USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Merrimac > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Merrimac 1954 > Part 6
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Total receipts
320.90
$ 365.60
Expenditures
350.63
Balance, December 31, 1954
$ 14.97
SCHOOL LUNCH STATEMENT
Balance, January 1, 1954
$ 4,657.39
Receipts : U. S. D. A. claims
2,527.05
Lunch sales
9,640.16
$ 16,824.60
Expenditures :
Wages
$ 3,781.72
Food
9,032.81
Other
431.01
Balance
13,245.54 $ 3,579.06
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SCHOOL REPORT
NEW SUPERINTENDENCY UNION ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1955
On December 28, 1954, the state board of education approved the formation of a new superintendency union comprising the towns of Groveland, Merrimac, and West Newbury, effective September 1, 1955. In 1905 West New- bury, Newbury and Salisbury formed a union; in 1912 Merrimac joined the three towns and formed a union of four towns. After September 1 the remaining towns of the present Merrimac and West Newbury union will be New- bury and Salisbury; of the present Groveland union they will be Georgetown, Rowley and Boxford, unless further arrangements are made before that date. September 1, 1955, coincides with the resignation date of the present superintendent of schools who becomes seventy years of age in 1955 and who has served the four-town union as superintendent since October 16, 1928.
The union of Groveland, Merrimac, and West New- bury becomes a fact on Sepember 1, 1955; the region com- prising these three towns will become a fact when it is validated by the passing of House Bill 391 by the 1955 legislature. A region is different from a union; it may cut across two or more unions. Regional agreements of these three towns, as submitted by the regional school district planning board, were approved by the Commissioner of Education on April 20 and by the state Emergency Fi- nance Board on April 27. Green-covered brochures, with the agreement printed therein have been distributed to the citizens of the three towns. Acceptence of the agree- ment has been voted by the citizens. The regional school, as planned, is a combination junior-senior high school (grades seven to twelve) which will enroll the pupils of
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
the upper six grades of all three towns: Merrimac, Grove- land, West Newbury. On regional school building cost there is an added reimbursement of 15% of the capital. There is also added reimbursement on the regional school operating cost.
END OF PLATOONING IN FIRST SIX GRADES
The newly organized school committee in March (Mr. Blake, Mrs. Webster, Dr. Sweetsir) voted on March 10 that there should be no platooning in the lower grades in Merrimac beginning in September. Grades seven and eight were removed to the high school building. Several towns in Massachusetts have made this change of platooning to the upper grades, as was brought out at a superintendents' conference in April. The high school hours became 7:30 A. M. to 12:05 P. M., to make way for grades seven and eight in the afternoon (12:25 to 5:00 P. M.) This entailed an additional transportation cost of $2,200.00, but this cost is entirely reimbursable.
ENROLLMENTS
On the first of October the enrollment of Merrimac public schools was 540, which was a decrease of 4 under a year ago. In the first eight grades there were 427; in grades nine to twelve at High School (morning session) there were 113. The distribution of Merrimac enrollments by grades on October 1, 1954, was as follows: At Merri-
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SCHOOL REPORT
mac Elemenary School, Grade I, 70, Mrs. Manning, Mrs. Whiting, Mrs. Hardy; Grade II, 67, Mrs. Verrette, Mrs. Coe; Grade III,54, Mrs. Edgerly, Miss Hickey; Grade IV, 39, Mrs. Casey, (Mrs. Davis, Batavian teacher) ; Grade V, 52, Mrs. Rau, Miss O'Neil; Grade VI, 47, Mrs. Hume, Miss Pooler. Total in elementary building, 329, Mrs. Donaghue, principal, and Mrs. Felch, vice-principal and remedial reading and art teacher. At high school building (after- noons), Grade VII, 55; Grade VIII, 43; total 98, Mr. Nute, assistant principal, Mrs. Wolfe, Mr. Noone, Mr. Blais. At High School (forenoons), Grade IX, 42; X, 27; XI; 21; XII, 23. Total in High School enrollment 113, Mr. Morrow, principal, Miss Phelan, Mr. Mansfield, Miss O'Riordan, Miss Doherty, Mr. Bardsley.
Private school enrollment of Merrimac includes ten at St. James, Haverhill; six at St. Joseph's, Amesbury ; three at Sacred Heart, Amesbury ; one at Immaculate Con- ception, Newburyport.
Enrollment of vocational pupils will be found else- where.
