USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Randolph > Randolph town reports 1944-1949 > Part 27
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54.90
Salaries
1,823.05
Electricity
106.72
Fuel
531.13
Printing
39.00
Telephone
32.79
Insurance
30.42
166
TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
Treasurer's Bond
12.50
Supplies
35.53
Sundries
11.29
Repairs
9.25
Bank Charge
6.92
Water
163.51
Checking Account
Randolph Trust Co.
336.94
$3,634.02
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH D. WALES, Treasurer
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
TURNER FREE LIBRARY INVESTED FUND
ROYAL W. TURNER FUND
50 Shares First National Bank
50 Shares Home Insurance Company
50 Shares Chase National Bank
62 Shares Chemical Bank and Trust Company
20 Shares Western Massachusetts Gas
25 Shares Commonwealth Edison
4 Shares Consolidated Edison
13 Shares Randolph Co-Operative Bank
20 Shares California Packing Company .- Com.
1 Share California Packing Company-Pfd.
1 $1000 Bond Ohio Power Company 31/4-1968
2 $1000 Bonds Rio Grande and Western 4s-1949
TURNER FUND
10 Shares American Tel. and Tel. Co.
20 Shares Consolidated Edison
33 Shares Union Pacific Ry.
15 Shares First National Bank
25 Shares National City Bank
25 Shares Boston Edison
25 Shares Chase National Bank
3 $500 Bonds Union Pacific Ry. 4s-1947
1 $1000 Boston Terminal 31/2s-1947
REMAINING FUND
50 Shares First National Bank
168
TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS. Report of the Finance Committee
To the Trustees of the Turner Free Library :
Your committee on finances submits the following re- port:
The committee has audited the accounts of the Treas- urer for the year 1946 and found them to be correct. All moneys have been accounted for as received, and no money has been paid out except on vouchers properly approved. The committee has examined also the securities representing the investment of the funds of the Library and has found them to be intact and as represented.
There have been no changes in our investment port- folio this year.
Respectfully submitted,
January 18, 1947.
RAYMOND L. MASON, Chairman
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
Report of the School Committee
To the Citizens of the Town of Randolph :
The Randolph School Committee submits herewith the annual report of the year 1946.
Prior to the annual town meeting in March 1946, the committee met with the members of the Town Finance Com- mittee and presented their annual budget. The budget was reduced in order that taxes could be held to a minimum through the cooperation of both committees. The school committee has done its best to keep within the appropriation but due to unforeseen repairs and increases in cost of mate- rials and wages it is impossible to operate the school sys- tem at such a low cost without hampering the education of our children or the upkeep of the buildings.
The past year saw an overcrowded condition continu- ing to exist in most of our school rooms, forcing us to util- ize a small room that was vacant in the Prescott school, and to continue to use the Tower Hill School to house pupils which rightfully should attend the Devine School, and the setting into operation of a two platoon system at the Mc- Neill School. The system at the McNeill School meant that we had to employ two additional teachers for the afternoon session and had to cut the hours of attendance, thereby re- ducing the opportunity for the pupils to learn. These con- ditions are not going to improve during the next few years, but will be reproduced in every grade school building in this town, in our opinion.
School Committee members Boyle, Martin and Foley, with Superintendent Christiansen and Principal Gilgan sat in at a meeting with Gregory Cooper of the Frank Irving Cooper Associates (School architects) recently. It was commonly agreed that in order to relieve the present and expected badly overcrowded conditions in the Randolph
170
TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
school buildings it would be wisest to ask the town to expend the sum of $625,000 for the erection of a new Junior-Senior High to house 1000 students and to recondition the present Stetson High School to accommodate 500 grade school pu- pils. This would be done prior to September 1948. This reconditioned building would eliminate the use of the two Prescott school buildings which the state building inspector is on the verge of permanently condemning.
