USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wayland > Official reports of the town of Wayland 1954-1956 > Part 14
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Reporting
From the study of reporting practices that continued through the year, a new uniform method of reporting for all elementary schools has been evolved. Parents will be kept informed of their children's school progress by means of report cards and parent-teacher conferences.
Experience indicates that nothing can substitute for the friendly informal parent-teacher conferences which are regarded as the core of the reporting process. A minimum of two conferences are held each year. The first conference is scheduled in the early part of the school year in order that information may be obtained from the parent to help the teacher to better plan an individual program for the child. The second conference, held in March, permits the teacher to report fully concerning academic progress and personal achievement to the parent. Unscheduled reporting takes place as the need arises by additional conferences, letters, home visits, progress reports and school visits by the parent.
The new report card is designed to give a picture of the child's progress as compared to the progress of children in the same grade throughout the country.
There are different cards for the two levels of the elementary school : a primary report card for the first, second, and third grades, and
205
an intermediate card for the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. These report cards are considered as information being exchanged between the school and home. For this reason they are mailed directly to the home. Parents have been requested to return them to the school in the same manner.
The reporting system will be evaluated near the end of the year to see if further clarifications can be made.
Testing
Three types of tests are used in the testing program of the Wayland elementary schools.
a. Intelligence tests give the school an estimate of the child's potential ability. Individual tests are given to every child who enters the first grade. In the third and the sixth grades intelli- gence tests are given on a group basis.
b. Psychological tests of various kinds are given to those individual children for whom a need for additional, specialized information is required to better study their school needs.
c. Achievement tests are given annually to all children above the first grade. These tests measure what the individual child has achieved as compared to other children in the same grade throughout the country. Achievement tests are administered in the early fall so that the teachers may use the results in pro- gram planning.
A DAY IN A WAYLAND THIRD GRADE (as a third-grader might experience it)
Note: The best way to appreciate the kind of learning experience enjoyed by elementary school pupils is to visit the school. Since this is not feasible for many interested persons, this illustrative story is being included. I suspect that this particular day was more than twenty-four hours long.
My name is Jimmy. I'm eight years old and I'm in the third grade. This is my story of what I did today at school.
The first thing I did when I got to my classroom this morning was to see if Jingo, the salamander in our terrarium, was O.K. Jingo was O.K. I could tell by the way he wiggled in my hand when I fed him. Then I helped Susan label a rock she brought for our science collection. My teacher told us it was quartz.
I felt more like doing a puzzle than reading one of the library books on our library table. I just got the last piece in when school started with opening exercises. After the prayer and the flag salute we sang the Star-Spangled Banner. When we held health inspection everyone in my group had clean hands and had remembered to brush his teeth, comb his hair, and bring a hankie.
Since today was Monday we chose new helpers for the week. Joey got the job of counting the number of hot lunches and milk. I'm messenger this week so I took the lunch slip to the cafeteria and the attendance slip to the nurse. Margie was sick last Friday so I saw her in the nurses' office with a thermometer in her mouth to see if she was all right to come back to the room.
When I got back to our room, the rest of the class was already having news. It's fun to listen to everybody's news about what has happened to them since the day before.
206
After news period, our teacher gave us 'directions for our work. Some of us were dividing words into syllables and marking the long or short vowel sounds. I was good at arranging words in alphabetical order and drawing pictures to show the meaning of each word.
While we were working, each group had a reading class with the teacher in turn. The children who finished work early read library books, played word games with the flash cards, or painted at the easel.
After reading was all over we had spelling. We had nine words today. Some of them were pretty hard at first but we found little words that we already knew inside some of the big ones. We could sound out all the letters in other words. On Friday we will have a test on all the words that we learn this week.
After spelling it was 10.30 so we had milk and crackers. At recess time we played "call my number" and "dodge ball"
When we got back inside, we started arithmetic. My group is working on subtraction with changing numbers. First one group does a paper while the teacher works with the other group. Then we do just the opposite.
We had a little time before lunch so we practiced writing the letters of the alphabet. You see, we're learning to write instead of print. Pretty soon we'll be writing everything.
Billy and Carol were host and hostess at my lunch table. When our manners got rough they reminded us to use good manners.
Today in our rest time after lunch our teacher read us a story about the Lapp children who take care of the reindeer herds.
