USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Merrimac > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Merrimac 1897 > Part 5
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14. Teachers shall require that the State Laws in regard to contagious diseases and vaccination be complied with.
15. No primary scholars, who have not previously at- tended school, shall be allowed to enter the schools after the first two weeks of any term.
16. No child who is a member of a household where any member of the household has been sick of scarlet fever, diphtheria or small-pox, shall be allowed to attend school until after the house and clothing have been thoroughly fumigated and cleansed, nor then without a certificate from the attending physician or board of health, that the above requirements have been complied with.
SCHOOL REPORT.
EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC STATUTES.
PENALTY FOR DISTURBING SCHOOLS.
Chapter 207, section 23. "Whoever willfully interrupts or disturbs a school or other assembly of people met for a lawful purpose shall be punished by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding 30 days, or by a fine not exceeding $50."
MALICIOUS INJURY TO BUILDINGS.
Chapter 203, section 78. " Whoever willfully and mal- iciously or wantonly and without cause destroys, defaces, mars or injures a school-house, church or other building erec- ted or used for purposes of education or religious instruction, or for the general diffusion of knowledge, or an out-building, fence, well or appurtenance of such school-house, church or other building, or furniture, apparatus or other property be- longing to or connected with such school-house, church or other building, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $500, or by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding one year."
INJURY TO LIBRARIES.
Chapter 203, section 79. "Whoever willfully and mal- iciously or wantonly and without cause writes upon, injures, defaces, tears or destroys a book, plate, picture, engraving or statute, belonging to a law, town, city or other library, shall be punished by fine of not less than five, nor more than $50, or by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding six months."
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SCHOOL REPORT.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
Chapter 47, section 9. "The school committee shall not allow a child who has not been duly vaccinated to be admitted to, or connected with the public schools."
Chapter 198, Laws of 1885. "The school committee shall not allow any pupil to attend the public schools while any member of the household is sick of small-pox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, or during a period of two weeks after the death, recovery or removal of such sick -person ; and any pupil coming from such household shall be required to present to the teacher of the school the pupil desires to attend, a certificate from the attending physician or board of health, of the facts necessary to entitle him to admission in accordance with the above regulation."
Report of the Superintendent of Schools.
To the School Committee of Merrimac :
I herewith submit my annual report of the schools of this town for the year 1896.
Population of the town, census of 1895, 2,302
Decreased from the
66
1 890,
331
Number of schools in town, 14
Number of teachers employed including
special teachers, (Drawing and Music), I7
Number of different teachers employed
during the year, including special teachers, 25
Number of schools having different teachers during the year. 5
Number of children in town, May 1, between the ages of 5 and 15 years, as per census, 361
Decreased from last year, 48
Number of children in town, May 1, between the ages of 8 and 14 years as per census,
215
Decrease from last year, 35
Whole number of different pupils enrolled on school registers during the year, +72
Decrease from last year,
Number enrolled between 5 to 15 years,
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405
66 66 S to 14 years,
23I
66 over 15 years of age, 63
66 under 5 years of age, 4
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SCHOOL REPORT.
Average membership for the year,
382.67
attendance 363.77
Per cent of attendance .95
66
1895, .91
Number of employment certificates granted, 1
66 visits made by Truant officers, 6
truants found, 3
It will be noticed from the above statistics, that the per cent of average attendance has increased four per cent over that of last year. Gratifying as this may seem, it is by no means what it should be. It is neither unreasonable nor ex- travagant in a town like Merrimac to expect, under all ordi- nary conditions, ninety-six or ninety-seven per cent of the average membership of our schools in attendance every day the schools are in session.
I have the pleasure to report that steady progress has been made in our schools throughout the year. The spirit that actuates teachers and pupils is good; dissatisfaction from either is an exception and not the rule. A conservative spirit has characterized all new departures and all are labor- ing along educational paths that have been beaten. and pro- nounced by others before us.
COURSE OF STUDY.
