Norwood annual report 1942-1944, Part 33

Author: Norwood (Mass.)
Publication date: 1942
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1122


USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1942-1944 > Part 33


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School Services


Notwithstanding the very considerable difficulties which we have en- countered in the matter of providing adequate teaching and other services, due in large part to the scarcity of available employees, your Committee has endeavored through the year to maintain the school service at a level com- parable to the standards of other years.


Conclusion


We, members of the Norwood School Committee, at this time, commend the employees of the Department for their willingness to perform, each


170


TOWN OF NORWOOD


according to his capacity to contribute, the many and difficult tasks which they have so generously undertaken.


EDWARD H. THOMPSON, Chairman. FRANCES L. BLANCHOT JOSEPHINE A. CHANDLER JAMES J. CURRAN ELLEN A. DIXON ROBERT T. WHITTLESEY


REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


Herewith I submit my eighth annual report as Superintendent of Schools.


Reference to material contained in statements to be found elsewhere in this Report will reveal the extent to which our school program has been affected by the impact of a War economy.


To a great extent the situation in which the schools are placed is not much different from what it was last year. The tempo of adjustment has been accelerated and now, more than ever, it seems, things are taken as a matter of course.


As it was indicated in my last year's report, there still lies before us the business of meeting the requirements of a post-war economy. Everywhere there appears evidence of an anxiety with respect to the extent to which our people will be able to meet the many problems of the Peace.


Never before have so many people been faced with the problem of prepa- ration for an era of accelerated change - our schools, our teachers and our pupils see it, recognize it and - are wondering what to do about it.


The problem, because it is so complex, demands concentrated applica- tion. The extent to which our social, political, educational and religious institutions will have to create understanding, so necessary in a democratic way of life and living, poses a problem which will demand the best effort of our clear thinking and resourceful leadership.


Daily, in our schools, our teachers are inculcating ideals of friendship and tolerance, fair play and thoughtfulness. More and more we must aim to be objective in our appraisal of the many situations and facts with which we have to deal in the study of Society and its institutions.


Our big problem in the cosmopolitan community centers about the es- tablishment of certain loyalties to the Democracy in which we live. It is so easy to understand upon the intellectual level the principle of tolerance of another's point of view, for instance, and yet so difficult to feel and act emotionally and accordingly . .


In this regard, it is quite possible to say that in the schools we have not done enough to overcome the stresses and strains which are most certainly and positively established in the everyday life of most of us.


However, that, it seems to me, is one great problem which faces us as school people, and one which demands the full support and help of an en- lightened public.


171


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


Quite apart from the moral issues involved, there lies before us the problem of planning a post-war school program which will best serve our community. It is in point to say that there are many hundreds of people in Norwood and its environs who have had their formal education cut short or altered because of the demand for manpower in our armed forces or in industry.


This fact raises before us the question as to whether Norwood is or will be in a position to help rehabilitate these many individuals who must be re- fitted into a domestic economy. It would appear that we, in Norwood, are in an advantageous position by reason of the secondary school facilities which we have at our disposal. A High School, a Girls' Vocational School and a Boys' Vocational School, all on the same premises and each possess- ing coordinating facilities ought, through proper development and expan- sion, to be the solution of many of our rehabilitation problems.


As a matter of record, it would be well to indicate the desirability at this time of incorporating into the developing program a publicly owned and. controlled Junior College.


Properly rounded out, there may then be established terminal semi-pro- fessional and pre-professional offerings which would be available to hun- dreds of young people who otherwise may never enjoy such advantages. It is a personal conviction of mine that, if established, such an institution as could be built and established by our Town would attract and be patron- ized by hundreds of young people in this area.


If so, there would then be available an educational program which would be potentially more extensive and intensive than anything of its kind in New England.


For all that we must be foresighted, we must ever keep in mind the fact that the principal business of the school is school work. However much we may desire to help in the war effort, and in the many ways in which we are called upon to render service, the child in school is a personality, living and learning, playing and doing to the end that his personality may be more wholesome and that he may get ready for the society in which he will expect to make some contribution.


Conclusion


May I express to you, members of the Norwood School Committee, and to all my fellow-workers in the Norwood School Department, whom I have called upon for help so many times this past and other years, and to the other Town officials upon whom I depend so much, my feeling of gratitude for your kind help and support.


LINCOLN D. LYNCH.


