USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1908-09 > Part 10
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The outlook for next year, however, is full of promise. The Bliss school will afford much needed relief for the schools in the center of the town; and the Washington school, together with the new room opened this fall in the South Attleboro school, will give the pupils of that section educational advantages of which they have long been deprived. With ample accommodations-below the High School-good equipment, and satisfactory sal- aries, the schools will certainly be able next year to at- tain a much higher standard than has hitherto been possible.
Teachers.
There have been rather more than the usual number of changes in the corps of teachers during the year. Of the twenty who resigned, eight left on account of secur- ing better positions, five on account of marriage. and seven gave up teaching. One teacher was granted leave of absence. In addition to the teachers required to fill vacancies, five extra teachers were required on account of crowded rooms and the re-opening of the kindergarten at Dodgeville, so that we had a total of twenty-five new teachers during the year. With one exception all these teachers have had from one to five years' experience, and although the work of the schools has been somewhat
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broken by these changes, yet it has not suffered so much as might be expected.
Buildings.
The Sanford Street School buildings now most need attention to place them in as good condition as the other school buildings. In my report of last year, regarding this school, I said: "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 furni- ture." Nothing has been done during the year to im- prove these conditions, partly from lack of funds and because other needs seemed more pressing. Yet this school today enrolls 600 pupils nearly one-fourth the total enrollment of the town. If improvements are to be made where there is urgent need and where the great- est number of pupils will be benefitted, they should be begun at this school. I repeat the recommendation I made a short time ago, that plans be secured for improv- ing the ventilation of these buildings and the improve- ments be made as fast as the appropriation will allow.
Evening Schools.
Evening schools were held at Bank Street, Dodgeville and Hebronville three nights a week for twelve weeks, as usual. The attendance was somewhat lower than last year, but this worked to the advantage of those who attended, as it reduced the size of the classes and enabled each pupil to receive much more individual attention from the teacher than has been possible the last two or three years. As a result, the interest has been better sus-
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tained, and the results have been excellent. The follow- ing figures show the attendance at the three schools :
Enrollment
Bank St. 176
Hebronville Dodgeville
63
61
Total 310
Average attendance per night
86
3I
27
I44
Per cent. of attendance to enrollment
49
48
44
47
Number of illiterates
64
30
22
II6
Vacation Schools.
Vacation schools were conducted for six weeks during the summer at Dodgeville and Hebronville. At Hebron- ville the work was confined to sewing and only girls attended. At Dodgeville the girls received instruction in sewing as usual; but many of the younger boys were admitted to the school, their work, as well as their play, being under the supervision of the teacher. This is the fifth year that the schools have been held in these two parts of the town, and there is no doubt of the great good that they are doing. As soon as it is possible to do so I hope similar schools will be opened in the center of the town. The following statement shows the at- tendance and the cost of conducting the schools :
Dodgeville
Hebronville
Total I4I
Enrollment
IO2
39
Average attendance
43
28
71
Per cent. of attendance to en- rollment
43
71
Cost of teachers' salaries
$204.00
Cost of supplies
46.78
$250.78
ยท
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Manual Training.
On account of the crowded condition of the schools, no attempt has been made the past year to extend the work in manual training. The primary grades have had paper cutting and folding, the intermediate grades cardboard construction and sewing, and the seventh grade sloyd and sewing. With the number of pupils in each room reduced next year as it will be by the opening of the Bliss school, I hope it will be possible to extend the work in manual training to the eighth grade. To do this satis- factorily a manual training equipment will be necessary, and I suggest that in either the Richardson or the Bliss school a beginning of this work be made. If this is impossible, I hope that we may at least have a teacher for the work in sewing.
The time has passed when manual training may be considered a fad. It is already a part of the school course in more than two-thirds of the places in the United States having a population of 8,000 or more. I believe it has come to stay and to take an equal place in school work with arithmetic, reading and writing. Certainly no town in the state has more to gain from such work than Attleborough.
Parents' Meetings.
Two very successful parents' meetings have been con- ducted by the principals of the Sanford Street and Rich- ardson schools during the fall term. These meetings were very largely attended, a good number of men being present. After two or three short addresses, parents were given opportunity to inspect the work of the schools, meet the teachers, and make inquiries concern- ing the work of their own boys and girls. Such meet- ings serve to bring the home and school closer together.
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give an opportunity for parents and teachers to become better acquainted with each other, and bring about a spirit of co-operation that can only result in lasting bene- fit to the welfare of the schools.
School Savings Bank.