From the foregoing figures it would appear that Mer- rimac enrollment is running 28 behind its projected 1954 figure of 568, except in the high school. The same is true in West Newbury, where, with dropouts in high school pupils (now tuitioned out), the total figure is 39 below the projected figure. But Newbury is running 33 ahead of its projected figure and Salisbury is ahead also. What is the explanation? Is it the new superhighway, just opened, (and its cloverleafs), that are expanding these communi- ties? One must remember that any projected figures are an inseparable part of their hypotheses. All projection figures were presented, in all four towns, at the time of the projection, with four "If's", and no birth figures were used except those already recorded by the town clerks at the
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
time. These four "If's" were based upon the four years immediately preceding the time of projection. The four "If's" were: (1) IF the rate of moving into town remains the same (as in the four years preceding the figuring), (2) IF the rate of moving out of town remains the same, (3) IF the percentage of promotion from each grade to the next remains the same, and finally, (4) IF the percentage of leaving school after sixteen remains the same. These "If's" accompanied all projection figures and must be remem- bered with them. Although the total primary unit (1-3) is within two of the projected figure, the overall enroll- ment figure indicates a probable change in one or more of the four preceding hypotheses. Which factors have changed ?
TEACHING STAFF
During 1954 there were eight new teachers on the staff. Seven of the eight, that is, all except Miss McIntyre, started with the school year in September. The eight new teachers were: at the High School, Miss Mary E. Doherty of Haverhill; in grades seven and eight, Mr. Louis A. Blais and Miss Regina G. Mcintyre, both of Amesbury; at the Elementary School, Miss Helen O'Neil of Amesbury, Mrs. A. Patricia Casey of Lawrence, Miss Margaret M. Hickey of North Andover, Mrs. Florence L. Coe of Hamilton, and Mrs. Louise E. Hardy of Merrimac.
At the High School Miss Doherty replaced Miss Mary L. Kenney, who taught French and Latin. Miss Doherty is a graduate of St. James High School and of Regis Col- lege, A. B., 1953. During the summer of 1954 she took the Intensive Teacher Preparatory Course at Fitchburg State
16
SCHOOL REPORT
Teachers College. In grades seven and eight, at the high school building, Mr. Millard P. Nute, then of the staff. was appointed in September assistant principal, in charge of grades seven and eight, under Mr. Edward S. Morrow. principal of grades seven to twelve. When Mr. Nute re- signed in the middle of November (to take up government work in social science) Mrs. Cornelia E. Wolfe of the staff was appointed to the administrative duties and title of Mr. Nute. For the classes that Mr. Nute taught (chiefly social sciences), Miss Regina G. McIntyre was appointed, begin- ning November 15. Miss McIntyre is a graduate of Ames- bury High School and of Salem State Teachers College, B. S., 1954. She did her practice teaching at the Horace Mann School, Salem. In the natural sciences (with seventh- grade geography) Mr. Louis A. Blais replaced Mrs. Ruth N. Parker in September. Mr. Blais is a graduate of As- sumption High, Worcester, and of Assumption College. He studied one summer at the University of New Hampshire. His practice teaching was at Amesbury Junior High School. During the school year 1953-54 Mr. Blais was teacher of science and world history at the Eliot ( Maine ) High School. At the Merrimac Elementary School there were several changes, all in September. In the fifth grade Miss Helen O'Neil replaced Mrs. Ruth W. Higginbotham. Miss O'Neil is a graduate of Amesbury High School and of Rad- cliffe College, A.B., 1954. During the summer she took the Intensive Elementary Teacher Training Program at the State Teachers College, Boston. In the fourth grade Mrs. A. Patricia Casey replaced Miss Michalina Bajek. Mrs. Ca- sey is a graduate of Lawrence High School, and of Lowell State Teachers College, B. A., 1934. She has her Master's degree, 1954, from Calvin Coolidge College. Between 1934 and 1939 she taught in Lawrence in the Leahy, Hood, Washington, and Essex Schools. She has assistance (in her room because there are no spare classroms) from Mrs. Mae Ethel Davis. Mrs. Davis assists also in other grades, Bata- vian style. In the Primary Unit (grades one to three), Miss
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
Margaret M. Hickey replaced Miss Cathleen H. Cronin in a section which is on the third grade level. Miss Hickey is a graduate of Johnson High School and of Merrimack College, A. B., 1954. Her practice teaching was in the Thompson School, North Andover. In a section on second- year level Mrs. Florence L. Coe replaced Mrs. Leila E. Squires. Mrs. Coe is a graduate of Essex High School and of Salem Normal School, 1933. She taught for six years in Essex ; last fall she was teaching second-year level in Glou- cester. In one of the sections on first year level Mrs. Louise E. Hardy was assigned. Mrs. Hardy, a Framingham Normal graduate, is too well known in Merrimac to need briefing. When she left Merrimac in March, 1940, she had been principal of the Centre School for nearly three years, and had taught in Centre School for four years prior to that. From 1948-49 Mrs. Hardy taught first grade in South Hampton, Long Island, New York.
