USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Fitchburg > Address of the mayor, together with the annual reports for the city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts for the year .. > Part 5
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PRAYER
Rev. Walter Healy, D. D.
SONG, "Fleeting Days "
Girls' Chorus Bailey
ADDRESS
Prof. Herman Schneider, University of Cincinnati
SONG, Waltz from " Faust "
School Chorus Gounod
PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS
His Honor the Mayor, M. Frederick O'Connell
CLASS SONG Words and Music by Frederic Garnett Rice
Now the task's accomplished And the work is passed.
Victory in our efforts We have gained at last.
The world-gates stand open ; Hopes through all delay,
Labors great and sorrows Wait upon our way.
And ambitions high as heav'n
Call the class of nineteen eleven.
" Seize the opportunity." Let that be our cry. " Manhood " our ideal That we conquor by. Let's be men and women, Worthy of the name. Bring to Alma Mater All the fruits of fame. For ambitions high as heav'n Call the class of nineteen eleven.
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SCHOOL REPORT
In the hazy future When the storm waves roll, And dark failure threatens To engulf the soul, Then shall we remember Through our hopes and fears,
Hours with thee, O Mater, In those cherished years-
When ambitions high as heav'n
Call'd the class of nineteen eleven.
VALEDICTORY
President Paul Glenn Kent, 1911
MARCH
Orchestra
The class of 1911 at graduation enrolled the largest number in the history of the school, divided as follows :
Twelve in the College Course.
Six in the Technology Preparatory Course.
Fifty-four in the General Course.
Nineteen in the Commercial Course.
Twenty in the Cooperative Industrial Course.
Of these one was admitted to Trinity College, Washington, five were admitted to Harvard, only one of the five with any conditions, one entered Worcester Polytechnic Institute, one Annapolis Naval Academy, one Boston University, one Univer- sity of Illinois, one Ohio Northern University.
Ten are taking courses at the school this year, and plan to enter Dartmouth, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Simmons, Wesleyan, Amherst State, Wellesley and Massachusetts Insti- tute of Technology, next September.
One is studying music in Germany, one is enrolled in the Walnut Hills School, and one is teaching in Bennett College, Greensboro, N. C.
Twenty-four were admitted to the Fitchburg Normal School. Two entered the Boston Normal Art School.
Twenty-one of the commercial and general course pupils, who took some commercial subjects, are now employed in some
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SCHOOL REPORT
of the best business offices of the city at wages from $4 to $12 per week. These offices include Webber Lumber Co., Daily News office, Bickford's Hack and Carriage Co., Crocker, Bur- bank & Co., Cornforth & Marx Silk Mill, C. H. Greene. Wm. A. Hardy & Sons, Brass Founders, H. M. Downs Printing Co., Whittemore Box Co., Keith Bill Posting Co., C. A. Edgarton Co., Shirley, Boston & Maine Car Shops, H. A. Hatch & Son, Iver Johnson Co.
Nine boys who pursued college, technical or general course are at work in mills, offices and stores of this city.
Of the twenty co-operative industrial graduates, fourteen are now working in the same shops in which they have worked in the last three years and are receiving from $12 to $15 per week ; one has entered a university, one is in a business school, one is employed in a machine shop in Worcester.
Testimony to the worth of the industrial course is seen from the fact that eight of these young men have been, since Sep- tember, taking evening courses in French and mathematics with the intention, on the part of a number, of better preparing themselves for some technical school.
HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL CLASS.
Since 1907 there has been a special class at the high school under the same teacher, for pupils not ready for the high school and for whom repeating in the grammar school did not meet their needs.
In September, 1907, there were 26 pupils in this special class. There the general plan of the work for the year was to take English, history, arithmetic and algebra, under this special teacher, and in addition to this the boys were to have manual training and mechanical drawing, while the girls have four periods a week of sewing and dressmaking, two of cooking and four of drawing and designing. At the end of this year of special work 14 of the 26 entered the freshman class of the high school ; in September, 1908, two entered business college; in September, 1909, three were promoted to the sophomore class conditionally, and four repeated ; in September, 1910, three of this class entered the junior class. In September, of 1908, 26
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SCHOOL REPORT
pupils entered the special class and pursued similar work to that of the pupils who entered the class in 1907. In September, 1909, of these 26, nine entered the freshman class; in Septem- ber, 1910, one entered the junior class, four entered the sopho- more class, and two remained in the freshman class; in September, 1911, one boy entered the senior Industrial Course, three the junior class and two the sophomore class. In Sep- tember, 1909, there were 28 pupils in this special course; in 1910, twelve of these entered the freshman class, one entered business school; in September, 1911, two of these entered the sophomore class; in September, 1911, nine entered the fresh- man class. In September, 1911, there were 18 pupils in this special class, and up to the present none have left school.
