USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > List of residents : 20 years and upwards in Milford, Mass. 1944 > Part 17
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RETIREMENT OF MR. FRANK L. CAHILL
On November 2, 1944, after twenty-seven years of faithful service as janitor in the Stacy, Spruce and High Schools, Mr. Cahill retired. Since the opening of the High School in 1936, Mr. Cahill has been a janitor and we miss having him with us. The whole department wishes him many years of health and prosperity in his retirement.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Miss Mary F. Ranahan-An extended leave of absence was granted for this school year, because of illness.
ADDITIONS TO THE SERVICE
Miss Zaroohie Noorjanian-Appointed as of January 1, 1945, and assigned to the George E. Stacy School. Miss Noorjanian was assigned to Miss Bellofatto's classes.
RESIGNATIONS
Miss Lillian A. Bellofatto, a teacher in the George E. Stacy School, resigned at the close of the last school year ending June, 1944, to become Mrs. James Pasacane.
Miss Mary E. Davoren, a teacher in the High School, left at the close of the school year 1943-1944 to become Mrs. Arthur E. Vesperi.
Mr. Everett M. Winslow, shop instructor at the Boys' Machine Trade School, resigned October 1, 1944.
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CARE OF BUILDINGS
During this year two more schools were painted-the Trade School and the Chapin. There was a great amount of work done on the Oliver Street School-new radiators were installed in the corridors-the boiler was overhauled -toilets were repaired-plaster and ceilings were done over-chairs in all the rooms were sanded and varnished. There is still another book closet which must be done. The Claflin School which needs painting and roof repairs on the outside could not be done this year, but there were toilet repairs and painting and plastering done on the inside. The boiler was repaired also.
The Spruce Street School had new shades and heater repairs. The heating system after being overhauled dur- ing the summer may go along for some time, but eventu- ally we must put a new heating system in this school. The roof was repaired for leaks, and there were some toilet repairs too.
At the Stacy School we bought and installed a new gas heater in the Home Economics room. The ther- mostatic controls were also overhauled. We had leaks in the roof repaired.
At the Plains Primary we had a small roof leak re- paired-some toilet repairs-new outside bell added- and some painting and plastering. The floors in the Trade School were sanded and toilets repaired along with plaster repairs.
The High School, our largest building, is constantly in need of repairs which, due to its size, mount to sizable figures during the year. We had new valves installed in the heating system to allow for a cut-off when certain parts of the building do not require heat. There was a major project in the southeastern section of the High School. Rooms A6-B6 and C6 and the adjoining corri- dors had the walls and ceilings refinished and painted. We installed a new blackboard in the Physics lecture room. During the year there were demands for repairs through- out the building. The High School Bell system and the fire alarm system were also repaired.
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Where there are so many buildings with constant de- mands for repairs, I would be amiss if I did not commend the School Committee for the work they have done on the school property. All of the schools are now in good con- dition with the exception of those mentioned previously and plans are under way to attend to these.
BOOK PURCHASES
During this year many new books were adopted and purchased to replace old and out-of-date editions. I have listed most of the books which have been purchased. This is another item for which the School Committee receives just commendation. Books in the schools are now in the best condition ever.
New Books purchased:
High School-
Adventures in Literature, Enjoyment in Prose and Poetry, Twenty Modern Americans, Practical Precis Writing, College Placement English Workbook, Office Practice Equipment, Intensive Typing Course, Bookkeep- ing and Business Procedure.
Elementary Grades-
English in Action-Grades VII and VIII, Alice and Jerry Readers-Grade IV, Prose and Poetry-Grades VII and VIII, Improving Your Reading-for remedial work in the Stacy School.
This list does not include the purchase of books which were already being used.
I wish to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the members of the School Committee for their whole-hearted cooperation and consideration during the year.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK C. BERRY.
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MILFORD HIGH SCHOOL
The Class of 1944 was graduated June 14th at which time 1933 diplomas were awarded; and to eleven addi- tional boys whose educational program was interrupted by the Armed Services, special war certificates were presented. Approximately twenty-five of the young la- dies from this class are continuing their educations at institutions of higher learning, whereas some thirty or more of the forty-eight boys in the class are presently en- rolled in some branch of the Armed Services.
