Part 1

Transcriber's Note

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=.

PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY NOT TO BE TAKEN PERMANENTLY FROM THE SCHOOLROOM

STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TRENTON

Special Days and their Observance

September 1919

APPROVED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION JUNE 1919

STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TRENTON

Special Days and their Observance

September 1919

APPROVED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION JUNE 1919

CONTENTS

PAGE

Foreword 7 Acknowledgments 9 Opening Exercises 11 Morning Exercises, Jennie Haver 13 Morning Exercises, Florence L. Farber 24 Opening Exercises, Louis H. Burch 27 Columbus Day, J. Cayce Morrison 33 Thanksgiving Day, Roy L. Shaffer 59 Lincoln's Birthday, Charles A. Philhower 69 Washington's Birthday, Henry W. Foster 89 Arbor Day 109 Trees and Forests, Alfred Gaskill 112 Arbor Day observed by planting Hamilton Grove, Charles A. Philhower 119 Suggestions to Teachers, K. C. Davis 121 Value of our Forests, U. S. Bureau of Education 123 Memorial Day, George C. Baker 125 Flag Day, Hannah H. Chew 141 Bibliography, Katharine B. Rogers 159

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Liberty Bell Frontispiece Columbus, "Admiral at the Helm" 51 Saint Gaudens' Lincoln 73 Gutzon Borglum's Lincoln 85 Stuart's Washington 93 Statue of Washington at West Point 103

FOREWORD

In the statutes of the state will be found the following:

The day in each year known as Arbor Day shall be suitably observed in the public schools. The Commissioner of Education shall from time to time prepare and issue to schools such circulars of information, advice and instruction with reference to the day as he may deem necessary.

For the purpose of encouraging the planting of shade and forest trees, the second Friday of April in each year is hereby designated as a day for the general observance of such purpose, and to be known as Arbor Day.

On said day appropriate exercises shall be introduced in all the schools of the State, and it shall be the duty of the several county and city superintendents to prepare a program of exercises for that day in all the schools under their respective jurisdiction.

In all public schools there shall be held on the last school day preceding the following holidays, namely, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Decoration or Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day, and on such other patriotic holidays as shall be established by law, appropriate exercises for the development of a higher spirit of patriotism.

It shall be the duty of the principals and teachers in the public schools of this State to make suitable arrangements for the celebration, by appropriate exercises among the pupils in said schools, on the fourteenth day of June, in each year, as the day of the adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress.

The provisions of these statutes have been carried out in the schools of the state. They are believed in and supported heartily by the public opinion of the state.

In order that greater assistance may be rendered to teachers and school officers in preparing for these special days, this pamphlet on _Special Days and their Observance_ has been prepared by the Department, chiefly through the efforts of Mr. Z. E. Scott, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Elementary Education.

The pamphlet also contains suggestions concerning the opening exercises of schools.

Mr. Scott has been assisted in this work by the following persons, the school officers having in turn been aided by their teachers. To all these grateful acknowledgment is hereby made.

George C. Baker, Supervising Principal, Moorestown Louis H. Burch, Principal Bangs Avenue School, Asbury Park Hannah Chew, Principal Culver School, Cumberland County K. C. Davis, formerly of State Agricultural College, New Brunswick Florence Farber, Helping Teacher, Sussex County Henry W. Foster, Supervising Principal, South Orange Alfred Gaskill, State Forester Jennie Haver, Helping Teacher, Hunterdon County J. Cayce Morrison, Supervising Principal, Leonia Charles A. Philhower, Supervising Principal, Westfield Katharine B. Rogers, Reference Librarian, State Library Roy L. Shaffer, Supervisor of Practice, Newark State Normal School

It has been the aim of Mr. Scott and his associates to suggest exercises which would be appropriate for the observance of these several days, which would be of interest to pupils, and which at the same time would be of a character worthy of the dignity of the public schools of the state.

Calvin N. Kendall _Commissioner of Education_

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Grateful acknowledgment is hereby made to the following publishers and authors for permission to use copyrighted selections:

American Book Company, New York, for extract from Green's "Short History of the English People."

D. Appleton & Company, New York, for Bryant's "America" and extract from Edward S. Holden's "Our Country's Flag."

Henry Holcomb Bennett for "The Flag Goes By."

Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis, for "The Name of Old Glory," by James Whitcomb Riley.

Boosey & Company, New York, for "We'll keep Old Glory Flying," by Carleton S. Montanye.

Dr. Frank Crane for "After the Great Companions."

Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, for extract from "The Book of Holidays," by J. Walker McSpadden. Reprinted by permission of the publishers. Copyright 1917 by Thomas Y. Crowell Company.

Joseph Fulford Folsom for "The Unfinished Work."

Harper & Brothers, New York, for extract from "The Americanism of Washington," by Henry van Dyke.

