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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1899)
0 OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE. December 24. 1801) ) . Nebraska's Public School System The School and the Home It IB the purpose of these nrtlclcn to give to the renders of Tlio Dee a comprehensive and unprejudiced vlow of the work as It Is carried on In the public Hchools of our state to meet , nnd , If possible , answer correctly queatlotiH of such vllnl Interest to us all. What tire thcso educational movements that nro sweeping our slate today ? What IB the value of the BO-called fads ? Is It true that wo arc neglecting the essential frr the nonessential - essential ? Thcso arc but n few of the ques tions that present themselves. Today , tnoro than over before , our educators are awakening to the fact that the school Is not n thing by Itself. It Is but n part of the community llfo , und too often , liiHtcnd of the school determining what the community shall bo , the community de termines the character of the school. The work of the teacher Is mndo or marred by the Influence of the homo. The demand for Intelligent co-operation on the part of parents and teachers has given rlso to the patrons' meetings , educational meetings , mothers' ( meetings , etc. all the same thing under different names that nro springing up on all Hides. That the movement has mot with ready response on the part of parents has been duo not so much to the entlumlnsm of the teacher as the natural In terest of the parent In 'tho ' welfare of his child. The simplest plan of patrons' meetings Is the one which has been carried on for some Ingn hns been not so much educational ad vancement an the bringing of teacher ant ] parent Into closer sympathy , nnd In thlt It has been highly successful. Not only havi teacher nnd parent como to better under stand one another , but mothers , througli exchanging experiences , hnvo been helped tc solve many of the problems of the home. This year , however , a now movement hag been started and It l hoped that these meet- Injja will prove a wedge for the Introduction of these of n more educational character. An organization has been formed whose purpose It Is to bring together all of the edu cational forccH of the city nnd to arrange n systematic plan of work , which may bo car ried out In the meetings of the various school district * * . Ono meeting of the gen eral organization has been bold and the results nro beginning to show themselves In a better attendance of both fathers and mothers at the patrons' meetings. In some Instances these have boon held In the even ing , and whllo aoclal Intercourse Is still onn of the leading features , topics relating to tUo school bavo been Introduced and freely discussed. Dr. Gordon usually arranges to bo present nnd explain the plans and pur poses of the hoard and teachers. Quite a different plan was the ono carried out during the last year by Superintendent Dlnsmoro of Beatrice. There , Instead of different buildings taking up the work In dependently , the teachers worked together. They were divided Into groups of three a leader with two assistants. These three NEBRASKA'S PUI1LIC SCHOOLS PATH ONS' DAY EXHIBIT AT CRETE. tliuo by several of the Lincoln schools , as well ns n few schools In other places. The teachers of a building appoint a certain afternoon on which the parents nro Invited to meet the teachers nt the close of school. Many of them , however , do not wait till that time , but spend the afternoon In visiting the work of the different grades. At the close of ochool the guests arc taken to ono i-u.O where an exhibit of school work has boon prepared. Horu nn Informal reception la i held. The teachers servo light refresh ments , and , whllo thcro Is usually no especial program prepared , all Join In n general discussion of topics pertaining to i school work. The purpose of these moot- were responsible for the program of the meeting assigned to them. The subject for the year was : "The Moral Llfo and De velopment of the Child. " Every group cf three hud a sub-topic under this general head. The leader divided his sub-tcplc into two parts , giving one to each assistant. Ho then in nil o nn outline of the work to bo done , assigned readings , observations and perhaps experiments or questions and each teacher In the city was given something to do , to contribute to the papers that were to bo written. These were handed In within a given time and from thle mate 'ir ! and whatever else could bo obtained the assls * ants , with the help and direction of the * ft NCI3RASKA PUIJL1C SCHOOLS-GRADE I HARLAN I1UILDING , PALLS CITY MISS NETTIE SNIDOW , TEACHER CLASS AT PAINTING TABLES AFTER A STUDY OF FIR TREK. leader , wrote two papers. These papers were read and discussed , afterward type written and