ART PROJECTS AT BLOOMSBURG STATE NORMAL SCHOOL

Cinderella and the Godmother shown here were the leading characters in the Art Club play, given December 4 at the Bloomsburg State Normal School.

The club not only wrote an original version of "Cinderella" but the costumes, scenery, posters and tickets were designed in the Art classes.

The school has annual Art Club productions. Last year an original version of "Three Bears" was given to more than 6,250 spectators; a real black bear cub was used. This year genuine white rats and a German Police dog were used. Professor George J. Keller, Art director of the institution, directs the plays. Dancing, costuming and scenery are in charge of Dorothy K. John and Florence E. Murray, assistants in the Art Department.

Another project carried out by the Art Department is the decoration of the school auditorium. Pictorial panels representing scenes on the Normal School campus were placed around the horse-shoe of the balcony. These panels are rich in color and add to the attractiveness of the auditorium.

SETBACK FOR WEEKDAY RELIGIOUS

INSTRUCTION

Interest attaches to the ruling of Justice Albert H. F. Seeger at White Plains, N. Y., forbidding the school board of Mt. Vernon to allow children in the grades to take forty-five minutes off each week for religious instruction in their respective churches.

For three months the Mt. Vernon school board had allowed parents to take their children out of school for religious training fortyfive minutes a week. The children attended special classes provided by some of the churches.

Lawrence B. Stein of Mt. Vernon, a member of the Freethinkers Society of New York, fought the practice on the ground that it was contrary to the state constitution which forbids the joining of church and state.

The movement for week-day religious education through co-operation of schools and churches thus receives a severe setback while

still in its experimental stage. In many communities the plan is working without audible protest.-Journal of Education.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL STUDY

Frequently teachers are asked by parents concerning the requirements for entrance to professional schools and in order that we may all have information concerning the State requirements the following list is published.

MEDICINE-For the study of medicine the State requires the completion of a standard four-year high school course, or the equivalent thereof, and a year of college credit in each of the sciences-chemistry, physics and biology.

All the medical schools in the State require two years of a college course leading to a degree, including the sciences required by the State. They also require four semester hours of Organic Chemistry.

VETERINARY MEDICINE-High school fouryear course or the equivalent.

DENTISTRY-The following resolution was unanimously adopted at a meeting of the Dental Council held in Harrisburg, March 7, 1921:

Resolved, That all students entering dental colleges in September, 1925, and thereafter, shall present evidence of the completion of an approved four-year high school course or its equivalent and one year of work in an approved college or its equivalent.

ASSISTANT PHARMACIST-High school, two years of approved high school work or the equivalent.

PHARMACY-High school, four-year course or its equivalent.

DENTAL HYGIENE-High school, four-year course or its equivalent.

OSTEOPATHY-High school, four-year course or the equivalent, including one year of high school credit in each of the sciences-chemistry, physics and biology. After 1924: "A standard four-years' high school course, or its equivalent, and not less than one year of college credit in chemistry, physics and biology, all of which have been received before admission to osteopathic study."

DRUGLESS THERAPY-High school, a fouryear course or the equivalent; College, one year of credit in biology, chemistry and physics. Grammar

PHYSIO THERAPY-Completed School Course.

CHIROPODY-High school, four years or the

Sculpture "Desolation" PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL GIRL WINS AN HONORABLE MENTION

In the white soap contest for junior students conducted by the Art Center, 65 East 56th Street, New York City, Mary Mowry of the Harrisburg Public Schools won second honorable mention for her sculpture "Desolation." Astrid Nonmark of Waukegan, Illinois won first prize for a sculpture entitled, "The Gobbler." Harrisburg schools submitted eightythree pieces in the contest.

William P. Bohn of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, won third prize in the contest for senior students for his sculpture of an "Elephant" rolling down his rug.

PERTINENT QUERIES FOR TEACHERS "Are you happy?

"Is your daily program well organized and on the wall? If not, why not?

"Are your plans worthy of the support of your patrons?

"Have you made any improvements this year in your teaching? In your equipment? In the health conditions of the school? In the grounds? "Have you enumerated the things you plan to do this year? Thus far, just what have you done?

"Do you prepare your lesson plans? Do you know every day what you will teach and how you will teach?

"When persons from the office visit your school, just proceed as usual. They are only teachers who are trying to help you in your difficulties. They cannot know how to help you unless they can see everything as it is when no visitors are present."

