USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1930-1932 > Part 52
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There has been a growing practice among schools to have books re- bound. During the summer, nearly 400 volumes werc rebound and these books will probably give about two more years of use.
Working Certificates
The request for working certificates has been far below the number filed for the past three years. Very few school children have left school for the purpose of going to work. In fact all of the certificates issued to children who were in school in 1930 have been for the purpose of some summer work which they may have obtained.
301
Home Permits, Employment and Educational Certificates Issued Within the Calendar Year, 1931
Home Employment Permits
Regular Form 14-16
Regular
dent
Non-Resi- Temporary Forni
Farm Domestic
Regular Form 16-21
Totals
1
I S
I S
I S
IS IS IISS
Boys
1
3
4
73 1 2
84
Girls
1
1
2
88
23
115
Totals
2
1
4
2
187
199
Note- I-Initial Certificate.
S-Second certificate issued to same minor.
IS-Initial certificate of that form issued to minor who has had another form issued him sometime during the year.
Above Certificates Distributed by Age Groups
14-16
16-18
18-21
Totals
Boys
7
35
42
84
Girls
3
39
73
115
Total
10
74
115
199
Hard Times
It should be of interest to many citizens to know the part which schools play in hard times. Norwood is fortunate in being equipped with a fully manned Health Department and in employing a Director of Americaniza- tion. It is only right that these departments should be the chief agencies for social work for the School Department.
Individual scrutiny of pupils is being made to a greater extent than ever to observe any signs of undernourishment which may appear and to ob- tain indications of lack of clothing and bodily comfort, if such exists. The contributions of teachers as shown in the two per cent donations, is but a small part of the help being given through this group of Town employees. Teachers are almost contantly doing some good and helpful act for pupils who are in dire need, and in many instances it is probable that only through classroom teachers that these needs are recognized. In hundreds of cases teachers come in closer contact with children than do their own parents and in many instances see the effects of hardships sooner through lagging of interest in work, inattention, nervousness and other symptoms of an upset child program.
Many studies have been made of conditions pertaining to school children in Norwood and much assistance has been given as a result of such studies. As near as can be determined it is probable that there are over 200 children enrolled in the schools out of 3,000 who are not getting sufficient to eat. These cases are all known and something is being done for them. Most of them are receiving free milk through the fund obtained by the Norwood Woman's Club. Into many of the homes go baskets of food contributed by teachers. While the Public Welfare Board no doubt is assisting most of these cases, there are many who are discovered by teachers who have never been to this Board for aid.
ยท
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Donations of clothing have been most satisfactory and I believe that it can be safely said that we have few, if any, children suffering in this respect. The problem of shoes is a constant one and probably there would be a smaller percentage of colds if more children could be supplied with rubbers. I treat this subject at length because I wish it known that members of the teaching force are well aware of the stress of the times and the help which is needed and I believe that they are carrying on well.
The boys of the football squad voted unanimously to engage in a post- season football game with the Milford High School football team, the proceeds to be donated to the unemployment fund. The total receipts of this game were $675.75. One-half of this was Norwood's share and a check for $337.87 was turned over to the Unemployment Relief Fund.
Administration
Sixteen teachers resigned from the teaching force at the close of the school year and besides filling these vacancies it was necessary to engage two additional teachers for the Senior High School. The largest number of changes occurred in the Senior High School unit, where seven teachers left their positions, a faculty turnover of twenty-five per cent.
During the past five years there has been a consistently large loss of High School teachers and most of them have been engaged by metropolitan towns and cities nearby where salary schedules are higher. While this same effect has been felt somewhat in the Junior High School, it has not been as evident in grades one to six, as there has been an ample supply of teachers for such positions.
A great many cities and towns within a fifteen mile radius are paying higher salaries for all divisions of their school systems than Norwood is, making it possible for them to engage successful teachers here.
Among the teachers engaged to fill vacancies this year, were four Nor- wood High School graduates, two of them being assigned to the Senior High School, one to the elementary grades and one to the Health Depart- ment.
Administration in the Junior and Senior High Schools has been more adequately taken care of by the employment of submasters for these buildings. In almost every school report since 1925 this need has been outlined.
The first grade showed a greater enrollment than was anticipated, making it necessary to make two first grades at the Callahan School. In the Winslow and West districts, more children appeared for the first grade than had been discovered through the school census, making it necessary to transfer all second grade children to the West School from these two districts, so that the large room used as a first or second grade at the Winslow School could be used entirely as a first grade room. The small room seating twenty pupils and formerly used for a second grade at the Winslow School has been closed up.
