USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1929 > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17
Last year the playgrounds were open in the afternoon, but this year the plan was discontinued and the attendants took charge of the pl ygrounds in the morning due to the increase in attendance of children at the morning session.
A lawn swing was added to the Dodgeville apparatus and a horizontal ladder to the Hebronville. For three years no new large piece of apparatus has been added at Dodgeville due to the fact that there is no adequate space for such a piece because of the small playground.
The attendance at the Dodgeville School was steadier than it has been for some years, the largest attendance for any one day having been eighty-nine, and the lowest, fifty, with an average attendance on the playground of twenty- five.
The attendance figures were as follows:
Dodgeville
Hebronville 185
Enrollment. Average Attendance
140
69.7
61.4
The teachers in charge were:
Dodgeville
Hebronville
Weaving
Miss Gilles
Weaving Mrs. Peterson
Sewing Miss Claflin
Sewing. Miss Doherty
Basketry
Mrs. Tennant
Basketry Mrs. Tennant
Playground
Ervin Gross
Playground Dorothy Cate
Respectfully submitted,
MARY G. GILLES
179
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I submit, herewith, my report as Director of Physical Education for the year ending December 1, 1929.
In my physical education work I am striving to attain the following objectives :
1. Health habits such as cleanliness, proper food habits, rest, exercise and correct posture.
2. To secure the benefits of big muscle activity through participation in a program which shall include, games and sports, stunts, rhythm, dancing and gymnastics.
3. To cultivate the right attitude toward life and to provide opportunity for the development of character through situations that involve honesty, fair play, team play, loyalty and courtesy.
4. To develop habits of wholesome recreation such as proper use of leisure time in school and at other times, pleasure in out-of-door games and sports.
5. To maintain a wholesome school environment, happy atmosphere. Through a program including:
1. Instructional periods.
A ten minute period is required by law, and is exclusive of noon and recess periods. It is a period when new types of activity are taught and practiced. These activities include games, dancing, stunts, posture exercises, relays, story plays, rhythms. Three hundred boy and girl leaders have received instruction and have been a tremendous help in carrying out this program. Teachers have given wonderful cooperation.
2. Relief periods.
Given when needed. Purpose to counteract the ill effects of sitting long periods at school desks, stimulate the vital organs, relieve fatigue, give postural change, exercise the large muscle groups, and give mental relaxation. Activities are those previously learned during instructional periods.
3. Supervised play.
The playground may become a serious liability to the school organization unless supervision is provided. Unsupervised play usually develops into a roughness where teasing, tripping and fighting predominate. Such forms of activity lack all of the ideals of true sportmanship which is so necessary for pro- per social development. On the unsupervised playground the aggressive children usually usurp all the privileges, the timid children being neglected because they are not recognized as equals by their classmates. The purpose of supervised play is to provide a program of wholesome activity which will give all the pupils an equal chance for development through participation, and I am glad to state that every school in the city through their principal and teachers is cooperating splendidly.
4. After school athletics.
Leagues in soccer football, basketball, baseball, track meets, swimming meets, tennis tournaments, supervision of informal hockey games, hikes, etc.
Supervision of schedules and coaching of eighth grade teams.
High School track coaching.
In connection with after school athletics I wish to state that the basketbal I league for girls has been discontinued in favor of a short intramural program which will be held following the conclusion of the boys playing season.
The Y. M. C. A. has cooperated in the after school program by allowing the Sanford Street and Bank Street Schools the use of the gymnasium, showers and
180
ANNUAL REPORT
swimming pool during stated periods, which has been a wonderful help. In addition they have given the use of the showers and pool for the annual grammar school swimming meet.
My greatest need is a syllabus of Physical education to be placed in the hands of each teacher in the city. I would be very glad to write the material if the city would cooperate by having the booklet printed. Recommendations.
1. That the playgrounds at the Capron, Carpenter Street and Pleasant Street Schools be fenced in.
2. That physical education receive a mark on the report cards.
3. That the school department besides furnishing a ball for each room suitable for outdoor play periods, also furnish the equipment required for the conducting of the grammar school athletic leagues in soccer, basketball, and base- ball.
4. That the center schools combine in one play day demonstration to be held at Capron Park early in June.
Thanking you and the committee for your cooperation, I submit this report,
Respectfully, J. RAY COONEY, Director of Physical Education.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I submit, herewith, my report as School Physician for the year 1929.