By this special work the pupils have been able to come in touch with the high school work, have taken part in some of the regular high school exercises, like singing, and have con- tinued in high school one, two, and a few have remained four years, whereas if it had not been for this special class probably not a single one of these pupils would have entered high school.
A comparison of records for entrance to college during three four year periods is of interest :
1886
1887
1888
1889
Boston University,
2
1
Harvard,
1
1
Wesleyan,
1
1
Holy Cross,
1
Brown,
1
Yale,
1
Amherst,
1
1
Wellesley,
1
1
The above data was given by members of classes or by teachers of the school at that time.
A quotation from Principal G. P. Hitchcock's report, "Fitchburg High School and the Colleges," follows :
"The equipment of our high school is such that it can compete successfully with the best preparatory schools. Our pupils frequently enter college with credit and make brilliant records for scholarship during their course. Oftentimes they
6
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SCHOOL REPORT
are permitted to take courses as freshmen which are usually open only to upper classmen, owing to the amount of work they have done in our school.
" The best preparatory schools, however, cannot guarantee that their pupils will enter college without conditions, or, indeed, that they will enter at all. The burden of the respon- sibility rests with the individual pupil. The chief requisites are health, ability which is at least average, and a close application to every day's work. Without these requisites failure to enter college without conditions is practically certain."
That our high school has been able to meet these require- ments the accompanying figures show :
Institute
1896
1897
1198
1899
Totals
Amherst College,
1
2
3
Boston University,
1
1
2
Brown Univerity,
1
1
5
2
9
Cornell University,
1
1
Dartmouth College,
1
1
2
Harvard College,
2
2
4
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1
3
1
1
6
Mount Holyoke College,
2
1
3
Radcliffe College,
1
1
Tufts College,
1
1
2
4
Smith College,
1 9
6
16
Wellesley College,
1
2
3
Wells College,
1
1
2
Worcester Polytechnic Institute,
3
1
6
10
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
2
2
Totals,
12
21
15
20
68
-
The statements made by Mr. Hitchcock apply as well today as ten years ago. Work must be thoroughly and honestly done in order that college work may be satisfactorily met. Pupils who use translations or keys to enable them to pass high school courses will not earn the certificate privilege and will probably fail in entrance examinations. It is not seldom that a high school is blamed when a pupil has to give up school, broken down by overwork, where the actual causes probably
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SCHOOL REPORT
are, too little systematic physical exercise in the open air, too late hours and too much social dissipation.
The third table shows us the more recent years :
1906
1907
1908
1909
Totals
Boston University,
1
1
Wellesley,
2
2
2
1
7
Dartmouth,
3
1
2
6
Harvard,
4
1
3
2
10
Worcester Polytechnic,
3
4
1
2
10
University of Vermont,
1
1
Lowell Textile,
2
1
3
6
Holy Cross,
2
1
2
5
Smith,
1
3
4
Pratt Institute,
2
2
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1
2
1
4
Union College,
1
1
Norwich University,
2
2
Brown University,
2
2
4
Tufts,
1
1
Radcliffe,
1
1
Clark,
1
1
West Point,
1
1
Mt. Holyoke,
1
1
Simmons,
1
1
Columbia,
1
1
-
Totals,
16
15
20
19
70
These tables show the following facts-that no comparison can be made between the college record of ten years ago and that of twenty years ago, and between the recent college record with that of twenty years ago, both on account of the small size of the school twenty years ago and the small number who entered college at that time. It is true that though the classes from 1886 to 1889 were small, numbering from twenty to thirty- one, there are strong teachers and business men from among them in this city and in other places, two of the most progressive and efficient educators in Massachusetts.
