USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1925 > Part 6
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CLERK.
Miss Margaret C. Dillon. Residence, Highland St. Telephone 537-W.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
The regular meetings of the committee are held on the first Friday of each month in the committee room at Room 8, High School.
SCHOOL PHYSICIANS.
John M. French, M. D.
Office and residence, 2 South Main street. Tel. 38.
John V Gallagher, M. D.
Office, 64 Main street. Telephone 127-W.
Residence, 9 State street. Telephone 127-Y.
SCHOOL NURSE.
Mrs. Mary E. Naughton, R. N.
Office, Room 8, High School. Telephone 505. Residence, 31 Forest street, Milford, Mass.
DENTAL CLINIC. (Operated by the Board of Health.) Office, Room 11, 224 Main street.
CLINICIANS.
William J. Clancy, D. M. D.
Residence, 145 West street. Telephone 415-W.
Francis X. Kelley, D. D. S. Residence, 18 Cherry street. Te ephone 78-R.
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS.
Raphael Marino.
Office, 144 Main street. Residence, 17 Court street. Telephone 804-M.
Almorin O. Caswell.
Office, Room 8, High School. Telephone 505.
Residence, 8y Congress street. Telephone 646.
1
6
TUITION RATES.
High School, $2.25 per week, Grades, $1.45 per week, payable four weeks in advance.
SCHOOL SESSIONS.
High School-
Morning session, 8.00 a. m. to 12.40 p. m.
Afternoon session, 12.45 p. m. to 5.00 p. m.
George E. Stacy School-
8.45 a. m. to 11.45 a. m., and 1.20 p. m. to 3.50 p. m. Grades V. in Stacy School-
8.45 a. m. to 11.45 a. m. and 1.20 p. m. to 3.20 p. m. Grade IV .- V. in Stacy Portable-
12.45 p. m. to 4 45 p. m.
Town Grade Schools-
8.45 a. m. to 11.45 a. m. and 1.30 p, m. to 3.30 p. m. Spruce Street, Grade I. ( Double Platoon)-
Morning session, 8.30 a. m. to 11.45 a. m.
Afternoon session, 12.45 p. m. to 4.00 p. m.
Oliver Street School, Grade IV. (Double Platoon)- Morning session, 8 30 a. m. to 12.30 p. m.
Afternoon session, 12.30 p. m. to 4.30 p. m.
Fountain Street School-
Grades I. and II .. 8 30 a. m. to 11.45 a. m.
Grades III. and IV., 12.30 p. In. to 4.30 p. m.
Country Schools-
9.00 a. m. to 12.00 m., 1.00 p. m. to 3.00 p. m. Evening Schools -
7.15 p. m. to 9.15 p. m.
Continuation Schools-
1.15 p. m. to 5.15 p. m.
NO-SCHOOL SIGNAL.
3 repeated four times on the fire alarm.
At 7.15 a. m -No morning session for all schools, including the High School.
At 7.45 a. m .- No morning session below the High and Stacy Schools.
At 8.00 a. m .- No morning session for grades below the fifth.
At 11.45 a. m .- No session for the afternoon platoon at the High School.
At 12.30 p. m .- No afternoon session for all grades.
Between 12.45 and 1.oo p. m .- No session for grades below the fifth.
At 6.30 p. m .- No sessions for the evening school.
When the no-school signal is sounded in the morn- ing and not repeated in the afternoon, there will be an afternoon session.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
The following report of the Superintendent of Schools has been adopted by the School Committee as its report to the town. A considerable portion of the text is devoted to bring- ing to the attention of the citizens the desperately over- crowded condition of the schools, particularly the high school, and we commend this demonstration to the thoughtful consid. eration of the tax-payers.
The following budget sets forth in detail the financial needs of the department for 1926 :-
BUDGET FOR 1926.
Salaries of Teachers
. $132,765 00
Fuel
·
·
8,300 00
Supplies
.
9,000 00
Care
8,800 00
Supervision :-
Supt. of Schools
$3,600 00
Clerk
800 00
Attendance Officer
1,000 00
$5,400 00
Incidentals and Insurance
5,000 00
Health :-
School Nurse
$1,400 00
School Physician
1,000 00
Supplies ·
100 00
2,500 00
Repairs
7,000 00
Transportation
4,500 00
Carriage Hire
·
·
1,300 00
Night School
.
.
600 00
Continuation School
.
.
3,500 00
.
·
.
$188,665 00
.
8
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS.
