The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-20
VACATION SCHOOLS.
Summer Fairgrounds for the Little
Ones a Matter Of Generosity.


Summer Fairgrounds for the Llttl
Ones a Matter Of Generosity.
For the past three spring times, tn
vacation school and playground com
mittee has outlined it's plans and asked
tor a certain amount of money to carry
them out. For the past three autumn
the committee has been able to repor
the full Accomplishment of it's plans
together with q small, often with very
small, surplus remaining in the treas
ury. For this reason, IL is with renew
ed confidence that it states its plans
for the coming summer and asks that
as of odd contributors may be sent te
the treasurer, Mrs. Leo Herr, ~ Ed
wards street, New Haven.
In spite of the moral support and the
approval of the board of education, the
vacation work among the children OF
the tenement districts must be mat
ter o1 private generosity. 1t has be-
come a. trite saying that one dollar will
keep a enid in the clean, wholesome
surroundings of the Fairgrounds du, =
ing the eight weeks of midsummer;
but, stroll through Oak street or Grand
avenue, some dog-day morning. and
you will see the negative phase of the
proposition, phase which is as trite
as the fact of childhood itself A lit
tie self denial here and there on the
part Of each one Of you who read this,
and the vacation work becomes an 'es-
tablished fact.
Last year the committee was able to
keep open the playground of Zunder
school and also to have four rooms Of
vacation school in the same building.
In the Wooster district, school of two
rooms was opened and the old play
ground was maintained, while a new
district, that of the italian quarter off
Grand avenue, was invaded by play
ground which, through the generosity of
Father Russell, was opened in the T.
A. B. building and yard on Wallace
street. No need to repeat that the play
grounds mean kindergarten, training
and sewing classes as well as plays,
and the schools mean reading, nature
study with occasional trips to the
country, manual training and sewing
classes that completed 1875 garments
which were carried home by their
proud creators. At the Zunder school,
too, start at least was made in the
longer for course in domestic science.
course which shall teach that no home
is toe poor to own it's due share of or
derlinesS and fresh air. In the same
school, too, the attendant In charge of
the tub reported 449 baths as her share
in the summer campaign, though most
of the children had never been formal
inf n :, IN a Tub 4Ia+
time And this, day after day for eight
weeks, in exchange for the gutter-nur-
sery, the curbstone playground, with
their influences SO noisome for the lit
tie body and brain. In all, at least a
thousand children had a share in the
vacation schools and play grounds, and
the sum of S1,218.21 covered the total
expense from the salaries of superin-
tendent and teachers down to the very
mailing Of the annual reports.
For the coming summer the commit |
tee will carry on the same outline of
work. charging it here and there as
your generosity may permit In the
Zunder district, the local Ghetto, the |
school and playground will be open as I
In past years, though it is especially de- !,
oil dUlG " ElIidl sc ltiG SCOpB OIL Tie 1
school and to give more chance for the !,
domestic. In the Wooster district the |
will be continued; but in |
view of the probable funds at its dis |
posal, the committee thinks best to /
transfer the school to the more thickly
settled district bordering upon Grand
avenue in the heart of the italian quar-
.er. The playground here will be con-
inued. Father Russell has not only |
offered the same building again, but he
speaks of possible improvements in the
ard and of the use of the baths, both
hover and tub.
The greater measure of success last
ear proved beyond doubt the wis.,
Iom Of having salaried superinten-
lent to oversee the whole vacation
work., and that the committee was for
innate in securing Miss Jessie +. Scran-
on for the position. If she can be in
he same position this year, and If the
mount given last year can be increas-
d to some extent, the. vacation work
or the summer Of 1901 promises to be
ven more efficient than in past sea-
ons l.
This appeal is not to an indefinite,
public; 1t is to each reader. |
Is desirable that the old contributors
ONE forward promptly to renew their
in order that the COM
littee may know what Its resources are
} be; it is desirable that many new
ames may be added to the former
st. A small beginning may be good;
1ntinuance and increase are better,
nd there are many and many little
1ildren to whom a summer of physical
nd moral healthfulness may mean the ]
lrning point of a whole life:
Anna Chaplin Ray.
or the Committee on Vacation Schools
and Fairgrounds.