Norwood annual report 1923-1927, Part 30

Author: Norwood (Mass.)
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1656

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1923-1927 > Part 30

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

A platoon system could not be introduced and carried out, however, unless and until a full completement of school buildings and equipment have been provided. Then, it is a question of how the standard cquipment can be made use of to the highest advantage. While it seems obvious that (with the cost of education so high that it constitutes a serious burden) something should be done, the School Committee has nothing to propose by way of change in the system until a very careful study has been made and the advice of the best educational experts is obtained.

The Possibility of Maintaining the Standard Desired Without Increasing the Tax Rate

The tax rate is determined by the rate of total cost of education charge- able against taxables, divided by the total assessed valuations. The taxable properties, generally speaking, are of three classes: (1) manufac- turing establishments, (2) business properties, and (3) residences. In the past it has been assumed that the best way to keep down the tax rate is to bring in new industries or to enlarge those already established. This seemingly axiomatic proposition, has proved to be a false premise for reasoning. The tendency in business is to introduce machines so as to make possible the employment of lower paid labor. Competition of this

222

kind works out as follows: low paid labor usually has the effect of bringing into the community property-less men who have large families. Norwood has been one of the outstanding places in Massachusetts in making bids for this kind of labor. Assuming that one of our industrial concerns (em- ploying such labor) by adding $500,000 to the plant might give employ- ment to 500 more men: on the assumption stated below, the result would be to increase the tax rate for schools over four dollars per thousand. The foregoing calculation is based on the assumption that each new employee would have on the average two children of school age. Of course some might have many morc and some might have less-but on the whole it is thought that this is a conservative estimate. The effect, in this case, would be to add approximately $100,000 a year to the cost of education to the Town. The assumed added capital outlay would bring in not more than $15,000 a year in taxes; the remaining $85,000 would have to be added to the tax burden or other properties. Without question the added pay- roll would tend to increase business of the town, and to the extent that the value of business properties were increased this would operate as an offset; but it can scarcely be imagined that the value of business properties would be increased to such an extent as to overcome the large debit balance against the Town budget due to added cost of education. The only ef- fective way of compensating for the added cost of education in a New England manufacturing town, due to the growth of industry. would seem to be to make the Town attractive to suburban residents. To make this point clear, let this fact be noted: that to raise the $85,000 mentioned above on a $30 a thousand tax basis, would require an increase in manufacturing or business properties of $2,833,000, in addition to $500,000 added to the industrial plant as a means of giving employment to 500 new property- less men.

Such an increase in the valuation of business property does not in fact take place. On the other hand, if an equal number of new suburban residents were attracted to the Town, who on the average would spend $10,000 each in home building, this would add $5,000,000 to taxables. It is a notorious fact that industrial towns are the slowest to respond to edu- cational needs because of the burden of taxation involved. The main- tenance of an adequate education program, without increasing the tax rate, would seem to be possible only in a town which is made attractive to home builders, as well as to persons engaged in profitable enterprise. This means that the prosperity of the Town, as well as its educational sys- tem, in a very practical and real sense depends on making the Town an attractive place in which to live.

Zoning and Small Park Developments as Related to the Educational Program

From the foregoing it would seem that the steps which are being taken looking toward the protection of home investments (zoning) and the efforts that are being put forth to make Norwood home life attractive by

223

the development of small parks and playgrounds, is very definitely related to the commendable efforts that are being made to keep down the tax ratc. It is also evident that these efforts all have a very direct bearing on the development and administration of an educational and recreational program. All these things go together. Norwood has been especially forethoughtful in the last few years in matters of Town Planning; it has been especially fortunate in the interest of persons looked to for official leadership; also in the interest taken by non-official groups in street lay- outs, in zoning, in the movement for the acquisition of vacant spaces for parks and playgrounds. The acquisition of lots needed for schools, ade- quate in size for recreational purposes (selected in advance with a view to giving character to newly developing neighborhoods and to making them attractive to home builders) should be looked upon as definitely related to the interest of every eitizen and tax payer. There would scem to be no reason why, with a relatively small expenditure of money for needed open spaces, the home-building industry could not be very much increased. Town planning with a view to making the community attractive to home- builders has in it practical possibilities, because thereby the inereasing eost of education due to increasing population may be more than offset by increased valuation.

