USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1914-1924 > Part 19
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HEALTH
Good health is fundamental to success in any field of effort. Its importance is becoming more generally recog- nized, and the public schools are required to teach its essen- tials. It involves not merely freedom from sickness, but a reserve force of strength and energy to meet any emergen- cies that may arise. The conditions surrounding children
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while in school should be such as to assist in building up this reserve of bodily vigor, at the same time that they are gain- ing in knowledge and mental discipline.
Annual medical examinations of all pupils are now required. A more frequent inspection would be desirable. This should involve not only medical inspection of pupils, but also an examination as to the healthfulness of their sur- roundings, and suggestions for improvement.
The Legislature of 1921 passed a law requiring towns to employ school nurses. There is no question as to the wisdom of this requirement and the advantages that will result from its operation. The law also provides that towns may unite in the employment of a school nurse. This matter will be brought before the Joint Committee of this District and it is hoped that favorable action will be taken.
Comparatively few persons realize the large number of serious defects and illnesses which may be directly traced to defective teeth. Many towns have found that an annual dental inspection of all pupils, followed by recommendations to parents as to treatment needed, has resulted in the correc- tion of most of the defects. The town of Hadley has pursued this method for several years with excellent results. The school nurse in that town also follows up any serious cases and explains the need of treatment to parents. A Red Cross fund sufficient to pay one-half of the expense for the first year is now available for this work in Hatfield.
Physical training in some form is now among the sub- jects in which instruction is required in all public schools. All our teachers have been requested to give physical exer- cises daily, including deep breathing and setting-up exer- cises. Especially good work along this line is being done by Mr. Bailey, Principal of the Center school.
Our main reliance in promoting the health of school children is the regular instruction which is given in all' grades in the principles and practice of hygienic living. Oral
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instruction is given in the lower grades, and this is supple- mented in the middle and upper grades by the use of appro- priate textbooks.
CONCLUSION
Maine's motto is "Dirigo"-"I lead." This state is now leading in a movement to enrich and uplift country life through better schools. Following are some significant items in Maine's educational program :
"At least eighty per cent of the pupils through the elementary schools, and sixty per cent through the high school."
"A complete system of local supervision by means of supervisors and visiting teachers."
"The country school must be made as good as the city school."
"There should be a well-prepared teacher for every school."
"A minimum salary of $1,200 for all prepared teachers."
" A diversified course of study, and proper buildings and equipment for all schools, with special appeal to as large a number of pupils as possible."
"Through instruction in the essentials of an English education, including proper instruction in citizenship."
"A square deal for the teacher, and more sympathetic consideration for her welfare."
This program recognizes that education is the greatest resource of any state or community. It is the only means by which we can reach every child and impart not only useful knowledge, but what is more important, those principles and ideals which make for good citizenship.
Is this program too ambitious for the consideration of any progressive and prosperous Massachusetts town?
CLINTON J. RICHARDS.
REPORT OF Principal of Smith Academy
I herewith submit my first report as Principal of Smith Academy which will also be the first report of Smith Academy as the High School of the Town of Hatfield.
In June, 1921, the Academy graduated a class of eight, six girls and two boys. Of this number two have entered college and five more are continuing their studies at various institutions of learning. The school has been put in class "A" among schools having certificate privilege to the normal schools of the state and has also received the certifi- cate privilege for another year from the New England Col- lege Entrance Board which allows a student who has been doing good work in the high school to enter certain colleges without taking the regular college entrance examinations. Among the colleges belonging to this board are the follow- ing : Amherst, Massachusetts Agricultural College, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Brown, Colby, Williams and Bates. Thus the school is recognized by college and state authorities as preparing for advanced schools and it rests with the individual pupil to avail himself to the fullest ex- tent of these privileges and to do work in the Academy which will be somewhat above the average if he wishes to enter these schools upon our recommendation.
During the summer extensive improvements were made in the Academy building. A portion of the girls' basement was partitioned off and has been fitted up as a kitchen for the Household Arts work. A coal range was installed here so that the girls can now cook under conditions such as they would have at home. Another part of the first floor, for- merly used as a chemistry laboratory, was renovated and
72
remodeled for use as the Agricultural room and has proved to be very satisfactory. On the main floor a partition be- tween two small rooms was removed, thus making a large room which will accommodate our classes which are rapidl. increasing in size. This last room has been planned as a Physics laboratory and is proving to be very well adapted to this purpose in this course which has been re-established this year. On the third floor two small rooms, formerly used only for storage purposes, have this year been put to use and are serving as a principal's office and supply room. In the fall it was found that the heating system would have to be thoroughly overhauled and more radiation added. This was done and as result the rooms are much warmer al- though there is still a chance for some improvement in this direction.
