USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1944 > Part 3
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Under the Innovations and notes regarding various departments, are Retail Salesmanship with Miss Helen McCormick as instructor and 25 pupils enrolled: Practical experience for office practice group, an experi- ment for the senior shorthand class when 16 businessmen in the city agreed to have a pupil spend one day a month, in his office: the Art department with emphasis on the Jewerly designing course given to create an interest in artistic handicraft and in an important industry. the course introduces the student to the required special aptitudes needed in the field of jewelry.
Included in this classification is the Science department and the Manual Arts departments
Under Athletics Acting Principal Hall reviews the basketball. baseball and football teams.
George S. Chase, successor to John Laing Gibb, has, continued the muiscal activities. and Alfred Zambarano has maintained the high standard of the band. which, with Earl Bassett as drillmaster, put on a splendid marching exhibition at the Thanksgiving day football game.
During the past school year, the cafeteria has tried at all times to serve a well- balanced meal and nourishing sandwiches and has continued the penny milk pro- gram.
He says in closing:
"Once again our young men in the senior ciass are faced. not only with the probiem of entering a branch of the service for which they are best suited. but fre- quently with the problem of remaining in school long enough to receive a war time diploma. Hand in hand with the question of military service goes the question of physical fitness: and I feel certain that a comprehensive program for this will be developed in the immediate future."
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ANNUAL REPORT
Report of Jewelry Trade School
Mr. Ernest F Forbes, Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit the report of the Jewelry Trade School for 1944
A pre-induction course started in March and continued until the close of school June, 30th. Ten pupils enrolled, seven finished the course, and three left to enter the armed forces.
School reopened September 6th with an enrollment of thirty-six. Six more students registered and four dropped out. The enrollment at present is thirty- eight.
A course in electric refrigeration was started in June. This class met two nights a week (3 hours each night) all summer. Another was started in Septem- ber and is still meeting.
The pre-induction course has an enrollment of five at present. Eighteen additional High School boys are receiving shop training in the afternoon.
Physics for juniors and seniors has been added to the curriculum. Mr. God- ing is the instructor.
The School Committee is to be congratulated on its decision to have the Trade School follow the regular school calendar. This has had a beneficial effect on the morale of the students and the prestige of the school.
Respectfully submitted,
Frank H. Straker
School Physician Raps Lack of Tiffany School Sewer System
Citing one local condition which he deems a challenge to the sanitary intelii- gence of the city, Dr. H. G. Vaughan, school physician. points out in his annual report that at Tiffany school there has existed for more than 30 years a situation whereby sewage is disposed of through local cesspools. and that the whole County Heights area is without municipal sewage facilities. Correction of this situation should become a major post-war project, Dr. Vaughan declares.
Dr. Vaughan finds that the average physical health of Attleboro school child- ren, in all districts, is excellent. He urges renewal of the physical training pro- gram in the high school, pointing out that only a few pupils. those who engage in competitive sports. get any benefit at present. Adequate gymnasium facilities and a program of training for all students should be required in the high school Dr. Vaughan urges.
His report to the health of school children of the city is as follows:
"The physical mental and emotional health of the school child is the most im- portant factor in the development of the pupil and in preparing him to cope with the problems and responsibilities of citizenship. Your school physician has de voted his thoughts and activities toward that end during the year.
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ANNUAL REPORT
"The school physician does not treat, and in most cases does not give a diag- nosis of a physical condition or handicap of the individual pupil, but acts rather as an adviser on his health problems as well as in the general school life It has been his deisre and aim to develop where it does not exist, and to foster in all cases a closer relation between the family of the students and their family physician believing this is one of the weaknesses of our community life. A too large propor- tion of our pupils report that they have no family physician.
"During the school year ending in June all of the pupils in the graminar grades were examined and their eyes and ears tested. The detai's of that work are given in the school nurse's report.
