Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1919 — Object Lesson: Americanizing Public Schools by Wartime Activities [ARTICLE]

Object Lesson: Americanizing Public Schools by Wartime Activities

By HARRIET A. ECKHARDT

Princlpal Swift School, Chicago

Americanizing the public school through financial war time activities has proved a most illuminating object lesson to the teachers of the ' Swift school, to the parents of the pupils and to the boys and girls themselves. The Swift school, established five years ago, and named for George B. Swift, the forty-fifth mayor of Chicago, is an elementary school with ■about nine hundred pupils. The grades include kindergarten to eighth; "the ages pre from five to thirteen. It is in the Twenty-fifth ward, on the North side, and in a fairly well-to-do neighborhood. It may be said to Jbe a typical big-city American public school. The Swift teachers proudly say, “Our million-dollar school.” By this we mean that its war activities during the last two years have amounted to over a million dollars. The Liberty loan sales, including the Victory loan sale of $318,000, aggregate $918,150. The Red Cross activities include memberships, $1,252.25; ambulance, $1,795, and Belgian clothing fund of $285 raised by sale of 21 tons of paper collected by children, .and the total is $5,923.55. War activities include Y. M. C. A., canteen and library contributions, and total $3,281.61. The sale of War Savings stamps to pupils aggregates $20,027, and the school itself has an investment in stamps of $2,455, the proceeds of entertainments. The grand total is $1,020,837.16. The nation has therefore been served by the Swift school to no small extent. But the benefit to the Swift school —to the teachers, the pupils, the parents, the community and the school as a school —has been far greater in proportion. This benefit can hardly be set forth in comprehensive detail. It includes, however, outstanding items like these: Unifying of teachers, of pupils and of teachers and pupils, and development of the school spirit; the Swift motto is “Loyalty,” and its banner is blue and white. Formation of habits of saving and thrift; appreciation of value of money; acquaintance with business methods; knowledge of the power of organization and teamwork; training in individual thinking and in public speaking. Increased interest in American history and institutions .and in national affairs; a splendid spirit of loyalty and responsibility to school, • city and country.