Caroline Hazard for "The Western Land."

Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, for Bret Harte's "The Reveille" and extract from "Our National Ideals," by William Backus Gitteau.

Kindergarten Magazine Publishing Company, Manistee, Michigan, for nine selections, including two by Laura Rountree Smith and one by Mary R. Campbell.

Macmillan Company, New York, for extract from "The Making of an American," by Jacob A. Riis, and "On a Portrait of Columbus," by George Edward Woodberry, used by permission of and special arrangement with the publishers.

Moffat, Yard & Co., New York, for extract from "Memorial Day," by Robert Haven Schauffler.

New England Publishing Company, Boston, for "Columbus Day" and Walt Whitman's "Address to America." From "Journal of Education."

New York Evening Post for "America's Answer," by R. W. Lillard.

New York Herald for Mrs. Josephine Fabricant's "The Service Flag."

New York State Department of Education, Albany, for "The Boy Columbus" and an extract from speech of Chauncey M. Depew.

Theodore Presser Company, Philadelphia, for "Our Country's Flag," by Mrs. Florence L. Dresser.

G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, for "In Flanders Fields," by John McCrae.

Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia, for "I Have a Son," by Emory Pottle.

Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, for extract from "With Americans of Past and Present Days," by J. J. Jusserand, copyright 1916; used by permission of the publishers.

C. W. Thompson & Company, Boston, for "The Unfurling of the Flag," by Clara Endicott Sears. Copyright; used by permission.

Horace Traubel, Camden, for "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman.

P. F. Volland Company, Chicago, for "Your Flag and My Flag," by Wilbur D. Nesbit. Copyrighted 1916 by publishers.

Harr Wagner Publishing Company, San Francisco, for "Columbus," by Joaquin Miller.

OPENING EXERCISES

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

_Shakespeare_

OPENING EXERCISES

MORNING EXERCISES

JENNIE HAVER, HELPING TEACHER, HUNTERDON COUNTY

The morning exercise is a common meeting ground; it is the family altar of the school to which each brings his offerings--the fruits of his observations and studies, or the music, literature, and art that delight him; a place where all cooperate for the pleasure and well-being of the whole; where all contribute to and share the intellectual and spiritual life of the whole; where all bring their best and choicest experiences in the most effective form at their command.

This quotation from the Second Year Book of the Frances W. Parker School may well be an inspiration, a guide, and finally, a goal for us to use in preparation for the morning exercises.

The period given to the opening exercises may be made the most important period of the day. The pupils, whether they be in a one room rural school or a larger town school, need a more receptive attitude toward the work before them. A short time given to interesting, uplifting exercises will do much to control and lead the restless children, encourage the downhearted ones, inspire the indifferent, and give to teachers and pupils alike higher ideals for effective work and right living.

A part of the time given to opening exercises should be of a devotional nature--consisting of the reading of short selections from the Bible, without comment--and of prayer and singing. Very careful plans must be made for the devotional exercises if they are to function as they should. Too often the selection of song and Bible reading is made after the pupils are in their seats. A message that is truly inspiring is usually the result of considerable time spent in preparation. The thoughtful teacher will plan her opening exercises as carefully as any other part of her regular school work.

The morning exercise affords an opportunity to train pupils for leadership. Recently an interesting morning program of musical appreciation was carried out in a two room country school. When the bell rang the twelve year old pupil leader went to the front of the room and placed a march record on the phonograph. After the pupils were seated she conducted the following program with a great deal of poise and self confidence:

_America_, by the School Psalm XXIII Bacarolle from "Tales of Hoffman" (phonograph) Traumerei--Schumann (phonograph) Spring Song--Mendelssohn (phonograph) Flag salute, by the School

Following each record on the phonograph she asked for the name of the selection and the composer's name. It was surprising to see how familiar even the little ones were with the classical selections.

Some one has said that the only influence greater than that of a good book is personal contact with a great man or woman. Once in a while an interesting talk may be given by a visitor, but the morning exercise period should not be regarded as a lecture period. Occasionally it is well to have leaders of different occupations in the neighborhood give short, pertinent talks on their work.

All too often children are blind to the beauty, deaf to the music, and almost insensible to the wonder and mystery of the great world of nature. One day a little country girl found a large, silky, brown cocoon and carried it to school. She didn't know what it was: neither did her teacher. The cocoon was taken home and kept as an object of curiosity to be shown to the neighbors when they called. One warm spring morning a beautiful Cecropia moth, measuring six inches from tip to tip of wing, emerged from the cocoon. That girl will never forget her wonder and awe as she watched Nature stage one of her most beautiful miracles. Any teacher would find it an inspiration and a delight to bring such a charming bit of nature into her morning exercises. Every day Nature is unfolding just as wonderful stories. Our eyes must be open to see them.