Then we had our social studies. We're just finishing up our unit on food. Besides learning all about different kinds of food and why they are good for us, we learned all about serving food, setting the table correctly, and eating with good manners. We learned how to choose foods from a menu when we eat out. We took two trips. One was to a fair in Framingham where we saw many animals that give us food and exhibits of bees and maple syrup products. The other trip was to a bakery in Boston where we saw how bread was made from mixing the dough to putting the loaves into the delivery trucks.
It was snowing hard outside the window so we all watched it and we thought about it. Of course we know what snow really is from our science class but our teacher told us to use our imagination and think what the snow looked like to us.
Janice said that it looked to her as if Mother Nature were having a shampoo and all the suds were spilling over. John thought it looked like someone was shaking soap powder into a giant washing machine. Linda said maybe the angels had been cleaning house and they were all shaking their dust mops.
After we finished writing about the snow, we went to sing with the other third grade. The teachers let us record our songs on a tape recorder. We were surprised at the way we sounded.
Sometimes we dance, too. Other days we have art and twice a week we go to gym. But today we just couldn't squeeze in another thing. It seemed we were just started in the day before we were saying goodbye and getting on the bus.
JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
In September 1954, the high school building again housed grades seven through twelve only. With rooms formerly occupied by the fifth
207
and sixth grades available, a better room assignment schedule for high school classes became possible. More classrooms are now being developed for the teaching of specific subject areas which facilitates the use of resource materials.
The total enrollment of 459 pupils is above the projected figure. As enrollment increases refinements in instructional grouping, improve- ments in equipment, a wider selection of courses, and additional services to pupils can be continued on an economically sound basis.
Junior High Program
The junior-high program includes four sections at the seventh grade level and three sections at the eighth which is an increase of one seventh grade section. The organization of classes is essentially the same as last year but instruction has been strengthened through broadening the base in terms of materials and personnel and the development of special pro- grams to better meet the needs of individuals.
It has become apparent that some pupils who are academically retarded in some of the departmentalized areas, need a different kind of help than that which is available in a regular classroom group. The students selected for this junior division program have been receiving special instruction in the subjects diagnosed as weak and have continued in regular classes where they have had success. This program adds considerable flexibility to promotional practices between the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. The program is young but already two students have been able to rejoin the regular classes after having corrected their deficiencies.
The practical arts curriculum for slow learners has drawn its pupils from the upper elementary and junior high grades. The instructional day is divided generally into a group of experiences aimed at teaching the basic skills, and a session devoted chiefly to arts and crafts. The day's work is further varied by individually scheduling pupils with homeroom groups, physical education groups, and appropriate classes from the general education program of the school.
The junior-high program has been expanded to include Latin for certain eighth graders. This step is only part of a larger study intended to identify different kinds of abilities and purposes and to plan pro- grams which will offer additional challenge.
As part of the Junior-high program there are several sponsored co-curricular groups including : student council, junior highlights, sports club, intramural teams, and chorus. Practically every student parti- cipates in at least one of these groups.
With the junior-high program providing for different kinds of instructional groups, it is the feeling of the staff that a higher achieve- ment is being accomplished in all instructional areas.
Senior High Program
The senior-high school program, grades nine through twelve, con- tinues to offer an opportunity for students to elect courses in general education, college preparation, and business education. New courses added this year are Latin III, High School Art II, and Music Apprecia-
208
tion for sophomores. Developments begun last year have been continued. The library has continued to add resource materials in keeping with the reference needs of classes. It appears that the library should become a full time operation next year. The emphasis on laboratory work is shown in Biology and Physics. Both courses are doing the prescribed experi- ments from the College Entrance Book Company Manual. The manual arts department has added units in home mechanics, sheet metal, and welding. The business department has continued to improve its equip- ment. The machine room now has a sink, the bookkeeping room is in the process of adding twelve new units of furniture, and the schedule of replacement of typewriters has reached the point where no aged machines need to be used. There are typewriters to accommodate a class of twenty- five students.
Several of the courses of study have been revised and a new one has been written for Orientation. Each teacher is keeping a log of learning experiences for each class to form a basis for integration among sections and an over-all study of the curriculum in action.
The evaluation of student progress is another important aspect of this year's work. Grades are now reported on a five letter scale: A B C D F. It is believed that a more realistic appraisal of student progress is being made. The staff and students are studying the concept of school citizenship in an effort to clarify the reporting in this area. The total evaluation process has been balanced somewhat by the scheduling of two-hour examinations in the basic academic subjects. These are planned for January and May. The examinations are teacher- made and have been the subject of several faculty meetings as well as individual work. The examinations are intended to help students sum up and reinforce what they have learned and also to help them become more test conscious. The results constitute only one of several kinds of measures of pupil progress.