Unless Norwood is made attractive to suburban home-builders there would seem to be little basis for hope that the school tax rate will not in- crease, whatever system or policy may be adopted that is consistent with the maintenance of a good educational standard. But there is another even more cogent reason why small parks and playgrounds should be ae- quired at points conveniently near each residence-especially in the more congested areas-while tracts held as private property are still unincum- bered with buildings. There is no opportunity for the normal wholesome activities of children at play except in the streets or as trespassers on private property. In the one case they are in danger of being run down by motor vehicles; and in both cases they are law-breakers. Without open spaces provided for such use, the ehildren are brought up at enmity with neigh- bors and the police. Juvenile misdemeanors are rapidly increasing. The community eannot hope to bring up new generations of self-respecting and loyal citizens unless it provides facilities for out-of-school recreational activities.

FREDERICK A. CLEVELAND, BRAINARD A. ROWE, EDWARD F. BRENNAN, JULIA R. O'BRIEN, FLORENCE M. FIELD, ARTHUR S. HARTWELL, Members of the School Committee.

February 25, 1925.

224

Several years ago, Mr. Henry O. Peabody, a resident of Norwood, on his death left a large fund for the construction and maintenance of an Industrial School for Girls-indicating in his will a desire to have it located here, but giving to trustees the power to decide. In 1922, the Carnegie Corporation published a report (the result of a nation-wide study of secondary school needs, made under the direction of Dr. Henry S. Pritchett) in which attention was called to the economy and educational advantage of making trade-schools a part of a town building program. In 1923, a commission, appointed by Governor Cox, by legislative authority, recommended the adoption of a poliey by which the State would pay half the cost of construction and the entire cost of maintenance of Junior Colleges in towns favorably located. The sketch on the opposite page was prepared to serve the double purpose: (1) to get before citizens of the town the elevation of the new high school now under construction on the north side of Nichols Street extension; (2) to get before the Trustees of the Henry O. Peabody fund, and the Town, the advantages of having not only a girls' industrial school, but a boys' trade school as well (and possibly a Junior State College, if the recommended policy is adopted) loeated opposite the new High School building. These would be located south of Nichols Street extension, on land which is now unencumbered, and which might be acquired for sueh use.

225

BIRD'S - EYE VIEW OF NEW NORWOOD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND GROUNDS WILLIAM G. UPHAM ARCHY. THE CENTRAL BUILDING AND WEST WING ARE NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION. "THE FUTURE. ADDITION OF AN AUDITORIUM AT THE REAL OF THE CENTRAL BUILDING AND OF THE EAST WING WOULD COMPLETE THE GROUP TO THE NORTH OF NICHOLS JIRELT

227

* * 1

-C4 RD

CLASS ROOM2

CLASS ROOM3

PK D

BOYS' TOILET

GIDLS' TOILET

" CLASS ROOM 4

NUPSR

CORRIDOR

TEACHERS' DM

MUN LATRANG.

CLASSROOM 1

FLOOR PLAN

SCALA

Since the 6-3-3 plan of elementary and secondary school organization has been adopted throughout the country, there has been a very definite drift in opinion away from the large, square type of school building, and toward the narrow, one-story type. The reasons for this movement, es- pecially in providing structures for the small children in elementary grades are set forth on page 215 of the report. Frequently, the buildings are constructed in one, two and four room cottage structures (or in six and eight-room longitudinal structures) arranged around a hollow square, large enough to provide ample playground facilities for all of the buildings- also large enough to make an effective summer playground for the neighbor- hood the year around. The cost of these structures runs from $2,000 per unit up. The above drawing is of a building designed for one of the Boston districts. This is one of many designs adapted to building along- side of a large playground. Thus the buildings might completely enclose the playground when the school needs of the neighborhood would demand it.

229

REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

To the School Committee of Norwood:

I hereby submit my Annual Report for the year 1924.

The conduct of the school system is the Town's biggest public business; looked at from any angle-from the standpoint of personnel, cost, or in- fluence on the life of the community. On December 1, 1924, there were 3137 pupils in the schools and 130 employees on the regular payroll of this departinent. This does not include 20 on the Evening School payroll and 7 on the Summer School payroll.

