The Myers Kindergarten

Progress, Volume XII, Issue 10, 1 June 1917, Page 975

The Myers Kindergarten

The building known as the Myers’ Kindergarten and School for Backward Children, has been recently completed in Auckland. It is situated on a piece of land presented to the city by the Hon. A. Myers and known as Myers’ Park. Mr. Myers bought up a piece of land of the “slum” type, cleared away the houses and generously made a gift to the city, with the result that the fine new kindergarten now stands, an ornament to the city, in place of one of

AUCKLAND.

A very essential feature has been kept in mind, namely: that the successful training of men and women is undoubtedly attributed to the groundwork received when young, and here the little ones are taken from the playground of the street and taught to live the beautiful.

In front of the kindergarten each child has a small flower bed set aside. Flower boxes are placed on the sills of the windows in the building which

those evils of the modern city generally dubbed slumland. ’ ’

The binding, beautifully situated on a rising portion of the ground in the park surrounded by grassy slopes, shrubs and foliage gives the whole effect a picturesqueness which must bear a wholesome influence on the minds of the children. The whole of the works have been most carefully thought out in every minute detail; one notices at once the hygienic properties in the construction throughout, there arc no square angles in the building where dust can be collected, all external and internal angles of the walls, floors and ceilings are rounded, not with the usual attempt at rounding angles but one that can he seen which leaves no excuse for the accumulation of dirt.

will give a brightness to the rooms when the flowers are in bloom.

The general equipment is such that the child is taught to do everything for itself. The door handles arc placed sufficiently low to enable a child of very tender years to open the door. The lavatory basins and the other sanitary fittings are especially adapted for their use, and the hat and coat hooks are of such a length that a child has no difficulty in hanging up it’s own clothes thereby forming habits of cleanliness and tidiness. The kitchen is so arranged that a child can, with the exception of handling boiling water, provide a meal for himself, and afterwards wash up and put away the crockery used. A cupboard containing the plates, cups, biscuits, etc., is placed upon the

floor with the fastenings and shelves within easy reach, one of the two sinks is so placed that the child can be taught the process of cleaning any utensil used and replace it in its right position. For general use a dinner waggon on rubber tyred wheels is kept in the kitchen where it can be loaded by the children with four trays of crockery and food and drawn by small students to any classroom. In one corner of the room is a cool safe for milk with two sides opening to external air. Hot water is generated by means of a gas boiler which supplies each sink and hath, towel rail, and basin for teachers, and is also connected to the first floor with stop cock. A concrete slab is provided for two gas rings for making tea. Over the crockery cupboard is provided a locked medicine chest, well out of the reach of the children, containing the necessary

building' by a through corridor. Included in this sanitary wing is a small kitchen and bathroom. The flooring of the sanitary department and corridors is of concrete finished with “Faina” flooring rounded at the angle on the floor line, and the walls and ceilings finished with Blundell Spence’s Petrifying Liquid, thus allowing the whole to be hosed down.

The students’ room and the directors’ room arc arranged off the main corridor with supervision windows overlooking the main hall. These are properly fitted up with lockers, cupboards and everything necessary for administration purposes. Three class rooms and sand-tray room arc arranged round the main hall and connected by large screen doors made to fold on McCabe’s accordion hangers, thus enabling the whole opening to

remedies for the little ones’ ailments. In the bathroom there are two small baths with bath scats and all necessary equipment. Two cots arc placed in the teacher’s room to rest the little ones if tired, or if not quite well. Little chairs and tables are included in the equipment, both tables and chairs being small enough to be moved by the children themselves. Each table has accommodation for two children only, thus giving them more space and air. The general arrangements of the building arc as follows:

The kindergarten is placed on the ground floor with the children’s entrance nearest the inclined roadway from Upper Queen Street. The parents’ entrance faces Queen Street and is approached from this roadway by a flight of steps. The sanitary arrangements arc on the south side disconnected without being isolated from the main

be thrown open. The rooms are lighted on the remaining three sides by large windows in which every sash is made to open. It is therefore quite possible to make these class rooms practically openair rooms in summer weather.