Driver education continues to be an important subject for young people approaching their sixteenth birthday. Insurance companies now recognize the value of driver education in high schools through a reduc- tion in rates for those who have successfully completed the classroom and behind-the-wheel requirements.
Some additional student services are now available. A student may take out an accident insurance policy with the National Casualty Insur- ance Company. The current cost is one dollar for the school year. The guidance function of the school has been expanded to include part-time work of Mr. Lewis Oxford. Mrs. Mildred Reynolds, speech therapist, is beginning her work at the high school level and is at the high school building on Fridays.
Permanent Records
Improvements in administrative record keeping have been underway for about a year. A Post Index permanent record form has been developed at both the high school and elementary levels with the unique feature of having the elementary form filed with the high school form when the child enters junior high school. It is believed that this articula- tion of records will contribute greatly to the understanding of pupils entering the seventh grade from the various elementary schools.
209
Follow-up Study of Wayland High School Graduates
This year a follow-up study of Wayland High School graduates was conducted by a joint parent-teacher committee. Questionnaires were sent to all 1941 to 1952 graduates who continued their education and to the schools and colleges in which they enrolled. The purpose of the study was to help in evaluating the preparation of Wayland students for success in institutions of high learning. Some of the significant results of the study are reported here.
ยท Schools and colleges attended by Wayland graduates include: Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, State Teacher's College, Tufts, Brown University, Worcester Polytech Institute, Radcliffe, Boston Conservatory of Music, Michigan State, Georgetown University, University of Massachusetts, University of Vermont, Boston College, Rhode Island School of Design, Bowdoin, Colby, Bentley School of Accounting, Vesper George School of Art, Regis, University of Montana, Colorado A and M, U. S. Coast Guard Academy, George Washington University, and many others.
The schools and colleges where Wayland graduates are enrolled report that nearly half of our graduates were in the upper half of their classes in scholastic achievement. These institutions reported that the majority of our graduates are performing up to their potential ability and that two-thirds of them have made an adequate or better than ade- quate adjustment.
A majority of the graduates themselves replied that they have found that the Wayland High School program prepared them adequately for further education and for citizenship. Among the suggestions that the graduates made for strengthening the High School program were the following :
1. Better parent support which would help student attitudes while in school.
2. More counseling of students about their abilities and interests. (This is now an organized part of the school program.)
3. More study of vocations. (A year-long program of occupa- tional information with the cooperation of Northeastern Uni- versity is now in operation.)
4. More laboratory science. (Both Biology and Chemistry have extended laboratory periods now along with Physics and Gen- eral Science.)
5. Some provision in the curriculum for sex education and instruc- tion relative to marriage and family relations.
From the suggestions and criticisms made it can be seen that some inadequacies have existed in the High School program and that in the areas where suggestions were made advancement has been going on steadily over the years.
Community Agencies
The cooperation of community agencies with the school continues to be most, gratifying. Appreciative mention is given to the Wayland Junior-Senior High School Parent Teachers Association, the Wayland Women's Club, the Cochituate Mother's Club, and the Wayland Kiwanis
210
Club for their individually sponsored scholarships, the Wayland Kiwanis Club for the Hallowe'en Party and the service to underprivileged children, the Wayland Athletic Association for sponsorship of the athletic banquet and jacket awards, the Town Library for cooperating with the school library development, the American Legion for the work with the Oratorical contest, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for the encourage- ment of wholesome competition in football between Wayland and Weston, the Junior Town House for the financial encouragement in program enrichment, the Wayland League of Woman Voters for including high school students in the study of recreational facilities, the Daughters of the American Revolution for their Good Citizenship Award, and the American Legion Women's Auxiliary for their Social Studies Award.
Awards and Scholarships
Sandra Elizabeth Weaver and Jane Denise Cahill received the Way- land Woman's Club Scholarships. The Cochituate Mother's Club Scholar- ship was awarded to Susan Charlotte Dusseault and the Kiwanis Club Scholarship was granted to Richard Leon Haynes. The Wayland Junior- Senior High School Parent-Teacher Association presented scholarships to Susan Charlotte Dusseault and Edith Louise Bamforth. Susan Charlotte Dusseault received the Good Citizenship Award and Eugene K. Rum- pel, Jr. was presented with the Charles H. Alward Social Studies Award. The Bausch and Lomb Science Award went to John Edmond Sullivan, and Edith Louise Bamforth was awarded the Business Scholarship Key.
