USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1907-1910 > Part 21
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The school department needs more money and the appro- priation should not be reduced because of this balance.
Our average attendance the last school year was 1716 pupils and if the town were to appropriate a sum equal to the average per pupil for the state it would appropriate $50,141.00 for school purposes for the ensuing year.
AGE OF ADMISSION.
In my report three years ago I discussed at some length the age of admission question, together with the half-time plan and the probable results or inconveniences of establish- áng such a plan.
The time has now come when to increase the age of admis-
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sion seenis the only alternative. With the primary grades overcrowded, and with no immediate prospect of relief, I can see no better way of accommodating the pupils than to change the age of admission from five to six years, which would give relief for one year. But this is not the only reason why the change should be made. Every year parents either bring or send to school many children who are too immature to even begin to do the required work. In several instances many of the children have been so small and immature as to give the room the appearance of a day nursery. Under such circum- stances the teacher is severely handicapped in doing the work of the grade. Many of the pupils are obliged to repeat and this greatly increases the number in the grade, besides nearly doubling the cost to get these repeaters through the first year of school. If the children could be kept out of school until they are six years of age they would be stronger and more mature, and a much larger proportion of them would complete the work of the grade in one year. Likewise they would be one year older and more mature in each succeeding grade and would doubtless cover nearly as much ground in eight years as they now cover in nine years. In this way we might be able, by increasing the school year a little, to change from a nine to an eight year course before the high school. Many places have had an eight year course for years, and other places have recently made the change.
I recommend that, beginning next September, no children, who are not six years old before the first day of October, be admitted to the first grade. I also recommend that the com- mittee consider the advisability of making a change, in the near future, from a nine-year to an eight-year course before the high school.
ASSISTANT TEACHERS.
Because of the many very large classes which we have at the present time, I believe it would be to the advantage of the pupils to employ two assistant teachers whose time should be divided among those classes where their services would be the most valuable. There would be a certain amount of economy
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in this, especially for the pupils, as many who are slow and backward would receive additional assistance and thus avoid the necessity of repeating.
SCHOOL HYGIENE.
Of all the subjects that relate to the welfare of the peo- ple, there is none of greater importance and none that is far- ther reaching in its consequences than that which relates to good health, and that great advancement has been made with- in very recent years in school hygiene is manifest by the widespread interest that is being taken in this subject. Here- tofore the public has given but little attention to either the physical or mental condition of children that have been sent to school, but with the light of recent investigations there is beginning to be a strong feeling that public responsibility should extend even into the realm hitherto occupied only by the home. There are parents who cannot afford to provide their children with suitable glasses, and those who cannot af- ford the expense necessary for the removal of adenoids, or for the relief of any physical ailment, while there are others who fail to attend to these matters either from neglect or indiffer- ence. Secretary Martin says, "The most serious obstacle to the successful operation of a system of medical inspection is the failure of parents to provide the treatment which school inspection has shown to be necessary. This is due partly to indifference and partly to poverty."
It seems to me that in the case of poverty some arrange- ment should be made for providing the necessary assistance, while in cases of indifference or neglect it almost seems as if the future welfare of the children would justify some compul- sion.
Probably the most far-reaching work along the line of School Hygiene was that done by the Second International Congress of School Hygiene which met in London in August of 1907, and to which the secretary of our State Board of Educa- tion was sent as a delegate, to represent the Board and the State.
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In regard to this Congress, Secretary Martin says, "The interest which the Congress has excited in the medical jour- nals of the world and the widespread publicity given to its discussions are an assurance that the beneficent work which the Congress represented will be prosecuted with increasing vigor and will be directed by increasing intelligence in all the civilized countries of the world."
SANITATION OF BUILDINGS.
One of the first steps in the promotion of school hygiene is the furnishing of suitable accommodations in the shape of buildings, sanitary conveniences, etc. Under this head should be considered the light, heat, ventilation, drinking accommo- dations and cleanliness of buildings.
