The Washington herald., 1920-01-16

dhOlAid OChOOA 10 dhONlCI VI NhO
public educational institutions which,
has suffered on account of the war.
An appropriation for an addition was
not found sufficient when the time
came 10 build. and now efforts are
being made to hurry along the money
so that more than a hundred little
children will not have to obtain their
education in portable and other struc-
lures away from the main building.
This school is located at Tokoma
Park. not long ago considered one Of
the suburbs of the city, but its phe-
nomenal growth in the past few
years now obtains for 1t a considera-
tion as an integral part of the town.
1t has grown by leaps and bounds.
and will continue to grow. Walking
along many of its streets and watch
ing the many building operations go
ing on makes one wonder where the
children who certainly will be In most
their education.
Huts for Students.
The present building is an impress
sive one, but its appearance is some
what marred by the two portables
which it has been found necessary to
construct in order to take care Of the
increase in the number Of children.
Another one now is in course of con-
struction, and efforts are being made
to have it completed before the jam
comes as a result of the February
promotions.
Away from the school grounds on
other property Is a parish hall. Here
children receive their first impress
sions of how a modern city OF a
modern nation provides for its little
ones. One class of kindergarten chill
dren - fifty-eight strong is taught
here every morning. The building is
rented by the school officials for half
a day. 1t is a large room. such as one
would expect for a parish hall. and no
school equipment, except enough
small chairs and tables for the little
ones to occupy.
The grounds surrounding the school
are ample for a large addition which
was asked for and appropriated for in
1916. At that time SO. was appro-
priated for the purpose of construct
ing an addition to contain eight
rooms and an assembly hall. How
ever. by the time the plans were COM
pleted and bids asked for. building
material had advanced to such a point
that the original appropriation was
not enough. The money could not
even be used to start at that time.
and then came the war, stopping all
building of this kind.
Cost Now sIeO, 900.
I To put up the eight-room addi-
ton and assembly hall. according
to the plans drawn then, 1t is
figured will cost s19O.0o0 and per-
haps more by the time IL is up.
At any rate, the school oficials
have asked for this amount In or
der that there might not be any
delay due to increased materials, il
made Immediately available to start
the work. Then if there is an in
crease it can be provided for later.
The addition, it is asserted, is to
go to the north Of the present
building. At the present time the
portables now occupy this space
and Will have to be taken down in
order to begin construction. How
NNNAs WIN hho" ltuSe OI Ine
growth of the number of children
who 81 Guild properly attend this
school. il is doubted even il the
eight rooms will De sufficient. HNw-
ever. il Congress provides money
plans, another addition can be
asked for when the remainder of
the $4,000 is appropriated.
- hA
ing. too. are over large. and il has
been found necessary to send some
children to the Brightwood School
some distance away. This school is
supported to this extent by the
Woodburn School to the east and
the BriShtwood School to the south.
These buildings now must take the
overflow of children who have a
priCr right to education in the Ia
koma section were proper facilities
provided
1t is proposed when the new
building goes up to give over two
rooms to manual training-a mod
ern manual training school with
power lathes and other power wood
working appurtenances. Children
now go to the Brightwood School
for this instruction.
Deprived of Play Room
In order to give the girls in the
school sewing and cooking lessons
the girls playroom space in the
basement has been taken away from
them. The boys, for that matter.
have no playroom space. or a place
to spend their recess periods in bad
weather. The basement room orig
inally intended for this purpose Is
now full of material of various
kinds, and in various conditions of
disorder.
The school now has in attendance
SIS children in thirteen classes, with
fourteen teachers, the additional
teacher being an assistant in the
kindergarten. Five of the classes
have more than forty-five children
in them, and a few of them run as
high as fifty.
The children attending represent
an increase of seventy-five over last
year. and it has been estimated that
the percentage of increase during
the past four and a half years has
been thirty-three.
Starting with four rooms in 1899,
the main building now has eight
rooms, the addition being put up in
1908. In the first four years it was
found necessary to double the size
of the school, but in the past six
made for the increased number of
children except the addition OF
portabIes and the rented building.
The third grade in this school.
which, by law. is supposed to go a
whola dav il cOmnalIad hv the