Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-01-25

eHarlem group shows thrice as high
tuberculosis death rate as other
groups and other alarming evidences
that the forces which break down
health are winning a battle.
SO, those who are educating chill
dren-teacherS, school doctors and
nurses are taking up the campaign
with renewed vigor. They are begin
ming with the children, the parents
of the future. If the parent of today
will listen, these children will bring
home much information and many
suggestions which mothers and faith
ers may use for themselves as well
as for their children.
Now, when your child comes home,
saying that day has been spent by
teacher in weighing and measuring
her class, do not think the school has
thrown away day. Rather, get
busy and see # your child is up to
the standard by the weight and
height chart for ages. This scale
may be obtained through the Ameri-
can Child Health Association, in
New York City. And, after finding
that your child is underweight and
under height, get busy and find out
why. If you are sent for by the
school, hurry over, without delay.
And, combining new knowledge with
your own common sense, take steps to
correct any errors which exist. While
you-are at the school you may learn
that the reason your child minds so
poorly is that he hears only half or
less of what is said or done. His
nervousness which has always an
noyed you turned out to be due to
poor oversight and strain which may
be relieved by proper glasses.
The next surprise in store for you
may be a new kind of note book
which is filled, not with spelling or
arithmetic, but pictures of vegetables,
dairy products, fresh air ideas and
the like. Instead of eXclaiming:
What new fad neXt?" take an IN
tereSt in it, read its plans for break
fastS, dinners and supperS and, try
them out for the children. That's
what they're for; and give them your
sympathy and understanding. Fer
haps you may be urged to supply a
towel each week. soap and O. con-
tainer for it. Will you Grossly grum-
the progress in education, when you
pack this in the school kit?
No longer are school buildings the
high temples of the worshipped
Three Rs" They are the workshops
where pupils are working out the
ways and means of good living. Being
large houses with windows, they lend
themselves to teaching methods of
obtaining fresh air indoors. There
are number of ventilation systems
used in various schools and both
teachers and pupils have to learn
how to help in their operation. In
some, it is not necessary to open
the windows at all, as large machines
in the basement circulate the air. In
others, the air is changed directly
by raising the windows three or four
times in the morning and twice in
the afternoon while the children
stretch and move.
These big school houses have to be
kept clean and nearly everywhere
this is an unnecessarily heavy bur-
den, on the school janitor. Children.
throw papers and food about when
they have been taught not to do this
at home. For that reason, Clean
up campaigns are a part of the
regular school programme. Lessons
on beautiful paintings and colors and
the use of them in the school, are
toward the end that children shall
want to have cheerful surroundings.
But, children are in school only S
or 6 hours each day. For the rest Of
the twenty-four, the parent must
Garry on" Under their guidance,
there must be play in the open, up
until but not later than PM: there
must be long hours Of sleep for
growth, in rooms with windows wide
open; there should be quiet in the
sleeping room and not more than
two in a bed; there should be fire.
quent bathing and early rising, so
that breakfast may be eaten slowly
and the walk to school need not be
hurried.
This health programme may seem
a large order to the busy parent, but
it is not half as large as the loss in
nervous energy, money and happi-
ness which comes from neglecting it. !