Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Douglas, for the year ending 1911, Part 3

Author:
Publication date: 1911
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 82


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Earl Parker, moving snow 4 h 80 H. T. Barton, moving snow 4 h 80


Horses moving snow 4 h 80


51


Nelson Place 14 d 7 h


at 180 $26 60


Horse and cart 14 d


at 1.25 4 50


Charlie 2 d at 180 60.


Gus Dudley, 33d at 2.25


holding scraper


7 87


4 horses on scraper


2 d 12 00


2 horses on scraper 13 d 4 50


Henry Jarvis 3 d


5 40


W. R. Wallis, 3 spades nails and spikes 2 49


196 33


L. A. BUFFUM, District No. S.


L. A. Buffum 128 h


$25 60


Nelson Gravel 15 h 3 00


August Gravel 15 h 3 00


B. F. Aldrich, 2 horses


and cart 15 h 3 00


W. F. Young, 49 h 9 80


W. F. Young, 1 horse


and cart 35 h 4 37


R. E. Aldrich, 7 h


1 40


62 11


JARVIS ADAMS, District No. 9.


Jarvis Adams, 326 h $81 50 .. 1 horse


133 h 16 66


Harry Chamberlain, 20h 4 00


Albert Bassett, 27 h 5 40 Napoleon Maynard, 5 h 1 00


Henry Hindon, 234 h 46 80


2 horses


47 h 9 40


David Lunn, 152 h


30 40


" 2 horses


152 h 30 40


J. E. Stowe, 254 h 50 80


Lafayette Taft. 34 h $6 ×0


.. 22 horses


34 h 6 80


Henry Jarvis, 128 h 25 60


" horses on


scraper 90 h 27 00


Henry Jarvis, horses on cart 166 h $33 20


Frank Smith, 128 h 25 60


Robert Lunn, 80 h 16 00


G. H. Dudley, horses


on scraper 60 h 18 00


horses on cart 30 h 6 00


R. E. Aldrich 1 pair oxen and cart 7 h $ 1 40


F. H. Jefferson 10 h 1 24


Joseph Gazette, 15 h 3 00


T. E. Hall, 24 h


4 80


5 loads gravel.


50


posts and Railimg 1 00


Harry Dudley, 2 d


at 1.80 3 60


Walter Putnam, 33 d at 1.80 $6 30


John Kelly, 3 d at 1.80 5 40


Orson Chase, 1 d at 1.80 1 80 Man, 23 d at 1.80 4 50 Robert Lunn, 13d at 1.80 2 70 American Axe and Tool Co. 2 picks 2 00


W. E. Jones, dynamite and fuse 2 61


2 horses on scraper


13 d


4 50


4 horses on scraper 1gd 9 00


52


Walter Putnam, 90 h


18 00


45 ft. railing Dynamite


45


20


460 01


Use of scraper in Ux.


3 00


457 01


Trap Rock,


73 26


530 27


H. C. METCALF, District No. 10.


H. C. Metcalf, 87 h


at 25c per h


$21 75


horse and cart 87 h


at 12gc per h 10 87


A. L. Metcalf, 90 h


at 20c per h 18 00


F. Chappel, 72 h


at 20c per h 14 40


114 82


A. Brown, 18 h


at 20c per h


3 60


C. Kruel and team, 27 h at 40c per h $10 80 Smith, 27 h at 20c per h 5 40 H. Jarvis, 4 horses and man on scraper rate per d 10.00 3 d 30 00


Repairs on stone rd.


309 55


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


SCHOOL COMMITTEE


OF THE


TOWN OF DOUGLAS


FOR THE


Year Ending March 1, 191I.


746


INCORPO


WHITINSVILLE, MASS .: PRESS OF EAGLE PRINTING CO. 1911.


2


SCHOOL COMMITTEE


EDWARD T. BUXTON


Term expires March 1, 1911


66


66


66


1911


FRANK E. JONES.


LUCIUS J. MARSH


66


66


1911


ERWIN E. CARPENTER


66


66


66


1912


FRED M. CHAPPELL


66


1912


GILBERT W. ROWLEY


٠٠


60


66


1912


CHARLES J. BATCHELLER.


