Evening star., 1938-09-25
Opportunity Classes Planned
For Selected Pupils This Year
Vocational Work Here
Designed to Aid
Special Groups.
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

and sixth grades Of the elementary
public schools of the Georgetown and
Northeast areas will be OF to wider
educational opportunity. During their
regular school periods these pupils are
To have the thrill Of combining with
their instruction in the three RS"
training In those elements OF occupa
tional skills and special fields Of in
terest which will At them for funda-
mental occupations.
These occupational classes, as they
will be called, will be located at the
Curtis school center in the first diW-
cion. Of which Henry W. Draper is
the supervisjpg principal. and at the
Peabody and Taylor Schools In the
sixth division, whose supervising prin-
cipal Is Mrs. Florence H. Rogers.
The building principals who will
function in this pioneer educational
experiment in Washington's elemen-
tary public schools are: Mrs Ruth
K. Webb OF the Curtis, Mrs. Bessie
Wood Cramer Of the Peabody and
Miss Clara L. Pitts Of the Taylor.
Need for Flexibility Recognized.
The need for occupational classes
has resulted from a realiza ton on ia
part OF Supt. Frank w. Ballou,
and those associated with him
in the administration Of the public
schools, that there should be a prog
ram in our elementary schools suf-
f1ciently flexible to meet the varying
needs Of pupils. Another objective is
to aid our boys and girls in pursuing
the particular work in which their
interests and special abilities lie.
Through them it is expected that there
will come a more intelligent apprecia-
ton Of the dignity OF labor and a
realization of the necessity for and
the interdepedence of groups in all
f1elds Of endeavor.
For the girls, instruction will include
problems in home management and
care. personal hygiene. food values,
family budgets, the marketing and
preparation Of food, and the selection
and care Of clothing, as we'll as the
making Of garments.
The boys will study elements Of
household mechanics. electrical con-
struction, woodworking. sign painting
showcard lettering, interior decorat-
Ing or metal and leather crafts.
"Doorways Of Opportunity"
These occupational classes en-
phasizes Mrs. Rogers. chairman of the
committee Of "a school administrators
and teachers planning the program
are not educational blind alleys, but
doorways Of opportunity. Every means
possible Is going to be used by those
OF us to whom DR.. Ballou and the
Board of Education have delegated
this challenge, to see that 1t fits the
needs Of the children with whom we
shall work Our aim is to have them
taste the thrill Of success in school
opportunities, especially adapted to
their talents and capacities, where
they will combine certain hand ekills
with their regular school tasks. For
this reason an exhaustive study has
been made Of the records Of hundreds
OF pupils in the Georgetown and
Northeast school areas to determine
which pupils will be benefited most
by occupational classes. Admission to
them in every instance will be made
only after a personal conference on
the part of the supervising and build
ing principal with the parent of each
child"
In the strictest sense, this is not
vocational education" Mrs. Rogers
continues because 1t Is not to be
expected that these pupils are being
prepared to enter fields in the skilled
trades. Rather will 1t be our aim to
AFFORD opportunity for the recognition
Of these skills and aptitudes. 50 that
those In whom they are found to be
present may be transferred to voca-
tional schools when and if qualified"
Glasses Of IS Expected.
To secure the best results possible
it is hoped that the maximum at
tendance in these classes may not ex-
coed IS. The plan is to have two
teachers in charge OF each group. One
will guide them along their special
flelds OF interest. The other will CO.
ordinate activities with the regular
school subjects. There will be q man