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WINNETKA WEEKLY TALK, SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1924 23 Talks About Our Winnetka Schools By CARLETON W. WASHBURNE, Superintendent, Winnetka Public Schools. OUR THREE-FOLD AIM The Winnetka schools are attempting to achieve three ends: We want to give the children a mastery of those knowl- edges and skills which they will use all through life. We want to develop in each child his own special interests and abilities, giving him the opportunity to exercise originality, initiative, and lead- ership. And we want to train children in the habit of co-operation, teaching them the interdependence of man on man, and the need of team work in all fields of activity. It is commonly thought by parents that the first of these three functions is the only one with which the schools should concern themselves--or at least that the other functions are purely in- cidental. Yet mere knowledge is capa- ble of being put to as many wrong uses as right one--better an ignorant person with right attitudes than a learned one whose attitudes are wrong. The older type of school attempted (unsuccessfully, thank goodness) to turn out children who were all alike. In Germany they almost succeeded. And our American pedagogical organization was largely based on the German. Un- der the class lockstep scheme the schools tended to become knowledge factories, grinding out children like so many stuffed sausages, 30 or 40 at a time in a class, all supposed to have the same amount of knowledge bound up inside their skins. Unfortunately for the fac- tory educators, the skins were different sizes. Some of the little sausages came out too small or broken, while others were not half full. Through fitting the work in common essentials to the differing abilities of the children, the Winnetka schools have ob- tained two important results. First, they have made it possible for each child to stick to his job until he has mastered it, but to move on promptly to the next job when the mastery is reached. Sec- ond, they have served a large part of the school day for group and creative activ- ities. : The survey of the Winnetka schools under the Commonwealth Fund of New York is just being completed. It tends to show that the Winnetka schools are on the whole doing a more thorough job of teaching in the common essentials that the best schools with which Win- netka is being compared. This same investigation brings out the fact that the Winnetka schools are spending twice as much time on group and creative ac- tivities as even the better type of or- dinary public school, and are actually spending considerably more time on these activities than such schools as Francis Parker and University of Chicago Ele- mentary. We do not know how to measure the results of giving children a greater amount of opportunity to develop leader- ship, originality, and initiative. Nor can we measure accurately the develop- ment of the group spirit and the ability to co-operate. But we have measured the time spent on these things and find that we lead. Unless we are using that time very unwisely, the effect should show in the lives of the children. As ouy work becomes perfected--for we are still pioneering and have some of the crudities of pioneers--the chil- dren of Winnetka should receive an edu- cation that is fitted to their individual needs and capacities. Each child should be able to master thoroughly at his own rate each bit of knowledge or skill that he will need in his daily living. Each child should be able to develop his special interests and to learn the joy ,of making and doing things originally. And each child should know how to co- operate with others, merging his personal good in the good of the group, and real- izing that in his good is the world's, and in the world's good is his own. FASTER SERVICE FOR "L" RIDERS Rapid Transit Company Adds More "Shoppers Specials" There is to be further improvement in the rapid transit service now of- fered by the Chicago Rapid Transit company between Wilmette and Chi- cago. This comes as a result of the popularity of the "shoppers specials" which have been run on eighteen- minute schedules since January and which officials of the company have been subjecting to the closest scrutiny, with a view to asscertaining the re- action of the commuting public to this service. Beginning Tuesday of this week elevated trains operated from Linden avenue to the loop district on at weleve minute schedule, under which the op- erating time was reduced from the north terminal to the loop by eight minutes. Heretofore trains of every character, including local, semi-local and express, and including the "shoppers specials,' have operated on schedules from six to eighteen minutes apart. Under the new schedule trains will be operated on a schedule so much more frequent that it is felt by the company their patrons from Linden avenue through Evanston will be especially benefited and will be enabled to reach their des- tinations in the city more conveniently as to seating capacity in the trains and more rapidly because of the de- creased running schedule. All trains will be one car longer than hereto- fore. The new service is also more bene- cial to north shore patrons of the elevated road, inasmuch as trains will cease to run from the north shore to Jackson Park but will circle the loop, enabling local shoppers to disembark either on the east or north side of the loop which hereotfore they could not do. During the rush hour periods and the midnight periods there will be no change of schedule. For the conven- ience of patrons the Chicago Rapid Transit company has issued pocket time cards which are available at every station. ; PLAN 'HEALTHY BABY' CONTEST Mothers of babies in Winnetka will have an opportunity to have their babies judged by four of the best known specialists in the country through the second annual "Healthy Baby Contest" arranged for by E. R. Squibb and Sons, manufacturing cliemists of New York. These judges are Dr. Royal S. Copeland, United States senator from New York; Dr. Charles Gilmore Kerley, author of several standard works on the care of infants; Dr. Charles White Berry, fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and Mrs. Walter McNab Miller, chairman of the division of health of the General Federation of Women's clubs. The contest, which is now under way, will close on July 1. Silver cups and cash prizes will be babies. and to their mothers. Any. baby under four years of age is eligible to compete in this contest. The mother may enter her child by filling out an entry blank obtainable from her druggist, giving details of its age, weight and other essential data. This blank, together with a photograph of the baby, will be for- warded by the druggist to the judges who will render their decisions on the strength of the information and photographs furnished them. The first prize is a silver loving cup and $100 in cash, with cups and lesser amounts for other winners. Official entry station in Winnetka where mothers may file blanks entering their babies in the contest is at the Com- munity Pharmacy, 547 Lincoln avenue. Announcements of the prize awards will be made as soon after the close of the contest as the judges can com- plete their task. INVITES PUBLIC TO GOLF GAMES Mr. Wrenn, chairman of the Chicago Olympic committee advises that he has completed arrangements with the Wilmette Golf club and four of the best known golfers in Chicago to play a match on the Wilmette Golf club course at 2:30 o'clock, Sunday, and invites the public to see these four golf stars. Chick Evans, the best known and perhaps the best amateur golfer in the world, with Eddie Loos, professional at Lake Shore Golf club, will match their skill against that of Jock Hutchinson, Glenvire profession- al, and Laurie Ayton, Evanston Golf club professional. The admission fee will be $1.00, in- cluding tax. The total amount of money collected for this exhibition will be contributed to the Olympic fund used to defray the expenses of the amateur athletes who compete in the Olympic games in Europe. It is especially noticeable that, al- though golf is not included in the Olympic games at this time, the golf- ing world is putting forth every effort to assist other amateur athletes and promoting amateur athletics. Lower Grade Children to Be Skokie School Guests The Greeley school sixth graders will be the guests of the Skokie school on Monday, during the last week of school, while the Horace Mann sixth grade will be entertained Tuesday and the Hubbard Woods sixth grade on Wednesday af- ternoon. On Thursday afternoon the athletic meet will be held. These visits are to be made in order that the pupils of the lower grades may become thoroughly acquainted with Skokie school when they begin classes there next year. awarded to the twenty-five healthiest Printing that Pleases As you want it-- When you want it oyd Hollister, INCORPORATED Publishers and Printers PHONE WILMETTE 1920 WINNETKA 2000