USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1932-1935 > Part 17
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93
Very sincerely yours,
HERBERT H. ARCHIBALD, Principal
262
Mr. L. W. Grant, Superintendent of Schools, Norwood, Massachusetts.
My dear Mr. Grant:
In 1931-1932 the Junior High School enrolled 911 pupils as against an enrollment of 928 pupils in 1930-1931, a decrease of 17 pupils. Two teaching positions were eliminated because of the smaller enrollment. The enrollment is distributed as follows: Grade seven, 276, an increase of 15 pupils over the estimated number of 260 in June, 1932. There is an average of thirty-five pupils per class in grade seven, only two classes numbering less than thirty-five pupils. Grade eight has an enrollment of 291, and grade nine, 334, giving the ninth grade the largest enrollment in the school.
It seems to me that the school should be reorganized as to the number of classes in each course, especially in the ninth grade. At present we have two College, one Technical, four Commercial and three Practical Arts divisions. A great many pupils have found the College and Technical courses too difficult for them, and have come to us and want to change to either the Practical Arts or Commercial Courses as they imagine that these would be easier for them. This year we have had fewer of these changes than formerly, only seven pupils having made the change, some of them as late as the middle of the second term, although we have made a rule that no changes may be made after the end of the first term. It has been almost impossible to make the changes, as the Commercial classes arc already too large, numbering as high as thirty-eight pupils to a class. In some cases, these changes have made for an improvement in scholarship.
The curriculum distribution in the ninth grade shows ninety-three pupils in the Practical Arts division, one hundred forty-five in the Com- mercial division, sixty-seven in the College division and thirty in the Technical division. The large enrollment, 21% of the grade, in the Practical Arts division shows how unfounded all this talk is about doing away with courses offered in this work. Rather I should say, we ought to be buying more equipment and hiring more instructors for these divisions, for every pupil in the seventh and eighth grade is engaged in this work to some extent and wants more of it.
Extra Curricula Activities
The extra curricula activities in the Junior High School consist of thirty- one clubs. One of the outstanding clubs is a boys' cooking club, numbering twenty-four members in which the boys are given a regular course in cook- ing. There is always a great deal of enthusiasm in this club.
The school paper "School Activities" issucd monthly is being mimeo- graphed this ycar to save expense. It is under the direction of Miss Eleanor Drew, and the paper has thus far been very successful.
263
Welfare Aid
Since September 30, 1932, the Junior High School teachers have made monthly contributions of one dollar each for welfare work among needy pupils of the school. We have bought for pupils such things as rubbers, shoes, clothes, sneakers and gym suits. About seventy-five pupils have benefited, not including eleven pupils each week who receive free milk from this fund.
At Thanksgiving the Home Economics Department prepared and sent four baskets to needy families in Norwood. The teachers in the Junior High School contributed to help fill the baskets.
Athletics
The "Special Exercise" group contains about twenty to twenty-five boys. They are in charge of Mr. Connor, the gymnasium instructor, and are held each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon during the home room period. The boys receive instruction in exercise to develop weak muscles which tend to make a faulty posture.
After school activities are held the entire year with suitable games being played for the particular season. Every pupil may take part in the games with these two requirements: they must not receive a low mark in more than one subject; and activity dues, which are five cents a month, must be paid. This five cents also entitles a pupil to the school paper.
After school activities for girls include basket ball, volley ball, hit pin baseball and liberty bat ball. A cup is awarded to the winning team in basket ball.
After school activities for boys are tag football, baseball and basket ball. The members of the winning teams receive numerals.
Milk Service
The school is at present serving milk to one hundred and twenty-five pupils. The milk period is held in the middle of the morning, when every pupil in the school who wishes milk goes to the lunch room where it is served. Thirty-one pupils prescribed for by the nurses receive free milk; twenty of these are paid for by the School Department Milk Fund and eleven by the Junior High School fund for needy children.
