USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1930 > Part 17
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Sometimes the room teacher suggests a project correlating some other subject. We are very glad to cooperate, feeling that the best way to teach art is when a special need for it is felt.
Last year we experimented with large brush painting in some of the first grades. The work proved attractive and beneficial so we are planning to give more children a chance to express themselves in a large, quick way. I believe this broad, quick way of working offers many interesting opportunities in other grades.
The exhibit of art work held at the armory showed an emphasis on free expression and creative design.
During October our work was in line with the Tercentenary idea. Different phases of colonial life was taken up in different grades to give the children through drawing and cutting a knowledge of our country's early history. Some of this work was displayed in the window of the Attleboro Steam and Electric Company at the time of the Tercentenary celebration in the city.
There have been special meetings to look over work with new teachers.
With the assistant supervisor, I attended the Eastern Arts Teachers Associa" tion meeting in Boston, also a conference called by the Department of Education.
203
ANNUAL REPORT
The high school classes are smaller than they have been for a number of years. This gives me a chance to keep in closer touch with grade work.
In the high school as in the grades we are trying to increase the child's power of expression in drawing and design.
The crafts we use to stimulate creative ability are block printing on paper and textiles, and leather work.
With the limited time given to drawing in a high school course, not much skill can be acquired, so I feel that the training should be mostly for judgment and appreciation. It is a problem that is being given much thought.
Respectfully submitted, PERSIS A. CROWELL.
REPORT OF THE TEACHER OF SEWING
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
As the work in sewing was introduced into our schools in 1910, and has been quite fully reported every year since, little that is different, remains to be said.
Not that the work and the methods of teaching do not change but the underlying principles are always the same and on these we build our work, varying it from year to year to meet new problems and adapting it to the modes and needs of the pupil.
We feel that our years of experience in the work have enabled us to plan a course both useful and practical, as it must be to be of any benefit to the girls.
One of the first essentials in the teaching of any subject is enthusiasm for the work so each individual part of the work is made as interesting as possible.
The following schedule has been followed: Principles of sewing taught to beginners and applied to simple projects. Review of principles in the higher grades, mending, and the making of useful household articles and garments. After the drill and review work in the fifth and sixth grades, a marked improve- ment can be noticed in the seventh and eighth, in precision, neatness and the expeditious manner of performing the work.
The supplementary work has been the making of dust covers for tables and desks, hemming towels and dish cloths for the lunch rooms and mending flags.
Respectfully submitted,
MINNIE A. WALKER.
REPORT OF VACATION SCHOOLS
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
The 1930 session of the Dodgeville-Hebronville Vacation Schools was held from July 14 to August 22, 1930.
Teachers employed were as follows:
Dodgeville-Miss Gilles, Principal, Weaving Mrs. Tennant, Basketry and Furniture Weaving Miss Claflin, Sewing
Hebronville-Miss Roberts, Principal, Weaving Mrs. Tennant, Basketry and Furniture Weaving Miss Doherty, Sewing
204
ANNUAL REPORT
Yard Attendants-
Miss Barbara Hardaway, Dodgeville Miss Ruth Eccles, Hebronville
Dodge-
ville
Hebron- ville
Total
Total Membership
128
158
286
Average Attendance
68
90
158
Between three and four hundred articles were completed, including baskets, trays, lamps, magazine racks, ink stands, umbrella stands, end tables, chairs and other articles of furniture, hammocks, caps, colonial mats, raphia mats, and many other articles.
The furniture weaving was new this year and proved to be very practical as well as inexpensive.
Respectfully submitted,
MARTHA J. ROBERTS.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
It is important that a reasonable amount of physical education should be required of every pupil in our public schools. It is equally important that this training should enlist the enthusiasm and interest of each pupil, not primarily in keeping healthy, but in the doing of things having intrinsic objective interest. whose performance will insure good health.
The psychology of movements performed on the gymnasium floor or on the playground involves the same elements and principles as those belonging to the classroom and laboratory, and in a particular case may involve richer content and more important result than the latter.
