USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1936-1938 > Part 44
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Diphtheria Immunization Clinics
Only 132 children received the inoculation for the purpose of immunizing them against diphtheria. 140 previously inoculated were given the Schick test and found to be immune. On the advice of the physicians in charge of the immunization work for the state department of health, all children under nine years of age are given toxoid injections instead of toxin-antitoxin injections in order to avoid sensitization to horse serums.
Chadwick and School Clinics
The work of these two clinics is essentially the same, that is, to promote the health of the school child and to prevent tuberculosis by discovering
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any early signs of the disease and treating it before serious illnesses occur. The follow-up cases of the Chadwick Clinic will be taken over eventually by the School Clinic which is conducted by the Norfolk County Hospital at Braintree.
The reports of these two clinics are as follows:
School Clinic Held April 30, 1937
Number pupils tested 494
Number pupils with positive reactions. 79
Number pupils x-rayed 150
Number pupils referred for examination and follow-up 16
Number pupils examined by special request. 17
Chadwick Clinic Held October 6, 1937
Number recommended for re-examination. 59
Number re-examined 56
Number improved 55
Number unimproved
1
Number x-rayed
53
Number recommended for summer camp
1
Number referred to local dispensary for follow-up
1
New Cases
Number of children examined 1
Number of children x-rayed
1
Number of children discharged from clinic.
1
Left School-Working Group
Number re-examined
1
Number x-rayed.
1
Number improved
1
School Eye Clinic
161 pupils were seen by Dr. Hugo B. C. Riemer at the eye clinic. Of these 89 pupils were given glasses to correct vision; 10 required no change in glasses then being worn; 6 had diseased conditions requiring medical attention, 5 no longer needed corrections with glasses, and 48 pupils were in need of no medical or refractive corrections at the time of examinations. Two children were recommended to attend Perkins Institute.
Audiometer Testing
The audiometer test for accuracy in hearing was given to 1550 children, S7 were retested due to failure to pass first test and of these, 48 were found to have defective hearing in one or both ears. Parents were notified of thesc defects and advised to consult their family physician for treatment.
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Two children in this group are receiving lip reading instruction at the Horace Mann School in Boston.
Weighing and Measuring
Weighing and measuring children each month continues to be our best measuring stick for growth. It serves as an incentive for the child since he is no longer compared with his fellow pupil but rather compares his own progress with what he has accomplished in the past. A steady gain in weight each month is encouraged because it is our best indication of growth.
Mid-morning Lunch
The Norwood Woman's Club through the Community Fund, makes it possible for some one hundred and fifty children to have a milk lunch each day. This lunch often is the crutch which carries the child through with a much crippled diet-not usually because of poor planning on the mother's part, but on account of low family income with which to plan. Other children who are able to buy their own milk have the opportunity to take mid-morning lunch.
Health Day
Health Day was celebrated on June 4th. It is the completion of the health work done during the school year. Health has a definite relation- ship to citizenship since the man with good health is better equipped to meet the problems that arise.
Perhaps the greatest progress to be noted is in the correction of dental defect. In 1929 only 52% of the children in first six grades had all dental corrections made, while in June, 1937, 9910% of the group had the neces- sary work done. No such progress could be made without the whole- hearted co-operation and interest which exists between dentists, parents, teachers, and nurses. The child's interest plays a very important part in the program.
Individual tags were awarded to children for the correction of remedial defects.
Improved O. K. Physical
School
Enrollment
Teeth
Weight
Posture
Exam.
Balch
442
442
442
399
407
Shattuck
249
248
249
249
216
Winslow-West
285
284
284
176
273
Callahan
256
246
256
256
206
Summer Camp
The Christmas scal sale fund in Norwood made it possible for four children to go to the health camp in Braintree. Their eight weeks at camp did much toward restoring them to good physical health once more.
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We wish to thank the Senior High School Quest Club, Junior High School Community Club, Norwood Woman's Club, the American Red Cross, and our many other friends for their generous support.
