East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1957-02-14
Is 1t Spring?


March is the month of mud,
they say; but last weeks spell of
warm, wet February weather
brought much of the gooey stuff
to the surroundings of East Cleve-
lands schools. The school yards
which have the new. smooth as
phalt surfaces. however. were ex-
cellent places to get out on and
play games at recess time.
School people can tell what the
weather is like without looking
outside. All they have to do is to
look at their lost and found table
or counter-of which every school
has one-and observe the kinds of
articles being lost at the time.
Midwinter brings a flood Of lost
stocking caps and mittens-
usually only one mitten per set, by
the way-but last week, overshoes
and light scarfs began to appear
there. When babushkas come, can
spring De lar DenlnQ
Superior
a real inspiration to the study
of American geography, history,
and social life was given to Su-
perior School last week by the
visit Of a troupe Of Hopi Indian
dancers from Arizona, which the
children are still talking about.
Fifth grade children from Prospect
School also came over, since they
have been studying Indians; and
AZ youngsters from the Hearing
School at Chambers came. too. and
enjoyed the dances more than
anybody else.
For the first time off the Hopi
reservation. the dancers this year
are performing the highly i'm
portant Snake Dance before school
audiences. There are real snakes
in this dance. The head dancer. a
very old man of 81, is one of the
most respected members of the
Hopi tribe, and is said to be one
of the few men who can perform
this dangerous ceremony.
Besides the Snake Dance. the
Hopis danced the Eagle, Butter
fly. Buffalo, kachina (Ancestor),
and Scalp or War Dance.
The children were much I'M
pressed at the variety of costumes
and ritual observances; many of
them had not been aware of the
wide differences between various
Indian tribes, or the distinctly
different practical purposes be-
hind their dances. They left with
richer knowledge of the Indians
culture. and a desire to learn much
more about the First Americans.
Prospect
In the course OF series Of
lesson projects on Community
Helpers" the first grade children
of Miss Sarah Krause's class have
been learning a good deal about
the postal systems and the mails.
Each child has his or her own COM
partment in the post office which
they have built in their room, and
they are learning the method of
preparing letter for mailing and
getting it sent off. We suppose,
though, that it is just as much
fun receiving letters as it is send
ing them, and perhaps more ex-
citing to open them and read the
message in them.
Letters remind person of
Valentines, and this is certainly
Valentine season in all the schools.
Prospects sixth graders are cele-
brating the good saints day with
Valentine Dance, to inaugurate
new semester of the social dane
ing class which is becoming so
popular at that school.
1t seems that no sooner has one
group of social dancers gone off
to Kirk than another group is
formed to take their place. And
teachers and administrators all
feel that the children get much
more benefit from this training
than the mere learning Of steps,
more even than the poise and good
behavior that are a part of the
dance situation. The boys and girls
are-well, better.