USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wayland > Official reports of the town of Wayland 1908-1911 > Part 23
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148
Report of the School Committee
to parents, the tremendous, yes, absolutely essential value of a high school training for every boy and girl. Success in business and professional life is just as attainable today as ever, but we lose sight too often of the fact that the conditions of success are far more exacting than ever before. Hence better training is essen- tial. I do not maintain that our high schools have always given this; too often the contrary has been true. Nevertheless I assert that the right kind of a high school can give that training which will insure to every boy and girl a better chance than either would have without such training. Here then is the problem for parent, teacher and school committee, to equip and maintain the efficient public high school. If the problem is solved success- fully, the mere money expenditure is trivial compared with the returns on the investment.
The keynote of the modern school is education for efficiency. What are the essential conditions by means of which we can attain this high ideal? In the first place, there must be friendly co-operation between parents and the school. The organization of school work is such that pupils must devote the major part of their time and strength to it during the school term. Parents will do a great deal for the future happiness of their children it they will recognize this, and see to it that social affairs and other outside interests are reduced to a minimum at this time. During the school term, I repeat, the chief business of the high school boy and girl should be school work and its legitimate interests and activities. Enough has been written to indicate the spirit of the rules to govern the time of the student. The interested parent can readily devise rules to govern all specific cases. Our greatest need, then, is to under- stand each other and the conditions essential to the good work of the boys and girls in whom we all have such a vital interest.
It is a simple matter to devise rules for the daily adminis- tration of a school. It is a task for the wisest to administer these rules successfully. I would put above the entrance of every high school the motto, "Freedom within the law is liberty, but liberty without law is license." Rules must be few and to the
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point, and in all cases enforceable. School society is simply the larger social world written in small letters. The same qual- ities of leadership, honesty of purpose, purity of life and thought are essential in the school as in the world at large. These must all be developed not by strict martial law, but by the exercise of individual freedom and responsibility. It is true that many such lessons may be learned from books, but it is also true that a vast deal of such truth is to be obtained from other phases of school life. Every exercise, whether in the class-room, laboratory, lec- ture room, gymnasium or athletic field, or social meeting, should contribute its measure to the training of pupils in these funda- mental lessons. Rightly organized, all legitimate school activi- ties and interests do contribute their full share, and it is the aim of the present administration of this high school to develop all of these sources of training in every proper way.
I stated above that the problem of onr modern society is to equip and maintain the efficient public high school. The problem is much harder today than ever before because we have laid upon us a double burden. The modern high school must not only continue to exercise its original function of preparing for college, but it must also prepare for life itself. The time will never come when the public will cease to demand the former, and it already demands the latter with increasing emphasis. We need not dis- cuss the college preparatory side of the question more than to say that in our own high school the equipment and teaching force is now in a position, or will be shortly if present plans materialize as they should, to adequately solve this part of the problem. The Wayland High School is already on the accredited list for certificate admission to the Massachusetts Agricultural College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the State Normal Schools. There is danger in the certificate system. Most of it can be avoided, however, by the high school refusing to grant certificates in any given subject to a student who ranks below a certain standard in that subject. Reckoning on the customary basis of 100 per cent. the Wayland High School will not grant such certificates for less than 85 per cent. rank in any given subject.
150
Report of the Superintendent
One thing remains and that is to secure the certification of the N. E. College Entrance Certificate Board. This can be done as soon as two or more graduates of our school successfully pass the entrance examinations of one of the colleges represented on the Board. When any student, in the judgment of the principal, is prepared to take these examinations, he will so recommend. It must, however, be distinctly understood that any pupils not so prepared who are determined to try such examinations, do so at their own risk and without recommendation from this school to the college authorities.
We hear much today of vocational education. It seems to be a new thing, but in reality it is as old as humanity itself, and the shame of our modern civilization is that the ancients understood its value and adapted it to their needs far more successfully than we have thus far. We hear mnch too about the elimination of pupils from our high schools, especially boys. Your high school pupil preparing for college does not get rest- less and leave school because he has a purpose formed, and gets in the average high school the training which enables him to realize his ambition. The pupil who does not intend to go far- ther than the high school will, under normal conditions, remain to graduate if he feels that it is worth while, and can be assured that the administration of the school is planned for him as much as it is for the pupils preparing for college.
Recognizing these truths, it is my earnest purpose as prin- cipal of the Wayland High School to make the school course worth while to that large majority of its pupils who expect to complete their education there. It is sufficient to state this as a purpose at this time, and to say in concluding this topic of dis- cussion that plans are maturing and will be presented in due season for giving a more practical turn to the training of such pupils. As stated at the beginning of this report, if this expan- sion of our high school work costs more, it also brings greater returns, returns indeed out of all proportion to the expenditure involved.