While too frequent changes are unreasonable and in- effective, yet occasionally revisions should be made in any course of study in order to meet the demands of the day and to supply necessary material for the progress of our pupils. It has, therefore seemed necessary to revise the course of study adopted by the School Committee in 1890 and accord- ingly, courses in Arithmetic, Geography, History, Lan- guages and Grammar were adopted and mimeograph outlines were placed in the hands of our teachers at the begining of the term in September.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
The new outline of studies calls for several changes in our school work, the most important of which are the follow- ing. The reading and review of historical incidents in the lives of men connected with the history of our country, in grades five and six, and the introduction of the study of his- tory in the seventh grade, formerly begun in the eighth, there- by giving an opportunity for the co-relation of this subject, with Geography whenever possible and convenient. The elimination of some of the non-essential subjects in Arithmetic and the introduction of elementary Algebra into the ninth grade. Oral lessons in Geograhy are now begun in the first year and carried on to the fourth grade when frequent use is made of the small Geography. Hereafter the study of Geo- graphy will be completed, essentially, in the eighth grade, thus affording some time for the reading and study of the elements of Civil Government, introduced into the grammar school a few years ago.
In the preparation of this course, considerable attention was given to the character of the work sought as well as to the amount required. As this was intended for a working course only, doubtless it will be found necessary to make fur- ther changes by the close of the present school year. To the outlines already prepared, courses in Reading, Physiology and Hygiene, Music and Drawing should be adopted before being printed.
NATURE STUDY.
The work in Nature Study has been carried on through- out the year with better results than the year before. As this work has been so recently introduced here, the subject has suffered fully as much as any other from the frequent changes in the corps of teachers. While this branch of school work is comparatively new to our schools and to. most of the teachers, I am convinced that it is educational and
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SCHOOL REPORT.
beneficial not only to develop the powers of observation, but to give the pupils a firmer grasp on other studies, as Lan- guage and Geography.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Our High School has, enjoyed a year of well marked progress and is worthy the confidence and liberal support of our citizens. The attendance on the whole has been good and a spirit of harmony prevails among teachers and pupils. In order that the best results may be obtained in the natural sciences, it is absolutely essential that additional room be fur- nished for experimental work by our pupils. To expect even good work with the present accommodations with the time at our command, is truly absurd. Furnish us with additional room and another teacher and much better results would fol- low along all lines of school work and the science work could be made easily a distinguishing feature of our High School. The report of Principal Ferguson is appended to this, hence I omit a detached report.
MUSIC AND DRAWING.
Continued improvement along these two lines is appar- ent. The lack of time seems to be the greatest hindrance to marked success in these subjects, especially the former which can not well be co-related with other studies of the course. The latter subject, in my opinion, should be made as practi- cal as possible in its application to other studies; it can be judiciously associated with Arithmetic by encouraging pupils to employ graphic illustrations in the solving and explanation of problems. It should aid in Nature St .. dy by giving more definite ideas of form and assist in training the powers of observation. In Geography, it may be made helpful in map- drawing, giving the pupil clearer ideas of outline, distances and direction. When drawing is taught with the ultimate
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SCHOOL REPORT.
aim to assist in a clearer and more definite understanding of other subjects and not solely for the production of artists, we shall be aptly compensated for our labors in this line. Even for the short time that drawing has been systematically taught in our schools, we are to be congratulated upon the progress made under the present management.
PENMANSHIP.
On the whole, the Penmanship in our schools continues to be unsatisfactory. With but few exceptions, I have failed to discover any marked improvement either in legibility or in freedom of movement. Our teachers are evidently faithful in their endeavors to have their pupils form habits of neat- ness and legibility in writing, but despite their best efforts the writing continues to be in most cases but a little better than a scrawl. It is an evening's task to read and correct, thorough- ly, a set of test papers for a class of 40 pupils, besides being a trying strain on the patience of even the most faithful teacher.
A second year's trial of Vertical Writing in the schools of Bradford fully justifies its adoption into the schools of that town. This with similar reports from other towns and cities where Vertical Writing has been tried, is sufficient evidence to sustain me in renewing my last year's recommendation as to the adoption of Vertical Writing for the schools here.