CLASS OF 1954 OFFICERS
President, Eugene K. Rumpel, Jr.
Secretary, Mary Ellen DePaolo
Vice-President, Theodore Anthony Lenda
Treasurer, Jane Denise Cahill
GRADUATES
Edith Louise Bamforth
Theodore Anthony Lenda
David John Blease
Carol Elizabeth Lloyd
Jane Denise Cahill
Patricia R. McKnight
Joan Ellen Cahill
Bertram F. Mclellan
Lillian E. Cookson
James Richard Mclellan
Claire Joan Dahlen
Barbara Ann Munsey
Mary Ellen DePaolo
Elizabeth Marie Nichols
Mary Jane Devine
John Eliot Nichols
Susan Charlotte Dusseault
Edward Charles Osmond, Jr.
James M. Eden
Richard Gordon Parker
Roger Quimby Elliott
Shirle Jaye Patterson Audrey Mae Phylis
Marion Elizabeth Hall
Marilyn Dawe Harnett
Ruth Gertrude Potvin
Richard Leon Haynes Janet Keith
Jean Porter Richardson Marilyn Jean Riley Mary Joan Riley Paul Robert Rodier
David W. Lamont
Charles Thomas Laughlin
Jean V. Romikitis
Velma Patricia Lawrence Evelyn A. LeBlanc
Eugene K. Rumpel, Jr.
George W. Shepard
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Ettrick A. Lacey, Jr.
John F. Slade Stanley Gerald Spencer, Jr. Eileen Ann Sprusansky John Edmond Sullivan Louise Taylor
Maxine Anne Thomas Barbara Louise Vacaro David Paul Wade Susan A. Wales Elizabeth Jane Wallace
Sandra Elizabeth Weaver
COMMENCEMENT SYMPOSIUM
WE FACE THE FUTURE
Preserving Our American Way of Life Jane Cahill Democracy's Challenge to Youth George Shepard
Cooperation or Destruction Joan Cahill
Our America Sandra Weaver
HEALTH SERVICES
Mrs. Mary McNeil, School and District Nurse, provides the nursing services in the schools. Marian Howes, District Nurse, has assisted in this work beginning in September.
With the anticipated opening of the Parmenter Clinic early in 1955 we are looking forward to an opportunity to improve the school health program.
Dr. David R. Corey was school physician until June with Dr. Ernest H. Damon, Jr. assuming this responsibility in September. Dr. Joseph P. Fournier has continued his work in the dental clinic.
ATTENDANCE SERVICE
During the year 16 cases of questionable absence were investigated by David J. Allen, Attendance Officer. He also provided assistance in 116 cases of illness and 12 cases of temporary suspension.
Respectfully submitted,
REXFORD S. SOUDER, Superintendent of Schools.
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INDEX
Animal Inspector, Report of 173
Board of Assessors, Report of the 93
Board of Fire Engineers, Report of the 182
Location of Fire Alarm Boxes 185
Board of Health, Report of the 174
Board of Public Welfare, Report of the
192
Statistical Report 193
Board of Selectmen, Report of the 41
Building Inspector, Report of 187
Cemetery Commissioners, Report of the 170
Chief of Police, Report of 194
Civil Defense Director, Report of
179
Commissioners of Trust Funds, Report of
171
District Nurse, Report of the 174
Finance Committee, Report of the
23
Budget for 1955 26
Inspector of Plumbing, Report of 181
Jury List - 1954
112
Moth Superintendent, Report of
188
Officers of the Town of Wayland
3
Park Department, Report of
178
Planning Board, Report of
189
Public Library, Report of the 166
Results of Town Election, March 3, 1954 114
Road Commissioners, Report of
173
Report of the Highway Surveyor 172
School Department Report :
School Organization, 1954 - 1955 197
School Committee 196
Calendar and Information 198
Membership by Age and Grade 199
Organization of Teaching Staff, January 1, 1955 200
Superintendent of Schools, Report of 201
Teaching Staff 202
Growth of Wayland Schools 203
Junior-Senior High Schools
207
Junior High Program 208
Senior High Program
208 209
Follow-up Study of Wayland H. S. Graduates 210
Community Agencies
210
Awards and Scholarships 211
Class of 1954 211
Commencement Symposium
212
Elementary Schools 205
Reporting
205
Testing 206
A Day in a Wayland Third Grade 206
Health Services 212
Attendance Services
212
State Primary Election and Special Referendum
Election, Sept. 14, 1954
116
State Election, Nov. 2, 1954
119
Tax Collector, Report of the
91
Town Accountant, Report of the:
Receipts
43
Expenditures
48
Recapitulation 73
Reserve Account
75
Excess and Deficiency
77
Water Available Surplus
76
Water Accounts Receivable 76
Balance Sheet
78
Town Clerk's Report :
Births
98
Deaths
106
Marriages
108
Dog Licenses - 1954 111
Permanent Records
Town Treasurer, Report of 83
Trust Fund Accounts 84
Reserve Fund for Investment 87
Maturing Debt and Interest 88
Insurance
90
Tax Titles
90
Tree Warden, Report of 181
Veterans' Services Department 171
Votes Enacted at the Annual Town Meeting, March 3, 1954 122
Votes Enacted at the Adjourned Annual Town Meeting, March 10, 1954 148
Votes Enacted at Special Town Meeting, December 8, 1954 163
Warrant for Annual Town Meeting
9
Water Commissioners, Report of 191
.
