Evening star., 1923-09-23
Parent-Teacher Activities.

ed the organization. The association
decided to present a flag to the class
room where the third and fourth grades
are held, and it was also decided to
purchase scales and start to weigh and
measure the pupils. There is great
need for a restroom in this building, and
the association has requested a new
couch to replace the one now in use.
which is in great need of repair.
The Maury Home and School Asso-
citation will hold its first meeting Oc-
! tober 2, at s pm, in the Epworth NJ.
and 18th street northeast. An inter
esting program has been arranged.
Mrs. G. S. Rafter, Nine. Won Unschuld
and DR.. Murphy will be the speakers.
There. will be a community sing; also
several musical numbers. All parents
; and friends who are interested in the
, welfare of the Maury School are urged
to be present.
The kindergarten is the connecting
link between the home and the school
1t partakes of the nature of both. The
kindergarten is the right beginning OF
school for all children, whether they
come from the home of English speak
ing parents or whether their parents
speak a foreign language. When the
child is forced to go directly from the
! natural atmosphere of home to the re.
pressive atmosphere of the formal
| schoolroom, too often he begins his
! school life with a sense of discourage
ment that may affect his whole later
development.
While the life of the kindergarten
! is more informal than the conven-
tional schoolroom, It would not be a
| happy place If this society of little
! children were not founded on the law
and order which are cofncident with
respect for the rights of others
and obedience to just authority. Here
the child of foreign parents Is learn
ing. his first lessons In citizenship in
a truly democratic atmosphere, and
only too. often the American born
| child receives its Ilrst lesson in self
control and consideration for others
/ in the kindergarten.
The vital Importance of the train
| ing that the kindergarten begins is
! such an established fact that 1t
would seem almost absurd to even
! think that those who are responsible
! for our school buildings would build
! structure for educational purposes
without a room for the kindergarten.
! but we are confronted with the fact
| that in many sections of Wasting
! ton there are school buildings with
| out such necessary requirements. Can
! we do nothing to remedy this condi-
! tion?
! 1t is a matter of deep concern to
every parent-teacher association and
| to all good citizens that we are COM
PEELED to use those denominations.
| portable" buildings, in which to
| house our school children.
| Probably never in the history of our
country has there been such need for
| school building construction as at the
present time. Lack of adequate school
buildings in the period before the war,
| and almost total stoppage of all school
| building during the war, have brought
about a state of school building con-
gestion that is a menace to the health,
| strength and intelligence of the chill
! dren of this country.
| In 1920 there were 21,462,133 chill
! dren in the public schools Reports in
dicate that half of the children were
housed in buildings erected more than
| twenty-five years ago. This would in
dicate that at least half of the children
! of the country are housed in buildings
nearly quarter of a century old. This
means that at least half of the children
are housed in buildings that have prac-
| tically none of the educational facili-
| ties of a modern school plant
| And when we realize that two-thirds
| of our children never go to a high
school, or have an opportunity to even
| see a we'll equipped school building, we
! are more concerned than ever before
| that our elementary school buildings be
! put in first-class condition. 1t will be
| a happy day, indeed, when the parent
| teacher organizations of the District
| find that all elementary school build
ings have been properly lighted and
! ventilated. t.