History and present status of instruction in cooking in the public schools of New York city

Visits have been regularly made, as shown in monthly reports, and such aid and suggestions given to the teachers as were found necessary. The city superintend- ent has been advised as to the appointments, transfers, and promotions of teachers. 38 CONFERENCES WITH TEACHERS. Teachers hare met the supervisor on Friday afternoon of each week at Public School 43. for lectures in chemistry. They were also enabled to do considerable laboratory work, as this school had been supplied with some chemicals and appa- ratus by the teacher of cookery (now super visor) under an appropriation granted by the board of trustees in 1895. The lectures on the chemistry of food and of cookery were given by Mr. Sieberg, principal of this school, after 3 o'clock, through courtesy of the supervisor, who had been special teacher of cookery in his school for six years. These lectures, experiments, and the tests for adulterations in foods have proved invaluable to the teachers, and they feel that they have enjoyed an unusual advan- tage in this course. Mr. Hyatt, principal of Public School 85, is an enthusiast on cooking in the^public schools, and he also has given valuable aid gratis in micros- copy and botany to the supervisor and her teachers. As he has been a member of the microscopical society for thirty years, it was a great pleasure to study with him. And lastly, the teachers have met the supervisor every Saturday at the New York University, where she arranged for a course in biology with laboratory practice. The object of the course being to study the digestive processes of the lower ani- mals, as a foundation for the study of the human alimentary system, special atten- tion was given to those animals that serve as food for man. The teachers have entered into the spirit of all this work with the greatest possi- ble enthusiasm, and have given verbal and written expressions of their hearty appre- ciation of the aid and guidance of the supervisor. It has been a delight to her that her experience has made it possible to help them thus, and she thinks the board of education may be proud of this body of teachers who labor so faithfully to make themselves more able in their specialty. COURSES OF STUDY. A manual was prepared in October. 1897. by the supervisor and. by the direction of the special committee on instruction, was submitted to the secretary of the com- mittee on manual training. After careful examination by him it was placed in the hands of the city superintendent, who duly examined it and, on November 30. decided to submit it to the committee on instruction with the recommendation that 1,500 copies be printed. Typewritten copies of this manual have been furnished the teachers until Buch time as it may be printed, and the supervisor earnestly recom- mends that it be done without further delay. The principals of the manual training schools are anxious to secure copies, and many requests have been received from various institutions throughout this country, and also from London and Canada.