USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1913 > Part 9
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17
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the School Committee:
In accordance with the time honored custom, as well as the statute require- ments your Superintendent presents the following report.
FINANCES.
The situation on the financial side seems to be satisfactory with the excep- tion of the appropriation for the miscellaneous department. In this department your Executive Committee requested of the City Council an appropriation of five thousand one hundred dollars. From this the City Council thought wise to deduct six hundred dollars, making the appropriation four thousand five hundred dollars for the miscellaneous account.
As near as can be judged at this time this account at the end of the finan- cial year will be overdrawn to an amount, about equal to the difference between the amount asked for by the Executive Committee and the amount actually appropriated.
In the last five years the salaries have increased twenty-seven per cent., and the cost of supplies thirty per cent. Of course the question naturally arises, what have been the causes of these increases?
The first increase mentioned, is easily accounted for by the adoption by the Board of the sliding scale of wages for teachers, and by the employment of several additional teachers. Part of this latter increase was off-set by the closing of the Storey Avenue School.
Probably the first of the causes of the increased cost of supplies was the discarding of the slates, as being unsanitary, resulting in the necessity of supplying fifteen hundred pupils with paper and pencils, who were previously supplied with slates and slate pencils. This in itself would probably account for twenty-five per cent. of the increase.
A second cause has been the introduction of new courses into the curri- culum.
Third, the enlargement and extension of certain courses already in the curriculum.
Fourth, the purchase of some supplies and the hiring of labor which prop- erly belonged to the Committee on Public Property.
Fifth, the increased cost of supplies themselves, over that of five years ago.
A few words will show that we are justified in attributing some of the in- creases to these causes.
Regarding the first mentioned, it is easily seen that slates are a more per- manent supply than paper, and that the furnishing of the various kinds of paper now used in the lower grades would increase very materially the expense over that of slates.
18
ANNUAL REPORTS.
During the last five years the commercial course in the High School has broadened to such an extent that probably twice as much material is needed as was the case five years ago.
Within the same period also, the course in domestic science in the grades has been enlarged so that now pupils beginning in the sixth grade and con- tinuing through the grammar grades are enjoying some portion of this work. Cooking, before only in the eighth grade, is now in the eighth and ninth, and while before we had one teacher to do the work in domestic science, we now have one in charge of the cooking and a second in charge of the sewing.
The steady growth of the evening school is another case in point showing why our expenses have increased.
Regarding the fourth cause, we need only mention that there have been scores of instances where small repairs have been made on buildings and where certain appliances for buildings, boilers and heaters, have been procured and paid for from this appropriation, which properly belonged to the Committee on Public Property, but for reasons of immediate need have been provided by this department.
Let me cite a few instances also of the increased cost of the supplies them- selves. For arithmetic paper, five years ago, we paid nine cents a package, today the cost is twelve. On essay paper, the price five years ago was twenty- one cents per package. Today the price is twenty-eight cents. Blank books once nine dollars and a half per thousand are now eleven dollars. Pencils then one dollar and a half a gross, now cost one dollar and seventy-five cents. Pens, twenty-five cents a gross formally, now cost thirty cents.
In the report of five years ago there is no charge for the maintenance of truants. This year we have paid to the county two hundred twenty-two dollars and forty-three cents for their support at the Lawrence Training School. This is an entirely new item that must be paid for from our miscellaneous account.
The increase has been consistant all along the line in the cost of supplies We do not, therefore, count it as reflecting on the business management of this office that the expenses in the miscellaneous department have increased as they have.
We were asked if there were any suggestions whereby it might be possible to reduce expenses. These two were offered:
First, the purchase of equipment for the domestic science and manual train- ing rooms at the Albert Currier School. One naturally asks how this would reduce the expenses. The initial expense would be greater, but after three years the saving would amount to two hundred dollars a year. If equipment was provided the teachers in each case would report for classes at these rooms, whereas, all pupils in these classes are now transported at the city's expense.
