USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Merrimac > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Merrimac 1915 > Part 4
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Another condition which seems a menace to the health of the pupils is that they are obliged to hang their outside garments in cold hallways until they are thoroughly chilled. These cold garments are put on at recess and at noon by children coming from warm rooms. Parents would not allow children at home to put on such cold outside clothing. Warm corridors, or at least warm cloak rooms are needed.
But it must be borne in mind that any attempt to improve sanitary conditions must receive the approval of the State Police and must comply with the regulations of the State Board of Health,-and any attempt to in- stall a central heating plant would necessitate installation of a proper ventilation system to satisfy the requirements of these same authorities, and allowance made for these. If the Center school had been provided with two inside stairways leading from the second floor there would have been no demand on the part of the State Police for out- side fire escapes.
We are again having drawing taught in our schools.
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The supervisor visits each room not oftener than once in two weeks among the grades and visits the high school once each week. This is all that can be accomplished in the one day a week for which we employ her. It is not enough to secure the best results, nor even enough to do much more than get the work started this year. To do the work the schools need in drawing would require at least three days in two weeks of the supervisor's time. But credit is due our supervisor for the work she has done so far on a short time allowance.
Miss Alice Parker Killam of Haverhill has been employed for this work this year. She also has West Newbury schools.
Especially do I call attention to the report of the prin- cipal of the high school who has said some things which I have omitted but which need consideration. Our high school received second-class approval from the state authorities last year. We did not receive first class ap- proval because of certain deficiencies in equipment and certain teaching arrangements. Perhaps I can offer no better statement of these deficiencies than a quotation from the letter written to the last superintendent by the high school inspector:
"I take pleasure in informing you that the Merrimac High School has been approved in Class B for the priv- ilege of certification to State Normal Schools for 1915.
We would not have been warranted in placing the school in Class A this year for the following reasons:
1. The equipment for the commercial department is not adequate to the needs of that department. In this connection may I call your attention to require- ments No. 17, for High Schools in Class A, as given on page 5 of the enclosed circular?
2. Provision has not yet been made for the keeping of adequate scholarship records as called for in require- ment No. 5.
3. Both Mr. Broadfoot and Miss Bagley, teachers
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of less than two years' experience have classes of more than thirty pupils, which is not in accordance with require- ment No. 2."
From this it will be seen that certain changes and im- provements are needed in the high school if it is to receive continued state approval.
We have had several changes among the teachers since the close of the last school year.
Miss Helen R. Wiley, a graduate of the four years' course at Bridgewater Normal School is taking the place of Mr. H. H. Broadfoot, Miss Helen B. Cressey in Grade 1 and Miss Marguerite E. Burbank of Grade 2 are also new teachers but have an excellent normal school training from Salem. Miss Esther J. Woods also is teaching her first year in Merrimac in Grade 6. She has had several years' experience in addition to a normal school training. I believe it should be the policy of this town to select for the grades only teachers of normal school training or of such experience as would practically equal it. Such training demands larger pay but it is worth it. Teaching is one of the peculiar professions in which a life may be sometimes made or injured by a mistake in judgment on the part of the teacher. The peculiar ripe common sense in things educational which can only be gained by experience added to native capacity is worth many dollars to the citizens of any town.
This brief survey sets forth some of the major needs of schools. There are many lesser needs which it is not important to detail at present. I have no comment to make about the amount of money which the town should expend for its schools. That is a matter purely for the town to decide but it is my belief that good schools are a matter of a sufficient amount of money judiciously expend- ed. Good schools will cost more in the future than they have in the past. Progress is everywhere manifest in our state. Economy in school matters does not consist in small expenditures, but consists in such sound business
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management that we get a true value returned for every dollar expended. A good school demands an intelligent, strong, well paid teacher working with a group of well-fed children who are regular in attendance, supplied with ample equipment and properly housed and it is for people of Merrimac to make this matter of good schools a study.
Respectfully submitted,
H. HOWARD PRATT.
February 4, 1916.
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SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL
To the School Committee:
The total membership of the high school for the six months ending July, 1915 was 74. The average membership was 70.46. The average attendance was 67.82. The percent of attendance was 96.22.