The comparison of the table of recent date with that of ten years ago shows that while 68 entered college or technical
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SCHOOL REPORT
school during the earlier period, 70 entered during the later period-the later pupils entering the more practical schools in larger numbers. During the recent period the school has fully maintained its earlier position as a college preparatory school and at the same time has met the needs of other pupils by pro- viding an up-to-date commercial course which graduated its first pupils in 1908, and a co-operative industrial course which will graduate its first class in 1911. This last course has been a great improvement on the old manual training course, which was given up in 1908, as we did not have accommodations and equipment to properly carry it on.
I might give illustration after illustration to show excel- lence of college record of Fitchburg high school graduates since the present administration began in 1903-a few may suffice. One graduate of 1904 studied here another year, entered Trin- ity College at Hartford, was valedictorian of his class; another of the same class made an exceptional record at McGill Uni- versity and graduates from the McGill Law School in June of this year. A third with first-class record at Smith is now a teacher at the Brattleboro high school. A fourth graduated with high rank at Amherst, took examination at Washington
and is now in the diplomatic service in China. A fifth, an honor student in biology at Dartmouth, took the New York teachers' examinations the second year after graduation and passed with highest mark against a large field of competitors, and is now teaching biology in one of the largest schools of the city-a school of over 3,000 boys.
From 1905 there is a member of our faculty, another well- known as a superior singer, a third, probably the best magazine illustrator ever graduated from the school, a fourth, after mak- ing an excellent record at Brown, is now in business in this city.
From 1906 there were graduates of the colleges in 1910 who were very successful in their undergraduate work and have just started on a business career or their professional studies.
Of 1907, there were rare leaders of their fellows while in the high school, one of whom is now president of his college class, a successful student and athlete, and another is now studying for the priesthood.
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SCHOOL REPORT
Of 1908 members at Wellesley and Radcliffe, whose records here were A, are making similar records there.
The class of 1909 had members of large ability and promise, one of whom at Wellesley and others at Harvard are fulfiling that promise.
A member of the class of 1910 for two years, 1908 to 1910, now Bryn Mawr 1914, a young woman of exceptional ability, made a most unusual record during the first year at that insti- tution. The record of all the members of the class of 1910 who made a fair record at school, C or above, is very gratifying to their teachers. I would here state that the probabilities are that a student, who does not maintain a record of B in most of his studies, with a record never below C in any, will find diffi- culty in maintaining a satisfactory record after entering upon college work.
I would further call the attention of parents to the five- year course and suggest that a well-planned course of five years, in which proper attention is paid to physical culture, will produce an all-round development, which will enable the boy or girl of 19 to enter college better ready for the stress and strain of college life.
Time fails me and your patience forbids going into detail in recording the successes of the large number of pupils who have entered the normal school since 1903-about 125 in num- ber,-of the appreciative words that have come to us from some of the business men of the city who have employed our com- mercial graduates.
The business men of the city have given the heartiest co- operation to the school ; the High School Committee, Superin- tendent and Principal have responded with equal heartiness. The result is that the young men of the Industrial Course are learning a trade, getting at the causes of things at school, coming in touch with the stimulating atmosphere of school and shop alternately, and, according to Mr. W. B. Hunter, earned something like $23,000 by July 1, 1911. Further arrangements have been made so that a boy who wishes to learn the cotton manufacturing business may go into the Parkhill mill one week and come to school the next. There is not another high school
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SCHOOL REPORT
in Massachusetts which offers a boy desirous of learning a trade opportunities similar to those offered by our half-time Industrial Courses.
FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL.
The following statement shows the great number of changes that have been made in the teaching force during the last few years, and when the committee and citizens consider the changes during the year the showing of the school as stated above should be considered most satisfactory.
1903-1904-A new principal and one new teacher.
1904-1905-Six new teachers.
1905-1906-Three new teachers.
1906-1907-Eleven new teachers.
1907-1908-Seven new teachers.
1908-1909-Five new teachers.
1909-1910-Six new teachers.
1910-1911-Nine new teachers.
1911-1912-Three new teachers.
Of the teachers who have severed their connection with the school during this period, mention should be made of the unusually efficient and untiring service of Mr. E. Adams Hart- well and Mr. A. Eugene Nolen who taught in the high school for long periods ; the former 32 years, the latter for 23 years.
At present there are five teachers in the faculty who were teaching here in 1901. I believe that in character, natural ability and attainment, this faculty deserves the heartiest con- fidence of the community. The teachers desire to co-operate with parents and pupils to the end that true men and women may be developed during this important period of adolescence.
