USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Douglas > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Douglas, for the year ending 1940 > Part 4
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At present we have some active adult cases of tuberculosis, all under supervision.
The reporting of communicable disease is being carried out much better. During the measles epidemic most of the cases were reported by the attend- ing physician or in cases of no physician the families reported the disease to the Board of Health.
A Well Child Conference conducted by the State Department of Public Health was held October 23, 24, 25 and November 6, 7, 8. The total number of pre-school children examined was 98. The pre-school population being 200 shows us that nearly half of the pre-school children had the opportunity of having a thorough physical exam by a pediatrician, dental exam by a dental hygienist, and a nutritionist to instruct the mother as to proper diet, etc.
It is my desire to follow up these cases and assist the mothers to carry out the recommendations given at the Conference.
May I express my deep appreciation to the Board of Health, Dr. Spooner, Mr. Dunleavy and to the Well Child Conference Committee, for their in- terest and cooperation.
Respectfully submitted,
MRS. MABEL M. BROWN, R. N., Board of Health Nurse.
Annual Reports
OF THE
School Committee
and Superintendent of Schools
OF THE
TOWN of DOUGLAS
LAS
a
S
INCORP
746
D
For the Year Ending DECEMBER, 31, 1940
3
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
The School Committee submits the following report for the financial year ending December 31, 1940.
The appropriations for the Schools amounted to $39,000.00. We re- ceived the following reimbursements:
Massachusetts School Fund
$ 4,861.18
Part I of Chapter 70 G. L.
6,060.00
Tuition of State Wards
142.33
Individuals
96.00
School Superintendent
773.33
$11,932.84
This Reduces the Net Cost of the Schools to $ 27,067.16
EXPENDITURES OF THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT . For the period ending December 31, 1940
GENERAL EXPENSES:
Budget 1940
Expenditures
Estimate 1941
Clerk of School Committee
$ 250.00 $
250.00 $
250.00
Misc. School Committee
100.00
114.26
100.00
Superintendent's Salary
1,600.00
1,684.00
1,600.00
$ 1,950.00 $ 2,048.26 $ 1,950.00
EXPENSES FOR INSTRUCTION:
Teachers' Salaries
23,100.00
22,061.82
22,165.00
Substitute Teacher's
200.00
148.50
200.00
Text Books, High
500.00
718.45
500.00
Text Books, Elementary
500.00
714.45
500.00
High School Supplies
550.00
595.78
600.00
Elementary Supplies
450.00
498.45
500.00
Visual Education
100.00
110.74
100.00
$25,400.00 $24,848.19 $25,565.00
EXPENSES FOR OPERATION:
Janitor, High
1,315.00
1,427.44
1,360.00
Janitor, Elementary
1,315.00
1,377.44
1,315.00
Janitor, D. C.
450.00
422.50
450.00
4
Fuel, High
700.00
437.50
700.00
Fuel, Grammar
500.00
732.18
700.00
Fuel, Douglas Center
250.00
294.12
250.00
Lights and Power, High
180.00
195.01
200.00
Telephone, High
60.00
82.36
80.00
Janitor's Supplies, High
100.00
81.74
100.00
Water Dept. High
10.00
10.00
10.00
Lights and Power, Elementary
210.00
229.08
230.00
Telephone, Elementary
50.00
54.70
50.00
Janitor's Supplies, Elementary
100.00
86.80
100.00
Water Dept. Elementary
10.00
10.00
10.00
$ 5,250.00 $ 5,440.87 $ 5,555.00
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS:
High School
600.00
477.02
600.00
Grammar Schools
600.00
755.95
600.00
$ 1,200.0 $ 1,232,97 $ 1,200.00
AUXILIARY AGENCIES:
Health, High
400.00
295.63
400.00
Health, Elementary
600.00
724.07
600.00
Transportation, High
600.00
649.12
550.00
Transportation, Elementary
2,400.00
2,501.13
2,300.00
Tuition
500.00
595.89
670.00
Athletics
.. .
