AS A SOCIAL CENTER 



AS A SOCIAL CENTER. 



The teacher's cottage greatly facilitates the development of 

 "social centers" and leads to the use of the school house for many 

 community purposes. The school house thus becomes a continuously 

 operated plant for better citizenship. Upon this point we can do 

 no better than to quote again from Mrs. Preston: 



"The school cottage is being made a social center for the 

 district," is the message that comes from Elmira in our sister 

 state, Idaho. "The parents meet there, and discuss questions 

 that may arise in the school and in their daily work at home, 

 thus enabling the teacher to get in closer touch with them. 

 The children have taken more interest in their school work, 

 on account of the interest of the parents. The same teacher 

 has been employed for two years and will be employed as long 

 as she wishes to teach, neither parents nor teacher having any 

 desire for a change. Before, there was a new teacher every 

 year." 



Another social center is reported in a letter from the Sno- 

 qualmie principal, Harvey L. Rowley, as his altruistic use of 

 his cottage is a fine example of what many others are doing, 

 and will do in the future. 



"As to the use I have made of the school cottage be- 

 sides that of a home: We have twice .entertained the pupils 

 of the high school and the eighth grade including others out- 

 side of the school. This we could not have afforded if we were 

 paying a high rent. The pupils have been made to feel that 

 this was their home also, when they have desired a place for 

 their parties. They come to us, and we give them privilege 

 to use the cottage under our direction. They drop in evenings 

 and play on the piano and sing. 



"We are trying to make the cottage a social center out- 

 side of the school, and the pupils are coming to look at it in 

 that way. We have a well-organized Parent-Teachers' Associ- 

 ation, organized this year. The parents are taking a great 

 interest in the work of the school. My work in social center 

 includes the Association just organized, the Farmer's Grange 

 which we are just organizing, an extension course from the 

 University, school athletics, tri-weekly programs at the school 

 and the school hall, and work in agriculture among the farmers." 



THE MISSION OF THE COUNTRY SCHOOL TEACHER. 



Writing upon this subject in a recent issue of the Countryside 

 Magazine, Addie M. Thayer so well portrays the varied duties and 

 opportunities of the rural teacher that we quote as follows. She 

 tells particularly of Idaho conditions, but what she says applies to 

 a large portion of the country. 



"The country teacher must be resourceful and independent 

 when she is so far from the county-seat. Responsibilities come 

 to her that would never be dreamed of in a more thickly pop- 

 ulated country. In the same human spirit in which one little 

 teacher taught fractions, organized a Sunday-School, played ten- 

 nis with children and parents in the school-yard after Sunday- 

 School, held up the standard of the country dances by her 

 co-operation, took the pupils to a neighbor's barn to judge and 



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