66


66


66


1913


CHARLES L. CHURCH


66


66


66


1913


WILLIE MANAHAN


66


66


1913


SUPERINTENDING COMMITTEE


L. J. MARSH EDWARD T. BUXTON G. W. ROWLEY


SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


EDWIN S. COBB


PURCHASING AGENT


CHARLES J. BATCHELLER


TRUANT OFFICERS


EDWIN S. COBB A. B. SIMMONS


3


SCHOOL CALENDAR


1910-11


FALL TERM


All schools opened September 6, 1910, and closed December 16.


WINTER TERM High school opened December 26, 1910. Elementary schools opened January 2, 1911. All schools close March 17. SPRING TERM RECOMMENDED


High and grammar schools open March 27. Elementary schools open April 3 and close June 9. Grammar school close June 16, and high school close June 23.


LENGTH OF SCHOOL YEAR


High school 40 weeks. Grammar school 38 weeks as recommended. Elementary schools 36 weeks.


NO SCHOOL SIGNAL


Three blasts of the whistle at 7.45 a. m. indicate " no school" for the morning session. Three blasts of the whistle at 11.45 a. m. indicate " no school" for the afternoon session.


4


FINANCIAL STATEMENT


APPROPRIATIONS AND RECEIPTS


Appropriations for public schools, includ- ing transportation of pupils $5,500 00


Books and supplies . 400 00


For Superintendent. .


360 00


For School Physician


50 00


For repairs to schoolhouses


300 00


For repairs, old windows sold


75


Town school fund


56 48


State school fund


938 41


State, for high school " special "


500 00


State, for superintendent


500 00


For tuition


36 00


Balance unexpended last year


1,360 67


$10,002 31


EXPENDITURES


Teachers


$5,015 75


Janitors


594 75


Superintendent


679 98


Transportation


430 75


Fuel


552 98


Books and supplies appropriation $400 00


State school fund 28 97


5


Books sold, Disney $ 5 95


Night school, Disney 13 00


447 92


For night school .


18 95


Amount drawn from Town Treasurer


$428 97


Repairs


524 58


General expenses


$211 40


66


66 insurance 102 48


$313 88


50 00


School physician .


$8,591 64


$1,410 67


LUCIUS J. MARSH, EDWARD T. BUXTON, GILBERT W. ROWLEY.


6


Report of School Committee.


The School Committee submits the following report for the year ending March 1, 1911.


CHANGES IN TEACHING FORCE


Resignations - Mr. Charles E. Disney in January, Miss Aimee Currier, High School; Miss Lucile Blanchard, Miss Lillie MacLean, grades VII and VIII; Miss Mary Waldo, grades IV and V ; Miss Alma Quintal, Miss Mary C. Silva, South Douglas.


Elections - Miss Mary I. Gunn, Mr. William W. Evans, in January, High School; Miss Lillie MacLean, Miss Jennie L. Irwin, grades VII and VIII; Miss Mildred Chapman, grades IV and V; Miss Rosanna Picard, South Douglas, Miss Emma J. Williams, Supervisor of Music. Miss Mildred Chapman resigned suddenly the last week in February because of ill health, and we have secured Mrs. Grace Moore to fill the vacancy.


Following the resignation of Miss Sweet as Supervisor of Music, which was accepted reluctantly by the Committee, we had a year of no supervising. This condition was not satisfactory to us and, as a result of our determination to have a supervisor of this department, we have been fortunate in securing Miss Emma J. Williams.


The progress of our schools has been retarded somewhat by the frequent changes in teachers. The difficulty of keeping teachers is being experienced by most of the smaller towns in the state.


Although several benches and quite a collection of tools have been purchased, there has been no activity in Manual Training. A place should be made and time allotted for this work the coming year.


7


A perusal of our report of expenditures in the Financial Statement and a comparison with the report of last year will show an increase this year of $429.83. The excess of this year is caused by slightly heavier teachers' salaries, including music, small increase to the Superintendent, small increase in cost of transportation, insurance of buildings, and extraordinary repairs. The increase in every instance has certainly been justified.


The walls in the East Douglas building have been in bad shape for a number of years, because of settling of the building. Many of the unsightly cracks in the plastering were caused, we believe, by the drag of the front and back vestibules. These vestibules had no supports from beneath when the building was built, being supported from beams above by hangers. Two years ago the present committee placed two iron columns beneath each of the vestibules, thereby easing the strain on the walls of the halls and rooms. We then waited until this year, to make sure the remedy was effective, when we made repairs in every one of the eight rooms and in both upper and lower halls. After repairing the plastering all the walls and ceilings were painted.


