USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1898 > Part 24
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110. Pupils shall attend school only in the district in which they reside except by permission of the Super- Transfer of intendent. A pupil who changes his residence during Pupils. the latter half of the school year may, if his parents so elect, complete the year in the school that he has been attending.
111. When a pupil changes his residence with the inten- tion of entering another school, he shall receive a dis- Discharge charge card showing his age, grade, and the number Cards. of weeks of attendance during the school year. This card shall admit him to the same grade in any school in this city which he may enter.
112. Every pupil must come to school cleanly in person and dress, and with his clothes properly repaired. In Cleanliness. case of neglect in this respect, the teacher may send the negli- gent pupil home, to be suitably prepared for school.
113. Pupils shall be prompt and regular in their attend- ance. In case of absence, tardiness, or dismissal, a written or personal explanation from the parent or guardian shall Attendance be required. Tardiness, without a written or personal of Pupils. explanation from the parent or guardian, is accounted a misde- meanor. A pupil who is tardy without a satisfactory explana- tion shall not be sent home, but shall be required to furnish it subsequently.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
If any pupil of the high school is absent two days in four consecutive weeks, or any pupil in the grammar schools Suspension is absent six half-days in four consecutive weeks, for Absence. except for causes satisfactory to the Principal, he shall not return without a written permit from the Standing Committee of his school, or the Superintendent.
No pupil belonging to a public school shall be absent from school or excused from any school exercise in Absence for order to receive regular instruction elsewhere. Special Instruction.
114. In recording the attendance of pupils, teachers shall observe the following rules : -
1. Every pupil who enters the room after Marking the time for beginning the session, shall be Attendance. marked tardy.
2. Every pupil who leaves school at the request of his parents or guardian before the close of a session, shall be marked dismissed.
3. Every pupil not present at least one half of the session, shall be marked absent.
4. Whenever a pupil is suspended from school, his name is to be taken at once from the roll of membership.
5. Whenever a pupil leaves school without the inten- tion of returning during the school year, he shall be disenrolled, but any absences recorded against him before the fact of his leaving comes to the knowledge of his teacher, shall remain.
6. After a pupil has been absent ten consecutive days for any cause his name shall be taken from the roll, but the absences recorded against him shall stand.
115. No pupil shall be detained for any purpose after the close of the morning session. Detention at other Detention times shall in no case exceed thirty minutes and of Pupils. shall be for wilful neglect of duty only ..
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
116. Any pupil who shall deface or injure any Injury to school property shall be required to pay in full Property. for all damages.
117. Pupils shall not be permitted to answer calls Calls at at the door except from parents and guardians or their Door. accredited messengers.
KINDERGARTENS.
118. District Committees are authorized to open kinder- gartens whenever they deem it wise, provided that Authority not more than one kindergarten shall be opened for to Open. each eight hundred pupils in the primary and grammar schools in the district.
119. Children between three and a half and five years of age may be admitted to the kindergarten nearest their Age of homes during the months of September and April. Admission. They may remain until the June following their fifth birthday.
120. A kindergarten shall contain not less than Number of twenty nor more than fifty pupils. An assistant may Pupils. be employed when the number exceeds thirty.
121. The sessions of the kindergarten shall be from 9 to 12 o'clock. Teachers shall employ their afternoons Sessions. from 2 to 4, except when the time is needed for preparation for their work, in visiting the homes of their pupils to confer with parents in promoting the interests of the children and securing regularity of attendance.
PROMOTIONS AND GRADUATION.
122. Regular class promotions in the schools shall be made at the end of the school year according to the Regular judgment of the class teacher, the Principal, the Promotions. Superintendent, and the District Committee.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
123. Individual promotions shall be made whenever in the judgment of Principal, Superintendent, and Chair- Individual man of the District Committee the interests of Promotions. pupils require them. It is especially enjoined upon principals to make such arrangement of classes and apportionment of work as will give constant employment to pupils of vary- Apportionment ing degrees of ability, and to advance the whole or of Work. any portion of a class as rapidly as possible, irrespective of the grade limitations of the courses of study.
