USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1911-1914 > Part 29
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For the accommodation of Library patrons desiring a book at the time in circulation, the Trustees have established a rule to the end that any borrower, by leaving his name with the librarian, may have the book reserved for him for two days, he to receive notice by postal at his expense and the book to be charged to his account at time of mailing the notice. This has proved a very satisfactory arrangement and has eliminated the complaint from patrons of their not being able to secure a book desired.
The Trustees regret that the cooperation of the schools with the Library does not show any material gain but we are willing and anxious to further the matter all within our power.
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The Quarterly Bulletin has been issued regularly and has proved a great convenience.
The routine work of the Library has gone on smoothly and with satisfaction. The town will have to face in the immediate future the taking care of new books. The stacks are becoming so crowded that it will be impossible to shelve another year's purchase so that it will be necessary to add another tier of stacks or place more on the floor, either of which will necessitate an additional appropriation from the town.
It was with sincere regret that the Trustees received the resig- nation of Miss Mary J. Nagle. She has been a most efficient member of the Board, fulfilling her duties conscientiously and thoroughly.
The Trustees desire to acknowledge the following gifts:
Gifts.
Massachusetts, 14 volumes, 3 pamphlets.
United States, 8 volumes, 24 pamphlets.
Mr. Francis Blake, 1 volume.
Mr. Herbert M. Plimpton, 5 volumes.
Mr. A. R. Graves, 1 volume.
Rev. T. J. McCormack, 1 volume.
Mr. J. W. Tammelin, 2 volumes.
Mr. W. E. Dixon, 10 volumes.
F. W. Bird & Son, 1 volume.
Anonymous, 1 volume.
Dr. C. H. Hallowell, 1 magazine subscription.
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LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
To the Board of Trustees:
The following is a report of the Morrill Memorial Library. The library has been open for the delivery of books every week except the legal holidays, making in all 305 days.
Circulation.
Total issue,
43,898 volumes
Average daily issue,
144 volumes
Largest issue, March 16,
300 volumes
Smallest issue, December 24,
41 volumes
Per Cent of Circulation.
Class.
Adult. Juvenile.
Fiction,
88.4
86.9
Philosophy,
.6
.1
Religion,
2
.1
Sociology,
1.1
2.4
Philology,
.1
.1
Natural Science,
.6
1.
Useful arts,
1.
1.2
Fine arts,
1.2
1.9
Literature,
2.
.9
History,
1.3
2.
Travel,
2.2
2.2
Biography,
1.3
1.2
Of Total Circulation.
Adult,
Juvenile,
60 per cent. 40 per cent.
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Registration.
Number of names registered Feb. 1, 1912 Number of names withdrawn,
3,439
221
3,218
Number of new borrowers,
322
Number of names registered Feb. 1, 1913,
3,540
Respectfully submitted,
JANE A. HEWETT,
Feb. 1, 1913.
Librarian.
FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OF
NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING JANUARY 31st, 1913
ORGANIZATION, 1912-1913.
School Committee.
George H. Smith, 193 Walpole street, term expires March, 1913.
Cornelius M. Callahan, 23 Railroad avenue, term expires March, 1913.
Harriet W. Lane, 296 Walpole street, term expires, March, 1914.
Ralph E. Bullard, 92 Walpole street, term expires March, 1914.
Alfred N. Ambrose, 12 Vernon street, term expires, March, 1915.
Sarah N. Bigelow, 219 Winter street, term expires March, 1915.
George H. Smith, Chairman.
Mary D. Taylor, Clerk.
Standing Committees.
Schoolbooks and supplies-Mr. Smith, Mr. Callahan, Mrs. Bigelow.
Finance, accounts and claims-Mr. Callahan, Mr. Ambrose, Mr. Bullard.
Janitors, schoolhouses and grounds-Mr. Ambrose, Mr. Smith, Mrs. Lane.
Fuel-Mr. Bullard, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Ambrose.
Committee Meetings.
The regular monthly meeting of the School Committee is
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held at the School Committee rooms, 22 Sanborn Block at 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.
Superintendent of Schools.
Austin H. Fittz, 21 Plimpton avenue.
Telephone number, Norwood 11-W.