DAD'S DECALOGUE

Dr. E. C. Broome, Superintendent of the Philadelphia Schools, presented the following "Dad's Decalogue" at a meeting of the Big Four Fathers' Association recently:

Do not expect the teacher to control your child, if you have failed at home. Habits of obedience and respect for authority must be learned first at home.

Fathers, know your sons. Mothers, know your daughters. Children who have been taught always to confide in their parents can be trusted anywhere.

Find some daily home duties or chores for your boy or girl to do, and they will come to appreciate in some degree the sacrifices you are making for them.

Don't give children much spending money. Let them earn it; otherwise an excellent opportunity to acquire the habit of thrift is lost.

Where children are far enough advanced to have home study, be sure that they regularly set aside the same time for it every day. Regularity is a good habit to acquire.

Do not believe every report your child brings home. All children do not lie, but most children have strong imaginations which tend to operate in their own favor, if they are guilty.

Do not take the part of your child against the teacher before hearing both sides, and do not do it afterwards. In nine times out of ten you will find, to your embarrassment, that your Ichild was wrong, and in the tenth case, it is better to suffer a slight injustice to your child than to destroy the teacher's influence over him.

If you have a complaint to make, go first to the principal of the school, not to the superintendent, a board member or others.

Do not expect miracles. Not all children are equally apt. The school trains minds but does not furnish them.

Do not apply the adult standard to the work of children. Do not upbraid your boy because he can not do sums as well as you can. And when new things are tried in the schools, consider where your business would be if you still used the same things that were used when you were a boy. If you do this, you will not criticise all new innovations in school work.

FATHER PLACED ON CARPET AT
PARENTHOOD COUNCIL

The "Modern Parenthood" Conference, held during the last week of October in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria, was followed with much interest by educators, psychological experts and parents throughout the country. Even since its close, it has continued to figure as a subject for widespread comment.

Certain authorities have professed themselves startled by the "advanced" nature of some of the views expressed on child-training and educational policy in general, while a few others were disappointed in not finding ideas sufficiently "progressive" and unorthodox_being voiced in the course of these sessions. Despite this more or less expected development,

however, the greater number by far, both of those attending the meetings and of interested observers outside, are well pleased with the direction taken by the conferences' discussions and by the conclusions reached.

Many issues relating to the child's environment and the influences of home and school were discussed. All aspects of the "parenthood" problem were taken up. One of the outstanding features of the discussion centered about the delicate and difficult relationship between a father and his growing son. The "paternal despot" was denounced in no uncertain terms. So, too, was the boy who refuses to meet his father half-way in a mutual effort towards companionship. But "dad," being the wiser and the more clear-headed of the two, was credited also with being the more responsible when things go wrong. The attitude of comrade was stressed as important. Regret was expressed that this aspect of the subject has been so little emphasized, and there was commendation for the relatively few authors, lecturers and educators who have given definite form to the idea, bringing it with force and effect to the attention of their audi

ences.

AN INVITATION TO PARENTS

R. M. Powell, biology teacher at the East High School, Erie, sent the following invitation, attractively illustrated, to parents of the pupils of the biology department: The Biology Department of East High School invites you to attend open night, Thursday, November 19, 1925, 7:30-9:30, Room 300. We will have on exhibit

1. 200 recipes for cooking various kinds of fish

2. Twelve microscopes with something different to see under each one

3. An aquarium with approximately 30 fish including large mouthed black bass, yellow perch and sunfish

4. Samples of labratory work of your own children

5. A real human skeleton

6. Various charts and tables of interest to all 7. 32 stereopticon slides of birds to be shown and explained by Miss Carr's boys

8. Starfish, liver flukes, fungus, algae and other things of interest

Come and find out a few of the things your children are learning in our course.

A TEST

Old Mother Hubbard kept in her cupboard
Some tests of poor Fido's I. Q.
When the bone was in sight

Fido tested all right.

How does this method strike you?
-From "Nursery Rhymes a la Mode" by
Ruth Bartlett, in Sierra Educational News.

UN-AMERICAN SCHOOLS

J. C. TAYLOR

Superintendent of Lackawanna County Public Schools, Scranton, Pa.

We have among us millions of aliens who do not love this country and, while many of them are voters, they do not know the meaning of Americanism. This is largely our fault. We have been content to have them work in our mines and mills, build our railroads and do all kinds of laborious work. But we have shamefully neglected our duty toward these alien peoples for we have not educated them in our language and customs, and have not taught them the meaning of American citizenship.

ure.

