USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1958-1963 > Part 8
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71
PAYMENTS
Transportation : High
1,662.40
4,927.20
Elementary Athletic
704.82
7,294.42
Janitors :
High
3,159.84
Elementary
3,300.00
6,459.84
Fuel and Light:
High
1,154.58
Elementary
2,082.37
3,236.95
Maintenance Buildings & Grounds:
High School Janitor Supplies
369.74
Elementary Janitor Supplies
412.74
Elementary Repairs
723.64
1,506.12
Diplomas & Graduation Exercises
145.89
Insurance
444.39
Health Supplies
28.48
Educ. Handicapped Children
358.51
Nurse
1,800.00
Total Schools from Approp.
$130,448.24
School Comm. Expense
117.75
School Bldg. Comm. Exp.
904.38
Land Purchase
25,000.00
Federal Aid-P. L. #864
129.49
Federal Aid-P. L. #874
2,533.87
Athletic Fund
1,033.73
Total Schools
$160,167.46
Vocational School :
Tuition
6,838.90
Transportation
1,401.88
8,240.78
72
PAYMENTS
Build, Equip and Furnish New School:
Architect's Fees
22,365.00
Borings
235.00
Plans & Specifications
940.00
Contractor
7,020.00
30,560.00
SCHOOL LUNCH
Collection Account :
Wages
7,051.85
Clerk
570.00
Food
5,289.17
Fuel
41.70
Misc. Supplies
57.49
Bond
15.00
13,025.21
Commodity Distribution Fund :
Food
5,695.01
Fuel
65.55
Misc. Supplies
297.12
Misc. Equip.
22.00
6,079.68
Total School Lunch
$19,104.89
LIBRARY
Librarian
1,300.00
Assistants
753.50
Janitor Service
79.50
Books
1,500.39
Periodicals
67.40
Fuel
230.77
Light
52.82
Stationery & Postage
14.04
Misc. Supplies
46.45
Travel
29.73
Repairs
1,150.76
5,225.36
73
PAYMENTS UNCLASSIFIED
Telephone
295.15
Memorial Day
242.96
Care of Town Clock
50.00
Print and Distribute Town Reports
740.07
Outlays
56.94
Retirement Assessment
2,632.68
Unclassified
74.65
Dog Care & Disposal
122.91
Celebrate Hadley's 300th Anniversary
375.05
Binding Town Reports
63.75
Premiums
382.50
5,036.66
INSURANCE
Monies and Securities
70.09
Liabilities and Property Damage
1,158.06
Town Schedule
1,728.29
Workmen's Compensation
1,837.95
Public Liability
461.48
Volunteer Firemen
154.50
Chlorinator Building
152.60
5,562.97
WATER DEPARTMENT
Commissioners
600.00
Collector's Salary
750.00
Clerical
167.50
Printing, Stationery & Postage
54.62
Labor
2,589.90
Repairs to Truck
395.27
Pipe and Fittings
1,354.81
Equipment
267.38
Gas and Oil
82.29
Equipment Rental
485.50
Lights
117.17
Chlorine
214.00
Care of Chlorinator
360.00
Collector's Bond
10.00
All Other
77.14
6,925.58
74
PAYMENTS
WEST STREET WATER MAIN
Labor
462.25
Equipment Rental
610.25
Pipe and Fittings
1,331.27
Hydrant
170.70
All Other
35.00
2,609.47
Repairs to Dam and Spillway
679.99
Land Purchase-Water Dept.