At the annual Tri-Town Meeting held in Avon in April, the three voting members from Randolph led an unsuccess- ful move to sever our superintendency union which is the second largest in the state. The attempt was met with failure through the concerted action of the other two com- mittees, either one of which could have begun the necessary state action on the plan by voting with Randolph. We had hoped to influence the others that a superintendent with less schools to administer would be able to serve more efficiently because he could allot more of his time to the individual towns involved. We are still of this opinion and will reopen the matter at the next annual meeting.
We have labored under extreme difficulty to retain the teaching force and replace those who marry or otherwise leave us. It is becoming increasingly difficult to replace a teacher who leaves our system and very often it can only be done by increasing the wage over and above that paid the immediate predecessor. We therefore urge the citizens to support wholeheartedly that portion of our budget ($33,500) which will entitle every one of our present force to an in- crease of $500 over his present stipend. This will raise our present maximums of $1760 for each teacher in grades 1-6 $1875 for each in grades 7-8, and high school women $2105 and high school men $2450, up to what will be fairly re- spectable figures. These new maximums should retain for Randolph its best teachers who might otherwise be recep- tive to better financial offers from surrounding communi- ties. This will assure the pupils of Randolph the continued best efforts from our efficient teaching personnel.
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
Your committee feels that this report would not be com- plete without the expression of appreciation for the faithful service of three teachers who will serve us no longer.
It is with regret that we note the untimely death of Miss Anna L. McGrory, one of our former teachers. Miss McGrory left us in April 1943 to enlist in the Waves. Her few years as a Randolph teacher were marked with success.
Through compulsory retirement the services of Mrs. Elizabeth G. Lyons and Mrs. Emily T. Ricker are denied us. We wish Mrs. Lyons to know we are extremely appreciative of the fine work contributed by her through the years. Mrs. Lyons has been a faithful and successful teaacher in this town for over 25 years.
Mrs. Emily Ricker, although with us only a short time, served capably in these trying war years and her service has not gone unnoticed.
Your committee, through contacts with various groups and organizations throughout the town has come to the conclusion that there is a definite movement afoot to better school conditions in Randolph. We hope this is true and earnestly trust the movement meets with success. "Better school conditions" means better school buildings, well paid and efficient teachers and whole-hearted cooperation among parents, teachers and school committee. Your committee recommends any action that achieves these ends.
PHILIP L. BOYLE, Chairman, ALICE M. MARTIN, WILLIAM J. FOLEY, FRANK H. LITCHFIELD
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TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Chairman and Members, School Committee, Randolph :
I have the honor of submitting to you my annual report of the Randolph public schools for the year 1946.
This report in common with all school reports this year cannot refrain from mentioning the difficulty we had in se- curing the services of competent teachers. Your teacher- salary emergency measure granted me did much in securing the best teachers available. We were fortunate in the selec- tion and doubly so to have such a large percentage of teach- ers return to key positions.
It is a matter of record, and a shameful one, that our great nation today faces this grave shortage of qualified teachers at a time when the urgency is so great for leader- ship and hard work. The National Education Association informs us that over 60,000 teaching positions were un- filled during the past year and of those filled, one out of ten teachers held emergency certificates. This picture of reality is all the more out of focus by the fact that our young men and women of ability who should be training for educational work are turning to other fields of service primarily be- cause of salaries offered. In this competitive situation we shall have to pay higher salaries and at the same time seek a way to meet this cost without placing the load on so many communities already tax burdened.
