Randolph town reports 1960-1963, Part 40

Author:
Publication date: 1960
Publisher: Town of Randolph
Number of Pages: 968

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The rated capacity of the North Junior High is 800 pupils, and that of the Randolph High School is 1000-1100. Projected enrollments indicate the inadequacy of our present buildings, to wit:

Enrollment

Year

Grades 7 + 8

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

Grades 7, 8 + 9

Grades 10, 11, 12

1963

823

1291

I181

933

1964

868

1417

1243

1042

1965

930

1469

1318

1081

1966

972

1541

1392

1121

1967

980

1633

1430

1183

1968

1021

1770

1533

1258

1969

1096

1890

1604

1382

1970

1133

2023

1686

1470

1971

1170

2156

1753

1573

1972

1200

22 34

1790

1644

1973

1200

2376

1850

1726

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT

The 24-classroom Margaret L. Donovan Elementary School will open early in 1963 with eighteen classes, but in September, the need for six more classrooms throughout the Town will utilize all rooms in the building.

The total of one hundred and seven elementary classrooms should, with an average class size of thirty, provide 3210 pupil stations; however, the geographic location of the pupils of varying ages makes it almost impossible to realize 100% utilization of every seat in every classroom.

Weeks were spent in the re-forming of the elementary school districts, and yet classes vary now in size from 21 to 42. This great variation could be lessened by the formation of split-grade classes, but the "mothers' marches" of a few years ago indi- cated the feelings of the parents in this regard, and certainly it is preferable to have one grade in a classroom.

The education provided in the Randolph Public Schools continues to improve and expand. The report of the Principal of the High School indicates this, in the citing of the courses added to the curriculum at that level, and the same is true in the elemen- tary and junior high grades.

In most instances, we are not adding courses, but rather changing course content to better fit the challenges of the modern, fast-changing world. Presently, we are concentrating our interest in the areas of science and mathematics in the elementary grades. The selection of a series of modern science texts has been made, and a gradual program of purchase of these begun. The use of Federal reimbursement funds under the National Defense Education Act for the purchase of science and math materials in 1963 for use in the elementary grades should give us new strength in these subjects, and it is anticipated that a town-wide use of a "new math" text series will be initiated at the third grade level in September, 1963.

Each and every classroom teacher is an important "cog" in any educational system. This year, we lost a larger number than usual, mostly because of marriages and ap- proaching motherhood. We have been most fortunate in being able to hire very good re- placements, many of whom had already had many years of experience. This was possi- ble only because of a salary schedule which was competitive with our neighbors. In fact, this has been a vital factor for the past few years in enabling us to procure and retain teachers of high caliber who have helped us to raise the standards of our system to the high degree of respectability which we presently enjoy.

The proper education and training of our youth is a joint responsibility of all, home, church, and school. The temptations to the young people to forget their moral training and neglect their education, are greater than ever. It is only through the complete co- operation of the parents, school personnel, and clergy, that we shall be able to prepare the young people of Randolph for the realization of their dreams for a happy and fruitful adulthood.

We of the schools are most happy to do our part. The schools, particularly the high school, are for those who want to learn, and not for "seat-warmers" and "jokers". Teachers are hired for their knowledge and ability to teach, not to be police officers or guards. Individuals who refuse to conform with the reasonable rules and regulations which have been written to assure the orderly conduct of our schools have no right to stay in school and bother those pupils who wish to learn. The support of the School Committee members in aiding us to "cull out" constant behavior problems is greatly appreciated.

The reading of the reports of principals and others herein is recommended to all, for they render in greater detail our changes and accomplishments during the past year. In a greater sense, though, it is impossible to delineate the day-to-day progress which is made by the thousands of students as a result of diligent work of all personnel from school committee members to custodians.

Interested parents and all other citizens are welcome at all times to visit our schools and thereby to see for themselves just what is being done.

TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS

Once again, may I express my thanks to the members of the School Committee, Mr. William J. Lynch, Asst. Supt. of Schools, all school personnel, and the personnel of all other Town Departments for their fine cooperation throughout the year.

I also wish to express my appreciation to the many parents who have been so under- standing of the problems involved in our rapid expansion and growth.

I also wish to thank all the people of Randolph for their wholehearted support in supplying the funds necessary to operate an educational program which will provide our young people with the proper background which they will need in our ever-changing world.

THOMAS L. WARREN Superintendent of Schools

REPORT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Perhaps the one accomplishment of the year 1962 was the return for the whole year of the single session for all High School students. For too many years, the insuffi- ciency of the High School building to handle the large number of pupils required the use of the unsatisfactory device of a two-platoon program. The least said about the past, the better, but a look into the near future is equally gloomy.

Officially, the High School building accomodates 1200 pupil stations. This means that any place where a student can sit is called a pupil station. This figure of 1200 in- cluded the Library (80 pupil stations), Room 220 (80 pupil stations), and one class room (40 pupil stations) which was used for administrative offices, and never as a classroom. This brings the capacity down to 1000 pupil stations. Our enrolment as of October 1, 1962, was 1112. We will graduate in June 1963 approximately 175 pupils and will take in approximately 350 pupils in September 1963. Thus our projected enrolment for September 1963 will be over 1300 pupils, and for September 1964, over 1400 pupils. Meanwhile, our pupil stations, or capacity, will remain the same. It is evident some- thing will have to be done. For next year, September 1963, we are hoping to remain on single session again by utilizing every possible location in the school, but the year after that will be something else again.

We have felt that our College Preparatory and Business Courses are adequate, but that our General course needs broadening, so we have tried to enrich this area in par- ticular by the addition of new courses. Among these are: Effective Speech, Spanish II, Russian II, General Math, Basic Math, Practical Science, Advanced Biology, Funda - mentals of Typing, Record Keeping, Boys' Foods, a full-time 5 periods a week course in Mechanical Drawing, and World History II. In addition to this, we have combined a half year in Civics with a half year in World History I, Economics and Salesmanship - one half year each, and made Fundamentals of Law a full year's course instead of a half year. . We are quite concerned about next year (with our present program of studies) because we know we will have many more pupils at that time - which fact would indicate additions to our faculty. However, this year we are using every room in the building and it will be a problem to find rooms for these necessary additional teachers.

During the past year a new and printed Program of Studies booklet was issued for the first time. We consider this a very worthwhile item, since everything pertaining to the school was included, so that pupils and parents alike were informed by the printed page of every facet of school life at Randolph High School.

Also a new method of programming the pupils' program was installed, giving us a modern, efficient way of handling the important work of preparing their programs in advance, while giving us the necessary information about each pupil, to enable us to fit each pupil homogeneously in the classes best suited to that pupil. It was most helpful.

We strongly feel that every student should participate in extra-curricular activities while in High School. The old adage seems to apply here - that a pupil well get as much out of school as he puts into it. Taking part in such out-of-class activities not only makes school life more enjoyable, but it helps to build up the well-rounded education which both college and employer seem to look for. This activity, of course, should not

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT

in any way endanger the pupil's academic progress. While activities should remain subordinate to academic accomplishments, there is a valuable place in the school pro- gram for them. Student morale seems to be closely tied up with activity participation, and there seems to be strong correlation between good grades and participation in School activities, for they also offer the best opportunity for developing social compe- tence.

Since we have mentioned briefly extra-curricular activities, one such in point is the Student Council. Any student council is organized, maintained and exists only because it is ready, willing and able to serve. How does such a group do this ? Simply by defining its area of operation, by considering its limitations and its spheres of in- fluence. It does not administer a school, it simply participates actively in the organi- zation, maintenance and administration of the school. The council is not the end, but rather the means to the end. Such a group is the Randolph High School Student Council which has long operated successfully. This, I believe, is due primarily because of the type of leadership it has under the direction of Mr. James H. Santry, of the faculty. Under his leadership, our Student Council has brought many awards to our school from organizations on a state or national status. The last was a citation from the State De- partment of Education, awarded to the school and its pupils in October, 1962.

