The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1916-05-05
Health of
School Child
State Health Board Sends Out Sugges-
tons for Publication.

Il the health OF school children varies
4 directly with the density of the popu
8 lation. At the one extreme is the
costly, well-lighted, heated and venti.
lated building Of the cities, supplied
with every sanitary necessity, and
having regular medical inspection
and visiting nurses; at the other the
average rural school house, to many
pupils difficult of access, rregularly
heated, poorly ventilated and lig hted,
and little OF no medical inspection
except during an epidemic. Between
these extremes are found all degrees
OF excellence. That there has of late
years been a vast improvement 10
many, IL not most of the smaller
schools, cannot be denied. That
there IS room for still greater i'm
provement is equally true. Whether
the solution of this problem lies in
the consolidation of school districts
with proper facilities for transporta
tion to and from school. or in some
other plan, must be left to the future,
each peculiar community having its
own needs, which must be taken into
account by the school authorities.
Even the best equipped schools
cannot overcome the damage to the
health Of children wrought in ignor
ant and careless home surroundings,
but conscientious and well Informed
parents can largely counterbalance
the sanitary inefficiency of poorly
equipped schools. Too much respon-
sibilitY for the physical and moral
welfare of the children is placed on
the school, which would be better
assumed in the homes.
Certain prime essentials to the
the good health OF school children
include the following:
Eight to nine hours sleep every
night in a cool, well-ventilated room
with the window open at the top ano
the bedroom door closed;
Arising in the morning In time fol
a thorough cleansing of the whole
body, aud a comfortable breakfast
which uldinclude fruit, a well
cooked cereal aud milk;
A digestib!e and nourishing lunch
Money given to children for thi
purpose is usually spent in pies, cake
aud candies. La some communitie
a single hot dish has been provided
for the children through cooperation
between the school board and th
parents The effect upon the childre
has been excellent;
Regulation of the hours for out
door exercise as well as those spent !
study;
Keep at home. until they are wei
children showing the slightest sigt
of acute illness. for their own SAX
and that of other children;
Cleansing the teeth by rinsing II
mouth every morning with a l:tt
warm water-very cold or very h'
water should not be used, as it WI
iuiure the enamel (the hard coverir
Of the teeth). The teeth should
carefully brushed every morning al
every evening, using some good too
preparation, preferably Pebeco.
Study your child's associate
Children at this age are as receipt
to evil as to good, and cleanliness
mind as we'll as of the body should
taught in the home.
Cooperate with, and find out I
needs of, the teacher. Many thin
can and will be done to improve CO
ditions within and without the sun
school II the parents of the neighbo
hood will interest themselves in t
subject. Only by this means
there to be found scattered here a
there throughout the State, Ill
schools that are delight to the e.
a pleasure for the pupils to after
and an evidence OF a progressive a
Intelligent public spirit.