USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1907 > Part 10
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Buildings.
The Chairman of the Committee has spoken in his re- port of what has been done during the year to improve the condition of the school buildings. Previous to the last two or three years the amount allowed for repairs was insufficient to keep the buildings and furniture in good condition. During the last three years, however, the allowance for repairs has been increased so that to- day the buildings are in excellent condition. In that time more than half of the buildings have been painted inside and out, new floors have been laid in ten rooms, includ- ing halls and coat-rooms, new sanitaries have been in- stalled in eight buildings, and new furniture has been placed in thirteen rooms, while the furniture in four other rooms has been refinished. The outlying schools are at present in better condition than the largest school in the centre of the town, the Sanford Street School. This school, being older than the rest, has an inadequate system of ventilation, and at times, of heating: poor sanitary arrangements ; and four rooms in the grammar building which need new furniture. Twenty-five per cent. of all the pupils in town attend this school, and an improvement in these conditions would benefit an un- usually large number of pupils.
There is need also at this school of a suitable lunch room for those pupils who are obliged to bring their din- ners. At times there are as many as seventy-five pupils who stay during the noon intermission, and it is not a
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ANNUAL REPORT.
good thing for the children, boys and girls together, to have the run of the buildings for an hour, without some- one to take care of them. A room in the basement of the grammar building could be equipped for a lunch room, and it could be the duty of some teacher to look after the pupils at noontime. I am sure the parents of these chil- dren would most heartily approve of this step.
Evening Schools.
The evening schools were held as usual at Bank street, Dodgeville and Hebronville, three nights a week, from October I to the close of the fall term. At Dodgeville and Hebronville there were three classes-illiterates, primary and grammar. At Bank Street, in addition to these, there were classes in mechanical drawing and bookkeeping. The class in mechanical drawing was held three nights a week this year instead of two nights as has been usual, and nearly twice as much work was accomplished as in previous years. The class in bookkeeping did nearly as much as the scholars in the High School do in a year, and they worked hard to do it. No one who visited the schools while they were in session, and saw the neatness of the scholars, the interest they showed in their work, the enthusiasm of the teachers and their evident desire to do all they could for their pupils, can doubt the im- mense amount of gocd that the evening schools are ac- complishing.
The following figures show the attendance at the three schools :
Bank St. Hebron. Dodge.
Total. 353
Enrollment. . .238
68
47
Average attendance per night 108
36
23
167
Per cent. of attendance
- to enrollment 45
53
49
47
Number illiterates II2
34
I2
158
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ANNUAL REPORT.
Vacation Schools.
Vacation, schools were conducted at Dodgeville and Hebronville during the summer along the same lines as last year. Sewing was the principal work of the schools. Sand piles were provided for the younger scholars, in addition to the games that were purchased last year. It would seem that some provision should be made for boys at these vacation schools, and I recommend that some manual work, such as basketry, weaving, chair caning, or something similar be attempted as an experi- ment if the vacation schools are continued next sum- mer. The cost for both schools was $244.51, of which $204 was for teachers' salaries.
Attendance Record :
Dodge.
Hebron.
Total.
Enrollment
68
46
II.4
Average attendance
40
39
79
Per cent. of attendance
60
85
69
The average attendance at the kindergarten at Dodge- ville during the summer was 18.
Industrial Education.
No subject is so prominent educationally today as in- dustrial education. We spend thousands of dollars to maintain schools that will give a few boys and girls a preparation for college, and so start them. it may be, to- ward a professional career. To the boy who has to leave school to enter the shop or factory, we give very little in the way of special preparation for his work. It is all new to him when he comes to it, and what with the growing dislike of workmen for apprentices, and the disposition of employers to keep a young employee in
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ANNUAL REPORT.
the position where he is most profitable, it may be years before he is able to learn more of the business in which he is engaged than the mere routine of one part of it. Thus a boy who enters a shop at the age of fourteen is not fitted at the age of eighteen to fill a much more re- sponsible position than when he entered the shop, and there has been a loss to the boy of three or four years of education. .