More than one-third of the entire appropriation of the Town the past year was expended for education, yet one who owns and pays taxes on $5,000 worth of property, and has three children in the public schools, is getting the education of those children at the rate of Sỹ cents per day per child. Can he invest his money in any other way and receive so great a return?

Increase in School Population (See Table on next page)

Facts and figures to which the report of this department has called at- tention in the past three years show that there has been a substantial and constant increase in the school population. It will be noted from the foregoing table that the membership has doubled in the last fifteen years and that the increase is now approximately 150 per year, enough to require four or five additional rooms. The increase in the four upper grades of the system has more than tripled. The outlook for the future is for a steady and ever-growing increase in the total school membership, with the greatest increase for the next few years at least in the upper grades of the system as has been the case in the past.

This year the pupils of the Senior High School and the ninth year of the Junior High occupy the present High School building on the morning shift, and the eighth year pupils of the Junior High go to that building on the afternoon shift. Next year it will be necessary to put both the eighth and ninth year pupils on the afternoon shift, as the enrollment of the Senior High will probably increase more than 100, and the ninth year about 30, making the total of the four upper grades more than 700. The total of all Senior and Junior High School pupils (Grades 7-12, inclusive) will probably exceed 1260.

Teaching Staff

Of a total teaching force of 108, only 11 or approximately 10%, with- drew during the past year. This fact is significant in that it shows the lowest percentage of teacher turnover for many years. Only 4 of those who left the system left to teach elsewhere.

Miss Flora B. Reed, Principal of the Beacon and Shattuck Schools, resigned in June. She had served Norwood continuously as teacher or

230

Average School Membership for Fifteen Years

Average Membership

School Year

Elementary

High or Grades 9-12

Total

Increase Each Year

Grades 1-8

1909-1910

1364

169

1533

1910-1911

1402

179

1581

1911-1912

1452

162

1614

1912-1913

1552

155.

1707

1913-1914.

1674

165

1839

132

1914-1915.

1775

215

1990

151

1915-1916

1849

248

2097

107

1916-1917.

1911

252

2163

1917-1918.

1946

304

2250

1918-1919

1982

347

2329

1919-1920

2088

373

2461

132

1920-1921

2260

369

2629

168

1921-1922.

2257

424

2681*

52*

1922-1923.

2364

455

2819

138

1923-1924.

2472

495

2967

148

Membership on

December 1, 1924

2562

575

3137

* Entrance agc raised.

principal the past fifteen years. Her departure was a great loss to the schools of Norwood. Her splendid judgment and unusually fine pro- fessional attitude will long be remembered by her associates as worthy of exemplification.

The staff changes which occurred during the year 1924 are listed below:

Left the System:

1. Mrs. Ethel C. Clapp, Beacon, to keep house.

2. Mrs. Frances B. Courchene, Drawing Assistant, to be at home.

3. Miss Lelia E. Edgerly, Junior High, to go to Westfield Normal Training School.

4. Miss Ethel M. Farley, West, to go to Melrose.

5. Miss Josephine A. Heagney, Junior High, to be married.

6. Miss Katherine R. Healey, Shattuck, to go to Worcester.

7. Mrs. Eliza M. Houghton, Junior High, to keep house.

8. Miss Bessie D. James, English, High School, to study.

9. Mr. Charles H. Mason, Woodworking, to go to Providence.

10. Miss Flora B. Reed, Principal Beacon and Shattuck, to be at home.

11. Miss Bertha L. Winslow, Winslow, to be married.

231

New Teachers:

1. Miss Hertha Bergner, Science, Junior High.

2. Miss Kathryn Byrne, Grade VIII, Junior High.

3. Miss Waltrude Collins, Grade IX, Junior High.

4. Mrs. Elvira L. Cook, Grade VII, Junior High.

5. Mrs. Ethel H. Cook, Drawing Assistant.

6. Mrs. Frances B. Courchene, Drawing Assistant.

7. Miss Mary A. Dean, Grades 2 and 3, Shattuck.

8. Miss H. Roxane Eldredge, Grades 4 and 5, Beacon.

9. Miss Helen J. Estes, English, High School.

10. Miss Irene Hall, Grade 3, Winslow.

11. Mr. Gustave A. Larson, Woodworking, Junior High.

12. Miss Edna S. Leonard, Grades 5 and 6, Winslow.

13. Miss Gertrude T. Lord, Grade 5, Shattuck.

14. Miss Veronica E. Miskell, Grade 6, Shattuck.

15. Miss Ruth Rogers, Unassigned, Balch.

Transfers:

