USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1907-1910 > Part 6
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Again in the south part of the town, it certainly looks as though accommodations would be necessary in the near fu- ture. The Draper Company has recently completed 40 new tenements on Prospect Heights, and it is a very conservative estimate to predict that when these are all occupied there will be added to the school population of that locality at least 60 pupils.
I should fail to do my duty if I did not again urge that steps be taken to provide for the accommodation of the chil- dren of this town, not only for the present, but for some years to come. It seems to me that one of three things will be im- perative, possibly next September; namely, to provide addi- tional school accommodations, to raise the age of admission to the first grade, making it six years instead of five, or to run the first two grades on half time. As the two latter plans have been discussed in previous reports they are simply mentioned here in order to keep them before the people as possible remedies for a crowded condition in the lower grades. In the event of raising the age of admission it might be well to consider the advisability of changing from a nine to an eight years' course before the high school.
In order to present the school registration in a condensed form the following table has been prepared. It shows the number of pupils in each grade in town, the number in each building, and the number in all of the buildings on the first of October, 1907.
14
SCHOOL.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE.
JUNIOR.
SENIOR.
TOTAL.
High, Park,
4
29
42
43 |40
South,
4
44
43
40
40
167
Plains Gram.,
4
44
41
36
27
19
167
Plains Prim.,
4
97 100
197
Plains Annex,
2
72
72
Italian Hall,
1
38
38
Claflin,
6
58
41
47
36
44
23
15
264
Spruce S.,
4
44
32
25
17
36
154
Oliver St.,
4
40
35
24
18
46
163
Chapin St.,
3
29
32
20
18
99
West St.,
2
24
15
17
12
68
Purchase Gram.,
1
14
9'
6
7
36
Purchase Prim.,
1
10
5
9
9
33
Hoboken,
1
31
12
43
Fountain St.,
1
18
11
4
33
Bear Hill,
1
1
1
3
1
4
1
1
1
13
Braggville,
1
5
3
5
5
18
Total,
395 287
226 160
185 142 134 110 80 70 27 40 23 1879
REPAIRS.
During the summer minor repairs were made at the vari- ous buildings as needed.
The Oliver street, Plains Primary, Park, the trimmings of the South Grammar, and West street buildings were each printed one coat on the outside. I am told that the first two mentioned were so dry that they should have another coat the coming summer, and I recommend that the Chapin street, Claflin, Purchase Grammar and Braggville buildings be painted. It seems to me advisable to follow the plan of paint- ing three or four buildings each year, and not allow them to go so long and get so dry that the paint fails to do the good that it otherwise would.
During the early part of the fall term we had two school fires, and although one occurred after the close of school and the other late in the evening, fortunately they were discov- ered and put out before causing extensive damage. The
NO. OF ROOMS
IN BUILDING.
-
-
-
-
70
27
40
23
160
154
-
1 5
cause of the one at Braggville could not be accounted for un- less it was either spontaneous or caused by mice, as it seemed to start in a partition back of a closet. The one at Hoboken occurred about 11.00 p. M. and evidently was incendiary, en- trance being made through a window and the contents of the waste basket being used to start the fire in two places. The repairs after the fire at Braggville cost $62.31, and at Hoboken approximately $35.
COST OF THE SCHOOLS.
Some one has said, "If the people of the United States were to take an inventory, they would find that their great- est and most valuable asset is their boys and girls."
Inasmuch as the appropriation for schools is the largest amount appropriated for any single department in this town or any other, certain people are incline to think that too much money is spent for school purposes, but thinking people, and those who believe in progress, and in providing for the future welfare of children, rarely begrudge the money expended for school purposes, in fact they are usually liberal in their sup- port of the schools. Of course they want good schools-the best that can be had for the money, and rightly so.
That Milford is conservative and below the average in its expenditure for schools will be shown by the following table compiled from the latest report of the State Board of Education.
16
TOWN OR CITY.
POPULATION IN 1905.
VALUATION.
NUMBER OF PUPILS
IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
OF SCHOOLS
(EXCLUSIVE OF REPAIRS.)
AVERAGE COST PER PUPIL.