300.00
199.07
300.00
$ 4,800.00 $ 4,964.91 $ 4,820.00
INSURANCE
100.00
112.39
110.00
NEW EQUIPMENT
300.00
352.14
300.00
TOTAL
$39,000.00 $38,999.73 $39,500.00
BAYLIS G. ALDRICH, 1943 E. MIALMA JENCKES, 1943 MARGARET CARRICK, 1942 WARREN JOHNSON, 1942 LOUIS CALLAHAN, 1941 ANDREW CENCAK, 1941
5
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS A. B. GARCELON
PURCHASING AGENT ANDREW CENCAK
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS
PAUL RAWSON
ERWIN SMITH
EDMUND BRUNO
6
SCHOOL CALENDAR
1940-1941
Fall Term-September 4, 1940 to December 20, 1940, 16 weeks. Winter Term-1st period-Dec. 30, 1940 to Feb. 14, 1941, 7 weeks. Winter Term-2nd period-February 24, 1941 to April 11, 1941, 7 weeks. Spring Term-April 21, 1941 to June 13, 1941, 8 weeks. For High School April 21, 1941 to June 20, 1941, 9 weeks.
VACATIONS
Thanksgiving recess-November 27, 28, 1941. Christmas recess, December 20, 1941 to December 29, 1941. Mid-winter vacation, February 13,1942 to February 23, 1942. Spring vacation, April 11, 1942 to April 20, 1942.
HOLIDAYS
New Year's Day, Wednesday, January 1, 1941. Washington's Birthday, Saturday, February 22, 1941. Good Friday, Friday, April 11, 1941. Patriot's Day, Saturday, April 19, 1941. Memorial Day, Friday, May 30, 1941. Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 1941. Columbus Day, Sunday, October 12, 1941. No school October 13, 1941.
County Convention, Friday, Nov. 7, 1941. Armistice Day, Tuesday, November 11, 1941. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, 1941. Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, 1941.
1941-1942
Fall Term-September 3, 1941 to December 19, 1941, 16 weeks. Winter Term-1st Period-Dec. 29, 1941 to Feb. 13, 1942, 7 weeks. Winter Term-2nd Period-Feb. 23, 1942 to April 10, 1942, 7 weeks. Spring Term-April 20, 1942 to June 12, 1942, 8 weeks. For High School-April 20, 1942 to June 19, 1942, 9 weeks.
HOLIDAYS, 1942
New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1, 1942. Washington's Birthday, Sunday, February 22, 1942. No school Feb. 23, 1942. Good Friday, Friday, April 3, 1942.
7
Patriot's Day, Sunday, April 19, 1942. No school April 20, 1942. Memorial Day, Saturday, May 30, 1942. Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 1942. Columbus Day, Monday, October 12, 1942. County Convention, Friday, November 6, 1942. Armistice Day, Wednesday, November 11, 1942. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 1942. Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 1942.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL
Three blasts of the mill whistle at 7:30 A. M. closes all schools for the morning session. The same signal at 11:30 A. M. closes all schools for the afternoon session.
The same signal at 11:15 A. M., denotes that there will be one session. In case of one session all grades will close at 12:30 P. M .; except first grade which will close at noon.
If the whistle does not blow at 11:30 A. M. there will be school in the afternoon.
A. B. GARCELON, Superintendent.
8
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee and Citizens of Douglas:
I herewith submit my thirteenth annual school report of the Town of Douglas, the same being the fortieth superintendents' report of the Union.
For detail information concerning the Douglas schools, I refer you to the reports of the school committee, principals, heads of departments, school physicians and dentists, school nurse, supervisors and statistical tables.
THE SCHOOLS AND NATIONAL DEFENCE
Once more a crisis begins to loom before the public schools of this country.
It is altogether too early in the present emergency to know what is being done with defence problems all over the country. It is also too early to evaluate the needs or to set down a program to meet them. Taking a cue from the army, it seems that programs should be for the future rather than for immediate present demands.
With the rank and file of high school graduates three years away from the draft, there is time for such to be trained outside the public schools in such fields as technology and intensive physical training.