It has required the supreme calamity of a "World War" to teach us that we have in our midst a host of enemy aliens who are actually hostile to our government. All this must be changed if America is to continue to be the refuge of the down-trodden of all lands. If this condition is not changed, if these aliens are not educated and Americanized, our free institutions will be destroyed and the great experiment in self-government will end in failBut it must not fail. The duty so long neglected must be taken up with energy and decision. The solution of the problem is education. For the alien children our public schools are sufficient, if their influence is not nullified by un-American influences. Among these influences are alien schools, where under the cloak of teaching religion, alien priests teach in an alien language. With this flimsy excuse these alien children are withdrawn from the civilizing and Americanizing influence of our public schools, and grow up aliens instead of becoming American citizens.

All schools which prevent any part of the children from regular attendance in Englishspeaking schools with high American ideals are un-American and should be abolished. For the adult aliens special evening schools should be established and attendance should be compulsory until the alien has learned to read and write our language and has gained a fair knowledge of our national history and plan of government and has learned the duties of American citizenship. When he has mastered these things, and not before, should he have the right to cast a ballot or hold an office.

"The Colonel's Lady and Judy O'Grady" may be "sisters under the skin" but education brings the equality to a visible surface.

Two hundred fifty thousand children, approximately one-seventh of our elementary school enrollment, are daily attending oneteacher schools in Pennsylvania. The questions of housing and instruction, involved in this situation, combine to produce one of our outstanding immediate educational problems.

Though increased aid was given to the consolidation movement by the Legislature of 1925, most of the pupils now enrolled in oneteacher schools will receive much, if not all of their training, in such schools.

The improvement of these schools must come through the co-operative action of the local, county and State school officials. Such action must be based upon definite knowledge of actual needs and a common understanding of feasible remedies.

During the current school years, our 8,500 one-teacher school buildings and their material equipment will be measured on a scale of 100 points by means of a special score card. This inventory will be made by the county or district superintendent. A detailed report of these ratings will be furnished to each school board.

A certificate will be prepared for posting in the school room, showing the extent to which each school plant measures up to the minimum essentials of the score card. Changes in rating will be shown by the issuance of new certificates. Thus each school board and com munity will learn

(1) The rank of its school plants as compared with those of the same type in its own and other districts.

(2) How far and in what respects each building fails to meet the minimum essentials for such a school as represented by the 100 points of the score card.

(3) The items on which the efforts of the district may be concentrated in bettering its school buildings for the advantage of its children.

Good buildings and equipment alone will not make an efficient school but are helps towards that end. On the other hand, a defective building is a menace to the health of the children and lack of proper equipment is wasteful of their educational opportunities.

It is hoped the results of this inventory will form a basis for the definite improvement of our one-teacher schools. The successful accomplishment of the inventory and the fulfillment of this hope require the active cooperation of school superintendents, directors, teachers and patrons.

FRANCIS B. HAAS

Think nought a trifle, though it small appear; Small sands the mountain, moments make the year, and trifles life.-Young.

FIRE HAZARDS

To School Superintendents:

The sporadic occurrence of fires, usually attended with loss of school building and sometimes with loss of life, emphasizes the need of every possible precaution for safeguarding children during the time they are in school.

In our modern fire-proof school buildings, the danger from loss of life by fire is remote; the principal danger lies not in the fire but in the probable panic that might follow. Instruction and fire drill practice will remove this danger. There is a lurking danger in the old type frame schools and buildings of light construction, which often are without proper means of exit and lack necessary fire protection equipment such as extinguishers, fire buckets or fire escapes. The frequent explosions of chemicals and other laboratory accidents emphasize the need of instruction, precaution and eternal vigilance in high schools.

Strict observance of the fire laws will eliminate these dangers. Summarized, sections 4701-4704 of the School Code require: (1) That instruction in fire drills be given and that fire drills be held at least once a month during the time schools are in session.

(2) School superintendents to see that the
provisions of the Code covering fire haz-
ards are faithfully carried out in the
schools under their jurisdiction.
(3) That the State Bureau of Fire Protec-
tion and the Department of Public In-
struction shall prepare and distribute to
the schools books of instruction covering
the dangers of fire and the prevention
of fire waste.

(4) That the curriculum shall include some regular and continuous study of such subjects during the entire school year. To meet the third requirement, the Fire Prevention Manual, prepared by the Bureau of Fire Protection, has been distributed to the schools of the State. It is a very complete document and contains the necessary instructional material for carrying out the provisions of the law.

Careful attention to the above provisions will make the school a safe place for children and an example for the home. In this way child life will be protected and losses by fire reduced to a minimum.