USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1924 > Part 15
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Rhode Island School of Education
Bryant & Stratton Commercial School
Wentworth Institute
The 39 students represented in these institutions received a total of 437 grades of which 425 were passing grades.
A-90-100
38 grades
B-85- 90.
76 grades
B-80- 84
106 grades
C-75- 79.
87 grades
C-70- 74.
73 grades
D-65- 69
36 grades
D-60- 64 passing
9 grades
425
Incomplete.
2
Failing
10
437
Pictures.
The following pictures have been placed in the High School:
Out of the Silence-Brush.
Indian Hunter-Couse.
The Voice of the Falls-Couse.
Picture Writing-Remington.
The Trout Stream-Remington.
The Indian Runner-Remington.
The Indian Dance-Remington.
Indian Sculptor-Brush.
The Evoloution of the Book-John W. Alexander.
(a) The Cairn.
(b) Oral Tradition.
(c) Egyptian Hieroglyphics.
(d) Picture Writing.
(e) The Manuscript Book
(f) The Printing Press.
Panorama of Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau.
The Matterhorn.
Pictures illustrating "Wilhelm Tell" -. Lake of Lucerne
Lucerne
Schwyz. Unterwalden. Tell's Chapel. The Axenstrasse.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Pictures showing :- Mountain Peak in Italian Switzerland, Moun- tain Peaks in German Switzerland, Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen, Castle of Chillon on Lake of Geneva, The Jungfrau, A Glacier in Italian Switzerland, Staubbach at Lauterbrunnen.
Curricula Changes.
The following subjects have been added to the curricula: Type- writing the Sophomore year, Accountancy, Salesmanship and Economics the Senior year. Ethics is now required of all freshmen.
Recommendations.
At the present time we have 104 pupils enrolled in the Domestic Arts Curriculum. All of this work, which I consider the most practical given in the high school, is confined to one room which is equipped for cooking and not for anything else. If this work is to develop, and the pupils re- ceive the highest returns for the time they spend in the department, provisions should be made for more room.
Special Studies.
In view of recent progress made in secondary education and in the light of present day needs, the following subjects should receive more attention in the high school:
1. Ancient and Mediaeval History should represent one year's work.
2. Modern History should represent one year's work.
3. Community Civics, with a survey of vocations should represent one year's work.
4. The Manual Training, Free Hand Drawing and Mechanical Drawing rooms should be used five days a week. This will not only make these departments more efficient, but will relieve the crowded conditions in other recitation rooms.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES O. DALRYMPLE, Principal.
Report of the Director of Continuation School.
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
Herewith is submitted my fifth annual report as Director of the Continuation School.
In preparation for the year's work the teachers and director took a summer course at Fitchburg summer school last July. There are also several conferences being held in Boston during this school year where plans are discussed for the improvement of the continuation school work.
In shop work for boys a change has been made from the jewelry work to a household mechanics course. This offers the boys an opportunity for learning many useful operations. It gives them a chance to learn how to do a large number of repair jobs about the home such as replacing broken windows, repairing electric flat and cord, electric doorbell, radio, bicycles, kiddy-cars, carts, chairs, faucets, screens, etc. In fact this kind of work is as worth while to the boys as the girls' shop work to the girls.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Summed up the advantages of such a course are as follows:
1. It provides an opportunity for diversified shop work.
2. It provides an opportunity for vocational guidance.
3. It provides an avocational interest which makes for a more worthy use of leisure time.
4. It is of economic value to the boys. Such a knowledge often saves the time and money involved in calling in mechanics for such jobs.
5. Parents look with favor upon instruction which they can see is valuable to the boys.
6. Pupils gain in self-respect-it makes them more self-reliant.
7. It is of civic value-trains for better citizenship.
8. It is an economical shop for the school.
9. It trains for definite future values. The training will be capital- ized through the boy's life because practically every man needs to know how to do these things or to know how they are done.
10. It interests the boys-makes for worthy home membership.
11. It aids the teacher in follow-up work.
12. It helps solve the problem in continuation schools of the chang- ing class personnel.
13. It compares favorably with household arts for girls.
14. It helps solve the problem of the 20-hour pupil.
Many of the boys are bringing articles from home to the shop and here under the direction of the instructor learn to make the necessary repairs. At first some difficulty was experienced in getting the boys to bring pro- jects from home. This was overcome by visiting the home and explaining to the parents the objectives of the school.