In citizenship and health training habits there is much that can be done and is being done in the Douglas Schools. We could do no better than to follow the plan of one Ohio town which adopted as a motto for its schools, "A better understanding of the Rights, the Obligations and Blessings of American Democracy". The code of a good American boy and girl should be :-
"The Good American takes care of his body and mind. He learns the three R's and takes part in the best of art, music and culture. He prepares himself to make an honest living. He obeys the laws and respects authority. He co-operates with others in every effort to make a better community and a better nation. A good American honors God".
Our background courses in the grades covering such subjects as Physical Health, Safety, Thrift, Character, Manners and Science are leading our pupils into right ways of thinking and doing, and are the only really prac- tical way in which young children can take part in a national defence program.
9
THE OBLIGATION OF THE SCHOOLS
To-day we are living in an age where the fundamental principles of our way of life, our form of government, our manner of living, are being chal- lenged. At the present moment a very large percentage of the population of the world is actually at war ;- actually fighting to establish a "New Order", a new scheme of government control in direct opposition to the principles of democracy.
All this necessitates changes in our school problems. It is, of course, necessary that we continue teaching the "three R's", and that we do this work even better than in the past, for reading, writing and arithmetic are the corner-stones of all future development.
However, the world situation demands that we give our children much more than this. To-day our pupils find themselves in a difficult situation, and they are asking many questions that have to do with Democracy versus the New Order. A democracy thrives on criticism. We countenance and allow a full discussion of possible improvements. Such discussions, such improvements might easily lead young people to the conclusion that democ- racy is a failure.
Along this line of thought Professor W. W. Charters says that our dis- cussion about our government has to do with its operation and has nothing to do with our belief in and acceptance of the virtue of the fundamental principles of Democracy. But herein lies a decided danger, for our young people through a misunderstanding, might become easy victims of minority groups who assail the realistic weaknesses of our democratic institutions and exalt the idealistic virtues of other ways of life which are glamorous because they are distant.
Therefore we want, through new techniques, through new emphasis, to bring the following points to the attention of our children:
1. Respect for the dignity and worth of the individual human personality.
2. Open opportunity for the individual.
3. Economic and social security.
4. The search for truth.
5. Free discussion; freedom of speech; freedom of the press.
6. Universal education.
7. The rule of the majority; the rights of the minority; the honest ballot.
8. Justice for the common man; trial by jury; arbitration of dis- putes; orderly legal processes; freedom from search and seizure; right to petitiolı.
9. Freedom of religion.
10. Respect for the rights of private property.
11. The practice of the fundamental social virtues.
12. The responsibility of the individual to participate in the duties of democracy.
10
From all this we conclude that "Democracy is a way of life and social organization which above all others is sensitive to the dignity and worth of the individual human personality, affirming the fundamental moral and political equality of all men, and recognizing no barriers of race, religion, or circumstance."
And so to-day in our school work, we are placing decided emphasis on the teaching of the principles of democracy.
Nor are we forgetting our background courses, which as I have already mentioned, are leading our pupils into right ways of thinking and doing.
The field of education is to-day so great, so all-inclusive, that it is im- possible to incorporate all the subjects into our regular course of study. How- ever, every teacher is devoting some time to Character-building, Health, Science, Manners, Art, Safety, and Thrift, and books are gradually being introduced (as funds are available) so that our pupils have easy access to various sources of information.
GUIDANCE
It is now generally conceded that it is possible to give to our pupils the essential fundamentals of school work in the first six grades. This theory gave support to the division of the work of grades seven to twelve into the junior and senior high school groups, or a six year high school.
In our attempt to fit the school to the needs of the pupil, there is neces- sarily brought up the matter of Vocational Guidance.
Vocational Guidance is the process of aiding pupils both in their present adjustments and in their intelligent planning for the future.
A complete guidance program is complicated and difficult. All we can hope to do is to provide our pupils with the means of finding out how best to get the training they need. Last year our pupils were provided with "Vocational Trends"; "Occupational Monographs", Vocational Guide; Re- prints and Abstracts from vocational magazines; "Basic Occupational Plans," and Research Department data on occupations.
Last summer a survey was made of the 17,500 different kinds of em- ployment, and it was found that one hundred different kinds of work ac- counted for 75 per cent of all people employed. This material was made available this year to all our high school pupils.
