The Washington herald., 1920-01-19
LARGERSCHOOL
|PARKVIEVNEED
Present Building Modern
But Inadequate to Meet
Demands.

the District OF Columbia during the
past year or two that many Of the
modern buildings have absolutely
been outgrown- No better illustration
Of this fact can be obtained than nv
a visit TO the Park View school on
wsrder street northwest. metween
Newton and Otis streets.
This schcool ts now overcrowded
Twcnty-four rooms would not be too
building going on IN its territory.
thirty-two rooms will soon be re-
auired TO give proper care to the
children from this section.
But there IL no room for expan-
sion. unless through the purchase Of
valuable improved real estate. This
building furnishes evidence OF failure
somewhere-either the school off,
Gals or Congress--to loo far enough
ahead and purchase enough land fer
school sites 70 give proper accommo-
dalton to the children.
Efforts 10 relieve the present con-
gestion will be made on February /
by Inauguration Of the platoon sys-
TEN In the school. At present TWEEN
ty-three classes are being taught in
the sixteen rooms and two port
-Ables-not even this modern, three
year-old building is without its port
ables. Twenty five teachers are now
engaged In the school work. on
February l, by the platoon system,
this school will be able to accom-
modste twenty eight classes. with
thirty teachers.
STEADY Ireres.e A, P.nII.
The children attending these twenty
three classes today number SZ7, while
the number in attendance last month
was BIS, an increase OF nine in a
month The number last year was
80. All during this school term there
has been q steady increase, although
In some cases IL has been necessary
10 refuse admission 10 children because
the particular classes they sought 10
enter were already too large. For this
number OF children there are in the
building and the two portabIes S2s
seats. -Four classes above the second
grade, which by law should be going
all day. are forced to take a half days
instruction. HoweYeT. Il Is proposed
70 correct this on February / under
the platoon system.
NNa~@NA dA SCnOOI now
has nifty pupils. and there are three
classes with forty-nine children and
Two with forty-eiEht-Vhich means
that the children in these psrticpIs !
classes cannot receive proper attention
owing TO their overcrowded- condition
I1he backward pupils cannot be helped
as they could IL the classes were on tbc
normal size OF forty each.
The DlafO0n 4.
whereby rooms are set aside for sne-
,cial studies. Under the present orde,
OF teaching in the local schools tbs
pupils receive all OF their speciaI in
structon in their class rooms. This
includes dramatics. sewing. penmsn.
ship. drawing. and natural science
How Platoon system Work.,
NOW, under the platoon system.
the pupil occupies the classroom, for
Two periods day for the hast
studies such as grammar. history.
geography. arithmetic. etc. These
are taught in the rooms which have
desks While children in the class
rooms are having these studies tho
others are in other specially eouip-
ped rooms in the building receiving
instruction in other lines. Signal
gonss are used to announce changes
In classes. and the children then
exchange places.
This system conserves much Of
the children's time. For instance
time lost in distributing painting
and drawing materials Is saved for
when the children reach the draw
ing-room the materials are alreadI
laid out. having been used by The
pupils in the previous period.
Under the new Advancement at
Park View one room will be given
over TO literature. two rooms for
drawing-one for the four primary
grades and one for the four sec
ondary grades-one room for pen-
manship. one for sewing and tae
for manual training. The auditor
ium is to be used for classes in
reading. dramatic arts. music and
community civics, while the library
is to be htted up as a natural sci
ence laboratory.
While it has been announced that the
system Is TO be started on February /.
and Superintendent Thurston, Super-
visinS Principal Hsycock, OF the
Third Division. and Miss Farley.
l.
have completed an elaborate pro-
gram Of studies under the system.
there are certain mechanical features
to be completed. An additional port-
able will be needed to carry the sys-
tenn into erect. The framework for
il is up. but for some unexplained
reason work has been discontinued.
Tools for tho manual training de-
partment have not arrived, the cleo
trio signal system has not been com
pletcd and necessary construction In
the library has not even been start
ed. However. every effort is being
made to have everything in readi-
ness by February /. when the semi
annual transfers take place in the
local schooy system.
Fairgrounds on Private Land.
The building is OF the sixteen
room type, with an auditorium, &C.
cupying just half of the city block
on which il is located. No pIay-
ground facilities are on the school
property. the present Fairgrounds
being across from the school on pri-
waite property. The children may
lose the Fairgrounds at any time.
as it is understood that the owner
will soon build there unless the
government desires to purchase the
land for playground use.
Many appeals have been made by
the children who use, this play
ground to Congress apd the school
board. asking that il be pufcha sed
for them. If this ground is taken
away from the children there Is
practically no place for them 60 go
but in the streets. A census taken
on the grounds last September