124. In the high and grammar schools the basis of promo- tion shall be the teacher's estimate of the oral and Basis of written recitations and effort of the pupil, which shall Promotion. be recorded and reported to parents at least bi-monthly.
Written test examinations, not exceeding one hour each, may be given at any time without previous announce- Examinations. ment by the Teachers, Principal, or Superintendent, not as an exclusive basis of promotion, but as aiding teachers to correct estimates, showing results, or indicating lines of instruction.
125. Teachers' estimates shall be indicated by Marking of
one of the following terms : - Estimates.
Excellent E, A, or 5 Unsatisfactory U, D, or 2
Good . G, B, or 4 Poor P, E, or 1 Fair F, C, or 3
As far as possible the standard and terms used in marking shall be uniform in each school.
126. All pupils whose scholarship record as shown by teachers' estimates averages "fair" shall be uncon- Unconditional ditionally promoted to the next grade, provided Promotions. their conduct and effort through the year have been satisfactory.
Pupils who fall below the standard of promotion may be con- ditionally promoted to the next grade on trial for Conditional three months, provided their age, character, capacity, Promotions. and best interests seem to justify it.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
Parents of pupils promoted conditionally shall receive notice of the fact, and shall receive monthly statements from the teacher showing the progress of their children.
127. The standard and method of promotion Admission to from the grammar schools to the high schools shall High Schools. be the same as from grade to grade in these schools.
Grammar school pupils promoted to a high school grade shall receive certificates of qualification signed by the Principal, which shall secure their admission to either high school.
128. At the beginning of the school year there shall be an examination of applicants for admission to the Examination for high schools under the direction of the committee High Schools. on High Schools. A fair knowledge of the studies of the grammar schools shall be required for admission. The ques- tions shall be prepared by the Superintendent and approved by the Chairmen of the High School Committees.
129. Pupils who have fallen behind their grade by absence, indolence, or inability, may be transferred Transfer to to a lower grade, provided that no such transfer Lower Grade. shall be made unless parents have received at least four weeks' previous notice, and the Principal, the Superintendent, and the Chairman of the Committee in charge of the school concur therein.
130. Pupils in the grammar and high schools who have honorably completed the prescribed course of study to the satisfaction of the Principal, the Superintendent, and Diplomas. the Standing Committee in charge of the school, shall receive diplomas of graduation.
131. The graduation exercises of the grammar schools shall be under the direction of a Special Committee Graduation composed of the Chairmen of the several District Exercises. Committees.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
The graduation exercises of the high schools shall be under the direction of the Standing Committees of those schools.
132. While it is understood that the schools are always open to the inspection of parents and citizens, the third week in May of each year is especially set apart as Public Public Visitation Week for the grammar and primary schools. Visitation. The third Wednesday in May is assigned as Public Day for the high schools.
No departure from the regular work of the schools shall be made on public days.
133. Exhibitions of the regular work of any school or department may be made at the option of the Standing Exhibitions. Committee in charge of the same.
REGULATIONS FOR EVENING SCHOOLS.
134. Evening schools for adults of both sexes, and for children over fourteen years of age who are unable to attend the day schools, together with a School for Industrial Drawing, may be established by the Committee on Evening Schools, subject to the following rules : -
135. The Committee on Evening Schools shall have the general charge and supervision of all evening schools, Committee and each school shall be under the special charge of in Charge. one member of that committee.
136. No school shall be open until thirty persons have pledged themselves to attend regularly. When the Numbers. average number attending any school for one week is less than fifteen, the school shall be closed.
137. Applications for admission to the evening Applications for school for persons under eighteen years of age must Admission. be made by parent or guardian.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
No person shall attend the School of Industrial Drawing who is under fourteen years of age.
