Evening star., 1938-05-15
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

II, IN any one OF a numDer OF WaSn-
ington's public school auditoriums
this spring, you catch glimpse of
several groups of pupils and teachers
listening with eager interest to q
combined geography and history lesson
Illustrated by an exhibition of all
manner of native products and fasci-
natingly costumed character dolls, you
will probably find it is being conducted
as a labor of love by Susan Sipe
Alburtis.
In all probability. too, you will dis
cover that many teachers in her audi
ence today were her pupils in the days
OF her active teaching at Wilson
Teachers College. Retired now, she
has just returned from a winter Of
travel in South America.
OF this former teacher to whom
Washingtons school system owes so
much educational pioneering in ma
ture study. gardening and school
planting, it has been said ut is difficult
to judge from which she now derives
more pleasure, journeying to unusual
sights and scenes or bringing home
souvenirs to enable her more vividly
to share them with interested groups" I"
Nor have her life experiences and
interests been centered solely in teach
ing and travel Because of her love Of
the out-of-doors and of young people
which was fully shared with her by
her late husband, Mr. James H. Albur-
tbs, they established a camp for girls
on the Chesapeake Bay in 1923.
Became "Aunt Susie"
This has resulted in her being known
and beloved as Aunt Susie" by hum
dreds Of campers to whom she has
made possible the joys of hikes in the
open, f1reside sings at twilight; or
helped to right living by means of the
goals Of health, service and sports
manship through that spirit of COM
radeship which results from sharing
work and play and wisely utilizing
leisure.
Former students of hers are literally
scattered around the world. there
often being friendly contest among
them that Mrs. Alburtis shall include
visit to their homes on her travels
This she contrives whenever her
itineraries permit. with the result that
her correspondence is ar-f1ung one
that many times takes on the char
acter of an animated alumni news
letter.
From the very beginning of her
teaching career her approach to her
chosen profession was one of warm
and sympathetic understanding rather
than a strictly academic one Be-
reft of mother, long invalided, Just as
she was entering upon her teaching
responsibilities, she promptly shoul-
dered. in addition to them, those Of
home maker for her father and the
myriad interests and needs of a FAM
lily younger than herself To increas-
ing numbers Of young people. too. by
precept and example has she striven to
communicate her own altruistic phi
losophy that it is the duty of each one
to live in such way as to make the
world better place.
Launched Nature Study.
Thirty-six years ago, in 1902. as a
teacher in the Wilson Normal School,
predecessor Of the present Wilson
Teachers College, she introduced the
first course in nature study in our
Washington school system and in
its first school gardens as
well as the first landscaping Of the
grounds about its school plants. In
the PRONUNCIATION Of these, then star
tlingly new educational procedures,
she had the unqualified support of
Miss Anne Cooling, then the prin-
cipal of the Wilson Normal School;
of the late Alexander T. Stuart. WASH
ington's superintendent of schools,
and Of DR.. Beverly T. Galloway of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture.
If Washington's public were to be
made garden conscious. reasoned its
new teacher of nature study, this
spirit must be engendered through
its teachers in training, who in turn
would be inspired to pass on the vision
to pupils. This entering leaven, Wash
ington's nature study crusader felt
condent, would in time permeate a
city's consciousness.
So enthusiastic did DR.. Galloway
become over the proposed experiment
that he enlisted the full-f1edged sup
port Of James Wilson, Secretary of
in its behalf To the new
teacher of nature study all of the
United States Department of Agri-
cultures resources were thereupon
made available. including a green
house with tools and materials where
classes from the Wilson Normal
School learned first hand of the mys-
teries Of seed termination and the
technique Of successfully transplanting
terminated plants to individual garden
plots.
Garden Plot Acquired.
AS q further step along the way,
Ave acres Of ground nearby were
plowed up and allocated to children
In the southwest schools of Washing
SoAA' AASAS, ulOCA SupClVlolUll, IIlcy,
too. made school garden history for
the District of Columbia.
Nor did the Department of Agricul-
ture stop there in its cooperation
with the indefatigable new nature
study teacher. Public school grounds
So years ago were in the main sorry
looking, desolate, sun-baked plots
devoid Of grass, sneltering trees or
shrubbery. The department further
placed at her disposal its vast store
OF information regarding the essential
principles of landscaping - massed
and large paintings to the
rear, smaller to the front, the effective
use OF borders and the keeping of the
central lawn clear.
Havind done this, it urged her to be
the missionary who should, in the
NationS Capital, demonstrate what
EDUCATIONAL.
Special 3 Months