We have done away with the common drinking cup by putting in four drinking fountains in the building at Last Douglas and water coolers in the three district schools, where each child is required to have his or her own drinking cup. Water is obtained from the cooler by a faucet, the cup not being dipped into the water. Laying the pipe to the schoolhouse at East Douglas for the fountains was expensive, costing over $75.00.


Numerous repairs were made in the district schools. The chimney at South Douglas was discovered to be in very bad shape and was rebuilt inside to the roof. New sinks were placed in South Douglas and at Old Douglas.


We would suggest that this coming year running water be connected with the laboratory of the High School, as it can easily be done and will be most convenient. We would also suggest that the building at East Douglas be wired for electric lights. The fact that electric lights were needed was very strongly brought to our attention during the short session of night school. At that time kerosene lamps were used and as a result the walls and ceilings of both rooms of the High School are in a very unsightly condition. These rooms will need painting in the spring vacation. The amount we will ask appropriated for repairs this year will include enough for wiring the building. telephone is also needed in the building at East Douglas.


Last year we asked for an appropriation of $300.00 for grad- ing the school grounds at East Douglas, but did not get the


8


money because, through a misunderstanding, the appropriation asked for was not covered by an article in the Warrant. This year we will endeavor to have such an article in the Warrant.


For the last two years the members of the Committee have been approached at intervals by different people asking for a night school. This year we tried a short session as an experi- ment. The interest shown and work accomplished by those who attended would warrant, we believe, another attempt and more extensive work taken up next fall.


Plans have been made for making the Grammar school year two weeks longer than in the past by adding a week at the begin- ning and end of the spring term of the elementary schools as recommended. The two weeks will help in fitting the pupils for entering the High school.


We call attention to the report of our Superintendent in regard to courses of study and other problems ; also to the report of the Principal of the High School and to the report of the Supervisor of Music.


For the ensuing year the following appropriations are asked for :


Public schools, including transportation. . $5,200 00


Books and supplies 400 00


For Superintendent


400 00


For School Physician 50 00


Repairs


400 00


Grading at East Douglas


300 00


$6,750 00


We appreciate very much the gift of five copies of "The Working People, Their Health and How to Protect It", by M. G. Overlock, M. D., presented to the schools by Hon. Winfield S. Schuster. Acknowledgment has been made by Mr. Disney, in his report, of the gift to the High School, by the Alumni, of the "New International Encyclopedia " in twenty volumes.


Respectfully,


LUCIUS J. MARSH,


EDWARD T. BUXTON, Superintending Committee.


GILBERT W. ROWLEY,


9


Superintendent's Report.


To the Members of the School Committee of Douglas.


GENTLEMEN : My third annual report as superintendent of schools is herewith submitted.


ATTENDANCE STATISTICS.


The total enrolment of the school for the year ending June 1910 was 387, 64 more than for the preceding year. The average enrolment for the year ending June 1910 was 316 and for the first five months of the present school year it has been 329. The pres- ent enrolment, Feb. 1, 1911, is 314.


The per cent of attendance for the year ending last June was 91.11, slightly better than that for the preceding year which was 91.01. The per cent of attendance for the first five months of the present school year has been 92.39. The average attendance for the state and for Worcester county year after year is 92 per cent. The average attendance for Douglas for the last five years has been less than 91 per cent. This indicates that our attendance is not what it ought to be. The fact too that during the first five months of the present school year there have been 1003 absences which in the opinions of the several teachers were unnecessary is still further evidence that children are not attending as they should. This poor attendance is a serious handicap to us in our efforts to maintain good schools and plainly indicates the need of greater strictness in enforcing the school laws.


The average number of tardinesses for the year ending June 1910 was 1.79 per pupil. This is a slight improvement over that for the preceding year, which was 1.9.


IO


The general statistics relative to the school and the ranking of the several schools in the matters of attendance and punctuality . will be found in tables A and B at the close of this report.


EYE AND EAR TESTS.