The office of the Superintendent is at 22 Sanborn Block. His office is open from 8 a. m. until 11.45 a. m. and from 1.15 p. m. until 5 p. m. on school days; and from 9 a. m. until 11.45 a. m. on Saturdays.
The Superintendent is in his office from 8 until 9 a. m. on Mondays and Fridays, and from 4 to 5 p. m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Telephone number, Norwood 133.
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SCHOOL CALENDAR.
1912-1913. Winter Term.
First half: Tuesday, December 31 to Friday February 14. Second half : Monday, February 24 to Friday, April 18.
Spring Term. Monday, April 28 to Friday, June 20.
Fall Term.
Monday, September 3 to Friday, December 19.
1913-1914. Winter Term.
First half: Tuesday, December 30 to Friday, February 20. Second half: Monday, March 2 to Friday, April 24.
Holidays.
October 12, Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday, Good Friday, April 19, May 30, June 17.
No Session Signals.
The hours at which the signals will be given for no session of the schools in stormy weather are at 7.15, 8, and 8.20 a. m .; 12.30 and 12.50 p. m.
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A signal at 7.15 a. m. indicates no forenoon session of any schools.
A signal at 8 a. m. indicates no forenoon session of any grades below the High School.
A signal at 8.20 a. m. indicates that there will be a fore- noon session in all the schools excepting the primary grades, (first three grades).
A signal at 12.30 p. m. indicates no afternoon session of any schools.
A signal at 12.50 p. m. indicates that there will be an after- noon session in all the schools excepting the three primary grades.
7
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND SUPERINTENDENT.
Extract from the records of the School Committee of Nor- wood:
Voted, to adopt the report of the superintendent of schools for the year ending, January 31, 1913 as the annual report of the Committee.
Mary D. Taylor, Clerk.
To the School Committee of Norwood :
Under the rules of your Committee, it is provided that " the superintendent shall, at the close of the year, submit to the Committee a written report of the general condition of the schools; which report may be adopted as the annual report of the Committee." In accordance with the requirement of the above rule, I submit herewith the annual report of the superin- tendent of schools for the year ending January 31, 1913.
Scope of This Report.
The topics treated in this report may be classified under three headings: (1) The Schools During the Past Year; (2) The Present Condition of the Schools; (3) The Reorganization of the School System. Under the first heading, the topics presented will have to do with the expenditures made during the past year; and with developments that have taken place in the schools that are of such significance as to make them of interest to the public. Under the second heading, the present condition of the schools will be considered and recommendations made as
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to improvements that ought to be brought about. Under the third heading a plan for the reorganization of the school system will be presented. This plan will provide for broadening the work of the schools to include more of manual training, the household arts and the commercial branches. An essential feature of the plan outlined will be a new school building, large enough to accommodate all pupils above the sixth grade.
Attention is called to the reports of the supervisors of music, drawing, sewing and penmanship, and the reports of the high school principal, the school physician and the school nurse, submitted herewith. These reports are included because it is several years since such reports have been rendered; so many changes have occurred during this period of time it seems ad- visable that the public should be made more fully acquainted with these changes than would be possible through the report of the superintendent of schools.
In addition to the usual statistical information included with previous reports will be found a summary of the results obtained in the school savings department.
THE SCHOOLS DURING THE PAST YEAR.
Receipts and Expenditures.
The receipts and expenditures have been as follows: Receipts.
Appropriations,
$57,500.00
Tuition,
286.75
Sale of school tickets,
83.38
Sale of schoolbooks and supplies,
12.70
Sale of incidentals,
2.89
$57,885.72
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Expenditures.
Teachers, $39,605.71
Janitors and sweepers,
3,814.11
Schoolbooks and supplies,
4,101.83
Incidentals and repairs,
5,086.35
Heating and lighting,
3,638.57
School tickets,
1,175.00
School physician,
200.00
$57,621.57
Balance, ,
$264.15
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS. Evening School.
Receipts.
Unexpended balance, January 31, 1912, Sale of schoolbooks,
22.60
$729.91
Expenditures.
Teachers,
$321.50
Janitor,
36.00
Schoolbooks and supplies,
6.40
Incidentals and repairs,
4.55
Heating and lighting,
59.36
$427.81
Balance,
$302.10
Shattuck School Playground.