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SCHOOL REPORT
MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS AND CHANGES OF THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
1903-School prize speaking begun and continued until the present.
1903-First issue of school paper, "Red and Gray," a carefully edited and prepared paper.
1904-School song adopted. Constitution adopted for Ath- letic Association.
1905-Debating Club formed-continued.
1906-A teacher of elocution chosen to give one day a week to Junior class.
1907-School Council formed ; a representative body of one from each room, with Senior and Junior class officers, to assist in managing the school and creating a spirit of responsibility and loyalty to the school.
1907-Interscholastic prize speaking begun. Four schools have competed and each school has been represented by two speakers. Fitchburg High won a first prize in 1907, 1908 and 1910, and a second prize in 1909 and 1910.
1907-Library instruction begun by librarian. This in- struction is given in few high schools in Massachusetts.
1908-Industrial Course begun.
1910-Special afternoon work for pupils who would not study at home, and a special class formed for pupils delaying their classes.
1910-A teacher of physical culture secured for Freshman girls.
1910-Beginning of co-operative work with the banks and business houses for commercial students.
ATHLETICS.
A constitution was adopted in 1903, the object of which was to have athletics properly managed. An attempt has been made to have candidates for teams train properly, maintain at least a passing record in their studies, and have a good deportment record. Since November, 1898, no post-graduate has repre- sented the school on any of its athletic teams.
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SCHOOL REPORT
In 1908 the Wachusett Interscholastic League was organ- ized under the direction of the Fitchburg High school.
A quotation from the Sentinel of March 22 may be of interest.
"Malden High school has 68 candidates for its base-ball team. School spirit is the whole thing at Malden. It is a safe bet that there will not be 68 or more candidates for the team in this city."
It may be well to note that at Malden, where there is so much interest in athletics, that there is a physical director, a member of the faculty, who receives $1,200 a year and takes charge of athletics and during the winter and spring gives in- struction in gymnastics. I suggest that as the Park Commis- sion are very willing to cooperate with the School Committee in engaging a municipal physical and playground director that the School Committee accept the opportunity. I believe that such a step would be of great benefit to the future citizens of Fitch- burg and would place us on a level with other progressive com- munities.
The old Greek and Roman idea was a sound mind in a sound body. The Greeks, especially, by their training devel- oped beautiful and strong bodies. In the middle ages the young knight was taught to swim, to ride, to shoot, and to develop his body to the highest point. In our day more systematic training should be given, that children who are confined so many hours in school rooms may learn the important facts of value of the body, its proper care and development, and actually do things under competent direction. My opinion is that a physical director on the high school force is of equal, if not more, im- portance than any other teacher.
Since writing the last sentence my attention has been called to the words of Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, Superintendent of Schools of Chicago and recently President of the National Edu- cational Association :
" We have come to believe," said Mrs. Young, "that it is more important to build the body of the youth until it reaches as near physical perfection as possible than it is to devote so much time toward development in mental attainments."
In discussing the needs of our school with Mr. William Orr, Deputy Commissioner of Education of Massachusetts, he
·
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SCHOOL REPORT
made the statement that the athletics of the school would never be satisfactory until we had a physical instructor.
ATHLETIC RECORD.
Base Ball
Track
Basket Ball
1901-02
Football 3 won
5 won
No meet
3 lost
3 lost
1902-03
5 lost
5 won
(1) Fitchburg
6 won
1 won
5 lost
7 lost
1 tie
1903-04
4 won
4 won
No meet
13 won
5 lost
5 lost
1 lost
1 tie
1904-05
6 won
6 won
No meet
7 won
2 lost
6 lost
9 lost
1905-06
2 won
7 won
No meet
10 won
8 lost
4 lost
3 lost
1 tie
1906-07
6 won
3 won
No meet
11 won
2 lost
6 lost
6 lost
1 tie
1907-08
6 won
4 won
(1) Fitchburg
9 won
2 lost
6 lost
8 lost
1 tie
1 tie
1908-09
5 won
4 won
(1) Fitchburg
10 won
5 lost
6 lost
7 lost
1 tie
1909-10
2 won
6 won
(1) Clinton
14 won
3 lost
3 lost
4 lost
1 tie
1910-11
5 won
6 won
(1) Leominster
9 won
3 lost
5 lost
4 lost
1 tie
1911-12
2 won
6 lost
1 tie
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SCHOOL REPORT
The purpose of the present administration has not been to have it popular with everybody. The purpose has been to have an honest, just and efficient administration, which the graduate of five or ten years might look back upon and feel was right, if he couldn't quite appreciate the purpose at the time he was in school. The attempt has been to manage the school for the benefit of the pupils and to train them in habits of right think- ing and doing.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES T. WOODBURY. December 1, 1911.