The eye and ear tests required by law to be made by the teachers were made last September with the following results :


Number of pupils enroled 333


66 66 defective in eyesight 45


66 66 hearing 12


" parents notified . 52


A number of pupils still need glasses and in some instances cannot afford to get them. One particularly bad case was provided with glasses with money taken from the Manual Training Fund. The town, however, should make provision for urgent cases in which the ability of the parents to provide is unquestioned. There would probably not be more than two or three such cases a year.


SCHOOL HYGIENE.


The interest taken by the committeee in safeguarding the health of the school children of Douglas is very gratifying. The entire building and particular rooms have been frequently and carefully fumigated whenever pupils known to have been coming down with a serious contagious disease have been known to have been in them; and but recently individual towels and bubbling drinking fountains have been provided. Oiled floors and perhaps a machine for specially fumigating all books before turning them over from one class to another would make conditions nearly ideal. Relative to the oiling of the floors it is hardly necessary to state that this is now done in nearly all good schools. By means of the oil, dust and germs are caught on the floor and swept up without being allowed to perpetually circulate through the air to irritate throats and perhaps spread disease. There are many preparations on the market, but my own experience as well as that of several of my colleagues leads me to believe that No Dusto carefully applied on a clean floor coated with linseed oil gives the best results. The material to do the work would cost about $15.00.


I I


ANOTHER ROOM FOR ELEMENTARY GRADES NEEDED.


It is beleived that the best interests of the graded schools of E. Douglas require the assignment of another room to their use. This need while existing for several years past has become es- pecially pressing now through an increase in the number of pupils in the intermediate grades and because of the addition of the Ninth Grade to the elementary school course. The increase of numbers has made it necessary for the teacher of Grade Four to take a part of Grade Five and, with 45 pupils at the most restless age of childhood, to try to do the work of two grades. This at- tempt for the past three years at least has resulted in partial fail- ure to do the usual work of these grades satisfactorily. The ad- dition of the Ninth Grade makes it necessary for the Grammar teacher to handle three grades where but two were formerly taught and gives her a corresponding increase in the number of classes and in the number of pupils. The total for the latter last Sep- tember amounted to 45. Only the exceptional teacher can handle so many pupils in so many advanced classes and do justice to them. The assignment of another room for the work would relieve both of these unfavorable and congested conditions and make possible a distribution of the grades to rooms as follows :


Room 1


Grade 1


40 pupils 35


..


3


. 6


3


30


..


4


4


35


. .


5


. .


5


30


..


6


6, 7


40


7


8,9


30


These figures are based upon the numbers at present in these grades and are conservative estimates of the numbers likely to be in them next fall and for sometime to come. It is believed that the arrangement as recommended by giving no teacher more than one grade, excepting in the case of the higher grades which be- come thinned out because of pupils leaving to go to work, would result in a decided improvment in the quality of the work done in the Intermediate and Grammar Grades.


NEW COURSES OF STUDY.


During the past year new courses of study in Geography, History, Reading and Spelling have been prepared and placed in the hands of the teachers. These courses excepting the one in


1 2


History differ in no essential respect from the ones formerly in use. In the course in History, however, an attempt has been made to give to the pupils in material fitted to their age a knowl- edge of all history as well as of that of the United States. To this end,while continuing the work in the history of our own country, there have been introduced in Grade Three stories of the Hebrews, Egyptians and the early peoples, in Grade Four tales of the Greeks and Romans ; and in Grade five the stories of the Norsmen, Middle Ages and Modern Nations of Europe. For Grade Six a strong general course in United States History has been prepared as so many pupils leave at the end of this year's work. In Grade Seven the History of the English people is given prominence and so far as possible correlated with the work in the history of the Eng- lish Discoverers and Explorers in America. In Grade Eight a special study of the history of this country from the outbreak of the Civil War up to the present times is made, and in Grade Nine a review by special topics of the entire history of the United States is made during the first two terms, and the last term is given up to the study of Civil Government.