The most recently constructed school buildings of this town are quite satisfactory from a hygienic point of view, but the older buildings are far from being what they should be in regard to light and ventilation, while their sanitary conven- iences are anything but desirable.
Now that we have a system of sewerage in town it seems to me that it would be well to connect at least two school buildings each year, until the Park, Plains Grammar, South and Claflin buildings are connected. It is well understood that the Spruce street building is to be connected with the sewer dur- ing the summer, providing an appropriation is made for the same, and I think it would be well to consider connecting the Park school at the same time.
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EYE AND EAR TESTS.
The results of sight and hearing tests made by the teach- ers during the fall term are as follows :-
SCHOOL.
NUMBER ¡DEFECTIVE EXAMINED
VISION.
DEFECTIVE PARENTS HEARING. NOTIFIED
High,
176
16
3
21
Park,
148
23
6
16
South,
175
22
9
11
Plains Grammar,
174
31
4
31
Plains Primary,
182
11
2
13
Plains Annex,
92
13
1
14
Italian Hall,
31
Purchase Grammar,
36
4
1
Claflin,
263
26
8
22
Spruce Street,
167
12
2
6
Oliver Street,
160
19
7
26
Chapin Street,
104
8
2
West Street,
85
10
10
Hoboken,
40
4
4
Fountain Street,
37
7
1
1
Purchase Primary,
34
3
3
Bear Hill,
11
2
Braggville,
17
2
1932
213
47
182
HOME AND SCHOOL INDUSTRIAL WORK.
Early last spring a movement was started to interest the pupils of the grammar grades and their parents in home in- dustrial work to be done largely during the summer vacation, it being an extension of the home garden work of previous years. The object of such work is to furnish the pupils with practical, profitable and instructive employment during the vacation ; to develop the child's sense of ownership; to emphasize the dignity of labor, and to bring the home and school into closer relations. The scheme included vegetable and flower gardens, wood work, cooking, sewing, and the making of miscellaneous articles.
In order to systematize the work and to see that it was
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properly performed, a committee was appointed for each group. These committees were supposed to have general oversight and direction of the work in their respective groups. On the whole this was attended to in a very creditable man- ner, although with varying degrees of interest. The members of several of the committees were very enthusiastic over the work and devoted much time to it. The committee on sew- ing met the children every two weeks to look over their work and give suggestions. The committee on gardens spent con- siderable time in going around to the homes for the purpose of inspecting the gardens, making suggestions and talking with parents.
Prizes were offered in each group and were distributed in accordance with the list of winners as returned by the judges of the various groups.
Huckins & Temple contributed a picture to the school se- curing the largest amount in prizes. The Regal Shoe Co. gave the garden prizes. The Social Service Department of the Woman's club gave the prizes on sewing, and generous con- tributions were received from Governor Eben S. Draper, George Otis Draper, C. H. Metcalf, and Morey Brothers.
An exhibition was held in Town Hall on September 18 and 19. It consisted of vegetables, flowers, plain and fancy sewing, cooking, and miscellaneous articles. Twenty-two tables, each 12 feet long and three feet wide, were required for the display.
That much interest was taken in the whole plan from the beginning to the end was manifest by the immense amount of work accomplished and the large attendance of pupils and parents at the exhibition.
Many have expressed a desire that the work be taken up again the coming summer. I certainly believe it worth all that it costs in both time and money, but in order to carry the work on successfully a great deal of thought and plan- ning is necessary. I therefore believe that some one who un- derstands the work should be employed for the purpose, de-
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voting about half his time from the middle of April to the middle of September.
It may be of interest to note here the impressions of the committee on gardens as they went on their inspection trips for the purpose of awarding prizes. Their report follows :-
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GARDENS.
The members of the general committee on gardens desire to present their impressions concerning the value of the work done by the School and Home Industrial association, and most especially by the children themselves.