Heating Plant at Plains Primary School, estimated $10,000 00 Heating Plant at Spruce St. School, estimated
1,000 00
$11,000 00
GEORGE E. STACY, For the Committee.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation
$175,500 00
Transferred from Emergency Fund
1,600 00
-- $177,100 00
EXPENDITURES.
Teachers' salaries
$121,769 60
Fuel
7,987 16
Supplies
9,079 17
Janitors' salaries
8,792 68
Incidentals
5,175 13
Supervision :
1
Supt. of Schools .... $3,507 31
Attendance officer ... 733 70
Clerk
845 85
Health :
Medical inspection. . $1,000 00
School nurse. 1,312 43
Supplies
19 11
2,331 54
Repairs
7,159 94
Transportation
4,345 55
Carriage hire
1,312 27
Evening School
576 00
Continuation School
3,471 21
Balance
12 89
$177,100 00
TOWN TREASURER'S RECEIPTS ON ACCOUNT OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
State School fund.
$16,083 40
Tuition fees, general.
3,713 19
Miscellaneous receipts
91 50
-
1
5,086 86
1
10
State reimbursement on account Continuation
School
$1,759 29
Tuition fees, Continua-
tion School .
8 00
1,767 29
$21,657 38
Smith-Hughes fund
213 62
$21,871 00
SUMMARY.
Expenditures $177,087 11
Town Treasurer's receipts on ac- count of schools.
$21,657 38
Smith-Hughes fund
213 62
21,871 00
Net cost of schools to the Town of Milford $155,216 11
ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES-1925 ACCOUNT. Fuel :-
Barney Coal Co. $1,965 14
H. M. Curtiss Coal Co. 3,230 92
Hynes & Julian 57 76
B. Vitalini
2,733 34
$7,987 16
Supplies :-
Abbott-Mckay Corporation ... $16 00
Adams, Cushing & Foster 60
J. Q. Adams Co
104 00
Allyn & Bacon
390 85
Ambrose Co.
197 01
American Book Co. 590 30
American Viewpoint Society . .
117 50
A. N. Palmer Co.
34 86
Art Extension Society 3 00
E. E. Babb Co.
3,590 01
Boosey & Co. 8 28
II
Cahill's News Agency
2 50
Charlescraft Press
3 50
Churchill-Grindell Co.
50
C. E. Cooney
1 13
N. Danenberg
113 25
Denoyer, Geppert Co.
4 73
Oliver Ditson Co.
14 47
Dowling School Supply Co.
277 79
Emerson & Co.
8 03
Emerson Publishing Co.
11 39
Sam Fox Publishing Co.
7 29
D. Farquhar
226 60
J. S. Fearis & Bro.
60
F. & D. Co.
15 00
Frost Appliance Co.
1 10
Ginn & Co.
275 44
W. F. Guiler
1 18
J. L. Hammett Co.
238 66
Harcourt, Brace Co.
125 12
Harris & Gilpatric
409 36
D. C. Heath Co.
39 83
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge .. .
13 52
Houghton, Mifflin Co.
42 43
C. F. Hovey Co.
5 83
H. R. Hunting Co.
45 60
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins
208 37
King's Ink Co.
56 25
Library Bureau
13 38
J. B. Lippincott Co.
7 61
Lyons & Carnahan
71 20
Macmillan Co .-
32 75
B. L. Makepeace Co.
5 76
Martin Diploma Co.
·
60 00
Milton Bradley Co.
885 12
Mitchell, Woodbury Co. 7 89
Mittag & Volger
60 00
Office Appliance Co. 17 50
Osborne Office Furniture Co .. 27 00
.
·
.
.
12
T. W. Reed Co. 34 50
Royal Typewriter Co. 2 50
Ryan & Buker
273 88
Benj. H. Sanborn Co.
196 26
Scott, Foresman Co.
39 85
Shea Bros. 81 73
Chas. N. Smart
2 07
-
Standard Cotton Goods Co .... 48 75
Standard Electric Time Co ...
2 10
Underwood Typewriter Co ....
8 25
World Book Co.
87 04
Wright & Potter Co. 2 15
$9,079 17
Incidentals :-
Adams, Cushing & Foster $ 15
Andrews Paper Co.
81 25
Avery & Woodbury Co.
10 00
D. Bermes Co.
15 05
G. M. Billings
227 50
Cahill's News Agency
2 75
A. O. Caswell
114 51
H. S. Chadbourne Co.
147 73
Charlescraft Press
13 75
City Treasurer, Worcester.
