Seattle’s First Free Kindergarten Opens in a Remodeled South End School

The free kindergarten is now a fact, and this morning the school will be formally opened in the old South school building on Main Street, between Seventh and Eighth streets. The school board has granted the Free Kindergarten Association free use of the building for a year, and after the work of transformation the old building now presents a decidedly attractive appearance, being repainted, repaired, repapered and remodeled generally. Two large rooms have been fitted up capable of accommodating sixty children, but at present there will be seating room for only thirty. The teacher, Miss Ellen Creelman, is now in the city, and the members of the Free Kindergarten Association expect great things of her. She comes highly recommended and will give the little pupils her undivided attention. Miss Creelman, whose home is in San Francisco, has been selected teacher of the school here for one year. She is well known by all the teachers of San Francisco, and her experience as a teacher has been large and varied. For six years she was a teacher in the public schools of Canada, and later she took the usual course in kindergarten instruction under Mrs. Kate Douglas Wiggin, the famous writer of children’s stories, who is prominent in kindergarten work. She also took a postgraduate course under Miss Nora Smith, the latter a sister of Mrs. Wiggin and a well-known kindergarten worker. Miss Creelman also spent much time and money in studying music, especially vocal culture, with a view to training children in this branch of physical culture. Aside from her other studies, she has been a pupil of E. Russell, of New York, in decoration, design and general art. The local association is much flattered in having secured the services of so accomplished and competent a teacher. For the present only the children of the more needy families will be cared for, but later, when the facilities for instruction are greater and money more plentiful, additional teachers will be employed and the children of all classes admitted to the school. In addition to the kindergarten the association has established a training school for young women, who will be directly under the charge of Miss Creelman. Young women who desire to fit themselves for duty as teachers in the public schools will here find an opportunity to receive instruction as well as fair practical knowledge in the art of primary instruction. Each one must study during the morning of each day from 9 to 12 and aid Miss Creelman in looking after the children, and in the afternoon Miss Creelman will give lectures and practical examples of the work required. This branch will be found of inestimable value to young women, whether they desire to become teachers or not. Although twenty children are usually considered an ample class for any one teacher in kindergarten work, Miss Creelman will start with a class of thirty, and will attempt to care for them all properly. In this kind of school the teacher cannot teach the little ones in class; each child must be cared for separately; it is individual work that is required. The mind of each child must be developed in keeping with its own special and peculiar capabilities; they will be 'developed' — objection being taken to the word 'instructed.' The child is taken as it is and the teacher ascertains its capabilities, keeping in check the wrong, developing the right; in fact the little ones will be given the advantage of a systematic and scientific training school. Speaking of the opening of the kindergarten tomorrow, Mrs. C. H. Dewhurst, the secretary of the association, said last evening: 'The citizens of Seattle should recognize the work that the association has undertaken and appreciate our departure in employing a competent teacher to conduct the school on a scientific basis. We want and need every business man’s support and we desire more monthly subscriptions. When we have more money the school can accommodate more children. At present the state of the funds will admit of a school of but thirty children, but we already have room for sixty. We will accept subscriptions in any sum from 5 cents upward. The membership fee is but $1, with no future assessment. The work is unquestionably a necessary and excellent one that we should not want for funds when the people properly understand what is being done. In view of the good which will accrue to all who desire to attend the training school department of the kindergarten, the association has decided to charge a small tuition to the pupils.' Next Saturday afternoon there will be a regular meeting of the association and a full attendance is desired. A board of managers must be elected.