The Fall session opened September 6, 1944 with a total enrollment of 567 pupils. This compares with an opening day membership of 606 for the previous year. To offset this decrease, no faculty appointments were made to fill the vacancies caused by the resignation of the for- mer Miss Mary Davoren, and the military leave-of-absence granted to J. Francis Cahill.
The physical education program at the Milford High School continues to be restricted to interscholastic com- petition in the fields of baseball, football and basketball. For a much needed improvement in physical fitness, we receive an annual appeal to develop a physical training program properly organized to include all High School pupils. Our facilities are limited, however; and the length of our school day does not allow for the adoption of such training here at the present.
Mr. Stanley Benjamin of Framingham served as acting coach of the 1944 basketball team which enjoyed a successful season, with Joseph V. Carey, Jr. as team Captain. Ernest Roberti of this town was appointed as acting Coach to serve during the baseball and football seasons. Victories over our local rival, St. Mary's, high- lighted the diamond season. A lack of experienced mate- rial in football proved to be too big a handicap for Cap- tain Joseph Graziano and his team mates; and we tasted not the fruits of victory during the gridiron season.
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The school cafeteria, under the management of at- tendance officer Arthur Vesperi, is now in its second year of operation. This lunch service, authorized by our local School Committee, is limited to nickel sales of milk and other foods. It relieves a traffic congestion which pre- viously threatened to endanger the mental and physical welfare of our student body; and the success of the new program has exceeded our fondest hopes.
We have been officially notified by the State Depart- ment of Education that Commissioner Warren has ap- pointed a committee of educators to evaluate the Massa- chusetts secondary schools. So that each school system may first make its own self-appraisal, evaluating points are presented:
"Elements common to every sound program of secondary education should be derived from an analysis of such items as":
a. Effectiveness of instruction
b. Provision for health and physical education
c. Guidance
1. Evaluation of achievement
2. Testing
3. Success of graduates
4. Follow-up program
d. Adequacy of equipment
e. Provision for democratic organization of the cur- riculum and of the program of supervision and ad- ministration
f. Opportunity for democratic living in school
g. Extra curricular activities
h. General school environment
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After submitting to our own self-appraisal on the above points of evaluation, it is a source of gratification to realize that we have been alert to modern educational developments. During the course of the past year our Superintendent and the members of our honorable School Committee have granted approval for:
1. The establishment of a guidance director, with Mr. Harold M. Moran being designated to fulfill the duties.
2. The introduction of a testing program to measure the effectiveness of instruction.
3. Presentation of a character education program to improve citizenship for a democratic style of life.
4. The establishment of departmental organization, with Dr. Marion A. Ryan being designated to serve as head of the English department.
Obviously these policies are all progressive steps, which fit in at an opportune time with the recommended outline above.
The task of teaching and administering this year, like that in almost every other field of endeavor, has been over a path of unprecedented hardships and obstacles. To those who by their sincerity of purpose have rendered their co-operation in our common cause, I express my gratitude.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES A. HIGGISTON,
Acting Principal.
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THE OAK, LILY, AND IVY
We are proud to report that last year's edition of our "Oak, Lily, and Ivy", published by the Class of 1944, with Joseph V. Carey, Jr., as Editor-in-chief, received two out- standing awards for excellence in content and appear- ance. The book was entered in two competitive contests with year-books submitted from high schools throughout the country.
In the National Scholastic Press Association Contest, it was awarded the coveted "First Class Honors". In the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Contest it re- ceived a "Medalist" rating, the highest possible award given to high school year-books.
Faculty advisors for last year's "Oak, Lily, and Ivy" were Principal James A. Higgiston and Mr. Harold M. Moran, principal advisors, Miss Margaret M. Pyne, Miss Dorothy Callahan, Miss Marie Cenedella, Miss Madeleine W. Kynoch, and Miss Evelyn E. Pinardi. Copy for the printer was prepared by the classes in typewriting taught by the Misses Agnes R. Lynch and Catherine E. Curtin. Art work was supervised by Miss Dorcas Whipple.
