The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-18
Only a Few Youngsters Stay
Away on the First
Day.
FULL FACILITIES
ARE PROVIDED
Improvements at High Schools
Ready for Use-Increase in
Number of Colored Pupils.


Off they trudGed, some willingly, most
of them under protest, and more than
thousand tots led along by mothers
encouraging hand. not quite sure what
was in store for them.
The school bells rang at o'clock,
pealing out the knell Of another vaca-
ton. There Is a vague suspicion among
the attendance officers that just a few
small boys are missing, but that hap
pens every year and they will be
rounded up and corralled in few days.
But the great body of them are there,
little misses in white and pink carry
ing flowers for teacher. an initial peace
offering; the bad boy, with full quota
articles he knows will be confIScated
sooner or later, and the high school
boy, who is scanning with a keen eye
Tor some one to haze.
Number About $4,000.
Altogether. they number today about
12,0OO according to incomplete reports
turned in at school headquarters. To
take care of that number was compare
lively easy. for before the middle %
October the attendance Ia. expected to
swell the figure to more than 5000.
Then an additional thousand may bD
expected with the meeting of Congress.
High school pupils Jared well this
year in respect to quarters and equiI'-
ment. To Mckinley Manual Training
School has been added during the sum-
laboratory. In the same addition are
included a power plant and dozen new.
class rooms. At Western, the assembly
hall has been enlarged and a drill hall
n
ing School, an addition has also been
made to meet the growing demand fer
manual training among colored pupils.
Many More Colored Pupils.
One of the surprising features of the
early enrolment figures was a marked
increase in all departments of colored
schools.
I'VE owe this to the activity of colored
teachers and ministers who have been
making a summer campaign" a colored
preacher said. They worked with
two-fold purpose-to impress upon our
race the necessity of sending children
to school at a younger age than they
often do, and to keep them in the
higher grades and in high school If
possible. This work seems to have
borne splendid fruit"
There is little hope for the small boy
who is hoping for an added few days
portable school houses will care for the
congestion If any occurs, and the secre-
tary's office has the equipment, books,
and supplies so well distributed in ad-
vance this year that lessons probably
will be assigned at all the schools for
tomorrow.
DR.. Davidson reached his office early
this morning and began the day by
calling up each of his supervising prin-
cipals and high school principals AMI
wishing them good cheer in the open
ing Of their divisions.
In the afternoon he planned to get an
automobile and visit some of the schools
to see the actual work of teaching I'M
der way.
az want to 60 to some of the buildings
in ether parts Of the city away from the
Franklin" he said. IT am afraid they
will be on their guard around here"
New Teachers worn In.
The board of Education offices were
crowded this morning with new teachers
who came up to take the oath of office
before assuming their duties. This oath
requires them to swear to support the
Constitution of the United States. to
faithfully discharge their duties and to
aver that they have neither promised
nor paid any consideration to any person
Of influence in securing my appoint
ment.'
Despite expectations that the schools
would not be congested the first week,
II was found early in the day that the
! Chevy Chase building and the schools
( In the vicinity of Petworth and Park
/ View were crowded. Teachers in these
/ schools were ordered to make the best
of the situation for few days until the
exact enrolment can be determined,
and then plans either will be made to
/ transfer pupils to other schools or 10
/ move portable buildings to this neigh
6orhood.
New Building Ready Soon.
A letter received this morning from
{ the Engineer Department of the city
! by Secretary Hine gave notification
! that the new building at Eighth and
T streets is ready for occupancy,
though the work on 1t has not been
completed. The new school at Ivy
City will not be ready for occupancy
! until October 13, while the CORDOBA
Manual Training School will not open
Manual Training School, 1t is report
ed. will be ready by September %,
but it is likely the grade manual
training work will not begin there
, until later, as no principal has been
appointed.
. A novel feature of the first days of
school will be the work of the dental
inspectors who will go from building
to building with a portable dental
chair and examine the teeth OF every
pupil.
Every effort will be made to get the
work of the high school cadets un-
der way as early as possible this
year. Tentative dates for examina-
Assistant Superintendent Thurston.
Col Burton R. Ross will examine the
candidates for regimental appoint