USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Fitchburg > Address of the mayor, together with the annual reports for the city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts for the year .. > Part 4
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Various causes are assigned for the retardation of pupils if all such cases can be classed under that head. It certainly is a misuse of terms when it is said that a boy, 12 years of age, is held back or held over, or retarded, simply because he is in a first or a second grade, or is doing the work prescribed for one of those grades.
This boy comes from a foreign land-he has had no school- ing in his own land-he does not speak English. Certainly as he enters school, if he is placed in a regular grade, it must be in the lowest one. If he can read a little, and knows a little of arithmetic, he can be placed in a third grade.
A boy comes from a country town in another state. He is 13 years of age. He has been at school a very little, he has
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some little knowledge of arithmetic. He is fitted for grade three or four, where the pupils are eight or nine years of age.
Another boy, 12 years of age was born in this city. He has always lived here, he has been unable to attend school regularly. Poor health has compelled him to remain at home much of the time.
Other cases could be cited, but a duplication thereof would not serve to emphasize the phase of the question under consideration. Such instances are increasing year by year and thus the subject of promotion or the grading of classes become each year more and more important.
Careful study is given each year to this question with the view of ascertaining what plans may be best adapted to the needs of large numbers of pupils who, unless special plans are made operative, will reach the age of 14 or the compulsory age limit, before they are qualified to pass beyond the primary grade. It is not so much a question of promotion as it is of adapting the methods of instruction to the needs of large num- bers of pupils that can in nowise be classified in any of the regular grades.
The great majority of pupils that enter grade one in Sep- tember at the age of six are qualified one year hence to enter grade two. "There are exceptions to all rules," we are told and it would not be strange, if at the close of the year-the teacher should say that a very few would be benefited by remain- ing a while longer in the grade his companions are leaving. Should there be any considerable number of these exceptional cases it may be well assumed that a change at the teacher's desk is needed far more than any change in the system of pro- motion. What is said with reference to advancement from grades one or two, applies with equal force to advancement from any grade.
The term "repeater " ought not to imply injustice or ill treatment of any sort. An odium is attached to this term by reason of its use or misuse, as though the pupil to whom it is applied is guilty of some criminal offence. The teacher may decide-although the pupil has done his best-that it is well for him to repeat, and the fact that the teacher thus decides should not imply that the pupil is lacking in ability. Irregularity of
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attendance occasioned by poor health or some other unavoidable condition has prevented him from keeping with the class.
Such cases are exceptionable and they must be treated as such, but we must not expect a large number of them.
An effort has been made in this city to make provision for those who from any cause whatever are likely to be "left over " in any grade. This number is increasing year by year. Pupils 8, 10, 12 or even 14 years of age are coming to us, who are unable to speak English. Others there are who from various causes are unable to work with any degree of success in any grade. Classes are organized for the purpose of affording opportunity for this class of pupils to pursue a course of study adapted to their particular needs.
Different plans have been adopted in different parts of the city since a plan or a device that is well adapted to one class does not produce the best results elsewhere. Neither does a plan whereby good results are obtained one term prove the most profitable one for the next term.
Details of certain plans adopted are herein set forth. A teacher is selected for a building, but she is not assigned to any grade. Pupils from several of the rooms are sent to this teacher, each of whom needs special drill in some special subject -- it may be arithmetic or reading or geography. The teacher of the regular grade has not the time for dealing with individual pupils who need a greater amount of drill than can be given at the regular recitation hour.
A second plan is that of placing in one room pupils ranging in age from ten to fifteen-pupils whose attainments would not permit them to enter any grade but the lowest. Individual instruction is the rule in such a school.
A third plan of procedure is that of placing in one room, under the charge of one teacher, pupils of several different grades, 6, 7, 8 for instance. These can recite as a class but they need more drill than can be given in the regular class room. A pupil from grade six-one who is "over age" receives aid in this manner and in a short time is able to return to the regular grade six, or even to enter grade seven.
Other plans could be cited each of which is adopted for the purpose of aiding the individual pupil. Statements and statis-
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tics are herewith presented by teachers who have had remark- ably good success with their individual classes.
These three teachers whose reports are thus incorporated into this general report are deserving of high commendation for their patient and untiring efforts.
CLARENDON STREET UNGRADED SCHOOL.