In September the Academy opened its doors for its first year as the High School of the town with an enrollment of eighty pupils which was an increase of eighteen from the September enrollment of the previous year. With a small graduating class this year and a large entering class from the grammar school it seems altogether likely that the enroll- ment for September 1922 will approach one hundred. This will severely tax the seating capacity of our recitation rooms, in which case it may be found necessary to use the Assembly Hall for a recitation room and will mean that this room will have to be heated the entire year.
The course of studies has been somewhat remodeled to conform with college entrance requirements and also to offer as much vocational work as possible. An outline of the course of studies has been printed and is available for dis- tribution to any who are interested. The Vocational work as present consists of Household Arts work for the girls and Agriculture for the boys. In the Household Arts course the girls devote one half of their time to work in the kitchen while the other half is given up to regular academic work, English being required of every student together with some other subject such as Biology, History or Civics. In the
73
kitchen approximately one half of their time is devoted to cooking and one half to sewing. In the cooking the work is centered upon the preparation and serving of three simple meals a day. In the sewing, the work aims to prepare the girls to solve their own individual clothing problems. The new Agricultural course has already proved its value. The boys devote one half of their time to the regular academic studies and one half to the vocational agricultural work. Each boy has a project such as the raising of a steer to com- pete in the baby beef contests at the Eastern States Exposi- tion or keeps poultry, a cow or a pig. In the spring some may adopt field projects such as the entire management of a small field of onions. The boys have shown themselves to be vitally interested in this work and where a certain type of boy is apt to just drift along from day to day if he is taking entirely academic studies, this same type becomes alert and wide awake and makes rapid strides forward in vocational work. Generally the boy can also see the value of his English, Mathematics and Science as applied to his project work and will do much better in these academic studies than he ever did before. The Agricultural Course brings the school into contact with the Agricultural College and with other state authorities which is a valuable thing for the town as a whole. An advisory committee for the Agricultural Department has been appointed consisting of seven men taken from various parts of the town. This com. mittee has had one meeting and meetings are planned to be held in the future every two months.
· The school carries on many activities aside from the regular school routine, which are valuable and tend to make better citizens of our boys and girls. Athletics occupy a very important place in any school and physical training is now required by state law. The boys are engaged in some form of sport at all times of the year : soccer, track, basket- ball and baseball all find a place in our school calendar. We are competing continually with larger schools but still are able to give a good account of ourselves and last year the
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basketball team brought honor to the school by winning the cup of the Hampshire League. We endeavor to interest as many boys as possible in athletics and last fall every boy in school played soccer or engaged in track work, while basket- ball is bringing out about 80% of the boys. Athletics for the girls is rather a difficult proposition because we have such limited gymnasium facilities, but we have made a start in this direction and one afternoon a week is given to the girls for basketball practice at the Town Hall. The Academy is publishing a school paper, "The Purple and White," for the first time this year and the first issue appeared in December. It is planned to publish this paper every other month and the cooperation of the townspeople in this ven- ture will be very much appreciated. Debates, school plays, prize speaking and chorus work all help to round out the outside activities of the school.
I believe the Academy is very fortunate in possessing the teaching personnel that it has. The teachers have al- ways had in mind the good of Smith Academy and the town, and have devoted themselves whole-heartedly, not only to their teaching, but to such additional work as coach- ing of plays, prize speaking, supervising the publication of the school paper, etc. I wish to express to the teachers my appreciation of the earnest cooperation which they have given me at all times and it is by means of such spirit as this that the work of the Academy has, I believe, been put on a firm foundation.
I wish also to take this opportunity to thank the towns- people for the interest and cooperation they have shown in Academy affairs since I have been connected with the school. In particular the Academy is indebted to Mr. Henry Carl, Mr. Fred Howard, Mr. Harry Howard and Mr. C. E. Cowan for transportation which they have furnished the athletic teams and to Mr. Wm. H. Burke for umpiring at baseball games.
HAROLD C. WILCOX.
