USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Essex county, N.J., illustrated > Part 14
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In a prosperous and growing city the demands of the public schools are constantly increasing. The many and continu- ally extending advantages for homes and business offered by our beautiful city are bringing many families and business interests here. Of course, among the intlu- ences that help to build up a community, none are more effective than good schools. Merely to keep them up to the present stand- ard is not suffi- cient. Progress in the course of study and in methods of teaching must be constant and up to date. The accommoda- tions in the way ARNOLD VOGET.
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E. K. SEXTON.
ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
of school room and all facilities pertaining to appliances of all kinds necessary for the most efficient grade of instruction should be amply supplied. The mere matter of cost should not deter the Board from making this most important of all investments in the sound interests of om city. It is the duty of the Board to and in sur- rounding our children with the best environment that shall conduce to their physical, intellectual. moral and asthetical good.
We should not forget that the schools are for the children and not merely a convenience for the teachers and others connected with them. It is in these schools that the pupils are trained in the acquirement of useful knowledge, the develop- ment of their powers of body and mind, and how to apply them in the various callings they may enter.
There is no more important daty devolving upon a community than the thorough training and education of the children to become true, noble and honored men and women, capable of filling their places and performing their duty in this American republic. It is for this purpose that this public school system is organized and maintained.
The Superintendent's attention from year to year has been more and more given to the question, how to elevate and increase the efficiency of the public school system of our city ? This cannot be settled by considering and using only the means furnished by school-room accommodations and the various appliances required in the proper instruction of pupils. As we have so often said and agam repeat, the one great necessity in every system of schools is the thoroughly trained, competent teacher. This is the way out of all difficulties that beset the educational problem.
In the education and training of our teachers it can hardly he questioned but that we are moving in the right direction. There has been more interest and activity among the teachers in preparation for the class-room and personal contact with the child than during any time in the past. While some have failed to catch the spirit, the body as such has made right and commendable progress. Here is the key to the whole subject. Teachers deeply interested, competent and thoroughly trained will soon put our schools in the way of rapid and sound pro- gress. This com- petency and train- ing means much more than mere surface preparation in methods and . simple devices. First. it means large natural fit. ness by quick intel- ligence, great tact and aptness, joined with ample schol.ir- ship and good hab- its of mind and body, with the de- votion and persist- ency of the gen- uine student.
M. 1. QUINN, SCHOOL. COMMIS MUNI.R.
The meetings of the teachers for
CAMDEN STREET SCHOOL
educational purposes with the principals, the Superintendent, in grade meetings for special subjects. in the institutes, etc .. have been unusually well attended and have resulted in permanent benefit to the profession. I wish just here to emphasize these gatherings. One of their chief benefits is, they keep alive, intensify and extend the professional spirit. They arouse and utilize the personal and mutual efforts of those who come under their influence. We hope to improve them and thus derive still larger benefits from them.
The Superintendent's meetings with the principals, the prin- cipals with their class teachers, the Principals' Association, the Vice-Principals' Association, the Teachers' Institutes, the grade meetings by the drawing teacher and the music teachers, have all been hell regularly. They were well attended and com- manded the attention of all. The meetings are growing in interest and value from year to year.
One of the troublesome questions for every growing munici- pality is the difficulty of furnishing adequate facilities for the proper education and training of the children. This is not a local complaint ; it is wide-spread throughout the country. It is not easy to understand why cities so gen- erally fail to make carly and ample provision for their schools. Wisdom would seem to say that sites should be purchased and buildings arranged for in advance of the crowded popu- lation which makes it so difficult and expensive to prop- erly locate the school buildings.
G. SAUPE, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
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89
ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
NEWTON STREET SCHOOL.
THE building is located at the corner of Newton Street and South Orange Avenue, and was erected in 1867. In 1871 the building was des- troyed by fire. It was rebuilt, enlarged and re- opened in 1873. Present value of property is 850,000. This school has the largest grammar attendance of any in the city. At this writing, June, '96, there are ten grammar classes, and a total en- rollment of 502. In both departments there are eighteen classes and rosi pupils.