The Joseph W. Daly Chapter of the National Honor Society continues to flourish in our school. Over the years the National Honor Society has constantly maintained its original purpose, to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership and to develop character in the students in our High School. For a number of years, scholarship was in disrepute, while mediocrity was on the upsurge. Yet the National Honor Society has consistently selected and honored those in the school who stood out from the average and proclaimed high ideals and high scholarship. Today this organization is a potent factor in encouraging our qualified young people to continue their education beyond high school and to improve their educational development while they are still in high school.

The school drop-out is a pupil who leaves school before completing high school or some recognized, secondary school level, program of education. This problem is nationwide and Randolph has its proportionate share. There are many reasons for drop-outs, too numerous to list here, and though the schools cannot alone do the job, they can help. The parent can aid by helping the school convince the pupil of the diffi- culty a pupil will have in obtaining satisfactory or regular employment in a job market where unskilled labor is increasingly a distress situation, and teenagers seeking em- ployment have an unemployment rate twice as high as any other age group. The pupil who does not know while still in high school what he wants to do after high school, can see no relation between what he is doing now and what he will do later. Thus his prog- ress in school is not satisfying to himself, and therefore, he is apt to feel he does not belong in school. Then, from lack of self-satisfaction, it is a short step to indifference thence to hostility and open anti-social behavior - finally, drop-out. One major agency in the school to combat this situation is the Guidance Department. Attention is directed to the report of Mr. William Casey, Guidance Director, especially to the number of unscheduled conferences between pupil and Guidance. When pupils are voluntarily seek- ing help, we consider it to be a healthy condition.

We wish, before closing, to thank everyone - students, faculty, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Warren, members of the School Committee and all others who helped to make this past year so successful and pleasant. It is only with the cooperation of all - school personnel, parents and the public that we can constantly strive to make our school better to meet the needs of all pupils.

HUBERT F. GILGAN Principal

100

TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE

It is herewith my pleasure to report to the Superintendent of Public Schools, to the Members of the School Committee and to the townspeople of Randolph on the activities of the Guidance Department of the Randolph Public Schools for the year 1962.

The tone and philosophy of guidance activities assumed new character during the year just concluded. In the main, this change was the result of a number of studies and surveys which were conducted by members of the professional staff for the purpose of determining student and community needs.

Guidance is an assimilation of services - each one of which is designed to offer full and complete assistance to each individual student in our system. For the first time, staff members were assigned definite areas of responsibility; and continuing evaluations on their part effected noticeable progress in the disposition of these services and wrought a keen and clear sense of cooperation among all members of the Staff.

At the High School level, Miss Winifred M. Brennan, Assistant Director of Guid- ance, coordinated the services of Placement and Records; while Mr. James A. Sullivan developed Informational Services and Research and Miss Isabelle J. Bennett handled the areas of Orientation, Scholarships and Testing.

At the Junior High School, Miss Anna K. Good and Mr. Adelino J. Bernardo, shared with the Director, the responsibility of developing an active and vital program in all areas at that level of the secondary spectrum.

A number of studies were coordinated through this Office, during the year, 1962. Included among these, were the following major projects:

1. "Testing Program - Grades 7 - 12"

This report was submitted to the Superintendent and the School Board in April, 1962. Authored by Miss Bennett, this survey presented a complete analysis of current testing practices, both internally and externally; and gave definite structure to the type of program held best for the children in the Randolph secondary schools.

