Orchard School in 1926

Right before Fall Break, an Orchard parent gave me an old newspaper article from 1926 that highlighted on the unique attributes of Orchard School, which had been founded only four years earlier in 1922.

At that time, Orchard was located at 5050 N. Meridian—an old orchard on those grounds gave the school its name.

In 1926, Orchard had 80 students—15 to a class.

“(Orchard School) owes its existence to the desire of a small group of men and women to provide what they conceive to be a superior type of education.”

According to the article Orchard in 1926 had four main educational precepts:

• It “believes that the same teacher must inevitably impart stimulus and instruction more effectively to a small group than to a large one.”
• It “believes that the children need light, air, and room for play as much as they need instruction."
• It “believes that children, like adults, work to bets advantage when their interest in the task at hand has been fully aroused.”
• It “believes that teaching the student to think is a greater accomplishment than the imparting of information.”

The main reason Orchard was founded as--and has remained--an elementary-middle school is that the founders believed that by emphasizing the above precepts to children at a younger age, they would be prepared for a high school experience that would inevitably provide a more conventional, traditional way of learning.

In 1926, though, there were questions about Orchard’s program and teaching philosophy. Two misconceptions from the article follow:

“The first is represented by the very natural fear that pupils leaving this school might find themselves badly prepared for taking up the work of the public or other schools…It is now seems apparent, however, from the observation of such pupils as have changed schools, that they are more than able to hold their own (in other schools)…and that no misgivings need be felt on this score.”

“More widespread is the impression that pupils in schools of this type are not properly disciplined—that they are allowed to do as they please.”

“It is not physically possible to conduct a school of eighty children who are allowed to do as they please—the only result could be early and violent madness...Due, however, to smaller classes it is possible to permit and encourage a much wider range of interest and initiative…As interest grows, the necessity for the more obvious manifestations of discipline diminishes…There was headshaking enough when the birch rod was banished from the public schools, but there has appeared no necessity to recall it.”

The article goes on to explain Orchard’s belief in a well-rounded education that included physical exercise, recess, and music.

The article—written nearly 90 years ago—illustrates that Orchard’s founding precepts are still alive at Orchard and that people today can still have misconceptions and doubts about an child-centered education that strives to engage the child at his/her developmental level rather than be focused on the needs and desires of adults.

Although a lot has changed since 1926--Calvin Coolidge was president, the average car cost $380, and the average annual wage was a little over $1,000--the debate over education then is eerily similar to today.

Thank you, Kristy Sherman, for giving me the article!