The annual physical examination of the pupils shows an increasing number who have had diseased tonsils removed. Education of the public by the medical profession of the importance of early removal of diseased tonsils may be cited as one reason for this improvement. Another factor is the insistence of authorities that children entering the Health Camps are required to be free to gain.
The condition of the teeth of our school children is deplorable. Adequate provision for dental care is one of the most important needs of the school health program.
Numerous epidemics of contagious diseases manifested themselves during the first half of the year. Influenza, scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, mumps and chicken pox were all present in epidemic form. The onset of these diseases was so severe that strict measures were necessary for their proper control. Numerous school inspections were made and pupils having symptoms of contagious disease were excluded. Each child absent for three or more days was required to present a health certificate to the teacher before returning to school. Weekly visits were made to the outlying schools for the accommodation of these pupils.
The nutrition program formerly adopted in the schools was continued through- out the year. Posture work was added in some of the schools. Miss Esther V. Erikson, nutrition consultant of the State Department of Public Health, gave a series of talks on posture work to a group of teachers. The annual health day exercises were held in the schools early in June. Some of these demonstrations were very elaborate and were enjoyed by many parents.
Dr Patterson of the Wrentham State School conducted an examination of the mentally retarded pupils, early in the year, from which group selections for the ungraded room at the Richardson School were made. A clinic was held under the auspices of the State Department of Health at which a re-examination was made of the children formerly examined under the ten-year anti-tuberculosis program of that department.
181
ANNUAL REPORT
A definite diphtheria prevention program was institued in the schools this year. More than one hundred first grade children were immunized. Diphtheria immunization clinics are still being held. It is hoped that each year will show an increasing number of first grade children desiring this treatment, for it is in this group that the incidence of diphtheria is highest.
The operation of the open-air room at the Richardson School was a success measured in individual gains by pupils enrolled. The selection of children for this room is difficult on account of the lack of proper transportation facilities. Selections for this room are made from children having malnutrition and also from those having cardiac impairment or respiratory disease.
I would recommend that with the erection of a new school at Hebronville another open-air unit be added to the school system. I might suggest that one of the portable buildings now in use be operated as an open-air room. This arrangement would accommodate pupils from both the Hebronville and Dodge- ville sections of the city.
Fifty boys were selected by the Health Officer as candidates for the Lions' Health Camp from a list of those ten per cent or more under weight. Twenty- four boys and girls selected from this same group of under-weights were cared for at the Bristol County Health Camp, the maintenance of which is derived from the annual sale of Christmas seals.
I wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the Health Officer, the District Nurses, the Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Dr. A. C. Conro and many other individu- als and agencies who have always been ready to assist in the work of this depart- ment.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Totals
A detailed report follows:
School Visits.
10
17
2
24
25
15
19
19
10
3
144
Office Visits.
73
159
3 233
133
54
96
84
73
24
942
Special Examinations
.1498
51
63
104
50
74
2
8
3
1853
Exclusions
5
8
18
16
4
3
7
2
63
Physical Examinations
336
148
182
695
1191
635
182
3369
Vaccinations.
16
1
2
2
21
Working Certificates
22
16
15
17
23
22
45
37
87
51
16
351
Examinations for Athletics
74
11
34
119
Home Calls.
1
1
1
3
Immunized-T AT.
55
42
97
Respectfully submitted, JESSE W. BATTERSHALL, M. D.
182
ANNUAL REPORT
183
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I, herewith, submit my report, as School Nurse, from the opening of Schools in September to December 1, 1929.
During the month of September, all the children's heads were examined for pediculosis, with the result that one hundred fifty-two children were given slips for nits and thirteen were immediately excluded with pediculi. Constant atten- tion is given to these cases, until they are all cleaned up. Monthly check-ups of these offenders insure complete erradication.
In September, Miss MacDonald, from the State House, Boston, came and made a survey of the crippled children. Together, we visited the schools and interviewed each child, to see if corrective measures were being taken. Miss MacDonald gave them many good suggestions and advice. Most of these cases are the result of infantile paralysis, and with the proper treatment would never become State charges.
At the Continuation School, a course of ten lessons in Infant Hygiene has already been completed. Eleven girls, who completed the course satisfactorily, received certificates. Miss Swanson, a State representative, visited one of the demonstrations, expressing pleasure and satisfaction with the work done by the pupils. A class in Infant Hygiene is also given to a group of girls at the Lincoln School during the Club Hour, on Wednesdays.