2. "Records System - Grades 1 - 12"

This report is now nearing completion and is an attempt to simplify and coordinate the myriad of records now evident throughout the different levels of the system. Coordinated by Miss Brennan and Miss Good, this report will reflect the opinions of administrators at all levels, of teachers and of specialists throughout the system. This report is scheduled for submission to the Superintendent in early 1963.

3. "Curriculum Changes - Courses of Study, 1962 - 63"

Eleven new subjects were presented to the Administration for inclusion in the 1962 - 63 High School courses of study. These suggestions were based on research conducted by this Department with both former students and with selected colleges and industries and attempted to define the academic needs of our students.

Subject-matter articulation in two areas - Social Studies and Mathematics - was initiated during 1962, and affected the faculties of both secondary schools. This project is an attempt to define a coordinated course -of- study in a given subject-matter area, Grades 7 - 12.

Incidental to these major projects, were a number of benefits which accrued to the schools and their students as the result of the normal procedures of the guidance program.

The Follow-up Study on the Class of 1961 was greatly increased in its scope. Such studies serve as a constant evaluation of all of the programs of the school and serve our work considerably in judging the worth of our programs of study, guidance proce- dures and the like. An excellent return of 96. 6% of the Class of 1961 illustrated the

101

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT

following categories of graduate activities: Employed: 53. 6%; Further Education: 31. 9%; Armed Services: 8. 4%; Homemakers: 5% and Unemployed: 1.1%.

Fortunately, Placement problems for the graduating Class of 1962 were few at the time of their graduation. Industry had already absorbed eighty-four and the Armed Services, ten, while sixty-six students went on to further schooling. The complete activities of this Class will be determined in the next Follow-up Study.

Scholarship notices brought an excess of $45, 000. 00 in financial assistance to the graduating seniors from a variety of sources - local agencies, state and national funds and college and school endowments. Included in the list of winners were three Service Academy nominees and two first-prize winners in the Elks' National Scholarship Foundation.

Informational services provided knowledge to the students about a multitude of vo- cational and educational opportunities of both normal concern and of atypical situations. The latter type sent Everett A. Schaner, of the Class of 1962, on full scholarship to a National Science Foundation Workshop in Biology at Northeastern University in the summer months; during the same time, Donald R. Saidel, of the Class of 1963, won a Scholarship at the Andover Summer School at the Phillips Andover Academy for ad- vanced study in the field of English. The Fall semester at Boston College saw two of our undergraduates accepted into an Advanced Placement Course in Inorganic Chemis - try. Those chosen were William E. Cottle, Class of 1963, and Francis J. Azzariti, Class of 1964.

Testing on a national level in competition with students in every school system in the country brought national distinction to six Randolph High School students in 1962.

For the first time, the school produced a semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, in Donald R. Saidel, Class of 1963. Mr. Saidel's selec- tion score of 155 was one of the forty highest in the entire Commonwealth. His final selection as a Merit Scholar will be determined in April of 1963. Mary H. Tallafuss, Class of 1963, was awarded a Letter of Commendation in the same examination.

Five members of the Class of 1964 were selected as finalists in the Telluride Association Summer Scholarship Program, which grants full financial grants to study programs held annually at Princeton and Cornell Universities. The Juniors were selected on the results of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, and are: Kenneth Ekman, Matthew Fox, Donna McNeil, David Reed and Steven Silverstein.

In May, one hundred members of the Class of 1963, representing every course of study, participated in the standardization of a new aptitude testing instrument, de- veloped by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey. Randolph was chosen as a town representative of suburban living in the Northeast United States.

Throughout the year, Randolph High School was included on the visitation schedules of twenty-eight schools and colleges. Representatives from schools of diversified interests held meetings with interested students and among the schools represented were: University of Bridgeport, Marietta College, Babson Institute, Harvard College, Wentworth Institute, University of Massachusetts and the Burbank Hospital School of Nursing.

Fifteen representatives of the business community also spoke to Randolph High School students, concerning opportunities in specific industries, as participants in the Northeastern University Occupational Information Program.