The opening exercises, conducted as they should be, may be a source of inspiration and a means of training for moral and social behavior, for patriotism, for health, for vocational usefulness, for the right use of leisure--in other words, for useful, patriotic citizenship.

There is an abundance of material on every hand that can be used in morning exercises. Following are a few suggestions that may be of help.

SINGING

Profiting by the experience of French and English troops, instructors taught our sailors and soldiers to sing in unison. It has been found that singing does much to improve the morale of the company. Singing in the morning exercises does much to socialize the group and develop school spirit.

There is such a wealth of suitable songs for morning exercises that it seems hardly necessary to suggest many. The hymns selected should be inspiring and uplifting; the patriotic songs should be thoroughly learned and sung in an enthusiastic manner.

=Patriotic Songs=

America Battle Hymn of the Republic Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean Dixie Flag of the Free God Speed the Right Marching through Georgia Marseillaise Hymn Jerseyland National Hymn Old Glory The American Hymn The Battle Cry of Freedom The Star Spangled Banner

=Folk Songs=

Annie Laurie Auld Lang Syne Flow Gently, Sweet Afton Home, Sweet Home Juanita My Old Kentucky Home Oft in the Stilly Night Old Black Joe Old Folks at Home Robin Adair Santa Lucia The Blue Bells of Scotland The Miller of Dee

=Lullabies=

Cradle Song Lullaby and Good-night Oh, Hush Thee, my Baby Sweet and Low Silent Night

=Sacred=

How Gentle God's Command Holy, Holy, Holy In Heavenly Love Abiding Italian Hymn Love Divine, All Love Excelling Nearer, My God, to Thee Oh, Worship the King The King of Love There's a Wideness in God's Mercy Vesper Hymn

MUSICAL APPRECIATION

The introduction of the phonograph into the public school and the multitude of records which reproduce the great masterpieces now make it possible for every child to have an opportunity to hear and to be taught to appreciate good music. Frequently part of the morning exercise period should be devoted to an appreciation of good vocal and instrumental musical selections. In one rural school the pupils readily associate the name of the composition and composer with each of the following records, which they helped to purchase:

Anvil Chorus from "Il Trovatore"--Verdi Barcarolle from "Tales of Hoffman"--Offenbach Hearts and Flowers--Tobain Humoresque--Dvorak Intermezzo from "Cavalleria Rusticana"--Mascagni Lo, Hear the Gentle Lark--Bishop Melody in F--Rubinstein Miserere from "Il Trovatore"--Verdi Pilgrim's Chorus from "Tannhauser"--Wagner Sextette from "Lucia di Lammermoor"--Donizetti Spring Song--Mendelssohn Traumerei--Schumann

Literature on musical appreciation will be mailed free to all teachers who request it from the educational departments of the phonograph manufacturers.

Teachers who are really interested in giving their pupils the best music will find that a number of their patrons are willing to lend records to the school for special exercises.

Following are suggestive musical programs:

A Morning with Beethoven

Bible Reading and Lord's Prayer Minuet in G, No. 2 (phonograph) "The Moonlight Sonata," Reading by pupil The Moonlight Sonata (phonograph) The Flag Salute, Pupils

A Morning with Mendelssohn

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, Song by School Bible Reading and Lord's Prayer Spring Song (phonograph) Oh, For the Wings of a Dove (phonograph) The Flag Salute, School

Indian Songs

Bible Reading and Lord's Prayer The Story of the Indians, Pupil Navajo Indian Song (phonograph) Medicine Song (phonograph) Flag Salute, School

Negro Songs

Old Black Joe, School Bible Reading and Prayer Good News (phonograph) Live a-Humble (phonograph) The Flag Salute, School (The records given are by the Tuskegee Institute Singers)

Irish Songs

Wearin' of the Green, School Bible Reading and Prayer Come Back to Erin (phonograph) Macushla (phonograph) The Flag Salute, School

Scotch Songs

My Laddie (phonograph) Bible Reading and Prayer Annie Laurie, School My Ain Countrie (phonograph) Flag Salute, School

LITERARY EXERCISES

To instil in the hearts of boys and girls a love for good literature is to give them a never ending source of happiness throughout life. Children can be interested in books by hearing stories read, by retelling them, and by reading them. The story of the author's life may add interest to the author's work. Much can be done in morning exercises to start children on the road to good reading. The more work children do themselves the more interested they will be. Following are suggestive literary programs:

=Robert Louis Stevenson=

Bible Reading by pupils--Philippians IV, 4-8 Stevenson's Prayer for a Day's Work, Recitation by pupil Short story of Stevenson's life, Pupil My Shadow, Pupil The Land of Story Books, Pupil God Speed the Right, Sung by School The Flag Salute, School