COMPARATIVE STATISTICS
The State Department of Education in its annual report of 1940 furnishes some valuable information concerning statistics on population, valuation, and costs per pupil per year, of the various items that make up the school budget.
Population
Population of the State in 1930 4,144,205
Population of the State in 1940 4,248,326
A gain for the State of . . . .
1%
11
Population of Douglas in 1930
2,195
Population of Douglas in 1940
2,471
A gain for Douglas of 12%
Above figures are from U. S. Census. These figures do not parallel the school enrollments for the same periods. Our total enrollment for the school year 1929-1930 was 530 and for 1939-1940 it was 502; a decrease of 5%. It is possible though not probable that a 12% increase in population would result in a 5% smaller school enrollment.
Valuation
Total valuation of the State in 1930 $7,127,955,086
Total valuation of the State in 1940 6,195,718,550
VA decrease of valuation of 13%
Valuation of Douglas 1930 1,782,449
Valuation of Douglas 1940 1,581,105
A decrease in valuation of 11%
This is a slight gain for the Town of Douglas, in as much as our de- creased valuation is less than that of the State as a whole.
Total Support of Schools
Average State cost per pupil per year is $103.85
Average cost in Towns in "Group III" 91.84
(Towns less than 5000 Population)
Average cost per pupil per year in Douglas
76.77
Average cost per pupil for year in Harwich 110.08
(Harwich is next to Douglas in size: slightly larger)
Average cost per pupil per year in Southborough
112.25
(Population of this town is 29 less than Douglas)
(All of the above figures taken from the annual report of Department of Education.)
In closing, may I again call your attention to the separate reports of the different departments. The encouragement and support given to the School Department by the people of Douglas is very fine and is sincerely appre- ciated by all of us,-principals, teachers, janitors, and
Respectfully yours,
A. B. GARCELON,
Superintendent of Schools.
AGE-GRADE TABLE
Total Number of Students Enrolled October 1, 1940-502
BOYS
Age
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Totals 23
Grade
1
14
8
1
6
18
3
3
30
3
.
·
6
12
1
1
1
1
22
4
·
.
1
7
7
8
1
9 12
2
1
2
1
27
6
.
.
3
8
5 9
3 5
1 4
1
1
27
8
.
.
4
8
2
5 1
.
.
·
1
4
5
.
.
.
.
14 14 26 22 20 24 19 20 27 17 18 20 12
2
.
255
GIRLS
Grade
1
13
13
1 14
2
21
3
1
4
6
3
14
4
7
15
1
2
25
5
10
5
1
1
.
.
8
12
3
10
12 10
5 5 2
3 9
1 3
3 1
2
10
.
.
·
8 1
9 5
1
1 4
6 2
11
1
.
14
Totals
13
19
19
·
.
.
·
·
.
·
1
247
·
·
7
.
.
25
9
21
10
.
.
.
.
.
.
11
.
.
·
·
7 2 5
4 5
3 4
2
·
11
.
·
·
.
.
.
·
.
.
.
.
.
17
6 7
8 9
.
.
17 19
11
·
·
·
.
16
12
.
.
·
15 28 14 25 26 15 22 18 14 18
3
26
1
1
.
29
22
.
.
12
12
Totals
.
.
·
1
21
7
6 4
9
.
12
.
.
12
27
2
5
.
·
2
24
5
Attendance for the School Year Ending June, 1940
SCHOOL
TEACHERS
Enrollment
Under 5 years
5-7 years
7-14 years
14-16 years
Over 16 years
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
Per Cent of
Attendance
Number of
Tardiness
Number of
Dismissals
High
Clarence W. Holmes.
21
21
20.21
19.09
94.44
133
0
Juniors
Tabea C. Sweinberger .
27
8
19
26.29
25.24
95.97
196
0
Sophomores
Lena Rinfrette .
30
1
7
29.04
26.83
92.41
270
4
Freshmen
Linnea Anderson
39
12
18
9
37.19
34.76
93.49
274
23
Grade 8
Myra Jillson
33
16
14
3 31.73
30.04
94.52
96
12
7
Lola H. Dudley
39
30
9
36.57
34.30
93.79
41
1
7-8
Constance M. Callahan. .