Report of Supervisor of Music
The course of school music of today is not merely the singing of songs, but we must train the children to listen intelligently as well as to perform.
The outline of the course which involves the technical and aesthetic phases of music, is practically the same as in former reports.
All the buildings, with the exception of the Hill school and North Hatfield have a victrola. These are of great assistance in the course of music appreciation.
National Song Week was observed during the week of February twenty-second, by singing the old and national songs. The children were very much interested in the stories and incidents pertaining to these.
For the development of rhythm, we have formed a so- called "kindergarten orchestra"' in the second grade. This is composed of instruments of percussion, namely, triangulas, tambourines, sandpaper blocks, clappers and drums. It not only trains the children in ideal rhythmic work but the mein- ory is being trained, it is an excellent exercise in concentra- tion, and the enthusiasm shown by the children is very gratifying. We have been assisted in this by our grammar school orchestra consisting of three violins, two drums and piano.
This year I have taken charge of the music in Smith Academy. A four-part chorus and girls glee club have been formed. One forty-five minute period a week is assigned
76
for chorus work and the glee club meets after school hours. We are planning to form a high school orchestra to take part in all school functions.
The kindly spirit and co-operation of our teachers and officials make the work of the supervisor one of great pleasure.
MAUD E. BOYLE.
Report of School Physicians
The work of medical inspection really involves much more than inspection of school children. We seek the en- forcement of the State Board of Health's requirement of vaccination of all school children.
On the appearance of a case of infectious disease in a child of school age, measures are taken to prevent the infec- tion of other children, and every effort is made to find the source of the disease. This involves the expenditure of considerable time; and while we meet with better coopera- tion than formerly, we feel that if we had the assistance of a competent school nurse to follow up and ascertain the rea- son for a child's absence from school, undoubtedly the source of many contagious diseases would be revealed before the invasion of schools.
To illustrate : Diphtheria is one of the most treacherous of diseases that we have to contend with. This is due to its insidious onset, and the fact that very young children are more susceptible than older ones. A child under school age may be attacked, and before the diagnosis is made older chil- dren may be absent from school for a day or two with a mild sore throat, in no way resembling diphtheria, due nevertheless to the germs of diphtheria and capable of transmitting it to other children. These children in turn may not be very sick, but carry the disease home to a. younger child whose chances of surviving are very small.
If the school nurse visited the home of the first patient, found the infant sick, and notified the Board of Health, proper measures would be enforced to prevent the spread of the disease.
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The same statement would apply to scarlet fever-a disease prone to variations in its severity-also whooping cough and measles, in which the lateness of diagnosis by parents is responsible to great extent for the epidemic form of these diseases.
While much more could be said in favor of employing a school nurse, the practice has become so general that it hardly seems necessary to enter into any further arguments to justify her employment.
We have been particularly fortunate this year to have no serious epidemics. We would like at this time to recom- mend the use of toxin-antitoxin for prevention of diphtheria ; and would emphasize that children of pre-school age need this treatment even more than older children.
A good rule to follow would be that every child up to fifteen years of age should be inoculated against diphtheria ; and more especially those whose resistance is so weak that they contract all the diseases present in the locality.
C. A. BYRNE, M. D.
A. J. BONNEVILLE, M. D.
Teachers and Enrollment, January, 1921.
SCHOOLS
TEACHERS
Home Address
Salary
12 3 4 5 67
8 9 10 11 12
-
-
Harold C. Wilcox, Prin.
Hatfield
$2500
D. Webster Belcher
2100
Mrs. Cora King Graves
66
1250
Mary E. Ryan
66
1250
Elsie V. Duberg
Collinsville, Ct.
1100
Mrs. H. C. Wilcox (§ time)
Hatfield
700
Louis H. Bailey, Prin.
Manchester, N. H.
1500
13 21
34
Mrs. Mary B. Powers
Hatfield
1100
16 20
36
13 29
42
Hatfield Center
Mrs. Grace W. Bardwell
1000
18 26
44
Elizabeth Wickles
950
6 35
41
Rachel J. Palmer
950
43
43
Alexandra I. Smith
950
37
37
Lena H. Proulx
Hatfield
1000
43
43
Mary E. Boyle
1000
27 11
38
Hill Primary
Mrs. Margaret A. Mullany
1000
33
33
West Grammar
Mabel G. Chittim
Easthampton
950
6 3
8
4
9
8 6 10 7
8 9
6
4
34
North Primary
Northampton
900
8 7 11
26
Bradstreet Gram.
