USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1918 > Part 6
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
this way there are now thirteen classes although there are but twelve grades of instruction. The present curriculum, which embraces all of the subjects of the former elementary and high school courses, is divided into the following groups: Ele- mentary essentials, grades 1 to 8; High School studies pre- scribed, 9 to 12; Electives, grades 7 to 12. In grades 1 to S all the essential subject matter of the former elementary course is provided for. During the present year, the senior class in each junior high school will have a special course in ele- mentary subjects which formerly constituted the work of the ninth year. The seventh and eighth grade classes are carrying on the elementary essentials from the points reached at the time of promotion in June, and will cover, by the end of the year, the full requirements in these subjects.
In the administration of the new organization, the ob- jectives will be greater efficiency of instruction in all subjects and greater development of the pupil's power to think right and to act right under all conditions.
Expenditures.
The expenditures for teachers' salaries this year was $408,685.58, $28,294.98 more than last year. The increased ex- penditure for teachers' salaries includes first,-the usual incre- ments provided for by the salary schedule, and second, the specific increases provided during the year. The latter, repre- senting as it does about a six per cent. change, is small in com- parison with the increased living costs during the same period of time.
The expenditure on account of contingent expenses was $44,511.65, $1,856.79 more than last year. The expenditure for text books and supplies this year is but about $700 greater than last year. The increased cost of all material would have made this excess much larger this year if the enforced closing of schools for several weeks had not reduced the de- mands. The balance was due to increases in the office force and to increases in some of the salaries. As a detailed state- ment of cost will be found in the Appendix I will not enlarge upon this item here.
Teachers.
During the year eleven teachers were released for war work and fifty-three teachers have been elected to vacan- cies in the schools. The securing of new teachers has been much more difficult this year than in former years. To be eligible for a position in the Somerville schools a teacher must have had professional or college training or suitable experience in the line of work which he is to teach. The sources of
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supply of teachers are normal schools, colleges, other schools, or ex-teachers from homes or business. It has been our practice to require of graduates of normal schools or colleges at least one year of experience. It has also been our practice to give to our own girls who have been graduated from a normal school an opportunity to serve one year as apprentice-teachers, and by that means to make them eligible for election as perma- nent teachers. This has been heretofore a reliable means for supplying new teachers for the elementary schools. Last year nine cadets were employed, most of whom have now been elected to permanent positions here. This year only two nor- mal school graduates offered themselves for service as cadets. The number of applicants for positions coming from the other sources of supply has been very small as compared with previous years. Those who do apply for positions here, more- over, are receiving pay which makes a change to Somerville less attractive than has been the case heretofore. A scarcity of teachers is thus clearly revealed. It is not merely local ; · it is country-wide.
The tendency of the times is apparently to divert am- bitious youth of both sexes from teaching as a life work. The cause of this decline is the poor inducements which teaching offers in salaries as compared with the rewards which can be obtained in other fields of effort. This condition is serious with the supply of teachers diminishing at the source while the demand for teachers is increasing by the expansion of the educational undertakings of society. It is time for society to "take stock" in this matter. When this is being done certain truisms will come to view :-
1. Society cannot endure without schooling its children.
2. To school its children, society must pay its teachers.
3. Society does not compel youth to enter the profession of teaching, it relies upon their doing so voluntarily. "Must" is a word which does not apply to a youth in reference to becom- ing a teacher.
4. Conditions 1 and 2 are imperative, inevitable, continu- ous as society itself ; condition 3 is voluntary. A fundamental, vital need of society, therefore, is dependent on the volun- tary choice of individuals who may or may not decide to meet that need.
5. The choice of youth deciding whether or not to become teachers is the crucial point in determining the teacher supply of the future. If the youth decide that it does not pay to become teachers, what about meeting those fundamental, vital needs of society? Will society conscript teachers, as it has. drafted soldiers ? Can it make teachers as quickly and as well by conscription as it made soldiers ?
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6. The last truism is this: teachers must be paid in pro- portion to the importance of their work. When that time comes and not till then will justice be done and society be safe from a threatened collapse of its educational under- takings.
In view of these considerations it is gratifying to note that some improvement of the salary schedule of our teachers has been effected during this year. Fifty dollars was added to the pay of teachers in the elementary schools and an agreement has been reached to add fifty dollars more at the beginning of 1919. Fifty dollars also has been added to the pay of all women teachers in the High School. These acts constitute steps in the right direction and have given encouragement to the teachers. It cannot be supposed, however, that the salaries of our teachers have yet reached the level which satisfies either their proper ambition or their economic necessity.
War Influences Upon School Programmes.