As a result of the investigation of a committee ap- pointed to consider the matter, a school savings bank was opened in connection with our schools the first Monday in October. The only purpose of this bank is to teach the pupils the habit of systematic saving, an account being opened for them at the First National Bank as soon as their deposit amounts to five dollars, and subsequent deposits being transferred the first of each month if they amount to a dollar or more. The plan has been successful beyond expectation. Deposits were first made October 5, and in three months the de- posits have amounted to $2429.
Statement of the School Savings Bank, January 1, 1909 : Total deposits $2,429.00
Interest 1.15
Total $2,430.15 Number of individual accounts opened, 90.
Amount transferred to individual accounts $644.00
Balance on deposit January 1, 1909
$1,786.15
Sight and Hearing Tests.
The tests for sight and hearing have been made by the teachers during the year as the law directs. Number of pupils enrolled 2,25I
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Number found defective in eyesight 279 Number found defective in hearing II2 Number of parents or guardians notified 299
No record has been kept of the number of pupils who have received treatment as a result of these examinations, but from the number that has come to my attention, I feel that parents are usually very glad to do whatever may be necessary.
Gifts.
Gifts have been made to the schools during the year as follows :
High School-Set of drawing models, Mrs. Sarah Nye ; eight volumes History Reference books, one Webster's International Dictionary, one Foster's Historical Chart, Richardson School Fund.
Sanford Street School-30 lantern slides, Richardson School Fund; relief map of the United States, Mr. George St. J. Sheffield ; picture of The Capitol, Washing- ton, graduating class.
Richardson School-Two sets maps, Richardson School Fund; Avenue of Trees, graduating class.
South Attleborough School-Portrait of Frances Wil- lard, W. C. T. U.
Four pictures-The Family of Washington, The Fam- ily of Lincoln, Columbus Sighting Land, and The De- parture of the Mayflower-have been presented by Mrs. A. W. Winsor for different schools.
Time Lost.
During the school year from September, 1907, to June, 1908, the signal for no school has been sounded and schools have been closed as follows :
Date Oct. 8, 1907 Nov. 25, 1907 Jan. 24, 1908 June 16, 1908
Grades Closed Grades I-VIII, all day. One session. Grades I-VIII, all day. Grades I-VIII, morning.
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The Sanford Street school also lost two days, Sept. 30 and Oct. I, on account of making repairs to the boiler.
As a tribute of respect all of the schools were closed at noon Monday, April 6, the day of the funeral of Mr. Bliss.
Age and Schooling Certificates.
During the year 1908 there have been issued only 152 age and schooling certificates to boys and girls under six- teen years of age. This is 79 less than were issued last year, and is only six more than half the number that were issued in 1906. I presume this may be taken as a fair indication of the business activity of the town for these years. For the past five years the record of certificates is as follows : 1904, 166; 1905, 190; 1906, 292; 1907, 231 ; 1908, 152.
Reports.
The reports of the principal of the High School, the special supervisors, and the truant officer accompany this report, and merit your careful consideration.
A large measure of the efficiency of a school system depends on the harmonious efforts of all connected with it. With the committee, superintendent, principals and teachers working together in a spirit of sympathetic co- operation. good results cannot fail to follow. This feel- ing, I am glad to say, exists very generally in connection with our schools. and is largely responsible for whatever progress is being made.
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 purpose of my first report to you is two-fold: A general statement of the present conditions of the High School, and a brief outline of plans for the future. The present conditions are so well known to you that the plans for the future may well take the greater space in the report. So much has been said regarding the need of a new High School building that it seems unnecessary to dwell upon that here. A better building would mean a better school, and it should be self-evident that the teachers feel this as keenly as anybody.
The equipment of our school, as a whole, is as good as that of the average High School. It enables us to give individual work in both physics and chemistry. The equipment of our commercial department is above the average, and it is being used advantageously. The library has been increased by several volumes, an addi- tion made possible by the Richardson School Fund. In the next report, I hope it may be stated that our books have been catalogued under the card system.
Of the present conditions, some were new to the fall term of 1908. I am very glad to report that lunches are being served, at recess, in a most satisfactory manner. The quality of the food is excellent, and the price is as low as in schools where the school authorities provide the lunch. A ham or chicken sandwich may be had for five cents, a bread and butter sandwich for two cents, and a cup of cocoa for three cents, etc. Another new feature is our school paper. The Blue Owl, published by the High School pupils, under the supervision of the Eng- lish department, is now before the public. The paper speaks for itself. Pupils receive credit in English for contributions, so a double stimulus is given. Still
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another feature of the fall term is the school orchestra. The orchestra has been made possible through the kind- ness of Mr. Gibb and the willingness of the pupils to practice outside of the regular school hours. If I were to suggest anything for your consideration here it would be the question of allowing diploma credits for work in the orchestra, as is done in many schools. The impor- tant position that music is taking in the educational field is shown by the fact that 55 colleges now count music for the B. A. degree.