Catherine B. Brace
South Lee
1000
7
20
Bradstreet Prim.
Nellie E. Salvas
Bradstreet
1000
Supr. of Music
Maude E. Boyle
Hatfield
750
1 1
107 90 82 78 58 57 54 29 30 16 24 9 634
West Primary
Frances M. Wood
Wilmington, Vt.
950
33
North Grammar
Rhena M. Horton
Mansfield
1000
Cecile E. LaFleur
8
5
14|11| 5
30
Pupils by Grades
Total
Smith Academy
30 16 24 9 79
Margaret A. Ryan
1000
Sarah V. Kiley
1000
Stockbridge
Chadwicks, N. Y.
21
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
HATFIEL
1679
INDUSTRY
PROSPERITE
Town of Hatfield
FOR THE
Year Ending December 31, 1922
Metcalf Printing Company Northampton, Mass.
Finance Committee
Your Finance Committee recommend the following Appropriations :
Tenth payment and interest Center Schoolhouse loan, $ 2.945
West Hatfield Schoolhouse loan (last note), 5,000
Article 5-Highways :
Ordinary repairs highways and bridges, and patching, oiling and repairs stone roads, 7,000
Article 6-Necessary town expenses :
Bonds-Town officers, 100
Memorial Hall-care of, 150
Tree Warden and gypsy moth work, 500
Inspection of animals,
200
Fire department,
.700
Insurance,
300
Contingencies,
1,500
Poor-care of,
1,500
Interest,
2,500
Salaries-Town officers,
2,300
Schools-Maintenance,
36,000
Article 7-Memorial Day,
120
Article 10-Care of cemeteries, 100
Article 11-Public Library, 850
Article 13-School Physicians, 100
Article 14-Hampshire Trustees for County Aid
150
Article 15-Smith Industrial School, 200
Article 18-Street Lights, 4,339
3
4
Article 20-Cement Walk (School Street), 1,000
Article 23-For finishing stone road (underpass) at depot, 1,000
$68,554
Respectfully submitted, JOHN C. RYAN, HUGH McLEOD, Wm. L. BELDEN,
Finance Committee.
Articles in the Warrant For Town Meeting, February 6, 1922
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Hampshire, ss.
To L. H. Kingsley, one of the Constables of the town of Hatfield, in said County,
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Hatfield, qualified to vote in elections and town af- fairs, to meet in the Town Hall in said Hatfield on Monday, the 5th day of February, next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to act on the following named articles, to wit :-
ARTICLE 1-To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
ARTICLE 2-To choose all necessary town officers for the ensuing year :- Town Clerk; three Selectmen; one Assessor for three years; Town Treasurer; one School Committee for three years; one Water Commissioner for three years; one Sinking Fund Commissioner for three years; one Trustee Public Library for three years; Auditor; Tree Warden; Elector, under the Will of Oliver Smith; Tax Collector ; Director of Hampshire Trustees for County Aid to Agricul- ture ; six Constables ; and to vote on the questions-"Yes" or "No"-Shall licenses be granted for the sale of certain non- intoxicating beverages in this town ?- and shall the Town of Hatfield petition for the installation of an Accounting System by the Commonwealth ?
All the foregoing to be voted for on one ballot.
The Polls will be opened at ten o'clock in the forenoon, and be kept open at least four hours, and for such longer
5
6
time as the majority of the voters present shall direct, but in no case shall they be kept open after the hour of eight o'clock in the evening.
ARTICLE 3-To hear the reports of the various town officers and committees and act thereon.
ARTICLE 4-To receive and pass on town accounts.
ARTICLE 5-To take action in relation to maintenance and repairs of highways and bridges the ensuing year, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ARTICLE 6-To take action in relation to raising money and appropriating same to defray the necessary expenses of the town for the ensuing year.
ARTICLE 7-To see if the town will raise and appropri- ate money for Memorial Day.
ARTICLE 8-To take action in relation to support of the poor for the ensuing year, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ARTICLE 9-To revise and accept the list of Jurors re- ported by the Selectmen.
ARTICLE 10-To see if the town will raise and appropri- ate money for care of cemeteries for the ensuing year.
ARTICLE 11-To see if the town will raise and appropri- ate money for the Public Library for the ensuing year.
ARTICLE 12-To see if the town will vote to authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money in anticipation of the revenue of the current financial year.