A very large number of gardens were brought to the no- tice of this committee as worthy of consideration in awarding prizes. All such were visited by the committee and careful examination was made of the gardens, while the children and their parents were questioned in the effort to discover the value of the work done by the children themselves, especially from the educational standpoint.
We were surprised and greatly pleased at the excellent quality and the very large quantity of fruits and vegetables raised by these children, mostly between the ages of eight and sixteen years, and consumed by the families to which they belong, a very considerable surplus in many cases hav- ing been preserved in various ways for winter use.
The interest shown by the children, their persistence all through the summer, and their faithfulness to their self- imposed duties cannot [but have been rewarded, not only by the fruits that they were enabled to gather and contribute to the pleasure and profit of their families, but even more by the habits they were forming. They learned to enjoy their work and to feel a pride in it. They were also saved from the re- sults of idle hours which would have hung heavily on their hands or been spent in ways that might have contributed to the formation of bad habits.
Though the members of the sub-committees are deserv- ing of great credit for the work done by them, they, too, have been gaining experience which we hope may be useful in fu-
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ture experiments of the same sort, and may lead to much greater success in years to come.
GEORGE H. COFFIN, JAMES JOHNSTON, H. W. AUSTIN.
THE HIGH SCHOOL. 1
The high school opened in September with Mr. Edward R. Clarke as principal, and an earnest, conscientious corps of teachers. Everything pertaining to the school seems to be moving very harmoniously. Teachers and pupils are pulling together ; a good spirit prevails, and I see no reason why cor- respondingly good results may not be secured. Indeed I see no reason why we may not expect excellent results along the well-beaten paths of the ordinary high school.
The great majority of high schools give a good fit for col- lege, for the Institute of Technology, for the normal schools and for certain lines of office work. This seems to be their chief business. For the pupils wishing to prepare themselves for any higher institution or for office work, special courses have been arranged. But how about those who do not go to a higher institution, those who enter at once the pursuits of life? How about those who do not complete the high school course, but leave after one, two or three years in the school, either from necessity, or for lack of interest, and take up some bread-winning occupation? Less than one half of those who enter the high school remain for graduation, and not exceed- ing one fourth ever go to higher institutions. No special courses are arranged for these. They must go through the same mill with those who are aiming for some specific end,- boys and girls alike. There is no distinction. It is true that many of the subjects make for culture, give some general knowledge, or have some disciplinary value, and in so far as they do this they are good, but for the majority of pupils, those who do not go beyond the high school, the most of these subjects, as now taught, have but little practical value. It is
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claimed by some that much of the work of the ordinary high school is positively injurious in that it tends to create false notions and to instill but little love or respect for labor in general, especially for those occupations which many of the pupils must eventually follow. Indeed it is claimed that the tendency of the high school is to belittle honest labor. For many pupils different subjects and different phases of the same subjects would be far more interesting, and far more practical than the old-time subjects taught in the old-time way, and at the same time possess equally as much cultural and disciplinary value. There is little doubt that most pupils trained along industrial lines, and taking up industrial subjects in the high school, would fall into their places in life and become valuable and contented citizens much quicker than by taking the so-called cultural subjects alone.
The high school should not lose sight of its responsibility to all of its pupils. It should do all in its power to dignify labor and to make attractive the various industries of the country and especially those of its community. Upon this- depends much of the usefulness and happiness of our future citizens, which is certainly one of the great aims of education ..
THE WORK OF THE SCHOOLS.
During the latter part of the last school year an effort was made to improve the spelling in the upper grammar grades. Work was assigned ahead and frequent tests sent out from the office, hoping thereby to improve the spelling and awaken an interest therein.
Mental arithmetic was made a special feature in the in- termediate grades, and in several classes splendid results were obtained along the line of rapid work in the fundamentals, es. pecially in addition.
