The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-04-27
HEALTH WORK IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Aim Of Public Health Nurse To Obtain
and Maintain Better Health

The aim OF the Public Health Nurse
is to assure curative. preventative and
educational facilities along health
lines. Her duties are to educate the
public through the various services
she renders as a public health nurse
SO that they may now how to obtain
and maintain better healtn.
Modern Health Crusade Work I'm
Schools
The Modern Health Crusade was
conceived in the desire to make chill
dren healthier, and their elders heal
thier through them. The Crusade lie
contributed to the schools az a system
of education by making teachers the
leaders, the schools became the aven-
ne for the work.
There Is a wonderful Improvement
in the sanitation and hygiene of many
rural schools. One school | visited
recently. an old building, but 1t is the
pupils and teachers not the structure
of the building who determines what
can be accomplished therein. Teach
ers remark, II is certainly "a thing
of JOY" TO have pupils come TO school
with clean faces hands, necks and
ears, we'll brushed teeth and neatly
arranged hair. II Is no small salts
faction to see them flock to the wash
ing their noon day meal. In this
school also hot lunches were served.
Children gained in weight from 3 to 6
pounds.
When the teacher is an enthusiast,
the interest and loyal cooperation OF
pupils and parents can very easily be
won.
Just a word here, in regard to a
criticism of the Crusade which every
nurse and County Superintendent had
had put to them some time or other.
|"Does the Modern Health Crusade
teach children to lie?" There is no
doubt that a good many children do
lie about their chores but this does
not indicate that the chores or the
Crusade teach them to lie. Children
who have snuggled into bed without
saying their prayers have been known
to lie to their mothers in order to
escape climbing out of bed for a cold
kneeling. Surely there is a difference
between their being an occasion for
lying n a direct teaching to lie.
A famous clergyman recently said
in his pulpit that he never knew a
boy, or girl, who would not lie at ON
age in childhood. 1t It first nature
for the child to lie. Society must
teach him to be truthful.
There is evidence that the health
chore system is doing it's part in teach
ing children to be truthful-far from
teaching them to lie.
The system of chores and rewards
tends to develop t~ruthfulness, not in
spite of but because of the temptation
to claim performance falsely.
Character in any of its positive vir-
tues Is never acquired by keeping
aloof from temptation. but by facing
it.
The wise parent or teacher first cul-
tivates the child's sense of honor;
second, lets him meet temptation; and
third, makes a follow-up. The Cru
sadt system applies these three Unfit
ences. The child is placed on his
Ihonor-her certiies his chore record
on his honor. He mas a systematic
drill every day in choosing between
right and wrong statements. Each
decision for right builds truthfulness;
each decision for wrong builds falsity.
The follow-up is multiple. The par
ent must pass on the child's truthful
ness and sign the certiication. The
teacher must be satisfied that the
child's cleanliness and department
correspond with his statement of
chores.
School examinations are the occa-
sions of much cheating. but scarcely
a cause of dishonesty. 1t would seem
as logical to exclude examinations be-
cause OF cheating as to exclude ehore
records because OF lying. Tat f14s.ith
chores give the teachers an exception
ally good opportunity to teach truth
~fulness.
A colored child at Boston, Mass,
brought this out by saying that the
most important chore was the dis
honesty" one.
Health education, viewed broadly.
il not only an essential part of bur
the most valuable vehicle for moral
training.
Judge Lohr said, "In forming per-
manent good health habits, we are
forming character on which will rest
our nations future"
Mary A. Curley,
County Nurse.