Kindergarten Class Organized in Morgan County School

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, February 21, 1940 -- Something new in kindergarten work - an experiment sponsored by parents but using public school facilities and with the cooperation of the school authorities - has been launched in this city, county seat of Morgan County.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Morgret sold the idea to parents and the school board.  A classroom in the old high school building was put at the disposal of the sponsors where other grades - first through sixth -are also conducted.  Fifteen students are enrolled.  Mrs. William Hunter, teacher, reports that despite their age - from four to five and a half - attendance has been exceptionally good.  Some of the things the children are doing are: Learning to spell and write their names; "going to the store" and making change; learning to play together and sharing their toys with others; learning to draw, trace and color; currently they are leaning to make a dummy clock and learning to tell time.  No work is given them that would make them feel too advanced for first grade work when they matriculate but sponsors feel they will perhaps be able to advance more quickly or do their work more thoroughly by reason of this preliminary training.

Clock wise, from the teacher (Mrs. Hunter), the pupils shown in the picture are:
(Seated) - Lawrence Mountjoy, Louis Olan Close, Margie Clark, Kenneth Speicher, Peggy Iden, Dewey Rice, Rally Johnson, Ella Katherine Hardy, Henry Ruppenthal 3rd., Philip Rice. (Left to Right, standing - Bonnie Fay Close, Gary Kerns, Robert Branham.  In the class, but not present when the picture was taken are also Janet Hunter Morgret and Gene Spears.

--from an unknown newspaper--

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