MANUAL TRAINING AND SEWING


Since the opening of the schools in September the work in Manual 'Training and Sewing as outlined in the report of last year has been suspended in the upper grades. This suspension seemed advisable on account of the serveral changes in teachers in the Grammar School during the fall term and also of fuller realization of the difficulties under which the teachers in grades above the Fourth were laboring in teaching in rooms filled with pupils distributed in two or more grades. Moreover, although benches and tools have been provided from the proceeds of the Manual Training and Sewing Fair given last winter no place in which to use them to advantage has been found. Such a place, however could be readily supplied by partitioning off a small space in the basement, while the allowing of one more teacher and room for the work of the grades, as already recommended, would give time for Manual Training and Sewing. Inasmuch as these subjects are very generally conceded to be of value to school pupils it is to be hoped that more favorable conditions will soon make it possible for us to give due attention to them.


HOME GARDENS.


Last spring a number of the ladies of the town became interested in having the pupils in the schools have gardens at home and offered books as prizes for those most successful in the


I 3


work. About 600 packages of seeds at a penny a package were sold and many of the pupils had excellent gardens, notwith- standing the dry weather. The ladies visited the gardens and awarded the prizes as follows:


Grade 1 Dorothy Condon,


Grade 2 Barbara Carpenter, Lewis Brown,


Grade 3 Mary Mitice, Annie Pompa,


Grade 4 Jennie Abram, Lincoln Carpenter,


Grade 5 Kate Kalvinek. Gabriel Langlois,


Grade 6 Homer Mercier, Ailene McMahon, Marjorie Weeks, Agnes Ritchie,


Grade 8 Walter Hughes, Sarah Frost, Harold Hughes.


Douglas Town,- Homer Powell, Kenneth Parker, Etta Hewitt, Albert Wilkins,


West Douglas,- Doris Peters, Percy Peters.


The work seemed well worth while and will be continued again this year, prizes being offered the same as last year.


MUSIC


Last fall the services of Miss Emma J. Williams of Prov- idence, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, who also teaches Music in Uxbridge and has classes in the Providence Normal Sohool, were secured for the Douglas schools. Under her direction a new interest has been awakened and work of a very creditable nature is being done. Miss Williams visits the schools every two weeks.


DRAWING.


It is a cause for regret that a special teacher in Drawing has not yet been provided, particularly as nearly all the schools in the Commonwealth now have such. While the teachers are doing the best they can there is not that interest and the same results do not appear as when a special teacher lays out the work and regularly visits the schools. Probably for about $100 an efficient Drawing Supervisor could be provided on the plan now employed relative to the Music Teacher; and if the means are available, they could hardly be spent to better advantage for the schools.


HIGH SCHOOL.


The very complete report of Mr. Disney concerning the con- ditions in the High School make lengthy comment here un- necessary. In general it is believed that the work during the past


14


year has been fully as good as in other more recent years and that conditions are steadily improving. The addition of the Ninth Grade to the elementary course has already had its effect in strengthening the work of the school. The better grading of the rooms below as already recommended would do even more. Better preparation and more practical work are the two great needs of the school, and the lack of these in the past doubtless explains the dwindling and almost entire disappearance of classes between the time of entering the high school and graduating from it. The Ninth Grade and the employment of one more teacher and room for the grade work should abundantly supply the first need, while the introduction of a Commercial Course as recommended by the State authorities is helping to supply the second. The courses as offered this year, together with the number of recita- tions per week in each, appear below.


HIGH SCHOOL COURSES, 1910-1911.


FIRST YEAR.


THIRD YEAR.


English Literature and Composition


4


English Literature and Composition 3


English History


1


Chemistry 4


Algebra 4


French, Elementary 4


Elementary Science


or


Physiology { year


Stenography


4


Latin 4


FOURTH YEAR.


or


English Literature and


3


SECOND YEAR.


Chemistry


4


English Literature and Composition


4


Latin


4


English History


1


Review Mathematics


Geometry


4


Algebra ₺ year


4


Elementary Science


Geometry


Astronomy ¿ year


3


Physical Geography 3 year


Latin


4


or


Stenography


4


Latin 4


Physics { year


3


Bookkeeping


5


Composition


French, Advanced


4


15


COST OF SCHOOLS.


As there are always some who feel that the schools are cost- ing too much, the following figures taken from the last report of State Board of Education, 1908-1909, may be of interest.


According to that report Douglas ranked number 214 among the 354 towns and cities in the Commonwealth in respect to the amount appropriated for the support of the schools per $1000 of the valuation. The amount was $4.78.


