USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1951 > Part 9
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VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
The Vocational Schools once again are adjusting to the changing conditions in the industrial world. The War in Korea has brought about certain changes in the country that were felt immediately in the Vocational School. The need for train- ing more students in the metal trades, such as automobile, auto body, sheet metal, and machine, has arrived, and in addi- tion to this the need for more training in the electronic field is also in demand because of the needs of the various branches of the armed services.
The Automobile Department is once again filled to capa- city, and it is indeed fortunate that we have added to the equipment this year a Distributor Tester and a Motor Tester so that now we can use the most modern methods to trace motor trouble and remedy it more rapidly. We now look forward to having modern steering and front wheel alignment equipment to complete the good work in all phases of the de- partment.
The demand for students and trained mechanics in the "Auto Body" line of work has been greater than ever in 1951, and from a general survey of the existing conditions the de- mand for skilled help in this lucrative field will be greater than ever in 1952. We have been unable to meet the needs of in- dustry in this line and have received out-of-state requests for help as well as calls from Boston proper and the suburban cities. In spite of the limited amount of space that is allotted in the Vocational School Building for this course the results in student placement and in school shop progress have been ex-
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ceedingly gratifying. There is definite need for larger quarters for the conduct of this work.
The Carpentry Department has continued the unusually good work of previous years and has saved the City much money by the increasing amount of practical work done for various municipal departments. Due to the increased enroll- ment in Kindergarten Classes, necessary additional furniture, such as chairs and tables, were manufactured.
The Electrical Department has been active throughout the year doing practical repair jobs, such as maintenance of the electrical equipment of the school, which includes lights, power, telephone and signal systems, as well as the automatic coal handling machinery, and many requested outside wiring projects. During the year the Electrical Shop has been equipped with new demonstration wiring boards in booths where wiring and equipment for light, power and signal volt- ages are available for testing purposes.
The Painting and Decorating Department is functioning exceptionally well in spite of its limited quarters. This depart- ment has an excellent placement record with industry. An idea of the practicability of the training offered may be gleaned through some of the following accomplishments: finishing of many kindergarten chairs and tables built by the Carpentry Department, refinishing of furniture in the Domestic Science department of the Junior Vocational School, replacement of many lights of glass in the building, and many other necessary repairs. An unusual opportunity for the students was their par- ticipation in the redecoration of the City Infirmary, where practically the entire women's section, help's quarters, main dining room and kitchen were repaired and redecorated.
The Machine and Printing Departments have as usual carried on their good instructional work along with helping the various departments of the City with practical work for their use. The placement record in both of these departments has been excellent.
It is gratifying to note that the many practical opportuni- ties for work experience afforded the various shops by the de- partments of the city government are productive of many financial savings to the city.
The instruction in the academic division of the school has been accelerated during the past year by adding gradually new equipment and supplies.
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The Junior Vocational School for Boys is the division operated for boys of the 14-16 year old age group who have completed the sixth grade. This school offers, with the help of skilled craftsmen, a background of industrial training. Sheet metal, Woodwork, and a very necessary course in Draftsman- ship are offered. The academic work of a seventh and eighth grade level is taken care of by the academic department of the, Girls' Division.
The Girls' Division of the Junior Vocational School is maintaining its high standard of Household Arts, which in- cludes Cooking, Sewing, and preparing its graduates for fur- ther education in a Senior Trade High School. An open house demonstration of the work of this division, to which the teachers and Household Arts students of the junior high schools were invited, proved to be very interesting and educa- tional to those who attended. This group also had an interest- ing booth at the "The Schools are Yours" program.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Civil Defense
Mr. Joseph M. Thornton, Director of Civil Defense for Somerville, in February 1951 appointed the Assistant Super- intendent of Schools as Chairman of a Civil Defense Commit- tee for the Schools, to plan for the safety of school children and teachers in the event of atomic disaster. The general committee includes a representative of the parochial schools of the city. The first meeting was held in February, at which time a plan of operation was developed. Organization, Instruc- tion, and Public Information subcommittees were appointed,
The Committee on Organization has set up a telephone alert, whereby messages from the Civil Defense Center may be relayed through the office of the Superintendent of Schools to all public and parochial schools of the city. This committee also arranged for a complete survey of all public and parochial school buildings, which was made by the safety engineer of the Building Department together with representatives of the State and Federal Governments, to determine the safest locations within each building where children might congregate in the event of emergency.