The second suggestion was that closets capable of being locked, be fur- nished each room in order that all books and supplies may be kept under lock and key. I do not wish to be understood as intimating that supplies are delib- erately stolen, but pupils are very often careless, and thoughtlessly appropriate things which do not belong to them unknown to the teachers and forget to return them.
19
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT.
Not for many years, has so much been done to the buildings during the summer recess, as is true concerning that of the past season.
Though the High School is woefully inadequate to accomodate the num- bers that yearly attend its sessions, it has during the past summer been made as convenient and complete in its equipment as is possible under existing con- ditions. Work has been done in painting and remodelling the interior at an expense probably exceeding one thousand dollars. This has affected particularly the work of the science department, the rooms in the attic having been entirely remodelled.
In the repair work every school building in the city has had its part during the last summer, the total cost being approximately three thousand dollars.
Painting has been done at the Moultonville building, both outside and inside. At the Curtis all of the interior woodwork has been painted. The out- side of the Purchase Street building and some portions of the interior of the Temple Street have also been so treated.
A fire escape has been placed on the Johnson building but at yet no door has been cut through the wall to give access to it. Bulkheads have been con- structed at the Davenport, Bromfield, Johnson and Temple Street schools to facilitate the removal of ashes from the several basements, but as yet these have no steps.
In addition considerable new furniture has been procured.
From our experience so far this year it would seem as if the Currier School heating plant was going to do the work originally designed for it. At present there seems to be no difficulty in furnishing the necessary heat and ventilation. After many vicissitudes the city possesses in the Albert Currier school a most excellent building, one well designed for convenience and comfort in carrying on the work of grammar grades.
With the growth of the evening schools it becomes necessary to call again the attention of this Committee to the very poor lighting condition in the Kelley building. Since the seats were changed in the fifth grade room, we have two chandeliers, three lights each, one each on the extreme side of the room. The front and rear of the room are very dark and it is with great difficulty that the teachers of the evening school are able to do the necessary work.
ATTENDANCE.
The attendance for the school year ending July 1st, was practically the same as that of the previous year, there being a total of two thousand and fifty-four pupils as compared with two thousand and fifty the previous year, The average attendance, however, shows a marked improvement, being one thous- and eight hundred and ten and five tenths as compared with one thousand seven hundred ninety-five and eight tenths and the per cent. of attendance being ninety-four and one-tenth, as compared with ninety-three and five-tenths for the previous year.
It has been suggested that the new labor laws would increase the attend- ance in the grammar schools. This, however, does not seem to be a fact in this city. If we compare October, nineteen hundred and twelve, attendance with with that of October, nineteen hundred and thirteen, we find hat there is an
20
ANNUAL REPORTS.
actual falling off. In the Albert Currier School twenty-seven less; in the Jack- man School a gain of twelve, and in the Kelley School a gain of twelve, mak- ing a net decrease of three in the grammar schools.
In the High School, however, there are twenty-eight more pupils than for the corresponding month of last year.
In the Primary Schools there is a net gain of forty-one as follows:
Bromfield Street School eight more than last year.
Curtis School two more than last year.
Davenport School eighteen more than last year.
Johnson School two less than last year.
Purchase Street School five more than last year.
Temple Street School five less than last year.
Training School thirteen more than last year.
Moultonville School two more than last year. .
There is a decrease of one hundred twenty in the number of tardinesses and an increase of two hundred forty-two in the number of dismissals, and an increase of fifteen in the cases of truancy.
Ít is gratifying to note that in the past two years our percentage of attendance has increased from ninety-two and nine-tenths to ninety-four and one-tenth. This is as it should be, as it indicates a healthy attitude on the part of parents and pupils towards school, and in the face of the fact that in the past two years the gong has not been sounded because of stormy weather.
LABOR LAWS.
On September first, the new laws relating to the employment of minors went into effect.