The following are some of the cities and towns of Mass- achusetts now using the Vertical system, and so far as I have been able to learn, favorable reports are given : Cambridge, Brookline, Quincy, Everett, Chelsea, Lynn, Salem, Law- rence, Haverhill, New Bedford, Waltham, Chicopee, An- dover, Whitman, West Bridgewater, Walpole, Plymouth, Braintree, Canton, Attleboro, Natick, Revere, Reading, Wakefield, Taunton, Framingham, Melrose, Wellsley.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
The one claim above all others in all systems of Veritcal Writing is legibility. Justice to the best interests of our pupils would seem to advise the immediate adoption of Ver- tical Writing into our schools.
TEACHERS' MEETINGS.
In addition to the usual grade meetings and those called by the Supervisors of Music and Drawing, there have been held during the year several meetings of the Merrimac Teachers' association, at which lectures were given by the following speakers : Messrs. A. W. Edson and G. T. Fletch- er, agents of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and Rev. A E. Winship of Boston.
On invitation of the teachers of Amesbury, our teachers attended a lecture in that town given by Mrs. Gleason of Boston, subject, "Methods of Temperance Instruction in our Schools." In March our teachers are invited to a lecture in Bradford to be given by Mr. Henry T. Bailey, State Super- visor of Drawing. The teachers' meetings have proved to be of valuable assistance to our work and I trust they will con- tinue.
TEACHERS.
The following changes have been made in our corps of teachers during the year : In the summer vacation, resigna- tions were received from Miss Jennie Clement of the Gram- mar school, grades VIII and IX, Miss Lilla M. Phelps of grade VI, and Miss Bertha M. Boultenhouse of the Plains school, grades I and II. Their respective positions were filled by the election of Muss Lucy A. Crawford of Gerry, Me., to grades VIII and IX, Miss Mary Hopkins of Camden, Me., to grade VI, and Miss Carrie M. Evans of this town, to grades I and II, having been transferred from grade VII at her own request. Miss Marjorie L. Souther of Quincy, Mass., succeeded Miss Evans in grade VII.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
At the close of the fall term, we were much disappointed to receive the resignations of Miss Souther of grade VII and Miss Hopkins of grade VI, as the results of their professional training had just begun to count for good. Miss Jessic Holmes of Brockton was elected to succeed Miss Souther and Miss Hunter of the Bear Hill school was transferred to the centre school grade VI. Miss Abbie Clement of the Birch Meadow school was elected to teach the Bear Hill school, it having been decided to close the Birch Meadow school for the winter.
It will be seen that many changes in teachers have occurred during the year. If better salaries were paid our teachers, we should less frequently lose those whom we can ill afford to lose. I believe that efficiency and experience should determine a teacher's salary rathes than the custom of grading the salaries according to the consecutive stages of classification of schools.
It is worth as much and requires as competent a teacher to teach a Primary school as it does to teach a Grammar school, and why should we not pay the same for good work. If we are fortunate enough to secure the services of a good teacher at a moderate salary, would it not be a good invest- ment to pay such a teacher one or even two dollars more per week rather than to release her to teach elsewhere? Our citizens expect good schools, and in order that good work may be done, good teachers 'must be permanently employed. There is nothing that hinders the uniform progress of school work so much as the frequent changes in teachers.
By a recent vote of your Board the school year in the Primary and Grammar grades has been lengthened from thirty-eight to forty weeks. While this may appear to mean "more for the money," in my opinion, the close confinement of the young pupils in our poorly lighted and ventilated
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SCHOOL REPORT.
rooms for the two extra weeks is not conducive to the best health of these children. With the money necessary to sup- port the extra two weeks of schooling, added to the salary of our present lower grade teachers, we should be more likely to prevent our good teachers from looking elsewhere for more lucrative positions.
PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE SCHOOLS.
The privileges of the Public Library granted the pupils of the Grammar and High schools last year have been allow- ed during the year now drawing to a close, and I am pleased to report results , worthy of the attention of our citizens. The list of books prepared last year has been revised and the pupils seem desirous of improving their spare time in the school rooms in reading the books on the list. By this means, the course in reading for many of our pupils is brought under the guidance of school officers and teachers, and the best books of reference are placed at the command of the pupils at the time most needed.
In conversation with the Chairman of the Trustees of the Public Library concerning this subject, he volunteered the statement that the number of books read by the children of the public schools on lighter fiction had been reduced about fifty per cent.