There has been a slight epidemic of mumps at the Hebronville School, and a number of cases of chicken pox at the Bliss School, but the greatest number of exclusions has been from impetigo, a highly infectious skin disease, easily trans- mitted by contact. At present, there are sporadic cases of scarlet fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, chicken pox and mumps.
Under the supervision of the Health Department, a Clinic for the Prevention of Diphtheria was held at the Sturdy Hospital, on November 1, 8, and 15th. Fifty-five first grade pupils of the centrally located schools were immunized against diphtheria. Clinics for the first grade pupils of the South Attleboro Schools, and Dodgeville and Hebronville are to be held soon.
Positive Health talks have been given to the pupils in all the schools, em- phasizing their achievements rather than their failures. Co-operation of the teachers has greatly assisted me in the inspection of the children, also in bringing to my attention any physical or mental defects observed by them in their class- room.
Only a small number of the children are entirely free from some physical defect. This is shown by the following report: From 2525 physical examinations already made by Dr. Battershall, in thirteen schools, if was found necessary to send out the following number of slips to the parents of the children:
1137-Teeth Slips 177-Tonsil Slips 10-Heart Slips.
The need of intensive follow-up work and a Dental Clinic is easily seen here. Many of this number will never attend to the correcting of these defects, unless a home visit is made. There is not time enough for one nurse to make any more than the most necessary of these visits, so the evidence of neglect is always to be seen.
The Dental Clinic, operated by Dr. Sullivan of the Forsyth Dental Clinic, was visited at a school in Seekonk and proved both interesting and enlight- ening. As Dr. Sullivan worked, he described the necessary equipment and cost of operating a clinic.
The tonsil cases all require one or more home visits, but the co-operation of the Sturdy Hospital and the physicians makes this condition easier to remedy.
184
ANNUAL REPORT
Considerable effort is being made to provide glasses for all the children whose eye test shows they have defective vision. Many children come from families who are not in need of any financial assistance, but for those who are, Dr. Conro and Mr. St. Marie have co-operated splendidly.
One hundred ninety-two children in the primary and elementary schools have defective vision. It is interesting to note that in looking up the children's immediate school efficiency, it was found that many of them are held back by the presence of this defect.
Milk lunches are being served in all but two schools. The Farmers School and the Dodgeville School have started this year with a good showing. The underweights in all the schools are urged to acquire this milk-drinking habit, and in most cases, marked gains are shown. In one school, awards are made to the rooms whose underweights all gain the required one-half pound or more. There are also awards for the individual child who finally attains his or her standard weight. Suggestions are given to all the underweights who have failed to gain during the month, and the interest shown by these little people in intensely gratifying.
The Lion's Club asked for a list of names of children who were greatly in need of milk but could not afford to buy it. A survey was made, and pre- sented to the Club, by Mr. Fales. The list proved much longer than expected, but with more thorough investigating, could be shortened considerably.
A summary of the work done from the 3rd of September until the Thanks- giving recess is as follows:
Schools
Visits
Schools
Visits
Bank Street.
.16
Lincoln
21
Bliss.
18
Plat
11
Briggs Corner
11
Pleasant Street
10
Capron. . 14
Richardson
20
Continuation School.
10
South Attleboro
11
Dodgeville
16
Tiffany
15
Farmers
13
Washington.
21
Hebronville
20
Total Home Visits
102
High.
5
Total School Visits
262
Total Office Visits 63
Adenoids and Tonsils removed
3
Glasses obtained, for.
7
Cases referred to the Family Welfare Association.
10
Cases referred to the Charity Department. . 2
Pupils excluded from School (not Communicable Diseases)
277
In closing, I wish to thank the teachers and principals, in all the schools, for their kind assistance at all times, and the Physicians, Health Department, District Nursing Association, Charity Department and Family Welfare Association for their co-operation.
Respectfully submitted,
DOROTHY B. WENDELL, R. N.
Carpenter Street
13
Sanford Street 17
185
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE CUSTODIAN OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit my report as the Custodian of School Buildings for the work that has been done during the year. The principal items are as follows:
Bank Street School
Cost
Wooden gutters around part of the building replaced with new material $ 272.29
New metal ceiling in the big room on second floor. 175.00
Electric lights installed in the large room upstairs 51.00 Electric lights throughout the basement ... 47.00
Grounding the electrical system to comply with City Ordinance. 76.35
Painting and calcimining of the large room. . 102.57
New gravel roof on the part of the room that is flat. 150.00
Special repairs on hot-air furnaces including parts and labor 292.00 Sheet-rock in stairway leading to boys' toilet and toilet ceiling. 129.31
A new floor in girls' toilet. Both the boys' and girls' toilets painted with Barelled Sunlight
Briggs Corner School
$1,295.52
Painted the outside of the building. Cost of material which we bought
ourselves $55.76 and the cost of labor by agreement was $100 making the total cost for painting this building . $ This is one half of the price given by the lowest bidder to do the entire work and furnish material, which was $310.