Attleboro,
12,702|$10,780,830
2,070,66
$57,131 21
$27 59
Westfield,
13,611
8,725,433
2,057|70
61,042 27
29 67
Arlington,
9,668
10,136,110
1,662 55
53,973 26
32 47
Marlboro,
14,073
9,725,523
2,008 69
54,923 74
27 35
Natick,
9,609
6,673,225
1,728 52
44,319 71
25 64
Watertown,
11,258
12,378,135
ยท 1,488
44
46,413 35
31 19
Wakefield,
10,268
8,291,289
2,067 63
52,477 63
25 38
Gardner,
12,012
6,541,938
1,557 52
43,727 90
28 08
Leominster,
14,297
9,376,305
2,057 63
56,623 21
27 52
Southbridge, Milford,
11,000
4,698,561
950
40
27,026 76
28 44
12,105
6,380,612
1,462 49
37,021 14
25 32
The average cost per pupil in these towns is $28.06, and the average cost per pupil for the state is $28.79. These compared with $25.32, our own average for the same period, makes a very favorable showing for Milford.
School expenditures have increased about one third during the last ten years, caused chiefly by the increase in teachers' salaries, the increased number of schools and the increased cost of fuel and care of buildings. Several other town departments also show a considerable increase as will be seen by the following:
'97-'98.
'06-'07.
RATE OF INCREASE.
Fire Department,
$ 7,726 81
$ 9,366 22 21 Per Cent.
Salaries of Town Officers,
7,893 58
10,050 52 27 Per Cent
Street Lighting Department, School Department,
5,700 00
8,355 26 46 Per Cent
29,135 72
40,235 92 38 Per Cent.
17
TRUANCY AND NON-ATTENDANCE.
Notwithstanding the fact that most of our teachers in- tend to be watchful in regard to attendance, endeavoring to find out the cause of every absence, I am still convinced that we have too many unexcused al sences, and if excused, many of them are unsatisfactory and too trifling to be accepted. In many cases the parents are to blame, either because they fail to realize the importance of sending their children to school or because they are negligent and indifferent, while in some cases the pupils manufacture their own excuses.
Practically we have been without the services of a truant officer for several months until recently when Mr. C. H. Waters was re-elected. We have never had what seems to me ade- quate truant officer service for a town of this size and make- up. We need more time than has ever been devoted to it. Instead of attending to cases only when notified, I believe the truant officer should be authorized and expected to visit each building in the thickly settled parts of the town at least once each week ; to follow up truants and habitual absentees, and if necessary, after every effort has failed, send an habitual truant to the truant school, or summon parents into court to show cause for their children not attending school when there seems to be no reasonable excuse for their continued absence. With judicious management, however, these extreme cases will seldom happen.
The services required of a truant officer demand intelli- gence, patience and tact. His chief business should be to prevent truancy and habitual absence, rather than to cure the habit after once being formed. He must be vigilant, however, and firm in the enforcement of the law relating to school at- tendance and to child labor. In this he serves not only the schools, but the home and the future welfare of the child. He can assist materially in bringing about a closer relation be- tween the home and the school ; he can find out some of those cases where possibly the children need food or clothing more than instruction, and he can be the means of some becoming law-respecting and law-abiding citizens.
18
I believe that the truant officer can be one of the most important and one of the most influential officers in town.
RESIGNATIONS AND TRANSFERS.
The changes and transfers in our teaching force during the past year have been somewhat more numerous than usual. At the annual election of teachers in June Miss Adeline C. Teele, who had been with us ten years as teacher of French and German, announced her intention not to be a candidate for re-election. Later in the summer Miss Henrietta C. Brazeau, whose native tongue is French, was selected as Miss Teele's successor.
Another vacancy in the high school was caused by the death on October 1, of Mr. T. J. Murphy, who had been sub- master in the school for five years. Miss Inez Gay, of this town, was secured to take his place. Miss Gay's experience of 14 years as first assistant and teacher of Latin in a school of 150 pupils at Enfield, Conn., gave her an excellent prepara- tion for her work here.
Shortly before the close of the fall term Miss Carolyn Field, teacher of English and History, very unexpectedly sev- ered her relations with the school after a service of seven years and a half. This place was filled by Miss Edith Nichols of Providence.
Miss Harriet Sullivan of the sixth grade at the Plains re- signed at the end of the school year in June, and her place was filled by the transfer of Miss Mary Ranahan from Bear Hill school.