In art Miss Ada Pasquini resigned in June. Begin- ning in September Mrs. Felch gave her service to fill in the need. The results have been very gratifying. Mrs. Felch majored in art at Kutztown (Pa.) State Teachers College. Since 1946, holidays and special occasions of all sorts in Merrimac elementary schools have been bright- ened by the art work of Mrs. Felch. This fall, art classes from high school have been added to Mrs. Felch's contri- bution. Pupils have shown enthusiasm, especially in ce- ramics; after-school hours seemed to be welcomed. For class use Mrs. Felch brought her own electric kiln.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 12:45 Mrs. Dona- ghue has been assisting Mrs. Currier with her music classes at the high school building.
As a teacher of Nature Study and Conservation in the fifth grade sections, Miss Alice Ann Williams of Elizabeth, New Jersey, a graduate, B.A., of Cornell University, re-
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SCHOOL REPORT
placed Mrs. Ellen F. Bennett in September. This course is under the auspices and subsidy of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Miss Williams has been on the staff of the Atlantic Monthly. She has traveled to Europe twice. Her interest in natural history has led her to the field nature program of the Girl Scouts. Miss Williams comes to Merrimac every other Tuesday forenoon.
During the year preceding September, 1954, six members of the teaching staff earned further credits by taking courses approved in advance for that purpose. The staff members, together with the number of addi- tional credits they earned, are as follows: Miss O'Neil 8, Mrs. Felch 7, Mrs. Verrette 7, Miss Phelan 6, Mr. Mans- field 6, Mrs. Edgerly 3.
On April 21 Mrs. Donaghue and Mrs. Felch, as a guest of the superintendent, participated at Bridgewater in superintendents' discussions of platooning and of the continuous progress plan in the lower grades.
On October 21, Mrs. Donaghue, Mrs. Felch, and Mr. Nute, representing Merrimac and the other towns in this union, attended a meeting of the Massachusetts Elemen- tary Principals Association.
On September 29 and thereafter, the principals in the school union of Merrimac, Newbury, Salisbury, and West Newbury, met for the purpose of developing plans for im- plementing Chapter 514 of the Acts of 1954. This 1954 legislation amends and changes Section 4 of Chapter 15 of the General Laws, and establishes a division of special education, with branches in different counties in the state. There are many new rules and regulations. Hereafter a town must give special instruction if five or more children are found who are retarded.
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
The Merrimac teacher salary scale is due for another revision. When Groveland, Merrimac, and West New- bury become both a union and a region, it is hoped that a satisfactory scale, similar in each town, may be adopted, so that the towns will not be bidding against each other for teachers. In the meanwhile the Merrimac scale was increased $100 (top and bottom) effective September 1, 1955. Enough was placed on the budget to effect the change. But the clause in the salary scale policy that made increments retroactive to January 1 (after the budget had been appropriated) was deleted for future contracts, and for present contracts after 1955. After 1955, salary increments will start September 1.
GRADUATIONS
On Tuesday morning, June 22, at ten o'clock, at the Elementary School All-Purpose Room, a class of forty-two pupils, consisting of twenty-two boys and twenty girls, graduated from the eighth grade. Both seventh and eighth grade years had been in the new building. Four graduates were with high honors: Lloyd Crossman, Sheela Fowler, Marsha Hargraves, and John Zelenski; seven were with honors: Thomas Atwood, Joanne Donaghue, Francis Mc- Comas, Barbara Pierce, Dudley Sargent, Margaret Sta- ples, and Wayne Stone. The class gift, a picture of Merri- mac Elementary School, was presented by Lawrence In- graham and accepted by Richard Keller. The welcome was by Sheela Fowler and the address "Work to Win" by Mr. Arthur Sager of Governor Dummer Academy. Diplomas were presented by Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir.
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SCHOOL REPORT
On Thursday evening, June 24, at eight o'clock, at the Elementary School All-Purpose Room, a class of twenty- two pupils, consisting of five boys and seventeen girls, grad- uated from the Merrimac High School. The valedictory was by Marilyn Wolfe, who received the history medal and the Readers Digest Award; the salutatory was by Dorothy Wechezak. The Varsity Club award for athletic ability went to Leonard Tilton and the G. A. R. Good Citizenship Award to Sandra Brennan. Both Dorothy Reynolds and Sandra Brennan received awards for excellence in com- mercial work. The Essex County Pomona Grange Scholar- ship, which is competed for by graduating high school pupils from some miles about, had been awarded to Sally Stuart. Diplomas were presented by Mrs. Milton E. Web- ster, Secretary of the School Committee.