155.76
Bliss School
A section of wire fencing along the street line was erected at a cost of. .. $ 179.00
Capron School
Inside varnished and sashes drawn. One chimney had to be retopped; in taking this down it was found that the flue was not properly built to give a good draft. This was remedied and the cost of this work was 75.25
The outside of the building was painted. We furnished the material at a cost of $47. 50 and the cost of labor was $100, making a total cost of
147.50
222.75
Carpenter Street School
Hallway and two rooms were calcimined. $ 160.00
New curtains for all windows. 56.88
216.88
Dodgeville School
The old furniture removed from one room on the first floor and replaced with new portable furniture. $ 260.10
All woodwork was varnished and all sashes drawn
Two new metal ceilings were erected in the two rooms on first floor 220.00
These two rooms and one room on second floor painted and calcimined . . 230.00
New curtains in one room. 33.24
743.34
186
ANNUAL REPORT
Plat School
Piazza platform and steps were rebuilt and the cost of labor and material was .$ 64.00
Pleasant Street School
Special repairs on furnace including parts and labor $ 185.00
Richardson School
Four rooms on second floor of the old part were calcimined $ 320.00
New curtains in one room. 36.11
New piping was added to the vacuum pump as recommended by the engineers of the Nash Company ... 75.00
New tank in fresh-air room with instantaneous heater 150.00
Two sections of wire fence on Pearl Street side. 252.00
Sanford Street School
833.11
Grammar building, sheet rock ceiling in toilets. $ 94.45
Toilets painted with Barelled Sunlight
Middle building, Rooms 5 and 6 on top floor refinished in light cream to give better light. 160.00
Cement walk. 280.00
A new water line direct from meter in the middle building to the Super- intendent's office 84.20
618.65
South Attleboro School
Woodwork in downstairs hallway varnished
Tiffany School
Back yard graded with gravel
85.00
Miscellaneous
Many other minor repairs were made including painting of all piazza steps and platforms
The regular inspecting and repairing of heating and plumbing systems in all buildings $ 989.00
Paid for labor indicated above. 741.40
Cost of paint, varnish, brushes and other material . 209.32
Grand Total.
$1,939.72 $6,538.73
The foregoing list includes the major repairs which have been done through- out the year not including the waterproofing of the High School, which is now in process. Many other minor repairs have been made which would be difficult to enumerate at this time. There is a great deal of work in view which should be done in 1930. There are buildings to be shingled and painted, more concrete is needed around several buildings and much refinishing inside, especially at the High School, which it did not seem advisable to refinish until the water- proofing was completed. Many of the heating systems which have been in for a long time have given out during the past year and have required the expenditure of considerable money to repair them.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES T. CROSSMAN
187
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF ATTENDANCE OFFICER
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit my report as Attendance Officer. I have investigated 317 cases of non-attendance during the school year and find that absences were for reasons given below:
On account of clothing. 24
On account of sickness 72
To work. 42
Detained by parents for other causes. 40
Referred to Charity Department
13
Moved from city .
3
Left School.
Taken to court 3
Truants 38
2
Negligence
Evening School 4
37
Total
317
Eighty-four of the above cases investigated were for the Continuation School.
The thirty-seven disciplinary cases represent the number of cases where children have been engaged in various kinds of mischief and serious misbehavior. These cases do not always include non-attendance but in many of them I was working with the regular police force in clearing up various misdemeanors. These cases always take a great deal of time ranging anywhere from a day to a week before they are completely cleared up. There has been an unusually large amount of this work within the last year.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES T. CROSSMAN
SCHOOL COMMITTEE-1930
Term Expires January 1931
Dr. Reginald P. Dakin, 32 John Street. Telephone 713-W 1931
Mrs. Lida M. Holbrook, 28 Peck Street.
