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WAR ACTIVITIES 
 
 IN 
 
 MINNEAPOLIS 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
 
 BOARD OF EDUCATION . 
 
 FEBRUARY, 1918 
 
Facts About Minneapolis 
 
 Population 385,000 
 
 Number of public high schools , 6 
 
 Number of public elementary schools 76 
 
 Enrolment in high schools 9,034 
 
 Enrolment in elementary schools 46,097 
 
 Total enrolment 55,131 
 
 Number of teachers in high schools 382 
 Number of teachers in elementary 
 
 schools 1,255 
 
 Number of principals and supervisors 89 
 
 Total number in school force 1,727 
 
 Minneapolis Public Schools and the 
 War Since January 1, 1917 
 
 Junior Red Cross Auxiliaries 
 
 Red Cross Membership Drive 
 
 Red Cross Salvage Campaign 
 
 Direct Gifts to Soldiers, Sailors and Nurses 
 
 Liberty Loans 
 
 Thrift Stamps and War Savings Certificates 
 
 Food Conservation 
 
 Fuel Conservation 
 
 War Gardens 
 
 Farm Labor Enlistment 
 
 Belgicin Relief 
 
 Y. M. C. A. Campaign 
 
 Courses for Draft Registrants 
 
 Adoption of War Orphans 
 
 Knitting Clubs 
 
 Service Flags 
 
 Contract Work of Girls' Vocational High School 
 
 Teachers' Direct Contribution 
 
 D. ot B. 
 
 MAR 25 1918 
 
\ 
 
 ^^'f^S^unior Auxiliaries 
 
 Minneapolis Chapter American Red Cross 
 
 Pledge 
 V- I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Re- 
 y public for which it stands: One Nation, one Lan- 
 \ guage, one Flag, with Liberty and Justice for all. 
 I pledge all the service within my power to the 
 School Auxiliary of the American Red Cross. 
 
 Organization — $2 a room and service. 
 Goal — 25 cents a pupil. 
 Every pupil a member, January 7, 1918. 
 Amount of money contributed to date toward 
 membership dues — $5,025.16. 
 
 Articles Finished to Date 
 
 High 
 Sflioois 
 
 Abdominal Bands 
 :\fghans (Blankets) 30 
 vnti-vermin Suits 36 
 
 Elemen- 
 tary 
 
 58 
 
 iandages 
 
 1391 
 
 540 
 
 Jath Robes 
 
 125 
 
 36 
 
 '3ed Sheets 
 
 216 
 
 156 
 
 |3ed Shirts 
 
 665 
 
 121 
 
 ' ied Socks 
 
 451 
 
 1225 
 
 'Sonnets 
 
 186 
 
 16 
 
 Books 
 
 5 
 
 9 
 
 Booties 
 
 9 
 
 92 
 
 Bottle Covers 
 
 
 1310 
 
 ;aps (Child's) 
 
 57 
 
 12 
 
 :;aps (Opt'g) 
 
 241 
 
 516 
 
 laps, Trench 
 
 15 
 
 33 
 
 Dominoes 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 rraw Sheets 
 
 12 
 
 48 
 
 Dresses (Children 
 
 s) 69 
 
 22 
 
 Dusters 
 
 
 464 
 
 :5own, (Opt'g) 
 
 
 25 
 
 3un Wipes 
 
 
 7772 
 
 Handkerchiefs 
 
 100 
 
 
 Helmets 
 
 36 
 
 9 
 
 Hospital Socks 
 
 72 
 
 
 Housewives 
 
 
 947 
 
 ce Bag Covers 
 
 
 189 
 
 Jackets 
 
 35 
 
 6 
 
 Joke Cards 
 
 
 20 
 
 <it Bags 
 
 3382 
 
 1193 
 
 Knitting Needles 
 
 
 1022 
 
 
 Uis:h 
 
 ElnneH- 
 
 Schools 
 
 tary 
 
 Layettes 
 
 3 
 
 
 Leggins 
 
 60 
 
 272 
 
 Mitts (Child's) 
 
 447 
 
 
 iViitt (Lining) 
 
 127 
 
 
 Napkins 
 
 24 
 
 12 
 
 Needle Books 
 
 
 2500 
 
 Night Slips 
 
 58 
 
 
 Operating Towels 
 
 108 
 
 81 
 
 Operating Sheets 
 
 72 
 
 368 
 
 Pajamas 
 
 181 
 
 338 
 
 Paper Dolls 
 
 28 
 
 988 
 
 Pillows 
 
 37 
 
 72 
 
 Pillow Cases 
 
 
 78 
 
 Puzzle Pictures 
 
 38 
 
 131 
 
 Scarfs 
 
 24 
 
 2 
 
 Scrap Books 
 
 4 
 
 172 
 
 Shoulder Wraps 
 
 169 
 
 287 
 
 Shoulder Caps 
 
 40 
 
 
 Slings 
 
 22 
 
 450 
 
 Socks 
 
 46 
 
 58 
 
 Stretcher, Stocking 
 
 
 38 
 
 Sweaters (Child's) 
 