If public school education is a State function, as it is conceded to be, then the cost and quality of that education should be equally distributed throughout the state under a new and more equitable plan of reimbursement and aid. As the salary item is always the highest, it is not enough to ob -. serve equal pay for all teachers having the same qualifica- tions and doing the same type of work LOCALLY but that
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
that pay or salary should hold for the whole state so that the smaller school systems may profit thereby and not be an eternal training ground for the cities. The State Legisla- ture will undoubtedly act on such a bill this session. The final form of the proposed bill has not been determined but it will definitely aim to promote the equalization of educa- tional opportunity and to equalize among the towns the bur- den of school cost. It is proposed that this increased State aid be provided largely from income taxes and its distribu- tion be governed by a formula that will give more liberal aid to towns in need. The Mass. Teachers' Federation has pre- pared a careful study of this proposed bill and estimates that under its provision Randolph would receive something like $57,000.00 the first year and $114,000.00 thereafter. The Commonwealth of Mass. has the wealth and means to sup- port its schools under this proposed new bill but the bill must be defended and made into law. It is our immediate duty to urge its adoption in the interest of our schools and tax payers.
I am in accord with your plan to erect a new Senior- Junior high school to accommodate 1000 pupils. The school- house situation has been unsatisfactory for a number of years and although our efforts to adjust and get along as well as we can each year the results have been mere make- shifts. We need a large school unit for upper grade work. Such a project will not only be economical to operate but will eliminate duplication of equipment and place the initial cost where it will serve a greater number of children in town.
The professional and social activities of the high school are wholesome, cooperative and radiate a spirit of serious- ness. This is most encouraging at this time for there is under way a plan to reclassify all high schools in the state. We have enjoyed Class A rating for a number of years and hope to hold it under whatever new standards that may be set up.
I pay my tribute to the number of married teachers in
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TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
our classrooms. Were it not for them in this age of teacher shortage some classes would be without instructors. Here, too, I pay tribute to the long and faithful service of Mrs. Elizabeth G. Lyons who retired this year and to Mrs. Emily Ricker of the high school faculty. We lost by death a young and promising teacher, Anna L. McGrory, who had recently returned from war service and was to resume her position as teacher in the Devine school.
I am grateful to you for your cooperation and counsel and to our Principals and Teachers who are giving their best to this the greatest public service, education.
Respectfully submitted, A. O. CHRISTIANSEN.
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Graduation for the class of 1946 was held on the morn- ing of June 5 in the Randolph Theatre through the courtesy of Mr. Edmund J. Brady, Manager. An early graduation seems to be the best arrangement for the majority concerned and we hope this policy will continue.
We are now back to normal schedule and program; sub- jects that were programmed to meet war needs and all ac- tivities brought on by the emergency have been dropped from the curriculum. Spanish, which was to be a perma- nent addition to our language facilities is being dropped at the end of this school year for lack of interest. With this exception, our program of studies has returned to normal.
We have at present but one veteran enrolled at Stetson ; most of those veterans seeking a high school diploma have enrolled at the Regional High School at Brockton set up by the State Department of Education better to meet the needs of returning veterans.
In the fall of each year, National Education Week is observed all over the country. At Stetson we feel that the best way for the citizens to get acquainted with the work being done is to observe open house during the regular school day when regular routine of the school can be seen just as it goes on day after day. This year, exactly two citizens visited the school during the entire week. We feel that Education Week affords a splendid opportunity for citizens to see the school in operation and to learn first hand just what is going on; that it would be a fine way to get ac- quainted with the teachers, to understand the problems of the classroom and thereby to enable all of us to work to- gether in sympathetic understanding in the work of all around education of the young people of this school. We believe it would be the quickest way to dispel any doubts or misgivings in the minds of those who through ignorance of the situation or for other reasons, entertain false notions of the various phases of high school education.