ARTICLE 13-To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate money for the employment of one or more School Physicians, in accordance with the provisions of Chap. 502, Acts of 1906.
7
ARTICLE 14-To see if the town will appropriate $150 for the support of the Hampshire Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture and elect a director of that organization who will be the official town representative for said Trustees as per Chap. 273 of the Acts of 1918.
ARTICLE 15-To see if the town will raise and appropri- ate money for the payment of tuitions of Hatfield scholars attending the Smith Industrial School.
ARTICLE 16-To see if the town will raise and appropri- ate money for supplies and maintenance of the Fire Depart- ment.
ARTICLE 17-To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate money for Tree Warden and Gypsy and Brown Tail Moth work.
ARTICLE 18-To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for Street Lights.
ARTICLE 19-To see if the town will vote (on account of mischievous pranks of some persons) to take up and remove the water tank opposite Howard's store.
ARTICLE 20-To see if the town will vote to extend its system of cement walks on any part of "around square," so- called, and raise and appropriate money for same.
ARTICLE 21-To see if the town care to vote-or discuss pro and con-the matter of giving a permit to the Consumers Service Stations, to locate 2-20,000 gals. gasoline tanks on B. & M. property, Dwight Street.
ARTICLE 22-To see if the town will vote to rescind any vote previously passed, thereby giving control of the old schoolhouse and grounds on School street, to the Selectmen- and that control of said property be with the School Com- mittee. Or act anything in relation thereto.
8
ARTICLE 23-To see if the town will vute to raise and appropriate'a sum of money in connection with the County and the R. R. Cos. for finishing the road near underpasses at West Hatfield.
Selectmen's Report
To the Citizens of Hatfield :-
In accordance with the requirements of the Statutes of Massachusetts, the following report for the year ending December 31, 1922, is respectfully submitted :
POOR EXPENDITURES
Ahearn & Co.,
$ 74.00
C. A. Byrne, medical attendance,
20.00
Nicholas Raffa, supplies,
3.24
M. J. Ryan, supplies,
231.97
City of Northampton,
836.22
Poor aided,
3.52
$ 1,168.95
CEMENT WALK
M. J. Walsh,
$ 975.00
Mrs. Frank Saffer,
25.00
$ 1,000.00
MEMORIAL DAY
J. W. Heffernan, flags,
$ 44.00
Band,
69.60
S. W. Kingsley, wreaths,
12.00
Webster Box Company, truck,
10.00
$ 135.60
9
10
OLD BILLS
Fred T. Bardwell, snow work,
$ 16.00
F. Zagrodnik, ordinary,
8.00
North Hatfield Grain Co., cement,
4.80
Northampton Iron Works, catch basin,
48.00
F. J. Saffer, filing saw,
4.00
L. H. Kingsley, rec. birds, marriages and deaths,
135.50
B. Bernstein, repair highway, W. H. Riley, furnace door,
4.25
7.85
$ 228.40
TREE WARDEN
James S. Bardwell,
$ 78.00
Foster-Farrar, ladder,
17.50
J. J. Breor, labor,
3.00
H. Stoddard, labor,
5.00
Chester Semkowski, labor,
27.00
Peter Zagrodnik, labor,
17.50
John Kobolinski, labor,
22.50
Frank Johnson, labor,
21.00
Geo. M. Franklin, labor,
7.00
$ 198.50
STREET LIGHTS
Amherst Gas Company,
$
4,339.00
CONTINGENCIES
Wm. Bifford,
$ 3.40
Wm. P. Boyle, paint, Town Hall,
12.75
A. R. Breor, police,
40.00
J. S. Bardwell,
146.00
H. C. Wickles, sawing wood,
9.00
O'Dea Bros., Dist. T. reports,
7.20
Metcalf Printing Co., T. Reports, order books,
341.35
W. & L. E. Gurley, sealer's supplies,
11.89
11
Merrick Lumber Co., repairs, Town Hall,
18.35
C. A. Byrne, births, medical assistance, 39.25
W. L. Graves, repairs, Town Hall,
15.05
P. R. Mullany, stamps,
24.82
Shaw, Hickey & Cook, counsel,
135.20
H. D. Smith, coal,
37.88
J. J. Betsold, wood,
53.00
J. A. Sullivan, Co., supplies,
5.50
Amherst Gas Company, lights,
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