In the summer of 1962, the Director was invited to participate in a Summer Study Institute of Job Opportunities, which was sponsored by the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, and during the year made personal visits to another twenty-one colleges and universities in the East and the Mid-West, included amongwhich were: Boston College, University of Michigan, University of Rochester, College of the Holy Cross, Kalamazoo College, Northwestern University and the University of Notre Dame.

The substance of the guidance program is best measured by the number of counsel- ing sessions which are afforded to the students it serves. Statistics on these interviews were recorded during 1962 and illustrated these facts:

102

TOWN OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS

Students, Grades 7 - 12: 1935 (Maximum)

Interviews Conducted:

10,637

Nature of Interviews: - Scheduled:

5,783

Walk-in: 4,854 10,637

Type of Problem: - Personal:

1,181

Occupational:

1,747

Educational:

7,010

Testing:

699

10,637

By Class:

Grade 7:

1,499

2,282

1,846

10:

1,457

11:

1,470

12:

2,083

10,637

It is said that one requisite of a good counseling system is that each child on the secondary level be seen by a counselor at least once a year, and preferable twice. Sta- tistics shown above illustrate two indicative facts in this regard: 1) each child, grade 7 - 12, was counseled on an average of 5. 4 times during 1962; and 2) the number of walk- ins (4, 854 - 46%) is very close to the number of scheduled appointments (5, 783 - 54%). This would indicate that the program is meeting not only minimum requirements, but also has encouraged the students to make full and effective use of its services, when they are needed.

As we review, therefore, the progress and the efforts of the Guidance Program in 1962, this Office cannot help but feel a sense of satisfaction in the professional efforts of the Counseling Staff and a sense of appreciation for the cooperation lent to our efforts by the Superintendent of Schools, the School Committee, the School Administra- tors and their faculties and by the students and their parents, and by the community-at- large.

Much remains to be accomplished, however, and as we look ahead to 1963, the institution of a functional Guidance Program at the Elementary level, through the cooperation of the Elementary Principals, looms as our most challenging task.

The primary task, of course, is to continue to assist each individual student to make appropriate decisions in the shaping of his or her future. The efforts of the Guidance Staff must be constant in this regard.

Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM J. CASEY Director of Guidance

REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF NORTH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

It gives me great pleasure to submit to you my first annual report as the Principal of the North Junior High School.

On November 3, 1962, the first complete year of operation of the North Junior High School was concluded so that it seems most appropriate to report on the plant, the program, and the progress of the students at this time.

Perhaps by stating the philosophy of education for the junior high school, this re- port may be more meaningful. First of all, we believe that the public schools exist for the primary purpose of extending to every individual the best education the community can provide. The only limitation placed on this education is the individual's personal ability to achieve.

103

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT

The function of the junior high school within the structure of the educational system is to:

1. build upon and extend the individual's fundamental knowledge in all areas;

2. instill in the individual an educational, physical, and moral responsibility not only to himself but to the community and the nation;

3. act as a buffer during the transition period between the elementary and high School years.

In order to realize these aims we should strive to:

1. recognize each person as a distinct entity and provide for him as such;

2. provide each student with the opportunity to develop his native ability to its utmost;

3. provide a curriculum which meets the needs of all of the students;

4. provide guidance and understanding so that the student may better adjust to the many physical, emotional, and educational problems which arise;

5. give the student an insight into his future educational and vocational opportuni- ties;

6. provide many experiences of a wide variety - both culturally and educationally;

7. provide a sound foundation in the heritage of our forefathers and the responsi- bility of maintaining and furthering the American way of life;

8. provide opportunities for the student to participate in the democratic process;

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Randolph town reports 1960-1963, Part 40

Author: Publication date: 1960 Publisher: Town of Randolph Number of Pages: 968

Author:
Publication date: 1960
Publisher: Town of Randolph
Number of Pages: 968