Another reason for the elimination of pupils from the high
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Town of Wayland
school has been discouragement over failure to keep in class standing. These failures occur most in the first year, making that year the most critical one in the course. Such failures should and do in almost all schools decrease as the course ad- vances. The percentage of failure in our school for the fall term of 1910 was as follows ;- first year 14 per cent. ; second year 9 per cent. ; third year 3.2 per cent., and fourth year 0 per cent. This is a good showing for the average percentage of first year failures in our public schools is somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 per cent. Herein lies one of the many ad- vantages of the small school. Each pupil receives more in- dividual attention from the instructors, and thus, while the small school costs more per pupil, the results are more satisfac- tory. Especial attention has been paid and will continue to be paid to the better adaptation of pupils to their work, and to the elimination of wasteful and therefore unproductive work on the part of both teacher and pupil.
It has not been my intention to outline any changes made or contemplated, in this report. Rather has it been my desire to state some of the fundamental principles underlying the work of high school administration, leaving until another year any record of actual work accomplished, believing as I do that time and usage alone serve as the best interests of the worth of any schemes for improvement in the work of any organization. In concluding my report allow me to state that while fault finding is to be deprecated at all times, fair-minded criticism will always be welcomed, and the more complete knowledge the general pub- lic has of the high school and its methods, the more satisfied I shall be.
May I express to you the great delight I have taken thus far in work with the pupils, teachers, the committee and your- self. Such circumstances become the best assurance one can give for the future success of the high school and its pupils.
Respectfully submitted,
BRADLEY C. RODGERS.
152
Report of the Superintendent
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT
To the School Committee, Wayland Mass.
GENTLEMEN : - In accordance with your direction, the thir- teenth annual report since the formation of this District is here- with presented for your consideration, including the reports of your principals, special teachers, truant officers, school physician, and the usual statistical information.
This is the fourth month of my service in this District. As a result of my investigations to become aquainted with the work of your teachers and the condition of your schools, there is no hesitancy on my part to commend to you the work of your teachers and their professional standing, assuring you that in my belief they are untiring in their efforts to direct their skill and power into channels that shall militate toward the upbuilding of charac- ter, healthy bodies, and wholesome thinking minds in our chil- dren. The spirit of wholesome concientious interest and attention to school requirements on the part of the high school pupils is especially noteworthy at this time.
In all schools there are outbreaks of disorder and disaffections at times. The test of your teachers lies in the handling of these and in building so as to reduce them to a minimum.
On asking myself, " What ideals shall I keep before me and you and how can the administration of affairs be made more effect- ive ?" Certain conditions may be mentioned, one or two may well be somewhat elaborated.
Prin. Rodgers is lending every effort to build up strong courses in science. You have met in part this year the needs of this de- partment. I commend to you the plans formulated for next year and advise the purchasing of as much of the apparatus asked for as may be. The science work in our high schools is to-day a most important department.
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Town of Wayland
Parents should understand far better than at present that promotion without merit is not advancement for their children. A child may be promoted and not advanced in ability by the fol- lowing work ; instead of advancement there is more likely to be retrogression in memory power, confusion of ideas, uncertainty and worst of all a dislike for school and the laying of a foundation for idleness. We need the confidence of parents and their sym- pathetic co-operation that boys and girls may work in classes best suited to their needs without too great disappointment and injury of feelings. It has been my experience that where pupils are held back and the spirit is right at home there are no lacerated feelings and splendid advancement results.
The strengthening and enlarging of the scope of manual training should be ever before the framers of the educational pol- icy of this Town. It will be well if we may give the sixth grade boys of the Cochituate school Sloyd, or some equivalent. As soon as may be the Town should give the girls lessons in domestic science and extend somewhat the course now given in needle work.
It will be well to consider at some convenient time slight modification of the Commercial Course and also to consider in- creasing the number of diploma credits for graduation.
The water question at the Wayland building is better known to you than I shall be likely to know it for some time, as is the question of teachers' salaries. You need also to give some Itttle attention to the furnaces at Wayland Center before another win- ter. The need is well known in these three matters and it is unnecessary for me to say more than to repeat an old sentiment, "Frequent changes of teachers work to the deteriment of the schools, generally."
A red letter day for the Cochituate schools is at hand. The day the schools are transferred into the new building will be in- deed a memorable one for all connected therewith. The building gives great promise of meeting all expectations. The Town should be congratulated ; the Building Committee and all who have labored for this workshop, this school home for the teachers
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Report of the Superintendent
and children, are to be favored with greatfulness for the results of their efforts, now and in the years to come.