To prevent this loss, and to give the boy an under- standing in a general way of the business in which he is to engage, the advocates of industrial education urge the establishment of industrial schools. These schools would be open only to pupils who had passed the compulsory school age, and would be organized according to the needs of the local industries. About half of the time would be spent on such grammar or high school studies as the pupils were prepared for, and the rest on some trade or industry. If towns can afford to spend as much money as they do to prepare a few pupils for profession- al life, why, the advocates of industrial education ask, cannot they afford to spend a like amount to fit a much larger number of pupils to take responsible positions in industrial life?
Manual Training.
In the first four grades the work consists of paper fold- ing and cutting, and construction work in connection with drawing; in the fifth and sixth grades the girls have sewing and the boys have cardboard construction ; and in the seventh grade girls have sewing and the boys sloyd. The sewing so far has been conducted by the teachers of the different grades. The work done has been very satisfactory; but teachers change so often, and some are so much better prepared to teach sewing than others, that in justice to all the scholars, and as a means of improving the work and making it more effective, I recommend that a teacher of sewing be employed.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
In the eighth grade our classes are so large that we have been unable to provide any suitable manual work for the boys. The work of the seventh grade, however, should be extended to the eighth, as soon as suitable ac- commodations can be had. As the making of jewelry is practically the only business in which our pupils will en- gage after leaving school, the work of the schools ought so far as possible-consistent with the general aim of education-to correlate with the leading industry of the town; and special emphasis should be placed on those subjects which are closely related to the jewelry busi- ness.
No-School Signals.
For the school year from September, 1906, to June, 1907, the signals for no school were sounded as follows:
Date Signal sounded at
Grades closed
Dec. 6, 1906 II :15 One session.
Feb. 1, 1907 8:15 Grades I-IV, all day.
Feb. 5, 1907 7:45 and 8:15 Grades I-VIII, all day.
The following new signals have been adopted to take effect January 1, 1908:
No-School Signals.
Consist of four double strokes on the Fire Alarm, 2-2-2-2. Given at They mean
7:15 A. M .- No session for the High School.
8:00 A. M .- No morning session for all grades below the High School.
8:15 A. M .- No morning session for the first, second and third grades. Afternoon session for all grades unless the signal is repeated at 12:15 or 12:30.
II :15 A. M .- One session. Grades I to III will close for the day at 12 M. All higher grades then in session will close for the day at I P. M.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
12:15 P. M .- No afternoon session for all grades below the High School. ยท
12:30 P. M .- No afternoon session for the first, second and third grades.
6:50 P. M .- No session for the evening schools.
The signal will be given at 8 A. M. and 12:15 only in very severe storms.
Note .- Dodgeville and Hebronville villages will be notified by the ringing of the factory bells, there being no fire alarm bell there. Turner Street School will be governed by the Pawtucket signals.
Gifts.
The following gifts have been received during the year :
Sanford Street School-Collection of curios, Miss Lucy Sweet.
High School-Six volumes History Reference Books, Richardson School Fund.
Sanford Street-Thirty-one lantern slides, Richardson School Fund.
Richardson-Historical Fund.
chart, Richardson School
Briggs Corner-Small organ, Richardson School Fund.
Primary Grades-25 Hazard's Three Years With the Poets, Richardson School Fund.
Sixth Grades-10 Tappan's Our Country's Story, Richardson School Fund.
The Woman's Relief Corps has supplied silk flags for six rooms.
Age and Schooling Certificates.
The number of age and schooling certificates issued to boys and girls between 14 and 16 years of age for the
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ANNUAL REPORT.
last three years is as follows : 1904, 166; 1905, 190; 1906, 292. This year we have issued 231 such certificates, 61 less than last year.
Reports.
I desire to call your attention to the various special re- ports accompanying this report, which deserve your careful consideration.