172


TOWN OF NORWOOD


Table I. Anticipated Receipts, 1944


Anticipated 1943


Received 1943


Anticipated 1944


Tuition :


State Wards


$2,800


$2,458.20


$2,500.00


City of Boston Wards


1,200


1,383.73


1,300.00


Adult Education - Non-resident


300


238.50


250.00


Vocational Education - Norwood residents


1,200


1,266.35


600.00


Lip Reading - Non-residents


30


24.50


20.00


State Reimbursement :


Regular Teachers' Salaries.


22,000


20,563.50


20,000.00


Adult Education


Teachers'


Salaries


. 1,200


992.65


1,000.00


Peabody School:


George-Deen Fund


4,215


5,353.00


4,600.00


Peabody Trust Fund


27,700


27,338.59


27,300.00


Non-resident Tuition


600


676.25


700.00


Sale of Work and Products


3,000


2,460.15


2,500.00


State Reimbursement


7,461.25


High School Lunch Counter Opera- tion


10,000


10,317.23


10,000.00


Manual Arts


400


262.63


300.00


Use of School Halls


100


313.68


200.00


Telephone Toll Calls.


20


17.43


20.00


Miscellaneous (Supplies, Books,


Breakage, etc.).


100


76.84


75.00


$74,865


$73,743.23


$78,826.25


Table II. Teachers Employed


School


1934


Sept. 1935


Sept. 1936


Sept. 1937


Sept. 1938


Sept. 1939*


Sept. 1940*


Sept. 1941*


Sept. 1942*


Sept. 1943*


Sept. 1944*


Senior High


31


31


31


30


29


38


36


35


35


32


29


Vocational


9


12 **


Junior High


28


28


27


27


27


32


31


30


30


28


27


Elementary


53


53


53


53


53


54


51


50


47


40


40


Specials .


20


20


20


20


20


1


1


1


1


1


1


Totals


132


132


131


130


129


125


119


116


113


110


109


*It will be observed that all special teachers are reported in the units wherein their teaching is done.


** Includes one part-time teacher of Dressmaking.


The one teacher reported as a Special Teacher is the Director of Adult Education.


There are not included in this tabulation one part-time teacher of Instrumental Music and one part-time teacher of Lip Reading.


173


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


Sept.


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TOWN OF NORWOOD


TABLE III. Enrollment for Ten Year Period (June Enrollments)


Elementary


Junior High


Senior High


Voca- tional


Total


1933-1934


1,384


836


765


2,985


1934-1935


1,374


781


687


2,842


1935-1936


1,322


719


743


2,784


1936-1937


1,238


689


691


2,618


1937-1938


1,244


673


714


2,631


1938-1939


1,187


697


673


2,557


1939-1940


1,123


684


702


2,509


1940-1941


1.089


659


706


2,454


1941-1942


1,051


596


700


2,347


1942-1943


1,023


547


593


72


2,235


% decrease,


10- year period .


26.08


34.56


22.48


25.12


TABLE IV. SCHOOL POPULATION TRENDS (September Enrollments)


Total


Year


Balch


Callahan


Shattuck


West


Winslow Elementary


Junior High


Senior High


Voca- tional


Total All Schools


1934-1935


502


270


261


61


247


1,341


781


689


2,811


1935-1936


474


289


254


63


219


1,299


718


721


2,738


1936-1937


438


260


255


56


222


1,231


686


693


2,610


1937-1938


446


234


246


49


253


1,228


669


700


2,597


1938-1939


422


222


239


40


249


1,172


693


680


2,545


1939-1940


396


201


230


47


234


1,108


674


702


2,484


1940-1941


370


208


222


45


235


1,080


658


708


2,446


1941-1942


317


219


219


53


222


1,030


581


700


2,311


1942-1943


315


212


227


51


200


1,005


571


580


67


2.223


1943-1944


269


219


223


56


199


966


553


493


137


2,149


% decrease


10-year period ...


46.41


18.88


14.55


9.83


19.42


27.96


29.19


28.44


30.80


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


175


ยท


.


176


TOWN OF NORWOOD


REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE NORWOOD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL


I have the honor to present my eighth report as the principal of this school.


PART I The Impact of the War


Probably one of the first questions in the mind of an intelligent parent who may read this report is: What has been the effect of a year of the war upon our High School? This is an entirely reasonable question, and the first portion of this report will be concerned with an attempt to answer it.