The following gentlemen have been principals of the school : Wm. H. Elston, Edwin Shepard, now principal of Oliver Street School; Clarence E. Meleny. now connected with the Horace Mann School of New York City, and Stephen S. Day. under whose supervision the school was elevated to the grammar grade eleven years ago. The present principal, J. L. Terwilliger, has held the position over five years, with a total experience of twenty-six years successful work in our little State. Of the excellent and faithful corps of teach- ers, Mrs. F. W. Smith, Vice-Principal, has taught in the school twenty-four years, and Miss Rebecca M'Clure. F. Assistant, twenty-two years, Miss Emma L. Hutchings Vice-Principal Primary, twenty-four years, Miss Anna A. Baldwin, has taught here over twenty-nine years, and Miss Duncan, twenty-two years. The school is popular, prosperous and well patronized.
NORTH SEVENTH STREET SCHOOL.
THIS school is located in that portion of our city known as
Roseville. Bringing to mind the Roseville of to-day and the same place thirty years ago, strongly contrasting pictures will be presented. It was well named " A Village of Roses," and it is still true to its title.
In 1854, an enumeration was taken bere, and two hundred and fifty children of school age were listed. Six years later the school was built ; and of this first school as it stood in all its pride, a new structure, on the tenth of September, 1860, we will take a brief survey. On Roseville Avenue, just beyond Orange Street, back from a grass-covered road, bordered by a plank side-walk, two planks side by side, and surrounded by trees, stood the school-house. You know the style-straight front,
1
J. L. TERWILLIGER.
straight sides, after the fashion of the architec- ture of our Puri- tan ancestors ; two floors, three rooms each ; this the typical school-house which delighted our fathers.
It is necessary to dwell on the old school-build- ing. for it was for many years known as the " North Seventh Street Primary School,' having been moved from its original loca-
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NEWTON STREET SCHOOL.
tion, in the year 1870, to the site on North Seventh Street. Then it was the school in the woods. Before the days when rules of the Board of Education became as inflexible as iron, many a pleasant afternoon did the children spend reciting their lessons under the trees, to the music of the birds, and many a nature lesson was learnt from dear Mother Earth herself.
Soon after the Roseville or Eleventh Ward School was built, the rumble and roar of guns and cannon was heard through the land, and our section of the city was selected upon which to pitch "Camp Frelinghuysen," and from this camp fronting Roseville Avenue, extending north beyond Fifth Avenue, south to Sixth Avenue, and east to the edge of what is now known as " The Park," marched our gallant soldier boys. It would greatly please the citizens of Roseville to have the memory of this event perpetuated by naming the new North Seventh Street School " The Frelinghuysen School."
The old school still exists and is in use. In the rear of the new building on Sixth Street you can visit it any day, and see many dear little bright-faced children there, struggling to climb the hill of knowledge, but so easily and gradually that a greet- ing of smiles and happy voices will be offered. But this build- ing is soon to be a thing of the past, as its walls will not stretch and as many child- ren are found on North Seventh Street alone as the whole ward origin- ally contained.
The new build- ing was opened in September, 1894, and was the cause of great rejoicing to the citizens of the nothern portion of Roseville, as the grammar school children had been obliged to walk nearly a mile. much exposed to all kinds of weather, to attend G. F. BRANDENBURGH, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
90
ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
South Eighth Street School, then the only gram- mar school in the ward. This structure gives much pleasure, but the rapid growth of this part the city makes more room imperative, and a much larger building with an assembly hall is hoped for. The present buikdling is so arranged, that when such celebrations as the school is re- quired to hold are in progress, but few of the children can see or hear what is going on.
This school, having obtained the sympathy and co-operation of the parents and citizens. with its attractive and intelligent children, and under the efficient management of a principal, able, kind and just, and pleasant teachers, will continue to be a credit, pride and honor to our city.
