USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1942-1944 > Part 36
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There is now strong evidence in the belief that another long step forward in industrial education is certain to follow this great war. With the entire civilized world in dire need of machines, tools, clothing automobiles, rail- road equipment and almost every known product of industry, and with new wants which wartime inventions and developments are sure to create, there will be a great demand for trained industrial workers. Doubtlessly, this means a greater development of Vocational-Industrial Arts classes in the schools of this country.
Vocational Education
Expansion of this type of education is definitely on the way. We have set up a course of training for employment in a specific trade according to the needs of industry in this area.
The foundation for a cabinet making and carpentry course was laid last year. In organizing this course of training, new and modern types of machines had to be secured. This developed into a difficult situation be- cause of strict priority ratings for their purchase, but it was finally accom- plished.
At present we are handicapped in our training program by the fact that the machines secured have not been connected with electric power. For-
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tunately this difficulty seems to have been overcome and as soon as possible connections will be made.
Apparently the longer school day required of the vocational group has had a tendency to hold down enrollment, due in part to afternoon employ- ment of a good many of our youth, who would otherwise grasp the oppor- tunity for learning a trade.
Changes and Reorganization
Anticipating the actual beginning of a boys' vocational school, space ade- quate enough to accommodate and effectively meet the needs and require- ments necessary had to be considered. One important consideration was the removal of the retaining wall that separated the shop from the mechani- cal drawing room, to form a space ideally and sufficiently large enough to meet every requirement.
During the summer, the wall was removed and with the opening of school in the fall, under the leadership of Mr. Lewie Lugton, vocational instructor, a modern cabinet type tool room, a finishing room and lumber rack cap- able of holding many thousand feet of material, were planned and con- structed. The entire work was done by boys in the vocational division.
The enlargement of the shop room made it necessary to relocate the mechanical drawing room. By shifting the freehand drawing room to the main building of the school, and placing mechanical drawing over the room in the wing, a grouping of industrial arts classes was maintained.
The transition was made, and while it has been crowded because classes became abnormally large, the work has proceeded favorably. In the near future much more space must be made available in order to accommodate our students who will need additional room for movement about in order not to hamper them in their efforts for basic technical skills.
Junior High School Industrial Arts
With the removal and transfer of our machine shop equipment, together with that of our sheet metal unit, from the senior high, to be combined with the equipment of our junior high, a more comprehensive and broadened program of industrial arts training was outlined.
The consolidation of these units of work called for a larger space, and a room that would give better lighting than the present room afforded. Ac- cordingly the old Home Economics kitchen was taken over. Organization of the work has proceeded slowly, due primarily to our inability to secure essential materials.
With the equipment placed in an advantageous position, we now await the electric power to run them. Priorities have again delayed the full use of a program that eventually will be set up to satisfy the Pre-induction requirements of the armed services.
Graphics Class for Girls
Because the present conditions have opened many opportunities for our young women to take the places of men both in industry and in the armed
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forces of the country, a group of girls have entered the mechnical drawing classes. Their main objective is that the knowledge gained will help them after graduation in positions now being opened to girls with some mechani- cal ability and technical skills necessary in engineering offices.
Visual Aids and Motion Pictures
Vocational-Industrial Arts education in the future will lean heavily on visual education. The reasons are many. The spectacular technics of teaching developed in the armed forces through the use of pictures will un- doubtedly become a carry-over into our post-war education.
Many of the film strips, films, and motion pictures produced by the Army and Navy will be extremely useful for non-military technical education purposes.
At the present time we have not the proper equipment to meet this important phase of education, but with a sound-projector, when they become available again, we would be able to offer an extensive and highly educative programı.
Conclusion
In closing this report it is with sincere appreciation that I wish to express my gratitude to all those who so graciously cooperated with me in promot- ing the work of the department.
CLIFFORD H. WHEELER.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ART
I herewith submit my annual report of the Art Department for the year ending December 31, 1943.
During the past year we have continued our efforts to help maintain the mental health of our pupils by giving them many opportunities for self- expression, as well as by leading them to assist in the many difficult war- time adjustments that the community and its children must make.
In spite of the children's enthusiasm and eagerness to help win the war in every possible way, we feel that we must not overemphasize war and war production so that the real meaning of beauty shall be lost, since today's students will enjoy the results of the war effort in the peace of the future. "Art is an avenue to wholesome pleasure, self-expression, emotional and spiritual development and recreation. Child art proves to be an excellent outlet for the emotional strain our younger generation has to undergo in experiencing this war."
Elementary Level
In an effort to have our pupils gain a wider and more friendly view of other people in the world among our allies, particularly Russia, China, Mexico and the South American countries, many lessons illustrated their way of living, their flags, their characteristic designs and color schemes.