ยท The members of the Health Department wish to express their appre- ciation for the loyal support and helpful advice received from you, super- visors, principals, and teachers. Such co-operation helps to make our work more successful.
MARY A. CANNING, R. N.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ART
The annual report of the Art Department for the year ending December 31, 1937, is hercwith submitted.
This report must necessarily be similar to last year's report, since our aims remain the same. We are happy to report, however, that we feel some noticeable progress has been made toward reaching those aims, as outlined, in the three major divisions of our schools.
Perhaps the most progress is shown in certain first grade rooms, where practically no formal teaching in Art is now attempted. Much oppor- tunity is given for pupils to make large individual or group pictures, with ehalk on blackboards or with tempera paint on large papers on easels; original ideas are carried out in the making of, among other things, wooden or cardboard articles for toys, Christmas gifts. The subjects for illus- tration are not forced on the children; they are the natural outcome of their reading lessons, stories told or poems learned, interesting experiences told by some pupil, by such other events or situations as pietures sug- gested by the weather or the various holiday seasons. Naturally the results are not technically perfect, but the eagerness, spontaneity and happiness shown and the creative and imaginative ability developed are their own reward.
The new grade six Rugg books on Social Science, "Man at Work-His Arts and Crafts", have proved full of inspiration for Art lessons. They have offered opportunity for research work and illustrations along the lines of types of homes in all lands and ages, architecture, ancient and modern, the making of masks and scencry for plays, the history of the printed page, especially as illuminated by the monks of the middle ages.
We fcel that the numerous possibilities for Art to enrich and illustrate the Social Studies in all grades were shown in the exhibition of work in that subject, held in the Junior High School gymnasium in April of last vcar.
More pupils have clected Grade 9 Art than for several years and there
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is an enthusiastic Sketch Club of twenty-one pupils. The members of this club are obtaining practice in the use of many media, all of which may be used outside in leisure time. Pastels are very popular with this club at the present time, nine pupils having bought boxes for use at home. In this connection, it might be of interest to the reader to learn that one boy last year entered pastel drawings, made at home, in the Hobby Show and received a special honor, never having heard of pastels until a few weeks before in the Sketch Club.
The Junior High School Art room usually presents the aspects of a workshop rather than a schoolroom, as it is very seldom that all pupils are working on the same project. Some may be designing headings or a cover for the school paper, others making posters, one boy painting a large marine picture with tempera paints, others painting wall placques or engaged in other craft work. The most ambitious project yet attempted was the designing and making of three life-sized stained-glass windows, which were used, with strong lights behind them, in the Christmas as- sembly. The designs, a madonna and child and two angels, with decorative shapes surrounding them, were planned by three different girls, while the color scheme was a group problem. The actual work of cutting and glueing many pieces of colored cellophane on a plio-film background, with painted black lines between them, was done by about thirty-five pupils, working in Art and Club periods, study periods and after school. A project like this accomplishes many of the objectives desired in our Art course-much creative thinking and planning, group discussions, much cooperation and willingness to put in many hours of extra work, use of new and unfamiliar materials, with a general result of satisfaction and pleasure in a completed piece of work which is really to be used to give enjoyment to many other people.
As suggested in last year's report, Art in our Senior High School has this year made a step forward in reaching our goal. The general elective Art course, as in other years, consists of two periods per week, with work in many media, several of which have not been used in the Elementary or Junior High Schools. The major Art Appreciation course, meeting five periods a week and requiring outside research and notebook work, has fifty-six pupils enrolled this first year.
Since the "ultimate aim of Art Appreciation is to enable pupils to under- stand, to enjoy more fully the art of all ages and to choose with discrimina- tion the articles of everyday use", our major course includes not only the study of famous paintings, but also architecture, sculpture, arts and crafts and machine-made products. A few textbooks, "Understanding the Arts" and "Art Through the Ages" have been used as basic reading materials, with talks by the Art teacher, illustrated by many concrete examples of Art in various forms. A general view of the subjects mentioned above, together with the historical background as an aid in understanding them, has been taken already. Later, each subject will be studied more in detail,
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with a chance for the individual pupils to try their skill in drawing and painting in various media, soap-carving, pottery and other modeling, making of paper-mache masks and craft work of various kinds.
