Evening star., 1923-06-03
Parent-Teacher Activities.

branch Of the National Congress of
Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associa-
tion. -
Mrs. Giles. Scott Rafter. president,
and Mrs. Virginia White Speel. legis-
lative chairman of the District Con-
eress of Mothers and Parent
Teacher Association, made addresses
Wednesday at = banquet given by the
Maryland Congress Of Mothers and
Parent-Teacher Association.
The motto Of the clothes conser-
walton department is Keep the chill
dren In school" and this department,
under the management of Mrs. G.. 8.
Fraser, has supplied necessary cloth
Ing to hundreds of children, during
the past winter. thus enabling them
to attend school. Most of these gar
ments were given TO children of
school age, but n few were given to
younger brothers or sisters The
school nurses and teachers keep Mrs.
Fraser informed as to the children
is given in the spirit of one sister
helping another. e'@> g e.. $50
I The shoe and rubber chairman, Mrs.
]. F. Randall. reports that her de-
partment has given seventy-five pairs
OF rubbers and over nifty pairs of new
shoes to school children during the
last winter. Besides the new shoes
about 200, pairs OF other; shoes have
been repaired by the cobbling classes
and given to the children who needed
them.
Mrs. Joseph Sanders. the health
chairman, is encouraged over the
milk lunches. which are being served
in nearly every school. The parents
are much encouraged over the i'm
provement in the health OF many of
the children, due very largely to the
daily milk.
According to the juvenile court
standards. prepared by Joint COM
mittee of the probation association
and the children's bureau and adopt
ciation, which met recently, the de-
tention home for children should be
operated by the Juvenile court
These standards also provide for A
clinic for the study of the child. con-
Quoted as q branch of the Juvenile
court. The District OF Columbia Con-
gress OF Mothers and Parent-Teachcr
Association have recommended these
two features, on motion of its juve-
nile court committee, composed of
Mrs. +. r Kalmbach, chairman, and
Mrs. J. w. Byler and Mrs. l.. d. Smoot
Plans are being made to get juve-
nile court law here in the District
which will not only include these,
but be model In all other respects
The standards adopted this year are
the result OF an exhaustive study of
all phases of Juvenile court work by
recognized experts.
The juvenile court committee Of
the mothers congress is preparing
to enlarge its activities in this di-
rection by asking each local parent
teacher association to appoint "A juve-
nile court chairman. and these rep
"a 10 ri, ;
cations are to be organized in such
way that II is hoped to have a
mother present at every hearing Of
the Juvenile Court
The District Congress OF Mothers
and Parent-Teacher Association has
affiliated with the newly formed Dis
trict OF Columbia Probation Asso-
citation. which is the local branch of
the National Probation Association.
that growth and weight in child Of
school age are as important an indi-
cation OF his state of health as the
same signs In the health of an infant?
Is there any relation between over
fatigue. irritability and inattention
and the little red cards or red-inked
figures showing serious underweight
that go home when the children have
been weighed and measured at
SCHOOL," are some questions being
asked.
That there is a connection between
health and weight and between
health. school progress and conduct,
1t Is pointed out. is agreed by physi-
clans and child health experts. At
the recent conference OF social work
ers held in Washington much en-
phasis was placed on the fact that
school and home must work together
TO bring all children to the normal
standard of health; that food habits
and rest habits with principles of
nutrition were proper subjects of
classroom discussion as well as the
personal cleanliness and health exer-
cises already a part of most curricu-
lums. In one of the conference group
meetings devoted to the consideration
Of school medical inspection and
health teaching DR.. Hedger OF Chi
cago advocated that teachers pass
thorough health examination be-
before receiving their teaching cer-
tificates. Lack of rest. improper food
habits or physical defects make nerv-
Gus and irritable teachers as well as
pupils.
The Johnson Powell Mothers Club
which has devoted much of it's euer-
giles for the past three years to school
health work, hot lunches, 1890 o'clock
milk lunches and the recording of
weight and measurements of the 1900
children in it's school. is watching
carried on by its health committee
with the cooperation of the nutrition
department of the Society for the
Prevention of tuberculosis. Physi-
clans have agreed now on the ap-
proximate gain in weight per week
These figures have been made the
basis of health game in one of the
seventh grades at Powell School.
There are thirty-six children. Lead
4
sides, dividing the class. Eight weeks
Is the period allotted. The total
average. expected gain for eight
| weeks of each side has been figured
! and placed on a chart. As it hap
| each side is the same, three pounds
! for the eight weeks. Which side.
| reds or blues, can make first the ex-
game. with a treat for the winning
| side as prize. The children are
weighed each week. the average gains
computed and entered on the chart,
| and health follows. Sometimes the
| gains of certain children on a side
will. not exceed the losses of others
\ on that side. and there Is much an
girl who may have said he did not
go to bed early or failed TO take his
milk every day. Leaders are learn
! ing to check up on the daily milk
! consumption of their, side. and the
constant interest of the teacher helps
greatly. 1t is a very close contest
! at present, and the outcome Is await
ed with much interest.
Here, as in the nutrition clinic, it
is found that the very underweight
child has usually too many demands
on his time and strength to gain. He
loses very easily. An hour off his
regular sleep, q too strenuous game
of ball. or a long hike without a COM
pensating period of extra rest will
cause him to lose from a half pound
to three pounds in a week. The child
of normal weight has so much more