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As every year, posters along various patriotic lines, as well as those emphasizing health, kindness to animals, school activities, et cetera, were an interesting part of our program. The making of posters has a subjective value, which refers more to the poster-maker himself than it does to the poster product. Posters are made in school to promote ideals and attitudes and in doing this, to develop character and improve personality in the student, as well as to promote ideals and attitudes in those who will later see the posters displayed.
Much of our free, creative expression has illustrated such subjects as "What my family or school or town has done to help win the war," "My Victory garden as it really looked," or decorative plans for Victory gardens; also it has included the drawing of flags of our allies and of flowers and vegetables actually grown at home and brought to school.
A number of group projects of several weeks' duration were a mural made by Grade Five boys showing airplanes, tanks and destroyers; a Third Grade mural showing activities at home and overseas in connection with the Red Cross; a world map of cut paper decorated with symbols suggestive of Red Cross services everywhere; models constructed by a Fourth Grade of cardboard, cloth and other materials, representing people at work in Nor- wood's war industries, hospital, Red Cross unit at the Municipal Building, and so on; a Sixth Grade composite Victory mural of allied flags, patriotic symbols, airplanes, jeeps and tanks.
Many of our activities were in connection with the Junior Red Cross, such as small picture booklets for the Buddies' Hut in Boston, for fathers in the service to send home in letters to their small children; small cloth and cardboard toys and booklets to send in Christmas boxes to children of other lands; 500 ice cream decorations and 250 standing hospital tray favors to be sent to service men in England at Christmas; thirty favors for holding candy, to be used in the children's ward in our local hospital.
However, not all of our projects had reference to the war, as many were related to other school subjects, the holidays and seasons. Some of the outstanding ones included murals in First and Second Grades showing farm life, an imaginary town, children's ideas of Spring and Fairyland, a frieze of Christmas toys; in a Third Grade, a cloth wall hanging of Christmas toys and symbols; and a corridor bulletin board representation of the first Christmas, with wise men, shepherds and Bethlehem, composed by groups from three Fifth and Sixth Grade rooms. In several schools large Christmas symbols, snow scenes or snow-men, birds or designs have been painted on schoolroom windows, while blackboards and hall windows have been decorated with chalk drawings at other times.
Junior High Level
With the general aim of true self-expression and in order to become fam- iliar with color, composition and the possibilities and limitations of the various art mediums, all Junior High pupils constructed very original art portfolios. Accent was placed upon use of medium, cover design, folio arrangement, page layouts and the originality in the individual illustrations. From time to time related problems were introduced to supplement the
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regular class work, as well as lectures on color, design and three dimen- sional form, with many free discussions and class criticisms of finished work displayed in the Art Room. One of these related problems was the making of display and advertising posters, using all kinds of informal and unusual mediums as suggested by each pupil's ingenuity, such as yarn, cut paper, string, felt, cloth, beads, fur, cotton and cellophane.
In connection with the war effort, the activities were many and varied. Some of these were the making of individual plans and group models of dim-out rooms; original decorative maps of Norwood or any Massachusetts area, suggesting defense industries, airfields, et cetera; twelve large posters, combining colored paper and brush and ink technique, which were used in a "Buy War Bonds and Stamps" assembly; large black and white charts showing details of allied and enemy planes, which could be used by airplane spotters; many large imaginative war illustrations, worked out in chalk, tempera or water color paint, as the pupils desired; costume designs for wartime living, suitable for factory or garden wear; working drawings and designs showing how paper and cardboard could be used for war packaging to eliminate all kinds of metal containers; many Victory garden posters and a large group mural in chalk of a farm scene with Victory gardens.
Other activities for the benefit of the whole school were cover designs and block and line cuts for the school paper, The Junior Narrator; the mak- ing by Eighth Grades of Christmas pictures and posters for the bulletin boards in all corridors, as well as decorations in blue and silver by Grade Nine pupils for the Art Room; background and scenery for the play, "A Star for a Day," and also for the Christmas play, "The Shepherd that stayed behind"; and the decorating of the gymnasium for various class parties, using many original and colorful ideas.
Senior High Level
In September the Art Department gave up its specially planned Art Room, with its skylight and many bulletin boards for exhibition, in order to allow room for expansion of the Manual Training room on the floor below the Mechanical Drawing classes now using the Art Room. However, the transfer to a more crowded room with no sunshine and little chance for dis- play of finished projects has not seemed to affect the quality of the work or the enthusiasm of the pupils.
The annual call for posters for many public groups, as well as for the various school affairs, included those for the Senior Play, Junior and Senior Proms, the Lions' Club Barn Dance and the Norwood Hospital's plea for girls to train for nurses. Prizes were awarded by the Hospital for these. They were on exhibition at the Hospital and later in the Red Cross display window.