During the year just closed the influence of the War has been felt in the schoolrooms in various ways. Some of these have been direct and obvious as in the cases of the Junior Red Cross, War Savings Stamps. Food Conservation. Liberty Loans, and other patriotic undertakings of a national scope. Other influences have been potent, although less connected with proposals for immediate action. Of this nature have been the instruction upon current happenings of the War, patriotic observances on special occasions, instruction intended to pro- mote patriotsim, etc. In all, these activities have made a rather large draft upon the time of the schools. This effect is more noticeable because of its conjunction with the consid- erable loss of time through enforced closing of schools. Yet, I think, on the whole, it will have to be conceded that the per- formance of these war-time duties has had a value to the pupils great enough to offset the loss in routine work. Pupils have been made conscious of the fact that they are a conse- quential part of the general patriotic movement. Having been called upon by adults to help in the work for their country, they have realized, in a more personal way, their obligations to their country, and the value of what their country means to them. In this way, altruism and patriotic feeling have been promoted among the youth.
The problem now is to continue this patriotic impulse so that the youth may be trained , in intelligent appreciation of the worth of democracy and of their, obligations to sustain and protect it. A very manifest lesson of the War is that the preservation of our national ideals will be. in a large measure, dependent upon the educational undertakings of the country. The elementary and intermediate schools must so train the
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youth that they will have the qualities of mind and heart upon which a democracy may safely depend. It will be the business of the schools to search diligently for ways and means of providing such instruction.
The Board of Aldermen, having transferred to the Somer- ville Recreation and Playground Commission, the appropria- tion for Summer Playgrounds, the School Committee was re- lieved of the responsibility of administering this work this year. But as school children were to be the chief beneficiaries of the summer programme of the Commission, it was natural and desirable that cordial co-operation should be established by the Commission with the School Committee. By means of this com- mon interest, the garden supervisor employed by the Commis- sion, Mr. William B. Moore, was permitted to visit the schools in the early Spring to enlist the interest of children in home and school gardens. In certain schools, notably the Cutler, Edgerly, and Bingham, garden classes were formed. and in others smaller groups worked on the school gardens. Areas · on public parks in all parts of the city were given again for these gardens, and some vacant lots were yielded by their own- ers for the same use. A favorable season aided the young gardeners to produce substantial crops to the advantage of the home table and to the pocket books of the children.
From close personal observation of this undertaking, I am convinced of the wisdom of promoting, in a careful way, the school and home garden movement in this city. All that has been accomplished in this work by the efforts of past years should be held, and additional measures taken. Instruction in school would greatly help pupils who want to have gardens next year. Such instruction could be furnished by a garden teacher who would visit each garden class periodically during the school months. By the time the planting season had ar- rived, the pupils would be well prepared to begin work intelli- gently and with encouraging prospects of success.
Last year I made four general recommendations in closing my annual report. Two of these have been carried into effect this year. The other two urged additions to the West Somer- ville Junior High School building and to the East Somerville Junior High School building. These have not been acted upon at all. This year I wish to close this report with the following recommendations :
First, that the subject of providing needed additions to our school accommodations be carefully studied and a plan for pro- cedure to meet those needs be formulated ;
Second, that, after this plan has been agreed upon, an ap- propriation be sought to provide additional construction during 1919;
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Third, that favorable attention be given to further in- creases of teachers' salaries as money for that purpose may be made available;
Fourth, that emphasis be placed upon home and school garden work by the employment of a garden instructor for ten . months of the school year.
I have again to express grateful acknowledgment to all with whom I have been associated in the school work for en- couragement and assistance. To the members of the School Committee, personally and collectively, and to His Honor, Mayor Eldridge, to the principals and teachers of the schools, I am indebted for unfailing consideration and courtesy. To you and to them I now express my sincere appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
January 3, 1919.
CHARLES S. CLARK, Superintendent of Schools.
REPORT ON HIGH SCHOOL.
Mr. Charles S. Clark,
Superintendent of Schools,
Somerville, Mass.
Dear Mr. Clark :
War conditions and the influenza epidemic very seriously affected the regular work of the school during the past year ; yet, notwithstanding these drawbacks, progress has been made in certain respects.
Physical Training.
The realization that care of the body, correct standing and walking, and proper exercise are a valuable and necessary part of the education of our youth has resulted in the development of a general plan for physical training. For several years a setting-up drill for a few minutes each day has resulted in bene- fit and has met with considerable favor among pupils and teachers.
This year a further step has been taken. The entire school has been organized into companies and has marched, each com- pany once a week, - the boys to the State Armory and the girls to the Y. M. C. A., where marching tactics and exercises for forty-five minutes have been enthusiastically practiced. Of- ficers, selected by competition and examination, attained a high degree of leadership and much rivalry and healthy com-
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petition has resulted. A field band consisting of drums, fifes, and brass instruments has been formed and has added apprecia- bly to the enjoyment and value of the undertaking. Although guns and uniforms were not made a part of the plan, yet enough of the military has been incorporated to make the work interest- ing and to insure a strong, permanent organization. The plan - is new but has taken a strong foothold in the school and has made a very favorable impression.