2,700.00
Total Water Department
$13,515.04
CEMETERIES
Clerical
50.00
Labor
1,200.00
Postage
6.00
Survey-West Hatfield Cemetery
102.10
1,358.10
Land Purchase-Cemetery
400.00
Interest on Water Loan
835.50
Interest
58.67
Water Main Loan Notes
10,000.00
Loan-Anticipation School Bond Issue
20,000.00
AGENCY, TRUST AND INVESTMENT
Taxes:
State Audit
858.82
State Parks
1,326.30
County Tax
24,578.00
Dog Tax Due County
414.75
Cemetery P. C. Interest
8.76
Teachers' Health and Accident
373.72
Federal Withholding
17,515.85
State Withholding
1,193.29
Retirement
2,225.05
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
6,300.53
Insurance Chap. 32B
1,506.88
Total Agency, Trust and Investment
$56,301.95
75
PAYMENTS REFUNDS
Taxes Motor Vehicle Excise Total Refunds
800.10
1,012.82
$1,812.92
Total Payments
$498,460.24
Balance January 1, 1960
$528,706.14
Total
$1,027,166.38
TOWN OF HATFIELD BALANCE SHEET-DECEMBER 31, 1959
Assets
Liabilities and Reserves
Cash
$528,706.14
Federal Grants : Disability Assistance- Federal $52.28
Accounts Receivable :
Taxes :
Levy of 1955
$414.80
Levy of 1956
1,624.84
Levy of 1957 3,177.00
Levy of 1958 17,394.19
Levy of 1959
43,042.97
65,653.80
Federal Aid-Schools, P.L. #864 523.38
Federal Aid-Schools,
P.L. #874
1,968.71
Motor Vehicle Excise :
Levy of 1955 91.17
Levy of 1956
827.27
Levy of 1957 900.68
Levy of 1958 1,705.53
Levy of 1959
8,468.92
School Lunch Collection 1,600.49
1,771.69
76
2,566.74
Revolving Funds : School Athletic Fund 171.20
11,993.57
Disability Assistance- Federal Admn. 3.05
Aid to Dependent Chil-
dren-Fed. Admn. 1.21
Old Age Assistance- Fed. Admn. 18.11
Farm Animal Excise :
Levy of 1957 40.52
Levy of 1958 21.15
Levy of 1959 126.08
Unexpendad Appropriation Balances : Construct Sewer- Prospect Street 5,000.00 Highway Chap. 90 N. C. 430.77
187.75
Departmental : Aid to Dependent Children 228.94
Construct, Equip and Furnish New School 400,040.00
Care of Cemetery
School Building
Lots
218.75
Comm. Expense 261.86
Highway 33.60
Water Loan-
Veterans' Benefits
1,067.34
Elm St. 8" Line 36.84
1,548.63
408,038.99
Water Department : Water Rents
4,493.55
250.00
Aid to Highways:
County
2,923.13
State
19,767.97
22,691.09
County Tax 4,102.40
Outlays 4,232.01
77
Dog Tax Due County 9.75
Sale of Real Estate Tailings 497.61
Overestimates : State Parks Tax 129.61
2.44
Chestnut St. Bridge 2,269.52
Old Age Recovery
2,493.44 Road Machinery Earnings Fund 11,500.65 Overlay Surplus 4,784.77
Overlays Reserved for Abatements :
Overlay 1955 414.80
Overlay 1956
1,624.84
Overlay 1957
3,177.00
Overlay 1958
3,596.71
Overlay 1959
5,286.10
14,099.45
Revenue Reserved Until Collected :
Departmental
1,548.63
Farm Animal
187.75
Motor Vehicle
11,993.57
Water
4,493.55
State & County Aid
to Highways 22,691.09
40,914.59
Water Available Surplus Surplus Revenue
20,867.62
123,249.66
TOTAL ASSETS
$635,276.97
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND RESERVES $635,276.97
78
DEBT ACCOUNTS
Net Funded or Fixed Debt
$464,000.00
School Const. Loan- Sec. 7, Chap. 44
125,000.00
School Const. Loan- Chap. 645, Acts '48
300,000.00
Water Main Loan- Chestnut & Prospect Sts.