Other projects were the making and printing by each pupil of a block- printed Christmas card; large panels and Christmas murals for the school walls; original illustrations of poems read to the class; also of current events from headlines in the newspapers; pen and ink and pencil sketches adapted from photographs; imaginary airplane view compositions; also what might be seen if pupils landed in some foreign country from an airplane; the design-
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·
ing of book-jackets in connection with their English study; and figure draw- ing in action and from the model.
As at other school levels, several projects were devoted to war activities and the Red Cross effort, as 125 menu covers with Christmas designs to be used in hospitals for disabled soldiers; 36 Red Cross flags on unbleached muslin for the Norwood Motor Corps; large original war compositions by each pupil painted very freely in tempera color; four large group murals to fit the display bulletins and blackboard in the Art Room, depicting war activities in industrial life, on the home front, in the U. S. O. and in the school. The war paintings were borrowed by the Massachusetts School of Art and shown in schools in several towns and cities while one of the murals was shown at the same school in their annual June exhibition.
Conclusion
Whether indulging in pure fantasy, expressing himself in crayon or paint for amusement or delight, or applying himself to real practicalities; whether thinking in the abstract or designing with logic and reason, the student finds within himself the need to be creative. We strive to place him in that situa- tion where he can best fulfill this need and to provide him with the skill, knowledge and confidence necessary to develop his own ideas.
Once again we of the Art Department wish to express our sincere appre- ciation of the helpfulness and cooperation shown by all with whom we come in contact.
HELEN L. ARNOLD).
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
I herewith submit the report of the Music Department for the year end- ing December 31, 1943.
Music is a Prime Builder of morale and therefore an important factor in our war effort. That our army realizes fully the value of music is evident by its tireless effort to organize musical groups of all kinds.
Countless opportunities are given the members of our armed forces to participate in some musical activities.
The activities range from the small swing band to the full symphony orchestra and from the spontaneous song fest of a few to the large well- trained chorus. Many of our former students now belong to some of these organizations and are putting to good use their musical training.
Elementary Schools
In several schools worn-out and out-of-print music readers have been replaced by a new series. This was accomplished without impairing the presentation of the basic principles of music reading without which no real progress can be made.
Instruction in Rhythm Band is now given to all first, second and third grade pupils. From the third grade on, the pupils may join anyone of the
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REPORT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
many classes in instrumental music now offered in the schools. So far the enrollment in the elementary instrumental classes is as follows:
Trumpets 21
Clarinets
10
Violins 20
Melody flutes 96
Other instruments
57
Junior High School
In the Junior High School great progress has been made in instrumental music.
As I have already mentioned in a previous report, it is regrettable that the vocal classes can only meet once a week. To offset this condition, I would recommend the forming of an eighth-grade chorus and of a ninth-grade chorus. These choruses would be elective-selective and meet twice a week. This does not seem excessive considering the fact that music is one of the few subjects that is enjoyed and used long after the lessons learned from the more traditional subjects have been forgotten.
Senior High School
While many students would like to elect a second and third year course in Music, a rather large percentage find it impossible to do so owing to the number of required subjects. As I have recommended before, I believe that High School students -at least the members of the Senior Class-should be permitted to choose her or his subject in case of conflict.
Peabody School
Thirty-two students from the Peabody School are now taking one period of voice training a week. They made their first public appearance last December and were very well received. Plans are now under way for a course of music for that school.
Conclusion
I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the cooperation of all who have aided in the work of this Department.
JOHN V. DETHIER.
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TOWN OF NORWOOD
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
I herewith submit the report of the Physical Education Department for the year ending December 31, 1943.
A determination that our military services and our peacetime efficiency shall not again be handicapped by widespread physical weakness is indi- cated in the Government's recent response to the overwhelming opinion of an aroused public. The President's appointment of a Commission to re- study the whole field of sports and exercise is a promising sign of our proper recognition of the importance of this element of our national life.
Though events of the past two years have demonstrated that it is not possible to build up over night a nation of strong, rugged, vigorous people, the progress made by the armed services in this direction have been phe- nomenal.
In the armed forces today, for example, great strides have been made in physical conditioning through the use of a vigorous but decentralized program.
As I indicated in my report of last year that the pupils of our schools must possess greater organic vigor, muscular and nervous strength, en- durance and agility, I still think we need all these conditions and to go further into the fitness of the humane machine I would include:
1. Freedom from disease.
2. Sufficient strength to do easily the heaviest tasks that may be en- countered.
3. Sufficient muscular endurance that will carry a student, without fatigue, through a strenuous day.
4. Sufficient heart endurance to meet requirements of military program and standards.
5. Sufficient speed, agility, co-ordination and flexibility to assure effi- cient handling of oneself in tactical operations.
