European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The world of learning beginning by James Gunter staff writer or. Puffer Bill was a Railroad Engineer who had to Wear h i s wife s Bandana to keep his ears  Day he lost it and his wife made a new kind of hat. Mrs. Thelma Hudson held up a Pic Ture of the fellow wearing his new head gear. It looks like a baseball Cap said one of the roomful of 5-year-Olds. Thanks to careless or. Puffer Bill his ingenious wife and mrs. Hudson there was quite a bit said about head Wear that Day at the american Kinder Garten in Fin then Germany near Mainz. Meantime Down the Hall the class of mrs. Judy Bahnsen was just finish ing a snack of juice and cookies. The they ail stood up and Sang thank you god for  amid the modelling Clay and wooden blocks of another room mrs. Daisy Boyd had gathered her class around her on the floor As she read the Story of Dumbo the elephant and How relearned to Fly. Put on your listening Caps and Puta Zipper on your lips she said. Theresa Quintanilla and Jimmy Tubb decided not to sit on the floor. They put on aprons and began to paint a two nearby easels. I Don t like to paint Trees Theresa said. I like to paint  the Fin then kindergarten comes under the supervision of principal Alex Ander n. Lairo of the Mainz Elemen tary school but it has a separate Cam pus 31/2 Miles away for its three teach ers and 150 pupils. The children spend a 21/2-hour Day in the former French school building which originally housed a world War i labor troop unit. Som of the youngsters go in the morning and others in the afternoon so that the teachers each have two daily sessions. Kindergartens at army posts like the one at Fin then have been supported by non appropriated funds unto now. Air Force and Navy kindergartens have had no connection wit the school system. But kindergartens Are about to become part of the regu Lar school system for All and therein lie an assortment of problems for officials of Uso Esea. The biggest headaches Are space an transportation the defense department has come through with the first $2.5million which was appropriated by con Gress in the fall of 1968 for free kindergartens and about 13,000 pupils Are expected to be enrolled As soon As space and teachers Are found and other de tails Are worked out. Where to put them depends primarily on local military commanders said Hugh Brady coordinator of primary when a child is 5, he is full of Energy and motion. Fog 12 one of main Aims of Kinder ten is to prepare children for Reading. Is photos by Jim Cole education at us Desea headquarter sin Karlsruhe Germany. The changeover to appropriated kindergartens will come during this school year Brady said. A lot depends on getting enough space and we cannot accept substandard  said rooms should be at least 750 Square feet. Some elementary an kindergarten classes now meet in base ment rooms in government housing areas but these Are Only 450 Square feet in  Fin then the rooms Are big enough but the building is rather  Mary Ann Vignes assistant Prin Cipal pointed to the tile ovens fed with Coal from Furnace doors in Hall ways which heat , we Are very comfortable Here but there is not enough storage space she said. Miss Vignes said she feels it is extremely important nowadays for All children to attend kindergarten so each can stay with his own age group later  should not be jumped in the lower grades she said. When a child is 5, he is full of Energy and motion. By the time he reaches first Grade he is beginning to Settle Down just a Little. But it is important to grab for a kindergarten or s attention and give him the Mes Sage while he s still  that reason the teachers try to get to the meat of the kindergarten continued on Page i the beginning of learning. The stars and stripes in Thelmo Hudson toll the Story � Bill and How he kept his ears  2. Guinea pig teaches Kaiserslautern kindergarten class about animals the stars and stripes p�9 13