Our High School enrollment, in proportion to the total school enrollment, is very small. A study of the High School attendance in the State would prove this statement. I have looked up the attendance in a few towns and cities that have High Schools numbering be- tween 200 and 300 pupils. In these towns the High School enrollment bears this relation to the total en- rollment :
Attleboro High School 94-
Clinton High School 8++-
Danvers High School 16+-
Framingham High School 12+
Gardner High School 17+
Leominster High School II+
Natick High School 13+
Peabody High School 14++
Woburn High School 10+
Of these nine towns taken at random only one lias as small a proportional attendance as Attleboro. The rea- son for this seems to be that local conditions govern the High School attendance. Might we not put it in another way and say that the high school attendance depends upon the adaptation of the High School to the local needs? In a residential town where many pupils pre
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pare for college we find the so-called Classical High School attendance large. Here clearly the High School meets the local demand. In a manufacturing town like ours the same kind of a Classical High School has a much smaller attendance. Does such a High School meet the local demands? According to the United States Commissioners report, Kansas City in a very few years doubled its High School attendance by the introduction of manual training for boys and girls. Industrial work in our High School presupposes a new building, but something along this line may be done, even in our present condition, as I shall try to show later.
Our English department is the largest department in school, it now having three teachers. At present the character of the work in literature in the first year ap- proaches too closely that of the senior year. All the classics that are to be read in the four years are put into four blocks and each block assigned to a year. To be sure, the senior block is presumably harder than the first year block. But the method of approach is much the same. In the first year there is so much critical study of the literature that the amount read is far too small. It would seem advisable to read more extensively the first two years and gradually lead up to the intensive reading of the last two years. For the last two years we might well follow two different paths. The pupils who had the ability to do intensive reading, including pupils studying to meet the college requirements, might devote the rest of their time in English to that, and the other pupils continue their extensive method. Such courses ought to develop at least a habit of reading.
If possible, some change in our arrangements for drawing should be made so that more pupils can take this important subject. The advanced drawing has to be given outside of the regular school hours, with the result that only three pupils in the two upper classes
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are now pursuing this course. The importance of draw- ing has never been more fully recognized than it is at present. Many colleges give drawing one credit in the admission requirements, thus putting it on a plane with geography, anatomy, astronomy, botany, zoology, civil government and economics.
In our commercial geography course, we have begun what is in many ways one of the most important steps for the year. We hope to teach our pupils more about the leading industry of our Town than the school has taught before. With the co-operation of the manufac- turers, the pupils get from the various factories material illustrating the different stages in the manufacture of jewelry. These materials are to be mounted on card- board and form part of a permanent exhibit of the school. Each pupil is to study some one or more of the processes of manufacture and put his knowledge into concrete form. We plan to supplement the work of the pupils with talks by the manufacturers. If this experiment proves successful we hope to extend it to other lines of work.
There are many other plans that might be included in this report, but I have briefly mentioned what we hope to accomplish in the near future. By our efforts we can best show you, the committee, and the people our appreciation of the trust you have given us.
Respectfully submitted, FRED U. WARD.
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ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools :
In our schools today we are laying a strong founda- tion in music education, and I earnestly believe we are giving to the youth of our town the music stimulus and inspiration necessary to enable them to reach a higher appreciation of the best in music.
When you remember that the human voice is an in- strument which, if once injured, never regains its original or full beauty, you will understand why we con- sider the subject of good tone quality to be of first im- portance in all our school singing.
All pupils who enter the first grade are not able to sing, many are practically deaf to tone and melody, and often the singing voice is not found for a year or two after they enter school. Our first efforts, then, are directed towards obtaining an intelligent listening to sounds, and in recognizing and reproducing simple melodies and songs. Ear training and song singing are carried along together until a great many songs are learned. They are simple both in melody and words and of such a nature that they can be easily grasped and learned in their entirety by the young pupil. No tech- nical work of any kind is attempted in the first grade. All we ask is that every child enjoy himself with the singing of songs and at the end of the year be able to sing the scale alone. This we consider to be the foundation of the child's musical knowledge.
It is our constant aim in all the other grades to get as much of the song spirit into the lives of pupils as possible by giving to them the very best and most at- tractive songs obtainable and by the use of these songs as a basis to proceed to develop technical skill.
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We all agree it is very desirable that all pupils who are endowed with ordinary music feeling and percep- tion should be able to read music freely on leaving school. This point we emphasize more and more, for we find that without good substantial training in the theory of music our pupils lack the necessary knowledge to make them musically intelligent. Music is now an es- sential part of the pupil's general education and is no longer regarded as a pastime or idle accomplishment.