1. Mrs. Elizabeth O. Costello, from Grade 5 Shattuck to Grade 2 West School.

2. Miss Helen B. Follett, from Grade S Junior High to Assistant to Director of Physical Education.

3. Miss Florence M. Hayes, from Grade 6 Guild School to Grade 7 Junior High.

4. Miss Marian E. Lynch, from Grade 6 Shattuck to Principal of Shattuck and East.

5. Miss Wilda L. Vose, from Grade 9 Junior High to Director of Adult Alien Education.

Professional Study

The excellent record for professional improvement, as evidenced by the number of courses taken by teachers the past two years, has been main- tained this year as is shown by the following record:

No.

Per Cent

Total number of courses taken . 100

Total number of teachers in force . 108

Number taking one or more courses during year 68

Number taking one course only 43 40

Number taking two courses. 16 15

Number taking three or more courses. 9 S

Number who did not take any course during year

Arrangements have been completed for the conduct, between February and June, of a course at the Norwood High on the Re-organization of Secondary Education. This is one of the Harvard-Boston University Extension Courses and may be counted for credit toward a degree in either institution. Professor Jesse B. Davis is to be the instructor. Thirty-five have already registered for the course.

232

State Reimbursement

It is perhaps not gencrally realized throughout the community that there is paid annually, in November, into, the Treasury of the Town, a con- siderable sum of money from the Commonwealth because the Town in- sists on certain qualifications of its teachers. From this source Norwood received :

In 1921-$17,301.70 In 1922- 19,161.88 In 1923- 20,814.15 In 1924- 21,061.13

There are also other reimbursements into the Town Treasury, on account of the schools, to the amount of three or four thousand dollars annually.

American Education Week

During Education Week the various schools of the Town emphasized thrift, safety, patriotism, health, obedience to law and order, the use of better English, and good citizenship. At the Senior and Junior High Schools a regular session of school was conducted in the evening, that the parents and friends might see the usual program in operation, and later confer with instructors. The attendance was large and a distinct gain in co-operation between the parents and the schools is in evidence as a result.

Mr. Schrader's Report

Last May, on invitation of the Finance Commission and approval of the School Committee, Mr. Carl L. Schrader, State Supervisor of Physical Education, came to Norwood and surveyed and reported on the physical education program and athletics as they are being conducted in the Nor- wood Schools. His report is very complimentary to the school physical directors in both the classroom and athletic activities. He says in part: "The management of athletics seems to be properly vested in the school authorities where it is safe. There is no likelihood of further post-season or intersectional games, so that the season in each sport may be limited as to number of games. The supervision of funds also is sound, and as long as the School Committee is kept informed by reports from the Treasurer, the expenditure is bound to be legitimate."

He makes several forward-looking recommendations, perhaps the most important of which is that another man be added to the staff as an assistant to the Director of Physical Education for Boys. In making this recom- mendation he says: "To the present one man director of physical education should be added an assistant in order to develop and carry on the mass program which must find consideration. It is physically impossible for one man to concentrate even modestly on the varsity group and yet hope for participation on the part of the remainder of the student body. With- out definite attention neither group will thrive, hence it is important that

233

there should be available two men. This condition would also make possible a better contact with the individual boy in the field of physical examination and corrective work, now impossible."

In my opinion this recommendation is sound and should be carried out at once. It would probably be best to defer action on some of the other recommendations in Mr. Schrader's report until the new High School plant is available.

Vacation School

The vacation school has now been conducted for several summers and the results seem to justify its continuance.

Last summer the total enrollment was 125. Of this number 40 gained a year's promotion to which they would not otherwise have been entitled, and the other 85 of course gained much by their attendance. The total expense of the summer school was $593.24, or a cost of $4.75 per pupil. In the school year, 1922-23, the cost per pupil in Norwood was $70.99. At that rate it would have cost the Town $2839.60 for the 40 pupils who gained promotion in the summer school if they had repeated the work the present school year.