The total membership for the four months ending January 1916 was 92. The average membership was 87.01. The average attendance was 82.33. The percent of attend- ance was 94.62.
Twelve students were graduated in June, 1916, as follows :----
Helen Marie Barry
Millard Sargent Bishop
Lovertia Pearl Chase
Katherine Agnes Crane Alice Victoria Grant Lillian Beatrice Jonah
Victor Wilbur Kinsman
Katie Florence MacDougall . Kneeland Herbert McIlvin
Paul Leo Noone
Esther Florence Reynolds,
Bernice Elizabeth Waterhouse
Miss Mae G. Bagley resigned as teacher of English in the early part of June, 1915 and Mr. Henry H. Broad- foot declined a re-election as teacher of science for the current school year. Miss Bagley's place has been filled by Miss Bessie Felstiner of Haverhill and Mr. Broadfoot's by Miss Helen R. Wiley of Newton, Mass.
Our Commercial Course has continued its success.
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All of its graduates of last June were fully qualified to fill any position which would be offered to any clerk with- out practical experience. The Course has been reduced to what we believe to be the strictly useful and practical, that is to say, to Stenography, Typewriting, Bookkeeping and Arithmetic. I am not yet wholly convinced of the practical value of teaching Bookkeeping. in High Schools, but I am not yet ready to recommend the discontinuance of the course.
But the dark side of the matter lies in this, that students who devote their High School Course to Com- mercial studies, find on its completion that their way toward any other sort of education is practically barred. Now Merrimac is a town of well-to-do families. Pros- perity is a hard matter to reduce to figures, but I believe its average is as high in Merrimac as in any community in this country. It follows that the parents of this town are able to materially assist their boys and girls to higher education. My personal investigations lead me to the conclusion that they are, without exception, not only willing but anxious to assist their children to that end. Add to this that there was never a place or a time in the history of the world when higher education could be as easily obtained as in Massachusetts at this moment. Am I not, therefore, fully justified in asking the parents of Merrimac to assist us in keeping their boys and girls from devoting their high school course to the commer- cial branches, unless they are perfectly sure that they will have neither the opportunity nor the desire to pursue their studies in another direction?
In 1914 and 1915 not one pupil was graduated from the classical course. This year there are four candi- dates for diplomas in that course. As far as I know, none of the four are intending to carry their classical education farther, but I believe that all of them will find themselves better prepared than the other for whatever may come later.
.
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Last spring the school received the privilege of send- ing students, without examination, to any of the colleges represented on the New England College Entrance Cer- ificate Board. The continuance of the privilege will depend on our sending a stated number of pupils to those colleges regularly. This, we shall not, in all probability, be able to do.
At the same time the school received the Class B Privilege of sending pupils to the Normal Schools, without examination. The reasons for not rating the school as Class A, as given by the agent of the Board of Education were these:
1. Our system of individual student records were inadequate.
2. Teachers of less than two years' experience are teaching classes of more than thirty pupils.
3. Our Commercial Room is not properly arranged and equipped.
In regard to No. 1 the deficiency has been seen and felt ever since the arrival of the present principal, but he did not feel justified in throwing away, unused, the stock of supplies for that purpose, already on hand. That supply is now exhausted and an adequate system has been installed.
As for No. 2, it will be apparent to anyone that teachers of experience cost more than those of none. Unfortunately, we have two or three classes that cannot be divided with- out the employment of another teacher in the school.
Our Commercial Room can be supplied with approved equipment for approximately ($500.00) five hundred dollars.
Mention has been made above of the employment of another teacher in the school. Massachusetts High Schools of our size ordinarily have four .teachers besides the principal. The requirements for Class A certification to our Normal Schools specify that there shall be four teachers besides the principal, and that the principal shall
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teach but four classes a day in High Schools of more than one hundred pupils. The attendance at our school. seems likely to pass the hundred mark next September.
Substantial additions have been made to our labora- tory equipment during the past year, but we are still far from possessing all that we need and a good deal of what we have is obsolete or out of repair.