There is one more point in school administration to which your attention may well be directed. That there is a grade at the Wayland building that has no place without having the work of some one room disproportionate is no new fact. Just what to do with this grade or how to manage the school having the three necessary grades is no new problem. Possibly the points I may mention in regard to the solution of the difficulty may be old to you as well.
A very satisfactory arrangement in so far as the educational need is concerned would be the placing of the ninth grade pupils of the Town in the High School, employing another assistant there, and thus giving strength to the High School work in every way. But the conditions as to class rooms do not make this very feasible, if at all possible, and then there is the increase in ex- penses for another teacher.
With the opening of the Cochituate building another possible arrangement is at hand. The ninth grade pupils of the Town could be placed under the care of the Cochituate Master. There will be sufficient room, an excellent building, the hours can be arranged so as to eliminate the barge question, and the work can be so apportioned as not to burden any teacher or work to the disad- vantage of the children. The plan offers (1) relief at Wayland, (2) gives all pupils a year under the instruction of the male mind - thereby strengthening the preparation for high school and add- ing greatly to the needs of those not entering higher work (3) and makes mid-year promotions except to and in the High School quite possible.
I do not expect this feature of administration to meet with early approval, but it is worthy, in my opinion, of the careful study of the citizens, parents, and yourselves, even though it lead to the consideration of an annex to the Wayland building. This may yield not only aid to our graded schools but also yield a so- lution of the vexatious sanitary conditions and the water supply at this building.
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Town of Wayland
I should feel myself remiss if I should not report to you that the Manual Training Department yields aid to the other depart- ments through the developed handicraft. Window boards for ventilation have been constructed for all the Wayland rooms and the boys have placed shelves in the store room for physical ap- paratus. Some are also making useful articles for home use. The Commercial Department has also been given some practical work in filing and the girls have also done some work from dicta- tion beside other typewriting. The pupils gain thereby by practi- cal work and the Town is the gainer to some extent financially
Thanking you for your indulgence and helpfulness during the early weeks of my work with you and expressing my belief that the schools of Wayland should be second to none among towns of her size and wealth, I submit this report.
Respectfully,
FRANK H. BENEDICT
156
Public Schools
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE COCHITUATE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
To the Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit to you the annual report of the Cochituate Grammar School.
In addition to the regular school work during the spring term of 1910, an effort was made to interest the pupils in home gar- dens. Seeds in penny packets were obtained for each pupil or- dering them, and also some seeds from the United States, Depart- ment of Agriculture were distributed. During the fall term some results were shown, and prizes given for the best exhibits of flowers and vegetables.
Parents' Day was observed in April. Work in regular classes was shown, also an exhibition of some results in Sloyd, sewing, drawing and music.
The Middlesex County Convention was attended, but no visit- ing day has been taken during the past year.
There has been no change in the corps of teachers of this build- ing since the last report was made.
I can report at this time that the classes that have had the opportunity to work with the Scott and Southworth's "Lessons in English" are better fitted than those that studied the other books.
The arithmetic books have reached a point in wear which makes renewal on a large scale necessary. It seems to me worth considering the purchase of a different series of books. This recommendation is not made with the idea of displacing the Smith's Series,-which I think is generally satisfactory-but with the object of putting into the hands of the pupils additional, easily accessible material for drill.
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Town of Wayland
While some supplementary reading has been purchased dur- ing the last year, there is still a great need, especially in the upper grades. I think that the purchase of texts, in prose or poetry, by standard English or American authors would be of far greater value in arousing a love of good books than the read- ing of disconnected fragments from any book of selections. If an interest in works of value can be aroused, it will serve to check in a large measure, the influence of a class of reading which finds its way into the hands of our boys and girls.
The teachers are unanimous in the opinion that the purchase of copy books would be of great help in our work in penmanship. We trust that it is not too late to do so this year.
The problem of doing what is for the best interest of the pu- pil is a very difficult one. There is a movement under way at present toward separating the pupils in the grades who are to go to higher educational institutions from those who are to finish school at an earlier age. Particular attention is being given throughout the curriculum to the needs of the pupils in this latter class. This is a question which we ought to begin soon to meet in our grades in the town of Wayland.
I wish to commend to the careful consideration of the parents all the reports which are sent. It is our earnest desire to do all possible for the good of the pupils. In the higher grades home study is necessary to successfully accomplish the work of the year. In many cases a boy or girl might be saved from failure, if studying was regularly and conscientiously done at home.
In closing this report, I wish to express to the citizens of the town the appreciation of the teachers for all that has been done for the school, and to personally thank all for the support given during the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
MERITT JENKINS.
158
Public Schools
REPORT OF SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
To the Superintendent of Schools :
I herewith submit the following report as School Physician. A careful practical examination of all pupils in the Grammar Grades has been made, following the plan of the previous year. Any condition which required reporting to the parent or guard- ian has been made on the regular state blanks. The permanent card history with result of examination of each pupil has been continued.
