Norwood annual report 1932-1935, Part 38

Author: Norwood (Mass.)
Publication date: 1932
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1450

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1932-1935 > Part 38

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Boys of the seventh grade in the Junior High School received a thorough training in the General Shop and Wood Shop. Many new and interesting experiences were had in the former shop. Here they learned how to lay out patterns in sheet metal work, work out simple electric circuits, set windows, solder, and to drill, twist and form mild steel into table and floor lamps. Some important improvements in the shop were made, such as racks for sheet metal and strap iron, a large shelf for finished and un- finished work.

The Wood Shop was thoroughly renovated this fall, by having the over- head cleaned and whitened, the walls painted a very attractive silver grey, which will not soil easily. A new finishing room was constructed by the instructor, filling a long felt want. A new sink was installed to replace an old iron one.

Boys of the seventh and ninth grades received training in this shop. The former were instructed in many steps of hand tool manipulation, and made such projects as sewing cabinets, pedestals and clothes dryers. The latter received training in machine operation and constructed projects of an advanced nature, as end tables, smoking cabinets, costumers and book racks.

Drafting gave boys of the eighth and ninth grades a training in the solving of many problems, with references taken from a text-book, introduced several years ago. Accuracy, neatness and technique were stressed with the proper procedure in drafting practice.

Printing gave further experiences for boys of the eighth and ninth grades. Ten weeks' instruction covering the principles involved in the elementary stages, for the eighth grade, and in the ninth grade actual participation in the turning out of a complete job, through the stages of composition, imposition, make ready and press work. This was a busy shop and a hum of busy, industrious and serious-minded boys every day turned out the requirements for the school system, the town departments and other forms of work.

Senior High shop work followed last year's outline, stressing unit form of work with the entering sophomore class, while the upper class students. entered the shop twice a week and were given a choice of specializing in any one unit. Woodwork and machine shop were the two most popular units.

Drafting was again taught to the shop classes, devoting two periods for sophomores, and three periods for juniors and seniors. A marked im- provement in the work was manifested this fall by all last year's students. A note book covering thoroughly each phase of the work taught was re- quired of each boy as his outside assignment.

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In conclusion, I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the spirit and co-operation by members of the department, and to all others who so heartily co-operated during the year.

CLIFFORD H. WHEELER

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

I herewith submit the annual report of the Physical Education Depart- ment.

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 has been carried on as in previous years with a great deal of attention given to postural defects. We regretted the necessity, for economic reasons, of limiting the instructor to three days a week, but Miss Benson knowing the program could not be carried on in that short time has given full time without remuneration for the other two days. Besides the regular classroom and playground work, posture classes have been formed in all the schools. Every child was examined and a notice sent to parents asking their co-operation in the supervising of special exercises to be taken at home as well as at school. The parents were most co-operative and one hundred forty-seven children are now receiving special attention for some postural defect.

A grammar school baseball league was formed as usual last spring and the Callahan School won the championship.

Class work for girls and boys in the Junior High School consists of gym- nastics, marching, apparatus, posture work, and games. All pupils were given a physical examination by the school physician and a corrective class for girls and boys with poor and faulty posture is being held.

Extra school activities for girls were held throughout the year with large numbers participating. The fall sports were: Kick Ball for eighth and ninth grades, with sixty girls participating; Bat Ball for seventh grades, in which fifty girls took part. In the winter the ninth grade girls play inter-division basket ball and seventy-five girls reported for practice. A cup is awarded the winning division. In the spring there is competition in baseball for the ninth grades, with forty girls competing. Volley Ball was played in the seventh and eighth grades, with seventy girls out. Finals are played between the winning seventh and eighth divisions for a cup.

The activities for the boys in the Junior High School consisted of an inter-class series of fifty-eight games of basket ball which were played during the winter term with one hundred thirty-five boys participating. A school team was selected from the inter-class players and eight games were played with outside schools.

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A baseball league was formed along the same lines as basket ball, with inter-class games played in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. A school team played a schedule of ten games with outside schools. Eighty- four boys took part in this spring activity.

In the fall a Tag Football league was organized, the game being played with the same rules as regular football, with the exception that no tackling was allowed. About two hundred thirty boys participated in this out- door sport. Owing to the weather, the final play-off in this league will be held in the spring.

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 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.

The athletic program for girls in the Senior High School was carried on the same as last year with, however, more girls reporting for each sport. Our basket ball team last year had an undefeated season and this year one hundred six girls have reported for practice. We play inter-class games first, then class games with other schools, and finally pick a team to repre- sent the school in a schedule of five games. In the spring we had sixty- five girls reporting to Miss Johngren for instruction in tennis with, of course, many others using the courts who did not require the class in- struction, and from this number we picked a team to represent the school in outside games. In the fall we had inter-class field hockey and inter- class tennis. The tennis courts are used to capacity at all times.