I am writing the above with full understanding of the fact that our High School is a large one in proportion to the size of the town and its assessed valuation; and that, consequently, the burden of High School support is greater than in other towns whose situation is similar to ours. But, notwithstanding, I believe that these facts should be presented to the careful consideration of the committee and of our fellow citizens.
In any event, the teaching force at the High School will continue to do its best with whatever is given it to work with.
Two changes in our course of study seem necessary. When the present course was adopted, two years ago, the High School Faculty was very anxious to add German to the curriculum. We were overruled, not by the School Committee, but since that time a growing desire for the study has been manifested, principally by boys who wish to attend those technical schools which require it as prep- aration. I, therefore, again recommend the addition of a course in German to our High School Course.
Two years ago, the study of mathematics was dis- continued in the first year of the course. The theory was this-that pupils in that grade were not developed sufficiently to grapple with such an exact science as Algebra. A year and a half of experience has only deepened my con- viction that the theory is without foundation in fact. Therefore, I recommend that mathematics be restored to the course of the Freshman year.
The principal is occasionally approached by citi- zens of the town, with the request that Typewriting,
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private work, be done for them at the High School. These requests are presented in such a way that I sometimes think our attitude toward the matter is not understood. We are always very glad to have practical work of any kind for our advanced typewriting class, and the students always welcome the opportunity of doing such work.
In behalf of all connected with the High School, I wish to thank the Committee and our fellow citizens for their continued support and co-operation in our work.
Respectfully, CLIFTON C. PUTNEY, Principal.
Merrimac, Mass., Jan. 31, 1916.
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SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
To the School Committee,
Merrimac, Mass.,
Gentlemen:
The following brief report for the past year is res- pectfully submitted.
During the past year we have been fortunate again in having had no serious epidemic of the so-called con- tagious diseases, like diphtheria and scarlet fever.
We have had many of the infectious colds, that every year break up the attendance, through the winter months and as time goes on, people are going to learn how very contagious these colds are and will be more careful about having well children sleep with a child who is suffering from influenza.
When we stop to think of the amount of illness caused from this alone, while a larger percentage is not serious as regards life; yet there is in the aggregate, a great many serious cases of pneumonia, and no small number of deaths from this cause. When the time lost from school, from wages lost by the wage earners of the families, and the millions paid in doctors bills are computed, surely an in- fectious epidemic of grippe becomes a very serious matter to a state and to the community.
Were it not for the great number affected this would be one of the diseases which would be quarantined the same as measles and the other contagious diseases that are a menace to the public health.
The grades up to the High School, have had the throats and teeth inspected as the law requires.
To look back over the past five years there has been a marked improvement in the care of children's teeth.
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Of course, there are families, who through careless- ness or from financial reasons neglect this matter, but the vast majority of parents are inclined to do the right thing.
Medical inspection in this country is in its infancy, as regards the public schools.
The time is coming, and I believe it is not very far distant, when this whole matter will be under State super- vision.
The State will either employ, or compel cities and towns to employ, medical inspectors, who will be paid a living salary, and devote their whole time to this work of looking after the general welfare of school children.
The small towns will probably combine, in much the same way as they now do on a superintendent and a school physician will visit the various schools of the different towns at stated intervals.
In the large cities of the Commonwealth, even now, trained nurses are employed, who spend their time follow- ing up from house to house those children in need of the care of an oculist, or a dentist, or those who should have adenoids or diseased tonsils removed and see that they do receive this care.
Many large factories that employ large numbers of people have a physician on duty through the day in the factory.
Surely the times change and customs change as the the years go by and we must change with them.
The ever present problem of the hygienic conditions at the Center School are still under consideration and will be brought up for discussion at the March Town Meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
F. E. SWEETSIR, M. D.
School Physician.
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SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
To the Superintendent and the School Committee of Merrimac :
There has been an eager response to the work in drawing.
The primary classes began with color notation, learn- ing typical colors with their hues and values. They did some very creditable free cutting besides the drawing. By learning simple symbols, they acquire a vocabulary, by means of which drawing becomes a graphic language. For example, house may be represented by five straight lines. These are much easier to make, than the various curves the child must learn in writing the word house.