English
A committee headed by Miss Manchester and having all the ninth grade English teachers on its roster is engaged in revising the ninth grade English course. The new course will be completed for September, 1933.
The seventh grade English teachers this year arc teaching the library work that was formerly taught by Miss Elvera Bianchi. One period each week is taken out of the seventh grade English classes for this work. Teachers in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades take care of the reference work in the library for pupils who wish to use the library for study.
264
Game Plans
To commemorate the George Washington Bicentennial, Governor Ely appointed a commission to plan a program in which school children could participate. Since Washington was a master of planning, it was decided to invite pupils to plan their town as they imagined it would be one hundred years from now. The response in the Junior High School was most grati- fying. About one hundred pupils decided to participate in this and we actually got sixty-five plans. The ninth grade classes wrote compositions on "Norwood Today and One Hundred Years from Now," to be combined with the maps of the Town. In order to complete the project a study of their Town was necessary. Classification of industries, business centers, residential sections and zoning laws together with the development of unused territory had to be studied. The ability and originality of ideas shown in this game plan project proved to be far beyond the expectation of both the townspeople and teachers. An interesting fact noted was that no pupil had a poor house, saloon or slum section in Norwood, all of which proves that the outlook of these young planners is most optimistic.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE W. ALLEN, Principal
Mr. Leonard W. Grant, Superintendent of Schools, Norwood, Massachusetts.
My dear Mr. Grant:
I herewith submit the annual report of the Practical Arts Department for the year ending December 31, 1932.
Our program of practical arts in the elementary grades during the early part of the year was carried on under a very capable and efficient instructor, and the results attained by him were highly satisfactory, as he came in contact with every boy in the fifth and sixth grades. The projects con- structed were excellent examples of creative ability in woodwork.
In June this instructor was dropped, also the Beacon School was aban- doned, which made it necessary to distribute the equipment of that school to others which needed it. All fifth grade instruction was eliminated, allowing the sixth grade to continue with the work. Mr. Wynaught, who formerly taught woodwork in the grades, was again assigned to carry on the instruction, making visits to three schools for one hour a day of each week. Miss Connolly, of the Balch School, took over the practical arts work there.
All boys entering Junior High School in the seventh grade were given two courses of instruction, working in the fields of woodworking, and a
265
laboratory course in the general shop, for young craftsmen who received instruction in metal work, simple electricity, glazing, soldering, and sheet metal work. An added feature was the forming and twisting of mild steel, which required a knowledge of drilling and riveting as well as wiring for sockets and plugs for the table lamps and bridge lamps that were made in the shop. In woodworking the boys continued the processes learned in the sixth grade but on a more advanced scale, and made larger projects, such as cutting boards, broom holders, clothes dryers and pedestals.
The work in the eighth grade was of an exploratory nature, and involved participation in two courses, printing and mechanical drawing. Drafting is the universal language of industry, and wherever construction work is carried on, its use is of fundamental importance. This course was given as a try-out and covered only the elementary parts. Ten plates were required of each boy and accuracy and neatness were stressed. Wood- working as a try-out was dropped this fall to allow the instructor to cover the work formerly taught by the instructor who was sent out into the elementary schools.
Printing was required of each boy and after learning his case, and taking simple exercises in justification of lines, letter spacing, centering, and indenting, he was allowed a short poem of his own choosing to set up, applying the principles learned in the early lessons. These projects carried the boy through the stages of composition, imposition (stone work), make ready and press work.
Practical Arts in the ninth grade was elective in any one of three courses, woodworking, printing or drafting. Undoubtedly the majority of boys elected printing because of its great fascination and interest. The boy carried a job through to completion, designing his own layout, choosing type faces, cutting stock and actual running of the press. The bulk of the year's printing was done by these ninth grade boys and consisted of all school forms, requests received from various school departments, and the publishing of the Junior High School paper, which appeared monthly.