=Hans Christian Andersen=

Psalm 100, Pupil Lord's Prayer, School A Poor Boy Who Became Famous, Retold by pupil The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Retold by pupil The Little Tin Soldier, Song by School The Flag Salute, School

=Henry W. Longfellow=

The Arrow and the Song, Song by School Bible Reading and Lord's Prayer Scenes from Hiawatha, Dramatization by pupils The Village Blacksmith, Recitation by pupil

DRAMATIC EXERCISES

When children are truly interested in reading, the natural outlet for the emotions aroused is dramatic action. Let different classes be responsible for dramatizing stories from their history or reading lessons and present the results in the morning exercises. The educative and socializing value to the class presenting the exercise is almost invaluable. Dramatizing the story makes an interesting incentive for a number of language lessons; rehearsing the play provides for much practice in oral expression; and producing the play before an audience gives valuable training in leadership, self confidence and poise.

ART APPRECIATION

We do not expect many of the school children to become artists, but all can learn to appreciate and tastefully select the beautiful in pictures, personal dress, home furnishing and decoration, and architecture. It has been truly said, "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."

Frequently a few minutes of the morning exercises may be very profitably, spent in the study of the beautiful. Artistic material to use as illustrations for the talks is on every hand. Inexpensive reproductions of the world's great pictures; illustrations in magazines; beautifully colored papers for color combinations in neckties, dress designing and hat trimming; magazine and catalog pictures of well designed furniture and home utensils can be easily obtained.

A suggestive list of morning talks is given below:

Famous Pictures The First Step--Millet Landscape with Windmill--Ruysdael The Horse Fair--Bonheur Sistine Madonna--Raphael Morning--Corot

How Can We Get Good Pictures for Our Schoolroom Color Harmony in Dress Good Taste in Furniture Home Decoration Beautifying the School Ground Washington, the City Beautiful

References How to Enjoy Pictures--Emery A Child's Guide to Pictures--Coffin The Mentor The School Arts Magazine Ladies' Home Journal The Perry Pictures National Geographic Magazine

HEALTH TALKS FOR MORNING EXERCISES

Truly, "A people's health's a nation's wealth," and every encouragement should be given in school to further the doctrine of healthful living. The medical examiner, the school nurse, the pupils and the teachers, all may do their part to make the health talks practical and of much value to the school.

=Suggestive Health Talks=

Why we should exercise Care of the Teeth Care of the Eyes Prevention of Colds How to prevent Tuberculosis Swat the Fly How to destroy mosquitoes Cleanliness Safety First Cigarette Smoking Self Control and Good Manners Emergencies School Sanitation

=References=

Teaching of Hygiene and Safety Pamphlets of Health, from the National Department of Health, Washington, D. C. State Department of Health, Trenton, N. J. Russell Sage Foundation, New York City Health-Education League, Boston, Mass. Farmer's Bulletins from U. S. Department of Agriculture Modern Hygiene textbooks Newspaper and Magazine Articles

NATURE TALKS

The study of the wonderful things of the world, their beautiful fitness for their existence and function, the remarkable progressive tendency of all organic life, and the unity that prevails in it create admiration in the beholder and tend to his spiritual uplifting.

=Suggestive topics for morning exercises=

How can we attract the birds? How I Built A Bird House Does it Pay the Farmer to Protect the Birds? The Travel of Birds The Life History of a Frog The Life History of a Butterfly How I made my Home Garden How I raised an Acre of Corn The Trees on our School Ground

THE LOCAL HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY

A series of morning exercises may be devoted to the local history of a community. The material may be planned by the pupils with the assistance of some of the older people in the neighborhood. This idea was carried out very successfully in a small town and did much to interest the parents in the school. Many were willing to send family heirlooms to the classroom to use as illustrations for the talks. One charming old lady sent a written account of the history of her old home.

Following are some topics that might be developed:

Former Location of Indian Tribes in the Community Evidences of Indian Occupation (old trails, implements, mounds, etc.) The First White Settlers Revolutionary Landmarks Colonial Relics Historic Homes in the Community Famous People of the Community

A program for one morning might be conducted by the pupils as follows:

Proverbs 27:1-2, Pupil Italian Hymn, School Famous People of the Community The Grandfather who fought in the Civil War, pupil The Man who was Governor of the State, pupil The Woman who was a Nurse in the World War, pupil The Man who wrote a Book, pupil The Soldier boy in France, pupil America

THE USE OF PUPIL ORGANIZATION IN THE MORNING EXERCISES

Much interesting and instructive material can be secured for opening exercises by making use of members of recognized organizations for boys and girls. There are members of the Boy Scouts of America in almost every community. The Camp Fire Girls are getting to be almost as well known. Let each group prepare occasional programs for morning exercises.

=Boy Scouts=