Some repair work has been done about the building by the boys. A drain pipe from the refrigerator on the third floor to the basement was installed, an iron grill erected and desks, chairs, and faucets repaired. The following list is typical of the work we are doing, Nearly all of the repair projects listed below were brought in by the pupils.
Repairs
New Work. Knife Box
Chairs
Shelves
Grinding axes
Flower Stand
Electric motor
Ironing Board
Window glazing
Umbrella Stands
Folding screens
Faucets Desks
Broom holder
Locks
Bookcases
Re-caning chairs
Swing seat
The following jobs are being done at the present time:
1 Folding Screen
1 Telephone Table
2 Medicine Cabinets
1 Telephone Table Bench
1 Steamer Chair
1 Clothes Rack
4 Flower Stands
1 Rocking Horse
3 Book Racks
1 Radio Cabinet
4 Chairs Recaned
1 Stationery Box
1 Table Refinished
Lumber Rack
Bicycles
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ANNUAL REPORT
The Hanchett Portable Combination Wood Worker has been added to the equipment. It is made up of a universal saw, a planer and a drum sander which takes care of the most common and necessary operations of woodworking.
The boys' academic department represents an earnest effort to con- serve the education which the boys received when they were in the regular day schools; to give to these 14 to 16 year old workers further opportunities for mental development, and in a way to help them to interpret their new contacts with industry and society.
To be more specific its aims are to review the fundamental processes where needed for application to actual experience, to present vocational opportunities, to teach the doing of a small job in a big way so as to prepare the boy for future positions of greater responsibility. In carrying out these aims we do not lose sight of the fact that the pupils must study and train to become more efficient on the jobs that they hold at the present time and must also consider the fact that they are only from 14 to 16 years of age, most of whom have not yet made their ultimate vocational choice.
Training is given to the boys in the things which make for good citizenship, and good community relations, personal and community hygiene; the worthy use of leisure time, good home membership and individual integrity and thrift. The fact that good health is one's greatest asset is ever kept before the boy.
In teaching the boys, we must keep three elements in mind; the subject, the boy, and the time element. We must present only those subjects to the boy of which he can make use in his daily life. The sub- ject must lead towards a definite goal and must be specific enough to be understood by the pupil. In our courses of instruction there is nothing vague or so general that the boy does not know what it is about or to what it is leading.
We always keep in mind the boy that the regular day school in many cases has failed to hold. He is often a boy who takes very little interest in school. We must present the subject to the boy in an interesting manner and in that way attempt to arouse the boy's flagging interest.
We must consider the fact that the boy spends only two hours each week in the academic room. The time is limited and so every hour in the academic room must not only be worth while but must be recognized as such, if the interest and good will of the boys is to be attained.
In the girls' division the academic and vocational department are so closely related that they may be spoken of as a unit.
This year we have undertaken in a small way a course of Household Management. This deals specifically with the hygiene of the home, the care of the essential rooms, the arrangement of furniture and utensils so as to best save the strength and time of the housekeeper. Each girl is led to see that she has some part in the home life beyond the financial one, that she can do much to make her mother's life easier.
The girls who attend continuation school marry early as a rule and as far as possible we try to give them lessons that will be of practical assistance to them in the home tasks soon to be theirs but not forgetting to instill ideas that will teach them to live well with the rest of the world, to be good citizens, and "to look up, not down, forward, not backward."
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ANNUAL REPORT
Many have said that without follow-up work the school could not succeed. It is in our visits at the homes that we often learn where we succeed and where we fail. When a mother tells us with pride that her girl plans and makes all her dresses now and helps her make the children's clothing we feel that we have done something worth while. When a girl buys fruit and cans it to show her mother how well she can do it and how much better and cheaper it is than what mother has always bought in tin cans we feel another good seed has fallen on good ground.
A lesson was given one day on the budget explaining the idea that car fares add to the rent. This was discussed at home with the result that the family moved to another house better located, and saved money by having no car fares to pay.