176
TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
Experts whose business it is to know such things, pre- dict the coming year will see a huge increase in marriages and births. This will obviously affect the schools inasmuch as it will mean an increase in school population and the time to prepare for it is now. The high school building has been outgrown for many years and is not capable of giving to Randolph's teen-agers the modern type of facilities afforded most children elsewhere. The present building was built to accommodate approximately 350 pupils. Although now down to around 400, we have had as many as 533 pupils here in 1938. Depression years and war years lowered the birth rate with the resultant lowering of high school enrollment. That fact could readily be anticipated by watching the enrollment of the lower grades over a period of years until after eight years the high school was reached. The grade schools are overcrowded at the present time and with an increased birth rate in view, the grade schools are going to be in more seri- ous trouble unless relief is obtained. After the regular eight year period that increase will reach the high school and we will be in no better position to absorb it than we have been for years. The Prescott School, as we all know should be abandoned as not fit for use. All this leads to a building proposition that cannot and should not be pushed aside as it was several years ago, thereby merely postponing the issue. As we see it, the logical solution would be a new Junior- Senior High School, housing 1000 pupils. Transfer of the seventh and eighth grade pupils to the new building should relieve the situation in the lower grades by supplying them extra room. The present high school building could easi- ly be converted for use by the Prescott School, thus eli- minating the two old buildings currently being used. The main thing is for action of some sort while there is still time to prepare for the future. As far as the high school is concerned, we have had to send our band, music and drawing groups to the town hall for classes because we had no place for them at the school and at the pres- ent time the drawing classes still meet in the town hall. We do not like to send the pupils there in all kinds of weather but
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
we have no alternative. There are other features which are a necessary adjunct to high school work which are con- sidered important but which Stetson has had to pass up for lack of room. For example, there should be provision made for shop work for boys, at least wood-working. We haven't the room so we can't provide it. We have come a long way since we illuminated our homes with kerosene lamps, heat- ed them with individual stoves in the necessary rooms, cleaned them with brooms and carpet sweepers until in this day of modern conveniences central heating plants and other efficient devices we expect to educate our young with plants and tools of earlier generations. We do not maintain, either, that good schools mean merely brick walls.
The problem of extracurriculum obligations of teachers can and does prove to be a vexing one at times, a question of how much leisure time is their own and how much they owe the school. We feel that teachers are not paid only for the time when they are actually teaching classes, we believe that such extra time as teachers have as distinguished from other workers should be given over to the preparation of subject matter, study and supervision of extracurricular activities. Some teachers coach athletic teams, some act as class ad- visors, club advisors, some go on trips with pupils, some su- pervise games or dances, in short all types of activities need teachers for advice and guidance. Teachers not only teach English, Latin, French or other subjects but they should help young and growing minds to grow in all phases of a complex social environment. If a teacher has special talent we ex- pect it to be utilized for the benefit of the student and whether or not teachers receive extra pay for this should not prevent the pupil from receiving the benefit of this type of training which would ultimately bring out possible hidden talents, develop possibilities possessed by pupils to the extent that they may have a fuller life as a result of extra curricula activities they have pursued while in high school.
For almost a year now, our school lunch has been aug- mented and enlarged due the assistance of the Community
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TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
School Lunch Program, sponsored by the State Department of Education. This is a program through which, by means of financial as well as gifts of surplus foods, we are able to offer a greater variety of nutritious foods to more of our pupils for less cost than if we operated independently. We are required to furnish menus of high caloric values, with enough variety to give a satisfying meal of meat, potato and two other vegetables together with bread and butter for the minimum cost of twenty cents to the pupils. Milk is sold for four cents. It is a highly satisfactory arrangement for all concerned and under the capable supervision of our lunch room manager, Mrs. Florence Harris, Stetson is doing a good job in this respect.
Athletics at Stetson had an excellent year. A cham- pion football team-first in the history of the school; a bas- ketball team successful enough to receive an invitation to play in the Tech Tournament held at Boston Garden-also a first; a champion in baseball, winning the title in our league division but losing the chance to get into the final game for the league championship due to the weather and an unfair decision of the league officials requiring us to play a five inning game to settle the division winner and then, if we won, immediately to play on the same afternoon, a nine inning game for the league championship. This we fig- ured was asking too much of our boys and so in refusing to go through with this plan we lost an opportunity to make a clean sweep in all our major sports. Credit and thanks go to Coaches Zapustas and Powderly and all the boys who made this athletic year a big success.