Formal gymnastics, free hand movements, and much of the apparatus work of the gymnasium belong to the category of artificial stunts and mechanical movements; they lack the purpose, mental content, and objective which are essential to sensible educational performances. Most of the freehand exercises, particularly, are mechanically rigid, jerky, and awkard as compared with natural, useful movements of the body. They are uninteresting and distasteful to most boys and girls. Formal gymnastics in physical education correspond to drugs in medical practice. The movement in medical treatment is away from the use of drugs. In a similar way progress in physical education must be away from all formal artificial kinds of movement.
This I am trying to accomplish through a program consisting of Natural Activities of Daily Life-Walking, running, jumping, stunts, swimming.
Free Play and Games-Flay skills of catching, running, leaping, hopping, jumping climbing, throwing, dodging, chasing and the games of lower organization' . Athletics and Sports-Baseball, basketball, soccer, track, hockey, skating,
swimming, games, tennis, volley-ball.
Dramatic Expression-Rhythmic and mimetic activities, dramatization, dancing. . Self Testing Activities-Stunts, athletic skill tests of all kinds, physical efficiency tests.
205
ANNUAL REPORT
Individual Corrective Exercises-Correction of postural defects is not a mass affair; it is a matter of individual diagnosis and individual prescription; there must be interest in getting results, and constant effort and practice in use of the prescription.
In order to develop a program of this sort more equipment is needed as is also a greater time allotment. According to Mr. Schrader, Director of Physical Education for the State of Massachusetts, a minimum of twenty minutes a day exclusive of recesses, should be allotted to physical education. These periods to be the time in which new activities and skills are taught and mastered. The recesses to be used in the practice of the things taught during the instructional periods.
There should be a very definite budget worked out and set aside for equip- ment for physical education purposes. In order to carry out a program of play much equipment is necessary, consisting mainly of various types of balls. Every room should be furnished with equipment for both boy and girl groups.
Equipment for the after school athletic program, a summary of which follows , has been furnished through the proceeds of a stunt night program in which all' the schools cooperated.
The after school athletic statistics follow:
Boys taking part
Girls taking part
Football Fundamentals
63
(Eighth grades only)
Soccer football
129
Basketball.
140
Track.
138
76 (Courtesy of Y. M. C. A.)
Tennis.
68
Baseball .
263
46 63 (Play- ground ball)
Hiking
36
62
Hockey
50
116 (Skating)
Of course one man could not possibly handle this program alone, and I have been assisted greatly by principals, teachers, citizens, and members of the high school athletic teams. Their cooperation is very gratefully acknowledged.
The gymnasium classes at Lincoln School are going along nicely but of course the work is still handicapped by the lack of a board floor and also the fact that the gymnasium is also used for the school lunchroom.
A gymnasium class for boys who have received a mark of B or lower in posture at the Sanford Street School has been made possible through the co- operation of the Y. M. C. A. and this class meets on Mondays at eight forty-five A. M.
I hope to conduct a swimming campaign for school children during the coming year and am quite sure that the Association will cooperate as it has ยท done in the past.
As in several previous reports I wish to recommend that Physical Education receive a mark on the annual report cards. Sanford Street School is already doing this and has been for several years past.
There are several school playgrounds which I consider dangerous for play purposes as conditions now stand, notably the Bank Street, Capron, Carpenter Street and Pleasant Street schools. All of these playgrounds should be fenced as they border on streets where traffic is quite heavy.
Respectfully submitted,
J. RAY COONEY.
225
Swimming
206
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I submit, herewith, my annual report as School Physician for the year 1930
There have been no serious epidemics during the year, although the various contagious diseases have been reported from time to time. Diphtheria prevention has been carried on in all the schools and special attention was given to the first grade and kindergarten pupils. This inaugurates a definite program of diphtheria prevention. Clinics were held in the Spring and are now in progress. The benefits of such prevention measures are certain to reflect themselves in better school attendance with the eradication of diphtheria as the final goal.
In the annual examination of the school child, dental defects were most pronounced, showing the increasing need of some attention to this phase of child health. The incidence of diseased tonsils is growing less each year. More progress is being made in the eradication of this defect through better cooperation of the parent and the facilities provided through the medium of the Sturdy Memorial Hospital and the staff of the Nose and Throat Service. In this con- nection I wish to acknowledge the cooperation given by Dr. A. C. Conro, the chief of this service.
School lunches are still popular in most of the schools and special time is allotted for study of nutrition and proper health habits.