138. Each school shall have a principal and one assistant for thirty pupils, and an additional teacher may be Teachers. appointed for every fifteen pupils in excess of that number.
139. The Principal shall be responsible for the manage-
ment of the school. He shall keep a record of Duties of -
the name, age, residence, and occupation of each Principal. pupil, and an accurate record of attendance. He shall have charge of, and be responsible for, all books and supplies furnished for his school.
140. The term of the evening schools shall begin on the first Monday of October and continue until Christmas. Terms. The term of any school may be prolonged by the committee in charge if circumstances shall warrant it. The sessions of the Evening Drawing School shall be held on Tuesday and Thurs- day evenings ; of the other schools, on each week-day evening except Wednesday and Saturday.
141. The sessions of the school shall begin at half-past seven o'clock and close at half-past nine o'clock. The Sessions. rooms shall be open and the teachers present fifteen minutes before the time for the sessions to begin.
142. Any pupil who is absent from school four consecutive evenings, without satisfactory excuse, shall forfeit his Absence. membership, and shall not be readmitted unless by written per- mission of the committee having the school in charge.
143. A pupil may be suspended for disorderly conduct by the Principal, and such pupil shall not be readmitted Suspension. without a permit from the Superintendent or committee in charge.
144. School buildings shall be open for the registration of pupils on the Saturday evening preceding the date Registration. of opening.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
TEXT-BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.
145. All text-books and supplies used in the Free public schools will be furnished by the City, in accord- Text=Books. ance with the requirements of the Public Statutes.
146. Teachers are responsible for all books furnished them for the use of their classes. They will make an Care of Books. entry of them, when they are received, in a book provided for the purpose, and will account for them to the Superintendent at the close of each school year.
147. All books shall be labelled, numbered, and charged to pupils before they are distributed. Upon the To be charged label, in each book, the name of the pupil using the to Pupils. book shall be written.
148. As far as practicable, each pupil shall use the same books during the entire course. Books of promoted Same Books pupils will be credited to the teachers whom they to be used. leave and charged to their next teachers.
149. Teachers will carefully examine all city books at least once each term, and report all injuries or loss of books Inspection as soon as discovered, to the Principal or the Superin- of Books. tendent, with the names of the pupils to whom such lost or injured books were loaned.
150. When any book is worn out or so injured that it is no longer fit for use, it shall be discharged from the Books to be teacher's account. Books used in the homes of pupils discharged. excluded from school on account of diphtheria or scarlet fever shall be destroyed.
151. In January and May of each year Principals shall indicate to the Superintendent, upon blanks furnished for the purpose, such text-books and supplies as will be Requisitions needed in their several buildings during the succeeding for Supplies.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
five months. These estimates shall be referred to the Com- mittee on Supplies.
Requests for additional books or supplies during the year must be made in writing to the Superintendent.
The receipt of books and supplies must be promptly acknowl- edged to the Superintendent on blanks supplied for the purpose.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
152. For the sake of convenient supervision, the schools of Somerville are grouped into five districts, as follows: East Somerville District, Winter Hill District, Prospect Hill Dis- trict, Spring Hill District, and West Somerville District.
East Somerville District is separated from Prospect Hill District by the Lowell Railroad, from Cambridge line to Washington street, and by Tufts street, Auburn School
avenue, and the Lowell Railroad, from Auburn avenue Districts. to Walnut street. The boundary line between East Somerville and Winter Hill districts extends from the Lowell Railroad to Mystic River, and is one hundred feet southeast of Walnut street and parallel to that street.
Winter Hill District is separated from Prospect Hill and Spring Hill districts by Highland avenue.
The Lowell Railroad and a line extending westerly from Lowell street to Highland avenue form the boundary between Winter Hill District and West Somerville District.
Prospect Hill District is separated from Spring Hill District by a line parallel to, and six hundred feet northwesterly from, School street, thence by Dane street to Beacon street, thence by Beacon street to Cooney street, thence by Cooney street to Cambridge line.