MISS JEAN C. HORTON, Teacher.
"Fifty different pupils were enrolled during the year-20 of them coming from other schools in the building-five from other schools in the city. The others had not been enrolled in schools of Fitchburg.
" Twenty-seven at the time of entrance to this school were unable to speak English.
" Fifteen were tranferred during the year to some regular graded school-16 left to go to work-19 remained until the close of the year.
" The oldest at the time of entering was 15, the youngest was eight.
" Nationalities as follows were represented at one time :- America, England, Scotland, Germany, Russia, Greece, France, Italy and Poland."
LAUREL STREET UNGRADED CLASSES.
MARY E. LUSCOMBE, Teacher.
September, 1910-June, 1911.
" Pupils from different grades-one to seven, inclusive- are sent to the room set apart for this special work. Individual aid is given in branches in which the respective pupils need aid. Each pupil is enrolled in some one of the regular grades, reciting with the regular classes in some subjects and going to the special teacher as occasion may require.
" The majority of these pupils were unable to speak Eng- lish at the time of entering the school-although some of them were more or less proficient in their own language. They needed the aid that the regular teachers had not the time to
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give. A little help in many instances enables the pupil in a few months to " make a grade," whereas otherwise he might be compelled to remain one or two years in one grade.
"Fourteen pupils received aid regularly in this manner during the year, twelve of whom had not attended school prev- iously in this city. They entered at various times during the year. One was a "repeater " and one had been enrolled else- where in the city, Two were transferred to higher grades during the year and six others received what is termed a "double promotion " at the close of the year. One who had reached the compulsary age limit left school to go to work. Two were in school during the entire year. The youngest was six years, ten months old at the time of entering the school, the oldest was fifteen years, seven months.
"Besides the fourteen who were assisted regularly, 43 came from the various rooms from 'time to time and thus re- ceived assistance temporarily. The reasons assigned for need of help for these 43 were as follows : -
(a) Coming from school outside the city the attendance in many instances having been irregular, 6; (b) Coming from other schools in the city, previous change of schools in some instances having been quite frequent, 5; (c) Doing the work of two years in one, 13; (d) Special help needed in learning Eng- lish, 1; (e) Mentally deficient, 1; (f) Slow in acquiring, 17."
ACADEMY STREET UNGRADED SCHOOL.
MRS. SALLIE A. CHAMPNEY, Teacher from the organization thereof.
January 11, 1906, to the present time.
" The school was known at first, as " The Illiterate Minor School," but more recently as the Ungraded School for Non- English Speaking Pupils. At its organization only one English speaking pupil appeared, and very few of this class were enrolled during the first years of its history. The enrollment for a time was confined mainly to boys and girls from the mills. Now that it is unlawful for the manufacturers to employ
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those under sixteen, who can not read or write our language, there are few from that source. Many nationalities have been represented. There has always been a large attendance, the ages ranging from eight to twenty-five years. During the fall and winter it has not been unusual to see a number of young men, from eighteen to twenty-five years of age, mostly Greeks and Armenians, who have sought in this way to learn to speak and write English.
" One not familiar with this kind of school, can hardly realize the obstacles confronting the teacher. Very few of the pupils being able to understand any general orders or questions, the teacher must literally give herself to the work ; must im- press each one with her interest in them, her desire to help them. One's enthusiasm must not diminish, nor her patience fail, while doing individual work almost wholly, yet keeping the other twenty-five or thirty employed. The diversity of ages makes the discipline far more difficult, yet generally speaking, there has never been a serious breach of discipline. The older ones especially are anxious to learn, and one sees better results, after the first few months, than among our English speaking pupils.
"The year beginning September 6, 1910, to June 30, 1911, was an average one.
"Nine nationalities were represented by 48 pupils, the youngest on entering being eight years of age, and the oldest 15. Of this number five came from other schools in the build- ing, 12 from other schools in the city ; 25 had never attended any school in this city, and six had been in this room the pre- vious year. 33 were unable when entering to speak English. 13 remained the, entire year, eight left to go to work, four to remain at home that the mother might work, five left the city, but are now attending school in various places, three left to enter a parochial school, 15 were promoted to a regular graded school in this city, and 13 entered this school in September, 1911.''
