The Penn's Grove record., 1923-03-16
CARNEYS POINT
Schools Resume. How School
Room Is Made More Efficient

The Carneys Point schools reopened
on Monday, after being closed a week,
on account of a severe epidemic OF
measles. The attendance OF students
ON Monday was about 30 per cent OF
the normal and was especially low on
account of many being unaware OF the
exact date for the reopenlng OF the
schools. On Tuesday the attendance
was 10 per cent, and on Thursday had
reached the same as before the closure
for a week, IS per cent.
All the teachers We're present TINS
week. including the two who are sub
shutting to fill vacancies, Mis-. sara
JaQuette and Miss Hannah Summerlll.
Special preparations are now started
for exercises to be given i'm the audi
forum a few days before Easter. The
art classes are working ON paper dec
oratiOns and blackboard drawings for
each room until Easter.
The eigth grade girls are making
their graduation dresses uHuef the
sewing teacher, Miss Lucy GaskllI.
The goods We're supplied at wholesale
cost and were obtained at a very eco
nomical price.
A teachers meeting was held
Thursday afternoon, in Lafayette
School, under Supervisor Joseph VI.
Wright, with all teachers present.
Each teacher gave an interesting re
port of her visits to other schools the
past week. Wilmington, Del, Atlantic
City and Camden We're the principle
schools visited. The most interesting
account was that of School No. 9,
Wilmington. Which was visited by
several teachers and by Supervisor
Wright.
This school has this year adopted
the new platoon system for schools,
d modification Of the Gary School
method. which has been in use for
several years by schools in Detroit,
Mich, and Newark, y. j..
As the original name duplicates
a portion of the school is occupied by
work in one group of fundamental
studies while the other is taking up
more liberal activities. One portion
of the school is in class rooms from
$50 A. VI. to 10 A. NJ. studying the
D." Three Rs" while the other group Is
engaged in physical training. music,
drawing, manual training, sewing. and
other activities. At ten o'clock the
groups interchange. This is for an
economical saving of the required
number of class rooms as well as all
other equipment, and to facilitate the
use of all class rooms and other as
SembIy places at all times.
The surplus children not accommo-
dated by liberal arts and the like are
in the auditorium for civics and by
giene, including such as safety first
and public health, usually given by
decentralization enacted by the students.
When the plan was adopted in vii
ington No. 9 School, the roll number
ed 600, with 200 unaccommodated and
with most attending in part time. The
new plan was adopted and two teach
ers added for whom two rooms We're
built by taking space from the as
sembIy hall. The assembly hall was
used by not more than 300 at once,
for all were working in shifts. So
two new teachers We're placed to al
low over 200 pupils to be added to the
school in regards to full time work.
No school that has assumed the
platoon system has ever reverted to
the old method. Its fundamental pur-
pose is for economy and for this the
Board of education of Newark de-
manded that the principal of Madison
School to study and apply it, altho
the principal objected very strongly.
Early last October, after the schools
became in good order, two school prin-
cipals were sent by the Wilmington
board to Detroit to study the platoon
system, which was adopted upon their
return.
The chief argument against this is
one portion the children are given
their own responsibility, but this has
not been found to be sustained by
practical application, especially in out
side activities, such as dramatization
of safety first work, public health,
civics and current events of the day. ,
These are technically classified as by
giene and civics which are given a
range of application. One Incl
dent of economical efficiency in speci-
alization is shown in considering the
centering of utensils, such as maps,
globes, and charts in the room of one
two teachers. This then subverts
the requirement of these things for
all rooms.