Spring Hill District is separated from West Somerville ยท District by Mossland and Cedar streets.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
APPEALS, ETC.
153. In all cases arising under these regulations or under any orders of the Board, appeals may be taken from Appeals. the decision of the teacher to the Superintendent, and from the Superintendent to the proper Standing Committee, and from the Standing Committee to the Board, and the decision of the majority of the Board shall be final. The person so appeal- ing to the Board shall state in writing his grievance and the relief desired.
154. These rules and regulations shall take effect on the first day of September, 1896, and all previous rules, Regulations votes, and resolutions of the Board inconsistent take Effect. therewith, are hereby repealed.
DUTIES OF JANITORS.
RULES AND REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, JUNE 10, 1896.
1. Janitors shall open and close their buildings every school day during the year.
2. They shall sweep the entries and stairways daily, after the last session of the school ; the rooms, by Wednesday night, and again on Saturday of each week. The yards, out-houses, and basement are to be kept clean and in good order, and the sanitaries flushed every day and left clean at night. Dust the furniture daily ; the windows, blinds, walls, and ceilings as often as necessary to keep them free from dust.
3. The floors and stairs throughout each school building shall be thoroughly scrubbed during each vacation. Kinder- garten floors shall be scrubbed each month and swept daily. The doors, wainscoting and other woodwork, including the chairs and desks with the iron standards thereof, shall be thor- oughly cleaned during each vacation. The windows shall be
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
thoroughly cleaned, outside and inside, three times in each year, in the months of March, August, and November. The tran- soms, windows and other glass inside of the building must be kept clean. The ink-wells shall be cleaned five times in each year, once in the months of August, November, February, and May, and once at the request of the Principal ; or five times in each year at such intervals as the Principal may choose.
4. It shall be their duty, -to build fires when necessary, in season to have the rooms warmed to such temperature as the School Committee shall direct at the time for opening the schools. Where stoves are used, fuel sufficient for the day must be carried to the several rooms.
5. To use the fuel economically. To screen the ashes and use the screenings on the fires.
6. To remove the ashes and all other debris from the cel- lars in order that the ashes and debris can be collected by the city once a week.
7. To remove the snow and ice from the doorsteps and walks leading to the gates and out-buildings.
8. To keep the ice upon the sidewalks about the school buildings covered with ashes or sand.
9. To keep the grounds about the school buildings free from weeds and litter of all kinds; also to sweep and keep clean all brick and concrete walks within the school limits.
10. Janitors of buildings heated by steam, or where there is any steam or hot-water plant used for any purpose within the schoolhouse or out-buildings, will be held responsible for the safety of the pipes from freezing. In extremely cold weather they must take unusual precautions, by remain- ing either during the night or until satisfied of the safety of the apparatus.
11. Janitors of buildings where furnaces are used shall remain by them while the draft-doors are open. It is not
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
required that fires should be kept upon holidays, or during vacation, except enough to protect the apparatus, and to prevent damage by freezing.
12. Boilers should be blown clean as often as once each month, and the tubes cleaned once each week. The safety-valve should be tried occasionally, and all other valves looked after and kept properly packed. Ashes shall be drawn from under the boilers and furnaces each day.
13. Janitors shall maintain a general supervision of the estates during vacation. When workmen are employed on the premises, or when fuel is received, they shall see that none of the property in the building is misused, and they will be held responsible for any property stolen, or damage done through their negligence.
14. Janitors are not required to act as messengers for Prin- cipals, or other instructors, but it is expected that they will be obliging in this respect, and that teachers will be considerate in requesting such service.
15. Substitutes for janitors must be approved by the Com- mittee on Public Property.
16. Should the Janitor neglect to perform his duty, the Principal or other authorized instructor will notify the Superin- tendent of Public Buildings. If there is a continued neglect on the part of any Janitor to perform his duties, the Superin- tendent of Public Buildings will report said Janitor to the Committee on Public Property.
