The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

;
18 The Health Bulletin September, 1927
are two main sections ; Equipment and
Sanitation with 400 possible points
and health 600 points.
For the division of Equipment and
Sanitation the final score given is the
average of monthly inspections made
by the Sanitary Inspector or the county
health officer. Each month during the
school term each school is scored at a
time unexpected by the principal or
janitor, and in April averages are made
for each separate item as well as for
the total. During each visit the school's
sanitary failings are discussed and suggestions
made as to the best methods
for their remedy. In addition to this
the Health Department takes up with
• the county superintendent of schools
or with the superintendent and the
school board, matters pertaining to
sanitary equipment and improvement
which cannot be handled by the school
principal or janitor.
The points allowed under the second
section. Health, are computed during
the last week of the school year from
the records in the office of the Health
Department and show the results of
the year's work in ev.ch school. Vaccinations
or preventive inoculation for
each of the diseases over which we
have control, is carried out intensively
once during the year, and in addition
to this follow-up work is done at any
time at the request of any school principal
or whenever a group of children is
ready.
The prevention of the spread of contagious
diseases is facilitated through
the interest of the school children. Only
the diseases over which we have pretty
definite control are included. A school
is hardly responsible for an epidemic
of measles, chickenpox or whooping
cough but can definitely, through vaccination
and vigilance, eradicate typhoid,
diphtheria, scabies, pediculosis and
smallpox from among pupils and teachers.
The children are encouraged to
report rumors of "breaking out" or of
severe illness in their home localities
and the health department investigates
every report. The teachers are on the
alert to spot the first case of scabies or
liediculosis and call on the department
for confirmation and parental advice.
All parents are notified of physical
defects found on routine or special examination
of the pupils. Follow-up letters
are sent and house visits made.
Remedy of defects are reported by
teachers or pupils and checked up by
the department. Near the close of the
term a special check up is made to complete
the records.
Weighing is done in the early months
of the school year and special weight
cards given to parents of the children
10 per cent underweight. Each teacher
has a list of the malnutrition cases in
her room. These are reweighed for
final checking at the close of the term.
The results of this contest after two
years trial have been extremely encouraging
as well as interesting.
And let us speak in passing, of one
unforseen result. It has put the Health
Department on its mettle to have its
records complete up to date and open
to inspection. It has detected weakness
in our own routine. It has made
necessary more thorough work.
The interest of principals, janitors
and pupils has been so stimulated that
some buildings that were deteriorating
were put in repair and kept so.
Walls were re-whitened, floors oiled
regularly, locker doors repaired, pump
and tool houses put in order. Landscape
gardening has been done and playgrounds
equipped. All this without
extra assistance from the school board.
In several schools a system of closing
hour inspection of rooms was inaugurated
by the principal with a star
or other honor given to the neatest.
In three schools where certain improvement
in sanitary equipment was needed
the principals became so persistent in
demanding their rights as to get immediate
results.
Activity and initiative shown by
principals in health and upkeep of their
schools has been recognized by the
Board. Interest and training in school
hygiene on the part of applicants for
teaching positions is to be given definite
weight in the consideration of their
acceptance. Nearly all of our primary
teachers have been keen in the use
of one of the several accepted methods
of teaching health habits and personal
hygiene, in health posters and malnutrition
graphs.
Through the efforts of the teachers
the attitude of every school toward
vaccinations and inoculations has
shown a great change. In only two