In woodwork cach boy was required to complete a project consisting of bench work with the use of hand tools, turn a lathe project, refinish some object brought from home, and sharpen chisels and plane blades which he used. Many advanced projects were turned out, such as end tables, sewing cabinets, smoking cabinets, costumers and smoking stands. This fall we werc deprived of the use of our paint shop by the installation of an incinerator, and the shop is now without a finishing room. This is a serious handicap to all boys who take pride in seeing the products of their efforts completed, with a lasting and beautiful finish. It would be possible to arrange such a room in the present work shop at little expense and relieve the situation which now exists.
This fall at the Senior High it became quite evident that there would be more boys wishing to take shop than ever before, and as the shop was limited in its accommodations, a problem was apparent. It appeared at
266
first that all seniors would be deprived of any shop work, because of the large sophomore class. However, the difficulty was overcome by assigning each of the two upper classes to the drafting room for three periods per week and allowing two periods for shop work. The sophomores were allowed three periods of shop and two of drafting. By this arrangement a double load was thrown on the supervisor, and also lessened the efficiency of the instruction given the boys who took drafting as a single subject. It also became necessary to conduct two classes at the same time, although each was doing a separate type of work. The shop classes were taught shop sketching, with the proper layout for any job in the shop by a working drawing.
Our Composite Shop followed the previous year's outline, but during the latter part of the year, with only a short time in the shop each week, the program had to be somewhat modified, as considerable more time is needed for completion of projects. We are finding it quite difficult at the present time to collect money from the boys for materials used, which of course is due to the economic situation that exists everywhere.
Once again I should like to mention our tremendous need for a finishing space, free from dust and interference by other workmen. Our only space for this work has been the boiler room, in which the lighting conditions have been so poor that a perfect finish has been impossible.
Many times during the year the department has been called upon for assistance in various ways, and we have cooperated in every way possible, and have endeavored to make our results effective.
Respectfully submitted,
CLIFFORD H. WHEELER, Supervisor Practical Arts
Report of the Dean of Girls, Norwood Senior High School, 1931-1932
I. Attendance
As in former years, absent, tardy, and dismissal cards were used which had to be signed by girls' parents.
The home of each girl who had a telephone and whose name was on the absent list was called each morning.
There were three known cases of truancy. (One of these was for two periods only.)
Girls were encouraged to come to school tardy rather than be absent if they were unable to report at the opening of school.
Absences were permitted this year which would not have been approved in ordinary times. Pupils were allowed to be absent or dismissed, on occasion, in order to work or to remain at home so that a parent might work.
267
Following is a comparison of this year's attendance record with that of last year. Record is made from September to June 1. (June attend- ance record is not included since the fact that the Seniors are not in at- tendance during the last two weeks makes June statistics misleading.)
Registration of Girls Absences
1930-31
279
1721
Tardinesses 148
Dismissals 97
1931-32
328
1874
188
124
II. Scholarship
The importance of high scholarship has been kept constantly before the girls.
Some of the same methods of securing high scholarship as have been employed in previous years were used; such as, personal interviews, ad- justments in programs, and investigation of home conditions for study.
Twenty-five senior girls again assisted sophomore girls in becoming adjusted to High School.
The "Opportunity Study Hall" which had been conducted for the last two years was not held this year for the following reasons:
1. Last year the parents of 33% of pupils who received failure marks objected to pupils being detained for the extra period every day. If the parent objected, (in writing) the pupil was not required to attend the study hall. Therefore, this method of bettering scholarship effected only 67% of the people for whom it was intended.
2. Of the pupils who attended the study hall, from 55% to 61% passed the following term. This percent was not satisfactory.
In place of the "Opportunity Study Hall," a Scholarship Card was adopted this year.
This card was given to each pupil who failed in any subject cither at the end of a term or at the mid-term period. The pupil was required to report to the Dean at stated intervals during the following term with a written report of his progress made by the teachers in the subjects which he had failed.