As is the case in any grade, from the first through the twelfth, the regular work is often interrupted by special needs, arising through activities in the school or suggested by outside opportunities. Thus, book-jackets were designed by Senior High School pupils as covers for certain book reports written in connection with their study of English. Prizes were offered by the Chamber of Commerce for original designs for decorating the Town Square for Christmas. As a result, pupils feel that their Art can be put to a definite, practical use.
The continued cooperation and help of all with whom we come in contact is sincerely appreciated by this department.
HELEN L. ARNOLD
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Following is the report of the Department of Physical Education.
Physical Education is that phase of education which is concerned, first, with the organization and the leadership of children in big muscle activi- ties, to gain the development and the adjustment inherent in the activities according to social standards; and, second, with the control of health or growth conditions naturally associated with the leadership of the activities so that the educational process may go on without growth handicaps.
Thus physical education is apt to be interpreted by adults from an adult standpoint merely as exercise. But the meaning of physical education is not confined to the organization and leadership of the activities as exercises in the adult sense. The program in physical education is determined by the inherent and essential values of the activities for the normal growth and development of children.
We have eliminated non-essentials. We strive to teach the essentials. Our program is based upon a health and medical examination and upon individual needs according to the findings in the physical education tests. We prescribe corrective measures to meet individual needs. We do everything we can to help the boys and girls and exercise the greatest care that we do nothing to hurt them.
The physical education program in the first six grades was carried on as in the past with due regard to the age of the pupil and a careful study of their physical needs. A great deal of attention is paid to their posture during this age.
The class work for Junior High School consists of posture work, gym- nastic exercises, marching, tcam games and apparatus exercises. Posture is stressed in every class, and if a pupil seems to need more attention, he is given corrective work outside of school hours.
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After-school activities for girls are carried on during the entire school year. During the fall and winter, a Quoitennis tournament is staged for the 7th, 8th and 9th grades. As in the past, it has proven to be a very popular sport, approximately 175 pupils taking part. Basketball is played by girls of the 9th grade only during the winter season, and a home room tournament takes place with about 130 girls participating, while the girls of the 7th and Sth grades continue Quoitennis. In the spring, tourna- ments in volley ball for the 7th and 8th grades and baseball for the 9th grade takes place. About 275 girls are engaged in these sports.
Boys' basketball practice started before the Christmas vacation and about 165 boys reported. These boys tried for places on the Junior High School Varsity team. A schedule was then played with outside teams.
In addition to the varsity team at the Junior High School, there were three basketball leagues organized among the 7th, Sth and 9th grades; 160 boys participated and the schedule of games lasted well into the spring months.
Baseball practice was called during the month of April, and a Junior High School Varsity team was organized, and also, a 7th and Sth grade league; 190 boys participated.
A great deal of interest was shown in track this past year and although we do not have a schedule with outside schools, we did allow three 9th grade boys to compete in a 75 yd. dash at Dedham against three Dedham Freshman boys.
During the sixth period on Friday, 45 boys take part in athletic dancing. Athletic dancing develops skill, speed, posture and rhythm and also tends to eliminate self-consciousness.
Athletics for girls in the Senior High School consisted of basketball, tennis, archery and speedball. About sixty girls reported for basketball practice. First we held interclass games, then class games with other schools. Following this a team is picked to represent the high school in a schedule of five games. Brookline again invited our girls to two swimming play days and sixteen girls had a most enjoyable time. In the early spring about fifty-five girls reported for indoor tennis instruction, and in May a team was picked for a schedule of six games. We run an intramural pro- gram in tennis during the fall and spring terms. Archery has increased in popularity this past year,-and about forty girls participate in this activity both spring and fall.