24
18
6
23.90
22.73
94.70
39
8
Grammar
6
Eunice L. Buffington
38
34
1
35.08
33.08 2.8.53
95.16
15
21
4
Elinor M. Dunleavy
36
36
35.54
33.39
93.72
39
20
3
Maria C. Buxton
42
41
39.91
37.02
92.46
9
7
2
Alice Blanchfield
38
11
25
36.52
33.68
91.99
33
0
Mollie H. Kelly
31
31
29.25
26.16
89.45
11
1
1-2
Daisy E. Sweet
22
16
6
21.21
19.18
90.02
16
2
5-6
Simonne Bouvier
22
19
3
21.56
20.11
93.23
31
13
D.C.
1-2-3
Gertrude M. Smith
23
5
18
18.55
16.89
90.49
3
4
D.C.
4-5-6
Alice E. Samborski
24
23
1
23.40
21.80
92.60
3
14
.
5
Mary A. Joy
31
30
29.98
94.70
12
17
Seniors
C. A. Gagne
22
13
1
List of Teachers, January, 1941
NAME
SCHOOL
HOME ADDRESS
GRADUATE OF
When Appointed In Town
C. W. Holmes
High
East Douglas
Brown University
1918
Linnea Anderson
High
East Douglas
Boston University
1937
Lloyd Batchelder
High
Manchester), N.H.
Bay Path & Columbia U.
1940
Lena M. Rinfrette
High
East Douglas
Worcester Normal
1938
Tabea Sweinberger
High
Holyoke
Mt. Holyoke College
1932
Myra Jillson
High
8
East Douglas
Worcester Normal
1924
Ralph E. Dudley
High
7
Constance M. Callahan
High
7-8
East Douglas
Worcester Normal
1938
Eunice L. Buffington
Grammar,
6
East Douglas
Douglas High
1892
Simonne Bouvier
Grammar,
5-6
Northbridge
Framing. & Wor. S.T.C.
1939
Mary A. Joy
Grammar,
5
East Douglas
Worcester Normal
1928
Elinor Dunleavy
Grammar,
4
East Douglas
Boston University
1932
Maria C. Buxton
Grammar,
3
East Douglas
Worcester Normal
1916
Alice Blanchfield
Grammar,
2
Easthampton
Bridgewater S.T.C.
1939
Mollie Kelly
Grammar,
1
East Douglas
Douglas High
1908
Daisy E. Sweet
Grammar, 1-2
East Douglas
Symonds T. School
1916
Gertrude Smith
Douglas Center 1-2-3
Douglas
Middlebury, Vt. High
1900
Alice Samborski
Douglas Center 4-5-6
East Douglas
Worcester S.T.C.
1939
David Gellatly
Music Supervisor
Mendon
Boston Conservatory
1932
Frank O. Dodge
Band Instructor
East Douglas
1931
Howard C. Barre
Orchestra Instructor
Spencer
W. L. Rinehart
Writing Supervisor
Weston
University of Pittsburg
1933
East Douglas
Worcester Tech & Bos. U.
1940
14
1931
15
DOUGLAS MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
Mr. A. B. Garcelon,
Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit my twenty-third annual report as principal of Douglas Memorial High School.
The high school enrollment shown in our December attendance report in- cludes 24 Seniors, 27 Juniors, 30 Sophomores, 37 Freshmen, and one post- graduate, a total of 119. The total for the first three months was 122, the highest in the history of the school.
The enrollment in the seventh and eighth grades in the same building with the high school is about 100. This report deals primarily with the high school, grades nine to twelve. With practically all my time taken up with these grades in teaching and in supervising study periods, 1 can give little attention to the work of the two grades downstairs. An excellent program is in operation there, with each of the three capable teachers charged with the department for which he or she is best qualified.
The need for another home room may become urgent next year. The se- nior home room for several years has been one of the commercial rooms. There is adequate space in this room for no more than the sixteen desks of the kind already there, and so there is an overflow of eight people into the typewriter room, where they are using typewriter desks for home room desks. There will be two or three more in the overflow next year, after that, still more.
