Rural School Leaflet 1267 



from Cornell. On the same day we made a visit to the library museum 

 to study the birds. 



" I was surprised to learn that the parents had not been in the habit 

 of visiting the school. We endeavored to develop community spirit. 

 A community institute at the church was a great encouragement. 



" I felt that if the parents could see the condition of the school and 

 be made to realize its many wants, they would respond to my efforts to 

 better the equipment. I talked to the parents about their apparent 

 lack of interest in the school affairs because they did not come to see 

 our actual daily work. I influenced the mothers to come in a body one 

 afternoon. They were delighted with our regular school program. Among 

 other songs we sang, 'Why don't parents visit the school?' I en- 

 treated them to come and see us oftener. When they went away I went 

 to the door and called their attention to the mud hole around the building. 

 I asked if they would not help me to induce the men to help my boys 

 draw some gravel the next morning, as we were to have a conference of 

 teachers and mothers that week. At half past seven the next morning 

 my gravel was drawn and my school boys graded it. 



" I had evening entertainments to get the parents together, and I talked 

 school equipment. We had socials of various kinds at the schoolhouse. 

 Those affairs were always successful, both socially and financially. We 

 have invested the proceeds in an organ — which has been a source of 

 unbounded pleasure - — new window shades, paint for the schoolroom and 

 halls, varnish for seats and desks, a large chair, and other articles. We 

 have more blackboard room, new plaster, and three new maps. 



' The schoolroom was somewhat congested during those socials, as 

 people came from far and near to help on the good work. The friends 

 and parents were deeply interested in our nature-work exhibit, honor 

 rolls, drawings, and the like, which were on exhibition. Each parent 

 was interested in his child's work. 



" We have many happy times, Christmas trees, Hallowe'en parties, 

 and the like, which are held at the school building. Our field excursions 

 are among our most delightful times — those trips are so instructive. 

 Each child is wide-awake to every sound and to every glimpse of a speci- 

 men, as our nature collection is the pride of their hearts. 



" We began to collect our specimens for lessons and we placed them 

 on a nature shelf, but our broad collection outgrew the nature shelf, so 

 I suggested that we endeavor to get a Larkin soap order of $10 and get 

 a case suitable for our insects, nests, fungi, stones, barks, leaves, and 

 flowers. Four of ' The 3 M's ' girls started out a very cold night, but 

 their enthusiasm kept them warm, for they succeeded in getting sixteen 

 orders. Every one was anxious to sign when they knew what it was 

 for, as our nature museum is the pride of the community. Every one 

 saves specimens for us. We study each and every specimen. We ob- 

 tained a six-foot case with shelves, drawers, and compartments; we also 

 purchased a stand for our dictionary and aquarium. Of course we have 

 goldfish, tadpoles, snails, lizards, and frogs. 



" Last year we took our nature exhibit to the fair and received the 

 grand prize of $10, besides many other premiums. We invested our 

 prize money in a nature-study library and forty volumes of the five-cent 