Outlines of instruction for use in elementary, junior high, and high schools, to prepare children for an understanding of the danger of atomic disaster, have been prepared by the Com- mittee on Instruction. A course in first aid for senior high
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school pupils has also been organized by this committee, and provision has been made for first aid instruction in the health classes in the junior high schools and in the parochial schools. All necessary equipment has been provided by the Civil De- fense Agency.
The Committee on Public Information has made arrange- ments for the distribution of printed material relating to civil defense to the homes through the school children, and for the showing of films and for the use of other teaching materials.
The work of this committee is exceedingly important, and it has given and will continue to give constant attention to the further development of the program to the end that the over- all plan will be adequate to cope with whatever emergencies arise.
Hearing Conservation
The School Committee with the cooperation of the Board of Health operates a modern and progressive Hearing Con- servation Program. The purpose of the program is not only to aid the aurally handicapped children, but also to locate border- line cases which may become serious unless treatment is started when the child is young. Such borderline cases are dis- covered through the pure tone audiometer testing program. Referral is made to the Ear Clinic, which is an invaluable ad- junct to the school program because, through the examination by the school otologist, diagnosis is made and treatment is recommended to the parents. Many serious hearing losses are hereby located sufficiently early so that treatment may prevent further loss. The responsibility for the treatment belongs to the parent. It is known that the suggested treatment for the children is not always provided, but parents are urged to pro- vide the necessary treatment through follow-up of each case by home visits or questionnaires.
The hearing handicapped child frequently has defective speech, because when he does not hear normally he cannot make the speech sounds correctly. It appears that cases of defective speech and hearing are increasing in number in the primary grades annually. Previous to the fall of 1951 audio- metric testing was begun in grade three, but now children in the kindergartens and grades one and two who manifest speech defects are tested to locate hearing defects. Such cases need both speech and hearing therapy, a limited amount of which has been provided this year. It should be noted that the
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child with normal hearing but having a speech defect must ob- tain his speech therapy at a clinic like that at Boston Univer- sity. Consideration should be given by the School Committee to the possibility of providing help for those children with speech defects, a handicap which is quite embarrassing to the child.
The membership of the Lip Reading classes is made up entirely of children who have been examined by the otologist or the Ear Clinic, and who show that they have serious and progressive hearing losses. Such classes now number sixteen, located in fifteen schools. There are two high school classes, three junior high school classes, and eight elementary school classes, which meet weekly for forty-five minute periods, and there are two primary school classes which meet weekly for fifteen to thirty minute periods.
Some work in auditory training is being done for children who wear hearing aids, but this work is limited because of the need for further equipment.
School for the Deaf
It has always been the policy of the Somerville School Committee to provide the necessary special educational oppor- tunities for all the children of the community. Previous para- graphs have given a brief statement about the opportunities which are provided for the hard-of-hearing children. It is not generally known that at the present time there are twelve minor residents of Somerville attending schools for the deaf, supported by the State, and probably there are several other children who are legally deaf, but, due to the lack of nearby facilities, are receiving no education whatsoever.
Recently the Superintendent of Schools requested the School Committee to authorize him to request that the State Department of Education establish a School for the Deaf in Somerville. Such a school would be equipped with the most modern equipment and the instruction would be provided by state funds. The City would provide the room or rooms in a school building and the necessary heat and power. Investiga- tion of the request is now being made by the State Department of Education, and it is anticipated that favorable action will result. and the citizens of Somerville may anticipate another evidence that the school system is rated considerably above the average by the State Department.
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Americanization and Basic English
Newcomers from almost all parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with the majority still from Italy, have made up the membership of the classes in Americanization this past year .. These students of all ages seem to be even more anxious, keener, more earnest, and more desirous of learning American ways, customs, and the new language than their predecessors, and all are anxious to become American citizens. This division of the school system has continued to do a splendid piece of work and its accomplishments have been heralded to places considerably distant. As a result, many requests have been re- ceived for opportunities for students from nearby institutions, as well as from foreign countries, to do practice teaching in our classes, that they may acquire the techniques, through the use of Basic English, to do similar work successfully in their own countries or localities.
At the request of the English Language Research, Inc. of Harvard College, four young ladies trom Berry College in Rome, Georgia, were trained in our teaching techniques, as a result of which they are now specializing in the teaching of reading in the elementary schools in Georgia. Teachers from. Okinawa, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, who next year will be teaching in the American schools in those countries, also participated in this practice teaching program, as did a Con- necticut English teacher who intends to teach Basic English in. Indonesia.
A group of fifteen soldiers has been sent to Somerville from Camp Edwards and Fort Devens to observe our tech- niques, in order to teach Puerto Rican soldiers who are being. sent to Camp Edwards for English instruction.
