I had the great good fortune to attend an Ohio University-sponsored
elementary school, Rufus Putnam, that emphasized creativity, especially in the
arts and in science. Some parents in the
city school system made disparaging comments about the academic program at
Putnam, usually complaining there was too little emphasis on the three Rs
rather than saying there was too much emphasis on literature, music, and art.
But Putnam students did well in the city high
school when they arrived there, and I––and surely others–––missed the
environment of encouragement, the permission to integrate my personal interests
into the program, the emphasis on creativity in the arts and in science, and the
study of foreign countries and cultures that Rufus Putnam provided.
Putnam creative arts programs also contributed to our mental
health. I was one of four abused and
neglected children saved through a remarkable adoption. The arts programs of
Putnam played an important role in our emotional healing.
A fuller description of this amazing school can be found in Book
One of Children of the Manse.
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