A truly preventative health program is important to the physical and mental well-being of any school or system. Our idea of what can be practically done is herein outlined.
1. Immunization of all pupils against small pox, diphtheria and in some instances other diseases such as typhoid. On a voluntary basis far too small a propor- tion of our pupils are reached.
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
2. Protection against exposure to such diseases as tuberculosis by examination of all teachers and other personnel with whom pupils come into contact. Such examination has been made possible for a number of years, also on a voluntary basis.
3. Dental care-examination and treatment of any dental deficiencies. Such examinations have been periodically given but much is left to be done in the way of education along the lines of frequent visits to the den- tist. All the school can hope to do is discover and re- port on deficiencies and then look for the parents to make use of the reports sent home.
4. Screening procedures for vision and hearing. Yearly eye and ear tests are given to all pupils and where trouble is uncovered, reports are sent home. In order more accurately to test the ears, Stetson has re- cently purchased a Maico Audiometer, a modern instru- ment for testing ears scientificially without the possi- bility of external or artificial interference in accurate- ly determining the exact condition of the pupil's hear- ing. We intend to make this available to all schools. We are searching for a device which will help us make a similar examination of the eyes.
5. Medical care-examination and treatment of any physical or mental disturbance. We believe that a minimum of four physicals should be made of each pu- pil; first when pupil starts school; second in the inter- mediate grades; third during the period of adolescence ; fourth, before the pupil leaves school. Also, for some, such as athletes, an examination should be given at the start of each seasoon. Parents could be of inestimable value if they would follow up reports made to them by the school nurse or physician and report to the school what action has been taken.
6. Health supervision-while the child is in school
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TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASS.
and watchfulness on the part of the teacher for signs of ill health and protection from injury.
7. Mental health service.
8. Nutrition.
All in all, it is a complex, yet important, work as a pupil not in good physical condition cannot do justice to school work.
A great deal of benefit can be derived by the classroom teacher by interschool visitations. Many teachers are anxious to learn and willing to have others observe and eval- uate their teaching methods. In this way teachers can gain in vision and knowledge of newer procedures in education, acquire new perspectives and be encouraged by seeing other teachers put into practice the same basic principles which they themselves are using. Direct visitation into the work- ing field, seeing how others are doing things would, it seems to us, have greater value and bring greater returns than an equal number of so called inspirational talks by those who are paid either to praise or to ridicule the profession.
Respectfully submitted,
HUBERT F. GILGAN
During the past year, under the direction of Mr. Donald Randall of the faculty, the Turner Chapter of the National Honor Society was organized and launched at a public as- sembly in the Town Hall. Membership in the National Honor Society is granted to students of the Junior and Senior Classes who show outstanding qualities in scholarship, serv- ice, leadership and character. This year sixteen members of the Senior class and fourteen members of the Junior class were inducted into the Society, a plan which we expect will do much toward keeping scholarship on a high level.
In last year's report of the colleges to which our gradu- ates have matriculated we failed to list one member of the class of 1940 who enrolled at Northeastern University.
181
ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT REPORT OF THE MUSIC SUPERVISOR Doris M. Johnson
Mr. A. O. Christiansen
Superintendent of Schools :
I am pleased to submit this annual report of the music program in the schools of Randolph for the school term of 1945-1946.
If our country is to become truly musical, it must be through the work of the public schools in the impressionable days of youth. We are convinced that if the people of America have a love of music and an appreciation of it, we will possess the greatest resource for happy and wholesome living. With this in mind we have tried to encourage not only the talented but the less talented children to participate in the music program.
Starting with the first grade we try to improve the child's singing voice, and teach him to read and interpret music. We continue these efforts throughout all the grades.
Bearing in mind that almost every child has an inborn desire to perform, and realizing how helpful this can be in developing a child's poise and self-confidence, we try to plan interesting musical presentations in which as many as poos- sible are allowed to take part.
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