Nothing affects the appearance of written work done at school or at home so much as penmanship. I have empha- sized this strongly and urged the importance of position, pen holding and movement, even to the sacrifice, for a time, of good writing, and in addition to this, several talks and les- sons have been given the teachers by expert teachers of pen -
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manship. As a result, in those classes where the teacher has followed up these suggestions in all written work of the class, marked improvement has resulted. Favorable comment has been made by teachers and superintendents from other towns upon the excellence of our writing in the upper grades.
No one thing has given more satisfaction or shown greater progress than the reading in our first and second grades, since the introduction, a year ago last September, of the Aldine method of teaching reading. This method has met with the enthusiastic approval of the teachers, and the pupils are learning to read more quickly and with greater facility than ever before. Where they formerly read four or five books, they now read seven or eight in the same time.
The success of our schools cannot be measured alone by the amount of knowledge of history, geography, arithmetic or grammar that the pupils have at their command, but rather by their ability and desire to be serviceable in the highest possible degree to themselves, the community and the state. This is claimed to be the chief end of education. Are our schools contributing to this end ? If not, what shall we do to better their condition ? Friendly suggestions and kindly criti- cism will be welcomed.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
I respectfully recommend the following for consideration :
That immediate steps be taken to secure more land for school purposes.
That additional school accommodations be provided in the Plains district and in the south part of the town.
That the committee and the town consider the matter of erecting in some location accessible to the pupils of the south part of the town, a large, substantial brick building of eight or ten rooms and a hall.
That the age of admission to the first grade be changed from five to six years, so that no child who is not six years of age before the first day of October shall be admitted to school.
That there be a more rigid enforcement of the vaccina- tion law, requiring every pupil in the grades to bring a certi- ficate from a regular practicing physician saying that the pupil has been successfully vaccinated or that he or she is an
26
unfit subject for vaccination, or to be passed upon by the school physician.' These certificates should be recorded by the teacher and then the record or a copy of it be sent on from grade to grade with the pupil. After that only new pupils would be required to present certificates.
That the committee consider the advisability of a gradual change from a nine to an eight-year course before the high school.
That we employ two teachers whose duty it shall be to assist in the buildings and overcrowded classes to which they may be assigned.
That more attention be given to school hygiene and sanitation.
That the Spruce street and Park school buildings be con- nected with the sewer during the coming summer and the money be appropriated therefor.
That the repairs, suggested under the head of repairs, be made during the summer vacation.
That the Home and School Industrial work be taken up again this spring with an idea of securing even better results than last year.
That the high school course be revised and enriched with special reference to those pupils who cannot go beyond the high school, and those who cannot complete the course.
In conclusion I desire to call attention to the reports of the principal of the high school, the supervisor of music, the supervisor of drawing and the principal of the evening school, all of which are printed herewith. These reports describe so fully the work of their respective departments that further discussion seems unnecessary. Attention is also called to the very interesting report of the School Physicians.
In closing this report, I wish to thank all who have con- tributed in any way, by word or deed, to the welfare of the schools.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES W. HALEY, Superintendent of Schools.
Report of the Principal of the High School.
CHARLES W. HALEY, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS : Dear Sir :-
There have been enrolled at the High school during the present school year 183 pupils. At the present date the total enrollment is 172. Of the 11 who have withdrawn, 2 left owing to removal from town, 2 on account of illness, 5 to enter upon employment, and two on account of illness at home. The present enrollment is divided among the different classes as follows : Seniors, 27-22 girls, 5 boys ; Juniors, 23-12 girls, 11 boys; Sophomores, 43-30 girls, 18 boys ; Freshmen, 74-27 girls, 47 boys. Total, 172-91 giris, 81 boys. For the first four months, ending December 24, 1908, the average attendance was 176, or 98 per cent. of the average membership of 178.9 for the same period.
The course of study has remained unchanged. English and History, Algebra and Geometry, are retained as required subjects for all pupils, and wisely so in my opinion, though many teachers hold an opposite view in respect to Algebra and Geometry. I believe these last subjects are the best of our disciplinary studies. Not to require each pupil to take them would surely result in depriving many of the best mental exercise the high school affords.