A girl came to her teacher one day, and said that she had been com- plimented on the way in which she set the table and served a meal to the doctors and nurses at the hospital where she was working. When asked where she learned to serve so well, she told them at Continuation School.
We have placed at the disposal of the boys and girls a large number of selected magazines, current event papers and daily newspapers. This opportunity for becoming acquainted with good literature has created within them a real desire for more and better reading.
In concluding this report it can be very strongly stated that every department is doing splendid work and rendering real service to the boys and girls.
Respectfully submitted, MILTON P. DUTTON.
Report of the Director of Americanization.
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
The following report of my work as Director of Americanization for Attleboro, shows in a measure the amount of work done and the various kinds of service rendered during the period from November 1923 to De- cember 1924.
First papers filled out. 78
Second papers filled out. 28
Personal interviews regarding citizenship. 44
New papers secured for papers lost.
2
Soldiers assisted to citizenship 7 Letters written concerning citizenship.
47
Home calls made. 40
Visits to Boston, Americanization Dept. 15
U. S. Draft Records secured. 2
Final Certificate of Citizenship traced and delivered to owner 1
Telephone calls concerning citizenship too numerous to mention.
Hundreds of letters and circulars mailed and distributed through schools.
The questions about which information has been sought and the matters on which assistance has been given are so many and varied that a complete summary is impossible. Then too, the human element enters so much into this kind of work that it is not possible to express in print the appreciation and thankfulness of those helped, nor the joy and satis-
184
ANNUAL REPORT
faction experienced by those whose privilege it is to help. Many notes of appreciation have been written and many words of gratitude expressed by those whom it has been my pleasure to assist in various ways. To any one who enjoys this work there comes many a fascinating experience, many charming human interest stories, and many lasting friendships.
I feel that the aim of this work and the possible scope of it, are not yet well enough understood in Attleboro. There are many organizations that could, from time to time in cooperation with the School Department, render a great service in real Americanization work for Attleboro.
One organization, the D. A. R. has invited the citizenship class to the D. A. R. House; later this society placed in the hands of the director of Americanization more than one thousand Manuals of the United States for free distribution to the foreign born. Recently this society provided refreshments for a social held by the evening school classes at Tiffany School.
The ladies of the W. C. T. U. have asked how they may be of service in this work. It is pleasing to find these organizations actively interested in Americanization work. At present there are evening school classes as follows:
At Tiffany School-three classes
Enrollment
Average Attendance
Beginners.
11
7
Intermediates.
11
7
Advanced.
14
8
At High School-five classes
Beginners.
18
10.7
Advanced Primary
14
10
Intermediate
14
11.2
Advanced.
13
13
Citizenship
10
2
We are indeed fortunate in having a splendid corps of teachers for these classes. They are not only trained for this work but are sympa- thetic and appreciative of the difficulties of foreign speaking people; very necessary qualifications for teachers of such classes. Very few students have dropped from the classes and in every case where a student has dropped out it has been for good reason.
We are unfortunate as yet, in being unable to induce the mothers to attend evening classes. It has long been my desire to see an afternoon class established for mothers, but up to the present time we have not been able to accomplish this. When we find the right person to organize such a class, I feel sure it will be done. Such a class must necessarily be held in the afternoon, as mothers find it impossible to attend evening classes. In places where successful mothers' classes are conducted, meetings are often in the homes of the neighborhood. Experience has shown that when pupils will not come to the school, the school must be taken to the pupils. This is particularly true of mothers' classes.
It has been my experience and others give the same testimony, that personal work is the one great factor in this particular field of educational endeavor. We must not only encourage and induce the foreign born to attend school, to learn our language, to accept American citizenship, but
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ANNUAL REPORT
we are often obliged to teach our own citizens that they likewise have some responsibility in these matters. As long as we speak about the foreign people among us, as some still do, as "the great unwashed foreign herd from Europe," we shall have difficulty in convincing them that there is much to be gained by becoming citizens. On the other hand, if we ap- proach them in the true spirit of helpfulness with a sympathetic willing- ness to understand them we shall find a responsive heart, filled with gratitude and love; we shall find, even under rough exteriors, souls filled with the same desires, the same longings the same hopes and fears, the same aspirations and ambitions; the same loyalty and devotion as we our- selves experience, and what is better still we shall interpret for them, in a much truer fashion, what seems to me to be the real spirit of America.