mimeographed and a copy given to each teacher. Patrons were Invited to these meetings and took part In the discussions. From an educational standpoint they were most profitable , but as p-Urons * meetings they were not so successful as they might have been , for the reason that the patrons felt that the meetings belonged more particularly to the teachers. This year , however , n now plan has been tried which has proved all that was desired. An educational meeting has been held once a month. These are held In the evening In order that fathers as well as mothers maybe bo able to attend. The program Is divided between patrons and teachers and topics of general Interest discussed. The subjects of two very Interesting meetings were : ' Homo Study and Study and Health , " and "Discipline at School and In the Home. " Many superintendents over the state are planning to have at least ouo meeting in the earning year. Preparations have been made by Superintendent Stephens of Fair- bury for a meeting to be held in January. The topics for discussion nre : "Manual Training In the Public Schools , " "Tho Teaching of True Patriotism" and "Proper School Environment. " Perhaps the most enthusiastic meetings of the year have been held nt Albion under the supervision of Fred Abbott. A formal program has been arranged for each meet- lug consisting of n paper by n teacher or patron followed by a genernl discussion. At the close of these discussions a question box Is employed to bring up questions pertain ing to any phase of school work , manage ment or discipline. The attendance has been as largo as the room would accommodate and the discussions have been deeply in teresting. The results have already more thnn proved the success of the plan In that community. Some superintendents have hesitated about following the movement for fear parents might bo more critical and hinder rnthcr than help the work. It is not the purpose cf these meetings to provide a place where - TEACHEH-CLASS AT SAND TABU : IN MISS BVA B MIXER , NB1IRABKA FUDLIO SCHOOL-FIRST GRADE , PIERCE , A LESSON ON THE SPHERE. teachers nnd parents may bring out each o'hcr's she i.comings , and in each p'ace that they have been held the spirit has been quite the opposite. Such criticism as has been stimulated lias been of an Intelligent nature rather than that which arises from Ignorance of the subject. To accomplish the alms of each the homo and school must go hand- in-hand and eacli movement which brings them Into closer harmony is a step higher. A few mcnthe ago a certain Nebraska teacher paid a visit to a cousin a young mother , with two little children , the youngest in the midst of her first year in school. Just before her departure the mother said. "Ellen , I want your advice. It seems to mo that the children are be coming more fretful each day. Since readIng - Ing Mrs. Wallace's article , 'Tho Murder of tlio Modern Innocents , ' I have concluded that they are being overworked at school. What do you think of my giving them a few weeks' rest ? " The teacher smiled. "You have asked an honest question , " eald she , "and I will give you an honest answer. My ndvice is this : Send the children to bed nt 8 o'clock Instead of 9:30 : or 10 ; start them off to school on a little moro substantial breakfast than hrt cakes and coffee ; wrap them up well and glvo them at least an hour a day in the fresh air , and , above all , visit the school yourself and don't take some other person's word for It. " Fortunately the advice was received in the same spirit in which it was given nnd the children are still In school. The story has Its moral yet mothers are not the only ones to learn. Many a tencher would be lees critical If she could glance behind the scenes and know something of the eelf- sacrlflclng love and patience it requires to care for a houseful of little ones that. If the mother seems to have no thought of self- Improvement , too often It is because In her busy day there Is no place for It. The comparatively now educational meetIng - Ing Is rapidly finding Us place , yet perhaps after all the ono which has the greatest vnluo Is the llttlo mei-tlng of two members , where , In heart to heart talks , mother and teacher are led to feel that their Interests nro the name , their purpose one the de velopment of the llttlo ono entrusted to their mutual caro. If she will but Improve her opportunities the teacher may ho n power ful factor In raising the standard of the homes In her community , at the same time receiving from devcted mothers , earnestly striving to Improve themselves for their r'llld.on's ' Bake , a broader sympathy and deeper sense of the great motherhood that must over bo the basis of true teaching. When the teacher Is nt heart n mother , the mother a tencher , the school a homo and the homo n school , something of the condltl na toward which