593 38
A. Schuyler Clapp.
9 40
Commissioner of Public Safety
18 00
Prof. Z. W. Coombs
50 00
C. E. Cooney
15 75
A. O. Coulliard
3 00
Crowell & DeWitt
21 65
H. M. Curtiss Coal Co
2 01
Dillon Bros.
35 00
C. B. Dolge Co.
71 00
S. A. Eastman Co.
3 60
F. & D. Co.
8 80
F. A. Gould
370 00
William Foster
50 50
Lucille G. French . .
5 69
-
...
.
$
#
.
.
13
Fuller & Wilson Express Co .. .
25 90
Arthur Gilmore
1 50
W. O. Hartshorne
17 75
Bernard Hickey
28 00
F. J. Jameson
54 47
W. P. Jones Electric Co.
11 25
Ralph R. Kendall
43 43
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins
1,005 60
C. H. Kimball
81 00
Lundstrom Mfg. Co.
5 50
F. E. Mann & Son.
151 43
Massachusetts State Prison. .
76 26
A. W. McKinley
5 16
Milford Daily News.
20 70
Milford Electric Light & Pow- er Co.
443 29
Milford Furniture Co.
14 26
Milford Gas Light Co.
99 94
Milford Water Co.
678 64
National Education Assn.
1 00
N. E. Tel. & Tel. Co.
225 69
C. J. Peters Co.
26 00
D. E. F. Radasch
33 00
E. L. Ramsdell
60 87
Reformatory for Women.
33 27
Rochester Germicide Co.
32 00
Inez San Clemente. .
26 00
Standard Electric Time Co ...
16 05
H. L. Stearns Desk Co.
35 50
Bernard Torosian
30 00
Underhay Oil Co.
21 20
$5,175 13
Repairs :-
American Seating Co.
$31 21
Avery & Woodbury Co ..
234 25
Joe Balboni
18 00
2
C. L. Barnard Co.
51 00
Cahill's News Agency
1 25
14
A. O. Caswell 1 50
H. S. Chadbourne Co.
6 19
Peter Consigli
560 65
J. F. Damon 469 20
Efficiency Engineering Corp ..
280 00
Eldredge & Son
273 14
Clark Ellis & Sons.
313 50
F. A. Gould 454 61
J. L. Hammett Co. 13 46
J. E. Higgiston 95 50
W. P. Jones Electric Co.
234 74
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins
28 77
W. J. Maguire Co.
365 70
T. F. Maher
530 23
A. W. Mckinley 1,091 72
T. E. Morse Co.
130 53
Payroll, Highway Department
28 75
E. F. Porter
634 15
W. L. & J. F. Power
18 52
Louis Pratt
33 70
Hugh Ray
97 00
A. Rosenfeld
20 00
Royal Typewriter Co.
8 50
E. J. Stuart
6 75
Underwood Typewriter Co .
3 00
Waters & Hynes
1,054 76
Werber & Rose, Inc.
13 80
F. W. Woolworth Co.
2 80
Continuation School :
Salaries $2,759 73
Supervision
30 02
Attendance officer
332 97
Clerical service
24 85
Boston Saw Repairing Co.
1 37
Century Co.
1 28
H. S. Chadbourne Co.
15 57
C. E. Cooney
4 67
.
$7,159 94
1 5
H. M. Curtiss Coal Co. 2 50
Ginn & Co.
2 13
F. A. Gould
3 15
A. B. Holden
78 00
Houghton, Mifflin Co. .
83
D. C. Heath Co.
1 37
W. P. Jones Electric Co.
8 38
Library Bureau 9 01
Louisa Lake Ice Co.
1 10
Lyons & Carnahan
1 55
R. B. McKim Co., Inc.
12 23
Milford Electric Light & Pow- er Co. 18 06
Milford Gas Light Co.
10 12
Milford Water Co.
78 36
Shea Bros.
65 53
Sherman's Laundry 8 43
$3,471 21
16
.
4.95 CARE
5.13 SUPPLIES
1.31 HEALTH
4.04 REPAIRS
0.75 CARRIAGE HINE
2.46 TRANSPORTATION 0.32 NIGHT SCHOOL 1.96 CONTINUATION SCHOOL
68.
¿ACHERS'
Cost Graph.
%08 SALARIES
.
-
4.51 FUEL
2.85 SUPERVISION 2.92 INCIDENTALS
17
COMPARISON OF EXPENDITURES ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS, 1924 and 1925.
