Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-23

For the first time in many and many
a year the sun did not have a chance
to say "How do you do?" to the very
little boys and girls who make their
first pilgrimage to school on the OPEN
ing day. Too bad, but it rained. and the
sunshine of the sky had to use as a
substitute the smiles of teachers and
children. The rainy morning probably
affected the attendance figures in the
districts where the schools lay a long
ways from home, but in the convenient
districts where there is but a short
walk the little fellows crowded into
the buildings in what seemed to be un-
precedented numbers. It is estimated
that 4s.ssa 'ehs'areH' started tcheets
day.
The rain brought out fact in school
child fashions which gave the day a
character all its own. The little girls
all over the city seem to be provided
with gossamer hoods Of red and blue.
They are cut exactly on the model fur
nished by Little Red Riding Hood, with
cap which pulls away over the head
and covers up ears and hair. leaving
nothing exposed but the eager little face
The popularity of the red hoods and
the blue hoods seems to be evenly dis
tributed. and. honestly. it looked today
3 if the whole little girl population
{ the District Of Columbia had been
i divided with these cute little gOS-
- lerS.
Problems Up to DR.. Davidson.
ere are few citizens in the city to-
20 whom the news of opening day at
-. ioois is not news at all. These
le supervisors. the principals and
t..- aard-worked officials. to say nothing
achers. DR.. Davidson, superin-
.'rasal Vi schools. was awakened almost
rt"E- dawn today by an insistent tele-
Mothers who believed their cases
i.4aded the attention of the highest
"a authority We're calling up at that
eir TO see whether young James Tor
l1an Henry could go to the school-even-
little Marguerite -his-little- aymate-did-
ave-the-measles: and whether the john
On School was nearer to such and such
: street than the Powell: and whether
Albert. who failed in algebra last year.
could not go to the next highest class
anyhow. because he was such a sweet
character; and whether the munlps was
contagious; and whether Elfreda had TO
go to that horrid teacher who kept her
in so much last year.
These queries are not fanciful DR.
Davidson himself told Star reporter
who pursued him in the early hours OF
the morning. The superintendent of
schools was answering such questions
until after o'cluock, and then he declared
himself on strike and went to breakfast
There were a few legitimate questions
asked by principals and supervisors. but
nearly all of their troubles had been an
tIcipated. and the big job of seating q
populations of forty some thousand chill
dren IN hfSeen minutes after the bell rang
went on with marvellous smoothness
Grievances of Parents.
II was worth losing half and hour in the
morning to sit by the desk OF a super
rising principal and listen to the tales of
woe and the arguments. the pleadings
and the vanities set forth by parents
and guardians who wanted to have some
thing special done for the young hope
fuls and hopelesses.
John Is eight years old and bright for
fourth grade?
Let US see his card
The card shows that John is about as
capable of entering the fourth grade as
the desk IS of talking. The supervisor
has to turn him aside and take up the
case Of the child whose neither wants
the smaller one TO go to the same school
the older one. II is impossible because
there is no second grade in the buSdns
where the older one attends. This is but
minor problem. Listening TO the con-
Nersations this morning convinced half a
dozen people that where children are con-
cerned some mothers have no logic
But can't you start a second grade
am sure / never heard of a school
without grades enough.
And with that she swept from the
school, vowing TO tell her brother-in-law.
who happens TO be chairman of school
committee in a citizens association.
And l guess he will fix it, was the
final threat.