wo are striving will have been attained. L. S. W. A Prosperous Year for the Grant Paving Co. With Increasing prosperity comes n gen eral demand for public Improvements , par ticularly for street paving and permanent sidewalks. During the present year many permanent Improvuncnts have boon made In Omaha. The Grant I'nvlng company has pnvol many streets and constructed in ro than 100.000 square feet of slagollthlo sidewalks. The follow Ing streets have be on paved wl Ji asphaltum by this company during the year' Dodge , Thirty-first avenue to Thirty-fourth street ; Mason. Thirty-Ural to Thirty-third streets ; Fortieth , Farnam to Jackeon streets ; Thirty-ninth , Farnam street to Dewey avenuu ; Thlrty-necond avenue. Farnnm to Dodge ; Twenty-second. Leavonworth to Mason ; Capitol avenue , Sixteenth to Seven teenth , and from Eighteenth to Twentieth : approach to new Union I'aclflc depot ; nlro about -1,000 square yards of mnradam pav ing at the new freight depot of the Omaha Bridge and Terminal company In addition to its street iperatlons > the Grant compaay crushes the slag output of the smelting works , its plant being In opera tion during the entire year , the product this year reaching nearly 20,000 cubic yards. The superiority of crushed sing for concret ing purposes nnd street paving hns made such n demand for the material that the company readily uses it in its own work and disposes cf its entire output. This material was used during 1S98 exclusively In all asphalt street paving laid in Omaha. The sidewalks constructed by the Grant com pany of cement nnd slag are the finest in the country nnd the million square feet here tofore laid attest its durability. The Grant company has under contract several streets to be paved with asphaltum as socn as spring opens up and its officials ? predict a large amount of public work dur ing 1000. Camera Amateurs at the Paris Exposition Amateur photographers will receive ex cellent treatment at Pnris. The French commissioners have made a ruling concernIng - * Ing the taking of pictures at tbe exposition. Cameras will be allowed on the exposition grounds after a permit has been secured from the exposition authorities. A charge of 10 cents will be made for this and the applicant will bo required to furnish his name , ngo and other personnl datn , together , with his residence in Paris. Only the buildings - * ings and general groups can bo taken. Photographs of individual exhibits will not be allowed , as the patent laws of Franco guarantee the patentee against photographs of articles exhibited. A charge of ? 2 was made for similar privileges at the World's , Fair In Chicago nnd photographs were even then taken with difficulty. Snow Uwanta White Cotton Down * Sectional Mattress $62 FROM FACTORY TO CUSTOMER. Uwanta Snow White Cotton Down Mattress can lit ) had only of \\oilonotEcll ( hem to rotallciH. \oii sato all middlemen's prollts. \ \ cm tlie o iimlticsMM mid tn dealers the lutnil liricuoulil liul'J Hinunnof imitations. Do nut ronfoiiml Unanla Snow While Cotton Down Mat- Irckscsttiili Hint-heap cotton nmttreic8 told by in I nitlii. They nro no menu neaily ifluttd than in miuly lumpmcd bteol to pig iron , Absolutely the Best Mattress Money Can Buy. AHbiirtiisnSIQHiiirMiittrct.il. llairwillpatk , Cotton Down will not. Hair attracts moth , Cotton Down net cr docs. Hair if of animal nriKln nnd may Im imt-lcnii mid carry illM-n o , Cotton llownU ? uJc"iblF "bre " ' " ' ib ' 'It1" " , sanitary and healthful. What is Cotton Down ? Wiif"i ° While Cotton , flesh from tlio Held * , inadi ) into Coiiim | > un l > y imrimn patented innrlifiicry , by which il is madi ) a Huffy as feathers. Our UttmilaMatlrtss , mndo fioiu il , we gujranlte to last allfcllmewillioiit lieliiKimiilu liter. Jf irnulo in oni ) plei-ii tin ) prici ) is but J6. .Sectional mat. truces urn to liu prefened lieeaii't ) of tin two v ,1ththlrli , they are bandied and hfcaiit-o by shut mi ; ! ho t-ci-t Ions all iiatls nf HID niattroH roecitu tlio came wear. We prepay tbe frcljhl to all points east of the Mississippi and north of I iiiii > hM-ti , To liny point in Xubrn Va or Iowa \M' ilk-Hi ) to sliip tiiiliu tenders of Tin : lliu : , nt JJI to for our Sectional Mattress , and $ < J.10 in 0110 iece. wllh allfrcljhl prepaid. Thirty Ha ) * ' Tree Trial -If not entirely sotisfnc. oiy after thirty days' trial re turn tlio mattress liiiiri fllouropensc and jour money tv ill lie most cheerfully rif milled. In oriluiinKk'Itn ihottldita "f > "iirli ( l.iiiciiHiiriiiKfriiiH llui fiu-iilo of ihu bldo tails. All mattresses nio Oft. 3 in , long. Fort Wayne PurniturcCompanylwffi"Cl AI > aut > ur Urrii > rSldtbtiint , titrlitli > nTll > lf li < lllliil > ( IliMiia Uiln. Bnid for Catalogue of Dlnliiu Hoora Hunltur . Ittrrmitni 01.1 National llauk , or I'un * Oorjnittrclal Ageac } , Fort Wajuu , JuJ.