The work of the special class at the high school is outlined in the report of the principal.
5
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SCHOOL REPORT
MEDICAL INSPECTION.
The law requiring medical inspection of the schools went into operation in 1906. The law provided that the Board of Health might take charge of such inspection, but in case this Board declined to assume authority, the School Board should appoint the inspectors. The Board of Health in this city de- clined to assume this authority, whereupon the School Board appointed two inspectors who served in that capacity until May, 1911. The Board of Health at that time notified the School Board that from and after that date the Board of Health would take charge of the work of inspection. This Board ap- pointed one physician, Dr. F. H. Thompson, Jr., as medical inspector and school physician. He has reported during the year to the Board of Health and also to the School Board.
Extracts from his reports are herewith presented :
"In accordance with Chapter 514, of the Acts of 1909, the Medical Inspection of working children between the ages of 14 and 16, for Health Certificates was begun in August, 1910.
The report for the year August, 1910, to August 1, 1911, is as follows :
Number of minors examined, 333
Number of minors failed, 5
The number who failed, three girls and two boys, were re- fused certificates for the following reasons :
(1) Dec. 19, 1910. - Diagnosis : Cachexia, Incipient pulmon- ary tuberculosis.
(2) Dec. 30, 1910. - Diagnosis : Curvature of the spine. Under treatment with apparatus.
(3) Jan. 30, 1911. - Diagnosis : Epilepsy.
(4) Feb. 24, 1911. - Diagnosis : Cachexia ; Pulmonary tu- berculosis. Has been under observation at the Tuber- culosis Clinic.
(5) July 24, 1911. - Diagnosis : Valvular heart disease.
The services of a district nurse are needed to follow up cases in the homes of children advised or excluded from school. By the co-operation of a nurse with the teachers and the School Physician it will be possible to shorten the exclusion period in many of the diseased due to lack of personal hygiene, and in other cases to hasten the time when the physical defects of the
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child will be given proper medical attention and the defects remedied. The nurse will educate the parent on matters of common-sense hygiene, and thereby help to stamp out many of the prevailing parasitic skin diseases that are due to poor hygienic surroundings and which form a large percentage of absences from school."
Respectfully submitted, FREDERICK H. THOMPSON, JR., School Physician. Dec. 14, 1911.
CONCLUSION.
Special significance is attached to the reports hereunto appended which are made direct to the school department from heads of departments. Valuable information is contained in these documents.
Respectfully submitted, JOSEPH G. EDGERLY, Superintendent.
Fitchburg, Dec. 22, 1911.
REPORT OF THE TRUANT OFFICER FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1910-11
Number of absentees reported and investigated between September 1, 1910 and June 30, 1911,
800
Divided among the different schools as follows :
High School, 8
Central Grammar School, 26
Pleasant and Academy Street Schools,
115
School Street School, 6
Clarendon Street School,
83
Ashburnham Street School,
5
Laurel and Rollstone Street Schools,
30
Hosmer School,
31
Nolan School,
25
South Fitchburg School,
6
Maverick Street School, 3
Goodrich Street School,
55
Lunenburg Street School,
14
Day Street School,
68
Edgerly School,
31
Highland Avenue School, ยท
5
Practical Arts School,
36
Pearl Hill School,
1
Wachusett School,
1
Woodbury School,
2
Immaculate Conception School,
34
St. Bernard School,
90
St. Francis School,
2
St. John School,
4
St. Joseph School, 119
Number found to be truants, 93
Number at Worcester County Training School, June 30, 1911, 1
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Number of children in court for truancy, 2
Number sent to Worcester County Training School, 1
Number placed on probation, 1
Number of visits to schools, September 1, 1910, to June 30, 1911, 3,693
Number of visits to homes, September 1, 1910, to June 30, 1911, 636
Age and schooling certificates issued during the year to children between the ages of 14 and 16, males 206, females 209,
415
Age and schooling certificates signed by the mother, By the father,
99
By guardian or custodian,
25
Number of mill and mercantile establishments visited, 30
Minors found working contrary to the provisions of Chapter 267, Section 28, revised laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
11
Birthplace of minors who received age and school- ing certificates for the year ending July 1, 1911, Fitchburg,
240
Massachusetts, outside of Fitchburg,
62
United States, outside of Massachusetts,
42
Canada,
47
Finland,
7
Italy,
7
England,
3
Russia,
3
Germany,
2
Greece,
1
-
291
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SCHOOL REPORT
WORK IN DETAIL
MONTHS
Investigated
Girls
Boys
Visits to
Schools
Visits to Homes
Number found
to be Truants
Illegal Employ-
co ment of Minors
September,
66
16
50
420
56
12
October,
77
22
55
298
67
10
November,
72
15
57
430
45
9
December,
59
16
43
360
31
7
January,
108
40
68
420
86
9
2
February,
62
20
42
288
51
3
March,
121
32
89
396
89
10
April,
82
20
62
416
68
13
2
May,
102
20
82
263
87
15
4
June,
51
11
40
402
56
5
800
212
588
3,693
636
93
11
Respectfully submitted,
NATHAN C. UPHAM,
Truant Officer.
