USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1945-1950 > Part 19
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1. Exemplary conduct in the community.
2. A high degree of personal neatness.
3. The maintenance of a type of discipline and control that will instill in the child a favorable attitude toward school.
4. Conscientious and systematic effort to help the child to become a better citizen through character building, command of the fundamental educative skills and the instilling of a healthy respect for the rights of the others.
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5. Cooperation in the detecting and reporting of phy- sical defects and the contracting of contagious di- seases.
6. A pleasant and sympathetic attitude toward con- ferences with the welfare of the child being con- sidered uppermost.
As fellow members of the team working for the im- provement of the youth of the community parents have certain responsibilities. Some of them are:
1. Provision of the necessities of life for the children.
2. Carrying out a system of home discipline and con- trol which will create respect for parental author- ity and consequently respect for all authority re- gularly constituted in a democratic way.
3. Attention to the complete physical welfare of the child.
4. The inculcation of high standards of morality in keeping with accepted principles.
5. The provision, through regular channels, of ma- terial support for a professionally planned and executed program of public school training.
The citizens of Hatfield have taken a step forward in the organization of the Parent-Teacher Council. During American Education Week and at a subsequent meeting of the Council, parents and friends of the schools were given an opportunity to inspect the work of the schools and to make personal contact with the teachers. It is hoped that the work of this organization will be expanded and that more parents will avail themselves of the op- portunities presented.
Professional Improvement of Teachers
Attention is called to the professional improvement undertaken by several of our teachers. School teaching is an exacting job. The attendance of a teacher in a pro-
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fessional course after completing a day's work in the classroom requires the expenditure of considerable effort and is indicative of the intense desire of the individual to improve his service to the schools.
The salary schedule, adopted by the Committee in December 1947, provided for salary increments for those who complete approved professional study. Thus the ef- forts of teachers in this respect are rewarded in a concrete way.
Health and Physical Education
General school health is a direct responsibility of the school nurse working closely with the school physician. Last year Mr. Symancyk organized physical education classes in grades six, seven and eight. These classes are being continued and attention is being given to diagnosis and correction of physical defects.
The alteration of the Town Hall basement to improve the facilities for athletics and physical education was not completed in 1948. The balance of the money ori- ginally voted for this work should be used to complete the work in 1949.
Future School Population
Although it is difficult to predict exactly what will happen to public school enrollment figures, the small but rather steady rise in school population probably can be ex- pected to continue. It is expected that the number of children who will be entering school in the fall of 1949 will be about the same as the number in 1948. This will probably necessitate the continuance of the two divisions in our grade one organization.
Community School Lunch Program
The Community School Lunch Program has been carried on at a very low cost to the taxpayers of Hatfield.
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The help from federal sources in the matter of cash grants under the National School Lunch Act and the surplus commodities has been an important factor in low cost to the taxpayer.
Negotiations are now being carried on to obtain from state or federal sources a slicing machine. This acquisi- tion should improve the efficiency of the program. All tables and benches in the lunch room have been repainted.
The following information is submitted for examina- tion :
Number of Days and Number of Meals Served
Month
No. of Lunch Days
No. of MealsServed
January
20
4,182
February
15
3,043
March
-
22
4,598
April
17
3,359
May
20
3,824
June
13
2,461
September
17
3,650
October
19
4,031
November
19
3,898
December
17
3,402
179 days
36,448 meals
Financial Summary
Expenditures :
Wages
$3,088.00
Food
5,769.46
All other
788.42
TOTAL
$9,645.88
Income :
Receipts from sale of lunches
$6,283.35
From C. D. Funds
3,009.58
TOTAL
$9,292.93
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School Enrollment
Center Elementary School by Grades
I II III
IV
V
VI
VII VIII
1947
27
26
28
25
30
32
31
25
1948
38
27
24
26
24
30
30
30
Comparative Totals for Center Schools
Year
1948
1947
1946
1945
1944
Total Pupils
229
224
228
219
233
Smith Academy Enrollment-By Classes
Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors Total
1947
15
18
20
19
72
1948
23
16
15
17
71
Totals For Hatfield Public Schools
Year
1948
1947
1946
1945
1944
Totals
300
296
319
318
337
Conclusion
Progress in the public schools of Hatfield will be achieved by the wholehearted cooperation of parents, teachers and elected and appointed officials. It should be kept in mind constantly that the schools exist primarily for the benefit of the youth of the community. Character building is high on the list of objectives. Health and physical welfare must also occupy a prominent place. The extent to which all groups and individuals concerned strive to attain these and other goals will be one of the determin- ing factors in the moulding of the men and women of to- morrow.
Respectfully yours,
A. JEROME GOODWIN,
Superintendent of Schools.