Unexpended balance, January 31, 1912, Expended,
$349.00
347.75
Balance, $1.25
$707.31
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Repairs, Improvements and Equipment.
Much work has been done to improve schoolhouses and school premises. The basements in all the buildings except the Winslow and the Balch have been kalsomined. At the Everett School two of the rooms have been equipped with adjustable seats and desks. Electric lights have been put into the basement and into the two rooms at the northeast corner of the building. These rooms were previously very dark on cloudy days. At the Guild School the playground has been improved, the concrete walk at the front of the building resurfaced, and the manual training room and the basement lighted by electricity. At the Shattuck School an iron railing has been put in along the walks, the stone wall to the rear of the school has been pointed up with cement and the embankment between the school premises and the adjoining public playground planted with shrubbery. At the Winslow School an unsightly corner of the school premises which had been little better than a dumping ground has been leveled off and the surface covered with loam.
In accordance with the requirements of the state police, the hinges on several of the outside basement doors and the locks on many of the outside doors have been changed so that all outside doors now swing outward and may be opened from the inside without a key. Exit signs have been put wherever needed and a number of fire extinguishers added.
A new piano has been purchased for the high school and the piano formerly at the high school has been moved to the gram- mar school to replace the old piano there. By these changes each school has a better piano than before. A portable organ has been put into the Guild School and a graphophone has been added to the equipment of the Shattuck School. It is ex- pected that the organ will be of much assistance in the music and games of the primary grades and that the graphophone by bringing to the children good music that is well rendered will help to educate them to an appreciation of what good music
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really is and so be an aid to the music in the schools. The graphophone will be put to the further use of giving the pupils music to march by when they file from school at the close of the sessions.
A moving picture outfit has been placed in the Everett School. This outfit will be utilized as an aid in the teaching of history and geography. It will prove especially valuable in teaching that part of geography which has to do with the industries, because the pictures presented will give the child a clearer conception of processes and procedure than he would be able to obtain in any other way. From the proceeds of a fund raised several years ago, three pictures have been purchased, two for the man- ual training room at the Guild School and one for the West School. A number of beautiful silk American flags have been put into several of the schools, acknowledgement for which is made to the George K. Bird Woman's Relief Corps.
New Schoolhouse.
In April the town voted to acquire land for a new schoolhouse in the Balch District; also that the moderator should appoint a committee of five to secure plans and estimates for a twelve- room schoolhouse to be erected on the land so acquired. In accordance with this vote the selectmen subsequently obtained title to the land, and in December the committee ap- pointed to secure plans and estimates made its report to the town. On the basis of this report, the town voted to build a twelve-room schoolhouse at a cost not to exceed $57,000. Work has since been begun on the digging for the foundations and the construction of the building will be carried on as rapidly as pos- sible with the hope that the school may be ready for occupancy in September.
The rooms in the new building will be twenty-three by twenty- nine feet, the standard for size adopted by the Boston School-
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house Commission, and each room will seat forty-two pupils. The lighting will be from the left and the windows will be on one side of the room only. The basement will include two playrooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. On the second floor will be a room for the school nurse and connected with this room will be a bathroom. An extra room on this floor, somewhat smaller than the regular classrooms, will give opportunity for work with pupils who need individual instruction.
Public Playgrounds.
The movement for public playgrounds has gone steadily and rapidly forward. In April the town voted to put playgrounds under the supervision of the School Committee; also to refer to the town planning committee the advisability of securing land in addition to the East School lot for playground purposes. With the purchase of land for a new school in the Balch Dis- trict, the town acquired a large tract for a public playground. At the Shattuck School the grading of the public playground has been completed, a backstop erected, fences constructed along the northerly and easterly lines of the lot and ever- greens planted on the southerly line. What was formerly a barren waste of piles of rocks and ashes is now an attractive spot and a neighborhood improvement.
Vocational Guidance.
A beginning has been made in the matter of giving vocational guidance. A year ago several talks in regard to the opportuni- ties offered in the vocations were given to the pupils of the high school. The Committee has subscribed to the Vocation Bureau, an organization formed for the advancement of the work of vo- cational guidance. Pamphlets on the vocations sent out by the
13
Bureau and giving information in regard to the opportunities offered in different vocations have been placed in the hands of the high school pupils.
