Evening star., 1942-05-10
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Hoy we can meet the gaps II
consumer education, or what to do
with what we have, Is to be the big
problem with homemakers and
others in 1943," according to Mrs
Ola Day Rush, head Of the depart
ment of home economics in the
District public school system, di-
visions one to nine.
Mrs. Rush's Office In the Ross
School at r and Seventeenth streets
is the hub of four wheel program
which Is turning all the time in be-
half of better nutrition and higher
homemaking ideals in this city In
this sense it is an integral part
of better physical education ideal,
for as Mrs. Rush points out, "the
proper nourishment Of the body
tissues is an essential for physical
fitness"
Under her direction are the teach
ers of home economics In the white
public schools and the thousands OF
pupils in the elementary and junior
high schools who are taking courses
in homemaking, nutrition and home
nursing. In addition she is the
co-ordinator of the home adult pro-
gram inaugurated during the spring
of 1888 under the provisions of the
George Dean Act. Mrs. Rush is
also the homemaking chairman of
Washington's Congress of Parents
and Teachers and member of the
executive council of the District Of
Columbia Nutrition Committee.
Mrs. Nellie Davidson is her as
sistant In adult education.
Program Developed.
All of these educational activities
which Mrs. Rush motivates are a
part of permanent nutritional and
homemaking program whose facili-
ties are being adjusted to meet the
present exigencies of war time in
cooperation with the Red Cross and
other community groups.
For better nutrition in the public
schools a committee was appointed
to make study of the nutrition of
school children. 1t has developed
comprehensive program.
Nutrition councils have been set up
in all senior and Junior high schools
to meet local needs. School cafe
terias have been surveyed, with
many interesting experiences in
checking food habits being carried
out through study of the school
lunch. In this connection definite
good has been accomplished through
the establishment of better food
practices, such as well-planned plate
lunches to take the place of the
soft drink, hot dog combination
which in too many instances broke
the fast of high school children who
went to school without eating break
fast. An Eat Your Breakfast" CAM
paign has been waged in all schools
especially in the high schools where
there is greatest need for it.
Surplus commodities, too, have
been used to improve the nutri-
ticn of INDECENT children. There
has been an increased sale of milk
in the school cafeterias and with
children generally in the elementary
and the high schools. The penny
milk program has been a real factor
in increasing milk consumption a;
an aid to physical fitness in schools
where it has been authorized.
A course in nutrition has beer
| given for cafeteria managers and 6
refresher course in nutrition helc
for all economics teachers.
Four economics teachers who arr
well-trained nutritionists have visit.
ed 80 elementary schools each weel
during the school year to teach nu.
/ triton to regular classes and to CO.
/ operate with the classroom teachers
in planning special projects. TT
! further the nutritional ideals pre-.
/ sented by the economics teachers
more than 400 of the elementar,