USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Merrimac > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Merrimac 1949 > Part 6
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
and my mid-summer election in Merrimac limits this report from personal experience to the fall months.
From the records I find that another splendid class was graduated from Merrimac High School on June 22, 1949. There were seventeen graduates, the same number as in 1948. Those having honor parts on the graduation program in Sargent Hall included: Valedictory, Virginia Ann Gleed; Salutatory, Helen Fairholm Rines; Class His- tory, Nancy Ruth Hanson; Class Will, Priscilla Jean Emery ; Class Prophecy, Corinne Geneva Hall; Class Gifts, Sheila Ann Flynn; and Class Poem, Manford Herbert Palmer, Jr. Of these graduates, eight are continuing their education: Joanne Clark is studying at the Gardner Memorial Hospital; Priscilla Emery at Bridgewater State Teachers' College; Sheila Flynn at Winslow Secretarial School; Virginia Gleed at Massachusetts General Hos- pital, Boston; Nancy Hanson at The University of New Hampshire; Roland Morin at Sanborn Academy, Kings- ton, N. H .; Helen Rines at Salem State Teachers' College and George Wallace at McIntosh Business College in Haverhill. Other members of the class are gainfully em- ployed and some will undoubtedly be able to obtain more education later.
Prominent activities from January to June of last school year included the 1949 Class Trip to New York City with Principal Chase and Miss Phelan as chaperones ; a notably successful production of the operetta, "Pinafore" under the direction of the Music Supervisor, Mrs. Doris Currier ; champion boys' basketball and baseball teams under Coach Morrow and a near champion girls' basket- ball team under Miss Phelan, Coach.
The Federal Milk Luncheon program was continued last year and has been started again this fall.
As a newcomer to Merrimac, I naturally have been interested in surveying the situation. I find that, including the principal, there are five heavily loaded teachers, three
24
SCHOOL REFORT
of whom are new to the school. Salaries are low, probably accounting partially for the turnover in personnel. Teach- ers are on the dead run from morning till night. No clerical help, except for the commercial department, is available. We are extremely fortunate in our new assist- ant teachers: Donald MacAusland from the University of New Hampshire who undertook the teaching of some of the sciences and the coaching of boys' athletics and Miss. Alice Beaubien of Rivier College, Nashua, N. H. as teacher of foreign languages and coach of dramatics. They have performed their duties well. The returning teachers, Miss Isabelle Phelan, teacher of English and coach of girls' athletics and Miss Antoinette Trigilio (recently become Mrs. Salvatore Salerno), teacher of Commercial subjects, have been the backbone of the Faculty and have been of immense assistance in adjusting the customs of the past with the ideas of the present. Miss Phelan, as Acting Principal, during my recent illness, has served valiantly and with distinction.
The curriculum is of the old college preparatory type relieved in a vocational way only by the commercial de- partment. Music and art supervisors help immeasurably in developing talent among our pupils. Trade and agri- cultural schools in nearby towns do take care of some pupils interested in those lines of study. The teaching of solid geometry and trigonometry for which during recent times it has been difficult to find a teacher, has been taken care of this year by offering correspondence-exten- sion courses from the Massachusetts State Department of Education to two senior boys who thought they must have these subjects. At least one University has agreed to accept the successful completion of these courses for col- lege entrance. A transfer senior, because of schedule conflicts, is satisfying the United States History require- ment for graduation by completing an extension course with the state department. The Saturday Evening Post re- cently came out with an attack on the study of the old, tra-
25
TOWN OF MERRIMAC
ditional high school subjects. To a large extent, I agree with its attitude. Merrimac should take care efficiently of all its pupils. But I think there is much to be gained from the study of the past. Caesar had his points even if the last was fatal. We should study the present and dream and plan for the future but the reasonable study of the civiliza- tions of former years gives us a basis in culture for a fuller, richer life which no one can take away from us. Probably the local solution of a limited curriculum lies in combining with our neighbors to found a regional high school.
Our building is antiquated. Its oil-soaked floors are a fire-hazard as well as being slippery and dirty. In view of the fact that a new, consolidated high and graded school now seems impossible, I recommend that the present build- ing receive as many minor improvements as financially possible.
This fall, as nearly as we could, we have carried on with the activities of the past. Class organizations have been affected, the Student Council, Hi-Y, Tri-Hi-Y, the Varsity Club and Jamaco Journal have started their year's work. The number of cheer leaders has been enlarged from four to seven. The Student Council conducted an en- thusiastic "Stunt Night" for the initiation of Freshmen; the Junior Square Dance was well attended and the Senior Play, "Those Websters," in December was a huge success. Our boys' and girls' basketball teams have made good pre-league records. The boys have won three out of four games and the girls one out of two. The boys won in the Boston Arena, 34 to 16, against Stratford, N. H., High School, the first win in three attempts at Boston. Both teams lost to Hampton, N. H., in non-league games. The Merrimack Valley League, composed of teams from the high schools in Georgetown, Groveland, Hampstead, Topsfield, West Newbury as well as from Merrimac, starts
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SCHOOL REPORT
with the new year. Our success in the league has been greatly advanced through the kindness of the Selectmen in allowing four improvements in the Town Hall court which the other League schools strongly requested. On request, we are allowed to mop the floor before games, doing away with the slippery condition which has made it hard and dangerous not only for visiting teams but also for our own boys and girls. We were also allowed to take down the side nets, mark the floor for basketball and re- move the lengthwise wires from the middle of the hall which interfered frequently with long shots. An operetta and baseball are in the future calendar. My only criticism of our many activities is that in a small school, the pupils with the most talents are inclined to get into too many activities, not only in school but in church, home and community. Each pupil should make a choice of a limited number of activities. Then talent would not be spread too thin.