In conclusion, I wish again to express to the teachers my hearty appreciation of their sincere efforts to im- prove the schools, and to thank the Committee for their continued kindness, co-operation and support.
Respectfully submitted,
LEWIS A. FALES.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools :
The enrollment of the High School for the fall term just ended was 226, as compared with 245 for the corre- sponding period last year. This is a matter of grave con- cern to those most interested and has been carefully con- sidered, as this loss in membership marks the first halt after eight years' steady gain.
Thetotalenrollmentof the school for the year ending in June last was 249, of whom 51 were graduated, by far the largest class ever graduated from our school. In Sep- tember we enrolled an unusually promising freshman class of 80 members. Thus we show a loss of about 50 between September, 1906, and September, 1907. About 30 of these dropped out during the school year and 20 who were members in June failed to return in Septem- ber.
The question at once arises, "Why do so many drop out?" Change of residence and ill health account for some : but in too many cases the pupils leave because they fall behind in their studies, and get discouraged over the prospect of taking five years to earn the di- ploma. The reason for this is, usually, too little home study; and a consideration of this fact leads me to the one thing which I wish to emphasize in this report, viz., the attitude of the parents toward the school.
I do not wish to shirk any responsibility which prop- erly belongs to the High School and its teachers. Our policies may not always be good, we probably make many mistakes: but those we desire to correct and we need the advice and assistance of the parents. The best results in school can be obtained only when parents and teachers work together.
While a child is in the grade schools, unless he is very
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ANNUAL REPORT.
slow, nearly all of his studying can be done in school; but the plan of recitation work in the High School is such that much of the preparation of lessons must be made at home. To graduate in four years a pupil must now carry work amounting to at least fifteen credits a year, which means fifteen recitations a week. As a mat- ter of fact, pupils elect more than that, so that at present the average is nineteen. Each day is divided into six periods of forty-five minutes each, making a total of thirty periods a week. It is apparent that a pupil who recites during nineteen periods a week has but eleven periods left in which to prepare his lessons. This time is wholly insufficient, as one and one-half hours' study are expected of an average pupil on each prepared les- son. A little computation here will show that about three hours of home study each day must be necessary for the average pupil to prepare his work. The slower pupils need more time on each study, but as a rule do not carry quite so much work. Those who learn more quick- ly do not spend so much time on each study, but often carry more than the average number of points. There- fore, three hours a day may safely be considered the necessary amount of time for home study.
Now the chief difficulty which the teacher meets is this lack of home study, and here is where we would like the co-operation of the parents. Some parents send their children to school and seem to feel that their duty is done, that the entire responsibility rests on the teach- ers. This is not quite the case and never can be.
It is easy for the teachers to keep the pupils at their work during school hours. They are constantly urging the pupils to their best efforts, trying to inspire them to do more work, and insisting that they carry their books home ; but all this is vain effort if the pupils do not really study at home.
It seems to be easy enough for some boys and girls to go out three or four evenings a week : a few spend their
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ANNUAL REPORT.
afternoons on the street; and, most embarrassing of all, nearly one-third of the pupils work in stores or factories during a considerable part of their time out of school hours, in some cases twenty-five or thirty hours a week.
Where this is necessary to increase the family income, not a word should be spoken against it. In many other cases it is commendable, no doubt, but when a boy who is naturally slow or lazy in school is either encouraged or allowed to devote so much time to outside work that he is constantly behind in his studies, a serious mistake is made. This must in time, check a boy's ambition, he may grow to be satisfied with less than his best effort in whatever he undertakes, while the effect upon a class which includes several such laggards is very demoraliz- ing.
If the High School work is worth doing at all, whether as preparation for further study or not, it should be done as well as possible. The pupil's ambition should be to graduate with credit to himself; he should not be satis- fied to get through with the minimum rank on the mini- mum number of points. These days of specialization in all lines of business activity teach us that more and bet- ter work can be done if a man sticks to one thing. It should be apparent that if a boy's time and interest are so divided, he must slight something. Soon the inevit- able result follows, failure to pass in his studies, loss of promotion or the fear of it, and then the parents' reluc- tant consent to allow the boy to leave school.