A volunteer army from Europe will be located at Fort Devens. Fifty non-English speaking men a month will be sent there until the maximum of 2500 European soldiers have en- listed in our Army. These men will be allowed to become American citizens at the end of five years of service in the Army. They will be instructed in English and citizenship by the soldiers previously mentioned.
Thrift
The thrift program is continuing to show a healthy growth, as is attested by the fact that the number of accounts opened in the two years of operation of the new School Savings System reached the grand total of 10,275 at the end of the
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last school year. Deposits in the School Bank amounted to $72,151.75 for the past year.
In fulfilling its twofold purpose, first, to promote under- standing of the value of personal thrift through the medium of savings accounts, and second, to provide special training to the pupil personnel which handles all the banking work, the program is most efficacious for the participants from a finan- cial and educational point of view. At the same time, it is serving the national interest.
By strengthening the sense of personal financial security through thrift training in the schools, community security be- comes more of a reality, and ultimately, the very strength of the nation itself is fortified. Thus a critical need of the mo- ment in the life of the nation is being met as the stresses of inflation and uncertain global conditions are straining its economic structure. It is important for the schools to be actively engaged in the task of helping ensure a sound eco- nomic future for the country.
Art
In the elementary schools this year a worthwhile program in free expression has been conducted. In this work the child is encouraged to select as a basis of his expression in art, his own experiences. These experiences he finds at home, at play, and at school. He is expected to say something through his art.
The growth of the child in his ability to express himself through his art was very noticeable. In grade one the children made their picture forms the way they knew them. In grade two the picture forms seemed to take on a more realistic look. In grade three interesting ways of getting action into the pic- tures took place. In grade four the composition became better. In grade five water color was introduced, and this medium was of much interest to the pupils. In grade six there was a very noticeable growth. Art experiences had helped to develop an appreciation for the natural world, color and form, orderly ar- rangement, habits of observation, creative thinking, care of materials, appreciation of each other's efforts, doing one's best, and working agreeably with each other.
The Northeastern Junior High School is to be com- mended for the good art work accomplished at that school this year. One of the outstanding accomplishments was the win- ning of three gold keys by students who entered the Scholastic
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Awards regional competition, and also the winning by one stu- dent of national honor for his piece of work submitted in the National Competition.
There is a great need in the junior high school for more craft work. Linoleum block printing, etching, and textile painting have been included in the junior high school art pro- gram. These techniques are beneficial and very adaptable to pupils of this age level.
The senior high school has cooperated with the Junior Red Cross in a very special way this year. Their donations of gifts and posters for veterans were outstanding from a stand- point of art work.
In September 1951 plans were made for high school and junior high school students to participate in the Scholastic Art Awards competition which takes place in March 1952, and also in the International Art Program which takes place in May 1952.
The Scholastic Art Awards competition is held every year for the encouragement of art ability among the senior and junior high school students. Regional exhibitions give students opportunity for local recognition of their work. National honors consist of tuition scholarships to leading art schools, cash awards, and representation in the National High School Art Exhibition at the Fine Arts Galleries of Carnegie Institute in Pittsburg.
The International Art program, sponsored jointly by the Junior Red Cross and the National Art Education Association, gives junior and senior high school students the opportunity to send paintings and drawings describing their lives and their interests to youth of other lands through National Red Cross societies.
Students are now preparing work for both these activities and in February and April this work will be on exhibition in Somerville before it is sent to regional exhibitions.
It is a satisfying thrill to visit classrooms during the Christmas season. The rooms put on such a gay, colorful ap- pearance as they show the decorations and also display the Christmas "take home" gifts. These gifts include bread boards, tea tiles, necktie racks, vases, kerchiefs, scarfs, and table mats. The most satisfaction, however, comes from watch- ing the children as they make these gifts and so very easily apply creative design to the various objects.
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Music
During the year 1951 continued progress has been made in the Music program of the schools from the kindergarten through the high school. The vocal work of the elementary schools has been done efficiently and well. Valuable aid con- tinues to be given by the practice teachers from the Boston University School of Music. An in-service training class for the men teachers in the elementary schools, meeting once a week, was conducted by the Director of Music, and has been very successful.
The violin project started in a recent year has made con- siderable advancement, and with such success that it is hoped that projects with other musical instruments, such as trum- pets and clarinets, can be started in the near future.
