History of the John Lewis Childs PTA

FLORAL PARK PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION

The Floral Park Parent-Teacher Association, which name was later changed to the John Lewis Childs PTA, was organized on December 6,1921, by Mrs. Louis Cheney and Mrs. Rena C. Hayden, Principal of the school.

One of the first on Long Island and in a rapidly growing community, the new PTA found much work to do. It was instrumental in establishing the Manual Training and Domestic Science departments in the school; it inaugurated the program of pre-school medical examinations; it was the first on Long Island and one of the first in the state, to offer child-study course to mothers of grade school children. The part it played in starting the school cafeteria has been referred to elsewhere.

For seven years the new PTA sponsored motion-picture matinees for children throughout the school year. Matinees were held on Saturday mornings, first in the Old Lily Theater on the corner of Flower Avenue and Jericho, and later at the Floral Theater. Mrs. Rueben Purcell was in charge of selecting the movies. The films were carefully chosen to make sure that they were suitable for children. They were not only entertaining the children, but helping to discourage attendance at unsuitable movies.

Active participation in the establishment of the library and the village playground helped those two permanent ventures off to a good start.

The preliminary work incident to forming the Long Island District of Parent-Teacher Associations was done within the John Lewis Childs association by Mrs. Louis Cheney, Mrs. Aaron Brown, Mrs. Walter Sherman and Mrs. Reuben Purcell, in conjunction with Mrs. Albert Opdyke of Sea Cliff. The district was established on November 11,1925, and the following spring, the John Lewis Childs association entertained the first Long Island District conference. "A delicious luncheon was served"- quite a feat considering that none of the kitchen equipment had yet arrived, and not even the hot water had been installed!

Upon the opening of the Floral Park-Bellerose School a second PTA was formed in that school by the mothers whose children transferred from John Lewis Childs School.

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