The Shortened School Day


During the latter part of the previous school year, the school office was receiving an ever-increasing number of requests from parents that our boys and girls be dismissed before the end of the school day to permit them to go to work.


Anticipating that this labor shortage would increase with the passage of time, it was recommended to the School Board that school be closed at 1:30 in September so that pupils who wished to do so might get to work by 2 P.M., and work until 6 P.M. This recommendation was accepted by the Board, with the result that our school day is now shorter by 51 minutes than was the case a year ago. By the sacrifice of a minute here and there during the day; by the loss of one relaxation period, the actual loss of teaching time per period amounts to three minutes.


As a result of this change of program, we have allowed no dismissals (except in cases of illness) and large numbers of our pupils do go to work regularly after school hours.


There is no question but that this activity is reflected in the work of the school because no man can serve two masters. On the other hand, the failure statistics at the end of the first quarter were not very different from similar figures over a five-year period, and there is considerable evidence to show that the average pupil is making a real effort to use the shorter school time at his disposal to the best advantage.


The Rifle Club


This activity normally interests some forty or fifty boys in the course of the year. We were forced to suspend competition this year because of our inability to buy ammunition through the usual commercial channels and the inability of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship to supply it.


We have, however, kept our rifles, and arrangements have been made with the Government offices so that we may renew our competition as soon as ammunition becomes available again.


177


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


The Observation Post


Very recently, the First Service Command has made arrangements whereby the observation work in the tower of the High School has been discontinued. This work has been going on over a considerable period of time, and while the school has been very willing to cooperate in this work whenever possible, there have been some undesirable features of the plan from the standpoint of the school.


The Curriculum


In the report of one year ago, many curriculum changes were noted and explained at some length. While it is still true that no boy can look forward to a College Education (as this term was understood five years ago) still he may look forward to an accelerated College program, especially if he succeeds in passing one of the many tests which have been given in this school during the past two years and in all probability will continue to be given for the duration of the War. Since these tests are concerned mainly with English, Science, and Mathematics, large numbers of boys are still enrolled in our College Curriculum, but the emphasis is on the three sub- jects mentioned above rather than on Languages and History.


The Program at the Norwood Armory


Last spring, arrangements were made with Captain Francis Weld so that a group of our Senior boys might receive fundamental instruction in marching tactics one evening each week under the direction of regular National Guard Officers. In this way, it was felt that these boys might be given an opportunity to anticipate some of the work which they would be forced to do later.


At the time of writing this report, there have been eleven voluntary meetings of this group of boys with an average attendance of thirty boys. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Captain Weld, Lieut. Milliken and their group of assistants who have made this training possible.


PART II Some Changes within the School The Number of Marking Periods


Up to and including the school year of 1942-1943, it had been customary to have five marking periods in our school year distributed at approxi- mately eight-week intervals. This situation had prevailed in spite of the fact that it was customary in the Junior High School to have only four.


When the Henry O. Peabody School was opened in September, 1942, it became evident that it, too, was going to operate on a four-period marking system because of certain demands of the State Department. Since we try to synchronize our work over the entire building as far as possible, the re- quest was made of the School Board that our year also be divided into four periods. This request was granted, and Report Cards were issued for the first time on this basis on November 10, 1943.


178


TOWN OF NORWOOD


On this basis each marking period will be ten days longer than hereto- fore, but it is the present plan to keep parents informed by personal or form letter whenever the situation seems to demand it, so that no educational disadvantage may be evident to the pupil.


Faculty Changes


Since the report of one year ago, many faculty changes have taken place within the school. This situation is quite universal and is apparently one of the very serious effects of the War Situation upon the schools.


Most of us are creatures of habit, and pupils cannot help but react un- favorably to faculty changes especially when more than one occurs in the same subject during any one school year.


This statement is true no matter what the capabilities of persons who may be elected to fill vacancies may be, and no unfavorable comment is intended so far as any present faculty members are concerned.


Too frequent changes in faculty personnel are undesirable. A short list of these changes follows:


Mr. Charles A. Hayden, a teacher of Latin and Submaster in the school for thirteen years, left to join the Army. No one was appointed to assume Mr. Hayden's administrative duties for the last half of the last school year, but Mrs. Alice Sharpe did take over two of the Latin classes.


With the beginning of school last September, Mr. Gormley was ap- pointed to take over Mr. Hayden's Administrative work.