There are 113 pupils taking Latin at present, which is probably too large a proportion of the school. It does not often occur that so large a proportion have an aptitude for Latin, and many, without doubt, of the Freshman class took up the study without sufficient forethought or consultation. It would seem to me that conferences between the grammar and high school teachers in respect to the individual charac- teristics of pupils about to enter the high school would help to remedy this fault. There are 64 pupils in the French courses, and 22 in the German. Some critics object to these -
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courses in high school on the ground that pupils do not become proficient in speaking these languages. In the latter respect much is being done this year, and the important fact must not be overlooked that these pupils are reading master- pieces of literature other than English in the original tongues, which is in itself of a great literary and culture value.
There are 10 pupils studying Physics, and 7 Chemis- try. These numbers are much too small, considering our fine laboratory facilities ; and an effort is being made to interest a larger number in these valuable and interesting subjects, and these classes will probably be considerably increased next. year.
In the Commercial branches 46 Freshmen have taken the course in Penmanship and are continuing in Commercial Arithmetic and Commercial Geography ; 28 Sophomores are engaged in Bookkeeping; and 16 Juniors and 7 Seniors are taking Stenography and Typewriting. In my opinion this course of study would be of more value if revised in this way :- Freshman year, Penmanship, 16 weeks; Commercial Arithmetic, 24 weeks; Sophomore year, Bookkeeping through- out the year ; Junior year, Stenography and Typewriting throughout the year, and Commercial Geography 20 weeks ; Senior year Stenography and Typewriting throughout the year, and Commercial Law, 20 weeks. This would bring the important subjects of Commercial Geography and Commercial Law before pupils who can better comprehend them than those in the younger classes. I consider the penmanship of the pupils of the school, taken as a whole, much above the average. This certainly indicates a high order of instruction in this important respect.
In the Drawing courses there are 98 pupils. The work done in this department includes far more than the word drawing indicates, and deserves especial commendation. Tooled leather work and hammered brass work of great beauty and practica- bility have been executed by the pupils, and the regular work in design and mechanical and freehand drawing has been pur. sued with great interest. The interest in this work is to my
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mind a strong proof of the need of more work by the hands, in the line of manual training.
Prize composition in writing is receiving attention from a considerable number of pupils this year. Two of the Patrick prizes for essays on "International Peace" were won by our pupils last pear, and competition is again under way for these awards. The Milford Daily Journal's award of a Lincoln Medal for the best essay on Lincoln has aroused particular in- terest in the study of the great president during this anniver- sary year. The Oak, Lily and Ivy has also offered three cash prizes for contributions.
The school library, so much depleted by the fire, is grad- ually being replenished by excellent works of reference. It would be much more useful if it were properly catalogued with a card index. I suggest that now is the time to do this, before the library becomes larger and more complex.
The management of the Oak, Lily and Ivy has been put on a permanent and self-perpetuating basis. There are four editors from the senior class and two from the junior class. At the end of each year the board will elect two juniors and two sophomores to fill the places of those graduating. The business manager is a senior, and the assistant a junior, who will succeed in turn to the managership. This plan will find at the beginning of each year pupils qualified by experience to continue the work. Elections to the board are to be made on the basis of the quality and quantity of accepted material.
The High School Athletic association is open to both boys and girls. The football team this fall played 14 games,
winning seven. The team displayed a sportsmanlike conduct which was commented upon most favorably by our oppo- nents. This is far more important than the winning of games. The eligibility rule for the football team was upon a weekly basis, allowing a student to play during one week if he was up in four complete subjects during the previous week. The same rule will apply to baseball this spring. There is a great need for a shower-bath in the boys' dressing- room, and the conditions are such that it can be installed at small expense. This is almost an absolute essential to clean-
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