Jones, Miss Grace
JONES
Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 1/10/2011 at 18:58:59
LeMars Globe-Post, August 19, 1954
Miss Grace Jones of LeMars—and this is sole for the records—is “retiring” from active teaching service this year. To Miss Jones retirement means a variation in her activities.
She will be teaching in Church schools and helping with various youth and children’s activities. She is writing a “Childhood” series to show that children need more creative play. Her work now is on letters, poems, stories and books for Children’s Hospitals.
In her own words two ideals have dominated he life as a teacher and community participant. “Developing Christian personalities and training these boys and girls for leadership.” She loves boys and girls and has always been anxious to create in them a desire for higher education and Christian loyalty. “What goes into the first of life goes into all of life” is her belief. These interests have been developed through church, college, grade and rural schools.
AN ASSOCIATE OF WALTER S. ATHEARN
Miss Jones took special training in Christian Education at Chicago University and was associated with the late Walter S. Athearn at Highland Park College, Drake University, Chicago and Boston Universities.She was a co-worker with Dr. Athearn in writing his first book. “The Church School,” and is the author of several magazine articles on religious education and public school methods of teaching. Among these are: “A Churchway Through,” “The Boy in the Window,” “Christ in Art and Song,” “A Kindergarten Bird Feeding Project,” and “First Grade Reading Activities.” Miss Jones has taught in vacation church schools in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. Other religious education teaching was in week day schools and city supervisory work.
Plymouth County schools rank among the first in Iowa. Miss Jones was especially interested in teaching reading to little children. Garden shows were developed from the children’s own gardens and later changed into exhibit material for the State Fair Educational exhibits. She believed children should learn by actual experience and often took them on special trips to factories, library, museum and other schools. Some interesting collections of bird study materials are in the Sioux City Museum.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE MUFFIN MAN?
As Miss Jones looks back she says the most fun of all was nature hikes with boys and girls, camping, planning and arranging exhibits, hobby shows, May festivals, and –Muffin Shops! Muffins were two for a penny and a big cookie was only a copper at the Annual Muffin Shop.If you cannot find the way, just borrow a little boy or girl. They always know the way, through Durry Lane, to the “Muffin Man’s Shop.”
More valuable to Miss Jones than any award is a picture history (dozens of pictures), which accounts for many years of experience with first graders in Battle Creek and Ida Grove. Other pictures collections show school gardens, pet shows, library centers, nature exhibits, and playground activities with boys and girls of other grade and rural schools.
WOULD LIKE LETTERS
Miss Jones lives at present, at 226 2nd Ave. N.W., LeMars, Iowa. She will be very happy to hear from many more of her former pupils. Any pictures to add to her present collection would be most welcome.
------------TRANSCRIBER NOTE: I was privileged to have Teacher, Miss Grace Jones, as a substitute teacher on at least one occasion when I was in my early elementary education years. In early retirement Miss Jones substituted in the absence of our regular teacher at our rural school in Plymouth County. Miss Jones was LOVED by all of the children instantly. What a wonderful dear little lady she was, who very clearly made it a life's commitment of loving and teaching children!
Plymouth Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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