The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-05-14
STATE BOARD REPORTS
on MORROW COUNTY
SCHOOL CONDITIONS
BY. Supt. Notson.

conditions found in the schools in
speeted by the State School Nurse
who recently visited the schools of
this county. The Board will provide
the services of skilled men to aid in
remedying the defective sight of pu-
nils whose parents are not able to
bear the expense themselves. The
same offer applies to other defects
which interfere with the school work
of pupils.
In several districts the outhouses
are not what they should be. Some
need repairs, some need cleaning,
some need new vaults, and some need
a coat of paint or whitewash to OBJ
literate the obscene writing and vile
pictures. In two districts one of the
outbuildings has been blown down.
The Board insists upon compliance
with the law which requires two out
buildings, even if the school is small,
unless the pupils are all of one sex.
In two or three districts new out
buildings should replace the old.
In nearly all the districts, the wa
ter supply is properly taken care of,
though closed jar with faucet
would be a decided Improvement
over the present open pail used in
some districts. The open pail, even
when the pupils are provided with
individual cups, is not the best
means of caring for the water sup
ply. Where the source of the water
is near, large jar fitted with a bub-
bling fountain, which can be pur-
chased at small cost, is better than
the individual cups, for pupils ne
glect to take their cups home to be
scalded.
The Board feel that the floors
should be oiled. In this country the
dust is one of the difficult things to
contend with. The school boards
would do we'll to provide some sort
of sweeping compound for use on
the floors, and floor brushes are bet
ter than brooms for sweeping, and in
the end they are cheaper. The
sweeping and busting should be done
in the evening. A sweeping COM
pound can be made at very small
cost Few people appreciate the
dangers arising from dust.
While it is not mentioned in the
report, the light in many of the
schools is not the best. In District
No. "a the light is admitted only
from the left side, almost the entire
side of the building being windows.
This is the correct method, The
light is regulated by means Of tan
colored, adjustable shades, which
are the same kind as those used in
the school buildings of Spokane.
These shades cost little more in
the beginning, but they are much
cheaper in the end, for they will
outlast dozen of the ordinary
shades. Then they are so mush bet
ter. The light can be properly reg
ulated at all times. When the sun is
shining on the side having the win
dows, the shades may be drawn en-
tirely over the windows, yet the tex
ture and color enables soft light OF
sufficient quantity to enter the room
In several of the districts, the
matters needing attention have al
ready been attended to. In all they
should be attended to without delay
State Superintendent Churchill
has called upon me for report il
regard to the work of the parent
teacher organizations of this county
1t is to be regretted that more o.
these organizations were not organ
lied during the year. Where there
have been such organizations, mucl
good has been accomplished. Port
land has led the entire country il
this line. At the Spokane meeting
Mr. o. NJ. Plummer of the Portland
Board of Education, told of the grea
benefits which had been secured b,
the organizations in that city. Sim
liar reports were made from othe
cities. Some of the speakers max
ing the reports said that at frs
some Of the teachers, principals, ant
superintendent were afraid to en-
courage the work, thinking that tn
organization might be "meddle
some, but in every case they ar
now in hearty accord. The organ
ization at Lexington, under the lead
ership of Prof. Doak, has done som
most excellent things this year. l
such an organization were forme
in each district, many of the thing
criticised by the State Board O
Health would be remedied withou
any difficulty. The purpose of tn
organizations is to secure intell
gent cooperation between the home
and the schools and to secure tn
best equipment for school wor
which the district can afford. TIL
school and the home are the tw
biggest factors in the education c
the child, though not the only ones