I would like to see in Attleboro a carefully planned and systemically executed campaign for promoting interest in Americanizaton work. This should properly come under the direction of the school department. It should enlist the active cooperation and support of every club and society, every patriotic organization which has the highest interests of this country at heart. It should aim to inform our people, native and foreign born, citizens and non citizens, as to the true meaning of Americanism, and their duties and responsibilities as citizens or citizens to be. It should and doubtless would result in an enlightened citizenry, keenly alive to the needs of the country. It should develop a vital community interest, a unity of purpose, which like the Community Chest drive, would inspire civic pride and create an interest in the spiritual as well as the material welfare of Attleboro.
Respectfully submitted, A. IRVIN STUDLEY.
Hebronville School.
The extra activities of the Hebronville School are increasing in num- ber and membership each year. The school building is in use five days every week from 8:45 a. m. to 9:00 p. m., and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the use is continuous during those hours, the library and two clubs occupying the time between the close of school at 3:30 p. m. and the opening of evening activities. In the boys' clubs alone we have en- rolled seventy members from eight to twenty-one years of age. At the present time we have two basketry classes, four dressmaking classes, and two millinery classes; these classes not only give instruction but serve as social centers. When we engage leaders for the classes we look for social leadership qualities as well as the ability to instruct.
The full list of extra activities as carried on in our building at present is:
Monday
6:30
Miss Hillman Miss Ryan
Basketry. Dressmaking.
Tuesday
3:15-8:30
Mrs. Poland
7:00-9:00
Miss Goff
Library. Millinery.
Wednesday
3:15-4:30 Mrs. Poland
Junior Girls' Club.
6:00-7:30
Miss Roberts
Senior Girls' Club.
6:30-8:30
Miss Walker
Dressmaking.
7:30-9:00
Mr. Coburn
Senior Boys' Club.
3:00-3:30
Miss Rogers of The
District Nursing Assoc. Child Welfare.
6:30
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ANNUAL REPORT
Thursday
3:15-4:30 Milton Veno
6:30-8:30 Miss Hillman
7:00-9:00 Miss Goff
Junior Boys' Club. Basketry Millinery.
Friday
6:30
Miss Ryan
Dressmaking.
6:30
Miss Walker
Dressmaking.
7:30-9:00 Mr. Seyboth
Young Men's Club.
Total of classes for past year:
8 Millinery
2 Girls' Clubs.
15 Dressmaking.
2 Boys' Clubs.
2 English Classes.
1 Young Men's Club.
6 Basketry.
Branch of Public Library.
Child Welfare Conferences once each week.
Respectfully submitted,
MARTHA J. ROBERTS.
Vacation Schools.
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
The vacation schools at Dodgeville and Hebronville for the year 1924, opened July 14th and closed August 22d, making the usual session of six weeks. The membership for both schools was 246, ages 3-14, the average attendance 155.
Miss Emily Bowen had charge of the basketry classes in Hebronville and Dodgeville for a period of four weeks. There were seventeen members in the class at Hebronville and twelve in the class at Dodgeville. These classes completed ninety articles consisting of serving trays, sandwich trays, flower baskets, coasters, hot dish mats, etc.
The handwork classes were in charge of Miss Mary G. Gilles and Miss Ruth Hirons. Two hundred forty articles were completed by these classes, including doll's hammocks, caps, sweaters, hot dish mats, picture frames and napkin rings.
Mrs. Hoyle gave instruction to twenty-four girls, in canning blue- berries, string beans and beets by the cold pack method.
Twenty-eight girls at Hebronville took sewing with Miss Roberts and twenty-two at Dodgeville took sewing with Miss Madalene Hodges. Each one of the girls besides making a dress, made a slip or a night dress.
The playgrounds were in charge of High School girls, at Dodgeville Elizabeth King and at Hebronville, Hilda Lapalme.
This year there has been added at Hebronville a tennis court which was in constant use not only during the school sessions but afternoons, evenings, and Saturdays, by the older people in the village.
Respectfully submitted, MARTHA J. ROBERTS.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Report of the Music Supervisor.