.
June 30, 1911.
Case
FITCHBURG HIGH SCHOOL.
As to the present condition of the High School the follow- ing facts are submitted :
Sept. 19, 1911. Sept. 16, 1902.
Number of pupils,
802
481
31 all the time.
Number of teachers,
4 special.
-
25
One teacher to each 26 pupils in September, 1911.
One teacher to each 20 pupils in September, 1902.
STANDING AT THE COLLEGES.
The colleges which constitute the College Entrance Certi- ficate Board are Amherst, Boston University, Bowdoin, Brown University, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Tufts, Univer- sity of Maine, University of Vermont, Wellesley, Wesleyan and Williams.
A quotation from our School Manual of recent date is as follows : "No certificates will be given to pupils whose work is such as to cause any doubt as to their ability to maintain themselves with credit in the first year of college work."
The renewal of the certificate privilege shows the standing of the school among those colleges.
(1) Certificate privilege was renewed by New England College Entrance Certificate Board for three years beginning Jan. 1, 1910.
(2) Certificate privilege has been renewed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute Jan. 1, 1910.
(3) Reports of students who have entered Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Dartmouth, Wellesley, Vassar, Smith, Mt. Holyoke,
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SCHOOL REPORT
Wesleyan University,
Holy Cross,
Norwich University,
Rensselaer Institute,
Pratt Institute, Simmons College,
Bryn Mawr.
Reports have been very gratifying, as the following letters may suggest :
First, from Secretary College Entrance Certificate Board ; Second, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute ; Third, from Dartmouth ;
Fourth, from Harvard.
159 BROWN ST., PROVIDENCE, R. I.,
May 13, 1910.
Principal of the High School,
Fitchburg, Mass.
Dear Sir: The High School in Fitchburg, Mass., has been approved by the New England College Entrance Certifi- cate Board for three years, commencing January 1, 1910, sub- ject to the following rule which has been adopted by the Board :
"The Board shall have the power of withdrawing approval from a school, and from such a school certificates shall not afterward be accepted until it shall again be approved by the Board."
NATHANIEL F. DAVIS, Secretary.
WORCESTER, MASS., Jan. 31, 1910.
Mr. Charles T. Woodbury,
Principal Fitchburg High School, Fitchburg, Mass.,
My Dear Mr. Woodbury: In connection with the renewal of the certificate privilege for another period of three years to the Fitchburg High School, I desire to take this opportunity of saying a word personally in connection with the students we receive from Fitchburg. I have now been connected with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute for nearly twenty years, and for something like ten years I have had charge of the work in
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SCHOOL REPORT
connection with all matters pertaining to the certification of high schools. For that reason, I have had occasion to come into somewhat intimate relation with the different high schools with whom that relation existed, and it has been a part of my duty to check up the records of students who entered on certifi- cate, and to note any cases in which students did not make good in those subjects which depended directly on the subjects in which they were certified. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to say that the record which has been made with us by the Fitchburg High School is one of exceptional excellence. I do not recall a single case in which the Fitchburg certificate was not amply justified by the student's subsequent record ; and in many cases the students have made records of much more than ordinarily good standing.
Hoping for a continuance in future of the cordial relations that have so long existed between the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Fitchburg High School, I am
Very sincerely yours, (Signed) LEVI L. CONANT,
Chairman of the Committee on Certification of Preparatory Schools.