At the junior high school level, work in appreciation is needed to supplement the present choral work. This may very easily be accomplished through the cooperation of the public library which has been equipped with a very fine library of records which may be borrowed by the schools. A very suc- cessful junior high school performance, the work of the after- noon classes in clarinet and trumpet, and the fine showing of the juior high school band indicates progress at this level. As was reported last year, a brass ensemble from the junior high schools will again play carols on Christmas Eve for the com- munity singing sponsored by one of the local fraternal organ- izations.
There has been continued growth in interest in all phases of music at the high school level the past year. Advanced theory classes have been organized and much use has been made in the appreciation classes of the public library record lending program. The glee clubs and choral groups have been increased in number and many requests have been made for public appearances of these groups. The band also has made many public appearances. All of these public performances have been successful, and the scholarship fund of this depart- ment has been considerably augmented thereby.
Special Classes
No retardate is capable of getting enough from ordinary schooling to enable him to meet satisfactorily the demands of living. The basic characteristics of mental deficiency are limitation in adaptive power, association power, and learning speed. These limitations are so great that they extend to
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learning and practicing of the simple operations that the aver- age child picks up unconsciously. The only protection of the mental deficient is special class education. It is believed that the retarded have a beneficial contribution to make to the world in which they live, and that it is a primary function of special education to help the retarded to realize such poten- tialities.
Conscientious educators have come to see that the re- tarded must be given a developmental program that stresses the potentialities of these children rather than a remote or impractical adaptation of a normal program. Such a develop- mental program is built around the achieving of vocational and social competence, for here, if anywhere, the retarded will most nearly approach normalcy.
Initial steps have been taken in the development of tool subject sequences covering all gradations from reading readi- ness level to the fifth-grade level. It is expected that the establishment of specific standards of desired academic and personal and social individual achievements will make for more desirable homogeneous grouping in the special classes. Such a condition can only result in more efficient teaching.
The extension of the use of Basic English as a teaching method in reading for the lower group of mentally retarded adolescents in the Occupational Classes has filled a need in the training of the retarded. Through the use of audio-visual aids, material was presented that was practical and specific in nature and had a high interest level with a low vocabulary level.
Although the applied mechanical arts program for spe- cial class boys functions on a shop level, there is no attempt to develop specific skills usually associated with vocational training. Rather the aim is to give training in the general habits, attitudes, and skills common to all,-individuality, good workmanship, and citizenship. This is true because of the way the retarded learn and because service jobs, for which the majority of the retarded are best suited, are more depend- ent upon general characteristics than upon the specific skills usually associated with vocational training.
Cooperating with other municipal departments, the boys in the Occupational Classes during the course of their shop work program have repaired and constructed play equipment to be used on the summer playgrounds, and repaired and re-
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finished school desks. They have also worked on alterations and improvements to certain school equipment in the build- ing where the classes are located. Private social welfare agencies have been aided by the work of these boys. Mate- rials were provided by the agency, with all labor being per- formed in the special class shop.
The first In-Service Training Program for teachers of mentally retarded children was held in early spring of this year. This was a purely voluntary activity on the part of the teachers and was conducted after school sessions for a period of five days with each session being two hours in length. Em- phasis was placed on the applied mechanical and manual skills found in the work area for special class school-leavers. Train- ing was also given in the nonmanual skills in the work area. Further programs are being planned that will emphasize other factors in a different developmental program for the mentally retarded.
The Schools Are Yours
During the spring the Somerville Teachers' Club, with the cooperation and assistance of the Somerville Schoolmen's Club, organized a most successful exhibit which was open to the public, the theme of which was, "The Schools Are Yours". The specific aim of this program was to create a greater gen- eral awareness on the part of the public of the broad scope of the school program. The exhibit, representing all phases of the educational system, was located in the High School gym- nasium and the East Wing of the High School. In addition to the exhibits in the booths, there were "live exhibits" or dem- onstrations on the stage, involving glee clubs, physical educa- tion classes, fashion show by the Home Economics classes, drawing lessons, language lessons, and motion pictures. Finger painting by the kindergarten children, jewelry making, printing, wood turning, and reading and writing methods were some of the more popular displays. During the day and a half in which the exhibit was open, 4500 adults and 3500 school children attended, which was a most gratifying response. The exhibit was preceded by a public meeting attended by 1600 adults, at which Dr. Glenn E. Snow, a former president of the National Education Association, presented the national view- point on education, and Miss Margaret T. C. Murphy, Presi- dent of the Massachusetts Teachers Federation, gave the state viewpoint on education. The entire program, even though marred by a very severe rain on the second day, was most suc- cessful in accomplishing the aim.
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