"Beginning in September a different program of physical examination was started Instead of examining the children in a.l the grammar grades and leaving out the high school. we are examing those of the first, fourth and seventh grades of the grammar school, and the freshmen and juniors of the high school. There are a number of reasons why this method is thought to be much better than the one previously used It gives us a better check on the entire school life of the pupil and it distr butes more eventy the emphasis on the importance of the health of the student, and keeps it before him, hs fami y, his teacher, and the community. The need of this emphasis is great.
"It is the impression of your school physician after the year's work with the entire student body, that the average physical health of the Attleboro student of all nationalities, and from all the d'fferent districts of the city. is excellent. One of the most important divisions of the curriculum of any school program is that of health education and physical training. In this department there is much need for improvement, but the greatest immediate need is that of physcal training in the high school, Unfortunately all physical training in the high school was dis- continued a number of years ago except in the selected group of competitive ath- letics. It s hoped that in the very near future Attleboro may bring itself abreast with modern high schools of the country in furnishing adequate gymnasium facili- ties, and physical training for all the pupils, and make it a required subject.
"The sanitation of the Attleboro schools was considerably improved by the repair work done in the past summer. A great need in this department is the connection of the Tiffany school with the city sewage system. For over 30 years the sewage outlet of this large school has been inadequate local cesspools. The whole Lonicut area is likewise without sewage connection and the correction of this situation would make a major post-war project. It should be done. and it can be done. It's continuance is a reflection on the sanitary intelligence of Attle- boro."
School Nurse Reports Progress in Field of Health Education
Mrs. Dorothy Wendell, R. N. school nurse, says in her annual report to the school superintendent that progress has been made in the field of health education through several sources: the Massachusetts Vision test and the Audiometer test being given w.th a definite improvement noted in both testing and results each school pupil having one of these tests each year. The tests, she says, are merely a screening process with no attempt being made at diagnosing, this being left to tha femi y physician and specialist.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Mrs Wendell gives the following findings in the annual physical exammations as follows. 231 examined; 160 free of defects; 378 deceased tonsils; 51 heart mur- murs, only a comparatively small number of defects be ng corrected. A more thorough fo low-up program m ght impress upon the parents through personal contact the importance of correcting these defects as early as possible, she says.
Mrs. Wendeli g ves the following figures as the result of the eye and ear tests: Massachusetts Vision test given in six schools, 1584 examinations; 232 or 14% no- tices sent out, 52 notices signed and returned; 36 procured new glasses. Five schools were visited for the audiometer tetss which were given to 1282; 160 or 12%. notices were sent; 62 notices were signed and returned; 18 seen by family physician. The small number of notices returned showed a lack of interest on the part of the parents, she says.
Mumps and measles presented the major communicable disease in the schools during the last year, she says, chicken pox being third. Fewer cases of whooping cough occurred during the year and only 12 school children had scarlet fever. One case of meningitis occurred last March.
During the month of January, 1944, the school nurse carried out the work of attendance officer, pending a new appointment, and since then special cases have been investigated wherever the need for medical social work seemed necessary.
During the year, 1944, Mrs. Wendell reports investigating 174 cases, the largest number being 37 in January, when she first took over this type of work. Twelve working cards were issued during the past year; 25 home permits given; 71 truants and delinquents investigated; 43 cases of iliness; 13 neglect cases and 10 special cases investigated during 1944.
She also reports holding conferences with principals, teachers, notice, SPCC workers, physicians and employers; giving demonstrations of the audiometer.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Would Concentrate on Singing Activities in Elementary Schools
In his first report, covering the four months since school opened in September, George S. Chase, supevisor of music, says that although the present day school music program is recognized as including five phases or fields of activity he feels that the need in the local schools is to concentrate on the singing activities in the elementary schools and on the standardizing of teaching practices from grade to grade and from school to school. He adds that with that in mind, he has prepared and distributed several outlines to teachers and have held meetings of all teachers in the city of certain grades. His aim is to teach the reading of music so that the consequent independent singing ability will lead to a greater appreciation of all forms of music.
