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.