Athletics for boys in the Senior High School consisted of football, basket ball, baseball, track, tennis and golf. Fifty-two boys reported for basket ball. 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 of games for the championship of the Senior High School.

In April, sixty-four boys reported for baseball. Fifteen players were chosen to represent the school against outside schools. Twelve other players formed a second team and played a schedule of six games with other schools. The first team played a schedule of fifteen games.

Under the direction of Mr. Wheeler, track was started the first of the year and a team was organized to represent the school on the boards for the indoor competition. Incidentally, this was the first indoor season for the school. This season consisted of one dual meet and one triangular meet, both of these being held at the Dedham High School, where facilities for such a meet were adequate. Considerable enthusiasm was shown as thirty-eight boys competed. In February a group of eight participated in the State Meet at the Boston Garden.

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Early in April the out-door season got under way, and a group of forty boys came out for the first practice. The season was fairly successful and consisted of an inter-class meet, six dual meets, one triangular meet and participation by nine boys in the inter-scholastic meet at the Harvard Stadium. In June four boys were taken to the Fitchburg Relay Carnival and represented the school in the two-mile relay, placing third in this event, against sixteen other schools represented.

Twenty-six candidates reported to Mr. Learnard for places on the golf team. Eight were selected to represent the school in outside matches. The Norfolk Golf Club of Dedham granted the use of their links free of charge for our elimination series and home matches. In all, ten matches were played.

A boys' tennis team was organized in the spring under the direction of Mr. Woodbury and a schedule of ten games was played. In the fall a boys' tournament was held with twenty-eight boys participating.

In September ninety-six boys reported for football and a schedule of nine games was played with outside teams. The second team played four games with outside schools. The sophomore team played one game.

Basket ball practice started during the Christmas vacation and forty- eight boys are now practicing.

H. BENNETT MURRAY

REPORT OF THE HEALTH SUPERVISOR

I submit herewith the annual report of the Health Department.

It has been said that the general objectives of the public schools are to help children to do better the things which they are going to do anyway, to enrich life by showing the pupil additional interest and activities, and to make these activities to some extent possible. To this end the health department functions for it is recognized that health maintenance aids the individual in his progress toward these objectives and without health the happiness of the individual, his economic value to society, and the sweetness of life itself may disappear.

Physical Examinations

All children from the wee ones in grade one to the grown-ups in grade twelve were examined by the school physicians, Dr. Edward L. Brennan and Dr. Alfred A. Fenton. Notices of physical defects noted at the time of the examinations were sent to the parents. It is encouraging to find that more defects were corrected during this past year than in the previous year. Some eighty youngsters had defective tonsils and adenoids removed.

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Dental Examinations

The dental program has been extended to include the examination of the teeth of all children in grades 1 to 9 inclusive in the public schools and grades 1 to S inclusive in the parochial school. About four-fifths of these children Dr. Curtin found to be in need of dental attention. The amount of work necessary in the majority of cases is small, a decided improvement in the last five years. Notices of defects were sent to parents, and treatment by the family dentist advised.

The policy of the dental clinic as endorsed by the State Department of Health is to care for the teeth of the children in grades 1 to 3 inclusive who are unable financially to employ the services of a private dentist. It is possible, in this way, to care for the permanent teeth as they erupt and prevent extensive decay and possible extraction.

The corrective work for dental defects can perhaps be most appreciated by comparing the records of the past five years of children in the first six grades who have had all necessary dentistry completed.

June 1929, 52%; June 1930, 70%; June 1931, 70%; June 1932, 81%; June 1933, 99%.

Mental Examinations

Sixty-six children having difficulty with their school work were examined by Dr. Anne L. Clark. She has made recommendation which will enable them to derive the greatest benefits from their school work.

The Habit and Child Guidance Clinics for the maladjusted child are still carrying on under the leadership of Dr. Olive Cooper and Dr. Grace Cragg. More of the Norwood mothers should take advantage of the ex- cellent services offered by these clinics.

Control of Communicable Diseases

The communicable diseases reported during the year are as follows:

Scarlet fever

Measles

Chicken pox

Mumps.

Whooping Cough .

Typhoid Fever

Tuberculosis (Pulmonary, 4) .

(Hilum, 27) 31

Scarlet fever was more prevalent in the early months of the year than in the later ones though there have been scattered cases all year. The same routine followed in checking all communicable diseases was used to prevent further spread of this disease. The follow-up work necessitates a daily check-up examination of all contacts, visits to the homes of all children showing signs of a communicable disease and an examination of all children returning to school after an illness.

The Chadwick Clinic report will explain the increase in tuberculosis.