Thrift Education

The school laws of Massachusetts now require the teaching of thrift. The practical way to teach it is by making it habitual. This the schools of Norwood are attempting to do. Through the co-operation of the Nor- wood Trust Company, savings machines have been placed in all the large schools and pupils are now depositing their savings systematically as shown by the following list of sums for 1924:

School

Deposits

Balch .

$2,642.36

Beacon

857.29

Everett.

302.99

Guild .

1,065.40

High .

285.35

Shattuck

1,656.02

Winslow

1,699.04

Total for the year

$8,508.45

Relation of Schools and Library

The Morrill Memorial Library is rendering very valuable assistance to the schools by close co-operation in the matter of providing and placing at the disposal of the schools, special volumes which are needed very much for reference.

Some books should be permanently added to the High School library and others-used only rarely or seasonally-borrowed as is done at present froin the Morrill Library.

234

School Attendance

The high record of attendance for the school year ending last June is worthy of mention. Of 355 cities and towns of the State, Norwood ranked sixteenth from the highest in percentage of attendance, with a yearly average of 96.1%.

Adult Alien Education

For several years the Annual Reports of the School Department have contained recommendations for the conduct of Adult Alien Education in Norwood. Last May Miss Wilda L. Vose of the Junior High School was appointed as Director and began her work in September. A careful read- ing of her special report which occurs later in this School Report, will give one an idea of the great need in this direction and what has been ac- complished so far. The results so far evident are very gratifying and, I believe, warrant a continuance and enlargement of the work of that de- partment. A year ago the number of illiterates reached by the schools was 46-this year it has been increased to 250, due to the work of the Director. It is hoped that the number reached next year will exceed 400.

The work in Adult Alien Education is the only really new phase of work attempted this year. We feel, however, that steady progress has gone on in the work already established, and that the schools are rendering to the community the service which the citizens have a right to expect. I wish to thank those who have contributed in any way to the success of this ycar's work.

Respectfully submitted,

HERBERT H. HOWES, Superintendent of Schools.

January 22, 1925.

Mr. Herbert H. Howes, Superintendent of Schools, Norwood, Massachusetts.

My dear Mr. Howes:

I submit, herewith, my fourth annual report as Principal of the High School.

Enrollment

At the end of the first week of school, 1924-25, the total enrollment was 358, a gain of seventy-two over the June enrollment. The graduating class of 1924 numbered seventy, while the incoming class of 1927 registered 142. The present Senior class numbers ninety-five and promises to be the largest graduating class in the history of the Norwood High School.

235

Faculty

There are fifteen full-time teachers assigned to grades 10, 11 and 12 for 1924-25, the same number as assigned for 1923-24. But one resignation occurred, that of Bessie D. James, who is taking a year away from teach- ing for study. She was succeeded by Helen J. Estes, a graduate of Wheaton College.

Curricula

Some important changes have been made in the Social Science courses, and the following order of study established:

Grade 9

Ancient History

Grade 10 European Progress

Grade 11 Economics and Social Problems

Grade 12 United States History

The changes occur principally in Grades 10 and 11. A course in In- dustrial History taking the first half of the year has been dropped from the curriculum and a course in European Progress substituted which begins where Ancient History leaves off, and takes the study of Europe through the Great War. The course in Commerical Geography has been dropped from the curriculum owing chiefly to the lack of satisfactory and up-to- date texts, and the fact that all necessary time is spent on the subject in Grade 11.

In Grade 11, the course formerly termed as Study of the Nations, which was really the second half of European History, taking through the Great War, has been taken from Grade 11 and placed in the European Progress course of Grade 10. The Social Science subjects offered, therefore, in Grade 11 are, for the first half year, Economics, and for the second half ycar, Social Problems. Any one desiring to get an idea of the contents of the Social Problems course may do so by reading over the index of "Ameri- can Social Problems" by Burch and Patterson.

The courses of the Science Department have shown unusual increase in election, with more than one-third of the pupils enrolled designating either Biology, Chemistry or Physics on their elective blanks. It was necessary to make five divisions in this department at the opening of school last September, and there were but three divisions during the years 1923-24. It is safe in anticipating that eight or nine divisions will be necessary for these subjects in 1925-26.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Norwood annual report 1923-1927, Part 30

Author: Norwood (Mass.) Publication date: 1923 Publisher: The Town Number of Pages: 1656

Author: Norwood (Mass.)
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1656