 26 
 
 
 Sweaters (Knit) 
 
 269 
 
 152 
 
 Sweaters (Finish) 
 
 800 
 
 
 Towels 
 
 77 
 
 1595 
 
 Underwear 
 
 75 
 
 
 Wash Cloths 
 
 40 
 
 55 
 
 Wristers 
 
 133 
 
 51 
 
 10,044 23,630 
 Total 33,674 
 
 Drawing, sewing, manual training and cooking 
 classes are working on a variety of articles for a 
 big sale in March. Proceeds will help to swell the 
 Junior Red Cross membership fund. 
 
Red Cross Membership Drive 
 
 The number of members among teachers and 
 other employees is 1,900. The total amount raised 
 was $2,218. 
 
 Red Cross Salvage Campaign 
 
 This campaign was encouraged as an after- 
 school and Saturday occupation for the children. 
 It has amounted to raising about $2,000 a month 
 for the Red Cross. Boy Scouts have been partic- 
 ularly active in this work. 
 
 Direct Gifts to Soldiers, Sailors 
 
 and Nurses 
 
 Hundreds of knitted articles, candy boxes, food 
 boxes and Christmas boxes; scrap books, porto- 
 f olios, magazines and smileage books; rugs, foun- 
 tain pens, field glasses, wrist watches and Victro- 
 las; $830, and even a war ambulance, have been 
 contributed by pupils and teachers, to be sent to 
 persons in service known to donors. 
 
 Liberty Loans 
 
 In the first and second Liberty Loan cam- 
 paigns, Minneapolis public schools were credited 
 with a total of $743,000 in subscriptions. This to- 
 tal represented offerings of pupils, teachers and 
 other employees, and patrons who made their sub- 
 scriptions through the schools. It is believed 
 every child has an individual share in a Liberty 
 bond. Seventy-eight schools have ownership in 
 whole or part in one or more bonds each, held' 
 by the Board of Education. Bonds to the amount 
 of $1,500 were left as class memorials. 
 
 Thrift Stamps and War Savings 
 
 Certificates 
 
 The average weekly investment in thrift and 
 war savings stamps has been about $3,000. School 
 savings of children have been invested for many \ 
 
years through a local savings bank. This bank 
 has continued its clerical service to the schools in 
 war stamp investments. 
 
 Food Conservation 
 
 Food pledge cards were distributed through 
 the schools and signed pledges returned from 
 more than 20,000 families. The schools are vir- 
 tually the distributing force for the food admini- 
 stration. Canning centers were opened in vari- 
 ous schools last summer and lessons given to 
 mothers in canning. These lessons have been 
 continued through the 1917-18 school year. The 
 regular course of study in cookery has been 
 changed to conform with food administration reg- 
 ulations. War breads and substitutes for meats, 
 fats and sugar are special features. 
 
 Fuel Conservation 
 
 Boys and girls as government agents were 
 active on "Tag the shovel" day. 
 
 War Gardens 
 
 Two thousand three hundred children of the 
 4,000 enlisted in garden work last summer under 
 school supervision had productive gardens. The 
 estimated value of the products of their gardens 
 was $49,262 Three public markets were opened 
 for the sale of these products. Patriotic citizens 
 gave more than $1,000 in prizes. In behalf of the 
 schools, janitors cultivated vacant land in school 
 and park property. They produced 1,300 bushels 
 of potatoes, 582 bushels of squash and 99 of car- 
 rots. This produce is being used in "penny lunch- 
 es," lunches in fresh air rooms, and so on. 
 
 Farm Labor Enlistments 
 
 One hundred thirty-two boys in upper grades 
 and high schools were excused from school work 
 last spring to take places on farms in the state. 
 Credit in school was given for such work. The 
 plan, enlarged, will be observed this spring. 
 
 Belgian Relief 
 
 For relief of children in Belgium a fund of 
 $4,030.94 was raised by a collection in the schools. 
 
Y. M. C. A. Campaign 
 
 A fund of $12,350 was raised in the schools for 
 the war work of the Y M. C. A. 
 
 Courses for Draft Registrants 
 
 Evening courses have been opened for in- 
 struction of drafted men expecting soon to be 
 inducted into the national army. Teacher vol- 
 unteers assisted in a survey of the educational 
 status and needs of Minneapolis registrants, using 
 questionnaires filed with local draft boards. Many 
 of these boards have used the schools for clerical 
 offices and physical examination headquarters. 
 