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Diphtheria Immunication Clinics

In Deeember one hundred and forty-seven children were given the toxin-antitoxin injections to help them build up an immunity against diphtheria. These children will be given the Schick test next fall. At the same time one hundred and forty-nine children previously inoculated were given the Sehiek test and found to be protected against diphtheria. The absenee in town of this long dreaded disease is no doubt due to the faet that so many of the parents have taken advantage of the opportunity to protect their children by this simple and safe method.

Chadwick Clinic

From February 2nd to March 22nd the Chadwiek Clinic was conducted under the supervision of Dr. David Zaeks of the Massachusetts Depart- ment of Health. The purpose of this clinic is to promote the health of tlie sehool ehild and prevent tuberculosis by discovering the signs and treating the disease before serious illness oecurs.

Eleven children from the original clinic held nine years ago were ex- amined. The report of these re-examinations is as follows:

Number re-examined 11

Number improved. 10

Number unimproved. 1

Number x-rayed 11

Number recommended for sanatorium treatment.

Number discharged from clinie. 2

Number discharged to family physician for further check-up 1

The report of the new elinie is as follows:

Number given tuberculin test 1512

Number reacting positive to test. . 624

Number x-rayed. 682

Number referred for physical examinations 177

Number diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis.

Number diagnosed pulmonary suspects 4

Number diagnosed hilum tuberculosis. 24

Number diagnosed hilum tuberculosis suspects.

Number classified as negative contacts.

Number recommended for Sanatorium treatment.

Number to be followed up, re-x-rayed and re-examined at the end of a year 103

The follow-up work of the Chadwick Clinie will be carried on each year by the State Department of Health. Elimination of tuberculosis can only be accomplished by the united efforts of everyone.

The Souree Finding Clinic was conducted by the State Department of Health after the Chadwiek Clinic was completed in the schools. The

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X-rays and physical examinations were made on all members of families where the Chadwick Clinic had found abnormalities in the chests of the school child. The report of this clinic is as follows:

Number of families seen . 30

Number of persons examined . 156

Number of families studied because of case previously detected by Chadwick Clinic . 19

Number of families studied because of previous contact with tuber- culosis . 11

Number of new hilum tuberculosis cases diagnosed . 31

Number of pulmonary tuberculosis cases diagnosed 12

Number of hilum cases detected by other agencies . .. 2 Number of pulmonary cases detected by other agencies . 3

Number of cases of hilum tuberculosis which would not have been detected at ordinary clinic . 15

Number of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis which would not have been detected at ordinary clinic . 7

School Eye Clinic

Eighty-four children were seen by Dr. Hugo B. C. Riemer at the school clinic. Twenty-nine had vision corrected with glasses, fifteen required no change in glasses then being worn, four were referred to the family physician for further check-up, sixteen were referred for re-examination in a year's time and twenty needed no correction whatever.

Audiometer Tests

Of the eleven hundred and forty-five children tested with the audiometer, fifty-five were found to have defective hearing. The parents were notified of the defect and urged to see the family physician for treatment. Mas- toids and old middle ear infections were found to be the chief causes of defective hearing.

Weighing and Measuring

This activity is carried on monthly in the elementary grades to permit the child to measure the relationship between his habits and his growth, and give him an incentive for the practice of good health habits. Author- ities in child health tell us that a steady gain in weight each month is the best indication of growth.

Midmorning Lunch

Although the purpose of the midmorning lunch of milk and cracker is to supplement the diet by supplying additional material for growth it has in many cases this past year taken the place of the morning ineal not given at home because of the dire circumstances of the family. This lunch has served as a crutch to many a crippled diet. The free milk has been made possible by funds raised by the Norwood Woman's Club.

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Health Day

The Child Health Day was observed in the Elementary Schools on June 9, 1933. Suitable programs were given in each building.

We are slowly but surely working toward our goal "Every Child Physi- cally Fit." Parents, doctors, dentists, and teachers are all cooperating to make this work a success. We thank them for their kind assistance.

The competition between buildings was keen. The Winslow School won the large white banner for having the highest per cent of physically fit children. However, the Shattuck School ran a close second though unable to hold the banner it had won so many times before.

The other awards were as follows:

Physically fit tags 1046

Teeth .

1367

Weight. 1262

Posture

845

Improved posture

162

Improved weight.

Summer Camp

The four children who went to the Health Camp in Braintree for the inonths of July and August returned greatly improved in health.

Welfare Work

We have greatly missed this year the School Aid Fund contributed last year by school employees. The materials we have had donated do not supply the demands for help made to us. We have referred the calls to the proper social agencies for assistance. The calls for aid seem fewer since the opening of school in September.

We thank the Norwood High School Quest Club, the Norwood Woman's Club, and other friends for their combined generous support of the health work.