1924
1925
Increase Decrease
Salaries
68.00
68.80
0.80
Fuel
5.10
4.51
59
Supplies
4.60
5.13
.53
Care
5.20
4.95
.25
Incidentals
2.30
2.92
.62
Supervision
2.90
2.85
.05
Health
1.50
1.31
.19
Repairs
5.00
4.04
.96
Transportation
2.00
2.46
.46
Carriage
Hire
(Transportation
of teachers)
.70
.75
.05
Night School .. .
.40
.32
.08
Continuation School
2.30
1.93
.34
..
. .
Summary of Statistics.
1924-25
Jan. 1, 1926
Public Schools
66
67
School buildings
20
20
Teachers employed :
High School
18
21
Grades
67
68
Special teachers
4
5
89
94
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, 1924-1925.
Number enrolled, 7 to 14 years of age.
1937
Total enrollment:
High School Grades
Boys
244
1311
1555
Girls
244
1178
1422
Total
488
2489
2977
Average membership
447
2331
2778
Average attendance
427
2206
2633
Percentage of attendance
95.5
94.2
94.8
CONTINUATION SCHOOL. ATTENDANCE. Total Enrollment, 1924-1925 Jan. 1, 1926
Enrolled :
Boys
72
41
Girls
82
53
Total 154
94
Average Membership:
Boys
31.9
Girls
35.8
Total 67.7
19
1
Average Attendance :
Boys
29.7
Girls
34.1
1.
Total 63.8
Percentage of Attendance :
Boys
93.1
Girls
95.2
Combined 94.2
Report of the Superintendent of Schools.
To the Honorable School Committee of the Town of Milford.
Gentlemen :-
I have the honor to present my 15th annual report as superintendent of your schools, the 48th of such reports in Milford.
OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS.
Our most pressing problem is still "overcrowding." The public is fairly familiar with the story of congestion in the schools of Milford.
A comparison of the total enrollment figures for 15 years, i. e., beginning with the school year 1910-1911 and ending with the school year 1924-1925, the last year for which the complete figures are available, shows the fol- lowing increases in actual numbers and on a percentage basis :
1910-1911 1924-1925 Increases
High School
211
488
277
Grades
1891
2489
598
Percent or' Increase 1311/2% 31%
Total
2102
2977
875
41.6%
(The above figures do not include Continuation Schools.)
The figures for 1916-17, the school year in which the George E. Stacy School was opened, were: High School 348
Grades 2074
Total
2422
The enrollments have increased from 1916-17 to
21
1924-25 by 555 pupils and NOT A CUBIC FOOT OF NEW SCHOOL HOUSE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN!
The attendance forecast for September, 1925, pub- lished in the school report of a year ago, indicated an at- tendance of 533 in the High School and of 455 in the Stacy School. Despite the return to employment of a con- siderable number of school children,-a movement that set in just before the opening of school last September and has continued at a more or less lively pace ever since, -these figures were nearly realized in the attendance at the High School and considerably exceeded in the atten- dance at the Stacy School for the school year now current. Anticipating these results, plans were made early in the summer whereby the administrative quarters in room 2, Stacy School, were given up, room 14 in the Stacy School was given up as a sewing room, thus gaining two school rooms, the portables released to the use of two divisions of the High School morning platoon during the forenoon and a Continuation School class and an afternoon Stacy class during the afternoon. The freshman class has the afternoon session in the High School, as one year ago, while the three upper classes have the morning session and, as already stated, have spilled over into the two port- ables. As already mentioned, there was an extra class in the Stacy School that could only be provided with a school room by housing them in a portable for an afternoon ses- sion. As a result of the real estate development on Pur- chase Street, the term opened with sixty children at the Fountain Street School, which necessitated a double pla- toon in that district. These conditions made necessary the equipping of room 2 in the Stacy School with seats and desks at a cost of several hundred dollars and the appoint- ment of three additional teachers in the High School, one additional teacher in the Stacy School and one additional teacher at Fountain Street.
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT TAKES ACTION.