Mr. Henry F. Fairbanks, a teacher of Mathematics since 1936 left to join the Navy, and his work has been taken over by Mrs. Viola White.


Mr. Stanley C. Fisher, a teacher of Science since 1931, left to join the Army, and his work was largely taken over by Miss Fulton who returned to this school from an assignment in the Peabody School.


Mr. John A. Sullivan, also a teacher of Science since 1935, left to join the Army, and his classes were taken over by Mr. Leon E. Ryther for the remainder of the year. Mr. Ryther was replaced with the beginning of school in September by Miss Anne Haritos, who left our employ in Decem- ber, 1943. During the school year, 1942-1943, while the Peabody School was in the first year of its existence, both Miss McCready and Miss Tormey devoted some of their time to classes in both schools.


With the beginning of school in September, 1943, when all Senior Con- mercial Pupils transferred their complete program to the Peabody School, these two teachers began to devote their entire teaching time to the work in the Peabody School.


Mr. James H. Butler, a teacher of History and Coach of our Debating Team for thirteen years, left to join the Army. His classes for the remainder of the last year were taken over by his wife, Mrs. Gertrude T. Butler.


Mr. John B. Kelley, a teacher in our Commercial Department for seven years, also left to join the Army. These classes for the remainder of the year were taken over by Mrs. Irene L. Pendergast.


179


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


Considerable program reorganization was effected during the summer, so that when school opened in September, neither the services of Mrs. Butler or of Mrs. Pendergast seemed necessary.


To sum up this situation, since the report of one year ago, a total of nine people have severed their connection with the faculty of this school. Six of these people have been men, and in no case has a man been replaced by a man.


Program rearrangements have been made so that the work of four of these people (two of them part time) has been absorbed by the other men- bers of the faculty.


At the time of writing this report, Miss Fulton, a teacher in the Home Economics and Science Departments, has given her resignation to the School Department to take effect on December seventeenth. As yet, no successor to Miss Fulton has been chosen.


Some rearrangement was made in our classes last September so that the services of Mrs. Sharpe as a teacher of Latin were no longer necessary, and Mrs. Florence Riley was transferred from the Junior High School to the Senior High School to carry along these Latin classes together with some work in French.


The Student Council


Notice should again be made this year in regard to the work of this group of boys and girls under the direction of Miss Elliott, in addition to what was said in the report of one year ago.


Arrangements have been made whereby this group meets in school approximately once a month. Besides being concerned with many Civic problems within the school, they have just received a Government Citation because of the amount of War Stamps which they have sold.


Vocational Training for Boys


During the summer of 1943, extensive changes were made in our shop facilities. The work in Mechanical Drawing was transferred to Room 109, and the partition which had existed between the boys' shop and the old Mechanical Drawing Room was removed so that we now have one large room.


A considerable number of additional pieces of machinery were purchased, and as soon as the red tape having to do with priorities can be straightened out, this machinery will be set up and our shop facilities for wood working will be of a very high calibre.


When this shop was reorganized last summer, the plan which was in the making had in mind that facilities for boys in one end of the building might at some future time be comparable to the facilities which now exist for girls in the other end of the building.


For a more detailed report of the shop changes which have taken place during the past summer, the reader is referred to Mr. Wheeler's discussion in another part of the school report.


180


TOWN OF NORWOOD


Most people seem to think that the building trades will jump ahead by leaps and bounds after the war, and whatever preparation we may be able to make now for this situation will be directly in line with post-war planning.


PART III Some Statistical Tables


The Henry O. Peabody School is not included unless specified


School began in September with a registration of 499 pupils (figure for October 1, 1943) or 96 less than were on the lists one year ago. These pupils were divided as follows on the basis of classes:


Table I Enrollment as of October 1, 1943


Class


No. of Pupils


Seniors


119


Juniors


171


Sophomores


209


Total


499


A comparison of these same figures as of October 1, 1942, will be in- teresting:


Table II Enrollment as of October 1, 1942 Town Report of 1942


No. of


Class


Pupils


Seniors


168


Juniors


200


Sophomores


228


Total


596


There are now 193 Seniors eligible for graduation in June, 1944, 119 of them appearing in Table I, 68 of them enrolled in the Peabody School and 11 Middle Juniors. This total amounts to 198 because 5 of the Middle Juniors are in the Peabody School and are thus counted twice. Some de- crease in the Sophomore enrollment will be noticed because of lesser registra- tions in the lower grades and the loss of some pupils who dropped out of school over the summer. Taken as a whole, our school population has not suffered the loss which has been apparent in some other towns.