Just as the schools opened in September Miss M. A. Mc- Cool resigned from the sixth grade at the Park school to go to Worcester. Miss C. G. McCool was transferred from the Claflin to the Park, Miss Elizabeth McNamara from Purchase Grammar school to the Claflin. Miss Mary O'Connor was as- signed to Bear Hill, and Miss Irene Gallagher to the school in Italian Hall on Genoa Ave.
The Purchase Grammar school was placed in charge of a substitute until the regular meeting of the school board in December, when Miss M. H. McConnachie was selected as a regular teacher and assigned to this school.
IN MEMORIAM.
THOMAS J. MURPHY.
DIED OCTOBER 1, 1907.
20
NO-SCHOOL SIGNALS.
The question of "school or no school" on stormy days is discussed more or less in every city or town. In a few places the signal is sounded on slight provocation, in other places it is sounded only in case of severe storms, and in others it is never sounded. In some it applies to all schools ; in some to the grades and not the high school, and in others only to the primary schools. But whether the signal is sounded or not depends upon the judgment of one person. At those times he is supposed to know more about the weather than the U. S. Weather Bureau, where there is every facility for forecast- ing storms. He must decide at that particular time. Fifteen minutes earlier or fifteen minutes later would not do as that would disconcert the fire department. Sometimes it is a dif- ficult matter to decide whether the storm is likely to be suffi- ciently severe to close the schools or not, and whatever his judgment may be, it not infrequently happens that fifteen minutes later he wishes his decision had been exactly the opposite. But people are sure to find fault with whatever is done in this matter. They find fault if the no-school signal is sounded and they find fault if it is not sounded, and strange as it may seem, the critics are frequently those who do not have children in schools.
It seems to me that parents should take some responsi- bility in a matter of this kind. If in their judgment it storms too hard for their children to go out they should keep thein in. On the other hand if they allow them to go out in a storm they should not find fault if they get wet.
The no-school signal for this town adopted January 1, 1908, is as follows :-
22 repeated three times on the fire alarm.
At 7.30 A. M .- No morning session for all schools, inclu- ding the High school.
At 8 A. M .- No morning session below the High school.
At 8.30 A. M .- No morning session for grades below the fifth.
2 I
At 12.30 p. M. - No afternoon session for all grades.
Between 12.45 and 1.00 p. M .- No session for grades be- low the fifth.
At 6.30 p. M .- No session of the evening school.
When the no-school signal is sounded in the morning and not repeated in the afternoon, there will be an afternoon session.
EVENING SCHOOL.
The session of the evening school that has just closed was in charge of James E. Luby as principal, and Henry Powers, Wm. S. Clarke, Lucy Gilfoyle, Kate Tully, Susan Sullivan, Katherine Conely, Helena Swift, Frances Gorman, Katherine Gillon, Susie Ranahan, Agnes McDermott, Julia Broughey, Irene Gallagher and Catherine McCool as assist- ants.
The principal received $3.00 per evening, the male assist- ants $2.00 per evening and the lady assistant teachers $1.50 per evening.
The attendance at the opening of the school was larger than ever before, but it soon began to fall off, due I think to a slackening of work at the Draper shops, and to suspension at the quarries.
The length of the school this year was somewhat shorter than usual, owing to an increase in the salaries, but I think the work, while it lasted, was never more satisfactory. The most of the teachers were experienced in evening school work and they seemed to know just what to do and how to do it. The standard of requirement for minors is on a sliding scale . Last year it was required to be equal in proficiency to work of the second grade, this year to work of the third grade, and next year it must be equal to work of the fourth grade. It is therefore necessary for the illiterates to attend the evening school year after year in order to meet these requirements.
CLERICAL ROUTINE.
The routine work pertaining to the office of the school de- partment consumes at the minimum a large amount of time, and
22
it seems to be unavoidably on the increase. This work con- sists in part of making out labor certificates, keeping records, seeing that the schools are properly supplied with working material, looking after repairs, making out pay rolls, drawing orders, assigning pupils to schools, giving directions, settling matters of discipline and deciding a thousand and one things of more or less importance. All of this work is important. Indeed, it is fundamental and necessary to a successful school system. It is clerical, however, in its nature and much of it might be done by some one other than the superintendent, but under his direction, thus giving him more time to visit his schools to find out what they are doing and how they are doing it.
