Evening star., 1938-09-12
Prepare Now
For Opening
School
Any Health Tests
Should Be Done
In Advance.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

THE first day in school for the
beginner is an exciting and
difficult experience. The child is
taken from home and mother, from
everything and everybody he
knows, out of the familiar and
pleasant ways of home, and thrust
into a strange world. He knows
nobody. He understands very little
of what is going on about him.
The sound of the bells brings terror
to his heart. The crowd of children
about him, who never was with
more than a handful of other chill
dren in his life, frightens him. He
does not hear accurately nor see
correctly. and he is not under the
direct control of his own mind. He
is a very frightened, puzzled. little
child much in need of friendly
help and understanding.
The best way to help child over
the first hard day is to allow no first
day. When the time for entering
school begins to seem nearer, take
the child on visit to school. First
walk about the building, the
grounds and the halls. Inspect the
Fairgrounds. Explain about them
and about the drinking fountains
and the toilets. Take several trips
for this Gradually get into the
building. Meet teacher, the one
he is to have, if possible. Visit a
classroom; 60 to school party;
give the child frst-hand expert
ence with the school that will take
the edge off its newness for him.
If there are brothers and sisters
attending school let them take the
pupilto-be to school once in a
while. He can stay half a session
visiting about. That helps him
greatly and does not inconvenience
anybody very much. The teachers
will understand his presence and
help the idea along by being friend
ly and helpful.
While you are doing this attend
E to the registration requirements
If he must be vaccinated have it
done within the six months before
sending him, if possible. Don't wait
until school opens and then send
him there with a sore spot and a
temperature. Remember to have
the Schick test given him and so
ward off the terrible threat of
diphtheria. Anybody who can have
this test given his child and refuses
it is dreadfully wrong. Imagine
having the chance to avoid this
deadly disease and not taking it.
Remember to have the new pupil
Schicked and vaccinated during the
months previous to his school en-
trance. Take him to the dentist
and have his mouth in perfect con-
dition. See that his nose and
throat are free of distractions like
adenoids and enlarged tonsils,
Healthy tonsils are good things to
hold on to, but unhealthy ones are
dangerous to a child's health and
growth and school progress.
Our health records of school chill
dren in the first years of their at
tendance are not as good as we
would like to have them. We will
have fewer sick children. fewer
cases of infectious and contagious
diseases if the children are sent to
school in condition to resist dis
ease. Do attend to all this before
sending them to school.
Have his papers where you can
put your hand on them. It is re-
markable how child's birth GER
tificate. vaccination certificate and
health records lose themselves in
the little box in the right-hand
corner of the top drawer" and have
to be dug out of the bottom of
grandmother's trunk the first week
OF school, with everybody waiting.
Get ready for school now.
Mr.. Patri will give personal at
tention to inquiries from parents
and school teachers on the care and
development of children. Write
him in care of this paper. inclosing
a Scent stamped, self-addressed en-
velope for reply.