GENERAL SCHOOL NOTES
The Merrimac Boosters' Club, Mr. Roland P. Morin, president, has been very helpful to school athletics, par- ticularly in the high school. The Boosters' Club furnished and installed lights over the baskets in the gymnasium. It has furnished letter sweaters for boys and girls and has subsidized the cost of buses for spectators to Merrimac games. On October 27, Mr. Morin came to a school com- mittee meeting to discuss further ways for the club to be of help. The Lions' Club has offered a Junglegym or a slide for the elementary school. Appreciation is here expressed also to the P. T. A., Mr. Louis A. Cyr, president, to the many civic organizations, and to the parents and other individual citizens who have worked for the welfare of the schools during 1954.
From the high school, four of the five boys that grad- uated in June went into the armed services,-also a girl
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
joined the waves. Two girls went on to college, plus one to Lowell Teachers College, and one to a secretarial school. The school activities were many. Mr. Morrow's report will be found elsewhere. Five new universal seats were bought for the high school. The Jamaco Journal was edited by Sally Stuart, and in the fall by Marie Fowle. The Christ- mas Concert on December 20 by the Merrimac High School Glee Club, under Mrs. Doris M. Currier, was excellent as usual; another is planned for May, 27, 1955. On May 18, 1954, Mr. Morrow and the superintendent were guests of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard; the educational program offered at the navy yard was explained to principals and superintendents.
At the high school building Mr. Arthur R. Clark, cus- todian, built shelves in each of the four rooms occupied afternoons by the seventh and eighth grades. These shel- ves are for the use of these afternoon pupils, who have few desks because the desks are occupied already by the books and supplies of high school pupils. Grades seven and eight, scheduled at the high school building from 12:25 to 5:00 P. M., are having their problems, but these are partly com- pensated for by the segregation of the age group, even though the hours are far from ideal. Early darkness and other factors called for the installation of porch lights, emergency lights in the halls, and the overhauling of the fire-drill bell system. Elsewhere will be found the report of Mrs. Wolfe, who has been in charge of this unit since Mr. Nute left in the middle of November.
In the new elementary school, improvements during 1954 include the painting of the auditorium, the oiling of the parking area on the Locust Street side, and the installa- tion, as a safety measure, of an all-night out-of-door flood light. There is still a roof-leak over the all-purpose room that needs attention. In the lunch room a fan-type of heat- er has been installed. The kitchen needs more oven space, with the amount of home-cooking that is being done. New
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ANNUAL REPORT
elementary equipment during the year includes two new Viewlex machines for classroom showing of filmstrips, an A. B. Dick liquid duplicator, and new medical scales for the nurse's clinic.
The inauguration of the primary unit plan in Septem- ber was done with careful administrative planning by Mrs. Donaghue and Mrs. Felch. Mimeographed sheets were made, showing and explaining the reading program and arrangements for each of the nine levels of the first three grades, as well as the reading books to come thereafter up to grade six. Parents were invited to come to discuss and ask questions of teachers and administrators. Nothing is more basic to elementary education than reading.
In the care of the building Mr. Haskell was assisted through the school months by Mr. Sheldon. Both school buildings in Merrimac are well taken care of. Custodial contracts call for summer cleaning also, and care of the grounds. The committee voted that janitorial specifications should be posted in the boiler rooms. When a local organ- ization other than P. T. A. or Boosters' Club requests the use of the All-Purpose Room, a janitorial fee for extra duty is part of the arrangement.
Mrs. Donaghue's reports on monthly fire drills indi- cate that it takes always less than two minutes to vacate the building.
The safety program of the school was implemented on May 20 when Inspector William F. Higgins from the Registry of Motor Vehicles showed films and gave talks on different age levels concerning safety on the highways: at 10:00 A. M., grades 1-6; at 11:30 A. M., high school; at 1:00 P. M., grades seven and eight.
The town's school census (registration of minors, un- der Chapter 72, Section 2, of the General Laws) was taken this fall by Mrs. Milton E. Webster.
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
Mrs. Annie L. Gleed, R. N., Merrimac school nurse, is assisted by Miss Shirley Venezia, dental nurse.
The school dental examiner is Dr. John A. Hawes, now on duty three days a week.
Mrs. Donald H. Keene, Chairman of the Christmas Seal Committee, sent her appreciation of the contributions of the children.