Very few changes have been made in the arrangement of the work in the grades this year. Ear training, voice building, written tests, and music copying all help to give the pupil the power to read music.
In all town celebrations it is the custom of our schools to assist in any way possible, and it was with great pleasure that Grades VI, VII and VIII accepted the in- vitation of the Town to assist by singing at the dedica- tion of the Army and Navy Monument. The occasion was one long to be remembered and will prove a pleas- ant memory for these children to look back upon.
The Memorial Day exercises in our schools give the proper stimulus to the study of the national songs. There is certainly a great satisfaction to all patriotic citizens, and especially to the members of the G. A. R., to know that the national songs of our country are being preserved in this way. More than we know, the singing of these stirring songs of the flag and of the pride in the heroes of our history stir the heart of the child at the impassionable period of growth, and build down deep into their inmost springs of life that love of country which it is the peculiar concern of the public schools to develop.
One period of forty minutes each week is devoted to music in the High School. This is given up to chorus singing. and this year we are studying the cantata of "Ruth," by A. R. Gaul. A public performance of this work is to be given in the near future.
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A successful attempt was made this year to organize an orchestra and it is proving a real benefit to those pupils who play an orchestral instrument, and is of great interest to the pupils in the school.
In one of my former reports, I spoke of the advisabil- ity of introducing into our High School the more serious study of music. Chorus singing, with due regard to all that goes to make it excellent-and this appears to be the end of what is considered a High School music course-can be made a more intelligent and effective instrument by a knowledge of the elements of harmonic structure. If, in the class-room, could be added a course in elementary theory and harmony, also a course in musical biography and history, it would seem as if a sound foundation had been laid for future music study.
Music and literature are two great cultural elements. Singing is almost as universal as reading. In our schools much attention is given to the lives of the great literary composers and their writings, but little atten- tion is given to the lives of the master musicians and their compositions. This disposition to neglect the training of the pupils in our schools in this great field of art and culture is not in harmony with the progressive spirit of the times. Why should the boys and girls know less of the great masters who still live in the music we sing and play, than of the great literary characters who also still speak to us in their writings? To remedy this defect to some extent, I arranged to give to the music class of the high school four short lecture recitals on the master composers and their works. The first one was given on December 21st and thesubject was George Frederick Handel and his oratorio, "The Messiah." Se- lections illustrating the lecture were rendered on the phonograph and consisted of airs from Handel's "Mes- siah," sung by grand opera singers of the Metropolitan Opera House, in New York. The interest shown by the
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pupils of the school in music work of this kind encou: - ages me to continue this course, and it is my intention to reserve one period each term of the regular music time for the study of the history and development of the art of music.
The musical education of the masses rests with the public schools, and if this great art subject is to be a factor in the life of the Town, if Attleborough is to pro- duce a music loving people, then the music in the public schools must steadily advance in the educational march of progress.
Respectfully submitted.
JOHN LAING GIBB.
.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools :
The fall work in drawing was taken up under the heads of Plant Drawing, Color and Illustrative Drawing.
Plant drawing began very simply in the first grade, just a striving to get the character of growth. In each succeeding grade the aim was to get the child to see more clearly, and by the time the higher grades were reached we expected a truthful representation of the plant. Nature work will be taken up again in the spring, and the aim will be to have certain plants, leaves and twigs known more definitely. In the higher grades some time was given to decorative arrangement of plant forms, and these were worked out in color harmonies.
In color, we made a study of hues, values, intensities and color harmonies. These will be applied later to design. The aim in color is to have the child, when he finishes the grades, observe color more keenly, and to be able to apply it.
In the lower grades much time was given to freehand paper cutting. Much of the illustrative work was by cutting. After the objects in a story were cut, and the child had something to express. an illustrative story of the same subject was made with colored crayons. The work in paper cutting and illustrative drawing will be continued throughout the year.
During November and December the work was largely constructive. Some of the things made were : Chairs, tables, wigwams, canoes, cradles, candle sticks, houses, Thanksgiving and Christmas cards and booklets, match scratchers. lanterns, scissor-cases, calendars. bookmarks, cornucopias, boxes, memorandum pads, pic- ture frames and writing pads.
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Design was begun in the seventh and eigth grades. It has not been carried far, but will be developed more later in the year. I believe the study of design to be of great value. The success of every industry where appearances count, depends in a large measure, upon design. Many of the pupils may not become designers, but they will be purchasers. By understanding the principles of design, they will be enabled to reject bad design, and have a taste of that which is good, and of value.
Object drawing is the work for this month of January. The lower grades draw toys and objects with simple pro- portions. The upper grades are taught some of the prin- ciples of perspective. It is difficult to get good object drawing, but object drawing certainly develops a sense of proportion, a sureness of hand and keenness of eye which will be of value.
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