A review of the records of the Open-Air Room class shows the gains made in the past year or two to be rather disappointing. This year an attempt at a more careful selection of these pupils for this room was made, taking into con- sideration better home conditions. If home conditions are not favorable a child will rapidly lose what gain he has made when given this special super- vision.
The pre-school clinics were held during the Summer under the direction of the local Health Department, the object of these clinics being to correct defects in the child before entering school.
Other clinics held during the year were, a Mental Hygiene clinic conducted by Dr. Patterson of the Wrentham State School from which the selections for the ungraded rooms are made, and the clinic of the State Department of Public Health, in which children are examined as part of the ten year antituberculosis program.
Health Day was observed in the schools during the month of May and was successfully carried out with appropriate exercises as in former years.
I wish to emphasize the importance of home visits by the nurse. Under present arrangements it is impossible for one nurse to give adequate time to this most important work. Defects are found in the annual physical examination, but if they are not followed up and remedied the value of such an examination is lost. Another nurse, either part or full time, could be used with great benefit to the health of the community, and it would reflect itself also in better school attendance. An automobile for transportation of the nurse in carrying out her official duties should be provided.
In closing I wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the Health Department and other agencies, both private and public for their assistance during the year. I wish, also, to commend the most excellent work of Mrs. Dorothy Wendell, the school nurse, who I believe has been ever alert to the needs and welfare ofthe children in our schools.
A detailed report follows:
January . . . .
February .
March
April.
May.
June
July
August
September. .
October
November
December
Totals
School Visits
19
15
23
11
18
12
16
15
15
14 158
Office Visits ..
86
80
97
82
82
46
36
40
38
36
623
Special Examinations
62
42
91
43
56
19
107
23
42
9
494
Exclusions.
7
10
8
29
7
2
63
Physical Examinations
2
32
36
39
117
711
158
207
1302
Vaccinations
20
16
5
2
43
Working Certificates
20
20
23
8
8
10
16
10
52
27
32
20
246
Examinations for Athletics
30
30
Home Calls
1
1
1
1
4
Immunized-T AT.
49
282
331
First Aid .
1
1
2
Respectfully submitted,
JESSE W. BATTERSHALL, M. D.
ANNUAL REPORT
-
207
208
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit my report for the year 1929-1930.
The general health of the school child has been good. Cases of mumps, chicken pox, scarlet fever and measles have been reported but whooping cough is the only disease which edged onto an epidemic.
Medical examinations were completed on December 10th with the following number of notices sent home to the parents for defects:
Dental defects 1440
Tonsils.
320
Heart. 13
Many dental defects were corrected before our Health Day program in May by the family dentist, but many more children would have had their dental work done if their parents could have afforded it. The need of a dental clinic is always before us.
Thirty-one tonsil and adenoid operations have been done at the hospital- over half of them being free cases.
Twenty-five eye examinations were made by Dr. Conro without whose assistance we would be greatly handicapped. Although we had no funds for glasses we were able to assist twenty-five individuals. Fortunately this year Mr. George Nerney of the Bay State Optical Company has given us the privilege of calling on him for assistance.
The sight and hearing tests are made by the teachers but all cases needing ear or eye treatment are referred to the school nurse for following up. The earnest desire for an audiometer in our schools is expressed. Under the present method of testing, the inadequacy is most evident. Rapid progress is being made in the treatment of the "hard of hearing" child. Bright children often appear dull in school because of impaired hearing. These children are greatly aided by lip reading classes and I hope another year will see these classes in progress.
Home visits grow more and more important. The confidence the parent has in the school nurse is most gratifying and of greatest importance in creating a corrective program. Five hundred and one home visits were made during the past year.
Milk lunches in all but two schools continue with excellent results. The selling of any candy except where there are hot noon lunches is being discontinued. Fruit and plain cookies or crackers are sold at recess time.
In several schools, the underweight children, numbering 350 are talked to and advised as to their diets and health habits. From this group the children for the Open-Air Room and the Health Camps are taken.
In May, Miss Esther Erickson, Consultant in Nutrition in the State Depart- ment of Public Health and Miss Anna K. Donovan, R. N., Consultant in Public Health Nursing addressed the mothers of the Sanford Street School children on the development of the physically fit child. This was presented to urge the mothers to take their young children to the pre-school clinic so that any defects discovered at that time might be corrected before they entered the first grade.