A feeling of pleasure and satisfaction comes from the knowledge that our earnest efforts to make the Public Library an active agency in our school work is appreciated and that they are meeting with approval.
TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS.
In my last report, mention was made of two schools in town-one, the Birch Meadow school, having enrolled for the year but S pupils, with an average attendance of 6; the
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SCHOOL REPORT.
other, the Highlands school, with a total enrollment of 5, and an average attendance of 3.95. During the year just closing, the following statistics appear from the same two schools. Birch Meadow school has enrolled 9 pupils, average attend- ance 4.9.
Highland School has enrolled 5 pupils, average
attendance 3.6. The total cost of supporting these two schools for a school year of twenty-seven weeks, including only salaries of teachers, fuel, and care of school houses, to say nothing of repairs, is about four hundred dollars. I am of the opinion that for this amount, the children of the two districts could be properly transported to the graded schools where they would receive, without the slightest doubt, much better instruction and forty weeks of schooling, where they now receive but twenty-seven weeks.
Mr. A. W. Edson, Agent of Massachusetts Board of Education, in speaking of consolidation and transportation of children says : "There is a decided tendency on the part of intelligent and progressive communities to close the small schools in remote districts and transport the children to the graded schools of villages, where better classification, better grading and better teaching are the rule. This is done, not so much from an economic standpoint as because of the firm conviction that children receive greater educational advantages there than in the small ungraded schools. The number of children in back districts is small and growing less every year. With few children and small classes, there can be but little enthusiasm and progress."
Space will not allow me to enumerate the many different ways in which pupils in the outlying districts would be bene- fitted by attending the graded schools, neither is it necessary, for the reasons are obvious even to those not directly inter- ested in school work.
It seems to me that the matter should be brought before
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SCHOOL REPORT.
the citizens of the town at their next annual meeting to see if they will appropriate the necessary money to transport the school children from the Birch Meadow and Highlands districts to the village schools. In my opinion, this could be done at an expense not exceeding that necessary to support the schools in their respective districts.
IN CONCLUSION.
I wish to express to the teachers my appreciation of their work and for their ready response and willingness to do their best in the new lines of work proposed. I extend thanks to the citizens with whom I have become acquainted for the co-operation and encouragement they have given me, and to the School Committee for their support and forbear- ance.
Respectfully submitted,
R. D. McKEEN,
Superintendent of Schools.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
REPORT OF PRINCIPAL OF HIGH SCHOOL.
Merrimac, Mass., Feb. 4, 1897.
Mr. R. D. McKeen, Superintendent of Schools :
I would submit the following report for the High School.
During the past year there has been a general in: prove- ment in scholarship and attendance and this would imply an increase in interest. The attendance since September has varied between 97 and 99 per cent. There has not been the usual falling off in membership, the record showing the loss of two pupils out of 65 since September.
There has been a strong tendency to enter upon the long- er and harder courses, and this is an encouraging sign as scholars who do this are far more likely to maintain an inter- est in their school work and to complete their course credit- ably.
It has been the aim to make the work of the school hard- er rather than easier, and above all to make it practical and disciplinary.
English has been taught with particular view to compo- sition writing and a knowledge of the best authors through a systematic study of their works.
Geometry has been taught without text books with decidedly better results than with the old way.
A two years' course in French is given, an amount suffi- cient to meet the French requirements of all New England colleges and schools of technology. There are full courses in Latin and Greek, and the study of ancient and modern History extends over the first three years of all the courses.
In all studies in'which the work can be done by experi- ment on the part of the pupils themselves, this process has been used as far as our means would permit. "This is partic- ularly true of Botany, Geology, Chemistry and Physics, but this work has been in large measure unsatisfactory as we
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SCHOOL REPORT.
lack not so much apparatus, (for the school committee has dealt with us generously in this respect the past year, ) as a suitable room and sufficient time in which to use this to best advantage. A suitably equipped room for laboratory pur- poses seems, then, indispensable, if this method of teaching is to be continued, and by any other, these studies, for any good they would bring the pubils would be almost valueless.