Supervisor Chase says that Glee clubs have been formed in the elementary schools, and are directed by a teacher of the school, with the exception of Willett school, where he is directing the Glee club. He plans to combine efforts later in the year and present an operetta at a public performance.
Among the activities, Supervisor Chase lists the girls' choir of 70 voices in the high school and a boys' chorus of 55 voices. Efforts are to be made to increase the high school orchestra and band, both of which are smaller than usual he says and to correct this situation Alfred P. Zambarano, band leader, has added to his duties the instructing of eighth grade students, which plan is working out well.
Continuation School Attendance Shows Improvement
Norman S. Tukey in his annual report as director of the Continuation and Vocational schools stresses the fact that the percentage of attendance for the year ending Dec. 1, 1943 was 77.96 while for the year Dec. 1, 1943 to Dec. 1, 1944, it was 82. 23, showing an increase of 4. 23 per cent over the preceding year the im- provement in attendance being largely due to the good record of the Continuation pupils whose per cent of attendance for the past four months was 89.
He adds that the employment of 14 and 15 year old boys and girls in this city shows a more favorable picture than in the state as a whole, the enrollment on Dec. 1, 1944 in the Continuation school being 35, a decrease of 31 pupils or 47 per cent under the enrollment during the year Dec. 1. 1943 to Dec. 1, 1944. During the year Dec. 1, 1943 to Dec. 1, 1944, 84 pupils left the school; 68 of whom are em- ployed; three unemployed; nine transferred to other schools; three moved from the state and one deceased.
Of the 35 pupils now enrolled in the Continuation school, 21 are boys and 14 girls, distributed among 14 occupations including: retail store work, newspaper work, beverage industry. carpenter work, dairy, laundry, theater usher, farm work, poultry farm, junk business, home permits, Sturdy Memorial hospital, kinder- garten assistant and bakery.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Director Tukey says that while it is evident that the number of 14-15-year- old boys and girls are leaving school in an alarming manner in many places, the number in this city has actually decreased by 47 per cent. Many of these young employes will later be replaced by older experienced workers and the returning service men, and these young people, who have become accustomed to indepen- dence which a good paying job affords, will find adjustment difficult. According to the figures released, Attleboro is one city, he says, that is meeting the problem, by keeping its 14-15-year-old boys and girls in school.
The Vocational school, Director Tukey says, was originally devised for pupils not academically inclined, to enable them to become homemakers and semi ·skilled industrial workers, to teach them how to live with others and to be prepared to ad- just themselves to situations which they will meet in their lives. These boys and girls, he says, in the 14 to 16 year age group, who would normally be in the first and second years in high school, have fallen below their grade and become discouraged, and present a real problem.
"It has been recommended by the state department of vocational education that some of the teachers' time be given to surveying employment trends in order to determine what short units of instruction might advisedly be developed for in- dustrial jobs of a semi-skilled nature, Although this plan is not possible at the present time, it is a goal which must not be overlooked in the future," he asserts
Favor Daily Physical Education Program in Schools
In his annual report as director of physical education, J. Ray Cooney says that the essential developmental contribution to organized effort for physical fit- ness is the function of the schools, and that the schools of the city should sponsor a daily physical education program over the entire school life of the pupils with a daily half hour period definitely scheduled and properly supervised, as physical fitness is developed only through the daily use of the body. The program must be a continuous one through the days and through the years, he says, but admits that this time allotment has not been worked out satisfactorily as yet and during his weekly visits, the periods vary from 20 to 45 minutes depending upon the facilities.
The big problem, he says, is the daily follow-up work which has been generally satisfactory out-of-doors, but a much more difficult problem indoors where rooms are crowded with all sorts of obstacles. Physical Director Cooney says that he believes that a clear aisle should be kept entirely around every room and, in his opinion, most of the articles which clutter the aisle are unnecessary and should be removed.
Wherever possible, he says, he uses large corridors as playrooms, and the phy- sical education activities in this city are the same as those used in most of the big- gest cities, except that the bigger cities have a larger teaching staff and better phy- sical facilities.