303
A part time janitor has been engaged for the Balch School to replace the system of hiring sweepers to assist the janitor assigned there. The cost is somewhat greater, but to properly care for the school, there was a genuine requirement for more janitor time. There are twenty-one home rooms at the Balch School and three fircs to take care of and in order to procure a sufficient amount of sweeping and cleaning more janitor time was needed.
Relation of Curricula to Enrollment
During the early part of the present school year, several studies were made of nationality groups and their comparative scholastic standings in school. The results of some of these studies are presented in order that proof may be given in part not only of the need of our present curricula in the Junior and Senior High Schools, but the demand and need for an extension of some divisions of these curricula is shown in the reports of principals.
It was discovered that throughout the school system a total of over sixty-five per cent of the children registered have both parents foreign born and that over eighty per cent have either the father or mother of foreign birth. The studies show that thirty-one countries are represented in the questionnaires, the largest in numerical order being: 1. Lithuania, 2. Italy, 3. Ireland, 4. Poland, 5. Finland and 6. Syria.
A specific study of the scholastic standing of groups in the Senior High School has been made and the results of this are shown in the table on the following page:
A few conclusions which may be taken from these studies are:
1. Boys and girls cannot possibly be given a single academic course of study in the upper grades and told this is all we can give you. By upper grades is meant the last six grades of the school system, which includes all the work of the Junior and Senior High Schools.
2. Certain pre-vocational courses, which are very elementary in their outlines, are offered in these schools as well as the long established courses in all secondary schools, such as commercial work, freehand drawing and mechanical drawing. These vocational courses, so-called, allow pupils to have two or three years of elementary training in shop work for boys and home economics for girls.
3. More than half of the pupils in the High School are enrolled in the business course and over twenty-five per cent more in the vocational work. These studies are elected by pupils not because they believe them to be the easier, but because they genuinely desire to take them with the idea of at least laying the foundation for the accomplishment of a gainful occupation in the future. The number of Norwood pupils who desire to enter academic colleges is less than five per cent of the enrollment and probably it would be discovered, if information could be obtained, that not more than five per cent can afford to go to such colleges. This alonc
304
SCHOLASTIC STANDING-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Parentage Groups Listed in Order of Ratings Based on Records of 1930-31 Groups of 15 Registrants and Over
English
Rank
Parentage
Number
Average
Parentage
Number
General Average
1
Swedish
28
77.99
Finnish
37
79.82
2
American
142
76.43
Italian
21
78.90
3
Mixed
118
75.59
Swedish
28
78.57
4
Polish
33
75.52
Polish
33
78.00
5
Finnish
37
74.41
Lithuanian
91
77.92
6
Irish
85
74.37
American
142
77.25
7
Italian
21
74.33
Mixed
118
76.80
8
Lithuanian
91
74.07
Irish
85
75.97
9
Syrian
18
70.00
Syrian
18
71.91
Averages
74.75
77.24
Groups Having Under 15 Registrants
English
Rank
Parentage
Number
Average
Parentage
Number
General Average
1
Norwegian
1
84.00
Norwegian
1
84.00
2
Hungarian
1
82.00
Hungarian
1
82.00
5
Roumanian
2
81.00
Roumanian
2
79.50
4
Russian
9
76.77
Russian
9
78.66
5
Austrian
5
75.16
Austrian
5
78.66
6
Scotch
5
74.55
Scotch
5
75.88
7
Canadian
10
72.28
Canadian
10
72.97
8
English
2
68.00
English
2
70.00
Averages
76.72
77.71
Averages of both groups
75.67
77.46
Number of questionnaires filled out 608
Total registrants having both parents foreign born 348
Total registrants having mixed parentage 118
Total registrants having both parents American born
142
305
should be strong enough argument that a return to the old system of one academic course with the "take it or leave it" idea would be a highly undemocratic as well as unfair and really un-American means of treating those who seek secondary education. Those who look upon the schools as costly have a tendency to point to our vocational courses and other parts of the curriculum which have been adopted during the past fifteen years as frills which could be eliminated with a resulting saving of money to the towns and cities where such courses have been instituted. Such eli- mination would only lead to extreme educational unrest among the boys and girls who are entitled to this training and who would be handicapped in this day and age in competition with their contemporaries. It would also bring about social disorders among this generation of youth as hundreds of them could not possibly accomplish the work outlined in college prepara- tory courses and other academic branches of the curriculum and they would necessarily have to leave school. Many of them would eventually become community problems.
