The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-01
WPA NURSERY
/ SCHOOL AIDING
| CITY CHILDREN
Health and Happiness Are
Brought to 80 Tots
in Local CenterS.
1t is 1880 in the morning.

It Is 1880 In the morning.
Fifteen still slightly sleepy young
sters make their way to low tables
where places have been set with a
small fork and spoon and cup of
hot chocolate.
At each place is cardboard disc
on which has been painted bright
" colored animal. Little John goes
Immediately to place and looks
III the tag. 1t has a bushy-tailed
squirrel on it. He sits down. Next
to him, Mary finds hers-a grizzly
bear. Something new in place
cards?
Only the way nursery school
teachers have II teaching their
children the laws of association. 1t
also Is a means of acquainting
them with the names of various
animals, for each childs tag is
changed each week.
Work, Play Scheduled
Nursery school is home to the IS
children between the ages of and
4 who spend their days in the one
conducted by the emergency educa-
ton division of the Works Progress
Administration at the American
Settlement Annex, GIT w. Pearl-st.
They are youngsters who come from
homes in which there is no mother,
or where the mother works all day.
Every day from to they are at
the school, where they are taught
to care for themselves and to play
with other children.
The daily schedule has been de-
signed to give the proper combina-
ton to work and play. First thing
every morning they are inspected
hands must be clean, necks must
have no highwater marks, hair
must be combed.
They Like Cod Liver Oil
Then there is q period of SUI
pervised play. Walking boards,
teeter- totters, pounding tables,
game boards, modelling clay, all are
provided for their use In the mid
die of the morning they are given
orange or tomato juice, or cod liver
oil. Unbelievable as it seems, the
cod liver oil is much more popular
than the orange juice. The young
sters love it. They even lick the
spoon!
Singing, and If weather permits,
outdoor play follow. Then short
nap before lunch. The youngsters
are taught to get themselves ready
for lunch. Each has toothbrush
hung with his Schoolmasters' in
a neat row, each distinguished by
the same little animal tag that
marks his place at the table. His
comb. too, is kept in a container
on the wall, with his mark be-
side it.
Lunch is an important event in
the day for them. They like the
nice sandwiches, the creamy hot
chocolate, the crisp lettuce, the hot
dish they are given. And it is
fun to go over to the serving ia
BILE, after your plate is empty, and
get your dessert-usually a custard
or pudding.
Menu Carefully Planned
All of the food is prepared by a
cook-maid who plans well-balanced
menues every day. Since many of
the foods she uses-butter, prunes,
cherries, Jellies-are Federal surplus
commodities, the cost of feeding the
children is very low, averaging
about cents a day.
After lunch there is another nap
Each child has neat little cot
covered with ticking and a soft
downy comfort. When they get up
they have graham cracker and
another welcome spoonful of cod
liver oil. Then they play until time
to go home.
Once month they are examined
at the American Settlement clinic
and are given necessary medical at