 Early on in the school 's history , the Vanderlips decided to change the school 's system from the Montessori method to a more formal approach with more discipline , although students still had more freedom than the average school . In the 1930s , the school was considered progressive : students were not graded and were instructed to work at their own speed . As enrollment grew , another building was built for younger children , which burnt down in 1959 . In addition , a lunchroom , shop , and studio were built early in the school 's history . Frank Vanderlip enjoyed teaching simplified political economy at the school ; he would act out Swiss Family Robinson on an imaginary island with students to demonstrate the development of capitalism . Narcissa Vanderlip ran the school lunchroom , and it is recorded that she served good simple food . She named some of her foods artistically ( rice pudding with raisins was called <unk> Noire a la Bolshevik ) . 