Under this law certificates were authorized for children between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, accompanied by a school record, a physician's certificate of health, an employer's promise to employ, and when necessary a physician's certificate of age. Besides these were issued certificates to minors between sixteen and twenty-one who were able to read and write to the ability required in the fourth grade, and similar certificates to illiterates between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one.
There have been issued from this office one hundred and two certificates to minors between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, six hundred fifty-eight certifi- cates to minors between sixteen and twenty-one years of age, and one hundred and five illiterate minor's certificates, a total of eight hundred sixty-five.
TEACHERS.
During the year the following changes have occurred in the teaching force:
Owing to her appointment at Pasaic, N. J., at a large increase of salary, Miss Angie G. Allbee, teacher of elementary science in the High School, re- signed her position February first, and Miss Ella L. Townsend, of Clinton, Mass., was appointed in her place.
At the end of the school year resignations were received from J. Albert Brack, Marion A. Guilford, Eleanor J. Little, Alice O. Dow, M. Gertrude Jones, all of the High School, Miss Mary I. Fernald, teacher of grade one in the Davenport School and from Miss Priscilla D. Jones, assistant in domestic science.
21
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
These places have been filled as follows:
By appointment of Frederick M. Peckham, Myrtie B. Craig, Marion H. Bayley, Marguerite Russell and Ethel M. Stevens. Miss Edna M. Sturtevant has been engaged as an additional assistant in the High School.
Miss Beulah Evans was transferred from grade two to grade one of the Davenport School.
Miss Isabelle N. Parker was transferred from the Purchase Street School to grade two in the Davenport.
So far this year the Purchase Street School has been in charge of the principal of the Training School.
Miss Abby L. Goodrich, of West Newbury, was elected as assistant teacher in domestic science.
This constitutes all the changes in the teaching force during the present year.
DENTAL CLINIC.
Acting under the instructions of the Board, your Superintendent has made some investigation regarding the establishment of a dental clinic for the chil- dren of the public schools. All the dentists of the city have entered heartily into the plan, and are willing to give a portion of their time each week for the treatment of cases connected with the schools, both in making the initial examination and in later doing the necessary work.
They, however, feel that a room centrally located is necessary for such work. It has been suggested that the School Physician and the School Nurse should make the preliminary examination among the children in the schools, finding out by such examination which children need treatment and thus eliminating a large amount of the work for the dentists themselves. The dentists do not feel that it would be wise or practicable for them to go to the several school buildings for the purpose of making the examination, and point out that this method has met with failure in other cities and towns.
I would recommend that a committee of this Board be appointed to make further investigation regarding the matter and that steps be taken to provide examination and treatment for such children as would not be able to bear the expense themselves.
LOW TEMPERATURE ROOM.
During the year there has been much investigation concerning the need of a low temperature room for pupils of low grade vitality and mental ability.
A room at the Currier School has been designated as being the most suitable for this purpose. An investigation, made by the School Physician, the School Nurse, the members of the Anti-Tuberculosis Association, has resulted in finding forty or more pupils whom it is thought would be benefitted by treatment in such a room. A teacher has been found who is willing to undertake the work, the Anti-Tuberculosis Association has appropriated fifty dollars, and the Woman's Club fifty dollars for the purpose of meeting such additional expense as may be incurred by supporting such an enterprise.
At this point the matter rests awaiting the action of the new Board. There can be no doubt as to the value of a room of this sort.
22
ANNUAL REPORTS.
It is often the case that mental inability is the result of physical conditions which may be improved by the treatment contemplated in a low temperature room. It would be interesting to study how far the inability of children to keep up to grade is accounted for by their health conditions.
Whether or not a low temperature room is organized as a result of recent agitation, there can be doubt in the writer's mind that a room for those mentally deficient is particularly needed and desirable in Newburyport. We have in the Training School a principal who is particularly desirous of studying such conditions. We have near by the Training School a building which with small expense could be fitted up for such purposes. The small building in the rear of the Kelley School is well built and well lighted and with slight expense could be used for this purpose. I hope that the Board will deem it wise to investigate this matter and if possible organize a room for backward children in this building to be conducted as a part of the Training School.