5,000.00
Water Main Loan-Elm Street
2,000.00
Water Main Loan-Plain Road 32,000.00
$464,000.00
$464,000.00
79
TRUST AND INVESTMENT FUNDS
Trust and Investment Funds $16,577.46
Cemetery Perpetual Care
15,714.38
Firemen's Relief
87.79
General Care-Main Street
10.00
General Care-Hill
765.29
$16,577.46
$16,577.46
Appropriation Table
1958 Appro- priation
Additional
Total Available
Spent
Balance to Revenue or Forward
Moderator
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
Selectmen's Salaries
900.00
900.00
900.00
Selectmen's Clerk
200.00
200.00
200.00
Selectmen's Expense
200.00
200.00
177.85
22.15
Accountant's Salary
1,775.00
1,775.00
1,775.00
Accountant's Expense
150.00
150.00
148.79
1.21
Treasurer's Salary
1,875.00
1,875.00
1,875.00
Treasurer's Expense
575.00
1,138.55
1,713.55
1,709.15
4.40
Collector's Salary
1,400.00
1,400.00
1,400.00
Collector's Expense
650.00
250.00
900.00
899.55
.45
Assessors' Salary
1,800.00
1,800.00
1,800.00
Assessors' Expense
400.00
400.00
395.28
4.72
Attorney's Fees
300.00
300.00
300.00
Town Clerk's Salary
1,775.00
1,775.00
1,775.00
Town Clerk's Expense
350.00
350.00
347.80
2.20
Election and Registration
975.00
975.00
877.93
97.07
10.00
10.00
10.00
Elector's Salary Town Hall Police
5,500.00
2,897.37
8,397.37
8,397.37
3,000.00
3,000.00
2,988.25
11.75
Fire
4,000.00
4,000.00
3,961.38
38.62
80
Tree Work
1,000.00
115.55
1,115.55
1,115.55
Moth Work
1,000.00
1,000.00
1,000.00
Civil Defense
1,000.00
1,000.00
411.14
588.86
Sealer of Weights & Measures' Salary
200.00
200.00
200.00
Sealer of Weights & Measures' Expense
100.00
100.00
95.60
4.40
Public Health
500.00
166.00
666.00
666.00
School Physician
400.00
400.00
400.00
Insp. School Children-Immunization
250.00
250.00
122.24
127.76
Insp. School Children-Tuberculosis
75.00
75.00
75.00
Well-Child Clinic
200.00
200.00
166.30
33.70
Insp. Animals and Slaughter
240.00
240.00
240.00
Visiting Nurse
1,450.00
1,450.00
1,450.00
Construct Sewer-Prospect St.
5,000.00
5,000.00
5,000.00
Construct Sewer-School St.
4,000.00
3,100.00
7,100.00
6,798.44
301.56
Highway General
7,000.00
420.00
7,420.00
7,419.08
.92
Highway Chap.81
22,250.00
22,250.00
21,246.43
1,003.57
Highway Chap. 90 Maint.
1,800.00
1,800.00
1,797.30
2.70
Highway Chap. 90 N. C. '59 Cont.
11,500.00
11,500.00
11,069.23
430.77
Highway Chap. 90 N. C. '58 Cont.
4,513.25
4,513.25
4,430.30
82.95
Chestnut St. Bridge
12,541.74
12,225.98
24,767.72
22,498.20
2,269.52
Road Machinery Operating
4,000.00
4,000.00
3,993.48
6.52
Street Lights
5,130.00
5,130.00
4,799.75
330.25
Construct New Deck-Prospect St. Bridge
2,500.00
2,500.00
2,490.27
9.73
Purchase New 1/2 Ton Pick-up Truck
1,800.00
1,800.00
1,775.32
24.68
Re-Construct Main St. Sidewalk
1,000.00
1,000.00
991.68
8.32
Bridge Repairs
500.00
500.00
66.56
433.44
81
Dike Repairs
200.00 200.00
200.00 200.00
60.40
139.60
Fence Repairs Public Welfare
1,000.00
1,174.69
2,174.69
2,174.69
Disability Assistance-Town
2,000.00
2,000.00
1,294.89
705.11
Disability Assistance-Federal
1,353.68
1,353.68
1,301.40
52.28
Disability Assistance-Fed. Admin.