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Principal of Smith Academy
To the Superintendent of Schools and the School Committee of Hatfield:
I hereby submit my third annual report as the princi- pal of your high school.
Inasmuch as a number of changes have occurred within the school in recent years, a general summary of the present curriculum at your high school seems desirable at this time. These changes have been effected to meet the changing conditions at the school as well as the chang- ing emphasis within secondary education.
The present high school program is a combination of the two most widely advocated systems of secondary edu- tion today. The Harvard Report, published in 1944, ad- vocated a rich and necessary common background for all pupils. This provides the students with those experi- ences which are desirable for all. The other system of education, as presented in 1944 by the Educational Policies Commission of the National Education Association, stresses an educational process for youth taken from the student's own frame of reference and needs as these are made apparent to him.
The correlating of thee two philosophies of education permits your school to meet the needs of the pupils as expressed by the Massachusetts State Department of Edu- cation. Thee needs are:
1. Helping young people to "grow up."
2. Guiding youth in preparation for life and work.
3. Achieving health and physical fitness.
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4. Teaching youth to make the most of their environ- ment.
5. Teaching youth to recognize and appreciate the good and beautiful in life.
6. Preparation of students to make the best possible use of leisure time.
7. Vreparation of youth for further study, work, or life.
8. Encouragement of self-education for maximum efficiency in life.
The presentation of the high school program in its entirety is not possible at this time. However, the fol- lowing opportunities are available on a compulsory or elec- tive basis.
A program of physical education permits students to participate in group activities as well as develop body vi- gor, physical fitness and proper health habits.
Music, composed largely of group singing, is en- couraged for those who wish to participate.
In conformity with the laws of the Commonwealth, students are permitted to receive one hour of religious in- struction per week upon request. This year several church groups have availed themselves of the opportunity to take this religious instruction under the "released" time program.
The commercial course functions as an aid to students in securing desirable positions in business. Without im- pairing the efficiency of the training in the department, every effort is being made to broaden the experiences of the commercial students by courses in other departments.
The vocational departments have had notable changes in recent years. The vocational household arts program requiring three periods each day has been eliminated in favor of a program of home economics on a single period basis. This revised program has had a very favorable re-
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action from the students. This can readily be attested to by the great increase in the number of girls electing the course which is so vital to them. The concentration of effort in this class accomplishes an amount of work which compares very favorably with the former method of in- struction.
The small number of boys electing Agriculture caused the State Department to reorganize this department. A plan was suggested by the Department and adopted by the School Committee whereby the high school would offer agriculture only in the morning. Each class would be al- lowed two periods per day. The other half of the day would be used by the instructor in Veterans on-the-farm training. The plan is now in effort, although it is being permitted on a temporary basis for this year only.
The college course differs from that of former years largely in the de-emphasis of foreign languages. Due to the decreased importance attached to the study of langu- ages by the colleges, the high schools have permitted and encouraged more scientific and mathematical subjects. Another feature of this course today is the flexibility al- lowed in the choice of courses, permitting students to elect those courses which will be most valuable to them later. Experience has shown, too, that typing as a tool is extre- mely valuable to college students, and therefore, all college preparatory students are expected to attain a desirable proficiency in typing before graduation.
In addition to the courses of study at your high school, there are many rich and satisfying extra-curricu- lar experiences available to the student. Dances, drama- tics, athletics, student government, publications, etc., of- fer your children many experiences through which they learn to work with each other and grow in competent citi- zenship.
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In recent years occasionally there have been public pronouncements that the nation's schools have not suc- cessfully met the challenge of the development of charac- ter in youth. It is well to remember several factors in that regard. The first is that the secondary school is not the select college preparatory school that it was a number of years ago, but it is a school for all the children of all the people.
The second factor, a factor which should receive much more attention, is that one of the ten imperative functions of the modern secondary school is the building of character. Generally speaking, the schools are meet- ing this challenge-the development of character in stu- dents. It must be remembered, however, that the total environment of the child is a potent influence. At least two vital considerations of the environment should be kept clearly in mind.
The first consideration is that the curriculum of a school is not the only influence in a school. Pupils learn from being in and around a school. If standards of clean- liness, orderliness, neatness, sanitation, etc., are to be instilled in youth, as they should be, then providing the proper environment for thee desirable objectives is im- perative. While the physical plant alone does not neces- sarily provide a good program, its absence to any degree makes a good program difficult if not impossible to a de- gree. The school plant should be a major factor in facili- tating the total instructional process and in satisfying the social needs of the immature members of a community. The school plant should stand out as an inspiration to the ideal of education.