Elementary Grades
I feel we are greatly handicapped by not having a Physical Education Instructor in the Elementary Schools. There is, especially at this time, a great need for a trained physical education teacher in the lives of children of this age in regard to their posture and minor physical defects.
Junior High School
The Physical Education program in the Junior High School was carried on as in former years. Individual attention was given during class and home room periods, and after school time, to posture. As in former years, we have always advised pupils to carry on the exercises given, in regard to their posture defects, at home.
For the girls, various tournaments were held in volley ball, badminton and basketball. Tennis, now in the second year, is very popular. Danc- ing has been taught, not only in club period, but also in regular class peri-
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ods. This program consists of folk dances of various lands, modern and social dancing.
For boys, both a basketball and baseball schedule was carried on with outside teams. An inter-class basketball, baseball and soccer program was arranged to include all boys who did not play on the Junior High School team. An Athletic Dancing class was held on Friday afternoon during the regular club period as in former years.
Senior High School
We are now going into another age of the development of the pupil. The program here centers around exercises, apparatus, organized games, and after-school activities. With the cooperation of the school physicians, den- tist, and nurses, all pupils are given a thorough examination, with the thought in mind of finding out the efficiencies or deficiencies that have developed.
Classes in Health are given to the Sophomore Class, in which lectures are given on the subjects of the muscular growth of the body and the value of good posture. Hygiene Classes are held once a week, for both girls and boys, throughout the school year for the Senior Class. In these classes, subjects such as first aid, posture, muscular development, health rules, and general care of the body, are taught.
Through the cooperation of the Industrial Arts and Public Works De- partments we were able to give the boys an obstacle course which was laid out to the specifications required for the men in the armed forces.
Athletics
Although handicapped by lack of transportation, we were, through the kindness of parents and citizens, able to conduct an athletic program that gave all pupils an opportunity to participate in the type of sport in which they were most interested. With this thought in mind, we have attempted to include in our athletic program, such sports as girls' tennis, boys' tennis, girls' basketball, boys' basketball, hockey, boys' golf, horse shoe pitching, track, softball, baseball and football.
Conclusion
May I take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to all members of the School Department for their fine cooperation with this department.
H. BENNETT MURRAY.
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TOWN OF NORWOOD
REPORT OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
We herewith submit the report of the School Health Service for the school year of 1943:
Physical Examinations
During the year all children in the schools were given a physical examina- tion by Dr. George R. Allen and Dr. Harriet Rogers, school physicians. Notices of defects have been sent to parents, who were advised to consult their family physicians for treatment, or for referral to such a clinic as the attending physician deemed necessary.
Dental Examinations
All children in grades I-XII have been given a dental examination by Dr. Timothy J. Curtin, school dentist. Parents were notified and urged to se- cure dental care for their children.
Norwood is particularly fortunate in having a full-time dental clinic. With such resources it should be expected that every child should receive dental care.
Mental Examinations
Four children from the various grades in the elementary schools, who had difficulty in their school work, were given special examinations by Dr. Velma H. Atkinson. Recommendations have been made for these children in an effort to help them derive as much as is possible from their school work. Home visits, as recommended, have been made, and the remedial physical defects cared for.
Communicable Disease Control
Common cold, sore throat, grippe, and mild influenza have been very prevalent during the fall term. Because of these complaints the absentee list was high during December; however this condition was not peculiar to Norwood alone.
During the fall there were sporadic cases of poliomyelitis and scarlet fever, several cases of whooping cough, and a few cases of chicken pox.
Parents are urged to keep ill children away from others, to consult their physicians, and to report communicable disease to the school at once. This cooperation would aid in the control of communicable disease, for it is then possible to check all contacts, so that exclusion can be made of those children, who show symptoms of infection.
Diphtheria Immunization Clinic
Toxoid inoculations, followed by Schick tests, were given to pre-school children, and to children in grades I-III.
Audiometer Tests
During the fall term audiometer tests were given to all children in grades III-XII. At the present time the audiometer is the most accurate device for the testing of hearing of school children. Children who have a hearing loss of 9 or more units are given a second test in order to be sure that mis-
.
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understanding is not the cause of failure. After a second test notices are sent to the parents of children whose hearing loss is 9 or more units. Occa- sionally this loss is due to wax accumulation or to sinus infection. Chil- dren who have nerve or congenital deafness are enrolled in the lip-reading classes, which are taught by Mrs. Elizabeth M. Bishop. Twenty-three children are enrolled in this year's classes.
Eye Clinic
During the past year the eye clinic has been conducted by Dr. Hugo B. C. Riemer.
This year the Massachusetts Vision Test is being introduced into the Norwood school system. This test is considered to be superior to the Snellen test in that the child is tested not only for visual acuity, but also for muscle imbalance, and for latent hypermetropia.
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