Japanese Exhibit.
Last spring the school was asked to contribute an exhibit to be sent with those of other schools to Japan. This exhibit was under the direction of Columbia University. Somerville High School prepared an exhibit of about twenty volumes. These volumes contained graded work of the various depart- ments of the school, sample copies of notebooks, graded sheets of the courses in mechanical and freehand drawing, photo- graphs (about one hundred) of the school, class rooms, and various forms of school activities, and a description (with forms and explanations) of the organization and administra- tion of the school. The exhibit was beautifully bound and made an interesting and instructive portrayal of the school work. While no recognition has yet been received from Japan, we are justly proud of the following letter of commendation received from Columbia University.
SUPERINTENDENT C. S. CLARK,
Somerville, Mass.
My Dear Sir :- About a fortnight ago I received from you for Dr. Norisugi, the Japanese Inspector of Education visiting - in this country, the volumes which you had prepared at my sug- gestion for an exhibit of the work of the American Schools. The materials which you submitted for Somerville Schools were so admirable in conception, execution, and in detail that- I desire to express my very great personal appreciation to you and to those who participated in this work. It was quite the most excellent exhibit submitted by any school and made a deep impression upon the Japanese educators who have seen it. . While there may be some delay in acknowledgment from them owing to their absence from the country, knowing their punctilious courtesy, I am sure you will receive acknowledg- ment of their appreciation in time.
Again thanking you for this cooperation, I am
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) . PAUL MONROE, Director.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
School Library.
The plan of our school library is a unique one, in this sec- tion at least, and is deserving of favorable comment at this time. A trained librarian is in charge who, by cooperation with teachers and pupils, has made the library a very valuable department of the school. Incentive for good reading and an interest in good books, along with the teaching of independent thought and investigation, have materially grown in the school.
This librarian is under a part time arrangement with the public library. During the school session and for an hour afterwards she is at the school; the rest of the day she is in charge of the Intermediate department at the public library, working with high school students there. Her salary is paid half by the school department and half by the public library, and her time, during the school vacations is spent at the public library excepting one month in the summer. This part time schedule makes it easier for the public library to keep in touch with the school work. to know more definitely what the student wants, to know what to be prepared for when a whole class is assigned the same problem, and enables the public library to supplement more easily the work of the school. It keeps the high school librarian, and through her the teachers, in touch with the resources of the public library and with the new books, and it develops close cooperation between the two libraries.
A brief report of the librarian follows :-
"The high school library itself comprises nearly 1,800 vol- umes, about 150 volumes being added each year from the school fund. The public library is most generous. not only in lending books. but in purchasing them for high school use, to be kept in the high school library indefinitely. $150 was so spent for books last year. The books were largely war titles, and books of general interest: the reference books being purchased by the school department. Through a system of interchange, the high school may borrow books for a short period, to be used by teachers and pupils. For example, a class is taking up the study of essays. Enough copies of essays are borrowed to supplement those already in the library so that each pupil has an opportunity to read several by various authors. An- other group is debating on government ownership of railroads, and again the public library is called on to supplement the material on hand.
"Magazines play an important part in the work of the school. Twenty different ones are taken including those deal- ing with scientific subjects, current events, civics, history, and literature. These, especially Travel, National Geographic, Bookman, etc., bring a touch of culture into the home where there often would not be much : keep the pupils in touch with
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the events of the times, and broaden their point of view. These magazines are kept where they are easily available, and there are always a great many students looking at them.
"A great deal of time and attention is given to the selec- tion of books for pupils to read. A very large and important part of the librarian's time is spent in aiding students to select books and in discussing books with them. Classes are brought into the library so that the pupils may have the opportunity to "browse" and form an appreciation for the best in books. Attractive editions of standard books-such as the edition of Midsummer Night's Dream, illustrated by Rackham; Ivanhoc, illustrated by Greiffenhagen ; Treasure Island and Kidnapped, with their Wyeth pictures ; and many others are there. Books may be taken out to be read at home, and are read, not only by the borrower but by the whole family.
"Classes are also held there to instruct pupils in the use of books-to help them to be able to find the material they want without waste of time, to show them how to use indexes, tables of contents, bibliographies, the use of diction- aries and encyclopaedias, etc., and the periodicals with the periodical index. Instructions are also given in the arrange- ment and use of a library, so that they may avail themselves of the resources of their public library.
