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This program of educational training is designed to give to the children only those things which they can use with benefit to themselves and others; to develop, as far as may be, their capacity for usefulness; to envelop them in an atmosphere of happiness; to teach them courtesy, kindness, cheerfulness and obedience.

The school classes are small, seldom above ten pupils, boys or girls, never mixed. Their school life continues as long as they benefit from it. At its close a place, suited to their abilities however great or small, is found for them in the Village or at the Colony. Here, under continued direction, they are made to feel that they are of importance in the scheme of things. And so they are, for each, according to his or her ability, contributes to the general welfare and to the spirit of happiness that pervades the Village.

In an intellectual sense the children of the Village, no matter what their age, always retain the qualities of childhood and youth, babyhood to early adolescense. They like to sing, to dance, to play, to make-believe. They have talents which they like to display. They have sensitive souls which wilt under censure, bloom under praise. They have a charming lack of self-consciousness. The spirit of competition is strong among them. They, like all children, are affectionate, acquisitive, generous, selfish, impulsive, inconsistent. They yield to patient, persistent, intelligent and kindly leading. They are like other children but they are different. It is wonderful to see how much a three or four up to ten or twelve year-old mind is able to do with a twenty or thirty or fifty year old body. It is equally wonderful to see how their mature bodies have been adjusted to the world of childhood in which they live.

The school of the Village is the mechanism by which these qualities have been reconciled. Its influence is not confined to the classroom and manual training shops. The singing it teaches is heard in the cottages, at the frequent assemblies and parties. Cottage life is brightened by its games. The competition it inspires encourages effort, stirs imagination. Monthly birthday parties for all of the children born in that particular month; Tuesday, Friday and Sunday assemblies; holiday celebrations; pageants; costumed plays and operettas; contests in skill, prowess and ingenuity; any and everything in which children find enjoyment, profit and happiness, all of these give opportunities for the school to utilize its training in a practical way and to broaden its field of usefulness.

There is one note-worthy feature of the children's assemblies seldom if ever, seen elsewhere in any assembly of children. It is inevitable that occasionally someone forgets, makes a mistake, gets stalled, has to start over or leave the stage, the 'piece' unfinished. When this happens there is never any giggling or nudging or derisive smiles in the audience. Rather unusual courtesy, that!

The outstanding event of the year for the entire Village is the Christmas Play. Sometimes it is an opera, "Pinafore," "Mikado," "Chimes of Normandy," "Pirates of Penzance," or at least a play with plenty of music and dancing. The theatre seats all of the children. It has everything needed in the way of scenery and lighting effects. There are always two performances, one for the children, the other for the grown-ups and guests. Preparations begin weeks prior to Christmas. After the play has been determined the selection of the cast and chorus is made and rehearsals begin. Wardrobes and other properties are overhauled. New scenery, costumes and furniture needed to give the play its proper setting and periods are made in the school shops and classrooms. A new department of dramatic and musical art flourishes for about two months, directed by Mrs. Nash and engaging the activities of nearly half of the pupils. Rehearsals continue until the cast, chorus, dancers and 'supers' (if any) are letter perfect in their parts and action. There must be no slips or faults in the Christmas play. As a matter of fact there are none.

Self-consciousness is a great stumbling block to many people. The lack of it in these children gives to their performances a simple naturalness and freedom from stumbling that makes them a joy to their audiences.

The 1932 Christmas play was "Briar Rose." Of course there was the beautiful Briar Rose herself, almost carried off by a medieval villain assisted by a fearsome witch. Almost too late the medieval hero foiled the witch, who fled screaming away into outer darkness, defeated the medieval villain, and rescued the leading lady. There were three acts, with plenty of music, singing, dancing, action and scenery, all as medieval as need be. Ninety children took part (grown-ups do not appear in the Village plays) and the performances went off without a break or jar, -- "amidst frequent and loud applause from the audience."

The art of making the accomplishment of work seem but play has been highly developed. For most of the children there is a necessary daily routine of short and varied tasks which avoids overloading and prevents boredom.