102.55
102.55
99.50
3.05
Aid to Dependent Children-Town
1,000.00
375.00
1,375.00
1,091.35
283.65
Aid to Dependent Children-Federal
1,064.80
1,064.80
1,064.80
Aid to Dependent Children-Fed. Admin.
36.21
36.21
35.00
1.21
Old Age Assistance-Town
13,000.00
13,000.00
12,608.19
391.81
Old Age Assistance-Federal
9,237.40
9,237.40
9,237.40
Old Age Assistance-Fed. Admin.
624.26
624.26
606.15
18.11
Veterans' Benefits
1,500.00
1,500.00
3,000.00
2,342.57
657.43
School Comm. Exp.
200.00
200.00
117.75
82.25
Schools
130,000.00
448.44
130,448.44
130,448.24
.20
Federal Aid P. L. #864 Schools
652.87
652.87
129.49
523.38
Federal Aid P. L. #874 Schools
1,079.58
3,423.00
4,502.58
2,533.87
1,968.71
School Athletic Fund
1,204.93
1,204.93
1,033.73
171.20
Construct, Equip and Furnish New School
430,600.00
430,600.00
30,560.00
400,040.00
Purchase Zgrodnik Land-School
25,000.00
25,000.00
25,000.00
Vocational Tuition and Transportation
9,865.00
9,865.00
8,240.78
1,624.22
School Bldg. Comm. Exp.
1,166.24
1,166.24
904.38
261.86
School Lunch Coll.
14,625.70
14,625.70
13,025.21
1,600.49
School Lunch C. D. F.
6,079.68
6,079.68
6,079.68
Library
5,145.00
108.02
5,253.02
5,225.36
27.66
Bind Town Reports
100.00
100.00
63.75
36.25
15.91
184.09
82
Care of Town Clock
50.00
Celebrate Hadley's 300th Anniv.
500.00
50.00 500.00 300.00
50.00 375.05
124.95
Development & Industrial Comm. Exp.
300.00
216.64
83.36
Insurance
5,000.00
552.00
5,552.00
5,551.77
.23
Insurance Chap. 32B-G. L.
3,850.00
55.95
3,905.95
3,905.95
Memorial Day
300.00
300.00
242.96
57.04
Print and Deliver Town Reports
750.00
750.00
740.07
9.93
Reserve Fund
9,118.55
9,118.55
9,118.55
Retirement Assessment
2,632.68
2,632.68
2,632.68
Telephone
275.00
25.00
300.00
295.15
4.85
Unclassified
150.00
150.00
74.65
75.35
Water Comm. Salaries
600.00
600.00
600.00
Water Dept.
7,000.00
7,000.00
6,925.58
74.42
West St. Water Main
2,700.00
2,700.00
2,609.47
90.53
Repairs to Dam and Spillway
684.49
684.49
679.99
4.50
Purchase Land Within Watershed
2,800.00
2,800.00
2,700.00
100.00
Water Loan-Elm St. 8" Line
36.84
36.84
36.84
Cemeteries
900.00
480.15
1,380.15
1,358.10
22.05
Land Purchase-West Hatfield Cem.
400.00
400.00
400.00
Interest
500.00
500.00
58.67
441.33
Interest-Water Loans
835.50
835.50
835.50
Water Main Loans
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
$822,230.95
$28,455.70
$850,686.65
$429,871.49
$420,815.16
83
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
OF THE
TOWN OF HATFIELD
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1959
87
School Organization
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Henry F. Kulesza, Chairman
Term Expires 1962
Ethel I. Byrne, Secretary
Term Expires 1960
William H. Burke, Jr. Term Expires 1961
Regular school committee meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month or at a time convenient to the members of the school committee at the High School
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS John A. Skarzynski
School Office :
High School Building
Telephone : CH 7-2361
Home Address : 44 Elm Street Hatfield, Mass.