Health Day was also held in May and proved most interesting. Pageants, health movies, plays and folk dancing were developed in each school. We hope the time will come when all the interest and energy the pupils and teachers put into this may be enjoyed "en masse" by the people of Attleboro. This celebra- tion is not the main object of Health Day. The aim of all is to be physically fit. This means the correction of all defects. For those who succeed, appropriate tags are awarded. These tags prove a real incentive.
209
ANNUAL REPORT
Positive health talks continue in the school rooms, also the distribution of health literature. The cooperation of the principals and teachers is most helpful.
Clinics for the prevention of diphtheria were held for the first graders in the fall. A mental hygiene clinic was held under the supervision of Dr. Patterson from the Wrentham State School for those three years or more retarded in April. During March the State Clinic under the ten year program was held for suspicious and contact tuberculosis cases. Vaccinations were done by the school doctor on pre-school children at clinics held at Washington and Hebronville Schools in May.
The following conferences were attended during the year: The annual conference on school hygiene at Bridgewater, a public health luncheon at the Pondville Hospital and two days at the New England Institute of Public Health Workers in Boston.
A summary of the work follows:
Schools
Visits
Schools
Visits
Bank Street
44
Lincoln
45
Bliss . .
46
Plat.
26
Briggs Corner
.35
Pleasant Street
28
Capron.
30
Richardson
55
Carpenter Street
31
Sanford Street 44
Dodgeville
40
South Attleboro.
31
Farmers
25
Tiffany
45
Finberg
42
Washington
47
High.
16
Total
632
Home Visits
Cases referred to S. P. C. C .. .
6
Cases referred to Charity Department.
32
Cases referred to Family Welfare
19
Eye examinations by Dr. Conro
25
Glasses obtained.
25
Ear examinations by Dr. Conro.
1
Diphtheria innoculations T. A. T.
113
Vaccinations.
25
Children prepared for camp.
20
X-Rays and examinations (State Clinic)
22
Tonsil and adenoid operations.
31
Operation on nose (Children's Hospital)
1
Respectfully submitted,
DOROTHY B. WENDELL, R. N.
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 of the principal repairs made to the school buildings during the past year.
Bank Street School
Cost
Electric lights installed in all parts of the building. $ 447.16
Calcimining four rooms and painting main hallway 380.00
827.16
501
210
ANNUAL REPORT
Bliss School
Wire fence on west of the yard . 193.00
Cement walks in front of building 389.28
Refinishing eight class-rooms. .. 440.00
Eight foot extension on chimney
195.00
Briggs Corner School
Building redecorated inside .
297.58
1
Dodgeville School
Hallways calcimined.
206.10
Plat School
Painting, calcimining and varnishing inside.
281.25
Richardson School
Calcimining four rooms and hallways
435.00
Sanford Street School
Cement walks. 336.20
Sewer line for Middle Building.
425.00
Painting two rooms and store rooms, Middle Building.
285.00
Repairing gutters and woodwork on outside Middle Building. 234.33
400.00
$1,680.53
Tiffany School
Repointing brick work
889.16
Painting two rooms. 68.90
958.06
Grand Total
$5,902.96
The above are the major repairs made to the school buildings during the year. There has been the usual amount of minor repairs which are taken care of from time to time as they are needed. There is much more work that should have been done in and around the buildings, but which could not be done because funds were not available. Two of the wooden flag poles have blown down within the year and inspection shows that some others are getting into bad con- dition and it may be necessary to spend quite a little money in replacement.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES T. CROSSMAN
Calcimining the Grammar Building
1,217.28
211
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF ATTENDANCE OFFICER
Mr. Lewis A. Fales, Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit my report as Attendance Officer. There have been 176 cases to investigate for non-attendance this year and the reasons for the absences are as follows:
Absent on account of clothing. 19
Absent on account of sickness. 41
Absent to work. 28
Moved from city 3
Left school . 2
Taken to Court. 5
Truants. . 37
Attending schools out of town . 1
Negligence. 24
Evening School . 1
Disciplinary cases 15
176
Forty-seven of the cases investigated were for the Continuation School.
