The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-14
VACATION SCHOOL PLANS.
APPEAL FOR DOUBLING THE WORK
UNDERTAKEN LAST SEASON

Superintendent to be Chosen-Manag-
ers Plan to Raise $1,000 and Maintain
Two Schools and Three Yards With
Two Kindergnrtens, One Yard to Be
| In Grand Avenue District
"Te-e-eacher, are there going to be
any vacation schools, this Summer"
An Grand at the hospital had taken
us through the very heart of the Third
Ward, just as the public schools were
closing for the day. There had been a
rush of small feet, a gripping of small
arms; then the question, eager and
with an insistent stress upon the first
word.
The vacation schools and Fairgrounds
in New Haven have passed the expert
mental stage. There is no longer any
need to dwell upon the physical and
| moral advantage to these children from
| having healthy, hearty work and play
given them to counterfeit the almost
| inevitable decentralization of an idle
Summer spent in the tenement dis
tricts there is no need to repeat the
statistics which prove that the chill
dren are quite as eager for the work
as are for play. The past is past and
very good: but the future must be
even better.
The report for the Summer of 1888
shows that, at a total expense of $3.50,
one vacation school was kept open for
six weeks, two yards were open during
the whole of July and August These
We're in charge of trained and salaried
teachers and Undergraduates and be-
tween seven and eight hundred chill
dren reached in this way. BY no means
does this represent a floating popula-
ton; large percentage of the children
We're in the same place day after day
throughout the Summer. Does 1T count
for nothing that nearly eight hundred
youngsters from the tenement quar-
ters ended the Summer cleaner and
happier, yes and better than they be-
gan it?
The success of this small beginning
once proved, it becomes duty. rot
only to continue this work. but to
enlarge it, In city of the size of New
drop in the great bucket of tenement |
baby hood The other drops should |
have fair chance. Twenty-Five dol
lars will pay the salary of one after
noon assistant in the yards and to |
make it possible to admit 100 more |
children. A few less flowers for your |
dinner party, simpler favors for your |
next german and Adam and Sollie and |
Davie and horde more namesakes of |
Old Testament worthless can have eight |
weeks of wholesome life which other
wise must be denied to them.
For the coming Summer. the Com
mittee on Vacation Schools and Play
grounds is most anxious to raise $1,000.
This money, which may be sent to |
Mrs. Leo Herr treasurer, 70 Edwards |
street. must be a voluntary contribu-
ton. The Board of Education gives it's
hearty interest and approval; it is quite
unable to come to our financial ssup-
port The answer to the child's ques-
ton must come from the people at
large. Let those who can, pay for the
slight salary of teacher or an as
sistant. The money will be we'll in
vested. But those to whom this privi-
lege Is denied, should remember that,
last year, even one dollar kept some
small wait safer and happier during all
the trying dogday season.
Each year the published report of the
treasurer has shown that the commit
tee has kept within it's allowance
and has ended the season with some,
not much, money in the bank. The
funds have been used carefully, saving
Y; and this one fact makes it the more
possible to enlarge our requests for the
coming season.
For 81 1900 it is estimated that 1t will
De possible to continue the two yards
If last year; double the size of the j
school already opened open one more i
school and one more yard and provide s
training in two of those {
vards. 1t seems especially desirable to /
pen one yard din the italian quarter off
Grand avenue. Children fairly swarm /
here, and it would be easy to reach
hree of four hundred little ones in that
district alone.
Moreover, the extension of the work, | t
his Summer, renders it necessary that | ]
he whole detail should be in charge g
f an experienced, salaried superintend- | h
mt. Even last year the work babe fair O
D outgrow the management of COM h
1ittee of amateurs, and it is almost i'm il
erative that some person experienced b
4 educational work should relieve the il
ommittee of at least a part of the d
urely technical routine. The salary f,
{ such a superintendent, together with fl
he entire expense of maintaining two al
chools and three yards, two of them
18th kndergartens could be covered by
he $1,000.
Not to the whole great, vague public, "
len, but to you, and you, and you do
e pass on little Julia's eager ques-
on:
care there going to be any vacation CT
,hools, this Summer" in
NJ