WORK CERTIFICATES AND SCHOOL CLERK Marie P. Sheehan 15 Chestnut Street Office telephone CH 7-2361
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN Robert C. Byrne, M.D. 46 Main Street Telephone CH 7-2661
SCHOOL NURSE Mrs. Lucille Godek, R.N. 19 Prospect Street Telephone CH 7-2921
88
CORPS OF TEACHERS 1959-1960 Superintendent of Schools and Principal of Smith Academy
John A. Skarzynski
Smith Academy Florence Muller French I, II, III; Latin I, II Margaret Pruzynski Typing I, II; Shorthand I, II; Bookkeeping ; Secretarial Practice
Mary Holdsworth Algebra I, II; Plane and Solid Geometry ; Trigonometry ; Introduction to Calculus; Physics
Mary E. Ryan English I, II-B, III-A, III & IV-B
Joan Bissland English II-A, IV-A, Civics, Guidance ; Problems of Democracy
John A. Skarzynski Driver Education
Mary Spakowski Home Economics ; Biology ; General Math ; Home and Family
John F. Symancyk General Science; United States History ; World History ; Junior Business Training; Physical Education
Center School Grades 6, 7, 8 Dorothy Breor; Principal : English Jean Kempisty ; Grade 8 : Social Studies, Music Maxwell Moczulewski; Grade 7A : Math, Penmanship, Junior High Coach Martha Mador; Grade 7B : Reading and Spelling Arthur Andrews; Grade 6: Science, Art
89
Grade 5
Frances Celatka
Bernice Eaton
Grade 4
Hilda Fortsch
Patricia Doppmann
Ann Labbee
Ann Franz
Grade 2
Martha Boyle
Eleanor Stenglein
Grade 1
Helen Kostek
Jo Ann Bell
Supervisors Music-Esther Norris Penmanship-William J. Rinehart Co.
Custodians Elementary-Chester Celatka High School-Mitchell Kempisty
Transporters
Henry Labbee Bus Co .- Regular School Transportation John W. Maroney-Vocational School Transportation
School Lunch Workers
Hazel Roberts, Manager Susan Zima Wanda Shea
Irene Labbee Winifred Betsold Helen Kugler
Grade 3
90
Report of the School Committee
To the Citizens of Hatfield :
The annual report of the Hatfield School Committee, for the year 1959, is presented to you for your considera- tion. The Hatfield School Committee, with its responsi- bilities to provide schools, to engage personnel, to estab- lish salaries and to evaluate policy and curriculum, is a service to the community that is demanding, time con- suming, and one that requires continuous study. The educational philosophy that guides your school committee has been stated in previous years and for these principles, we refer you to our previous annual reports.
The school committee is charged with the responsi- bilities of meeting the needs of individual children who must be prepared to adjust and to contribute to an ever- changing community, nation and world. It is charged with the responsibility for the education of our future citizens in a progressive world, and to perpetuate the freedoms they possess and enjoy.
During the year of 1959, in meeting these objectives, the school committee held 12 regular meetings and 6 special meetings to evaluate the educational needs of our children in relationship to their physical and mental growth.
Following the trend that is taking place in all com- munities, the number of pupils enrolled in the Hatfield Public Schools has also increased this year. On Decem- ber 1, 1959, there were 490 pupils enrolled in all grades,
91
one through twelve. Last year there were 474 pupils enrolled in grades one through twelve, showing an in- crease of 16 in just one year. Grades 1-8 had 360 pupils enrolled, and this year have 372 pupils, an increase of 12. Grades 9-12 had 114 pupils enrolled and this year have 118 pupils, an increase of 4. A summary view of past and anticipated enrollments is presented in charts to be found incorporated in this School Department Report on another page. You are encouraged to turn to and ex- amine these charts closely.
A complete list of the school personnel will be found in another section of this report. In reviewing the teach- ing staff situation, we found that two changes took place in the high school and four changes took place in the ele- mentary school.