 Day and evening schools for Americanization 
 work have been conducted for men and women. 
 
 Adoption of War Orphans 
 
 Thirty-five war orphans have been adopted by 
 Minneapolis schools. 
 
 Knitting Clubs 
 
 School social groups have been turned into 
 knitting clubs. While knitting, they sing patriotic 
 songs and tell patriotic stories. 
 
 Service Flags 
 
 All the schools have service flags. Those of 
 the high schools have 1,431 stars. 
 
 Contract Work of Girls' Vocational 
 High School 
 
 The Girls' Vocational High School has a gov- 
 ernment contract for making army shirts. It 
 is doing hundreds of dollars' v/orth of work for 
 the Red Cross in its cutting department. It is 
 estimated that this cutting is saving the Red 
 Cross $7,000 a month. 
 
 Teachers' Direct Contribution 
 
 Teachers give evenings and Saturdays to knit- 
 ting and surgical dressing classes. Many have 
 qualified as teachers in surgical dressing work. 
 
/ 
 
 in the Schools 
 
 /he Minneapolis Tribune) 
 
 _,..^ ' have long- known that the way to 
 
 v^t" untoward disposition is to ask him to do 
 
 ij^vor. To that extent the humanizing power of 
 
 _ i^e has been recognized as an ally in teaching. 
 
 Today that principle, better understood, and expanded 
 
 in application, is transforming the Minneapolis schools. 
 
 Every parent with children in the schools senses that 
 
 in the awakened spirit of those children. Patriotism 
 
 has seized them. It possesses them. It colors their 
 
 days, and doubtless their nights — for who will say they 
 
 do not dream it? It finds expression in service. 
 
 Minneapolis should realize that its 82 public schools 
 with 55,000 children have become centers of "doing 
 things" for others. Boys and girls knit, sew, cut, 
 paste, draw% paint, whittle, as never before. They 
 have a purpose. They do these things for the soldiers 
 ^.and sailors of their country, for the soldiers and sail- 
 ors of their country's war associates. They do them 
 for others. As they knit, they sing the songs that 
 iTiake the pulses of Americans leap and their nerves 
 thrill. 
 
 The strain has all but gone from the schools. ■ 
 Teacher's face is not inereiy placid; it is alight with 
 purpose. Pupils' voices are lower, more even, while 
 their eyes are eager. The war has done what school 
 folk have racked their brains to know how to do. 
 It has "motivated" school work. Junior Red Cross 
 activities. Liberty Loans, food and fuel saving, have 
 done it. 
 
 Teachers report that regular school work has not 
 suffered because of what the children are doing in 
 America's fight — doing with cheer and self -forge tful- 
 ness and determination. Arithmetic, language, geog- 
 raphy—the whole gamut of subjects — are at least as 
 well done as before, better done in most cases. Chil- 
 dren have something to figure for, to tell about. Mid- 
 year promotions last month were as general as in nor- 
 mal times. 
 
 Pupils are not the only ones affected by the new 
 conditions. Teachers are learning how to teach as 
 neither normal school nor experience has ever before 
 been able to show them. 
 
Earning For the\^ 
 
 By being ash man, snow ' ., 
 ter and "chambermaid", Jack *^ 
 years old, of the Clara Barton sciio--,-,, 
 lis, earned $3.75 for the Red Cross, i 
 books on himself and has it all itemized. 
 
 He carried out ten baskets of ashes for 5 cents 
 a basket. He shoveled walks at home and in his 
 neighborhood, getting 50 cents each for the "big- 
 gest" ones and 35 cents for just ordinary walks. 
 He made $1.75 in that way. 
 
 He had a shack which had to be torn down. 
 His father gave him $1 for the wood zmd a quar- 
 ter for splitting it. 
 
 Jack worked in the house, too. "I cleaned the 
 bathroom up and made the beds every morning 
 for two weeks," he told at school. That netted 
 25 cents. 
 
 Banking With Uncle Sam 
 
 Everett Allen of the Schiller school, Minnea- 
 polis, who is 12 years old and has an eye for busi- 
 ness, is earning money to invest in a war savings 
 certificate. His father is a meat dealer. Everett 
 is working for him — on commission. He has 
 rounded up nine new customers, one a boarding 
 house. This house runs its meat bill up to $40 
 or $50 a month. Everett gets a 5 per cent com- 
 mission. He earned $2.50 in the Christmas va- 
 cation. He has a war savings certificate and is 
 saving his earnings for stamps. 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 020 914 391 4