DEPARTMENT OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING
A definitely forward step in the educational program of the Milford Public Schools was taken last July when Mr. Higgiston recommended, Mr. Berry approved, and the school committee voted that a Director of Guidance be appointed. I am grateful for the honor of being elected as the first Director. I am likewise grateful for the splen- did co-operation I have received from my co-workers.
There is a general recognition among educators today that guidance as a service to all school pupils is a basic function of education and that it should be included as an integral part of every progressive school system. There is likewise the recognition that on a school staff there should be someone, in addition to the principal, whose duty it will be to guide and counsel pupils along different avenues. A high-school principal and guidance counselor are, to a degree, complements of each other-both work- ing together with the faculty for the best interests of the child.
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Although an experimental program in guidance has been in effect in the Milford High School for the past three years, 1944 marks the first year of an actual working plan. We are concerned with two general areas: first with the abilities and interests of the individual, secondly with another area aside from the individual, such as occupa- tional information, training opportunities, community relationship, and social activities. We are for the present, however, focusing our attention 'on the first area, and shall content ourselves in paving the way for future progress. If a major program were to be adopted, the services of a full-time director, and one or more part-time assistants would be required. Although ours is a minimum program, it meets all the minimum essentials, in that it:
"1. provides for an inventory record of each individual pupil's occupational potentialities and scholastic achievements,
"2. gathers and disseminates information concerning occupations,
"3. gathers and disseminates information concerning education and training,
"4. gives occupational, social, vocational, and academic counsel as an aid in the solution of individual prob- lems in these areas,
"5. helps to assist young people in obtaining part-time, summer, and permanent positions,
"6. provides for systematic 'follow-up' of cases re- ferred to the office of Guidance and Counseling or voluntarily brought to it by the pupil himself."
We shall follow the six steps above named, to enu- merate our accomplishments this year:
1. At the suggestion of Mr. Warren E. Benson, State Director of Guidance, who visited us early in the school year and expressed approval of our pro- gram to date, we have conducted a Pupil-War- Time Inventory, and an Occupational Inventory, of all pupils in our school. Also as part of the first step, Mr. Higgiston and I are arranging at this
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writing to have the Department of School and College Relations of Boston University conduct a voluntary testing program in our Junior and Se- nior classes, so that we may be helped in our coun- seling and interviewing by having on hand valu- able objective data secured from these tests.
2. Thanks to the School Committee for approving our request for a budget, we are building our own open-shelf library of occupational information in the form of pamphlets, monographs, and books for the pupils' reading.
3. We are receiving almost daily catalogs and other informative publications from colleges, schools, or other institutions where a pupil may plan to enter after graduation, or about which he wishes to learn more. These, too, are on our open shelves for the pupils' perusal and are constantly used in our interviews of educational guidance.
4. By way of assembly programs, moving pictures, classroom procedures and individual conferences we attempt to counsel the pupils in an occupa- tional, social, vocational, or academic way.
5. Many requests from outside for part-time em- ployees and from the inside for part-time positions have been filled by this office. We do not recom- mend for employment, nor do we approve that there be hired, any pupil who is not doing at least a passing grade of work in his school subjects. We have found through the successful co-operation of three local chain stores, with which we affiliated ourselves during the Christmas vacation period, that our plan of recommending pupils resulted in a higher type of salesperson and gave an incentive to our pupils to do better school work. We have received letters from all three managers, each stating that the plan "proved to be highly suc- cessful and beneficial". We are now planning to build an occupational preferment list, so that when requests come to this office, we shall be able to recommend only a scholastically alert candidate- all other things being equal.
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6. Whenever a pupil is referred to us, or when we find through our conferences that a pupil is deficient in his school work, we start him on an improvement program after we have discovered the "why". We then start a systematic follow-up program of each case. It is our intention later on, to "follow-up" our recent graduates to see in what ways we can be of further assistance to them.
