Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-11
VARIED And INTERESTING
PROGRAM Pre- SCENTED IN
RECOGNITION OF BOOK WEEK
Eighth Grade Pupils Give Play
and Musical Program at
Cony High School Assembly
HaD-State Librarian Dun.
mack Speaks on Good Books

r IN
schools OF Augusta in turning ont
men and women" declared Rev
Henry Dunnack, State librarian
speaking Tuesday night at the Book
week program. which was held at
Cony High assembly hall. He pre-
faced this statement by saying that
books, rightly selected and rightly
read will add thirty per cent to the
efficiency Of a teacher and fftv ner
cent to the efficiency of parents and
then pointed out that by beginning
in the formative period of a child,s
life, even before he enters school
foundation may be built upon
which his future may rest with Sc
curtty, but that neglect in this re-
gard is sure to tell in later life. The
scarcity of books of the proper kind
In the homes of the people of the
city prompted his. declaration of
amazement, he said.
The speaker warned against the
waiting for the teachers and librar-
ians to turn the child's mind into
the proper book channels, and de-
clared that in too many cases the
parents do just this and then find
fault with the teachers because they
are unable to get results from the
children. He gave a list of books
which may and should be read to
the tiny tots before they enter school
and in particular spoke of the value
of picture books in that period of
growth.
He went on to speak OF Aristotle,
DeVinci and Franklin as three great
| men, who without the chance to go
| to schools such as we have now,
| largely through their own initiative,
their clearness of vision and their
reading, put themselves far beyond
| their fellow men. The speaker then
gave short talk on books for the
| older children, and for the fathers
| and mothers, supplementing each
| with short list of choice books. He
declared that he would not read his
| full list as no one would remember
| 1t but that he would be pleased to
| give 1t to any one who desired it.
In closing his talk he told of five
great books, each of which dealt
| solely with one topic. such as truth,
faith, justice and others. From
| these he preached what might be
termed sermonette. aimed particu-
larly at the youngsters but with a
grain of thought for everyone.
Another feature OF the evenings
~ o3i chis CSpCSiottS tikNlCStAhso tif' "a
| demonstration of the constructive
project method" of teaching now
| being used in the schools. was the
| little playlet "a Fantasy In A Gar
den." which It developed was written
| by Miss Angela Mclean. daughter of
| Mayor and Mrs. Ernest Mclean. and
at the time of the writing of the
| playlet, a pupil of the eighth grade
| of the Smith school.
| It has been the aim of the school
| officials to have the students do work
| which shall be of value to them by
being used for some good purpose
! instead of simply being ranked by
| the teacher and then thrown into
| the waste basket. To this end
| contest was held last year In the
eighth grades to be written as play
| lets for part of the English work,
| the best one to be used this year
| during Book Week. These were
numbered and the teacher selected
| the best ones, which were then re-
fered to Miss Lou NJ. Buker, super
visor Of Primary grades, who with
| out knowing who wrote the plays,
| chose the one of Miss Mclean as the
| hest.
The pIaylst deals with Rosalie
| (Eleanor DEAN, who Is interested only
| in pleasure. to the despair or her
| Aunt Almina (AIarjorie Sumner). She
will have nothing to do with books
| poetry or things of that sort one
/ day she falls asleep in the garden and
while slumbering is visited by sew
eral book characters who prove to
her that they are really very inter
| esting, and upon awakening Resale
can hardly believe that she was asleep.
| She tells her aunt of their visit and
| of the way in which her interest has
| been awakened.
| The parts were taken by members
| OF the eighth grades of the Smith and
| Williams schools. The cast was as
Eighth Grade Smith
aosalis, Eleanor Dean
| Maud Elizabeth SturgiS
| blaine. Jeanette Nelson
Lady Of Shalott, Hazel Wade
| Paganini. Stanley McCurdy
| Aunt AImina. Marjorie Sumner
/ PETER pan. Muriel Anderson
Eighth Grade Williams
| Priscilla, Fife Macleod
J John Alden, Harry Jackson
| Rebecca from "Rebecca of
Iiawatha. Kenneth Foster
| port;a Harriet Pease
! A brief musical program was pre-
| scented by the pupils of the 9Th Grade
| Of the harrington school at the open
| ing of the meeting. This consisted
of the ,"Floyer Song" by Faust and
| s'Larboard Watch" by Williams, play
| ed by a trio consisting of Charles Bur
dett at the piano, Robert Ripley, vlo-
| lin: and John Lizotte, clarinet; ana
| two songs, 1.-THE Garden by the sea-
Beethoven, and STARS of the summer
Night" Woodbury., by chorus OIL 10
voices.
At the close Of the program beau
tifuI song was rendered by Miss Hell
en- Murphy. a teacher of the Smith
school. and the gathering Joined In
the singing of 1.-THE Star spangled
Banner"
An unusually large number OF peo-
nIe attended this entertaining pro-
gram, assembly hall being hiled 10 ca