The after school athletic program in the grammar schools is a busy one and includes leagues in touch football, basketball, baseball and track. he says. Hun- dreds of boys and a far lesser number of girls receive their fundamental training
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ANNUAL REPORT
in these sports feeding material to the high school teams in a continuous stream from year to year. Touch football, he says, is a poor substitute for the regular game, according to the opinions of the seventh and eighth grade boys, but most educators and parents, do not approve of the game for boys of this age.
Speaking of the high school sports, Director Cooney says that he believes that both freshmen and sophomores should have organized teams and that each should play a short schedule. He also believes that the time has come to eliminate track as a high school varsity sport.
Among the recommendations, Director Cooney includes the following:
"Every possible caution should be taken to insure safety in the performance of physical activities. The condition of all school playgrounds should be studied and plans made for resurfacing where needed. I would rate only three play grounds as anywhere near satisfactory. They are Pleasant Street, Finberg, and the boy's side of Bliss school.
"The playrooms at Finberg and Lincoln schools are unsafe for physical educa- tion purposes on account of the tables and chairs used for noon time lunches. May I suggest a survey of the problem as a safety measure.
"I would like to continue my request for a board floor at the Lincoln playroom a better lighting system, and shower baths.
"Physical Education in my opinion should receive a mark on the report cards as should posture.
"Regarding the Willett auditorium gym I believe that the seats need to be removed only once a year, during the Thanksgiving recess, and put back once a year, at the end of March. This arrangement allows four months use as a gym- nasium and six months as an auditorium.
"Enough seats are left during the gym season to take care of any ordinary classes."
Purpose of Art Education Outlined by Supervisor
Miss Myrtice A. Perrin, supervisor of Art Education in the elementary schools of the city lists the purpose of Art Education in the public schools today as being to develop the appreciation of art in relation to current phases of living, to develop skills, encourage and maintain originality and to apply these aims and objectives to fitness of purpose.
Outlines for teaching of Art Education have been placed in the hands of every teacher in the first six grades, and these incorporate and establish aims, methods, subject matter and standards of achievement for illustration, design, color, con- struction work and a vocabulary for the grade, she says. The outlines at the pre- sent stress the importance of a child's ability to express and create, and to this end, aim to establish constant growth in the individual pupil rather than a series of definite lessons, which, under ordinary circumstances often hamper the develop- ment of varied experiences for the child, and as a result of this program of study,
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ANNUAL REPORT
the supervisor is enabled to recognize the various needs of the classes in relation to the circumstances. Heretofore, she continues, the supervisor served in reality as a special instructor teaching every scheduled class within a time limit which al- lowed only for a uniform illustration copied by the children from her drawing, a method which did not allow for stimulus and development of originał thought on the part of the pupil.
Miss Perrin adds, in closing "I am proud to be able to say that there is a great deal of talent evident among the pupils in our schools. However, it is impossible for one person to serve the needs of all adequately. With the wide interest evi- denced in our schools in Art Education, and realizing the closeness of art to the basic industry of our city, the need of an additional worker grows more apparent.
Truant Officer's Business Increases; Has 148 Cases
James F. Forrest, in submitting his first annual report as attendance officer, says that the records of the year, Dec. 1, 1943 to Dec. 1, 1944, show a marked im- provement over preceding years.
Of a total of 148 cases investigated there were three absent because of no shoes; 23 detained by parents; 85 due to illness; two left school; seven cases taken to court; 22 truants; one attending school out of town, and five for negligance.