The following conditions have been found during the annual examination
Total number of pupils examined . . 269
Diseases of oral cavity and respiratory tract :
Enlarged tonsils 21 .
Enlarged tonsils and adenoid growths
28
Adenoid growths .
2
Laryngitis
.
3
Skin Diseases :
Scalies
.
1
Pediculosis capitis
18
Miscellaneous Diseases :
Enlarged cervical lymph glands
3
Ear trouble . .
1
Eye strain
1
Granulated eyelids
2
Heart murmur
1
Headaches (frequent)
3
Anaemia
1
Coreous teeth
.
· 39
.
.
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Town of Wayland
This being my second year as School Physician, I am in better position to note the attention that has been made by the parent or guardian, of the defects reported on the cards. The results have been very satisfactory. About thirty conditions reported last year have received proper attention and are improved. I wish to thank the parents for such co-operation.
Respectfully submitted,
OSCAR A. DUDLEY, M. D. School Physician.
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
Mr. Frank H. Benedict, Superintendent :
Dear Sir :- Herewith is submitted the annual report of the Music.
In all the grades much attention has been given to the art of getting good tones. This work has been carried on successfully by the grade teachers.
In the first grade the teachers spend a great deal of time in teaching correct tones and instilling in the pupils a love of song. It has been proved that the rote song is the best method of reach- ing pupils who are otherwise musically indifferent.
Second and third grades have been doing a great deal of indi- vidual work. The pupils read very well for their grades and in most cases the tones are correct.
In the other grades the work has continued as heretofore. More time is given in all these grades to individual work and I find that the results in reading surpass that of other years.
The technical side of music is receiving closer attention this year and all the pupils have a good foundation in music.
The pupils in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades are making a study of the lives of some of the most noted musicians.
In the High School some work has been done in the study of
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Public Schools
Opera music. Selections from some of the operas have been played for the school and a study of the Librettos has been made.
In conclusion I wish to thank the teachers for their earnest work and the superintendent and school committee for their support.
Respectfully submitted, AGNES E. BOLAND.
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING AND MANUAL TRAINING
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Wayland :
Dear Sir :- I herewith submit my report concerning the work in drawing and manual training during the past year.
The drawing and manual training has been carried on much as usual with such changes as were thought advisable to increase the interest in the subject.
The early fall was devoted to nature study. The months of November and December were given to the study of design and handicraft, the children making a gift or booklet using some decoration pertinent to the season.
The children displayed great interest in the work and the re- sults were most pleasing.
January and February have been devoted to the study of perspective and still life drawing in the upper grades. The primary grades have devoted their time to constructing an Indian village of card board and decorating the canoes, etc., with Indian emblems.
In the manual training department quite a few useful objects have been made outside the regular courses of models. Several of the boys who have shown marked ability are working out problems in cabinet making very satisfactorily. Some models
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Town of Wayland
we have been able to decorate, the working, drawing and design being made in the school room and put in execution in the man- ual training room.
. The object has been to develop a better appreciation of form and good design combined with careful workmanship, and thus bring the drawing and manual training into closer relationship.
Thanking the Committee and yourself for your interest and support and also the teachers for their hearty co-operation in the work of the year I remain,
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM BROOKS HAZELTON.
REPORT OF TRUANT OFFICERS
To the Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit the following report of absences and truancy for the year beginning March 1, 1910 and ending March 1, 1911. Number of absences reported 11
Number of cases investigated .
11
Number of absences with legal excuse ·
4
Number of absences for miscellaneous reasons .
5
Number absent to work at home .
1
Number of truants .
1
. Number of visits to factories 1
Found working without certificate
.
0
Respectfully submitted,
H. G. DUDLEY, Truant Officer.
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Public Schools
GRAMMAR SCHOOL GRADUATION. WAYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS
TOWN HALL, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1910, AT 8 P. M.
PROGRAMME
1. INVOCATION
REV. E. T. CURNICK
2. CHORUS, "Praise Ye The Father"
SCHOOLS
3. ESSAY, "The March of a Century" MARJORIE EVELYN ELLMS
4. PIANO SOLO "Pierrot" ELEANOR BURR MARSTON
5. RECITATION, "The Father's Choice" MARY CARMELITA SUPPLE
6. CHORUS, "The Quietude of Night"
SCHOOLS
7. ESSAY, "Industrial Education" ROY WENTWORTH MOFFETT
8. RECITATION, "The Angels of Buena Vista" GRACE ELTA RANNEY
9. PIANO SOLO, "Tarentella" MARY EVELYN EGAN
10. ESSAY, "Historical Sketch of Wayland"
HELEN RICE DAMON
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