Evening School.
The evening school maintained in the high school building for the purpose of teaching foreigners the English language closed in March. The pupils enrolled numbered four hundred sixty- eight. Of these three hundred eighty were men and eighty- eight women. The school was in session seventy-eight evenings, and the average attendance was one hundred thirty. The total amount expended for the school out of the appropriations for its support was $1,897.90. The cost per pupil was $14.60.
Revision of Rules and Regulations.
The " Rules and Regulations " have been thoroughly revised. The new rules provide that the clerk of the School Committee shall be a paid official who shall have, among other duties, that of assisting the superintendent with the work of his office. In the new rules the duties of the superintendent, of the super- visors, principals and teachers are more clearly defined than in the old rules. Any parent wishing a copy of the " Rules and Regulations " may secure one by applying to the superintendent of schools.
Supervisor of Penmanship.
In September, 1911, the Zaner method of teaching penman- ship was introduced in the schools. Progress was made during the year in teaching this system, but it was apparent that still greater progress would be made under the direction of a super- visor of penmanship. Accordingly, a supervisor of penmanship
14
was engaged to begin her work in September. The improvement made in the handwriting of the pupils since September has been sufficiently rapid to justify the expectation that still greater im- provement will be made in the future.
Penmanship in the public schools during the past fifteen years with its fluctuations between vertical and other systems has called forth much just criticism. The system of muscular-movement writing now being taught in Norwood was introduced only after careful study and with the firm conviction that it is based upon sound underlying principles so that the method will not need to be changed in the years to come.
Teachers' Salaries.
The town has advanced the maximum salary for grade teach- ers to seven hundred dollars and for high school teachers to eight hundred fifty dollars. These increases put Norwood in a posi- tion to compete for the best teachers. Progress in any school system is directly proportionate to the efficiency of its teaching force. No action taken by the town will return more in the education of its children than the just compensation of teach- ers who are doing effective work.
LILLIAN G. DUNCAN.
Lillian G. Duncan, for over eleven years a teacher in the schools of Norwood, died June 18, 1912. As a teacher she won the hearts of her pupils and the confidence of their parents. She gave the best years of her life to the service of the town, and in her death the community lost a most efficient and popular teacher. Always bright and cheerful, full of life and kindly in spirit, her memory will be cherished by her associates as that of a comrade and friend, whom it was good to know, whom it is pleas- ant to remember, and from whom it was sad to part.
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THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS.
Distribution of Pupils.
For the purpose of determining systematically and impartially the schools pupils shall attend the School Committee hasdivided the town into six districts. These districts are known as the Balch, the Winslow, the West, the East, the Shattuck and the Guild districts. Each district derives its name from the school attended by the pupils who live within the limits of the district. The schools are so organized that pupils pass from the different districts to the Guild School. The pupils from the Balch and West Schools (with a few exceptions in the West School) go from those schools to the Winslow School before passing to the Guild School. During the past few years the population of the Balch district has increased rapidly. This increase has resulted in the crowding of the Balch, Winslow and Guild schools. The mem- bership in many of the rooms in these buildings is between forty and fifty pupils, a number too large for a teacher to have if she is to do really effective work. This condition of affairs will be remedied with the opening of the new building in the Balch dis- trict.
Retardation.
About ten per cent of the pupils in the grades are older than pupils in their grades ought to be. Compared with the number of retarded pupils in other places this is a low percent- age. Among the children who are retarded are many of foreign birth. For the purpose of assisting such pupils to assume their proper places in the schools, a class of sixteen children has been organized at the Winslow School and one of the unassigned teach- ers has been placed in charge of this class. The assistance rendered by the unassigned teachers to pupils needing individual instruction has been very beneficial to the schools and would have been even more beneficial if it had not been necessary to
16
call upon the unassigned teachers to do a good deal of substitut- ing for regular teachers who have been absent. Another un- assigned teacher is needed and is about to be secured.
The Health. of the Pupils.
