Evening star., 1944-08-27
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
In brand-new type of school
in Washington this summer, teach
ers have gone to the pupils in
stead of requiring the pupils to
come to them. Subjects taught
have been entirely of the pupils
choice, rather than those required
in any hard and fast curriculum.
The lesson periods and the rate of
progress invariably have been ad-
justed to the desires of the pupils
and their ability to forge ahead
with their new adventures in
learning.
The classrooms have been the
wards of Walter Reed Hospital and
the convalescent section, Forest
Glen, Md. The classes, conducted
in many instances at the bedside
of convalescent soldiers, have been
taught as volunteer, free-will gift
of service to the wounded by group
of Washington teachers, organized
and directed by Miss Elsie E. Green,
an administrative principal in the
District public school system.
This patriotic effort, the first of
its kind in this country, constitutes
a link in the world wide chain of
educational programs initiated by
the War Department through its
Armed Forces Institute to prepare
soldiers for increased usefulness
following their discharge from the
Army.
Set Up in Hospitals.
Convalescent educational pro-
grams similar to those inaugurated
at Walter Reed Hospital and the
convalescent section by Washington
school teachers this summer are
now in process of being set up at
Army hospitals in Atlantic City
and at Kansas City, Mo.
The project here started when
Miss Green, administrative prin-
cipal at the Whittier School, who
lives at 3151 Tennyson street NV.
near Walter Reed Hospital, stop
ped in at Red Cross headquarters
on the last day of school before
her summer vacation. Perhaps I
can be useful here in some volun-
teer capacity this summer, she sug-
gested Tipping and running a
switchboard are two of my extra
curricular activities"
You are an answer to prayer"
replied Miss Elizabeth LOWRY. field
director of Red Cross activities at
Walter Reed. But the Army needs
you more than the Red Cross does,
and in your capacity as a teacher.
We could also use any interested
teacher friends you may have"
AS result of conference ar
ranged with Maj. Gen. S. U. Mari
eta, commanding officer of Walter
Reed, Miss Green agreed to Or
ganize and direct an educational
program for the benefit of the
soldier convalescents and those at
its Forest Glen annex, function
ing directly under Maj. Fred S.
Gachet, Maj. Roy S. Haggard, Mai.
Sydney M. Simmons and Capt. Sam
uel A. Kirk.
Wards Begin to Hum.
Presently the wards began hum
ming with the activities of the
volunteer teaching force Miss
Green's enthusiasm enlisted. Soldier
patients, many of whom have
recently seen action in various
theaters of war around the world,
eagerly were going to school again
H. G. Crankshaw was kept busy
with classes in blue print reading.
Mrs. Helen K. Vasa. a teacher in the
Americanization School, found her
self occupied as never before, teach
ing English to an invalided Chinese
soldier, sn Italian prisoner of war,
and many foreign-born naturalized
citizens who had proven their
loyalty and valor in battle. Miss
Phyllis Nichols prepared Is of the
convalescents at the Forest Glen
Annex in college English every Mon
day through Friday. Miss Mildred
Lord and Miss Mabel Duvall con-
Quoted popular classes in math-
ematics, advanced as we'll as
elementary courses.
The teaching thrill of her life
came for Mrs. Elizabeth Menshaw
an instructor in tipping at Central
High School, when one of her 30
soldier pupils, a blind veteran, was
able expertly to type his first letter
home on typewriter given to him
by a visiting movie star.
Both creative and commercial art
have been prime favorites under
the instruction of Mrs. Jean Hogan.
Miss Mildred Green, Mrs. Virginia
McCausland and Miss Mary Maci-
ulla also have taught interested
groups.
Remedial Reading Classes.
Extremely popular have been the
remedial reading classes conducted
by Mrs. Marguerite Dunbar Jones,
one of the city's experts in this
field. 1t has taken her three hours
day to make the trip from her
Georgetown home to Walter Reed,
but she feels amply repaid for her
summers expenditures of time and
effort when she recalls the delight
of one soldier patient from the
Southern mountains in the newly
discovered joy of reading.
Il have always wondered what
folks could see in this reading game,
but now know. 1t sure is interest
ing and profitable. Why 1t opens
up a whole new world! I don't
know, ma m, If I'll ever be able to