Usually the parents lament this, but who is to blame? Parents say their children have plenty of chance to study if they only will, but they forget that mature judg- ment comes only with years and some children should be compelled to study. A boy recently told me that all his time is his own and that no one exercises any super- vision over his daily program ; after the school hours. he studies or not as he pleases. Of course such extreme conditions exist in but few cases, and then, I am sure,
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ANNUAL REPORT.
not so much through indifference to the child's welfare, as through misunderstanding of the conditions; but these are the cases we wish to reach, it is the children of these parents whom we wish to keep in school as long as possible.
An earnest effort is being made to raise the standard of scholarship in the High School, and to this end the number of credits necessary for graduation has been slightly increased, and some rules have been devised to serve as a spur to delinquents; but these will not serve the purpose for which they were designed unless the parents recognize and assume their own full share of responsibility in the education of their children.
In closing. I wish to make grateful acknowledgment to Mr. Harvey E. Clap for his gift to the school of a plaster cast; to Mr. Warren B. Luther for a picture; and to the Class of 1907 for Warner's "Library of the World's Best Literature," in thirty volumes.
I also desire to thank you and the members of the School Committee for your active interest and assistance in matters pertaining to the High School.
Respectfully submitted,
WILBUR D. GILPATRIC.
929
ANNUAL REPORT.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools :
Dr. Frank Damrosh of New York, the greatest au- thority on public school singing in this country, in an address before the Music Supervisors of Massachu- setts, said: "The subject of first importance before the teachers of music in the schools of this country today, is to develop good tone quality in all our school singing." That the majority of our classes are singing with a tone quality that is at all times pleasant to hear, is evident to those who have visited our schools. I believe that we have solved the problem of child voice, that we have learned by contrast the right kind of voice for the pupil to use, the voice no longer coarse and loud, but always sweet and pure, soft or loud as the sentiment of the music requires. This voice is known as the head voice, the natural voice of the child, and its cultivation is giv- ing to our singing a quality that is having a refining and enriching influence on the lives of our pupils.
Along with this tone culture, we aim to give the pupil such instruction in the language of music as will enable him to read vocal music at sight. This technical work is so graded that the pupil is 'led throught the various difficulties, until he is familiar with all the problems of music necessary to enable him to "carry a part" in chorus or concert work. This is not beyond the means of all save a gifted few, but is as easy of attainment as any subject in the school curriculum. It is not a ques- tion of special talent but of proper instruction. The old way of teaching the rudiments of music to the exclusion of everything musical is fast disappearing. We endeavor now to make all our technical work lead to and end in the song.
With good tone quality established and intelligent music thinking faithfully practised, our schools are in a
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ANNUAL REPORT.
better condition than ever to appreciate and enjoy the blessing of music. Throughout the year the work done by the primary and grammar grades has been most com- mendable and shows faithful application on the part of the pupils and teachers alike. The music at the High School continues as last year. The freshmen and and sophomore classes sing on Monday morning, and the junior and senior classes on Wednesday morning.
I am more and more convinced of the fact that if we are to cultivate a love for good music we must hear and study only the best works. To this end the music for study at the High School has been selected from the best composers. Such selections as the "Largo" and "Great Dagon" by Handel, "Lovely Appear" and "Un- fold Ye Portals" by Gounod. "Pilgrim Chorus" and the 'March" from Tannhauser by Wagner, the Cantatas "The Wreck of the Hesperus," Anderton. "The Village Blacksmith," Noyes, "The Building of the Ship," Laher, "Fair Ellen," Max Bruch, and "Ruth" by A. R. Gaul, all serve to set a standard of taste that will be felt more and more toward a better appreciation and love for good music.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN LAING GIBB.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools :
Drawing is taught in school because of its close rela- tion and definite value to the life and work of the people. The subject is treated not as an end but as a means to an end, for its educational value in developing free expres- sion, self activity and spontaneity on the part of the pupil. The image of the thing children wish to draw is in their minds, and they express if often with amazing vigor and meaning. To little children, drawing is a lan- guage. The child's crude sketches are developed into fairly creditable drawings by comparing his successive drawings with the object itself, with pictures, or with drawings made by his fellows.