The records of the school committee and their pub-
22
lished reports for a dozen years show that this depart- ment has sensed such conditions early. In the summer of 1924 the outlook was considered and the need for more school room, particularly in the case of the High School, was clearly recognized. During the fall months half a dozen plans were drawn, looking to added room for the High School and secondarily, by transfer of High School pupils resident in another building, to the enlargement of grammar school facilities. The plan illustrated and fully described in the Milford Daily News of February 14, 1925, was adopted by the committee, for reasons clearly stated at the time-that it solved the problem far more completely and more nearly in line with the best modern practice than any of the others reviewed. I firmly believe that this plan is still the best solution of which we have any knowledge. The plan did not fully meet with public favor at the time, however, and a committee on school accommodations, comprising the school board, the board of selectmen and two citizens, was appointed at the March Town meeting a year ago to recanvass the entire matter. This committee has held a number of meetings since its appointment, but, so far, without coming to any degree of unanimity as to a proposal or suggestion. The plan to build a number of school rooms near the High and Stacy Schools and spend such sums as are necessary to modern- ize the sanitary conveniences or heating units, or both, in certain of the older buildings, has met with considerable favor. While the writer is convinced that the plan adopted by the school committee a year ago is still the best so far considered, still, if it does not appeal and cannot be made to appeal to the majority of citizens, then he would strongly recommend another solution that has been sug- gested and meets with some favor, namely : that the Town acquire by purchase or right of eminent domain a tract of land suitably located and build thereon a new High School designed in accordance with the best modern prac- tice, taking account of all the elements of the problem,
23
constructed of suitable materials and heated, lighted, equipped and furnished in a first-class manner.
Regarding the proposal to spend considerable sums in improving conditions in certain older buildings, two lines of improvement are involved : first, the modernizing of toilet conveniences and connecting buildings with the Town sewers, and, second, the improvement of heating units. At this point, a clear distinction exists, for while modern steam or hot water heating units are desirable in. all buildings, the heating plants at all the buildings in. Town, excepting two rooms in the Chapin Street School, the one room Fountain Street School and the Braggville and Bear Hill Schools, the latter with 13 and 14 pupils, respectively, are modern at least to this extent-that fresh air is taken from outdoors and thoroughly warmed for the children, and, in some cases systems of ventilation exist. With reference to the conveniences in the buildings under discussion, little can be said in their favor and no- body questions the need of improvement. Attention is called, however, in this connection, to the fact that for the last 15 years, every school report has called the atten- tion of the citizens to these conditions and recommended a project of improvement in at least one, often two, and in one or two instances, three schools or districts.
An inspection discloses the fact that heating plants were recommended for the larger buildings in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913 (incidental to new building) -realized in 1917 for 15 rooms; and in 1918-realized in 1919 for 16 rooms,-a total of 31 rooms ; and that heating plan's were recommended for the older and smaller buildings in 1910, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919,-realized in 1911, 1916, 1919, 1924 and 1925 for a total of 10 buildings and 29 rooms. An inspection of the recommendation pages for the last 15 school reports also shows that better sanitary conditions, directly or incidental to and included in recom- mendations for enlarging or remodelling old buildings or for new buildings, were made in 1910 (Claflin), realized in 1911 ; recommended in 1910 and 1911 (Park), realized
24
in 1912; recommended in 1910 (Plains Grammar) ; rec- ommended in 1910, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1924 (South), overwhelmingly defeated in the Town meeting of March, 1921; recommended in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924 (Plains District) ; recommended in 1912, 1913, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924 (High School). Moreover the reader will find, in this report current, recommendations for new heating plants in the Spruce Street School and for the older half of the Plains Primary School,-two modern buildings not included in the school accommodations com- mittee's project.
CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN THE HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Attention is again called to the report of the school physicians. A year ago it was reported that the number of "normals" - children having no physical defects - showed an increase from 9% in 1911 to 22% in 1924. This year there is noted a further increase in the percentage of "normals" to 28% for the Town and 31% for the Stacy School. As observed in the report of one year ago, this result is largely attributable to the ministrations of the school nurse and the Dental Clinic.
THE DENNISON PLAN.
A discussion of the Dennison plan, recently adopted by your committee,-a presentation somewhat more in detail than appears in Principal Quirk's report-should be of interest to readers of this report. What I have called the "Dennison Plan" is a commercial training project of the Dennison Manufacturing Co., of Framingham, Mass., in pursuance of which they offer a five weeks' course of in- tensive commercial training in the Dennison commercial school and offices, the time and work about equally divided between school instruction and office practice. The course is for five weeks, two weeks IN and OUT (or otherwise as may be arranged) from 9:00 A. M. to 12 M. and from 12:30 to 2:30 P. M., Monday to Friday, inclusive.