Careful attention is being paid to the health of the pupils. Schoolrooms are thoroughly aired at recess, at noon, and during periods allotted to physical exercises. When there is danger from contagion, rooms are fumigated. Through the co-opera- tion of two local organizations, warm lunches are served to those children at the Winslow and West Schools who do not go home to dinner.
The school nurse is constantly engaged in bettering physical conditions among the school children. The schools are not only teaching hygiene by the use of a text but are trying to teach the children the practice of hygiene in their daily living. In accord- ance with the requirements of the laws of the State, each child receives a thorough physical examination once a year; and as fast as physical defects are found the co-operation of the home is sought in remedying them. The importance of the care of the teeth is emphasized. To encourage the use of the toothbrush, toothbrushes are sold to the pupils at cost and the children are taught how to use them. Through the co-operation of the Nor- wood Civic Association, a large number of children are receiving treatment at the clinic connected with the work of that organi- zation.
Organized Play.
The importance of play as a means of promoting the physical, intellectual and moral welfare of children is being strongly em- phasized by educational and social workers. Play is the natural expression of the activities of the child and the more these ac-
17
tivities are encouraged and directed in the right way the greater will be the child's store of energy and power of endurance. The mental ability of the child depends to a large extent upon his physical condition and the old saying of mens sana in corpore sano is as true to-day as ever. As towns and cities become more densely populated the child is increasingly in danger of getting into trouble. At the same time he has less opportunity for the harmless diversion of his natural activities through normal play. Hence, the moral need met by the public playground.
Play in the Norwood schools is organized under the direction of the teachers and is carried on outdoors when the condition of the grounds and the weather will permit and indoors other times. Games suitable for the different grades are selected and taught to the pupils. All the pupils take part unless excused for some physical disability. The teachers aim to lead the pupils to be independent of supervision in their play and when the games are thoroughly learned relax their supervision so that individual initiative among the children may not be destroyed. For the same reason the play of the older children is supervised less than that of the younger children. Experiments are now being car- ried on with folk dancing.
The public playground movement in Norwood has been well begun. Before this movement is carried much farther, however, a careful study of the playground needs of the town ought to be made and a plan outlined for meeting these needs in the most economical and efficient manner. Work of this kind is that of the expert. The Playground and Recreation Association of America employs a number of field secretaries for just such work. They are in effect efficiency engineers in all matters of public. recreation. It is their business to study the local situation, to learn what conditions exist, and to see how the experiences of other places can be applied. Such work costs, but it pays in added efficiency and in the greater number of children and young people who are helped.
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Evening School.
During the present winter the town has not had an evening school. There can be no question that the town needs to main- tain an evening school. The large foreign population in the community makes it necessary that an evening school be estab- lished for instruction in the English language and to give train- ing for citizenship. The School Committee is prepared to go farther in its plans for an evening school and to organize a class in any subject when a sufficient number of pupils apply to make it worth while to offer the instruction asked for. They recom- mend an appropriation of $3,000 for the support of a school to be organized as outlined.
School Premises.
Although school premises have been much improved, they can be made still more attractive. The following specific cases are illustrative of opportunities. At the Guild School the massing of shrubbery along the rear of the lot and the Talbot Block line, and the construction of a granolithic walk from Guild Street to the entrance of the school on Central street would make the premises much neater in appearance. At the Winslow School additional land should be acquired at the rear of the buildingfor playground purposes. Three years ago the Village Improve- ment Committee of the Woman's Club planted shrubbery and evergreens at the front of this building. The town should con- tinue this good work by massing shrubbery at the southeast corner of the premises and by still further improving the tract of land at the corner of Winslow avenue and Chapel street.
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REORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The Need and Nature of the Proposed Reorganization.
One-half of the pupils enrolled as members of the sixth grade in the Norwood schools do not complete the work of the ninth grade. Seventy per cent of the pupils who graduate from the grammar school do not graduate from the high school. Eighty- five per cent of the pupils enrolled in the sixth grade do not grad- uate from the high school. These pupils do not leave school because they are obliged to go to work. The majority of them drop out because they do not find in the studies now being taught sufficient incentive to remain. They leave to seek opportunities to earn money because they and their parents see little in the work of the schools that is of value in helping one to earn one's living.
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