The second consideration influencing the develop- ment of youth is the community. In his book, "The Guidance of Learning Activities," Burton aptly states :
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"The learning and behavior of any pupil is determined not alone by organized learning experiences within the school but by all the social experiences encountered since birth. Experiences within the community, particularly within the immediate neighborhood, in the home, with the church, with recreational facilities desirable or otherwise, with civil authorities ... and many other agencies, all participate in the understandings and attitudes developed by the learner. The effects, even from the home in given instances, are often negative, unfortunately, and may even counteract the constructive efforts of the school." An excellent program of character in the school, to cite but one common situation, may produce few desirable re- sults because of much stronger unwholesome social and moral influences of the immediate environment.
Since the school is only one of the agencies in the community affecting youth, it cooperates with the other agencies, particularly the home. While each parent is primarily interested in his own child, each parent knows that the school is a community effort in which each parent looks with equal interest on his child. In any kind of a community, regulations are necessary to enable the group to function properly and therefore insure the rights of each individual. In our school, rules and regulations per- tain to attendance, punctuality, conduct and the rights of others. We ask the parents of all the pupils to cooperate when some of the rules touch their children, because free- dom for the individual comes only through observance of the law.
School work is a full-time job. In addition to the hours at school each student should spend two or three hours daily on homework. The home can help young people by showing a sympathetic understanding of the problem and providing the proper place for study.
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In conclusion, let us remember two extremely impor- tant facts. The first is that the type of school that the community has is, in the long run, dependent upon the in- terest of the community in its youth. The second is that your high school welcomes any suggestions in making partially articulate the apirations of the community for its children.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN C. JAKOBEK,
Principal.
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Principal of Center School
To the Superintendent of schools and the School Committee of Hatfield :
Sirs :
It is again my privilege to submit a report on the activities of Center School.
This fall found the first grade room crowded. It seemed advisable to open a second room to house a part of this large grade. This was accomplished by moving the second grade from the School Street building to a first floor room in Center School. Under this plan both first grades remain in the School Street building where they may pursue the same schedule of activities on a like time arrangement. A second first grade teacher was needed to teach this new class. Miss Doris MacLaughlin of Springfield was elected to the position. The new set-up with Mrs. Fitzgerald and Miss MacLaughlin in charge is working out well.
In the Center School it was necessary to move grade five from a first floor room to the mathematics room on the second floor of the building. The mathematics classes for grades six, seven and eight are carried on in the rooms used at other times by other departments. This is not a recommended arrangement, but one necessary in view of our housing problem. The teachers of the English, his- tory and geography departments have been very coopera- tive in the matter. Some of the mathematics classes that do not require added blackboard work are held in the li- brary. With larger classes predicted, other adjustments may be needed.
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Last spring the children of the grades exhibited the penmanship and art work accomplished during the school year. The exhibit was held in the library of Center School. The exhibited penmanship material covered nearly all of the available space and left little room for the art work. The penmanship exhibit was in the nature of an accomplishment record, showing improvement of in- dividual pupils in all grades. The exhibit was very well received by townspeople and by several teachers who came from neighboring towns to see th result of the pupils' ef- forts.
Another penmanship exhibit is planned for March of this year with Mr. Taylor, the supervisor, in attendance. It is to be timed with a meeting of the Parent Teacher Council in order that more parents may have a first hand view of the work accomplished. A second art exhibit will come later in the school year.
It is the writer's belief that no satisfactory marking system has as yet been invented. Yet it is necessary that all pupils be marked on some basis. It is also necessary that parents know the basis on which pupils are to be marked. The teachers of the Center and School Street Schools, under the direction of the superintendent, held a refresher course last year during the winter and spring terms. One of the results of the course was a new set of standards for determining passing grade. In grades one, two and three reading ability will be the basis for passing from one grade to the next. In grades four and five an over-all passing grade in all subject matter will be neces- sary in order to pass from one grade to the next. Grades six, seven and eight are departmentalized, thus marks are derived from several departments. If a pupil signifies that he is to pursue a classical course in the secondary schools he must pass both English and mathematics, as well as other subject matter in order to move from a given grade to the next above. If he does not intend to
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take a classical course in high school, an over-all average plus a study of the individual's ability and needs will be used as the basis for promotion.
This method of marking, places an emphasis on read- ing. The writer belives this to be the correct procedure, for until a pupil can read he can not obtain any great amount of information for himself, nor can he enter any of the better testing programs in order to be accurately graded. Such a philosophy makes every teacher of child- ren a reading teacher. It is with such a program in mind that we are devoting our efforts this school year.
Some work has been done with visual education dur- ing the past year and we expect to do more this year for this method seems to be the best method of presenting much of the new material quickly and effectively.
Parents, teachers, pupils and school officials have all aided us. Perhaps the formation of the Parent Teachers Council shows best the spirit that exists between the schools and the home. To all who have aided us in im- proving our schools, I wish to express my appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
RAYMOND N. JENNESS,
Principal of Center School.
