The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-07-07
HEARD AT WABASSO CONVENTION.

the recent school officers conven-
ton are deserving Of general con-
sideration by all of our citizens who
take a lively interest in our public
schools.
At the morning session Supt Beb-
ermeyer outlined the object of the
meeting of school officers and called
for experiences from those present
in regard to improvements made.
Mr.. Henderson explained the work
ings of the heat regulating device
first used in his district,a part of the
past winter, and as his conclusions
that the Improvement was an entire
success both as to keeping their
school room from getting too hot or
cold or in the matter of saving fuel,
it is a safe prophecy that Mr.. Hen
derson's school will not be the only
rural school using devices of this
nature next winter. Mr.. H. stated
that the cost of installing this device
was only $50, and any one can see
that the saving in fuel alone ought
to pay this cost in one or two winters
to say nothing of the value of the
health and comfort due to regulat-
ing the heat. A number of other
districts were heard from, where
changes and improvements had been
made in heating and ventilation sys-
TENS, all showing that fresh air
could be had without great expense
in the winter time where the direc-
tors give the matter study and are
not afraid Of a little expense. An
other improvement adopted in one
district, that of screening the win
dows, made a favorable impression.
1t might be said that not only screens
pay for themselves by keeping out
flies in the fall, but that they offer
protection for the window glass the
year around.
DR.. Brands paper, read at the
opening of the afternoon session,
contained much Of Importance on
his theme, How to make our schools
more sanitary. If the school is not
healthy it is a failure, was the doc
tors premise, and after touching on
recent movements in the large cities
for establishing Fairgrounds, ETC.,
he made plea for plenty of space
in the school room not less than
seven cubic feet per pupil-and bet
ter plans for seeing that each dis
trict has something better than vol
unteer janitor service. He thought
that this should not be left to the
teacher in the smaller districts, but
that she should be furnished some
assistance in keeping the school
rooms clean. The dust problem was
an important one in keeping a school
room sanitary. A school room
should be lighted from the left side
of the pupils if possible, the heat
should be regulated with due regard
for the dangers of overheating and
provisions for supplying the air with
moisture. Parents and teachers
should promptly report cases of in
fictitious diseases, and pupils should
be watched for symptoms of eye
strain or physical defects Of any
kind. Individual towels and drink
ing cups were urged, and more eff
fective teaching along the line of al
coholic and narcotic degeneracy ad-
vocated.
Frank Sheffield Of Shutdown went
over some of the requisites Of good
school, mentioning free text books
first, and pointing out that it was
unfair and unnecessary to ask a pu-
pill to use WORKOUT, germ infected
book when it costs so little to supply
new ones. Maps and a globe, plenty
of blackboard space-6 feet square
per pupiI-dictionary and several
academies for individual use. cleanli-
ness, plenty Of good water, fresh air
and we'll regulated heating systems.
were enumerated. Some discussion
followed, an organ and teachers
desk being suggested by one and
Supt. Howard making a plea for
outline maps. set being procurable
for $24. Paul Callaghan scored in
comm enting on this suggestion, say
ing that he believed the old maps
were good enough, if the teacher