The Elementary School, Part 1: School Environment and Healthful Living (1952, sound)

Description: Content warning: Beginning at 12:15, this film uses an outdated term for people with physical disabilities. It also misleadingly depicts racially segregated schools in a neutral or positive light.

Part One of Three, on "School Environment and Healthful Living"; according to the credits, filmed in 68 schools throughout Virginia. Notable in a film about the health effects of the school environment is the depiction of African American pupils and teachers in segregated classrooms and school buses, entirely separate from their white counterparts. There is no mention of race or school segregation and its unequal and harmful outcomes for Black and white children; indeed at one point the narrator declares that "school is for all children." The one scene in which Black and white people appear together is a meeting of white teachers and Black school nurses.

Film contains excellent footage of Virginia schools, classrooms, students, staff and parents.

A contemporary synopsis reads: "Scenes in many schools in Virginia emphasize aspects of good school environment, such as the adaptation of plant and equipment, pupil and teacher welfare, knowledge of children as individuals, and the human relationships which exist in the school."

Can notes: "Elementary School 2If pt.1"

Log in can: "No. 21B / Inspected by Celentine / Date 4/11/72 / Splices 4 / Inspected by [Dant] / Date 5/23/77 / Splices 4 / Inspected by MB / Date 6/26/78 / Splices 4 / Inspected by Victor / Date 6/8/87 / Splices OK / Inspected by Felix / Date 1/12/93 / Splices cleaned"

Leader: "Teachers College, Columbia University / 525 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027"

Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com.

Subjects: 1950s, Schools, Education, Children, People with disabilities and those who are d/Deaf and/or hard of hearing, Black history and culture , Health and hygiene, Racism

Tags: Roanoke school buses; rural life; schoolhouses; Black schoolchildren leaving school bus; Mount Vernon School; Union Grove School; Glencarlyn School; classrooms; cubbies; teachers; primary schools; recess; playing games; permanent records; school medical records; home visits; parent teacher conferences; cafeterias; school libraries; school librarians; field trips; school nurses; shop instructors; rural schoolhouses; Henrico school buses; teacher lounges; principals; health; physical fitness; school nurses; hearing tests; Black students; African American people; audiometers; hearing loss; hearing aids; children with disabilities; drinking fountains; health instruction; people using wheelchairs; papier-mâché; hygiene; hand washing; first aid; physical education; recess; playgrounds; jungle gyms; monkey bars; volleyball; dancing; square dancing; nutrition; "What to Eat abd Why" booklet; food selection; milk bottles; school lunches; saying grace; ringlets; story time; reading; nap time; cots; record players; segregated classrooms; systemic racism; gender roles; racial segregation

Film Sponsor:

Creator: Cinecrafters Productions

Credits: "Filmed in 68 schools throughout Virginia"
Script and Editing: Arthur Minz
Photography: J. Sol Wrenn, Jr.
Technical Supervision: Division of Instruction, Virginia Department of Education


Distributor: Virginia State Board of Education

Contributor: Prelinger Archives

Source Collection: Prelinger Archives

Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive

Production Date:

Release Date: 1952

Geographical Location: USA; Virginia

Genre/Form: educational, sponsored

Language: eng

Rights:

Film Format: 16mm film

Element: release print, reversal

Color: color

Color Process: Kodachrome

Sound or Silent: sound

Film Soundtrack Type: optical

Edge Code: square plus

Frame Rate: 24 fps

Length (feet): 862