The superintendent should have time to visit schools other than those in his town in order that he may know some- thing of what others are doing and thus be able to make .com- parisons. He should have time for reading along educational lines ; he should have time to plan work and see that his plans are properly executed ; he also should have time to as- sist young and inexperienced teachers. It is impossible, however, for him to do these things when much of his time is taken in looking after the details of the school department. His time would be much more valuably spent in some other way, and it would seem more businesslike to have some one in his office for at least a part of the time to assist in the clerical work.
PRIMARY READING.
Early last spring while visiting schools in Newton I ob- served and investigated the Aldine plan of primary reading. It seemed so comprehensive and the results so pleasing that I asked some of our primary teachers to visit there for the pur- pose of observing the work. Being fully convinced of its merits I recommended its adoption for use in our schools at the August meeting of the committee. Manuals were imme- diately placed in the hands of our first grade teachers and the work was begun at the opening of schools in September. Judging from my observations for the past five months I am
23
much pleased with the results, but instead of explaining the method myself, or speaking of its success, I have asked sever- al of the first grade teachers to express their opinions con- cerning it, and their reports follow :-
MISS ALICE LUBY.
The method of reading introduced into our first grades this year, seems to me to possess many advantages over the old method and the fact that it has been received with marked approval and enthusiasm by teachers and pupils, speaks much in its favor. Not the least of the many problems which present themselves to the first grade teacher, in a class of be- ginners, is that of teaching the child to depend upon himself, to put him at his ease and to inspire in him, confidence in himself and his surroundings. It is not surprising then, that any method of teaching reading which presents most favora- ble conditions and necessitates the development of this inde- pendence, as this method does, should be most enthusiastical- ly received by teachers. It is the first method we have used which teaches the child to rely, at every step, upon himself and his experience, rather than on the teacher or any artifi- cial means and it also teaches him to read intelligently from the first. The child acquires his initial stock of "sight words" from rhymes which have been introduced by appro- priate stories. He first learns the rhyme thoroughly and then proceeds to point word by word to the printed words as he repeats the rhyme, associating each spoken word with its printed form. In a short time he is able to recognize each in- dividual word in the rhyme anywhere. He is now ready to read sentence-stories which are made up of words already used in the rhyme. As the child's list of rhymes increases, his stock of sight words grows correspondingly large. If in the sentence reading the child forgets a word which he has once had, he immediately turns to the rhyme in which it oc- curs, his oral memory of the rhyme enabling him to find the word at once, in this way the rhyme enables the child to help himself, and he is not obliged to turn to the teacher for as- sistance. This practice gives the child confidence and
24
he manifests a new interest and is encouraged for fur- ther work. The phonic work connected with this method seems one of its superior features. The diacritical marks which formerly the child was taught to depend upon en- tirely are not used at all, yet the children are able to build words more quickly and more intelligently than ever before.
We have long felt the need of more agreeable reading material, and we are now equipped with the best and most delightful Primers and First Readers printed. Although I hive used the method but a short time, I am exceedingly well pleased with the results thus far and feel that the num- ber of books which the children will have read at the end of the year, will be very gratifying.
MISS HELENA F. SWIFT.
In my experience with the Aldine system of reading, I have found that it far surpasses any that we have had in our schools, in that, the subject matter is full of action and it is within the range of most children of five or six years of age.
Rhymes are introduced by appropriate stories, thus fur- nishing the child means of acquiring an initial stock of sight words. By memorizing rhymes and associating the spoken with the printed and written forms of the words, a child can build up a reading vocabulary much faster than by the word, sentence or object method.
I have noticed that the children are more independent in their reading than heretofore. If a child sees a word which he does not immediately recognize, he is not told the word by the teacher, but he returns to the rhyme, repeating word by word, until he comes to the word which he did not recognize in his reading; his oral memory of the rhyme enables him to name the word at once. Dramatizing also forms a part of the work, as it prepares the child to read naturally and with better expression.
MISS KATE CHAPIN.
Last fall the Aldine method of reading was introduced into our primary grades. While teaching from "rhymes" forms the principal feature, it combines the phonic, word and
25
sentence methods. As the system demands a great deal of story-telling on the part of the teacher, and dramatizing by the children, one can readily understand how it awakens new interest.