Present corps of teachers : Thomas T. Collard, Principal ; Grammar Department-Elizabeth K. Arndt, Vice-Principal; Elizabeth Wyckoff, First Assistant ; Kate Z. Gaston and Annie S. Burgyes Assistants. Primary Department-Mary A. McNeill, Vice-Principal; Annie May Young. Mona M. May, Bessie C. Schenck, Ida M. Titus, Elizabeth G. Parmly, M. Anna Lentz, Lucasta C. Baldwin, Mabel Chandler and M. Elizabeth Nicols, Assistants. The illustration represents the new school, one of the most elegant erected by the Board of Education.
TO no part of this work has there been a purer devotion brought to bear than in the part devoted to schools. This arises not from the fact that the burden of our labor has been lightened, and by the assistance received from the pens of principals and others engaged in educational work, who, through the plan of the work have written themselves the articles contained in the preced- ing pages, and description of the school and school work of their own particular school or self-elected school work. To the larger number of these gentlemen, who entered upon the task with willingness and alacrity, the sincerest thanks of the editor are due and hereby extended. We trust also that they will re- ceive it in the same spirit in which it is sent. Not because our burden of responsibility and labor has been lightened, but be- cause circumstances give them opportunities for collecting facts and figures which we could not control, and which gives to the educational part of ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED, a truthfulness and reading interest, which no amount of care and re- search on our part could accomplish. It can be said of nearly every fact recorded and state- ment made, they have had personal cognizance.
E. K. HORTON, SCHOOL COMMISSIONEK.
Besides this, that sameness which to many readers would become tire- some, is broken, and instead of the narrative being humdrum, it be- comes attractive
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NORTH SEVENTH STREET SCHOOL.
and the very reverse of tedious. It is an old saying and one that is ever trite, that " Varity is the spice of life," and just here this comes in such interesting form as to make it replete with changes, which is so desirable to the thoughtful reader. Among the subjects of which we must needs treat in making it, there is but one which can be permitted to take precedence in any way, and that is the church, and these two go hand in hand, the church and the school.
For little more than three years it became the writer's good fortune to superintend the public schools of Essex County, not including the cities of Newark and Orange, both of which have city superintendents. During this period abundant opportuni- ties were offered to study the educational interests of this county, and we will be pardoned if we appear charmed with its beneficence and apparently dwell all too long on the results accruing. By referring to the last annual report of Supt. Mathews, it is found that there was of school age in this county, nearly 90,000, for all of whom provision is made by the State for their education. Not all these accept the State's beautiful provisions. The percentage of those who do is large and rapidly
growing. As compared with that number repre- sented as attending the public schools two decades of years ago, the in- creased ratio is very promising.
The falling off in the numbers in at- tendance upon the select and private and parochial schools, seminaries and academies, is equal to one- half, and the
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D. B. NATHAN, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
91
ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
attendance upon the public schools has in- creased in like propotion. In the field of public school education, or to reverse the statement, education of the young in the schools of the State, there has been such mighty advance made in the methods of in- struction, and such marvellous care is being exercised in the presentation of learning to the young, that we meet with very little danger of making a mistake in the statement of a belief, that it will require but the ad- vances of a few more decades ere all private and select schools will be relegated to the past and the academies and seminaries, rich in the memories of men who handle the im- plements in the world's conduct, and hold the helms of the ships of state and are now held as the apple of the eye of men who honor every calling, and women who adorn the world and sanctify home-life by sweet affect- ion and holy purpose, will be treasured as GEORGE GRIMME, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER. souvenirs only, and give place to the public high school-the educational institution which has been fighting its way into public favor, and keeping even pace with the mighty advances in research and science.