Athletics for boys in the Senior High School consisted of football, basket- ball, indoor track, outdoor track, baseball, tennis and golf.
During the Christmas vacation fifty-two boys reported for basketball. Of this number, ten were chosen to represent their school as the varsity team against other high schools. Nine others made up a Junior Varsity team which played a schedule against the Junior Varsity teams of the same high schools. A schedule of twelve games was played by each team. After the schedule was finished, an inter-room schedule of 35 games was played,
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with all boys who had played on either of the Varsity teams being elimi- nated.
In January, fifty-two boys reported to Mr. Wheeler for indoor track at the State Armory-four dual and two interscholastic meets were partici- pated in.
In April, sixty boys participated in out-door track and a schedule of six dual, one triangular and one quadrangular meets was arranged.
In April, fifty-five boys reported for baseball. Fifteen players made up the Varsity team and played a schedule of fourteen games. A Junior Varsity team, consisting of twelve boys, played two games with the Junior High and two outside games. The Varsity team was chosen as one of the eight teams to play at Fenway Park for the Massachusetts Eastern State Title. They also were the winners of the Bay State Scholastic League.
Norwood retained its membership in the Norfolk County High School Golf League. Under the direction of Mr. Learnard, matches were played with each team in the league.
Under the supervision of Mr. Fisher, a tennis schedule of twelve matches was played. Approximately twenty-five boys took part in tennis during the season. Six or seven played in each match.
In September, eighty-two boys reported for football and a schedule of nine games was arranged with outside teams. The Junior Varsity played three games with outside teams.
Basketball practice started during the Christmas vacation and forty-five boys are now practicing.
Through athletics, we believe, the teacher of athletics has a means of conditioning the modern social, ethical, and character traits of desirable citizenship.
H. BENNETT MURRAY
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
I herewith submit the Annual Report of the Music Department.
To the lay person the word music merely means some familiar tunes; to the musician, it means Theory, Solfeggio, Harmony, History, Com- position, Vocal Music, and Instrumental Music; to the educator, it means, among other things:
1. Skill in recognizing and translating music symbols.
2. First essential to sensitizing the ear and guiding the voice.
3. Strict discipline (mental and physical).
4. Development of the Social Spirit (through chorus, orchestra and band).
5. Self expression, creative attitude.
6. Enlarged horizon (facts about composers, compositions, countries).
7. Opportunities for guidance in practical, usable citizenship.
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The course now in force embodies all these objectives and is graded so as to reach all the children regardless of the class to which they will event- ually belong. These three groups, the Creator, the Listeners, and the Performers (the importance of this group may be estimated from the fact that music as a vocation ranks fourth in the United States), are approached through three courses; Vocal, Theoretical, and Instrumental. In the Elementary Schools the number of children who elected Instrumental Music was as follows:
Balch School 120
Callahan School 56
Winslow-West Schools 54
Shattuck School. 83
While instrumental music is flourishing in the Junior High School, the Vocal and Theoretical work has been seriously impaired by the change some years ago in the number of periods alloted to Music, one period a week instead of two. While educators everywhere admit that music is now an integral part of life, that it is the first thought toward "Worthy Use of Leisure Time", "Worthy Home Membership", and so on, the most im- portant fact remains that students during and after their senior year regret that they were not "made" to take music. The argument that the children should not be required to learn music does seem odd considering the fact that a large percentage are obliged to take courses which they do not want. Even if music is not their goal, they will continue to enjoy the work they did in that subject long after they have forgotten the more traditional subjects learned in schools.
It is said "A character in the making has three essentials; Intellectual, Physical, and Emotional. If a student is developed equally and evenly in these three essentials, he becomes a well balanced person". Two periods a week for the subject best suited to teach the third essential do not sccm excessive considering the ethical, social, vocational, and intellectual value of music.
In the Senior High School the students elected Music in the following proportions:
Instrumental
35
Vocal
67
Appreciation
71
Theoretical
49
These numbers do not include the students who elected Music but could not join the classes owing to conflicts with other courses.