The members of the health department wish to express their apprecia- tion for loyal support and helpful advice received from you, the super- visors, principals, and teachers.

MARY A. CANNING, R. N.

REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC

I herewith submit the annual report of the Music Department.

Aside from a few slight changes in the outline made to meet some special requirements, the course in music is the same as last year.

The elass instruction in instrumental music inaugurated in 1931 con- sists now of seven groups of pupils meeting once a week after school. This

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particular course is for beginners only and is a two year course. After that time, the pupils wishing to go on with the study of their instruments are advised to obtain further instruction from private teachers.

In the Senior High School there is an ever-increasing demand for music as a major subject. The fact that many pupils take a subject without any thought of its educational or vocational value, but merely for the number of points that the subject carries, is well known by educators and pupils alike. Only, the fact that he has taken a course of no use to him beyond school years usually comes to the student when it is too late. However, long after he has forgotten the lessons learned from the more traditional subjects, he will continue to enjoy and utilize his work in music, which ranks high as a inind trainer and a character builder.

With good music coming back into its own, and the coming of more leisure hours, the time has come to prepare the pupils for thesc events. Music as a major subject would prepare the one so inclined for a musical career and give the others a wholesome way to employ their leisure time.

This year, seven Glee Clubs having a membership of 370 singers have been formed, and although meeting only once a week are doing very good work.

Besides playing at a number of local affairs, the Senior High School Orchestra played for the Massachusetts Association of Americanization Teachers' Convention in Boston last spring.

The New England Conservatory of Music for the past four years has been sending its student teachers to Norwood to observe the music work. This shows the esteem in which the Norwood music course is held by music educators.

J. V. DETHIER

REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ART

I herewith submit my annual report of the Art Department for the year ending December 31, 1933.

The course in art in the elementary grades has been practically the same as last year, since for several years new problems had been added and a rearrangement of standard problems made to fit various new conditions.

A new project which correlated with the Music Department and which proved very interesting and productive of much originality, was the plan- ning and making of covers and illustrations for music notebooks. These were made in all fifth and sixth grade rooms and in some schools, in fourth grades.

The co-operative group plan being used in several schools has proved very satisfactory in our arts and crafts classes. With the same teacher teaching all the drawing in two grades, as grades V and VI, the instruction

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is much more uniform and there is no break between the two grades, the work in the higher grade continuing and developing to a higher degree what was taught the previous year. Also there is surely a big saving in the cost of certain supplies, such as paint boxes and crayons, as three classes of children use the same boxes, instead of having separate sets of materials for each room, as in the older system.

In the Balch School, where this plan was first tried, all pupils in grades thrce and four contributed to the making of large Citizenship Alphabet books. Also in this school several weeks were spent in all grades in the study and illustration of Indian life. In the lower grades, realistic wig- wams large enough for children to enter were made in several rooms, also headdresses, bows and arrows, belts and various sand-table activities show- ing the homes of different tribes of Indians. In the upper grades a special study, with much research work involved, was made of the various Indian symbols and their meanings, as applied to rugs, costumes, pottery, etc. Also Grade VI pupils helped in making the stage setting for our Indian program for a P. T. A. meeting.

In the Junior High School the most important project of the year, as usual, was the making of over 450 "Kindness to Animals" posters and the sending of over 70 to a state contest conducted annually by the S. P. C. A. The largest number of first and second honor medals and honorable men- tions were received last year and these were presented at the last assembly of the year. This fall the Grade IX art classes made red, white and blue "N. R. A. Buy Now" posters, also "Shop Early" Christmas posters and the cover design and headings for the new school paper.

The Senior High School Art classes are called upon increasingly to make posters, cover designs, etc. for all kinds of school activities and for affairs of public interest in the town. The best maps from the town-planning contest conducted last year were sent to and displayed in Boston in a state-wide contest and one of the Senior High School maps received first prize in the state, the pupil making it receiving a congratulatory letter from President Hoover.

Many more pupils are taking Grade IX elective Art this year, requiring seven periods each week of the supervisor's teaching time and three periods of the assistant's time. The spirit of interest and the serious effort at improvement in creative ability and technique in both Junior and Senior High School Art classes have been very pleasing.

For a more detailed report of the supervisor's work, I would refer you to a report written last June for the School Committee, also to last year's report for our objectives in our Art teaching in Norwood.

I wish at this time to publicly thank the School Committee, Superin- tendent and Principal of the High School for their support of our subject, as well as other special subjects, during the recent severe criticisms of all so-called "fads and frills," also to express my appreciation of the continued spirit of cooperation always shown by principals and teachers.

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Norwood annual report 1932-1935, Part 38

Author: Norwood (Mass.) Publication date: 1932 Publisher: The Town Number of Pages: 1450

Author: Norwood (Mass.)
Publication date: 1932
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1450