"The library aims to be the workshop of the entire school, to have material to aid every department. In order to show something of the field covered by the library, a few of the questions asked (in less than ten minutes) of the librarian are given below. These questions were not to be answered by the librarian, of course, but the pupil had to be shown where to find the material.
1. I want something that compares the lives of Johnson and Boswell.
2. Will this book make a good oral theme?
3. I want a history of the department stores of Boston, especially Filene's.
4. What can I find about the governments of Europe ?
5. Will you give me a definition of education and a history of its development ?
6. Where are the books on "gearing"?
7. I want a book that compares the humor of Washing- ton Irving with that of Mark Twain.
8. Please find me a picture of Lincoln's hand.
9. How are buttons made ?
10. In what magazine shall I find the best article on The League of Nations ?
"The number of students using the library averages be- tweeen 150 and 175 a day; and the number of teachers, ten to twelve. About fifty books are taken out every night after
-
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school, some to be read simply for the pleasure of reading. The present room is much too small to meet the needs of the school, and will have to be enlarged before another year, especially if the work continues to grow as it has been grow- ing."
War History Course.
The happy termination of the war has given us appreciable relief from the many demands and interruptions of war work. In order, however, that the pupils might not forget too soon the terrible experience through which the world has been passing and might thoroughly understand the lessons of the great war, a course in war history has been established for the entire school. The history and civics teachers have entered enthusiastically into the plan. The aims and outline of the course are given below :
THE COURSE IN WAR HISTORY. Somerville High School. 1918-1919.
Aims of the Course :-
To give pupils intelligence as to the causes of the war,
the characteristics of the belligerent nations,
the stakes of each nation in the struggle.
To show that the participation of the United States was inevitable owing to
her interest in the fundamental principles involved,
her share in the common danger from German aggression.
To develop in the pupils an appreciation of the cost in blood and treasure at which their liberties have been secured.
· To pave the way for intelligent reading of the newspapers with reference to the problems of the peace settlement.
Method of the Course :-
Informal talks supplemented by outside reading.
Outline of subjects (abbreviated from the Teachers' Leaflet No. 4, United States Bureau of Education).
1. Germany.
2. Austria Hungary.
3. The Balkans.
4. France.
5. Great Britain.
6. Russia.
7. The allies versus Pan-Germany.
8. Outbreak of the war and its conduct through the first battle of the Marne.
9. Conduct of the war on land and sea and in the air to April, 1917.
10. Evidences of German enmity to the United States, and Wil- son's War message.
11. American mobilization of the army, navy, aviation and finance.
12. Organization of shipping of food supplies, transportation, care of soldiers, and school work for war purposes.
13. The conduct of the war from April, 1917, to March 21, 1918.
14. The conduct of the war from March 21, 1918, to the end.
15. Terms of peace and problems of reconstruction.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
Letters from an English Teacher.
Several of our boys will have a chance to establish corre- spondence with school children in England as a part of the big plan of closer relationship and better understanding be- tween the people of the two countries which is one of the out- growths of the war.
In December I received a letter from Mr. C. Lowe, head- master of the Constitution Hill Boys' Common School in Wellington, Shropshire, England, containing fourteen letters from pupils of his school which were being given to boys of the Somerville High School to answer.
The letter from Mr. Lowe, as well as those from the boys, was a beautiful specimen of handwriting.
Mr. Lowe's letter said :-
Wellington, Shropshire, England, 14th Dec., 1918.
To the Headmaster :-
Dear Sir :- The boys of the above school are most anxious to set. up correspondence with some of the boys of a U. S. A. school, there- fore I am enclosing a few letters written by some of my senior boys in the hope that you will kindly pass them on to some of your scholars who will reply.
The people of our country wish all here to realize the relationship which exists between the people of U. S. and those of Gt. Britain.
To this end we set apart Thurs. 28th Nov. last as a special "Thanks- giving Day." We taught the meaning of the "American Thanksgiving Day," showed the need for English speaking peoples to hold together,. and pointed out the splendid lead which U. S. had made towards improving world conditions.
We hoisted the "Stars and Stripes" on our School flagstaff, and paintings were made of it. American airmen visited the School and. U. S. aeroplanes gave us an exhibition of flying "stunts."
And now our bigger boys wish to do "Their bit" towards strength- ening the bond of union by reaching out the hand of friendship to some of their school-cousins across the Atlantic.
They are very enthusiastic, so please do your best to make the idea "go" and I believe it will be a benefit both to your boys and ours. I am, Dear Sir:
Yours faithfully,
C. LOWE,
Headmaster.
P. S .- I know what the Americans have done in France-have fought there myself, been wounded and am now discharged and back at my school once more. This is one reason for my interest in this. matter. C. L.
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
We are grateful that the Somerville High School was selected to participate in this form of international fellowship and trust that the custom will continue.
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