That the reader may have the marvellous work of the public schools demonstrated to his entire satisfaction he has only to look into one of those beautiful institutions of learning which our artist has, by pen pictures and photos, charmingly transferred to these pa es. There he will find all the conveniences which experience has proved as the best for educational purposes, the school-house Architect and Sanitary Engineer vieing one with the other in the production of results both marvellous and satis- factory. The new, or township law, for the conduct and government of the public schools, has proven nearly all its originators and friends desired and expected. High School advantages under its wise provisions have been extended to children in the out-lying towns, where privileges had before been denied. Hundreds of young men and women desiring to enter college can now have that blessed privilege without spend- ing a year or two or three of precious time in some academy or
J. J. LEONARD, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
seminary after graduating from the grammar school, or having to employ a tutor to fit them for college. Ambitious boys and girls need not under this law be barred out for want of funds to meet preparatory expenses, the State in its generosity providing all that is necessary in a financial way, to give the child of the laborer, mechanic or artisan an equal chance in the educational race.
Such a mighty advance has been made along the two important lines of school-house architecture and school sanita- tion, we cannot refrain another reference to these subjects. Much of the very best architectural talent in the land is now making school buildings a specialty, with results of a most satisfying character. Sturdy young America, with well ex- panded chest and highly developed muscle, is ready for riotous play as he slips from the school house door. Such marvellous changes being wrought through the scientific exercise gained in the well ventilated apartments and in the calisthenics taught. Not this alone but the wonderful growth and development of
body and brain through the influence of mannual training which has become a part of the curriculum of study in the schools.
Few pupils there are indeed in these our beautiful days of rapid ad- vancment, who need go forth into the world without a knowledge of the more common mechanical implements, and their skillful handling. It matters little what course the pupil leaving school, whether it be from the public high or grammar school or the private academy or parochial, may decide to take, if he does not select for himself or circumstances debar him or her from entering college, those hours of their school life will be found to have been spent to the very best purpose, during which lessons in manual train- ing were inculcated, since their are few places in the busy world where such knowledge and skill may not be
A. BERG, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
J. J. MULLIN, SCHOOL COMMISSIONEK.
92
ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
used to advantage. Let the lot of the retired pupil be cast where'er it may, the knowledge gained in the machine shop, the carpenter de- partment or carving room of the school, will find a blessed adaptation and practical applica- tion. The click of the nail hammer, the buzz of the hand or whirr of the circular saw, whose acquaintance had been made in the hours spent where manual labor was taught, instead of sending a chill of terror over the frame of him or her when first facing the stern realities of life, will wake the blessed memories of the hours spent amid those new beauties of school life in which they had most fortunately been permitted to take part.
Then, how many of the young misses who have been privileged to taste and test the sweet realities of pie or cake manipulated by their own fingers, made deft by practice while having lessons in high art cookery inculcated in the pretty little kitchen. to which they had been invited to retire when worn and torn over Greek roots or algebraic problems where not only the realities of the world are met face to face, where lessons are learned which will tend mightily toward leveling the rough road of of the house-wife leading to the satisfying of " Ye Lords of Creation," and the vainness of his appetite ever seek- ing satisfaction. Again, from the sewing room of her school she carries into her home, boudoir or sewing room, a practiced hand that had learned to make and mend what God's prattling babes will take and rend, double bow knots of holy love.
It is immensely satisfying to us that our views of the past and hopes ever brightening of a glorious future for the public schools as recorded in the preceding words are held and en- joyed by such of our people as are making their walk along the higher plane of school work, and have become the thoughtful themes of many an article in newspapers and journals. One of these we have taken the liberty of transferring to these pages unchanged, as it appeared in an edition of June 27, of The Caldwell, N. J. Vezes, and from the pen of the veteran educator and popular superintendent of the Newark City Home for Recreant Children, at Verona, Mr. C. B. Harri- son its editor : " The aim of public ed- ucation has been to se- cure an intel- ligent citzen- ship. The Father of his Country in his farewell address coun- seled the sup- port of insti- tutions of learning for the dissemi- nation of use- ful know- ledge. The earliest ad-
J. A. BACKU'S, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
1
WEBSTER STREFT SCHOOL.