4. The scholastic ratings in both the English and the general averages show good work and it should be noted that in no case has the rank gone below seventy per cent for the groups having a registration of fifteen or over. The general average of 77.44 for the larger groups is most pleasingly high and would probably show above a general average if one could be taken for communities like ours. This is probably largely due to the fact that we do differentiate our work in High School and that pupils are able to elect studies which they enjoy and obtain benefit from.
Conclusion
It is to be regretted that some citizens believe that one of the easiest ways of cutting down municipal expenditures is to begin with the schools and the program of the schools. Educators realize that the depression causes them to face the most difficult problems in their work that they have ever been called upon to meet. Every possible retrenchment should be made in all budgets and school departments are generally agreed upon this, but equally do they feel that sacrifices should not be made which are to affect the chances of the children of the present school day and the establishment of handicaps which will make them less able to take their places in competition later on. The advice recommended in a recent bulletin of the National Education Association is: "Instead of bonding the community for buildings, roads and other enterprises, the costs to be met by the next generation, better bond it for the chil- dren, who, with their more adequate education, would find a way of pro- viding improvements to mect the needs of their own day."
Respectfully submitted,
LEONARD W. GRANT, Superintendent of Schools
1
306
Mr. L. W. Grant, Superintendent of Schools, Norwood, Massachusetts.
My dear Mr. Grant:
I take pleasure in submitting, herewith, my fifth annual report as Prin- cipal of the Norwood Senior High School.
Enrollment
At the beginning of school in September, 1931, our school registration showed an enrollment of 695 pupils as follows:
Grade X
Boys-149 Girls-151
Total
300
Grade XI
Boys-119 Girls- 85
Total
204
Grade XII
Boys- 76
Girls-106
Total
182
P. G.
Boys- 4
Girls- 3
Total
7
Unclassified
Boys- 1
Girls- -
1
Total
2
Totals
695
695
This enrollment of 695 indicates an increased student body of 103 pupils over the 592 enrolled as of September 10, 1930, and clearly justifies the increased room accommodations and instruction of the present school year. The figures, as given by the Junior High School enrollment for this year, offer another indication that in September, 1932, we shall face an enroll- ment of approximately 800 students. Graduating, as we shall in June, 1932, in the vicinity of 175 pupils, with the maximum possibility of re- ceiving from the present ninth grade 293 as next year's entering class, we shall have a gross increase possibility of 118 more students than we had in September, 1931. Making all allowances for shrinkage, which is almost negligible in these days of depression and scarcity of work, a conservative estimate would be a net increase of approximately 100 students, showing that our enrollment likelihood in September, 1932, will be close to 800 pupils. From these figures it will be very evident that additional in- struction shall be needed to take care of the increased enrollment, it being
307
fclt at present that two additional teachers will suffice to handle the extra load, and that our splendid addition of eight extra class rooms last summer will adequately take care of housing a school of 800 pupils.
Faculty
The faculty of the Norwood High School has been augmented this year by the following replacements and additional teachers:
Mr. Lincoln D. Lynch has been added to our group in the dual capacity of sub-master and teacher. Coming to Norwood High School after several years of administrative experience, his services are answering a long-felt necd and are highly valued. He is exerting a very helpful influence toward the proper development of the student body and the general growth of the school, giving the same guidance and assistance to the boys as has been the privilege of the girls to receive from our Dean, Miss Ruth M. Gow. Mr. Lynch comes to us from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where he was Prin- cipal of the Senior High School. He is a graduate of Boston College in June, 1921, with a year of resident study at Harvard. He has an A.B. degree and has had eight years of practical experience in public secondary schools of the state and three years experience as a high school principal. Besides four periods of administrative work, he is teaching two periods of United States History each day. As faculty manager of high school athletics, he very generously gives of his time in assisting the sports pro- gram, coaching wherever Mr. Murray can use him in the handling of our very large number of athletes in the various sports.
English Department
One additional teacher was engaged to carry on the increased work in this department, Miss Elizabeth O'Sullivan. Miss O'Sullivan received her training at Boston University and has had, previous to coming to Norwood, four years of teaching experience at Biddeford, Maine.
Miss Miriam McMichael has been engaged to take the place of Miss Dorothy Pollard who left, teaching work to be married. Miss McMichacl received her training at Bates College, and has had, previous to coming to Norwood, one year of teaching experience at Georgetown, Massachusetts, and one year at Houlton, Maine.
Miss Cora Hopkins comes to us from Wheaton College with six years teaching experience in Connecticut to take the place of Miss Edith Knowl- ton who resigned in June.