Mrs. Lena Fitzgerald, retired.
Mrs. Betsey Zane, resigned to be at home.
Mr. John Gallagher, resigned to teach in Amherst.
Mrs. Mary Lou B. Cutter, resigned in April 1959 to be at home.
Mr. Richard Riendeau, resigned to further his educa- tion.
Mr. Stanley Piankowski, resigned in August 1959 to be at home.
Miss Jo Ann Bell, elected teacher of Grade 1.
Mrs. Bernice Eaton, elected teacher of Grade 5.
Mrs. Martha Mador, elected teacher of Grades 6, 7, 8.
Mr. Maxwell Moczulewski, elected teacher of Grades 6, 7,8.
Mrs. Joan Bissland, elected teacher in high school.
Mrs. Mary Holdsworth, elected teacher in high school.
Mr. Mitchell Kempisty, elected custodian of School Street School and Smith Academy.
92
The school committee, with the assistance of the Board of Selectmen, has converted the larger community room in the town hall into a temporary classroom to meet the increased enrollment. There are now four temporary classrooms in use, the grade 5 classroom located in the town hall and three temporary basement rooms in the Center School.
The regular school budget for 1960 has been care- fully prepared and submitted to the town accountant, as required by law. The Hatfield Finance Committee and the School Committee have met and discussed the school budget.
The school committee once again found that the Hat- field Public Schools were eligible for Federal Aid to the public schools under Public Law 874, which assists schools with direct aid if certain qualifications are met for attendance by pupils whose parents are employed on fed- eral property and under Public Law 864, Titles III and V, which deals with assistance in guidance, science, math and languages. Applications have been made for assist- ance and the aid received was used to meet current ex- penses.
The school committee wishes to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Mrs. Lena Fitzgerald and to extend every best wish for her enjoyment in retirement. The Parent Teacher Council, the Teachers Association and the School Committee held an open house in the community rooms to honor Mrs. Fitzgerald. A large number of friends and former pupils extended their best wishes to Mrs. Fitz- gerald and she was honored with gifts and a purse of money contributed by the school children, townspeople and friends.
93
The school committee also wishes to express appre- ciation to former chairman of the school board, Mr. Philip Z. Maiewski, whose services terminated in Febru- ary 1959.
Both the superintendent's and elementary principal's reports carry a more detailed account of the activities of the Hatfield Public Schools. These reports were read and approved by the school committee and your attention is called to them.
The school committee wishes to take this opportunity to express its sincere appreciation to the superintendent of schools, the administrative staff, the personnel of the public schools, members of the Parent-Teacher Council and the townspeople who have given so generously of their time in order that we could keep abreast of the educational needs of our community and for their support, understanding and cooperation during the year just passed.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY F. KULESZA ETHEL I. BYRNE WILLIAM H. BURKE, JR.
94
Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee and the Citizens of Hatfield :
I herewith submit my second annual report as Super- intendent of Schools of Hatfield; it being the first full year report of this administration.
We have completed a year wherein the schools of not only this community, but of the state and nation, have been the objective of the greatest attention in the past decade. It has been a year of further technical and sci- entific advances. It has been a year where people have become more conscious of education as a basis and foun- dation for defense as well as world peace. It has been a year where focus has been placed on the aims and ob- jectives of public education and its place in the spiritual, moral, economic and scientific development of our natural resources. Probably never before in the history of this country has attention been focused on the whys and wherefores of education as much as it has been in the past year, and rightfully so. The community has no keener responsibility than the responsibility of educating its youth. Our professional staff has been conscious of this obligation. Parents of this community have shown their responsibility and obligation to the education of our future citizens through active participation in the Parent- Teacher Council.
In providing an education in terms of an equal oppor- tunity for all with respect to the interests, aptitudes and abilities of our children, the following is an analysis of progress in the general educational organization in our town.