EVENING SCHOOLS.
Speaking of evening schools, in the report of 1905, Mr. Lunt has this to say. "The boys kept up their attendance through the term but the girls fell away in large numbers so that it was not necessary to employ the full quota of teachers during the term. It is to be regretted that the evening schools are not so well attended as they were a few years ago." At the time of writing the full quota of teachers was six, the number of pupils was from thirty to forty. Conditions today show how much better appreciated by the foreign element are the privileges afforded in the evening schools. The total attendance for the year was three hundred thirty-five, and the full quota of teachers thirteen. This feature of the public school work shows another way in which the expenses of this department have been increased in the last few years.
It may be said by some that this increased attendance is due wholly to the new laws which compel the attendance of illiterates under twenty-one. How far this is true may be understood when it is known that the total number of certificates to illiterate minors is but one hundred six, while our regular attend- ance each evening is in the vicinity of one hundred eighty. A few visits to our evening school would convince the most skeptical that the money expended in the support of evening schools is well invested.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
During the year there have been one hundred eighty-five cases of contagious diseases in or connected with the public schools. These were chiefly measles, but there were several cases of diphtheria, whooping cough, and small pox. The usual amount of disinfecting school rooms, burning of school books has taken place because of these contagions and more than the usual amount of thorough washing of the school rooms has been done.
TEACHERS' MEETINGS.
Eight meetings have been held with each of the first four grades, four with the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades, three with the ninth grade, and two with the teachers of the High School. In these meetings the various subjects of the school curriculum have been treated with methods of applying
23
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
and teaching them. The meetings have usually taken the form of round table discussions, in order to bring forth from the teachers themselves their own strong and weak points.
The same number of meetings have been arranged for the present year.
EXHIBITION.
On May twenty-second, an exhibition was held in the room of the City Council, consisting of the work in cooking, sewing, drawing and manual training, as well as in some of the regular school subjects. Nearly one thousand people visited these rooms, between the hours of two and nine P. M. In these branches one may find again some of the reasons for our increased expenditures, and again it is only necessary for one to make a slight investigation to be shown that the money which these cost is well invested.
CLERICAL ASSISTANCE.
A long felt need has been filled by this Committee during the year in giving authority for the employment of a clerk in this office. The great increase in the clerical work of the school department caused by greater demands of the various State Departments has made this unavoidable. Miss Ethel S. Hart was engaged in May to take this position.
SAVINGS BANKS.
The attention of the Committee is called particularly to the report of the School savings bank. From information just received, I find that nearly twenty-four hundred dollars has been saved by the children in the schools of the city since the establishment of the bank. It is our most evident expression of the way in which we are heeding the suggestion of the statutes regarding the teaching of thrift. Probably no better method of teaching this subject could be devised than the actual practicing of thrift, as exemplified in the school savings bank.
TEXT BOOKS.
One has to search back to October, 1879, to find the date of the adoption of Hutchinson's Physiology, for use in the schools of Newburyport. This book has long been out of print, and practically out of stock in Newburyport for many years, so that teachers have really have had no text for work in physiology to use, and not until the adoption of the Gulick text for the grammar grades has there been any change in these conditions. The first book "Good Health" has been placed in the fifth grade, the second book, "Emergencies" in the sixth grade, the third "Town and City" in the seventh, and the fourth "The Body at Work" in the eighth. These books obtain excellent results and the teaching of hygiene and physiology has been made more systematic and thorough from their use during the year. The first book, "Good Health" has been placed on each desk in the primary grades.
The following changes in text books have been made in the High School: Second book.
Hill's Rhetoris was replaced by Brook's Second book in Englsih Composi- tion.
Collar's First Year Latin replaced by M. L. Smith's Latin Lessons.
24
ANNUAL REPORTS.
WRITING.