The average cost per pupil in the public schools throughout Worcester county that year was $30.71. The cost per pupil in Douglas was $25.92. The cost per pupil in Douglas for the year just closed has been $29.75. The cost per pupil for books and supplies throughout Worcester county was $1.83. The cost in Douglas was $1.47. The amount appropriated last March amounted to $1.26 per pupil, a total of $400.


An examination of such Douglas School Reports as are avail- able show that nearly $500 per year was spent for books and sup- plies until recently, which would be an amount per pupil more nearly the average throughout the county. With our increasing needs due to the adding of the Ninth Grade, the adding of one more year to the length of the High School, and another teacher, with the extra classes which that means, as well as the steadily increasing standards of school work, it is very difficult to properly provide the schools with needed supplies on $400 per annum.


CONCLUSION.


We do not desire, however, to reflect in any way upon the generosity of the taxpayers, for we believe that in the future as in the past they will make suitable provision for all the reasonable needs of the schools. In their loyalty, in that of the committee, and in that of the teachers, to the best interests of the schools of Douglas, I have full confidence.


Respectfully submitted,


EDWIN S. COBB,


Superintendent of Schools.


East Douglas, Mass., Feb. 23, 1911.


Table A. Douglas School Statistics, September 1909 to June 1910


SCHOOL


TEACHER


WHERE EDUCATED


Salary per week


Weeks taught


Length of school year


| Under 5 years, Boys


| Under 5 years, Girls


5-15 years, Boys


5-15 years, Girls


Over 15 years, Boys


Over 15 years, Girls


Total number Boys


Total number Girls


7-14 years, Boys


Total membership


Average membership


Average attendance


Per cent. of attendance


Tardinesses


Dismissals


Visitors


High


C. E. Disney, Prin. t . Clark University Aimee E. Currier, Ass'tt


$23.75


40


9-16


0


6


11


7 10


13


21


4


35


27.25 25.26 92.70


94


17


98


E. Doug., Gr. VII-VIII Lucile M. Blanchardt Brown University


V-VI ... Eunice L. Buffington Douglas High


Mary F. Waldowt


Framingham Nor.


10.50


32


8-17


0


27


16


(


27


16


27


16


46 38.98


33.25 91.92 109


35 61


Douglas High


11.00


11.00


36


8-18


0


21


0


0)


21


23


21| 16


21 18


49 45


41.93 40.83


38.61 92.08| 38


71 32


51


73


66


II .


I


Elizabeth Poole


10.00


36


8-18


1


0


25


()


()


26


35


6


3


63


45.09


40.85 90.59


30


0 82


Douglas Center


Gertrude M. Smith .. Mollie H. Kelly


8 00


36


8-17₺


1


10


16 11


( ()


0 0


20 10


16 12


13 S


9


18.10


17.28 94.99


0


2


40


5


H. Alma Quintalt Mary C. Silvat


8.00


31


8-17 0


0


6


9


0


6


9


5


9


17


14.2


12.40 87.30


31


22


41


5


404|89-12


2| 1 |173 173 10 10 185 |184 134 123 387 315.89 288.81 91.11 567 221 817


0


0 22


3


0 0)


25! 16


13 16


18 16


16


33


33.84 29.07


31.49 93.08 27.44 94.40


37


671 74


IV-V. 5


-


Mrs. A. L. Fairchild E. Douglas High


10.50


4 36|


8-163 0


0


21


0


0


21


23


0


16 133


10.00


36


8-18


1


0


19


4


88


West Douglas . ..


South Douglas . . .


Fisher's Kinderg. Tr'g Sch., Boston Middleb'y, Vt., H.S. Douglas High Worcester Nor .* Hyannis Normal*


12.00


10


11.00


36


11.00


36


8-17


0 16


13| 16


0


+Successor appointed. See committee's report.


*Not a graduate.


62


7 127


III-IV


Edith M. Abbott Etta H. Johnson


144


36 23


26.6


24 33 91.48 101


10.00


Enrolment


0


8-17


13


40


7-14 years, Girls


93.07


35


23 23


Tufts College


Table B Rank of the Schools in Attendance and Punctuality, June 1909, to September 1910


ATTENDANCE


PUNCTUALITY


RANK


SCHOOL


PER CENT.