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Approximately 77% of the graduates of the class of 1959 are attending post-secondary institutions, with 50% of this number attending four-year colleges and uni- versities.
A start has been made toward providing instruction in conversational French in Grades 3, 4 and 5. For approximately two twenty-minute periods per week, children in these grades received instruction from French III students under the direction of Mrs. Florence Muller. The instruction is designed to develop facility in articu- lation of the language and to give insights into the nature of the language.
During this past fall, all of the fire fighting equip- ment of the school system was thoroughly checked. Fire Chief Arthur Smith inspected each piece of equipment and made recommendations which were followed by the school committee.
The largest single improvement of the school year was the hiring of a teacher-guidance director, Mrs. Joan Bissland. Her duties are many and varied. Besides teaching, her guidance duties consist of :
1. Individual and group testing of abilities, apti- tudes and achievements.
2. Competent interpretation of test results and their usefulness.
3. Individual counseling in the educational, voca- tional, psychological and social fields.
4. Assistance in educational placement, namely placement in preferred colleges and scholarship assist- ance.
5. Assistance in vocational placement which is broken down into placement related to educational goals, placement in field of study and rehabilitation placements.
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Another curriculum improvement is the addition of a "Civics" course in the high school.
Improvements in the general sense are as follows : teaching aids were purchased for all grades to assist in instruction. New equipment was also purchased to better equip our schools and to satisfy the increased enroll- ments. New texts were purchased for the commercial department and also for the civics and World History courses, bringing these fields up to date. A science club, under the direction of Mrs. Mary Holdsworth, was started in the high school. Mid-year and final exams were held, on a college basis, for the first time. Practice teachers were had in the history and mathematics fields.
The Massachusetts Division of Employment Secur- ity administered vocational tests to all seniors and con- sulted with each pupil prior to graduation regarding the results of these tests. The regular testing program at the secondary level includes mental ability, achievement and aptitude tests. College Board tests are taken by many seniors and juniors. These are administered nationally and arrangements are made on an individual basis. Also given at the high school, to the juniors and seniors, was the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) examination.
The bus route was revised somewhat in September and that route will be adhered to for the remainder of the year. A copy of the present route follows this report.
Released time for religious instruction was offered again this year. The following times are set aside each week so that pupils may benefit from religious instruction in denominations of their own choosing. Released time started on September 23, 1959 and will end on May 18, 1960.
Wednesday 10:45-11:30 High School pupils
Wednesday 1:00- 1:50 Pupils of grades 2 thru 5
Wednesday 1:55- 2:45
Pupils of grades 6, 7, 8
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The rule regarding the entrance age of pupils is as follows: Any child who attains the age of six during the year in which entrance to the first grade is sought may attend school beginning in September of that year. For example : a child having his sixth birthday on any day including or between January 1, 1960 and December 31, 1960 may enroll and attend school beginning September 1960.
National Education Week was observed from Novem- ber 9-13, 1959. Special times were set aside throughout the week for private parent-teacher conferences. The schools held open house on Thursday evening of that week. The large number of parents who visited the school was heart warming and it showed that interest in the children and schools is high.
It is the policy of the Hatfield School Department to hold regular sessions when it is practicable to operate the school buses. Parents are asked to use their own dis- cretion as to the wisdom of sending their children to school on stormy mornings. In the event that it becomes necessary to cancel school sessions the "No School Signal" will be broadcast over radio station WHMP starting at 6 A.M. and continuing through to 8:30 A.M. The authori- ties of WHMP request that parents not call the radio station for this information, but listen for the announce- ments.
Necessary maintenance and repairs to the Smith Academy building were carried out by the Trustees of Smith Academy. Among major repairs were placing a new congoleum in the Household Arts laboratory, resur- facing all the blackboards, remodeling of the sewing room into an adequate guidance room and remodeling waste space into valuable storage space. These were taken care of without cost to the town. The trustees have been very cooperative in maintaining the Smith Academy building.
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