The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-04-27
.aref,,l snara IS sometimes relaxed, and

| of fhis Roard in working for a New High
| School should have your commenuldliona,. ~
| The unfortunate destructoh OF No. ~,
| the large amount OF money neceSSaly - ~.
| repairs, made SO by previous lnsumcient
| appropriations, the crowded coIluiiioh %
| Schools Nos q and Ii, all demanding at
tention-n the first Two cases lll.p
| reief-made it appear as If the New High
| School would remain a castle IN SPAN
| but the enthusiasm and energy OF the
| committee enlisted the co-operdlioih q
| His Honor the Mayor, and through ms
| influence and the careful convincing argu-
| ments advanced by the committees, the
| Board of Finance were brought to. see the
| Importance of the subject, and PROMISED
an appropriation for the necessary anu
| long DELAYED building. After several con-
| ferences with that Board, 1t was declueu
| that we advertise for proposals for sites
| for the building. We did so, ana, on the
| presentation OF proposals at a joint meet
| ing of both Boards, the selection OF a site
| was referred at q joint meeting OF Do!n
| Boards, the selections of site was re.
| ferrod to this Board. After inspection Oh
! the various sites offered, the New Hlgn
School Committee reported to this Board
| and ON their recommendation we. selected
| the tract known as the HARRISON estate,
| passed resolution to this effect, and re-
! quested the Board of Finance to purchase
| this tract Greatly to our surprise,
| majority of that Board in total Disregard
| of their express promise, refused 10 grant
/ the request on the ground that the city
! this time. l believe the true reason is
! that that Board wanted to be consistent
| in its Indifference to this most important
department of the city government.
| The attendance at the evening schools
| during the last term was smaller than
| that of the preceding term.
! The cause of this is only matter of con-
! lecture. The probability is that because
| of small and never increasing appropria-
| tions for this purpose, we have been un-
able to expand the system. Progress IN
this line has been remarkably small since
| the opening of the Central School some
! years ago. With but slightly larger ap-
preparation we could provide what ex-
periGhce has shown to be the most sue
oessful night school work-wider elemen-
| tary education and broader work In such
| special lines as are fitted to the every
| day needs of ambitious students.
| During the last preceding fiscal year
| the then Board of Education took the f1rSt
| step forward in adding to our system a
/ kindergarten department, by the estab-
| lishment of kindergarten in School No
q. This class was successful from the
! first, and week after week has grown in
popularity and usefulness. Although at
/ the time of its establishment this class
| was to some extent an experiment, no
| doubt existed of its ultimate success or
| of the advisability of the step; it is graft
| flying now to know that Its success mas
realized expectations and led to the
| growth of the department.
Following that step this Board, during
| the summer, took over the free Kinder
parten heretofore maintained by the
| Jersey City kindergarten Association, on
| Mercer street. near the Model School
That, too, has been so successful as to
warrant a furs44er extension of the de-
partment and its adoption as permanent
| branch of our system. This extension mas
| begun by the establishment, within few
weeks, OF a third kindergarten class IN
School No. 27, the experience of Wnlcn mas
1 still further confirmed the wisdom ana
/ propriety of the first step in this dlrec-
/ <t1
The training school, for its work and
utility. deserves the most careIul atten-
ton, not only from the members OF inns
Board, but from all who have the WeiIare
of the city at heart.
1t is no idle boast to say that our
Training School has no superior IN TINS
country among the public schools OF tna5
Class. The utility of the Training Scnooi
is no longer questioned.
The agitation for more parks in this
city suggests a matter for the consld era
tion of this Board and the authorities
generally, which other cities have taken
llp with success-the opening OF the yards
of the schools during the summer vaca-
ton of ten weeks. .,s.
are undergoing a course of renovation
and repair, while the yards surrounding
them are lying idle, of no use to anyone, ne
and many children forced to play on the
| strets in danger of life and limb.
Many parents in the crowded sections
of the city fear to allow their children
/ n streets
| cause of the danger. If the school yards
were thrown open there would be afforded
| a place of safety for play ana lresn AT
| OF course some outlay would pc requiIeu ,s
| in order to preserve order and prevent IN
| iury to the buildings, but TINS outlay
would be small and in view OF the pene-
| fits derived comparatively nothing. NO
| owner of building would alioW II 70 re,
| time: many would prefer to give it4fent
| free rather than allow it to remain va
can't
The park question is live one here,
| and we have in our hands a couple OF doz-
| en- small parks which can be made avail
| able during the time when parks are most
needed.
| alton of the Board of Street and Water
| Commissioners last year, when 5is Iney
| shared with us the expense OF leyeIllng
! and rolling a large portion of the Reser-
] yoir site, and then allowed our puplis 10
use it as playground. This site could pc
made available, at slight expense, as
playground for multitndes OF snail eniiHa tants ot,
! could be erected for shade, ball grounds
/ laid out, and arrangements made for out
door athletics. 1t would in snort tlme dia1,
| become one of the institutions OF the city
| and another source of pride to US.
/ During the year permission was gwen
| to a resident physician to examine tnee
| ascertaining the possible prevalence OF
! diseases of the eye and kindred ailments.
| The application for this PERMISSION
| brought forcibly before us the fact that
| this city is very far behind other cities OF
/ like size in the matter of periodical IN IN
spection of pupils by physi6Solaanss. 6oa ns., as,, Me
/ have under our charge over 10000 chlldren.
| who are thrown together in groups OF
| fifty or more for five hours each day.
| Every school is attended by pupils from
localities whose sanitary conditions are
| widely variant. We endeavor to do our
part by providing healthful, well yentlls
| ated buildings. But we escape danger OF
| contagion only by the promptnesS ana
efficiency of our local Board of Health
Hence of disease is known only after II mas
broken out, and there is always delay OF
a day or two before the schools nave
Knowledge of it, through the Board ol
Health. Then, too, many diseases exist
| among children which are in fact con-
| tagious, which are never brought TO tne
| attention of physician and SO never
reach the notice Of the board OF Heaitn., .i -,
! If proper periodical medical Inspection
Of niIpils were provided. many of these
undiscovered cases would be brought 70
! light and guarded against. suggest APP
/ niiration to the Board OF f1nance IoI
4 means which would enable us to employ
one or more physicians at stated salary,
whose duty it would be to visit the varl-
ous schools at frequent intervals, inspect
their sanitary conditions, examine the
t,,1nils and report with recommendations
to the principals or superintendent, OF
both. 1,o4+or ard ,oore
/ faosable ioin with the local Board OF
/ Iaalfh in an application for means TO IN
/ crease the corps of city pnysiclanss any
have an ordinance passed by that poaro
requiring those city pnys,lcians 70 pelioi u