25
The course includes (1) General Study : The use of passes, clock cards, clinic, library and other employee ac- tivities; (2) History and Organization: Study of the organization of Industry, gradual growth, need for organ - ization, various types of business organization, history of the beginnings of the Dennison Manufacturing Co., fun- damentals of the organization of the Dennison Manufac- turing Co., functions of the main divisions of any factory orgam chon; (3) Filing: Library Bureau course in fil- ing, followed by detailed work with material handled ac- cording to present Dennison Manufacturing Co., standard practice in central files, card records, accounts receivable, factory accounting ; (4) Machine Practice : Brief instruc- tion and practice periods on the following machines : ad- dressograph, comptometer, dictaphone, folding, mimes- graph, multigraph, Monroe calculating, sealing and stamping, standard practice on typewriters in connection with daily work in training. Class room work will 13 with dummy sets of material made up from actual copics and following exactly the procedure in the different sec- tions being studied. These sets will be made for : Filing, transcribing, card records, order writers, billing, control section (sales account) ; (5) Class Room Work: Daily typing practice, daily drill in English, practice work with dummy sets, frequent talks by people from other depart- ments, daily talks on good business ethics and the need for accuracy and for acquiring right business habits. By gradual steps, the routine work necessary in the vari- ous sections of the sales division and all the operations from the receipt of a customer's order until the closing of his account, will be covered.
Candidates for Clerical Training : Seniors taking the commercial course. Credits: Work is carefully graded and rated and weekly reports and grading sent to the school. Tests: Tests are given each student applying for these training courses. Additional measurement tests will be used at times throughout the course.
Students are put to no additional expense on account
26
of this course. The Dennison Manufacturing Co. will be glad to employ any of these students who measure up to Dennison standards and who wish such employment.
HIGH SCHOOL.
The sixth annual report of Principal Quirk of the High School is substantially as follows :
INCREASED ENROLLMENT.
During the past fifteen years the people of Milford have seen a steady increase in the enrollment of the High School until we reached 500 in September of last year, an increase of approximately 300 students. The double pla- toon system adopted in 1924 has been followed during the past year. The three upper classes were so large, how- ever, that we were forced to use the two portable build- ings, between the High and Stacy Schools, for additional class rooms. These rooms are hardly suitable for High School students because of the frequent changing of classes. Last September, on account of the size of the senior and junior classes, we were forced to form more divisions in our required subjects, making it necessary to add two more teachers. The net time of holding classes in the afternoon was so short that I arranged the sections so that each one has less than 25 students. This was the only arrangement whereby they could hope to receive even a fair amount of individual attention. This limiting of the sizes of these classes has made necessary the ap- pointment of an additional teacher of freshman subjects. It might be of interest to mention that at the present time we have 21 divisions of senior, 26 of junior, 27 of sopho- more and 37 divisions of freshman subjects. We have en- deavored to follow out our conservative policy. Only one change has been made in the curriculum and that in the commercial course wherein one year of stenography is re- quired instead of two.
GRADUATION EXERCISES-PRIZES AND AWARDS.
Seventy students graduated last June before one of the largest commencement audiences ever assembled in
2 7
the Town Hall. For the first time in many years, no es- says were delivered by the students. The graduation pro- gram, given entire, further on in the document of which this is a part, consisted of several musical selections, well rendered under the efficient direction of Supervisor Helena F. Swift. Miss Dorcas Whipple, art supervisor, had charge of the very pleasing decorations. Professor . Zelotes W. Coombs, chairman of the board of admissions at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, gave a splendid ad- dress on education and closed with some sound advice to the members of the graduating class. Hon. John C. Lynch, acting chairman of the school committee, presented the diplomas to the members of the graduating class and gave an address on education and the current needs of the school department. Then followed these awards: Jacob Broudy, '26, first prize of $20 in gold for the Patrick Peace essay on "Will Exclusion Lead to War-A Discus- sion of the Present Immigration Law"; Evelyn Moore, '26, second prize of $15; Charles Cox, '26, third prize of $10; and William Marcus, '25, the fourth prize of $5. Clarence F. O'Connell was awarded the special book prize, the gift of the class of 1917-interest from Liberty bonds -awarded annually to the senior with the highest aver- age in English, history and Latin for four years. Thomas F. Davoren was given the Dr. John V. Gallagher medal awarded annually to the boy making the "M" in athletics at least three times and also obtaining the highest scholas- tic standing for those eligible for this prize. The Daily News Company's award of $5 in gold, given to the mem- ber of the baseball team with the highest batting average who participated in at least 90% of the games from May 1 until the end of the season and had a scholastic average of at least 75%, was won by Thomas F. Davoren. The other prize of $5 given by the Daily News to the boy hav- ing the best fielding average during the above named period and participating in the same number of games and having a similar scholastic average, was also won by Mr. Davoren. The premium book prize offered for excel-
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