The enrollment by subjects is as follows:
English, 118 College preparatory mathematics, 45 Chemistry, 16 History, 60 Latin, 26
French, 47
Commercial subjects, 106 Industrial geography, 23 General science, 20
Problems of democracy, 16 Community civics, 11
The number taking college preparatory subjects is 35, one more than last year. About half of these have declared their intention to go to college. About a dozen have so far indicated sufficient ability and enterprise to pre- pare for the usual type of college.
Our annual vocational guidance questionnaire reveals that five girls intend to enter a teachers' college and 22 want to take up nursing as a profession. Eleven boys and eleven girls want to go to trade school.
The interests of the students have been widened and enlightened by the addition to our vocational guidance equipment of a volume recently pub- lished on occupations by the "Science Research Associates" of Chicago.
16
This volume describes the 100 occupations which employ seventy-five per cent of all workers, including the professions. Each occupation is described in a four-page pamphlet, detachable by a ring-clip device from the book, so that many students may at the same time use the volume, reading up on whatever interests each the most.
This new work and the pamphlets and periodicals listed by Mr. Garcelon in his report last year, are at the disposal of the students during their study periods. With the limited knowledge of teachers about occupations we are unable so far to check up adequately on what the students have gained in their use of this equipment. We are considering a plan for credits to the student in connection with certain courses, as the teachers become more familiar with the work and with the interests of the students. Information about their interests has been tabulated from the questionnaire referred to above. Guided by this, the student body has been divided into groups, one assigned to each teacher. The two men teachers have all the boys, the three women teachers the girls. The grouping is made as nearly as possible ac- cording to the choice expressed in the questionnaire as to vocational ad- visor as well as according to vocational interests.
The interests of the boys, according to the questionnaire, are distributed among about 15 different occupations; those of the girls, among six. The most alluring occupation to boys at present is aviation; to the girls, nursing.
The introduction of motion picture programs into schools will prove, I believe, a valuable aid to education. As head of the committee for selection of films for all the schools, I am glad to report that we have all the films that we can pay for booked for the rest of the school year and that we have a program that promises to be much better than that of last year. Last year there was a good deal of doubt and difficulty in the selection of films, and some of them turned out to be of little value. The program was not well balanced, as we could get but a very few films suitable for the primary grades. Since then the Division of Teaching Aids of Boston University seems to have solved for us the problem of selection of films. Boston University has associated itself with the State Department of Education and with sev- eral other leading educational institutions to organize a huge library of educational films for rental. All our bookings this year, except those made last year under contract with commercial agencies, are with the Boston Uni- versity film library, and so far their service has been excellent.
We cannot realize the full value of these films until windows are equipped with the proper shades for darkening the rooms where the films are shown. In the high school a study period is disturbed for ten minutes or more by our hanging up shades I improvised years ago from heavy black cloth to darken the laboratory for experiments in science. These improvised shades are a poor substitute for what is needed and we hope that suitable ones will soon be installed.
Respectfully submitted,
C. W. HOLMES.
17
REPORT OF ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Mr. A. B. Garcelon, Superintendent of Schools:
I herewith submit my tenth annual report as Director of Athletics in the Douglas Memorial High School.
The athletic program in the school during the year 1940 may be con- sidered one of the most successful since the introduction of sports as a regular part of the school program. For the third consecutive year we were able to carry on the activities for the boys without any financial aid from the school appropriation. Although we have found it necessary to cut down on expenditures, we can justly say that our boys were well equipped and made a good appearance.
The basketball team went through a splendid season with the best record ever made by a local team, having won twelve games and losing only three. For the second year, the team was invited to participate in the Clark Uni- versity Tournament, and gave a fine account of itself only to lose by a single point in the semi-final round of play. Again the lack of a suitable playing surface had its effect on the play of the team.
The Douglas High baseball team again showed itself a strong contender among the county school teams. As a member of the Blackstone Valley League, made up of schools of much larger enrollment, the team finished in second place with the distinction of being the only team to defeat the cham- pions during the season.
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