Since the adoption of Gilman's system of penmanship there has been steady improvement in the hand writing of our pupils. This might have been true with any system which had been adopted, but there is reason to feel that the Gilmar system, which consists of copy cards which have been designed for practice is particularly effective in producing good work. A particularly well done page is rewarded by being placed in some prominent position in the room for the inspection of all. It is the practice of the superintendent to examine these papers and mark those that seem particularly well done. It will be surprising if those entering High School are not better equipped in this respect than they have heretofore been.
ARITHMETIC.
The work in arithmetic has been much benefitted during the past year by the use of the so called "Minimum Essentials." These papers consist of one hundred or more combinations of figures on each sheet. The arrangement con- sists of all the possible combinations. The purpose of these papers is to develop speed and accuracy in the performance of the four fundamental processes. In a year or two the effect of this persistant drill must show itself in the greater ability of pupils who enter High School in performing these fundamental operations, as well as in their reasoning power. There is some complaint among the teachers as to the advisability of some of the work required in the lower grades by the use of books one and two of the present arithmetic. They feel that some of the work required might better be delayed until later in the course. So far, however, it has been thought wise to confine the work exactly to the plan of the book and require for each grade the contents of the book itself.
SIGHT AND HEARING TEST. The following is the report of the sight and hearing test:
Number Defective Defective Enrolled. Hearing. Eyesight.
Parents Notified.
High School
458
6
64
9
Currier School
187
2
20
15
Jackman School
343
4
41
45
Kelley School
209
7
15
22
Bromfield Street School
122
1
17
18
Curtis School
129
2
9
9
Davenport School
141
8
33
25
Johnson School
116
2
5
7
Purchase Street School
19
0
2
2
Temple Street School
78
2
16
18
'Training School
142
0)
23
9
Moultonville School
21
0
1
1
1965
34
246
180.
Owing to the change in the time of making the State reports the eye and ear tests were not made until late in the spring term, therefore, no figures to compare with these appear in the annual report of last year.
25
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
In closing this report I wish to state that I appreciate the progressive attitude taken by this Committee on all questions of educational policy.
When business and professional men give so generously of their time and energy to the performance of duties connected with public office, it augurs well for the community which they serve.
The average citizen little knows or appreciates the amount of work, or inconvenience to which members of the Board are often put, to perform the duties of the office as they should be performed.
I feel confident that if the real motives and work of this Board were fully understood and appreciated, we would hear much more of commendation and encouragement and much less of censure and criticism.
Respectfully submitted, EDGAR L. WILLARD, Superintendent of Schools.
November, 24, 1913.
26
ANNUAL REPORTS.
GRADUATES OF THE HIGH AND PUTNAM SCHOOLS.
FIVE YEARS' COLLEGE COURSE. Hazel Bartlett Roaf
Esther Broughton Merriam
Virginia Arakelian * Marion Olive Chase *Miriam Challis Delano Cornelius John Kelleher Helen Worcester Marr Eleanore Richardson
COLLEGE COURSE. Ralph Clement Brown Esther Amanda Crocker Parker Jacoby *Raelene Addison Leavitt Harriet Moulton Pettingell Irene Stevens
Helen Marion Tyler
SCIENTIFIC COURSE.
Henry Leo Adams Charles Louis Brown John Wheeler Clarkson *Robert Follansbee Ide Harold Kent Ireland Thomas Millbury Knowland John Brockway Nelson Ralph Marston Silloway
Helen Gertrude Adams Gertrude Lunt Carter Ella Marian Furlong Marguerite Mary Houlihan
Marion Gertrude Knight
Charles Edward Atkinson
Albert Batchelder Clarkson
Horace Leslie Currier Nelson Powell Ingalls
Arthur Raymond Knight
Robert Sanderson Mulliken
James Henry Shattuck *Daniel Courtright Trombla
NORMAL COURSE. Elizabeth Alice Caldwell Marion Louise Coffin Helen Anna Hayes Bertha Johansen Josephine Langford Paterson * Marion Chamberlain Stackpole
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