Commercial Department
Two additional teachers have been engaged for this unit of the school. This department has upwards of 60% of our students taking some com- mercial work, and nine new divisions were scheduled for the master program.
Miss Vena M. Garvin and Miss Dorothy R. Guptill are the two recent additions to the instruction staff in this department.
308
Miss Garvin graduated from the Gorham Normal School and the Chandler Secretarial School. Her teaching experience was received at Sanford, Maine, and Burdett College, 1908 to 1917. She has also had thirteen years of business experience.
Miss Guptill graduated from the Nashua Business College in 1924. She has taught in Maine from 1924 to 1931.
Miss Loretta J. Burke, substituting for Miss Doris Blanchard, is a Simmons College graduate. She taught at the Chandler Secretarial School from 1923 to 1931.
History Department
The personnel of this department has two changes: Miss Avis Cottrell, who is replacing Mr. Louis McBay, and Mr. James Butler, taking the place of Miss Lucy Nordon. Mr. Lynch also teaches in this department. The training and experience of these additional teachers is as follows:
Miss Cottrell is a graduate of Boston University with A.B. and A.M. degrees. Since 1927 she has taught in the Sterling, and Walrole, Massa- chusetts, High Schools.
Mr. James H. Butler, a graduate of the Norwood High School, attended Holy Cross for one year and received his Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1923 at Bridgewater Normal School. He now holds the Master of Arts degree from New York University, received in 1929. He has taught since 1923, coming here this year from Mt. Vernon, New York, to handle work in the History department.
Language Department
The language department did not show a very material increase in en- rollment. Consequently it has the same faculty as the previous year with the exception of Miss Mary R. Mackedon who returned, after a year's leave of absence for study in France, to resume her duties as department head.
Mathematics and Science Departments
The mathematics and science departments 'show the following changes:
Miss Harriet M. Gay, who handles three division of mathematics and two divisions of science, comes to us from Spelman Colleg?, Atlanta, Georgia, having graduated from Mt. Holyoke College in 1928 with the B.A. degree. She is a Norwood High School graduate.
Mr. Stanley C. Fisher of Walpole, Massachusetts takes the place of Mr. Wallace Sawyer who resigned to accept the position of sub-master of the Weston High School. Mr. Fisher is a graduate of Bates College, class of 1930, and has had one year's teaching experience at Bath, Maine.
Miss M. Elaine Fulton, another new teacher in the Home Economics department, has one division of science and the balance of her time is put into the home economics division. She is a graduate of the Framingham Normal School, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1930. She taught at South Royalston, Massachusetts.
309
The balance of the faculty remains the same as it was in the year 1930- 1931.
Graduation, 1931
At the Norwood Junior High School gymnasium on June 9, 1931, the graduation exercises of the senior class were held. This graduation was characterized by the customary high standards of Norwood High School graduations. It was an event long to be remembered by members of the class; was a distinct credit to every one of them and to the teachers who so ably assisted them in carrying out the splendid program.
Following is a list of the 157 graduates:
Taimi M. Aalto
Helen R. D'Espinosa
George Wendell Abely
James Anthony Devine
Alice Beverly Albridge
Joseph William Dundulis
Agnes Anne Alukas
Clarence Noble Earle
Anne Evelyn Anderson
Richard Hutchins Ellis Edward James Farioli
Mary Frances Avizinis Armas Toivo Bagge
Frances Kathryn Farrelly
Frances Patricia Balduf
Helen Mary Fedis
Joseph F. Barrett
Agnes Burnadette Feeney
Robert E. Barry
Stella Mary Ferland
Peter Paul Bataitis, Jr.
George Ferrara Mary Frances Firth
Arthur Leon Berman
John Francis Fitzgerald
Josephine A. Bingham*
Helen Louise Flynn
Norma Kathryn Bordeleau
Frances Martha Brown
Hugo Fredrick Fredrickson*
William M. Clancy
Amelia Galgauskas* Louis A. Gifford
Jennie Florence Cofsky Joseph I. Collins Matthew B. Connolly
Elsa Alina Gottberg
Patrick J. Costello
Agnes Dorothy Gziboski
Margaret Mary Rose Curran
Charles Henry Hale Raymond Thomas Halloran
Arthur Sumner Cushing
Jerome Patrick Hayes
Louisa Katherine Stella Dargwonis
Mary Frances Hayes* Aino Sivia Heikkila Arvo John Heino
Sophie Julia Dargwonis Edward Dauksewa Ruth Marion Davis
Mary Josephine Hennessey
Maurice Hershenson
Raymond Joseph Delaney John Francis Dempsey Charles William Desmond
Harriet H. Herzog
Adolphus Holton, Jr.
