.
For special room activities, the six
hour day is divided into IL 30-minut
periods. Each platoon is engaged i
special activities during six of thes
II 30-minute periods each day.
Each individual pupil spends 9
minutes of the morning in the HON
room under the control OF the HON
room teacher and the remaining 9
minutes of the morning in the specis
activities-spending 80 minutes
three separate special rooms. In tn
afternoon. he again spends 80 minute
in the home room and the remainin
: 30 minutes in three special rooms.
The number Of special room activ
ties possible in a platoon school is d,
6 termined by the number Of classes {
groups Of pupils involved. If thei
: are is classes. there will be two pill
, toons Of eight classes each Tn
means that there must be eight hon
rooms In the building and speci
rooms enough to house eight room
fun OF pupils. While the eight grouI