TRANSPORTATION
On the first of October, 225 of the 540 Merrimac public school pupils (41.7% ) were transported regularly by the Massachusetts Northeastern Transportation Com- pany. 128 rode an average of at least one and one-half miles each way each school day. The 225 transported pu- pils included 41 of the 113 high school pupils, 38 of the 98 seventh-eighth grade pupils, and 146 of the 329 elemen- tary pupils in the new building (grades one to six). From Birchmeadow direction there were 61, from Lake Attitash, Trailer Park, and Bear Hill direction 76, and from Mer- rimacport 88.
Buses for Merrimac High School leave Lake Attitash at 6:45 A. M., thence to Trailer Park and over Bear Hill Road to high school in time for the 7:30 opening. Those to the elementary school are one hour later. From Birch- meadow Road to high school they leave the top of Saun- ders Hill at 6:50 A. M., thence over Birchmeadow Road, Newton Road, to Winter Street, to school. Those to elemen- tary school one hour later. Merrimacport bus to elementary school leaves about 8:15 A. M.
State law requires transportation if a child lives two miles or more over public highway, or one mile or more
24
SCHOOL REPORT
from the bus, over public highway. If buses become crowd- ed those who ride the shortest distances are dropped first, except that preference is given to first grade and small children. Bus drivers have been authorized by the school committee to refuse rides to children who are disorderly on the bus. Safety first.
VOCATIONAL
In the fall of 1954 there were five Merrimac pupils in Haverhill Trade School,-two first-year pupils in gener- al vocational, one second-year pupil in sheet metal, one in painting and decoration, and one who registered in Decem- ber for upholstery. The tuition is $290 a year, for which, like all vocational education bills, Merrimac is liable if the pupil is a resident, whether sufficient appropriation has been made or not. In the Haverhill Evening Trade Exten- sion one pupil registered for sheet metal, one for machine shop, one for carpentry, one for printing, and one for radio and electronics. Earlier in the year, that is, between Jan- uary and June, 1954, one registered for electrical work. One citizen was studying machine maintenance at the Lynn Independent Industrial Shoemaking School, and one vet- eran was registered, both spring and fall, for part-time apprentice in plumbing at the Boston Trade School. The rate at the latter is fifteen cents an hour. In the Haverhill Evening Apprentice School one pupil registered for auto repair, one for arc welding, one for a diversified course (carpentry), and one for upholstery. Earlier one regis- tered for machine shop. In the Haverhill Evening School, four Merrimac women registered for beginning dressmak- ing, two for advanced dressmaking and two for rug hook- ing (plus one earlier). The cost of these evening courses is twenty cents per pupil per hour, payable by the town.
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TOWN OF MERRIMAC
The usual length of a course is sixty hours. No transpor- tation is furnished or reimbursed to evening or part- time vocational schools. When reimbursement to the student is applicable, it is at a rate not exceeding the cost of student tickets on public bus, and for the exact number of days already attended. All costs to the town for voca- tional education in state-aided schools is fifty percent reimbursable to the town by the state, after detailed claims with names and attendance data are filed.
In addition to the foregoing, two ninth grade boys registered for Essex County Agricultural School. In this county school there is no tuition for county residents. The cost of of transportation on tickets, except for ninety cents a week, is paid by the school, if the pupil makes applica- tion at the office at Hathorne. Statutes concerning trade and vocational schools are not applicable to the county school.
REPORT OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
The activities of the girls' and boys' basketball teams highlighted the winter season at the high school. The girls were coached by Miss Mary Louise Kenney and though unfortunate in being unable to score victories they showed the true spirit of competition. The boys, coached by Frederick Noone, lost some very close games and with a little better fate, might have had a winning season. Both teams again played in the Merrimac Valley League Tour- nament at Georgetown.
The annual Stunt Night was held on March 26. The judges selected the Sophomore Class as the winners on the basis of their originality and manner of presentation.
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SCHOOL REPORT
Their prize winning effort was a musical entitled, "A Darkie's Dream," which was under the direction of their advisor, Rodney Mansfield. The freshmen stunt was "A Day in the Army." The Junior skit was entitled "This is Your Life", and the seniors presented a parody on Shake- speare's play, "Julius Caesar."
The social program was enriched by the success of the Sophomore Hop and the Junior Prom. The Sopho- mores presented their dance in April and used as their theme the country of Holland. Marie Murphy was selected as queen of the dance. The Prom was held in May and its theme was "Stardust." Marie Fowle was chosen as queen with George Waterhouse reigning as king.
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