School Custodian Reports on Repairs to School Property
In his first annual report as building custodian, James F. Forrest tabulates repairs made in eight of the 10 school buildings: Bliss, Farmers, Finberg, Lincoln, Richardson, Tiffany, Washington, and Willett during the year from Dec. 1, 1943, to Dec. 1, 1944. Bliss school was the largest project undertaken, the stoker being removed and sold and grates put into the steam boiler. A two-inch float line, stabilizing the water line, was installed and two water line feeders installed, one on each boiler. The tar and gravel roof was renewed on the old section, flashings and slate roof repaired where necessary. The joints of the two brick shafts on the roof were cleaned and repointed. An open jet on the old building was closed in, eliminating pigeon nuisance. Eight new toilets and two new wash bowls were installed in the girl's toilet room which was painted white to make it sanitary and clean, and a new drinking fountain was installed outside the toilet room. Twenty-eight new stair treads were put on the front and rear stairs, floors were patched where necessary and all the exterior of the building painted two coats. New screens were put on all basement windows. The interior wood- work was varnished; walls painted and all ceilings done with white Cover-Kal. Windows in two rooms were weatherstripped and new saslı cords put on all win- dows in the school. Two pairs of new doors were put in the open-air room.
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ANNUAL REPORT
At Farmers school, the furnaces were cleaned and new smoke pipes installed New furnace parts are needed, but are not being manufactured. Seats in two rooms were replaced with seats from the Plat school and Tiffany.
At Finberg school a leak in the roof was repaired, and the ceiling of one room was painted.
At Lincoln school, the return steam line was renewed from above the floor and the insides of all return steam traps were renewed. Two water line feeders were installed, one on each boiler. The flagpole was removed from the roof and a new one placed on the ground. The gym floor was sealed with two coats of floor seal. to make it dustless. A new wall of pressed wood was put in the hall-way leading to the boys' toilets.
At Richardson school the heating system was improved by changing the return traps to Barnes and Jones. The lift fittings were removed and a receiving tank added so that all returns flow into it by gravity, thereby maintaining a vacuum at all times when the plant is in operation. Each boiler was equipped with a water line feeder to take care of the water in them. Sixty broken windows were replaced during vacation and dark shades put in one room for moving pictures.
At Tiffany school new smoke pipes were installed and the furnaces cleaned and overhauled. New seats were put on all toilets and a spray installed on the urinal. The library was moved from the portable to the main building to a room newly painted and varnished. The office floor was sanded and refinished. The flagpole from the Lincoln school roof has been set up on the Tiffany school grounds to replace the old one on the roof.
At Washington school new pipes were installed in the basement; all old toilets and tanks replaced with new toilets, flushmeters and new seats. Venetian blinds were put on the office windows and door. A new covering of rubberoid was put on the roof of the portable building and a new sheet rock ceiling put up and painted.
At Willett school the exterior of the building was given one coat of paint. 'The auditorium floor was sanded and sealed and new lines painted for basketball. Two coats of finishing were put on to make a better floor. The number one boiler has been put in working order so that both boilers may now be used. Two new drinking fountains will be installed as soon as available.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Report of City Auditor
To His Honor the Mayor, and the Municipal Council:
I submit herewith the Annual Report of the Auditing Department.
During the year ending December 31, 1944, the Auditing Department has auditied all bills and payrolls presented for payment.
It has also made examinations of the account of the City Treasurer, the City Clerk, and City Collector, all of which have been found correct.
The accounts of the Commissioners of the Sewer Assessment Investment Fund have been examined and all securities held by them checked and verified.
The Trust Funds in the hand of the City Treasurer and Trustees of the Public Library have been examined and found to agree with the report as presented.
The financial statements, schedules, etc., will be found on the following pages
E. H. BROWN, City Auditor
CITY OF ATTLEBORO BALANCE SHEET-DECEMBER 31, 1944 REVENUE ACCOUNTS
Assets
Liabilities
Cash
285,015.24
Tailings
174.85
Petty Cash
300.00
Overlay 1944 1943
13,756.08
20,563.41
Taxes:
Overlay Surplus Reserve
4,481.82
Polls, 194-4
42.00
Personal, 1944
3,344.81
Real Estate, 1944
17,568.03
Judgment on Taxes
118.03
51,072.87
2,500.00
Motor Vehicle Excise Taxes: 1944
177.88
Special Assessments:
Reserve for 1944 501.50
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