RANK


SCHOOL


AVERAGE TARDINESS


1


West Douglas


94.99


1


West Douglas


0.0


2


East Douglas,, Grades V-VI


94.40


East Douglas, Grade I


0.4


3


East Douglas, Grades VII-VIII


93.08


East Douglas, Grade II


0.76


4


East Douglas, Grade II


93.07


4


East Douglas, Grade VII-VIII


1.09


5


High School


92.70


East Douglas, Grade VI


1.17


6


East Douglas, Grade III


92.08


6


East Douglas, Grade III


1-69


7


East Douglas, Grades IV-V.


91.92


7


South Douglas


2.5


8


Douglas Center


91.47


S


East Douglas, Grades IV-V


3.28


East Douglas, Grade I


90.59


9


High School


3.45


10


South Douglas


87.30


10


Douglas Center


3.79


Average


91.11


Average


1.79


·


17


IS


Report of the HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.


Mr. E. S. Cobb, Superintendent of Schools :


Dear Sir :


This then is my third annual report as Principal of the Douglas High School.


The school as a whole is in a promising condition. Many of the pupils are willing and some are realizing excellent results. But it is time to recognize the fact, which has been most strongly impressed upon us during the past year, that many of the pupils are immature. Some means must be found to raise the entrance age of High School pupils.


The commercial work has been greatly strengthened this year by the presence of a teacher, Miss Gunn, who has been specially trained for such work. Unless such a teacher can be regularly secured, it seems to me inadvisable to attempt more than two years of commercial work.


Our progress in some departments is seriously handicapped by the lack of text-books which are suited to our use. Three chief factors minister to arouse the interest of the child in the school work ; namely, the home influence, the teachers' effort, and the text-book.


In the small High School the pupil receives a fair amount of attention from the teacher, but when, as is true with many of our pupils, the home influence fails to stimulate the child, the text- book is of great importance. Money must be provided to complete our outfit and keep it in working order.


19


Last May the High School Alumni Association raised about eighty dollars and appropriated it for reference books for the High School. As a result of this action the "New International Ency- clopedia," in twenty volumes, has been placed on our shelves. This marks the beginning of a school reference library. This magnificent gift appears more worthy of note when we consider that the Alumni Association is less than two years old. The school is justly proud of its Alumni, and, may we add in passing, the Association can aid in creating and maintaining a school of which it may be equally proud.


I regret the fact that it has become necessary for me to leave the school at mid-year and with very brief notice. The people of Douglas have frequently manifested their friendly interest during my residence here, but nothing else has so touched me as the kindly and courteous spirit with which they have received my resignation.


I thank you and the School Board for support, and my fellow teachers for their co-operation.


Respectfully submitted, CHAS. E. DISNEY,


Principal of the High School.


East Douglas, Mass., Jan. 27, 1911.


20


Report of Principal of Evening School


Mr. E. S. Cobb, Superintendent of Schools :


Dear Sir :


The Night School was conducted for a period of twenty nights, about two nights per week from November 2, 1910, to January 17, 1911.


The attendance was very good, all things considered. Nine pupils left the school after attending but one or two nights. Of the other thirty-seven, twelve left before the end of the term and twenty-five continued to the close. The percent of attendance for those who remained was 91.7.


A live interest was maintained throughout the term, and real progress was made by all the pupils.


It will undoubtedly be advisable to reopen the school next fall and at that time provision should be made for pupils who wish to pursue more advanced work in Grammar and Arithmetic. A dozen such pupils could have been secured and held this year, but no time could be found to devote to them.


Without the assistance of Mr. Andrew Caniak the school would have been impossible.


Respectfully submitted,


CHAS. E. DISNEY, Principal.


2I


Report of SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC


Mr. Edwin S. Cobb, Superintendent of Schools :


Dear Sir :


As the work in music under the present supervision has only just begun this report will have to be simply a forecast of the future. Thanks to the faithful and efficient work of Miss Sweet, and the enthusiastic cooperation of the teachers, good results are a certainty. In the spring a musical festival will be given by all the grades, and High School, assisted by soloists and orchestra.


The study of music has become a very important factor in the school curriculum. It is educational as well as aesthetic. With the good material we have in East Douglas and the solid foundation already laid, we expect all that the noble art of music is capable of giving.


Respectfully submitted,


EMMA J. WILLIAMS,


Supervisor of Music.





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