New Britain herald., 1919-01-11
provided for these two 6Tder to care for the needs gr future. r Buildings Must Be Built.


 Hr future.
 E Buildings Must Be Built.
 A third building were built for
 High school 1t would involve the
 eAnd donment of the present open-air
 ehool building and the provision of Rnew quarters for this school. This might be done by so planning the third High school Building as to pro- vide for open-air school rooms on the roof of the new building, if it seems best to continue the plan now followed by which the domestic science classes of the High school are held responsl- ble for the preparation of the meals for open-air pupils. In any event, the open-air school should probably be
 kept near the center of the city in order to be as convenient of access as possible for pupils from all parts of the city.
 '"The Elm Street school, formerly used as a veterinary stable, was ori- ginally purchased as an emergency re- lief for the Grammar school during the time when the Prevocatonal Grammar school building was in pro- cess of erection. At present 1t IS in dispensable for school use. If the Prevocational Grammar school plant I were enlarged, or if a second Cram mar school center were provided in the north end of the city, the use of tho Elm street building for school room purposes should probably be discontinued, although it would be possible to consider whether it might not properly be used as a school de- partment storehouse for school sup plies and in part for a shop for the school repair department. Accommo- dation for both of these purposes is much needed
 The Monroe Street school is To- cated in 0 growing section of the city and should be further enlarged, if en- 1argement Is feasible. by the addition of at least four more school rooms to provide for the needs of the district. The building Is now overcroWded and it has been necessary each year for several years to transfer considerable numbers of children who properly be- l long in the school to the nearest l school building where any room could possibly be found. This policy is not ] only disturbing and unsatisfactory to l parents but is also unfair to the chill dren who are kept moving from 1 school to school each year.
 ! '"The Osgood Hill and Stanley l schools both need further enlarge l ment, The growth of the Osgood Hill ] district makes a further increase of 1 room particularly necessary and in this l district, with a school population in l consid derable degree made up of pupils 1 coming from non-Eng glish-speaking l homes, a kindergarten is much need l ed. It is impossible to locate 8, kin l dergarten in the Osgood Hill school 1 for the reason that all of the fonr ! rooms are now used and needed for l the regular grade work of grades i to l 6, inclusive.
 Meeting Halls Wanted. l Tn addition to the large needs l already enum erated there Is no dueS-
 tion of the need for providing gym nasiums and assembly halls for such 1 of the district schools as are now
 without these very essential features
 of modern school plant. The Elihu Burritt school is the only one of the 1 elementary. schools now having either & gymnasium or assembly hall.
 It seems unnecessary to set forth to the committee the real need which exists in every school and district for both of these.
 1 An assembly hall where the entire 1 school may be assembled for general l exercises Is an essential. Its educa- tional influence and value are iacal- 1 culable. It is unfortunate that the pupils in no one of our elementary schools with the single exception of 1 the Elihu Rurritt school can he l brought together in school assembly ct any time during the school year.
 The development of school morals o< 4S-ta }o,S
 are made possible in the assembly hall as in no other way. Further more, the neighborhood needs in l each district make it desirable and ! necessary that meeting places be pro- yided where neighborly acquaintance and real Americanism may be culi- l vated Bolsh%vism Is not likely to ] long survive the influence of the pub 1 lie school assembly hall. which is l open for free public use by the citi- zens of the district, These are the real strongholds of democracy. l In order to carry a full program ! of physical education for the chil- dren suitable gymnasium space is needed in each building. It need not 1 be said that physical education is a l fundamental essential in education l and that 1t is just as as necessary to have a suitable place for such in struction as 1t is to have the regular
 school rooms for instruction in other
 school subjects. 11 addition to
 neighborheod use of such gynna- siums for young people and adults l in after school hours and evenings l furnishes an additional means for
 wholesome public recreation and the
 upbuilding of sound character and
 stable citizenship. We cannot well afford to ignore the need for these neighborhood centers which would ] thus be provided in the assembly