The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-03
FUNDS SUPPLIED
FOR NEGLECTED
NEEDS OF PUPILS
Mothers and the Parent
Teacher Organizations
Cooperate.
MUSIC A F E ATU r E
Responsibilities of Taxpayer,
However, Infringed by
Movement.
Continued from Page one.

nent, but just the ordinary equip
Fnent that in other cities is supplied
by the school board.
The first Parent-Teacher Associ-
htion of the District. or Home and
school Association as il was then
Failed. was organized at the West
frn High School in February. 1909.
Few months later a second associ-
alton was formed at the Elizabeth
" Brown School at Chevy Chase.
The Hubbard School Association
came next, and others followed so
Rapidly that the National Congress
of Mothers and Parent-Teacher AS
sociattons appointed a national or
ganizer for the District, and in a
short time there were more than
sixty Parent-Teacher Associations
or mothers clubs connected with
the WASHINGTON schools.
Served in the War.
During the war most Of these organi-
cations were turned into Red Cross
units. That made reorganization nee
essary and the president of the Dis
trict Congress of Mothers clubs and
Parent-Teacher associations has been
giving a great deal Of time and energy
| TO this work besides bringing all the
forces together for a campaign for
better school Fairgrounds. While each
association has worked for its own
school the combined effort of the as
sOciations has been back Of many
movements for the general improve.
ment OF the schools of the city. The
3Parent-Teacher associations found the
school Fairgrounds sadly neglected
with little space and practically nc
| equipment The public Fairgrounds
! being under the Commissioners and
the school Fairgrounds under the
| school authorities it has not been pos
sible to develop a unified system. II
has been found in other cities that
the most successful playground work
was accomplished only when both the
school and the public Fairgrounds
were under one organization, and that
organization the school BOARD.
II it were not for the work of the
Parent-Teacher associations in grad
ing and equipping them, the school
Fairgrounds would be sorry sight
for the playground experts who visit
the National Capital for inspiration.
For the only equipment furnished each
one set Of swings and two board see
saws. There is no appropriation made
for supervision and teachers are
called upon to do what is called ''po-
kIice duty" on the Fairgrounds at re-
cess. The Mothers clubs and Parent
Teacher associations are working for
one trained supervisor for each large
playground Last year the entire ap-
y,1a a
was SIS. 200 and at no time has it ex'
ceeded 5000. Year before last there
was no appropriation whatever and
the Parent Teacher associations had
to see the equipment they had pur-
chased going to rack and ruin for
lack of repair.
Only s2,4OO Expended.
Now. though the money was APP
propriated several months ago, only
the S2.4OO assigned for equipment
of new Fairgrounds has been USED
Since July l the rest of the funo
has lain idle because of disagree
ment between the school authorl-
ties and the District Building, the
Engineer Commissioner insisting
that the repairs must be made
through the District repair shop
See-saws and other apparatus are
useless to several thousand schoo
children who play every day on the
different grounds.
Here are a few examples of the
work done by Parent-Teacher as
sociations and Mothers clubs III
eouipping school grounds:
The Johnson Powell Mothers Club
has changed a desert into one Of
the best equipped Fairgrounds in
the CITY. They bought all the
CONTINENT for these large ground:
except the zone swing and see-saw'
furnished by the school authorities
Tbev are also landsCaping a part
Of the grounds. making a restfu'
beautv spot for 1900 children who
play there.
ccbooI secured from Congress ar
appropriatiOn for the purchase of a
1ot adjoining school grounds. They
bava raised by cooked food sales
and entertainments $1,000 to drain
opd fence il and they also have
funds TO buy the equipment as
soon as the grading is done.
Randall Heights Parent-TeacheI
Association paid for grading -. OF
their playground and bought a
swing. a SLIDE and $50 worth OF
other equipment
Rrightwood Parent-Teacher As
sociation secured the services OF
Eov Scouts to supervise their
grounds Grounds are inadequate
but Parent-Teacher Association Is
planning to enlarge them.
Buys Fairgrounds Needs.
waIIach-Tower Mothers Club
buys the small equipment for their
playground each year. They have
cemented ground under swings and
for past four years have averaged
$50 per year for other equipment.
Edmonds Mothers Club purchased
most Of equipment for playground
and each year supply rackets. balls
end small equipment.
The Mothers Clubs Of the Pea
body and Hilton Schools combined
their influence and got an appro-
priation for a playground next to
the Peabody School
AT the Jackson School there was
no playground but the Mothers Club
secured the loan Of lot adjoining
the school and then sold ice cream
and cake in the park during the
summer to get the money to pay
for the equipment.
At the Monroe School there Is
large playground and the Parent