We have attempted to show that a definite task lies ahead of us as we launch into our Guidance program. We realize that the going may be a bit rough at times as we cautiously feel our way, but it is our aim "to assist in- dividuals to make good adjustments, wise decisions and intelligent plans with respect to educational, occupational, social, and personal problems and situations by means of services including studying the individual, imparting es- sential information, counseling, placement and follow-up -rendered through the co-operative activities of coun- selors, teachers, and administrators, parents, employers, club leaders, and church workers." Whether we speak of guidance from a social, emotional or vocational point of view, we are merely referring to different phases of a single problem.
Respectfully submitted,
HAROLD M. MORAN, Director of Guidance.
THE GEORGE E. STACY SCHOOL Report of the Principal
The program at the George E. Stacy School continues as in past years, to prepare the students coming from the elementary schools for entrance to high school. The de- partmental arrangement of classes serves the purpose of adjustment for the students and gives them the opportuni- ty to broaden their associations and experience different teaching procedures.
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The War Savings, Bond and Stamp Sales have con- tinued under the supervision of the teachers as in the past with creditable purchases by the students. The Red Cross and United War Fund Drives likewise received the enthusiastic support of the students.
Two major text book adoptions were approved and purchased by the School Committee for use in the seventh and eighth grade classes. These books, "Junior English in Action," by Tressler and Shelmadine; and the "Prose and Poetry" Reading series, by Tower, Russell and West repre- sent the best available in these school subjects and are a distinct asset to the school equipment.
The Household Arts and Domestic Science Work for the girls of the school has been assigned to Miss Fleming, replacing the former arrangement of student practice teachers from the Framingham State Teachers' College. The new schedule permits a more unified and continuous program.
Remedial classes in Reading, Mathematics, English and Spelling have been inaugurated during the year for the seventh grade students and I am gratified at the re- sults achieved by the seventh grade teachers in this work.
The Student Association organized in September and the following officers were elected: President, Eveline Celozzi; Vice President, Angela Perrone; Secretary, Helen Breault, and Treasurer, Robert Nargi.
I have enjoyed the cooperation of the teachers, Mr. Berry, Superintendent of Schools, Members of the School Committee and extend my thanks to them for their help.
Respectfully submitted,
PAUL F. RAFTERY,
Principal.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
Happiness, together with co-operation, has been the keynote of our various music classes during the past year. The theme has been chosen as appropriate to a year of struggle, as well as to a year of hoped-for victory. We have found that joyous music has been a healing medicine to the children's minds and spirits.
More than ever we have tried to arrange our year's work with the familiar and melodious pieces of classic music which have especial power to relax and refresh the average child.
Recognition of musical effects through the sense of hearing and reproduction of the same, continues in every class. Melodic and rhythmic drill, attention to voice quality, pronunciation and articulation and faithful in- terpretation of the sentiment expressed by the composer make the aesthetic and educational value of the music hour worthy of its place in the school program.
Voices are grouped according to quality and range. They are then assigned to their proper parts. Frequent exchange of parts is advisable, however, as long as the voices are adapted to such exchange. Our aim is to induce the proper voice quality without effort or strain.
Beside voice culture, individual progress is tested by each pupil in the upper grades, writing the scale, octave and arpeggio in the various keys. At the end of his junior year he will be able to read notes by syllable, number or letter as each year the problems that he meets are a step in advance of previous years.
In addition to the teaching of the voice, Theory and. Harmony is taught in the high school. This year, as in the past, plans are being formulated for the students to attend a performance of one of the operas to be given later in the year in Boston.
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May I at this time thank all the teachers and princi- pals, our Superintendent, Mr. Berry, and the members of the School Committee for the sincere co-operation which they have shown to me during the past year.
Respectfully yours,
HELENA F. SWIFT, Supervisor of Music.
REPORT OF ART DEPARTMENT Dorcas Whipple, Supervisor
General courses of the Stacy and High school with the exception of some special activities have been carried out according to the schedules outlined in some of our previous reports.