Use of these cards scem to have been a more effective help in the matter of scholarship than the "Opportunity Study Hall" because:
1. Every girl who failed was required to report.
2. From 67% to 72% of those receiving failure marks passed the next term.
3. Pupils liked the card. It gave timid pupils an opportunity to find out just where they stood at more frequent intervals than if they had had to approach the teacher on their own initiative. Pupils have requested that they be allowed to report more frequently than was required of them.
Parents approved and commented favorably upon the use of the card. No scnior girl failed to graduate.
Five girls who had been in High School for three years but who had had junior rating were graduated.
.
268
No girls failed to be promoted to the senior class. Six girls failed to be promoted to the junior class.
III. Extra Curricula Activities
Following is a list of the extra-curricula activities in which girls could take part during the school year.
Group A
Group C
Basket Ball
Arguenot
Baseball
Senior Play
Hockey
Orchestra
Tennis
Band
Group B
Group D
Arts and Crafts Club
A. A. Ticket Sellers
Home Economics Club
Lunch Counter Sellers
Biology Club
Traffic Officers
Camp Fire Club
Cheer Leaders
Dramatic Club
Quest Club
French Club
Sophomore Play
Glee Club
School Council
Debating Club
Class Officers
Secretarial Club
Student Advisers
Folk Dancing Club
Health Council
Number of girls taking part in any extra-curricula activity 312
Number of girls taking part in one extra-curricula activity . .67
Number of girls taking part in two extra-curricula activities 120
Number of girls taking part in three extra-curricula activities. 61
Number of girls taking part in four extra-curricula activities 35
Number of girls taking part in more than four 29
One period a week was devoted to activities. During this period, meetings were held of all activities in group B. Therefore it was possible to take part in only one of these clubs.
Girls in more than three activities were good students.
Activities in Group D took no time outside of school. In the cases of girls taking part in more than four activities, al! in excess of four were in Group D.
76 girls took part in some sport.
24 girls took part in 2 or 3 sports.
IV. Employment
21 girls were placed in positions through the Dean's office.
V. Group Meetings
A daily home room period of fifteen minutes duration was provided in
269
this year's program. The girls of each class report to the Dean during this period one day each week.
Matters of importance in general guidance and administration were taken up.
Through the acquaintance which developed between teacher and student as a result of these sectional meetings, a larger number of students sought assistance of advisers. We believe the meetings were most beneficial.
VI. Private Interviews
A record of the number of private interviews was kept from the opening of school until December 23. At that time it was noted that the number of interviews had increased to such an extent that the benefit derived from keeping a complete record did not justify the time consumed in so doing. Since December, record has been made of only such interviews as might need to be referred to in the future.
A comparison of the number of conferences of previous years is given below:
Total number of conferences in 1928-29 560
Total number of conferences in 1929-30 961
Total number of conferences in 1930-31 . 1404
Number of conferences for first four months of 1931-32. 1069
Respectfully submitted,
RUTH M. GOW,
Dean of Girls
Mr. Lconard W. Grant,
Superintendent of Schools, Norwood, Massachusetts.
My dear Mr. Grant:
I herewith submit the annual report of the Physical Education De- partment.
As in previous years, the program carried on is according to that out- lined by the State Department of Physical Education.
Physical Education in the elementary schools consists of a varied pro- gram. In the primary grades rhythmical work is carried out through singing games. Story plays are given a large portion of the time in grades one and two. Circle games and simple relays are a part of each day's work. In the three upper grades corrective gymnastics, marching and organized games complete the program. In these grades pupil leadership is given much attention. It is felt that a great deal may be accomplished in this way as to developing the ability to lead others, fairness of play developing poise and above all good sportsmanship.
270
Posture is given an important part in the program and all work is based on this all important point. Periodical examinations are given the chil- dren and much improvement is shown.