6.120
Official Reports
D
NOT
1635.
AST
FOUNDED
SUDBURY
:183
Wayland Public Library
Town of Wayland MASSACHUSETTS
FOR ITS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIXTH MUNICIPAL YEAR
0
Wayland Public Library
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1955
Official Reports
RP
AT
ED
A
NO.
EAST
1635
FOUNDED
SUDBURY
0821
1835
Town of Wayland
MASSACHUSETTS
FOR ITS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIXTH MUNICIPAL YEAR
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1955
MURPHY & SNYDER, INC. :: MAYNARD. MASS.
OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF WAYLAND
Term Expires
MODERATOR
Howard S. Russell 1956
TOWN CLERK
Leila Sears
1956
SELECTMEN
John W. Leavitt 1956
Frank S. Tarr 1957
Thomas Francis Linnehan
1958
TOWN TREASURER
Dorothy Small Damon
1956
TAX COLLECTOR
Theodore H. Harrington 1956
TOWN ACCOUNTANT
Norman E. Taylor
1957
BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Carlisle D. Scotland 1956
Ronald H. Wood
1957
J. Sidney Stone
1958
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
William A. Waldron 1956
Cornelius J. Maguire
1957
John Bernard Butler
1958
ASSESSORS
William S. Lewis 1956
B. Allen Benjamin 1957
George C. Lewis
1958
WATER COMMISSIONERS
Fern A. Taylor
1956
Alfred C. Damon 1957
George K. Lewis
1958
3
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Helen C. Morgan
1956
J. Sidney Stone
1956
Hugh F. Colliton, Jr. 1957
Ellen M. Earley (Resigned)
1957
Shirley M. Willard (appointed to fill vacancy)
1956
George C. Bogren
1958
Theone H. Morgan
1958
CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS
Ralph H. Yetton
1956
Warren D. Valentine
1957
Ernest W. Schleicher
1958
TREE WARDEN
Charles L. Fullick 1956
HIGHWAY SURVEYOR
Albert E. Potvin 1956
BOARD OF HEALTH
Norman G. Fair 1956
John C. Quinn 1957
Charlotte A. Stewart
1958
PARK COMMISSIONERS
Thomas F. Murray
1956
Nathaniel Hamlen
1957
Frank S. Tarr
1958
ROAD COMMISSIONERS
Ronald S. Campbell
1956
George I. Emery
1957
Gustaf M. Blomgren
1958
PLANNING BOARD
George F. Bowers, Jr. 1956
Edward F. Thorburn
1957
Mary N. Baldwin (Resigned)
1958
Bruce F. Kingsbury (Appointed to fill vacancy)
1956
L. William Bertelsen, III
1959
Katharine Hodges 1959
Frederick G. Perry, Jr. 1960
4
COMMISSIONERS OF TRUST FUNDS
Thomas B. Gannett 1956
J. Reed Morss (Resigned) 1957
Allan R. Finlay (Appointed to fill vacancy) 1956
J. Sidney Stone
1958
CONSTABLES
Maunsell Blake Babin
George J. Butler
John P. Butler
Ernest H. Damon
Philip R. Gladu
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