The grammar grades gained some facility in sketch- ing from the object; 1st, by the representation of plant structure, studied in mass and in outline.
2nd, the representation of common objects.
Before Christmas we did some , constructive work which required careful planning and accurate measuring. The results from this problem in grades four and five at Merrimacport were especially satisfactory.
We shall endeavor, through the appreciation of form and color to make the work of practical value beyond the classroom. The results in the future should be in advance of what we have done, because we have more material with which to work.
The class in mechanical drawing has devoted the time to lettering and the making of working sketches. The lack of "preparedness" for the subject, is of course, most noticeable here. Only half the time allowed in the grades is allotted. There is a commendable effort to keep the work up to the standard.
We feel that the interest on the part of the teachers and pupils bespeaks a continued progress.
ALICE PARKER KILLAM,
February 5th, 1916.
Supervisor of Drawing.
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SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
To Superintendent Pratt and School Board of Merrimac:
Again the advent of another year reminds me of the near approach of the time for a school report. I shall not take the space to give in detail the work of each dis- tinctive grade, but refer only to the special features of music study which have been followed closely in nearly all classes.
Your supervisor has proven from many years' teaching that certain points in this particular study need to be emphasized in more attractive and forceful ways at the present time than in the earlier years of teaching.
The latest manner of teaching school music copies the methods of other school studies, and is, therefore, more understandingly taught by the grade teachers. The re- citation of Key stories by the pupils of all the grades, with the exception of the first grade, is doing more for the betterment of this important subject than any other method which has been devised in many years.
"Just what is a Key story?" some one of the readers may ask. Here is an example which I will give so that the person interested may understand. A pupil rises and says,-"The Key of E has four sharps in the signature; they are F. C. G and D, placed on the fifth line, third space, space above the staff and fourth line; low do is found on the first line, mi on the second line, sol on the third line, ti on the fourth line, high do in the fourth space, la in the third space, fa in the second space, and re in the first space." The pupil then goes to the board and dem- onstrates what he has voiced. This practice is con- tinued in all the different keys by the upper grade pupils, and in the easier keys by the lower grades. It is difficult to see how any pupil can escape the technical points of music study after this demonstration. The children love
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to tell these key stories, once they have learned them, and the interest and enthusiasm in the work is increased there- by. Muchvaluable rhythmic work is being accomplished in the grades, particularly in the fourth and fifth by the aid of the French time language.
The situation in the high school is much the same as that of a year ago this time-somewhat discouraging- yet the class of 1915 was graduated with the usual high honors, and the music was given much praise by the parents and friends present at the graduation. Some years there seems to be a lack of competent leaders with which to entrust the solo or important parts, but usually this want is met before the close of the year, and all ends well.
Merrimac has a fine staff of teachers-the personnel, being nearly the same as that of last year-which make the duties of your supervisor very agreeable.
Several years ago there was inaugurated in Merrimac a school festival, by whom orgiinated I do not now recall, at which each grade together with the high school, furnished one or two numbers,-either of music or recitation or both- something prepared in the everyday line of study. It made a very interesting programme, and gave the townspeople an opportunity to hear and see the product of the school. Your supervisor would like to see the festival repeated, if it is not asking too much of the already very busy super- intendent and school board. Many attractive and in- teresting songs are given in the classrooms which the public would be delighted to hear, had they the opportunity. To make up an entertainment of sufficient length and interest ought not to tax any grade very severely, and would mean much to the people, I am sure. Specimens of drawing, typewriting, stenography and, in fact, any work in which the schools are engaged, could easily be placed on' exhibition without great trouble or expense, if desired. Your supervisor is confident that an an- nual festival of this character would be both pleasing
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and profitable. Many opportunities are furnished for the people to hear the pupils of the high school, in music or drama, during the year, but the talent of the lower grades is seldom given the opportunity for display, Respectfully, W. E. HARTWELL. Supervisor of Music.
Haverhill, Mass., Jan. 24, 1916.