vocates of the free public school system claimed that every child upon American soil was entitled, by virtue of dependent childhood, to such culture as would qualify him for the exercise of the manifold "rights" of American citizenship. The idea of culture, however, among the practical statesmen and edu- cators, during the early part of this century, was comparatively crude. The " three r's" were the sole stock in trade of the first of the free schools, and these were imparted quite as mechanically as the craft of the tradesmen. Arithmetic was a matter of blind formulas and rules ; geography, purely descrip- tive, taxed the memory with technicalities and names; while English Grammar, introduced generally in the middle part of the century, with its etymology and syntax, affored the only genuine mental exercise to which pupils were subjected in the school room. All in all. little effort was made to qualify pupils to use their intellectual powers on in- dependent lines of thought.
The schools, during the closing years of the cent- ury, are ap- parently well advanced. well de- ilned effort to lead pupils to think is made in all the depart- ments of the graded gram- mar school. Mathematics
to-day matter of
J. N. ARBUCKLE, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
93
ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
axioms and principles, and in tracing their applica- tion, the reasoning faculties are kept heathfully active. Geography is physical history, which treats of the "life of the inorganic," and unfolds causes and effects, in the march of the winds, in the distribu- tion of heat and cold and of storm, and in the devlopment of all forms of animal life. Grammar has advanced beyond the stage of inflection and parsing, and is now aptly a language study. In method and aim a great advance has been made.
"The limited introduction of manual training. during these last years of this present century, shows that public school training is perhaps now midway in its transition state. The quickening of the merely preceptive faculties and that special physical culture which confers power for rapid and accurate execution in the production of designs by the excise of handicraft, are very generally attract- ing the attention of educators, and as a result, we may expect the engraftment of manual training upon the school course. With all these however, the end is not reached. Man is a three-fold being, and intellectual and physical education fails to meet the demands of his nature, Without moral culture and refinement, no one is educated in the better sense of the term, Intellectual acumen and acquirement too often accom- pany moral degeneracy. Caligula was brilliant, but he was, from a moral standpoint, a leper.
"The moral faculties are said to be slow of devolpement ; but they are susceptible, and under methodical culture will ripen as auxiliary and regulating forces of the intellect. What is doing in this present age in the public schools is purely incident to intellectual training, and therefore lacks in method and scope. It may be fittingly characterized as experimental if not perfunc- tory. The question of moral education in the near future, will be pressing for solution. The differences among religious sects have heretofore negatived rational endeavors to include moral teaching in the public school course, but with the manifold demonstrations, in private and public life, of the futility of one- sided culture as a conserving agency, the demand for harmoni- ous development will be resolutely made, and intelligently met."
H. P. RODEN, M. D., SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
Manya man who has al- ready achiv- ed distinc- tion or has risen to sta- tions of hon- or in the later days, has been moved to shout " ex- celsior " over his first ink- lings obtain- in the school- room, of those certain branches which had been declar- ed "innova- tions," and among these, that of for-
Scarce more than a
LAWRENCE STREET SCHOOL.
estry, with one of its resultant victories, known, celebrated and enjoyed under the title of forestry. Indeed, it matters little where or in what field the pupil after leaving school may find his lot cast, or the exercise of whatever calling he may elect to pursue. the lessons in forestry he may have learned, can prove of in- estimable value to his prosperity and well being. providing always, that he has the will power to put them into practice, or he does not prove recreant to the beautiful trust his Alma MMater bestowed when she said, " Go forth and fight the battle of life," bearing the banner with the strange device " Excelsior." Since the introduction of the ideal study of tree culture which carries with it tree and forest protection, ten thousand times ten thousand young tree shoots have grown into trees, with wide spreading branches under which the beast of the fields and denizens of the wood are enjoying shade from the mid-day sun, or shelter from the chilling blasts of winter, have been preserved. which, had it not been for the lessons learned in the school, would have been ruth- lessly torn from the loving arms of their ten- der mother earth, ( al - ways prolific in her ben- efactions.) and tramp- led beneath swift flying feet engaged in the never flagging and never ending pursuit of the wordly fruits.
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