The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-01-07

- VI AZ a a. Va 49, hShpS
need or want and what we can
get them for Christmas, why not give
a thought to your district school
house? Is it we'll supplied with the
things needed to make it a sanitary,
comfortable, attractive place for the
children and teacher? If not, why
not get people of the district inter-
ested in doing something to improve
1t, as a Christmas present to the dis
trict, the teacher, and the pupils.
Even though the roc may be
fresh and clean as to woodwork and
walls, and we'll equipped with mod
ern desks for pupils and teacher, with
a good blackboard, properly placed,
a bookcase and museum cabinet, a
jacketed stove, etc., there may be
other essentials lacking.
Drinking Water Equipment.
How about the drinking water
equipment? Does 1t consist of an
open pail and a rusty dipper? This
~unsanitary condition Is far too COM
mon In the country school. The ideal
drinking fountain, with water piped
from a spring or tank, Is not always
feasible. But the absence Of this on
venience is no excuse for the unhy-
gienic use Of the open pail. Stone
crooks with cover and faucet are not
expensive, nor are the many water
coolers and tanks that are advertised
on the market. These may be OBJ
tanned In quiet, neutral grays, or
ever painted with enamel paints to
match the general color scheme Of
the room.
A stand, on which the drinking
water should be set, may then be
made of plain boards or boxes, stained
to suit the color scheme Of the room
In front an enamel funnel may be
inserted in a circular opening in the
table, through which waste may run
into a pail below. Placed in direct
view Of the teacher at the back of
the room, with the open side toward
the wall, such an arrangement has
the appearance of a small cabinet
and is in harmony with its surround
ings. Each child should have his in
dividual drinking cup in his desk or
hanging on a hook under the bench.
Needless to say, great care should be
taken in thoroughly cleaning crock,
faucet, funnel and pail at regular in
tervals.
Cleaning and Garden Tools.
If possible, every school entry
should have a tall closet in which
brooms, garden tools, and other
equipment may be kept. In lieu Of
such a convenience, hooks may be
placed under a projecting shelf, four
to eight inches wide, each hook be-
ing labeled. 1t should then be the
duty Of one Of the pupils to be re-
sponsible for each tool for a certain
period of time. The shelf should be
high enough so that the longest gar
den implement will not touch the
floor and interfere with clean sweep
ing. A plain curtain of burlap may be
hung from the shelf in order to ex-
clude the tools from view. This
should hang at least six inches from
the floor and not lower than the end
of the longest tool. The top of the
shelf can be used for supplies.
Window Shades and Curtains.
Good roller shades of a green
gray or ecru color, according to the
general color scheme adopted in the
room, should be obtained ii possible.
The ideal arrangement for the sunny
side at least is to have two rollers
fastened across the middle Of the
window. These may be drawn half to
the top or half to the bottom, at will,
or the whole window may be shaded
If 1t Is not possible to obtain double
curtains, the next best arrangement
is to have one curtain at the bottom.
Thus the strong light from above
need never be cut off. In case there
are no shades, curtains of muslin
scrim, cheesecloth, wolfe or curtain
madras, preferably plain or else with
small, dotted figures, may be
stretched from the middle sash to the
bottom Of the window. Royal B
Farnum says that while these may
be run on rods, it is better to catch
them in place at the four corners
over small, br~ass-headed tacks. The
Exchanging curtain is considered t(
give a softer, better light. BY at
taching the rods or rings to the sasf
itself. the lower half of the window
may be easily raised or lowered, car
rying the curtain with 1t.
The Bulletin Board.
---.- ~,1Il LoaNrafnI rnnyy