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Physical Director
January 15, 1949
Mr. A. Jerome Goodwin
Superintendent of Schools
Hatfield, Mass.
Dear Mr. Goodwin:
Again, it is my pleasure to submit my second annual report as Supervisor of Physical Education in the Public Schools of Hatfield, Mass.
With this broad program now in its second year, it is obvious that we are still confronted with various problems of physical education. From my survey of this overall picture, our problems seem to be divided into several parts, namely :
1. What should we be doing ?
2. How can we do best the things we set out to do back in September 1947 ?
3. How can we know when we are getting the results desired and making progress ?
These three broad objectives which I have set down as goals have given me a great deal of despair at times. However, I believe that the first two objectives have al- ready been formulated and that a reasonable degree of ac- complishment has been maintained. More work can and should be made with each succeeding year.
Experience has taught me that the keynote of phy- sical education today is one of variety and that we are striving to make our program broad enough to interest
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everyone who is required or who desires to enter into it. Therefore, we are recognizing the "competitive play ten- dency" which consists of activities which are wholesome, purposeful, and meaningful. This, then, might be the answer to the third objective mentioned above-that is, the function of the teaching act finally is found in the desire of the student to participate in physical education through competitive play as being of the greatest value to the learner.
Thus far, attempts have been made toward the ac- complishment of these goals by introducing the following activities to the students :
FALL SEASON
1. The teaching of fundamentals of soccer.
2. Calisthenics.
3. Cross-country running.
4. Speedball, volleyball, captainball, etc.
5. Touch football-stressing passing, throwing, kick- ing, and running.
WINTER SEASON
1. Basketball-all phases.
2. Calisthenics.
3. Marching.
4. Early stages of tumbling.
5. Pyramid work.
6. Volleyball.
7. Hitpin baseball.
8. Long Base. etc.
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SPRING SEASON
The spring season consisted of the same activities as those of the fall season with some exceptions, namely ; softball, fundamental teachings in tennis, some track and field events (preferably running, standing, and broad jumps ; sprinting). It is hoped some form of intramural program can be devised and that facilities for the carrying out of this spring program can be maintained.
In all fairness to everyone living in this community mention should be made again of the inadequate facilities that exist. We must not forget that the health of the student is at stake and, unless we make use of every available agency in the school system, we can do but little toward their solution. It has already been pointed out that the ultimate goal of all education-including physical education- is the well-adjusted, integrated personality. This goes without saying that, if in physical education we are to make satisfactory progress toward this aim, we must protect the present and future health of the stu- dents by teaching health habits, imparting health know- ledges, and fostering physical activities for the develop- ment of desirable skills, habits, attitudes, ideals, and ap- preciations. This has been satisfactorily accomplished through the co-operation of the school physician, school nurse, School Committee, Principals of the High School and Grammar School as well as by various members of the Faculty.
It seems appropriate at this time to point out that the solution of the problems which we find in our schools is going to be made more slowly than we should like because a physical education program of this nature is a new inovation to the community. The adaptability of such a program is a long-darwn-out process dependent for speed mainly on the level of expectancy of the community and of the leaders. The success of this huge undertaking
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does not in any way rest entirely with the school authori- ties but also with the parents and general public. They must be advised of the needs and progress by which this program is to be a success. Their support and co-opera- tion is greatly needed. Financial support and more time allotments will result in greater improvement in the health status of the students.
Very significant work has been done in the matter of supervised play activities. Our boys' soccer and bas- ketball teams have enjoyed fair success in the Hampshire League. Because of the pressure of daily work required of the majority of those desiring to play sports, we have not met with any success in baseball. As a result of this, we have had to discontinue baseball again this year. However, it is hoped that by stepping up this physical education program, a baseball team will again represent Smith Academy in the Hampshire League.
Likewise, the high school girls have also enjoyed a very successful basketball season under the excellent coaching of Mrs. Muller.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN F. SYMANCYK,
Physical Director.
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Art Supervisor
Mr. Goodwin :
I am happy to submit my second annual report as Art Supervisor for the schools of Hatfield.
The year 1948 has been one of progress in the de- velopment of the Art program in the Hatfield Schools. I am trying to present a diversified program so that over a period of years each child of school age will be ac- quainted with several art techniques and processes. This year for the first time children in the first grade have been allowed to paint using both poster paint and water color. This work has been done on larger paper, 18" x 24", and at easels, both innovations for the local schools. While it is too early to forcast the ultimate benefits when the present first graders are in the upper grades, the immediate results have been most gratifying. Some of the other grades have not been able to handle water colors yet. Their turn will come later in the year.
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