INDEX
Auditor's Report .27
Assessors' Report. 44-45
Appropriations 1915 5-6
Cemetery Trustees' Report
Church and Lower Corner
48
Locust Grove
46
Perpetual Care of Lots.
49
Town Cemetery
47
Soldiers Buried
48
Collector's Report .
40
Financial Statement, Jan. 1, 1916.
30
Engineers, Fire Report.
W
Engineers, Fire Report .
50-52
Interest, Financial Statement, Jan. 1, 1916
30
Kimball Park Trustees' Report. 54
Light, Municipal Board Report
Assets .
7
Balance Sheet .
6
Bonds, Notes, Interest
6
Construction.
3
Cost of Construction.
7
Distribution Tools
5
Expended .
7
Fuel .
.3
General Salaries.
. 5
Insurance and Incidentals .
. 6
Lamps, etc.
5
Liabilities .
8
Light Report
.4
Maintenance
3
Meters .
.3
Office Expense
6
Oil and Waste.
4
Repairing Steam Plant
4
Repairs Electric Plant
4
Repairing Lines
.5
Station Wages.
4
Salaries Municipal Light Board
.
Transformers
3
Notes . .
7
Police Department Report
53-54
Public Library Report.
.55-58
Selectmen's Report
Assessors .
9
Assessors' 1914 Account.
20
Assessors' Department 17
Auditor 9
Bonds
19
Bonding Town Officers
23
5
1
Board of Health
22
Cattle Inspector
9
Collector .
8
Collectors' Department
18
Cemeteries .
21
Election Officers
10
Fire Engineers
9
Fire Alarm Boxes
22
Forest Warden .
24
Fire Department.
12-15
Guide Boards . .
24
Gypsy and Brown Tail Moth
15
Highway and Bridges
22-23
Interest
7
Insurance
12
Inspector of Animals.
9
Inspector of Slaughtering.
9
Light Expense .
8
Light and Water Investigation
20
Miscellaneous Debts.
15-17
Memorial Day
25
Military Aid.
23
Mothers' Pension Fund .
12
Notes .
7
Oil Lamps .
.20
Overseers of the Poor
10-11
Public Library
19
Police and Night Watch.
9
Police Department .
18
Registrars of Voters.
9
Registrars Department
18
Railing
.23
Rock's Bridge
20
Schools . .
8
Sargent Hall.
.25
Sealer of Weights and Measures
22
School Committee
.8
Selectmen
8
State Aid.
.23
Sidewalks and Crossings
25
Snow and Washouts.
12
Soldiers' Relief
11
Taxes . .
25
Town Officers .
8
Town Clerk .
8
Treasurer .
8
Treasurer's Department .
18
Town Counsel
9
Tree Warden
21
Taxes. .
25
Water Department.
8
School Department
Committee's Report
1-2
Expenses .
87
Financial Statement.
.3
High School Principal's Report
13-17
School Physician's Report . . 18-19
Supervisor of Music Report. 21-22
Supervisor of Drawing .20
Superintendent's Report. . 6-12
Recapitulation Table. .
Sargent Hall . 28-29
25
Sealer of Weights and Measures' Report
52
Special Town Meeting Appropriations
6
Town Officers . 2-4
Town Officers' Pay
.6
Town Clerk's Report
.59-60
Treasurer's Report, F. C. Grant.
29-31
Cemetery Trust Funds .
.38
Electric Light Depreciation Fund.
39
Funded Debt.
36
Kimball Park Fund.
.39
Public Library. Fund
39
Interest .
.37
Receipts
31-35
Uncollected Taxes 1914-1915
41-42
Water Commissioners
Additions .
8
Bonds, Notes, Interest
7
Balance Sheet
8
Construction . 7
Cost up to Jan. 1, 1915
7
Estimate Ensuing Year
2
Expense .
2
Expended
9
Fuel .
5
Income.
2
Insurance .
6
Maintenance
4
Oil and Waste
5
Office Expense.
6
Salaries .
5
Supplies to Station
. 5
Station Wages
. 6
Repairs .
4
Receipts .
4
Water Analysis Table 10
.
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