Telephone 1227-J 1931
Leonard I. Lamb, 191 South Main Street
Telephone 971-J
Mrs. Alice Stobbs, 63 Bank Street. 1931
Telephone 931-J
Mrs. Rena Rounseville, 141 South Main Street. 1931
Telephone 956-J
Edwin F. Thayer, 17 Mechanic Street. 1933
Telephone 468-M 1933
Mrs. Margaret Conro, 26 Dean Street
Telephone 1047-J
Joseph Finberg, 24 John Street. 1933
Telephone 981-R
George E. Nerney, 204 North Main Street.
Telephone 1101-W 1933
5
Attending schools out of town.
34
Disciplinary cases
18S
ANNUAL REPORT
Organization
Edwin F. Thayer.
Dr. Reginald P. Dakin.
Chairman .Secretary
Edwin F. Thayer Representative before Municipal Council
STANDING COMMITTEES
Teachers and Course of Study
Mr. Thayer
Mrs. Holbrook Mrs. Conro
Text Books and Supplies
Dr. Dakin
Mrs. Holbrook Mrs. Stobbs
Buildings
Mr. Finberg
Mr. Nerney Mrs. Rounseville
Finance
Mr. Thayer Mr. Lamb Dr. Dakin
Regular meetings, first and third Mondays of each month at 7:30 o'clock P. M.
Bills are paid the fifteenth of each month.
All bills to be acted on must be submitted in duplicate, and be in the hands of the clerk of the committee, Superintendent's office, on the Saturday preceding the meeting.
SCHOOL FIRE ALARM BOXES
South Attleboro
151
Washington
152
Lincoln.
153
Dodgeville.
251
Hebronville
252
Sanford Street
351
Bank Street
352
Richardson .
451
High.
551
Tiffany
552
Bliss.
.651
SCHOOL TELEPHONES
Bank Street.
727-R
Bliss
1601-R
Briggs Corner
263-J-1
Dodgeville .620-J
Farmers
236-W
Hebronville
.535-R
189
ANNUAL REPORT
High 1825
Lincoln Pawtucket 5065
Plat
.Pawtucket 7476
Pleasant Street .
1073-J
Richardson
1509-R
Sanford Street .
690-W
South Attleboro
Pawtucket 7473
Tiffany
322-W
Washington
Pawtucket 7468
TEACHERS
High School
Charles O. Dalrymple, Principal 7 Third Street
William F. Eastwood, Sub-Master 117 South Main Street
Janet L. Bond, French. 20 Jefferson Street
Ruth A. Bradley, Mathematics 249 County Street
Edith L. Claflin, German.
144 Pleasant Street
Helen M. Claflin, English. 144 Pleasant Street
Violet G. Connolly, English
15 Hayward Street
Grace C. Daley, English. 250 County Street
Henry E. Dockler, Science
12 Prospect Street
Olive L. Gorrie, Commercial. . 7 Park Avenue
Jessie M. Graves, Latin. 249 County Street
Raymond H. Grayson, Coach and Physical Training Carlisle Hall, Mathematics ...... 68 Rochambeau Avenue, Providence, R. I. Freeman Hall, Jr., Civics, History. 3 Beacon Street
L. Marie Hentz, Commercial.
21 Jefferson Street
Bernice B. Hosmer, Commercial
18 Jefferson Street
Helena A. McCormick, Domestic Science
47 Bank Street
Marjorie Morrell, Physical Training
Mabel M. Ott, Commercial. . 142 County Street
Gertrude Parsons, German, Mathematics. 249 County Street
Jessie I. Pithie, Commercial. 17 Elizabeth Street
Ruth A. Ramsdell, Commercial. . 53 Fourth Street
Arthur Ray, Mechanical Drawing 868 Pleasant Street
Frances L. Riddell, Commercial . 249 County Street
Una Ritchie, English. . 3 Hancock Street, Sheldonville
Dorothy L. Simonds, History 142 County Street
George I. Spatcher, Manual Training 957 Pleasant Street 57 Bank Street
Mabel J. Wall, Latin.
Constance Witherell, English .9 Walker Street, Taunton
Beatrice Smith, Librarian 142 County Street
Benita Dorwart, Clerk .
4 Prospect Street
Bank Street School
Room Milton P. Dutton, Principal 683 Park Stret
3. Alice M. McNerney, VIII. 206 Park Street
4. Zita Simms, VIII. 48 Payson Street
6. Elizabeth L. Wentworth, VIII. 10 Remington Street, Cambridge
7 Mildred Couillard, VIII. .33 Peck Street
159A Park Street
Elizabeth M. Hilliard, History .
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.