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
The annual report of the music supervisor might well be a repetition of previous reports were it not for the fact that music work in our schools is branching out along broader lines than was thought possible a few years ago.
Singing, because it may be enjoyed by the greater number of pupils, still remains the foundation of our music work. The results. both in music reading and in singing, are most gratifying and speak well for the faith- fulness of the teachers in our schools.
I have always maintained that every child is born with a love for music, and every child can learn to sing, but why a child, when he comes to school, can't sing in tune with his school mates, is still more or less of a mystery. Only through patient, careful training year by year is the pupil brought into the realm of music, singing in tune with his school- mates. A few years ago the mere fact that a pupil could not sing de- barred him from participation in any form of music whatsoever. Today, he may learn to play any instrument of the orchestra well enough to play his part with his schoolmates, and many of the so called monotones are doing it in our schools today. This may seem to the casual observer a very insignificant thing, but to the music supervisor it is a discovery.
One of the most pleasing things to me, as I visit the schools of the city, is the number of really fine voices among the pupils in our schools. To many of them the music work they receive there may be the only chance they will have to study good music, and I am making a special effort to make it as inspirational and helpful as possible.
I believe something should be done to conserve the music talent of our boys and girls. A fine voice breathes a refinement and culture that we need more of in our public schools, and I am sure that much more will be done in the future for the encouragement of those who are especially gifted, that their talent may become of more service to the Community in which they live. This is one of the problems to be solved in the near future by the American people, and the public schools will be the place to solve it.
The High School Orchestra continues to increase in numbers to such an extent that it becomes a problem to know where to put the players. Our orchestra numbers seventy members. We accept all who register for the orchestra just as is done in any other class in High School. I am satisfied that, until all the instruments necessary to a complete symphony orchestra are developed, it would not be wise to make any change.
Mention might be made at this time of the many favorable comments received from outside the city on the broadcasting program given by our High School Orchestra. Through the kindness of Mr. Joseph Finberg, arrangements were made with the radio station WJAR and we travelled to Providence and rendered an especially fine program.
The Glee Club, which is one of the best the school has had in some time, is helping to keep alive the love for good music, and is providing an extra opportunity for those who really love and enjoy singing.
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ANNUAL REPORT
The class for outside music study receiving credit, is now in opera- tion, and I believe it is going to be of real value as it was intended it should be. Though there were fifty who registered for this work, only twenty five came up for examination.
I was agreeably surprised to find the number of really fine piano players we had in our schools.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN L. GIBB.
Report of the Supervisor of Drawing.
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
As I look over the year's work I feel that it has been a good year. There seems to be a good attitude towards the work, and in many cases there is much improvement in the quality of the work.
School art can bring real joy of achievement to the child. There is great satisfaction in watching the joy of a child when some finished work is the best he has ever done. We depend much upon the attitude of the grade teacher for the development of our work, as she is in closer touch with the children and has several lessons to a supervisor's one.
As we teach art principles we try to have the subject matter meet the needs and interests of the children and have them feel that art is a part of their daily life. Some of the things we are teaching are, color and design, drawing and design, lettering and design, poster design, applied design, art in the home, bookmaking and picture study.
The new course in picture study which we started last year has been continued. Appreciation of the masterpieces which we are trying to develop must be slow as it is the result of study and understanding.
Most of the pupils taking drawing in the high school have only mod- erate ability and can only have their power to draw strengthened along limited lines. This matters very little, however, compared with the benefits they ought to receive through some art training. In a recent poster contest of the Women's College of Brown University we submitted nine posters. Each pupil who submitted a poster received a ticket of admission to the college carnival because their poster was used, and two of the posters were numbered with the ten best posters submitted. Our girls who submitted the two best posters were Dorothy L. Perry and Janice Rhind. The department seeks to have the drawing practical and adapted to the needs of the students. It realizes that the problems should meet the separate needs of the boys and girls, but often it seems impossible to do this with three or four divisions in one period. At this time there are one hundred and forty seven taking free hand drawing in the high school. Ninety three pupils are taking two periods a week, three pupils are taking three periods, forty one pupils are taking four periods, and ten pupils are taking six periods a week.
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