17. Janitors of all eight and twelve-room schools, in addi- tion to the time required for the performance of regular duties, shall be in attendance at their buildings one-half hour before opening of regular session, and remain one-half hour after regular afternoon session, or as late as half-past four in the afternoon.
18. Janitors of other buildings will give as much of their time, in addition to the time required for the performance of
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
their regular duties, as the Committee on Public Property shall direct, and must report to the Principal sometime during the school session of each day.
19. They will open their buildings evenings for school pur- poses and have them properly warmed when requested by the Superintendent of Schools, and at such other times as the Com- mittee on Public Property may direct. They will remain in their building during the evening session, and, before leaving, see that the building is secure against fire, and the windows and doors through which access may be obtained to the building securely locked.
20. In rainy weather, when the walks and yards are muddy, primary school-rooms are to be swept daily if need be.
21. No Janitor shall be employed in a steam-heated build- ing without a license. By a rule of the District Police, any Janitor who shall leave his boiler for more than one-half hour while schools are in session shall forfeit his license.
22. Janitors shall be present in their buildings on such days during the last week of the summer vacation as the Super- intendent of Schools may indicate, to receive school supplies and to aid the Principal in their distribution.
23 Janitors shall wind and regulate the school-room clocks, and shall have the care, under the Principal, of the school flags. They shall display the same on every school day when the weather is suitable, and also on every legal holiday.
24. Smoking and the use of profane language in or about the buildings are strictly prohibited. No person shall be employed as a Janitor who uses any intoxicating liquor as a beverage.
25. Note .- It is understood that Janitors in the perform- ance of their duties are under the direction of the Superin- tendent of Public Buildings, and the Principals of the respective schools.
FREDERICK C. FULLER,
Superintendent of Public Buildings.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
[Circular issued by State Board of Education, December, 1898.] MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL LEGISLATION.
Respects wherein the Massachusetts Legislation of 1898 con- cerning the Employment of Children at Labor and the Attendance of Children at School Differs in its Provisions from the Legislation Previously in Force .*
I. EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN.
[Chapter 494, Acts of 1898.]
Certain Employment of Children under Fourteen Forbid- den .- Section 1 changes from thirteen to fourteen the age below which no child shall be employed in a factory, workshop, or mercantile establishment. It forbids his employment for wages while school is in session, and all employment before six in the morning and after seven in the evening, It strikes out the requirement of thirty weeks' attendance at school during the year after a child is thirteen before he can be granted a certificate that he is fourteen, attendance now being required all the time up to fourteen.
* Since the object of this circular is mainly to call attention to the principal changes made in the new legislation, it omits many of its minor details and a large part of its language. Careful refer- ence, therefore, should be made to the full text of the statutes themselves.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
Employment of Minors Between Fourteen and Sixteen; also of Illiterate Minors .- Section 2 requires that no child under sixteen years of age shall be employed in a factory, workshop, or mercantile establishment unless the employer : -
1. Procures and keeps on file, and accessible to truant officers, the district police, and inspectors of factories, age and schooling certificates for all such children employed, the limits of age for such children now being fourteen years and sixteen years, instead of thirteen and sixteen, as heretofore.
2. Keeps two complete lists, instead of one as heretofore, of all such children employed therein, one on file as heretofore, and the additional one now required conspicuously posted near the principal entrance of the building in which such children are employed.
3. Keeps on file a complete list of all minors employed who cannot read at sight and write simple sentences in the English language,-a new requirement and applicable to persons from fourteen to twenty-one years of age.
4. Sends to the superintendent of schools, or where there is no such superintendent, to the school committee, the names of all such illiterate minors employed,-also a new requirement.
Signing the Age and Schooling Certificate .- Section 3 re-enacts certain provisions about the signing of the age and schooling certificate. It authorizes a committee which employs no superintendent to appoint any person, not necessarily one of its own members as heretofore, to sign certificates, and omits the provision which authorized any justice of the peace to administer the oath provided for in the certificate.
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