Our enrollment continues about the same. We have 101 pupils, fifty girls and fifty-one boys. There has been some coming and going, some pupils moving to town, others leaving. Some have left to enter civilian employment. Attendance has been at a reasonably high level, over 96 % the first month. There have been some notable cases of seeming truancy. Pupils attending a solid-session school sometimes develop afternoon employment that becomes the main object in life rather than the school. In these cases attendance suffers.
Despite the narrowness of the curriculum, the poor- ness of the building and the overworked condition of the Faculty, the character of a school and its success really depends upon the talents of the pupils and teachers. Here we are strong, with an able student body, a minimum of those who do not want to work at their lessons, and talen- ted teachers. Good work in education is being done. And
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
in that achievement we can look forward with hope to a future when conditions may be better.
Respectfully submitted,
Edward K. Boak, Principal
January 2, 1950
-
GRADUATES, 1949
High School: Virginia Mae Chase, JoAnne Clark, Ethel Dwinnells, Priscilla Jean Emery, Kenneth H. Floyd, Sheila Ann Flynn, Virginia Ann Gleed, John Ivan Glennie, Corine Geneva Hall, Nancy Ruth Hanson, Virginia Frances Heath, Philip Edward Jacques, June E. Morgan, Roland P. Morin, Jr., Manford Herbert Palmer, Jr., Helen Fairholm Rines and George Henry Wallace.
GRADE 8-Howard Earle Anderson, George Allan Ayer, *Gary Evans Bertram, *Beverly Elaine Blackden, Ann Theresa Buckley, Nancy Lorrainne Comely, Robert Leonard Eckert, Ruth Shirley Hamm, Lawrence Wayne Hardy, Shirley Jane Hart, Constance Joan Hartwell, *Natalie Haskell, *Stephen Gale Hoppe, *Marie Annette Jacques,* Joan Marilyn Keller, *Helen Pearl Knight,* Ruth Elizabeth Lord, *Bethel Jean Nicol, *Carol Joanne Perre- ault, *Edgar David Sargent, Herman Arthur Smith, June Hilda Smith, Donald Witman Spofford, *Elizabeth Ida Weigel, Patricia Anne White, John Bertern Woodward. *Honor Pupils.
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SCHOOL REPORT
HONOR ROLL MERRIMAC HIGH SCHOOL YEAR 1948-1949
HIGH HONOR: (Average 90 or above in all sub- jects) Seniors-Virginia Gleed, Helen Rines; Juniors- William Andrews; Sophomores-Richard Taylor, Phyllis Wechezak; Freshmen-George Larkin, Charlotte Powers.
HONOR: (Average 85-90 in all subjects) Seniors- Priscilla Emery, Corinne Hall, Nancy Hanson; Juniors- Donald Cell, Leo Duprey; Freshmen-Natalie Johnson, Patricia Joralmon, Thomas Lund. Noreen Quimby, Marga- ret Weigel.
ATTENDANCE HONOR ROLL
High School-
Grade 12: none
Grade 11:
none
Grade 10: Robert Lora
Grade 9: Francis Boetti, * *Richard Emery, Robert Emery
Prospect Street School-
Grade 8: ** Pearl Knight, *Ruth Lord, Bethel Nicol, Edgar Sargent Grade 7: Florence Bixby, Elsie Hoyt, Charles Annon Grade 6: Marie Fowle Grade 5: John Hemingway. Constance Hoyt
Grade 4: Clifton E. Bixby
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
Grade 3: none
Grade 2: Bertha Haskell, Peter Tilton
Grade 1: James Calnan, William Chase
Merrimacport School-
Grade 3: John Robert Cheney
Grade 2: none
Grade 1: Dianne Staples, Alfred Weigel.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Appropriations Made 1949
13
Fire Alarm
7
In Memoriam
102
Jury List
10
Town Officers
3
Town Warrant
90
Reports of-
Assessors
19
Board of Public Welfare
33
Bureau of Old Age Assistance
29
Cemetery Commissioners
28
Dog Officer
34
Finance Committee
41
Fire Engineers
27
Inspector of Wires
36
Inspector of Milk, Animals and Slaughtering
30
Municipal Light Board
24
Playground Commissioners
26 16
Police Department
Public Health Nurse
20
Public Library
30
School Committee
105
Sealer of Weights and Measures
32
Selectmen
9
Tax Collector
38
Town Accountant
44
Town Clerk
11
Town Forest Committee
35
Town Treasurer
33
Trustees of Kimball Park
37
Water Commissioners 22
Vote for Town Officers
98
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