PRACTICAL ARTS SCHOOL
The Practical Arts School is now fully established with a membership as large as is possible in the present building. At the end of the second year the school had outgrown the present building and, in order to give seating room for pupils, some of the work was removed to the attic of the build- ing and to one class room and the attic of the Edgerly School. Both the Practical Arts School and the Edgerly School are so framed that the attics will make excellent shops when they are heated and lighted. An appropriation for this purpose is asked for from the legislature of 1912.
The school offers the following four courses for grades seven and eight.
COMMERCIAL COURSE, 30 hours per week.
121/2 hours to literature, composition, spelling, penmanship, mathematics, geography, history and science.
71/2 hours to physical training, social dancing, music, general exercises and recesses.
Ten hours to typewriting, shorthand, bookkeeping and business arithmetic and related design.
PRACTICAL ARTS COURSE, 30 hours per week.
121/2 hours to literature, composition, spelling, penmanship, mathematics, geography, history and science.
71/2 hours to physical training, social dancing, music, general exercises and recesses.
Ten hours to drawing, designing, printing, making and repairing.
· HOUSEHOLD ARTS COURSE, 30 hours per week.
121/2 hours to literature, composition, spelling, penmanship, mathematics, geography, history and science.
71/2 hours to physical training, social dancing, music, gen- eral exercises and recesses.
10 hours to household arts.
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SCHOOL REPORT
LITERARY COURSE, 30 hours per week.
121/2 hours to literature, composition, spelling, penmanship, mathematics, geography, history and science.
71/2 hours to physical training, social dancing, music, gen- eral exercises and recesses.
5 hours to a modern language.
5 hours to drawing, designing, printing, making and re- pairing. (Household Arts for girls).
Home study is also required-two hours a week in grade seven and five hours a week in grade eight."
This home study it is expected will gradually develop the habit of doing part of the school preparation outside of school hours and make the pupil better able to meet the high school requirements of fifteen hours home study per week. It may seem to some that with thirty hours of school sessions per week there should be no required home work. If there be any hold- ing such an opinion they should not forget the amount of time in each course given to manual work, and the total hours of study and recitation required of first year high school pupils. One of the causes of failure in taking up high school work is the jump from the ordinary eighth grade requirement of twenty- five hours per week to the high school requirement of forty hours per week. As arranged at the Practical Arts School the transition is easier.
Seventh Grade-32 hours per week including 5 to 10 hours manual work.
Eighth Grade-35 hours per week, including 5 to 10 hours manual work.
High School-40 hours per week.
It will be necessary hereafter to set a limit to the number of pupils who can be admitted to each of the courses. Next September (1912) the numbers which the school can accommo- date will be as follows :
Literary, 64; Commercial, 64; Practical Arts, 64; House- hold Arts, 64 ; a total of 256 in grades seven and eight.
Pupils attending Day street school and the Edgerly school should be given the first opportunity ; after which the courses, until the number limit is reached should be open to all pupils in the city who have completed the sixth grade work. Such
%
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SCHOOL REPORT
pupils should be received in order of application, which should be made through the office of the superintendent of schools.
The work of the school has been broadened and strength- ened by the purchase by the state of nearly ten acres of land which will provide ample opportunity for agricultural work and for athletics. Beginning next spring it is planned to give the boys attending the school an opportunity to earn something by working Saturdays and vacations upon the land.
The school it is hoped is meeting better each year the pur- poses for which it was established ; to make the book work of the elementary school real and therefore significant ; to impress the pupil consciously and unconsciously with the truth that the world is a world of work even more largely than a world of books; and to teach him that hard manual labor is dignified and worthy and one of the greatest of men's blessings-the basis of sound health, cheerful spirits and good morals. Incidently, the literary work is improved as its use and value is understood. The pupil is also brought into contact with several trades and is thus enabled to make an intelligent choice of a vocation, when such a choice is to be made.
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