Table III Prospects for September, 1944


Estimated Seniors 160


Juniors 208


Sophomores, J. H. S. 130


St. Catherine's 56


Total


554


181


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


After deducting the usual 6% percentage for loss over the summer, we arrive at the figure 521.


Since it is quite impossible to make any predictions regarding the number of these pupils who may transfer to the Peabody School between now and next September, no accurate estimate of the probable number who may be expected in this school for next fall can be made.


The Commercial Curriculum and the Peabody School


When the elective blanks were made out last spring, the fact was ex- plained to the Commercial Pupils who were then finishing their Junior Year that they would be expected to finish their work in the Senior Year in this curriculum in the Peabody School. The statement now also appears on our Program of Studies that the work of the Senior Year in the Commercial Curriculum must be done in the Peabody School.


It now becomes apparent that the Peabody School will be forced to use more selective methods regarding the pupils whom it accepts as the years go on, and it may well be that some of the work now being done in that school may revert to this building.


Table IV Enrollment by Sex


Class


Boys


Girls


Totals


Seniors


71


48


119


Juniors


81


90


171


Sophomores


108


101


209


Total


260


239


499


For the first time in the experience of the present writer of these reports, the total number of boys in our school exceeds the girls due, of course, to the loss in our enrollment caused by the Peabody School.


Table V Enrollment by Curricula In percentages


Class


College Preparatory


Com-


mercial General


Senior


47.9


12.6


39.4


Junior


36.8


19.3


43.8


Sophomore


41.6


35.8


22.5


Totals (Average)


42.1


22.5


35.2


If the above figures are compared with a similar table in the report of one year ago, it will be evident that there is a large increase in the number of pupils taking College Preparatory subjects and a corresponding decrease in the numbers enrolled in the Commercial and General Curricula.


-


182


TOWN OF NORWOOD


The loss to the Peabody School of many of our Commercial students has already been noted. The increase in the College subjects is easily ex- plained when we take into consideration the pressure being used by the Government on both boys and girls who are prospective trainees in some branch of the service.


In spite of the fact that no boy may now look forward to a College Education except on an accelerated basis and according to Government plan, nevertheless, these pupils are concentrating on College subjects.


The List of Pupils to whom the Lane Medal was given last June at graduation follows:


Ruth M. Marshall


Bernadette Kiander


Joseph E. Guillemette


Isabelle Truskauskis


Rita R. Riley


Kathleen A. Alty


Pota D. Lewis


Evelyn E. Carpenter -


Grace Sansone


Louise A. Costello


Mary T. Lynch


Naimi Mike


Natalie Watson


Patricia M. Nuttall


Vivian S. Marshall


Antonio J. Silvestri


Bertha M. Niemi


Theodore A. Curtin


Ann M. Yelapi


In the report of one year ago, there was a comprehensive report of the curriculum of the Peabody School during its first year of operation. As a matter of historical record, it seems wise to supplement this record with a complete list of the curriculum offerings of this High School, and such a list follows:


College Preparatory Curriculum


GRADE X


Required


Recitations


Points


English


5


5


Foreign Language - Latin, French, Spanish.


5


5


Math. II (Principally Plane Geometry)


5


5


Physical Education


2


1


*Health Education


1


1/2


Elective


Foreign Languages


5


5


Math. I (Principally Algebra) .


5


5


Biology


5


5


European History


5


5


Music Electives


1-5


1-5


Mechanical Drawing


3-5


112-4


Freehand Drawing and Art Appreciation


2-5


1-4


Home Economics Elective (Girls)


2


1


*Half-year subjects.


183


REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


GRADE XI


Required


Recitations


Points


English


5


5


Foreign Language - Latin, French, Spanish


5


5


Geometry II


3


3


Physical Education


2


1


American History and Government


5


5


Home Economics (Girls)


2


1


Elective


Foreign Language


5


5


+Algebra II


5


5


Chemistry (College)


5


5


Mechanical Drawing.


3-5


11/2-4


Freehand Drawing and Art Appreciation


2-5


1-4


Music Electives


1-5


1-5


Home Economics Elective (Girls)


2


1




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