During the first two or three years of school life, the child's greatest gain is from much drawing in his own way, with little criticism. He describes things con- nected with home, out-of-doors and school life. Thus the expression of drawing becomes a habit before the age of self-consciousness is reached. Correctness of form at the beginning is of secondary importance to the move- ment of the story.
Children after the first three years show some interest in making correct reperesentations of objects. During these years the sense of direction and the ability to judge size, proportion and placing, are developed.
In the grammar grades the aim is to develop a more accurate sense of proportion, a relation of parts to the whole, a more effective perspective representation, and some appreciation of artistic composition.
Working drawing is embcdied in the constructive work which is yearly finding a larger place in the schools. In the lower grades, Indian, Eskimo, Dutch, and Puritan villages, toy furniture, Christmas gifts, etc.,
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ANNUAL REPORT.
are constructed of cardboard and heavy paper ; while in the upper grades, gifts and objects tor home and school use are made requiring the use of the rule and compass and a knowledge of geometric terms; lettering and de- sign are applied to this construction work.
Manual training in the form of cardboard construc- tion, is taught during the drawing period in all the grades. Much of educational value would be derived from woodwork in the upper grades if facilities could be provided. Much of the commercial and industrial pros- perity of our town depends upon an appreciation of good handicraft and the ability to execute it, and much ought to be done in drawing in that line.
The pupils in the High School are doing some of this work, as modeling leather, sawing and cutting out de- signs in copper and brass for paper knives, lamp and candle shades, etc. Designs are also engraved on cop- per, filled with enamel and fired, and pins soldered to the back for buckles, brooches, hat pins, etc. The pupils do the work as well as they can with what they have to do with. More could be accomplished if a few tools and more materials could be furnished.
An advance was made in drawing last year. The ability of pupils is not judged entirely from the results on paper, but from their power to see the truth, to think for themselves and to do.
I appreciate the co-operation of the teachers making possible the work accomplished.
Respectfully submitted,
JENNIE F. STRATTON.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF WRITING
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
In accordance with your request I herewith submit my first annual report as supervisor of writing.
The true object of instruction in penmanship is to train pupils so that on leaving school they will have a practical handwriting. Of the several methods which can be employed in making script letters, the only one that has given satisfactory results is the muscular move- ment method. No stronger endorsement of this can be given than the statement that all the commercial col- leges of the country have used and are still using no other method.
It is a known fact that well trained children at the end of the third year in school can produce lines of beauti- ful script, the letters so well formed as to outclass in many cases even those of the adult. Were these results practical, there would be no need of further instruction in this subject. But a few moments spent in watching such children while they are slowly making these admir- able lines will convince anyone that this result is nothing more nor less than drawing. as it is lacking in every feature that goes to make up practical writing except that of form. It is not wrong for children at the begin- ning to draw the letters: for, as a matter of fact, it is all they can do, owing to their immature minds and un- developed muscles.
There comes a time, however, when pupils should make a change in their method, and, all things con- sidered, the fourth grade seems to be the best place to be- gin the movement writing. It should be begun with well graded exercises. The number of these movement exercises should be reduced to a minimum. By careful analysis it has been found that the small letters are
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ANNUAL REPORT.
based on three or four fundamental exercises. Since writing is composed of nearly all small letters, with an occasional capital, such exercises must be well mastered before satisfactory results can reasonably be expected. The real object of such drill is to enable the pupil to glide the hand easily along the writing line from left to right without "hitching." Such drill work is exceed- ingly popular with pupils and is not a waste of time; for I find that pupils can be taught to do one-third more written work as a result of this movement training in the grammar grades.
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