A grammar school baseball league was formed as usual last spring and the Winslow School won the championship. A track meet was also held last spring in which children from the different grades competed. The athletic skill shown was very marked and the good sportsmanship exhibited was of the finest. The Balch School was the winner of this meet and the Callahan School second.
Class work for girls and boys in the Junior High School consists of gymnastics, marching, apparatus, posture work and games. All pupils were given a physical examination by the school physician and a corrective class for boys and girls with poor and faulty posture is being held, with very good results.
After school activities for girls are held the entire year with suitable games being played for the particular season of the year. Our one big aim is to have as many as possible participate. The fall sports were Hit Pin Baseball for eighth and ninth grades and two hundred girls par- ticipated in this sport; Liberty Bat Ball for seventh grades in which one hundred girls took part. The winter sport is basketball for ninth grades and one hundred girls reported. All divisions play each other and a cup is given to the winning division. In the spring there is competition in baseball for ninth grades and ninety girls competed. Volley Ball was played in the seventh and eighth grades with one hundred and seventy-five reporting. There is always a great deal of enthusiasm over Volley Ball and finals are played between the winning eighth and seventh divisions for a cup. A track meet was held last spring and the eighth grades won the ineet.
The activities for the boys in the Junior High School consisted of an inter-class series of fifty-six games of basketball which were played during the winter term with one hundred and twenty boys participating. A school team was selected from the inter-class players and seven games were played with outside schools.
A baseball league was formed along the same lines as basketball, with inter-class games played in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades. A school team played a schedule of ten games with outside schools. Seventy- five boys took part in this spring activity.
In the fall a Tag Football league was started, the game being played with the same rules as regular football, with the exception that no tackling was allowed. Over two hundred boys participated in this out-door sport.
In the track meet which was run on June 10, the ninth grade boys won the championship of the Junior High School.
Class work for the boys and girls in the Senior High School consists of marching, apparatus, corrective exercises, games and pupil teaching. The teaching experience gives a pupil poise and confidence and we find
271
it a great help to many of the students who have been self-conscious. In addition, the sophomore girls and boys have a course in health education and the Physical Education Department contributes four lectures. The senior girls and boys have a required course in hygiene which is given by the Physical Education Department.
Athletics for girls in the Senior High School were carried on throughout the year with sports suitable for the season. We of course stress mass participation in all sports. In the fall we have inter-class tennis and field hockey. We are pleased with the large numbers coming out for tennis both spring and fall for we feel that this is a sport that can be carried along into later life. In the spring about forty girls reported for class and indi- vidual instruction; in addition to this we had a school team which played a schedule of four games. Ninety girls reported for basketball this year and besides inter-class games we will play a schedule of class games with other schools, after that schedule is completed a school team will be formed which will play a schedule of five games.
A great deal of interest was shown in the track meet which was held on June 10th. The Junior class won the meet.
Athletics for boys in the Senior High School consisted of football, basket- ball, baseball, hockey, track, tennis and golf. Fifty-four boys reported for basketball. Of this number nine were considered members of the school team. Ten others made up a second team. A schedule of twelve games was played by both teams. The remaining candidates formed class teams and played a series for the championship of the Senior High School.
About forty boys reported to Mr. Learnard for hockey. Although we had very little ice during January, a schedule of seven games were played- the final game being played at the Boston Arena.
In April seventy-two boys presented themselves as candidates for the Senior High School baseball team. Fifteen players were considered mem- bers of the first team and twelve others played on the second team. The first team played a schedule of seventeen games, while the second team played six games.
Track was started early in the month of February under the direction of Mr. Wheeler, for the purpose of training some of the boys for the B. A. A. meet which was held at the Boston Garden-eight boys participated in this meet. With the approach of spring all candidates for the out-door track team were called and thirty boys reported. The season consisted of one inter-class meet, five dual meets with outside schools, one triangular meet and one inter-scholastic meet participated in at the Harvard Stadium.
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.