There has been a general improvement in attendance this year over former years, although there have been some very difficult cases to adjust.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES T. CROSSMAN.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE-1931
Term Expires January 1933
Edwin F. Thayer, 17 Mechanic Street
Telephone 468-M
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 1933
Telephone 1101-W
Dr. Reginald P. Dakin, 32 John Street 1935
Telephone 279
1935
Mrs. Lida M. Holbrook, 28 Peck Street Telephone 1227-J
Leonard I. Lamb, 191 South Main Street 1935
Telephone 971-W
Mrs. Alice Stobbs, 63 Bank Street. 1935
Telephone 931-J
1935
Mrs. Rena Rounseville, 141 South Main Street Telephone 956-J
Organization
Edwin F. Thayer. Chairman
Dr. Reginald P. Dakin. Secretary Edwin F. Thayer Representative before Municipal Council
1933
212
ANNUAL REPORT
STANDING COMMITTEES
Teachers and Course of Study Mrs. Holbrook Mrs. Conro
Mr. Thayer
Dr. Dakin
Text Books and Supplies 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 on 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 26th of each month.
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-\V
Hebronville.
535-R
High.
. 1825
Lincoln
Perry 5065
Plat. .
Blackstone 8254
Pleasant Street .
1073-J
Richardson. .
1509-R
Sanford Street.
727-W
South Attleboro.
Blackstone 2245
Tiffany . 322-W
Washington
Blackstone 1212
213
ANNUAL REPORT
TEACHERS High School
Charles O. Dalrymple, Principal. Third Street
William F. Eastwood, Sub-Master.
117 South Main Street
Ruth A. Bradley, Mathematics 249 County Street
Carolyn Churchill, English.
17 Grove 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.
10 Mechanic 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. 159A Park Street
Providence, R. I.
Carlisle Hall, Mathematics. ..... 68 Rochambeau Avenue, Freeman Hall, Jr., Civics, History.
.3 Beacon Street
L. Marie Hentz, Commercial.
7 Park Avenue
Elizabeth M. Hilliard, History 23 Third Street Bernice B. Hosmer, Commercial 18 Jefferson Street
Carl W. Lombard, Mechanical Drawing.
28 Jackson Street
Helena A. McCormick, Domestic Science.
31 South Main Street
Marjorie Morrell, Physical Training
53 Fourth Street
Mabel M. Ott, Commercial
12 Perrin Street
Gertrude H. Parsons, German
.249 County Street
Marjorie A. Pierce, French.
.2 Prospect Street
Jessie I. Pithie, Commercial.
.29 Hodges Street
Thelma A. Powers, French.
18 Jefferson Street
Ruth A. Ramsdell, Commercial
.53 Fourth Street
Frances L. Riddell, Commercial .
249 County Street
Una Ritchie, English. .3 Hancock Street, Sheldonville, Mass.
Dorothy L. Simonds, History 12 Perrin Street
George I. Spatcher, Manual
Training 957 Pleasant Street
Mabel J. Wall, Latin. 57 Bank Street
Constance Witherell, English.
9 Walker Street, Taunton, Mass. 31 South Main Street
Margaret F. Woodward, Biology
Beatrice Smith, Librarian. .. 12 Perrin Street
Benita M. Dorwart, Clerk 4 Prospect Street
Bank Street School
Room
Milton P. Dutton, Principal. 683 Park Street
3. Alice M. McNerney, VIII. 206 Park Street
4. Zita Simms, VIII. 48 Payson Street
6. Elizabeth L. Wentworth. 31 South Main Street
7. Mildred Couillard, VIII. 33 Peck Street
8. Verta I. Rowell, VIII. 31 South Main Street
BLISS SCHOOL DISTRICT
A. Irvin Studley, Principal.
26 West Street
Bliss School
Room
1. Josephine M. Hart, VIII. 154_South Main Street
2. Beulah G. Eames, VIII. 118 Union Street
214
ANNUAL REPORT
Room
3. Annie C. Terry, VII. 69 Emory Street
4. Frances L. Gaffney, VII. 136 West Street, Mansfield
5. Marguerite E. Libbey, VI .20 Peck Street
7.
Nellie A. Harrington, VI.
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