The sand tray room is for the purpose of giving the children playing space under cover in wet weather. This room is of the same dimensions as the class room and of similar construction. In addition it is immediately adjoining the verandah with large screen doors similar to those connecting with the mian hall.

The main hall or circle room is 30 ft. wide and 40 ft, long opening on to a verandah with the four rooms arranged round. In this room is placed the circle. It is lighted directly east and west by two large windows. These windows are similar to all others, and when every sash is open and all screen

doors to class room and verandah thrown open, even this room can safely be considered an open-air room. On the wails of the main hall and class rooms at a convenient height from the floor black-boards arc arranged for the children to work on and above these black-boards a specimen board is fixed on the wall to display the children’s work. On the boards arc fixed numerous brackets for flower vases in which the children deposit flowers and attend to them daily. An Aquarium and avairy are to be placed in the kindergarten as object lessons for the children. The main object of the planning of all rooms is to give each a maximum aspect, each room being lighted on three sides. The top sashes are pivot hung opening vertically and operated by a ratchet screw enabling the whole of the window space to be made to open, thus giving practically an open-air room.

of the building is amply lighted by electricity whilst power plugs have been inserted for heating or fans.

The building is fire-resisting in construction. The walls are of brick and the sashes wrought iron, the ceiling of kindergarten is of reinforced concrete. That portion above, occupied by the backward children, as class rooms, hall, etc., has an independent floor of joists and floor boards over the concrete ceiling making it much more agreeable for the children, and reducing the possibility of sound reaching the lower floor. The only possibility of fire is on the false wood floor and in the doorways. In any case a fire could not be of such magnitude as to endanger the safety of the children, there being ample exit on the verandah and balcony. The entrance to the school for backward children is in the centre of the south front, an entirely sep-

This method of hanging sashes also allows the windows to be opened to any angle, giving the opportunity of adjusting them to the wind, and obtaining good natural ventilation in all weathers. The centre sashes are pivot hung horizontally with spring catch fasteners and lower portion of the sashes made on the hopper principle with glazed checks to act as inlet for fresh air without draught. All sashes are of wrought iron, giving the maximum amount of open space with minimum support.

The verandah facing north is beautifully situated having a view of the playing ground and paddling pond. It is of spacious proportions and quite useful for the children in wet weather.

The flooring of the kindergarten is of wood joists and floor boards laid over a reinforced concrete floor, thus not only making a warmer floor than the general construction of wood floors, hut is a much more healthy construction, there being no possibility of ground air penetrating into the room. The whole

arate entrance to that of the kindergarten. It is reached by a flight of concrete steps designed according to the rules laid down by authorities on school planning. On either side of the main landing is arranged a cloak room and lavatory accommodation, for boys and girls, of such dimensions to adequately cope with the number of scholars. The remarks observed in the kindergarten lavatories also apply here.

A class room and masters’ room arc arranged off the main corridor, and beyond them and directly over the hall below is placed the upper hall or common room in which most of the instruction will be given. This room as in the case of the others affords all facilities for open-air work when such is possible, and well ventilated rooms when the weather is unfavourable.

A special gas service is arranged for the main hall for cooking stoves or other work which may

be required in the teaching adopted in this department. .

A balcony is arranged facing north covered with asphaite. 'i'nis is of ample size to utilize as an out-of-door class room in the summer.

Generally the planning and design gives all that can be desired for the purpose for which the building is intended, and a type of school building which is being adopted largely now on account ,of its hygienic principles. ■ The building is erected of hollow brick walls with rough cast and pointed brick finish, all internal partitions of brick, and roof covered with Marseilles tiles.

The architecture is of free English Renaissance treatment, adapted to school planning. The building, including the equipment and electric light cost nearly £6,000,