-
Ida R. Berezin*
Agnes Folan Mary Elizabeth Folan
Katherine Drummond Brown
John William Fulton
Margaret Louise Fulton
Charles Carl Carrell Mary Margaret Cassidy*
Gretchen Elizabeth Goldsmith
Thomas Francis Curran
310
Harriett Martha Hultstrom* Waino Ilmar Huttunen Bernhard L. Jacobsen James John Janushis Dominica Joan Jasionis Eva Elizabeth Jones Eleanor H. Jordan
Anna Adolfina Kallgren
Alice Evangelinc Kasparas
Margaret Gertrude Kcady
James Joseph Keefe Edna Louise Keith
Hellen Francine Kelly
Marie Catherine Kelly*
Kathryn Virginia Rcardon
Rebecca Lewellyn Reid* Arthur Cecil Rodgers
Anthony J. Russetti
Sylvia Frances Saarinen*
Michael J. Sadaway
Aili Helcne Salonen
Leo Salonen
George Warren Sanborn
Esther Louise Maher
Charles F. Mahoney
Martha Louise Mahoney
Tarmo Roy Makie Mona Marie Marvas
Bertha Mary Mauritz
Agnes Veronica McCuen*
John Michael McDonough Vera Augusta McLatchey
Joseph Martin McNulty
Leo J. McTernan Alice Metcalf
Effic Margaret Mike
Catherine M. Moloney
Bernard Arthur Monbouquette
Mary Elizabeth Mulkern
Margaret Louise Mulvehill Thomas B. Mulvehill, Jr.
Margaret Swan Mutch
Francis George Newark
Herbert LaForest Newman*
Kathryn Bernadette Nichols
Larry John Nyborn John Francis O'Connell* Robert Brendon O'Connor* John Joseph O'Day Thomas Michacl O'Day Mary Eva Okulovich Joseph E. O'Ncil John Dansie Payne*
William Lawrence Pendergast
Franklin Arthur Pierce
Michacl Francis Pusateri
Ida Rabinovich Valma Saima Rasanen
Bartley J. King
Matthew J. King
Bronius K. Kudirka
Mabel B. Kuld
Aili Kulmala
Veikko O. Laakso
Agnes Mary Lanzone
Lco J. Lappin
Marion P. MacGillivray
Henry Joseph Schaier
Annie Petronella Sironka*
Irving G. Slaney
Ernest Lincoln Spencer*
Salvi W. Spierdowis
Joseph Carol Stankiewicz
Martha L. Stark
Lillian Elizabeth Stone
Tony John Stonis
Mary Gertrude Talbot
Joseph E. Tareila
Helena N. Thornton
Mary Cecilia Tobin
Halvar Paul Tolandcr
Gertrude Josephine Trask*
Christina Templeton Tweddle*
Frcd S. Vasilianskas Sophie Verderber
Allan Stevenson Wambolt Annc Waytekunas Everctt Keith Wilson*
Mary Catherine Wozniak
311
The starred pupils received the honor of being awarded the John C. Lane medal in recognition of exceptional scholarship and general all-around ability and helpfulness.
The United States History medal was awarded to Everett Keith Wilson. The Berwick English Prize, in recognition of excellence in English, also went to Everett Keith Wilson. The H. M. Plimpton Art Prizes, given in recognition of excellent freehand drawing, were awarded to the following: . Martha L. Stark, John D. Payne, Elsa A. Gottberg, and Helen M. Fedis. The John F. Murray athletic cup, awarded to the boy of the graduating class in recognition of excellence in athletics, was awarded to Leo J. Mc- Ternan. The Teachers' Club scholarship of one hundred dollars, annually awarded to one member of the senior class most meriting assistance in the pursuit of a college education, was given to John F. O'Connell.
Matriculation of the Class of 1931
Among the colleges, universities, normal schools, and schools of higher standing which received members of our last year's graduating class are as follows:
Amherst College
1
Antioch College
1
Boston College 3
Boston University
3
Boylston Institute of Advertising
1
Bridgewater Normal School
3
Bryant and Stratton
1
Colgate University
1
Conservatory of Music
2
Cornell University
1
Dean Academy
1
Framingham Normal School
1
Holy Cross College
1
Hyannis Normal School
2
Northeastern University
7
Nurses Training Schools
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