The results of the Music Courses may be judged by the program rendered by the entire Senior Class at their graduation when two difficult composi-
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tions with orchestral accompaniment were sung from memory after a few rehearsals.
In closing I wish to express my sincere appreciation of the cooperation of all in the school system with whom this department comes in contact.
JOHN V. DETHIER
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF ADULT ALIEN EDUCATION
My work during the past year was divided into three parts: supervising the evening school, teaching mothers of foreign birth and preparation of citizenship papers.
The evening classes have been very well attended. Because of the State Employers' Insurance Proposal, the Widow's Pension, the Old Age Pen- sion, the Social Security Act and the threat of legislative action against aliens, there has been a remarkable increase in the enrollment. The 180 people in the evening school and the thirty-eight women enrolled in the mothers' classes makes a total of 218 adult aliens being reached in Nor- wood. They represent fifteen nationalities, the Italians having the highest percentage-35%. The other nationalities are: Finnish, Lithu- anian, Greek, Irish, Polish, Scotch, Jewish, Russian, Canadian, Portuguese, Syrian, Swedish and German. The ages range from twelve years to seventy-one years. Father and son, husband and wife, brother and sister, work side by side, all interested in one common purpose-education.
The mothers' classes, which numbered five, had an enrollment of thirty- eight. They offer a direct means of interesting women in education. Many of these women have resided in our community for ten, fifteen and twenty years, but because of their isolation in a foreign colony, they are unable to speak, read or write English. These classes are taught in the homes, around the kitchen table.
Because of the large enrollment in the citizenship class, it was necessary to employ an extra teacher. As no man may work on the W. P. A. now unless he is a citizen, the number applying for naturalization papers has greatly increased. The Advanced Class is a very interesting group this year in that arithmetic and simple economic problems, besides the study of English, are being taught. Civics and economics mean more to people of thirty-five or forty years of age than they do to students of High School age
Many interesting and educational films have been shown the classes. The pupils appreciate them very much.
The Norfolk County Agricultural School has been very co-operative in the last year. Beginning in September and continuing through Decem- ber, Mrs. Ruth Shufelt, the County Extension Agent, held a cooking class once a month at the Junior High School. The title of the course was, "Budgeting the Food Dollar." As this is a very important item in the
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household budget, sixty women attended this class. It was most inter- esting to the group and many helpful hints were given.
At present there are twenty-seven women enrolled in a Home Hygiene class which is being held at the Balch School every Thursday evening. The Red Cross is sponsoring the course and it is being taught by Mrs. Florence Sprague, a Red Cross worker. The group will meet for twelve nights and a Red Cross certificate is awarded to all those who pass the examination.
On March 26th, the Evening School graduation was held at the Junior High School. A play entitled, "The Spirit of America" was presented by the pupils. It was very inspiring to see the parts of some of America's greatest men portrayed so sincerely and earnestly. Mr. Charles Herlihy, President of Fitchburg State Teachers' College, was the guest speaker. Mr. Herlihy gave a very interesting address. Having been a former State Supervisor of Adult Alien Education, he knew the problems of the foreign born and therefore encouraged them to continue their study of English and Citizenship. A thousand people attended the exercises.
Thirty-five Citizenship diplomas were awarded and ninety-five certifi- cates.
In the past year there have been seventy-five new citizens made and eighty-five second papers filed; 100 first papers have been received. It might be of interest to learn that the total cost for complete naturalization is $10.00.
The following naturalization laws have been made since May, 1934.
An alien man who married an American citizen or whose wife became naturalized since May 24, 1934, needs only second papers. An American woman who married an alien before September 22, 1922, lost her American citizenship. She may now be repatriated and her alien husband needs only a second paper.
Many interesting lectures have been planned for the year. A talk on Insurance and one on Social Security have been arranged. If we expect certain standards of citizenship from our foreign-born, we must hold before them certain ideals and patterns of good citizenship in order that they may be guided and helped.
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