. It would also seem that either a revision of the course of study or an addition to the teaching force would be necessary before another year; for already the recitation periods, owing to the large number of lessons per day, are too short for satis- factory work in the different subjects, and next year these periods, unless there is a change, must be still shorter as there will be more studies then to be taught. Also the course as now standing, has too much work in it for any two teachers to carry on for the best advantage of the pupil. This will be readily seen from the fact that the teachers here are obliged to to teach several times as many different subjects per day as instructors in our neighboring high schools and with recita- tion periods far shorter in length. Improvement in this direction would seem advisable.
In general our work has gone more smoothly and apparently with better results than last year, but that there is great opportunity for further improvement goes without say- ing.
We are glad to have all parents and other persons inter- ested in the High school to visit it and observe for themselves its work.
I feel myself under deep obligations to the Trustees of the Public Library for the ready access they have given to the books of reference of the Library, to the School Officers and my Assistant for the many ways in which they have contri- buted toward making the school work go more smoothly and successfully.
Respectfully,
C. C. FERGUSON.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC.
To the Superintendent of Schools :
I submit my report as Supervisor of Music :
I am glad to be able to report a marked improvement in the Music of the Merrimac Schools. This is especially marked in the quality of the tone production. It is a great mistake and one too frequently made, to overlook the manner in which a tone is produced in the effort to gain the pitch of the tone itself. The voice, properly understood, is but vocal- ized air, but what does the vocalizing? Proper control of the musles in the throat, tongue position, correct breathing, all these contribute their part, and a knowledge of these sub- jects and the ability to put to practical use that knowledge, should be carefully taught to every child in our public schools, as the information thus gained is of great value to the child in after life as well as through school days, for by the voice do we express our thoughts, emotions, yes, ourselves. The rules of voice culture faithfully carried out are also of great benefit to the child physically, as they result in increased chest expansion, and a habit of deep breathing, both important factors in the acquirement of good health.
This line of work should be carefully followed out in the primary grades, and the habits thus formed will remain fixed in the higher classes.
At the same time the mechanical part, (no less import- tant) such as sight reading, development of time beats, knowledge of musical signs, etc., must not be neglected, and I have tried to bring out both these lines of work equally.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
It gives me great pleasure to speak of the earnest and faithful work of my teachers and yourself, and I am indebted to you both for many helpful suggestions gained from your personal knowledge of the scholars which my limited time in the school rooms prevents me from acquiring.
The teachers' meetings held once a month, have been well attended, and at them I have endeavored to make the teaching of the methods I use, plain to them, as I believe it is the presentation of a system, not the system itself, that makes the teaching of music a success in our public schools.
My High school, as a whole, I have worked with but little, a chorus from the school taking its place ; this, I judge to be the best plan, until my lower grades where the system is fully developed, reach the High.
In conclusion, I extend a cordial welcome, as represen- tative of school Music in Merrimac, to all interested in that subject to visit the schools during Music periods. We all need a stimulus, criticism is the ladder by which we climb.
Come and see us in our work.
Respectfully,
ELIZABETH B. SMITH
Merrimac, Mass., February 3, 1897.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING.
To the Superintendent of Schools :
Our work in Drawing shows a gratifying degree of pro- gress during the first year. In our Primary Grades we were able to cover the essentials in Form, Color and Drawing so that the pupils entering the Grammar Grades were able to take up the regular grade work. Since September they have been taking the course as regularly outlined for Primary Grades and show a decided gain in power to express their form knowledge.
In the Grammar Grades something was attempted along all lines of the subject, namely, Pictorial Drawing, Construc- tive Drawing and Decorative Drawing. We are now doing regular grade work throughout the seventh year in school.
The Drawing in the High School progresses as well as the conditions will allow. The pupils have gained a good knowledge of principles.
The plan of work this year has been to visit each school once each month to inspect the work, teach or to give any help needed. A forty minute period each week has been given to teaching in the High School. The meetings with the teachers have been held bi-monthly.
In carrying forward the work we aim to strengthen the weak places and to make this study one of increasing interest and value in the education of our pupils and in this work we feel that we have the hearty co-operation of every teacher.
Respectfully submitted,
M. ANGELINE PEARSON.
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