DEAN'S OFFICE, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, HANOVER, N. H., April 20, 1908.
Principal Charles T. Woodbury,
High School, Fitchburg, Mass.
My Dear Mr. Woodbury : I have your letter, received while I was away upon a two weeks' vacation, asking about the young men who fitted at your school. I am glad to report to you that every one of your former pupils have met our require- ments both during the first year of the college course and since. You did not ask for the standing of A, who entered in the class of 1908. B ranked over 80 per cent the first semester of the Freshman year; C over 60 per cent ; A over 80 per cent ; and they have maintained about the same standing, doing a little better, throughout the course. All these men entered by cer- tificate. D had a rank of a little over 80 per cent the first semester, and E ranked nearly 85 per cent the first semester, and they are both doing well. F of our Freshman class had a rank of 79.4, and G ranked a little over 60 per cent. C and G are not of high grade in scholarship, still they show that they
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. SCHOOL REPORT
were well prepared according to their ability. From this show- ing you may feel well satisfied with the work of your school in preparation for college.
Very truly yours,
CHARLES F. EMERSON.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.,
March 23, 1911.
My dear Mr. Woodbury :
I take pleasure in sending you, in accordance with your re- quest of March 22, copies of the records of Fitchburg boys who took examinations in 1910.
I should call A's record distinctly a good one. I think also that the records of B, C and D are good records. I should call them better than the average records for admission. Your last question I regret to say is one that I cannot answer. I think it would be impossible to make any comparative statement as to the records presented five, ten or fifteen years ago with those of today except, perhaps, that the boys who came up in 1906 from Fitchburg seem to be a rather poor lot. Since that time, they have been decidedly better.
Very truly yours,
J. G. HART.
STANDING OF 1910 GRADUATES IN THE COL- LEGES OR TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.
College Course-Of 9 graduates-six entered college; two by certificate, four by examination.
The two who entered college on certificate are doing ex- cellent work in some subjects, and passing in all subjects, according to reports from Dartmouth and Holy Cross.
The four who entered college by examination are all doing creditably and passing work in their courses, except that one of the four has failed in one of seven courses.
Technology Preparatory Course-Of six graduates all entered technical schools; three on certificate, one on diploma, two by examination. All are doing excellent work, according to their records at Wesleyan, at Massachusetts Institute of
1
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SCHOOL REPORT
Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Rensselaer Institute.
Of the General Course pupils, those at Norwich University and Pratt Institute are making excellent records. There are eighteen at the Fitchburg Normal School, two at the Boston Normal Art School.
Of those at the Fitchburg Normal School the principal states that the general impression of the teachers is that the preparation was satisfactory and that the eighteen graduates of the school, class of 1910, are doing good work.
Of the Commercial and General Course pupils our graduates have positions as bookkeepers or stenographers in the offices of Fitchburg Machine Co., Franklin Freeman's office at Leomin- ster, Smiley's, Miner & Payson, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Co., G. M. Parks Co., Lowe Bros., Simonds Manufac- turing Co., Brown Bag Filling Machine Co., Gruener Hardware Co., Perley R. Eaton's office, New England Manufacturing Co., Fitchburg Hardware Co., Dillon's, DeJonge's, East Yard Car Shops, Nichols & Frost, Jennison Plumbing Co., Sentinel Office, Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
Our Commercial and Part Commercial Course graduates since 1903 are also in the offices of Parkhill Manufacturing Co., Fitchburg National Bank, Fitchburg Safe Deposit & Trust Co., and Shirreffs Mill.
In the Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Co.'s office there are five graduates of the following classes : one from 1903, two from 1907, one from 1909, one from 1910. And the testimony of the gentleman in charge of the office is that these young men and women are very efficient. One of these young persons, now hardly 21, who graduated four years ago, is earning $18 per week in that office. I might add that as a pupil his record at school, in deportment, scholarship, and punctuality was ex- cellent.
These young men and women twenty-five in number from the class of 1910 are earning from $5 to $10 per week.
This class of 1910, ninety-eight in number, has made a good beginning since the commencement of 1910.
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SCHOOL REPORT
CLASS OF 1911.
The forty-fifth graduation exercises of the High School were held Wednesday evening, June 28, 1811. The order of exer- cises was as follows :
March from Suite, Op. 113 Orchestra
Lachner
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