Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-04-18
SCHOOL NURSE NEED
!. Ed IN THIS CITY
Could be School Nurse for Nine
Months and Visiting Nurse
for Three Months.

Supt.D D. M. Kelly voiced in his re-
cent address during Better Baby
Week his opinions upon the question
of school nurse for Webster City.
They were excellent sentiments on
this important adjunct of modern
school life.
The women of the federated clubs,
who successfully engineered the Bet
ter Baby Week in this city to a fin
ish, felt that should a slight surplus
be left after all expenses of the week
were over, the sum might well be
devoted to the establishment of a WIS.,
iting or school nurse fund.
Prof. Kelly expressed himself in
favor of the school nurse for town
of this size, feeling that the schools
might well employ her during nine
months of the year and the time be
given as visiting nurse the remain
ing three months of the twelve. This
sentiment has met with popular fav-
or. Grinnell and other towns have
a visiting nurse, whose duty it Is to
visit the homes of those who could
not ordinarily afford trained care.
She notes the appearances OF the
home, whether they be sanitary or
not and gives advice for the improve
ment of all such conditions. A school
nurse combined with dental inspec-
ton for the children of the Webster
City schools would make vastly i'm
proved condition among the stu
dents. There would be fewer cases
of truancy, of delinquencies Of differ
ent kinds, and fewer absences from
school.
Reports from school nurses all ov-
er the United States are replete with
statements regarding the children's
after trained attention
was afforded them. Webster City is
able to afford nurse for her more
than one thousand children in the
schools. She is not only able but
anxious to have one and her chill
dren will bless her for it.
Right now, according to state
ments made by the teachers of the
grades, there are boys and girls kept
back in their classes because of deaf
ness caused by ssdenoids and other
growths in the ear, nose and throat.
Children right now in our public
schools are not getting in their full
measure of sleep at night because of
faulty breathing, caused by various
things which would be detected and
corrected by school nurse.
She has the authority to walk in
to the school room and look the chill
dren over; here may be child with
a slight rash appearing upon its
face, exposing every other child in
the room to some form Of contagion.
Here is another child who has had
no luncheon and very little break
fast: those conditions are looked in
to and bettered. Here is another
child in dead of winter with no win
ter underwear and holes in the
shoes, showing readily the cause for
the shifting and snuffling which has
gone on for days. Teachers could
give interesting side lights upon the
need of children for medical atten-
ton in the schools of Webster City.
The children who are not "dull,
as popularity supposed, may be eth
or hard of hearing or need tonsils re-
moved, or perhaps some other slight
operation. Perhaps they need fifteen
Or twenty teeth filled or some old ul-
,erated stump of a tooth pulled, that
IS pouring its poison into the system,
the child for any kind
If good hard work.
There are as many reasons for
school nurse and dental inspection
n the Webster City schools as there
ire children attending the schools,
Ind it is hoped the school board will
zee their way clear to act in the near
uture upon this matter