St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-02-12

schools are most often and most
seriously overtaxed.
From the standpoint of location,
utility, economy and appearance, the
Summer street site is the only one
to be considered for a large, central
school building. While we believe
that in the near future a new
building of appropriate cost and
size to accommodate the children
of that vicinity in the first four or
five grades, should be erected upon
the Maple street site, We would sug
gest that the first step to be taken
is the uniting of the two buildings
on Summer street, under one roof
the central portion to be extended
east and west sufficiently to AFFORD
the required amount of classroom
space, and a top floor be added for
the departments of vocational and
physical training.
We realize that the remodelling
of old buildings presents perplexing
problems, but we believe that the
ultimate benefits to be derived are
well worth the effort. The interior or
the north building is utterly mad
equate to school needs and should
be entirely remodelled-the lighting
and ventilation are poor-the rela-
ton of class rooms to hall ana
stairways most inconvenient-ther
is no central hall-the cloak rooms
and toilet facilities are disgrace
if not really indecent, and now is
the time to remedy all these defects
by reconstruction.
If we build a separate building
we still have the problem of the
| Esrc~
consider. The question of economy
in this relation is a tremendously
| important one. Many of our citi-
zens remember that when the north
building was in process of erection
the south building burned. One OF
the school directors then proposed
| that work on the new building be
suspended and a new foundation be
laid including that of the south
! building and a large single building
| be constructed. This director be-
Iieved that in having a single heating
plant for the entire building enough
coal would be saved in 20 years to
| meet the difference in the cost OF
i construction. In the light of 30 years
experience this prophecy seems to
have been fully justified.
| Added to the need of increased
| class room facilities in our schools
there is a greater need of increased
space for Fairgrounds. If there Is any
available ground adjacent to the
Summer street schools our town
should lose no time in securing it
not for a new school building-but
\ for the purpose of affording more
nearly adequate facilities for the
outdoor recreation and healthtul de-
veIopment of the children who spenc
so large a part of their growing
years under the care of the public
schools.
The Federal Bureau of Education
reports that rs per cent of the schoo
children of the United States are
!, physically defective.
Il The attention OF school authori
ties and the public generally is
being actively drawn to the serious
consideration of the physical al
we'll as the mental training of schoo
children. Competent authorities es
innate that 10 per cent of all schOo
children fail to pass their annua
examinations and have to repea
their years work because they ar
; not well.
+ The principal physical defects ar
, those of sight, hearing and breath
: ing. Nearly all of these could b.
: prevented or remedied.
Here agan the question of econo
my is of no little Importance. Ac
, cording to the 1912 school repor
} our town paid $41,O49.43 for tn
) years education of 942 pupils. o
S43.57 for each child. If - pc
Q cent of these or "a pupils failed O
promotion and must repeat tn
v years work because they were ply
sically unable to do it, we are no
: only seriously neglecting the car
] of the health of little children bu
|. we are wasting about $4,000 annua
o ly of the public funds.
: For many of these suggestions /
= regard to the needs of our publ
j schools we wish to acknowledge on
r indebtedness to one of our oldes'
n most faithful and most efficien
i teachers, Miss Lucy Sinclair.
f ALICE E. WAKEFIELD.