New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-09
WILL STUDY IN OPEN AIR
200 Youngsters Look on School
as Lark Rather than Duty.
CLASSES ARE DOUBLED
City Furnishes Wraps and Milk
for Pupils Whose Health
Requires Special Care.

Going back TO school to-day will hc
looked upon as more Of a lark than
duty by about two hundred children OF
assorted ages and sizes These are the
youngsters who probably consider them
selves in great luck. being an.pmic. and
thereby privileged to attend one Of tho
eight new outdoor classes which are 70
be started to-day.
open air schools for tubercular children
are an old story, but the same sort Of
treatment as an ounce Of prevention was
first put into practice three wears ago.
The committee on the prevention Of tn-
berculosis of the Charity Organization So
cety did Q great deal Of work spreading
the doctrine Of fresh air. and plenty ~ e.
without waiting TIL the anemic child was
actually III.
During these tire" wears tho commit
tee succeeded I'm getting eight schools cs-
tablished. These were so successful that
they are now beyond the experimental
stage, and the campaign Of tho last SIX
months for more fresh air classes has
resulted In exactly doubling tho number.
30
Il. g. 92 and l79, Manhattan, and 80. 20
and e, In The Bronx
Several kinds OF accommodation for
these classes have been tried one class.
in Carmine street. was on the roof OF
building, with permanent superstruct-
ure which was part OF the building Others
have been on roofs with only awnings
overhead. Some have been in yards. with
awnings for covering. The cheapest ar
rangement, and tho one that IL coneid-
cred most satisfactory, however. is the
ordinary classroom altered 50 that al n
tho wall space possible H. converted into
windows, and these arc set on piyots. 30
that when open there Is nothing tp i'm
pede the current OF air. Wherever nos
Sibe corner room IS used and cross
ventilation is secured by having two walls
open
These classes are necessarily ungraded
and cannot DO so large as the ordinary
groups. Consequen thy they have To be in
the less crowded schools. for II would he
nexpedient to take a room occupied By
sixty children and alter It for the use Of
twenty-five IL this would throw thirty
five out on part time
Several changes are 10 be made in the
manner Of dealing with these classes this
year
Last session the committee on the pre-
vention Of tuberculosis served hot lunch
cons TO the children in tho middle of the
day and gave them milk and crackers
during the morning and afternoon besides.
l,.,1f ~.
all. and the other half will have only milk
given them. They can bring their lunch
con or go home for II, as the other chill
dren do.
Another change is I'm the kind OF bag
the pupils will wear. The old ones came
up under the arms only, but the new ones
are 80 long that they come over tho
shoulder and form "A comfortable. warm
cape. which allows ample freedom for
using the arms in writing. The bag is 80
simple in construction that the same size
is adapta bic to any child from the biggest
boy IN the class to the tlniest girl II was
designed by the committees secretary.
Frank ". Mann. TIL" Board Of Education
furnishes the bags nrtterr. caps and
heavy overshoes needed by the outdoor
pupils. The teacher. Of course, IL too
busy TO sit in bag but she can walk
around and keep warm
Not only are the outdoor classes ex-
ceediDgly popular with tho little ones.
but parents are viewing them with in
creasing favor. One woman actually
moved to a neighborhood which in all
other respects was less convenient for
her in order that her child might be in
an outdoor class. Mr.. Mann has received
many letters from fathers and mothers
asking him to get more such classes.
Dr. Maxwell and other members of
the Board OF Education are personally
much interested in the work and the re-
suits accomplished SO far. and it seems
proba bic that the number OF children
who can have this treatment will in
crease just as fast as is financially pos
sible
Comparative physical tests OF fresh
air classes Of an&mic children and In
door classes Of normal children have
shown that the gain In weight OF the