Page 37 - 1916 February - To Dragma

1 1 6 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

A N AMERICAN GIRL I N PORTO RICO

J A N E LOUISE PIPER, Z '04

M a n y who know that I spent two years as a teacher i n the govern
ment schools of Porto Rico have asked me how to secure a positio
on the island. I n answer I w o u l d say that application must be mad
through the War Department, but that I really know very little abou
the process, as I never made application f o r my position, nor, in fac
ever considered going so f a r f r o m home u n t i l the offer came to me
Miss Anna Tibbets, who had been principal of the Teachers' Colleg
H i g h School when I attended the University of Nebraska in 1909
1911, was elected principal of the Practice School of the Univer
sity of Porto Rico, and the dean wrote her to bring a critic teache
f o r history and geography w i t h her. I had taught these subject
under Miss Tibbets, and she offered the place to me.

T h e best and quickest way to reach Porto Rico is to sail f r o m
New York, although there are boats running from both New Orlean
and Mobile to the island.

There is something very fascinating about an ocean voyage to me
and this trip, f o u r days south i n the f a l l and north i n the summer
is w o n d e r f u l . T h e boats are neither so large nor so fast as th
Trans-Atlantic liners, yet they are comfortable, the food and servic
are good, and the weather's always glorious. I was always sorry
when the trip was over—for I proved to be a good sailor, even though
I lived in fear of a shipwreck.

One is fortunate i f his ship docks at San Juan early in the morn
ing, f o r at that time the harbor is most beautiful. The mornin
sun shining on the houses painted pink and blue and y e l l o w ; th
palm trees and the green mountains so near the sea; and g r i m , o l
E l M o r r o guarding the harbor's entrance, present a scene o f indis
tribable beauty. I t doesn't seem r e a l ; i t seems as though i t were
gigantic painting or a stage setting.

The American school system is of course used on the island wit
this exception, that there are no public kindergartens, the work o
the kindergarten and first grade being combined the first year. Ther
are a few private kindergartens, however.

Practically all towns have schools that take the children through
the eighth grade and several have what they call "Continuation
Schools," where the ninth and tenth grades are added, but only th
four largest towns on the island have high schools where a fou
years' course is given.

The children are taught both Spanish and English in the school
and a l l of the teaching is supposed to be done in English. O f