As usual during Art Week which is observed nation- ally the first week of November, an exhibit was arranged and displayed before the Quinshipang Woman's Club. Through its chairman, Mrs. Cecil Ashley, the art group of this club is providing transportation to the Worcester Art Museum so that a talented student in the eighth grade may attend the Saturday morning art classes held there. The award for this year was given to Barbara Richardson, Room 13 of the Stacy School.
Interested parents and townspeople have had an op- portunity to see examples of the fine creative work done in the seventh, eighth and High School classes through exhibits hung in the Milford Town Library during the past year. We are grateful to Miss Comba, the librarian, in allowing us the space for our displays. The cardboard mounts have been made possible through the generosity of Mr. Mabey, Manager of the State Theatre.
To my teachers and to Mr. Berry I wish to extend my appreciation for their enthusiasm and help in carrying out our program during these trying times.
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INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC Ben C. Lancini, Instructor and Director, Milford High School Band and Orchestra
The instrumental department in the Stacy School has attained its largest enrollment since this department was instituted. The seventh grade boasts of over twenty- five members actively playing.
The High School Band, through the courtesy of the V.F.W., who made the trip to Framingham possible, took part in the annual Football classic on Armistice Day and played at our home games. They also participated in local patriotic parades, Memorial Day and Elks' Flag Day.
The band also played Christmas carols to help cheer families on Christmas Eve.
Rehearsals are progressing rapidly for the thirteenth annual concert to be given May 25, 1945.
CONTINUATION SCHOOL REPORT
The Continuation School day has been changed from Thursday to Wednesday and the academic classes as well as household arts classes are now held in room fifteen of the Stacy School. This change is for the better as it eliminates much moving about of pupils and supplies.
The general improvement program is carried on plus a course in Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick in the Home. In this course the girls take up: Care of the bed-patient, how to take temperature, the use of home devices and appliances, suggestions for a home medicine chest and other useful, home-nursing ideas.
We hope these lessons might induce some to continue further study of this important humanitarian work.
Respectfully submitted,
BEATRICE J. FLEMING.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ATTENDANCE
To the Honorable School Committee,
The critical year of 1944 effected many changes in the life of the school children of Milford. The all-im- portant one has been due to the fact that both parents were working in defense plants imposing an additional responsibility on the children. Most cases brought about unfavorable results. This lessening of home control amounts to contributory delinquency, making it extreme- ly difficult for the school to cope with this war-time con- dition.
Your Supervisor of Attendance made over six hun- dred calls in the course of duty. Eighty-seven cases of truancy were discovered and reported to the parents. The school exerted every possible effort to correct this unwar- ranted practice. Truancy checked in its early stages will prevent 80% of delinquency, which has a costly effect on our future citizens.
Overtired students are responsible for 15% of the poor attendance in the Junior and Senior High School. To help solve this dangerous practice to the growing child, I firmly recommend that unless a student continues to ob- tain a passing grade, he shall not be allowed to work be- fore school and only for two hours after school instead of the present four hours a day. There were 891 employ- ment certificates issued in conformity with the Child Labor Laws.
The ever stressing need for additional recreational facilities should be community's chief concern in com- bating juvenile delinquency.
I wish to thank all Town Departments, the District Court, the various Boys' Clubs, especially the several
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churches as well as all individuals and organizations for their co-operative support in meeting this problem.
Respectfully,
ARTHUR E. VESPERI, Supervisor of Attendance.
REPORT OF THE ELEMENTARY ART SUPERVISOR
The objective of our art course in the elementary grades is threefold: first, to develop confidence; second, to stimulate the imagination; and third, to furnish an outlet for the creative impulse that is innate in almost every child. In the first grades we introduce the art principles of unity, balance, and color harmony. By the time the child has reached the third grade, one can notice a de- cided improvement in choice of color, proportion, and composition.
The art work of the children is exhibited in their rooms and they derive great pleasure from their designs, illustrations, and posters. A school room without the colorful drawings would seem decidedly drab.
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