Part 17 (1/2)

So another ht--soo to school At one Mothers' Meeting, after the club had been well organized, there were twenty wo babies, all at once

If the beginnings of the experi the results have inal disappointhty-five paid up er, interested, participating heartily in the discussions It has cost years of labor, but these ently about the children and their needs

”Only yesterday,” said Miss Phelps, Kindergarten Director, ”one mother said to me: 'I used to be the most impatient woman with my children--I simply couldn't stand it when they refused to do what I told them The other day my mother said to me, ”You're about the most patient woman I ever saw What's done it?” And I said to her: ”Well,except those folks at the kindergarten, which all helped me to look at children in a very different way”'”

Through the Mothers' Meetings thewith the teacher and the school Those rades as well as in the kindergarten go to the grade teachers too, seeking advice, or estions They have learned to feel that they are an essential part of the educational plan, and their enthusiastic interest tells of the advantages gained by this co-operation

The Oyler Mothers' Club has been the center of the h the grades refuse has been cleaned and kept from the streets The club maintains, out of its fund, anurse It has cleaned up the children, and that is no small item

”Back in 1904,” says Mr Voorhes, ”I had five hundred of the children vaccinated in my office, and such dirt and verh water mark on his wrist, and their clothes and bodies were filthy They didn't know a bathtub froh; they don't now for the matter of that, because there are scarcely a dozen houses in this section that have bathtubs, but the children are clean”

Each year the oldto Miss Phelps: ”This is hted satisfaction in having added so two roo and advising in the home, are cordially welcomed everywhere

VIII The Disappearance of ”Discipline”

”Discipline,” smiled Mr Voorhes, ”no, we don't o the discipline problem in this school was more serious than in any school in town We couldn't handle it, not even with a club To-day the discipline looks after itself”

The disciplining of an undisciplined school ly essayed it would be Rightly directed it becomes the merest child's play The teachers have disciplined the school--disciplined it through kindness--and here, again, the inspiration arten, for it was in the kindergarten that the first real atte this school into closer relations with the ho Little by little the exarade teachers, ent to see the children when they were absent; nor was it long before a custorew up in the school, by virtue of which a teacher ished to visit one absent child, ht pick her own tiicalschool hours, she went then, while another teacher or the principal took her place

A the many illustrations of the efficiency of this systely A boy had been away for a week, sick with rheumatism, when his teacher decided to call and see hih and troublesoh school, but particularly to her At last her mind was made up She visited the boy and caiven her Again she went, and the lad face, said:

”Co for you”

”Is he better?” the teacher asked

”Yes, pretty ht quick when you caain”

Does anyone wonder that the boy should feel so kindly over attentions to which he was not accustoe that he should have come back to school with a firm resolve to be decent to his teacher?

Discipline? There is no longer a problem of discipline The teachers are enthusiastic over the work, because they can see its results in the changed hoed in occupations which they enjoy and sensing the efforts of the school in their behalf, discipline the frank and hearty in work or in play

Mr Voorhes is not surprised at this transformation The plan on which he staked his reputation was a si a co for it an education that h revolutionary from an educational viewpoint, the plan succeeded because it was socially sound--because it linked together the school and the coical part

IX The Spirit of Oyler

Oyler has a motto, a very shi+bboleth, ”The school for the community and the community for the school” Not only do its principal and teachers believe that the school must center its activities about the needs of the community in which it is located, but they put their belief into practice, studying the co to find an answer for every need which it rown up a war the teachers seldom surpassed anywhere

”When I came to Oyler I felt about it as Sherman felt about war,” says Mr Voorhes ”Noould not trade places with any school man in Cincinnati The teachers feel the same way Never yet have we had a teacher anted to leave Each one has her class, that is enough We have no problem of discipline now The children and their parents are working for the school[”]

Soet the idea that Mr Voorhes does not do very , and then sitting down in his office she said:

”Mr Voorhes, I have been here half a day and I haven't seen you around at all What do you do?”

”Madam,” answered Mr Voorhes, ”I am a man of leisure All I do is to sit here at this desk, ready to get behind any one of my teachers, with two hundred and fifty pounds froetting in the way of her work”

Small wonder that the teachers like to stay Small wonder that the hich the school does commands the respect of the people of Cincinnati