lht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1231 
Interesting Matters About a Rural School 
REPARING FOR WORK.—It seems as 
though it was only the other day that we 
held the annual school picnic and field day 
at Eel Weir Parle, and now school has be¬ 
gun again. I remember when I was a 
young girl an old friend used to tell me 
how short the years seemed to him. I thought it 
strange then, hut when I think how quickly this 
Summer has gone I wonder if I am getting old. 
When our school won the cup offered by a promi¬ 
nent citizen of our nearby city I thought I would 
write at once and tell you about it. but the Summer 
is such a busy time for the farmer and his family 
that the vacation days have fairly flown. And then 
there was the Chautauqua, I couldn’t afford to miss 
that, and then the work of getting the schoolliouse 
ready for another term. We gave the outside a 
fresh coat of white paint, and the inside a good 
cleaning, built a new cement step, and with a few 
other repairs we were ready for business again. We 
health came first, dressed in white, and they were 
followed by the imps of disease; germs, late hours, 
tea, coffee, etc., dressed in black. Our banner read, 
“Health is Power.” We got second in the parade, 
the school that took first having the same idea as 
ours, but having a better appearance. We were a 
very proud school when Ave found that Ave had won 
11 out of 16 points and Ave Avere presented with 
the cup. 
LASTING BENEFIT.—Even though Ave should 
lose the cup this year (the school that Avins it from 
us will have to put up a good fight) we have re¬ 
ceived a lasting benefit from that coritest. One of 
the father's said to me: “Why, you know our school 
can get anything they go after.” Now when you get 
that spirit and belief in a community or a district 
you’ve got something, provided, of course, that you 
“go after” the right things. There might be the 
danger of letting the athletics crowd out the studies, 
but with the right kind of teacher there is no need 
no place to play but the l'oad, and in these days of 
fast di'iving that is a dangerous place. An adjoin¬ 
ing district Avhose schoolliouse is on a four corners 
has purchased an acre of land for a playground this 
yeai*. This is a fine move, arid AA r e expect to see 
other disti'icts follow their example. In cases whei'e 
the land around the school could not be bought the 
schoolhouses will be moved. Even if the grounds 
are small, some swings, a see-saw and a slide do 
not take up much room. These Avill keep the little 
folks busy, and a football or baseball outfit Avill 
occupy the older boys. In Winter a toboggan slide 
A^ould be enjoyed by all. These things need not be 
expensive, but could be built by the men of the 
Parent-Teachers’ Club at small cost this Winter’. 
HOT LUNCHES.—Speaking of Winter makes me 
think of hot lunches. The women of our Parent- 
Teachers’ Club are considering the purchase of a 
small oil stove and some of the necessary dishes for 
serving a hot dish for the noon lunch when cold 
District 13 of Oswcgatchie, N. Y., With the Frank Cup Won June 13, 1924, at Eel Weir Park 
have other improvements in mind, but they will 
come up later. 
A FINE FIELD DAY.—Our tOAvn of Oswegatcliie 
has a fine natural park on the river of the same 
name Avhei'e each year the 20 schools of the tOAvn 
hold a picnic on the last day of school. Each school 
is expected to march and a committee decides Avhich 
one looks best. A program of athletic events is car¬ 
ried out, and a basket picnic lunch at noon makes 
a full day and a delightful one. Some time before 
the superintendent had sent out a list of the events, 
Avith the number of points for each, to each school 
in the tOAvn, and our boys and girls Avent to work 
to Avin. They jumped and pole-vaulted early and 
late, and Ave mothers lived in fear of broken bones 
daily. They ran, too, until we thought they Avould be 
worn to shadows. And here is where the teacher 
came in. She taught them team work, to let the 
best man go in, and to play fair always. When a 
14-year-old boy is Avilling to give up a pair of spiked 
running shoes that his brother had gi\’en him, and 
say, “Let the other felloAv have them, he’s a better 
man than I am,” I think he has learned a valuable 
lesson for life. All the lessons are not taught from 
books. The teacher’s influence outside the school¬ 
room is very great. Those boys Avorked together, 
thei’e was no jealousy among them, and that is why 
they won. The gii’ls did their share, too, winning 
several points in their events. They also helped 
the mothers Avith the costumes for the pai'ade. We 
had a health pageant this year, and made it a lesson 
in physiology. The things that go to make up good 
of that being mentioned. There might be some sys¬ 
tem Avorked out which would allow only those who 
Avere up in their school work to enter the sports. 
Anyway, I am sure that these contests are good for 
the children. It keeps them busy Avhen they are 
out of doors. We are all familiar with the saying, 
“Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to 
do,” and this is true of school boys and girls. 
REAL FARM YOUNGSTERS.— Every one of the 
boys and gii’ls who took part in the sports that field 
day has done his or her shai'e of work on the farm 
this Summer. They have coats of tan and muscles 
to be proud of. Why shouldn’t they work? Their 
fathers and mothers are working, many of them far 
more than they should. I saAV a dress one of the 
girls had made .for herself all alone, and it Avas a 
very nice di'ess. This talk of not allowing children 
and young folks to Avork is all nonsense. Why, that 
girl may be a dressmaker by the time she is 18, or 
these boys may be running a farm by themselves 
when they are that age. I am very sui*e that if a 
boy or girl does not learn to work before 18, they 
will not afterward. By work I do not mean over¬ 
work and I believe in play along with the work. 
Some of these boys and girls have gone to the city 
to school noAV, and Ave are hoping that being there 
Avill not make them love the country less, for Ave 
need them on the farms. 
COUNTRY PLAYGROUNDS.—Years ago, when 
the country schoolhouses were built, there was no 
thought of a playground in many places. Of course 
there are exceptions, but often the children have 
weather comes. I heard of one teacher who baked 
a potato for each child, another made cocoa, and a 
dish of hot vegetable soup Avas served by another. 
A teacher told me that she would not think of teach¬ 
ing school now without a hot lunch. As Avith the 
athletics, there was a chance for extra lessons not 
in the books. There Avas the little cupboard to be 
kept in order and there was competition among the 
girls as to who could make the best housekeeper. 
I have not forgotten the taste of those cold dinners 
I carried to school, and it seems to me a bit of 
something hot would have been more than good. 
VISITING THE SCHOOL.—I would like to ask 
the people of the country school districts Iioav often 
they visited their school last year? I am afraid 
the show of hands would be small. It has been 
where I have made that inquiry. It would help the 
children and the teacher and enlighten the parents 
a great deal if they would visit the school, say once 
a month. Of course it would be an effort, but you 
would find it well worth while. ITobably we would 
not be so ready to criticize the teacher if Ave saw 
more of what she was trying to do. It is a good 
plan to get acquainted with the teacher early in 
the tei’m, talk over your child with hei\ and then 
see her from time to time about his work instead 
of asking the child too many questions. To Avait 
until the annual school meeting and then find fault 
with the teacher and her method, is wrong, and 
means that valuable time has been lost because you 
have been too busy or too careless to go and talk 
the matter over sensibly with the teacher. That is 
