Evening star., 1923-08-26
Parent-Teacher Activities.


.(This column is conducted under the auspices
OF the District of Columbia branch of the
National Congress Of Mothers and Parent
leacher Associations)
Only a few weeks until schools Will
omen their doors again. What shall
be the highs sounding note of the
Parent-TeacherA Associations? Parents
are already discussing the needs or
their children and wondering II the
boy or girl will have the teacher best
suited for him or her Perhaps many
a. mother, like Mrs. Coolidge. thinks
her boy needs much care and attention.
The majority Of our teachers in the
District are women. What Is keep
ing the men out of the profession
the low salary? Or do they think
women are best suited for the work?
II has not been many years since Miss
Susan B. Anthony, the first woman to
speak on the floor of a teachers con-
vention, helped to introduce a reso
luton for recognition of the right of
woman teachers to equal pay, which
was carried despite the presidents
protests. Miss Anthony taught
school when seventeen years old, re-
ceived $3.50 4 week and boarded
round" Has the vote for women
changed conditions? The next gen
Grafton is more important than bat
tleships or forts. Unless we breed a
race able to hold off the Japanese on
one side and all Europe on the other,
no battleships or forts Will save US.
There has been a constant increase
in the proportion of married women
engaged in gainful occupations In the
District during the last thirty years
Many of the best women ever created
for home builders are living Childless
ltves-teachers. stenographers. clerks
and saleswomen. Whatever the pres
ent conditions may be, let us not for
get the training of the human soul.
Following is report of the Richard
Kingsman Parent-Teacher Associa-
tion:
I'm response to an invitation eX-
tended by Miss Grace Silvers. prin-
cipal of the school, abouty twenty
mothers met in the building and dis
cussed the forming of club. In due
time constitution for same was
drafted and accepted at the first ofii-
cial meeting in January. when 1t was
also decided to affiliate with the con-
gresS of parent teacher organizations.
Mrs Boswell was elected president of
the club and also delegate to the con-
Sress of mothers. Although in our
infancy as d club, we feel as though
we have been through a healthy
period OF existence. Through a
luncheon held March we have been
enabled TO furnish free milk in sew
.ral instances where paying for same
-Gould have deprived children of 1t.
The milk luncheon was established
with the forming OF the club. A sue
reSsful card party was held the latter
part of March. Proceeds of same
were used to purchase rug and
china for our teachers and also help
equip the Fairgrounds. We have pur-
chased a chinning bar at about go,
basket ball, posts and baskets at s4S
and four balance beams. Our teachers
are in sympathy and assist In all ac-
tivities. May Il we held our first
Fathers night. Our success so far
well and Mrs. Dorthy Bishop. secre-
tary."
Following is report Of the Web
ster school asSoCiation:
Under the guidance OF our presi-
dent, Miss Craighill, the association
has been a live factor i'll the life of
our school community. The child
welfare committee of the Women'S
Christian Temperance Union presented
the school ii pair of scales to use in
weighing the children. Miss Craig
ana her assistant of the Society for
the Prevention of Tuberculosis did the
weighing, and the children have
shown a marked gain i'll weight Our
association gave the school lovely
silk flag and staff. Our last meeting
was held June H."
Jack son Parent-Teacher Association,
made the following yearly report: -
jackson School Parent Teacher AS
sociation is not Il large organization,
as 1t is only an eight-room building
and not overcrowded. We have had
seven day meetings and two evening
meetings for fathers and mothers who
work. DR. Murphy established a nutri-
tion clinic in the school in October
After the weighing and measuring.
done by the mothers. had been finished
twenty parents of children very much
below normal were notified to send
their chcildren. but only eighteen re-
sponded. These children continued
throughout the course, and if 1t has
done nothing else it has educated par
ents in clinic work. The milk lunch
cons at 1890 o'clock have been
handled by the teachers most sue
cessfully. At Halloween a candy sale
was held. also Il large lunch a little
later to pay for the scales as those
used last year had only been loaned.
We have also put new shades in one
of the clasSrooms and have bought
china and silver for the association.
There was a poster contest for the
vaudeville held at Western High
school May AZ More than eighty chill
drcn took part in the contest for the
81 prize. Splendid corporation among
the teachers and parents made it a
success. also DR.. Newton's and Miss
"a CT /,