I consider it a very marked improvement over the "Ward" method which has been in use here for many years.
MISS J. F. McGANN.
The Aldine system of reading recently introduced into our schools, is meeting with approval on every side. The easy, simple method of teaching a child to read by introdu- cing rhymes is a marked improvement over other systems that I have tried, and the results are much better than we an- ticipated. The children have self reliance and learn to read with expression, which is something that every wise and pro- gressive teacher of young children is striving to obtain.
It is important that the earliest steps in reading should be taken in the right direction, as this is the foundation upon which good and intellgent reading depends. The difficulties which perplex the minds of little children are materially re- duced when their interest is awakened by the little stories told by the teacher and dramatized by the pupil. This en- courages freedom of thought and action; at the same time, the children are acquiring a vocabulary to be used later.
In this district, where the child's knowledge of English is very limited, the work has proved a great success, and I feel now that we have a method that will bring us safely over the rough places in every primary teacher's experi- ence.
THE COURSE OF STUDIES.
During the last school year the teachers and myself spent considerable tinie in revising the course of studies for the first seven grades. Each grade was taken separately, teach- ers' meetings were held, and the whole thing gone over with much care, after which typewritten copies were put into the hands of the teachers for testing.
During the present year I hope to work out the eighth and ninth grade courses in a similar manner, and before the
26
opening of schools in September some attention should be given to the high school course.
A course of study cannot be followed long without re- vision. Methods and books are frequently changed, and this requires changes in the course.
In preparing our course an effort was made to make it somewhat elastic, thus giving the teachers an opportunity to show their individuality and adapt their work to conditions which vary in different parts of the town.
EYE AND EAR TESTS.
The tests for sight and hearing have been made by the teachers the same as last year, and the results are as follows:
SCHOOL.
NUMBER EXAMINED
DEFECTIVE VISION.
DEFECTIVE PARENTS HEARING.
NOTIFIED
High,
155
22
2
12
Park,
152
22
4
11
South,
166
8
9
17
Claflin,
205
34
12
31
Plains Grammar,
162
21
2
23
Plains Primary,
229
15
0
15
Plains Annex,
72
9
3
12
Spruce Street,
152
16
1
5
Oliver Street,
162
22
15
30
Chapin Street,
101
2
0
2
West Street,
70
4
0
4
Purchase Grammar,
36
5
0
0
Purchase Primary,
32
2
0
1
Fountain Street,
30
1
3
Braggville,
20
0
0
Hoboken,
39
4
0
1
Bear Hill,
13
0
0
0
1796
189
49
167
It seems to me that some record should be kept of these tests either in card catalogue or book form, so that results could be followed year after year, and changes noted.
2 7
MEDICAL INSPECTION.
In compliance with Chapter 502, Acts of 1906 of the Com- monwealth, the sum of $200 was appropriated for medical in- spection in the public schools.
In July Drs. J. M. French and J. V. Gallagher were elected as medical inspectors of the schools for the school year beginning in September, 1907. By mutual consent they divided the schools into two groups, as indicated below :-
DR. GALLAGHER.
Genoa Ave. Primary, 1 room, Fountain St. Primary, 1 room, Purchase St. Gram., 1 room, Purchase St. Prim., 1 room, Spruce St. Primary, 4 rooms, Hoboken Primary, 1 room, Plains Primary, 4 rooms, Plains Grammar, 4 rooms, Park Grammar, 4 rooms, High school, second and
third classes. .
DR. FRENCH.
Braggville Primary, 1 room, Plains Annex Prim., 2 rooms, Bear Hill Primary, 1 room, West St. Primary, 2 rooms, Claflin Primary, 6 rooms, Chapin St. Primary, 3 rooms, Oliver St. Primary, 4 rooms, South Gramn.,("Brick")+ rooms High school, first and fourth classes.
They entered upon their work soon after the schools were opened, taking each school in turn and continuing the same at intervals until every pupil was examined.
Much interest was taken in this work and many inter- esting facts secured. I believe medical inspection in the schools is one of the most valuable introductions for many years, and one which will result in much good to the pupils in future years.
I call special attention to the very complete and interest- ing reports of the physicians printed herewith. It seems to me that in this work, as well as in the eye and ear tests, the results of their examinations should be recorded in card cata- logue form and kept in the office of this department.
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