The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-05
Principals and Teachers To Or.
ganize for Work Saturday.
RED CROSS BEHIND THE PLAN
Nursing Course To Be institute
ed for III. S. Girls.
Every Child Will Be Examined
for Physical Ailments.

The greatest health crusade ever
conducted among the schools of Shaw
nee county will begin February 10, it
was announced today by Fred "A. Sea-
man, county superintendent. Every
superintendent, principal and teacher
of each county school is to be at the
office of the county superintendent at
2 o'clock next Saturday afternoon to
meet and confer with Miss Nettie r.
Lamm. junior field secretary of the
Red Cross. This movement will be
part of the nationwide crusade insti-
tuted by the Red Cross in the interests
of public health and school children
will be the crusaders.
Beside the work outlined for rural
school children, home nursing course
is to be instituted in the county~high
schools for the older girls. This course
Is founded on the basis that each fam
lily should know how to look after the
minor ills of the members and it is
believed that there is no reason why
any intelligent girl of from 16 to 8
years old should not assist in this
work. Every girl, it is argued, should
be taught how to care for children,
how to protect the home from disease
and how to help in establishing high
standards of health in home and COM
munity.
Examine Every Pupil.
Superintendent Seaman has received
500 from the Junior Red Cross to
carry on this work. An expert nurse
will be hired and given the super
vision of the health campaign and one
of her first duties will be to examine
every rural school child for adenoids,
weak tonsils and other defects pecu-
liar to children which, If neglected,
might retard them not only in their
school work but in their life work in
later years. Each child will be given
~. her
of "chores'' which he must do every
day. These chores consist of wash
ing the hands and face, cleaning the
| finger nails, brushing the teeth, bath
| ing, sleeping a certain number OF
hours and other little duties to pro-
mote health and sanitation. The child
will take the blanks home, where the
parents are to check off the number
| of chores done each day by the child
and at the expiration of a certain
| length of time he will be given a badge
showing his standing and how well
! he has done his duty in promoting the
| health of the community.
| This crusade will continue for at
| least fifteen weeks and Seaman ex-
pressed the hope that it might con-
tinue even next fall. There will be
practically no expenses except the sal
small amount of material which will
be bought thru the Red Cross.
| Home Nursing Course.
| The home nursing course for the
high school girls will consist of the
study of the general background OF
| health nursing, causes of sickness and
| methods of prevention, the home as
tenvir onment, the care of the child
the observation of symptoms, pro-
i vision for the care of the sick al
home, beds and bed making, ways tc
make patients comfortable in a bed
feeding patients, treatment in sick
ness, treatment in accidents an6
emergencies and special points in the
care of children, convalescents, chron-
les and the aged. Occupations for in
vaAids and mental hygiene will also
DO studied.
It is believed that Shawnee count,
will be the first county in the state tt
take up these features of the nationa
health crusade. There are nine rura
high schools in the county in which
the home nursing course will be inSti
tuted. It is believed that the best pos
sible effects in the promotion of pub
lie health and sanitation will, be OBJ
tanned by interesting school children
in the work and parents are asked t.
cooperate in every way possible. 1
is believed that the spirit of competi
ton which will be instituted will ap
peal to the little ones far more than
mo or w In