USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1927 > Part 5
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OTHER SCHOOLS
Winterterm begins January 3, 1928 ; ends February 24, 1923 Spring term begins March 5, 1928; ends April 27, 1928 Summer term begins May 7, 1928; ends June 15, 1928 Fall'term begins'September 4, 1928 ; ends.December 21, 1928 Winter term begins January 2, 1929 ; ends February 21,1929 Spring term begins March 4, 1929 ; ends April 26, 1929 Summer term begins May 6, 1929; ends June 14, 1929
VACATIONS-ALL SCHOOLS
Winter-February 25, 1928, to March 4, 1928, inclusive Spring-April 28, 1928, to May 6, 1928, inclusive Summer-(Grades) : June 16, 1928, to September, 3, 1928, inclusive (High) : June 30, 1928, to September 3, 1928, inclusive
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Fall-December 22, 1928, to January 1, 1929, inclusive Winter-February 23, 1929, to March 3, 1929, inclusive Spring-April 27, 1929, to May 5, 1929, inclusive Summer-(Grades) : June 15, 1929, to September 2, 1929, inclusive (High) : June 29, 1929, to September 2, 1929, inclusive
HOLIDAYS
Washington's Birthday, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Convention Day, Thanks- giving (with day following).
Report of Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee of the Town of Palmer :
Gentlemen :- I herewith present my seventeenth annual report as Superintendent of Schools in Palmer. This is the thirty-fifth in the series of reports issued by the superintendents of the town.
INTRODUCTION
The report this year will be brief. Only a few of the "high spots" will be touched upon.
.
ATTENDANCE
The attendance statistics for the school year of 1926-1927 indicate that, from the attendance standpoint, the schools are in a very healthy condition. This con- dition has existed almost without exception over a long period of years. The only real criterion by which to judge local attendance is by means of comparison on a state-wide basis. For three (3) years, the State Depart- ment of Education has issued a table giving the relative rank of towns and cities in percentage of attendance. For the school year 1923-24, we ranked thirteenth (13th) in the State; for 1924-25, we ranked twelfth (12th) in the State; for 1925-26, we ranked sixteenth (16th) in the State. There are three hundred fifty-five (355) towns and cities in the State.
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Summarized, the statistics are as follows:
1926-1927
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
% of
Attendance
Tardinesses
Erolment
High,
289.61
282.39
97.50 139
305
Thorndike Street,
264.57
272.03
97.26
25
333
Park Street,
376.97
362.25
96.10
30
440
Three Rivers Grammar, 268.81
255.19
94.93
36
307
Wenimisset,
148.07
142.01
95.77
28
191
Thorndike Grammar,
272.49
265.65
97.56
22
300
Bondsville Grammar,
364.11
357.67
98.23
32
391
Quabaug,
170.16
163.52
96.26
23
192
Palmer Center,
29.97
28.97
96.66
17
32
Forest Lake,
21.97
21.41
97.00
3
28
Total,
2,206.73 2,151.09 97.47 355 2,519
Ninety-seven and forty-seven hundredths per cent. (97.47% ) is an unusually high percentage of attendance. It is one and twenty hundredths per cent. (1.20% ) higher than that of last year.
The number of tardinesses exceeded that of last year by ninety-one (91). This number is altogether too high.
Out of an average membership of two thousand two hundred six and seventy-three hundredths (2,206.73), four hundred and forty-five (445) pupils secured Perfect Attendance Certificates, having been neither absent nor tardy during the school year. In other words, twenty per cent. (20%) of the average membership, or one (1) out of every five (5) pupils, was perfect in attendance. This is an unusually high percentage. Rarely, if ever, have we attained a higher one.
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CHANGES IN TEACHING PERSONNEL
During the past school year, we had but one (1) resignation. This was a very unusual happening. It was not necessary for us, when we began school in the fall, to hire a single new teacher. In years gone by, we have probably averaged ten (10) to fifteen per cent. (15%) of new teachers beginning their duties with us upon the opening of school in September.
HEALTH WORK
The health work done in our schools during the past year has been wide-spread and effective.
In addition to the usual lines of activity,
Diphtheria a very intensive effort was made to secure as wide an immunization of pupils as possible against that great childhood scourge-Diph- theria. We planned a program that would give the greatest possible effectiveness in the shortest space of time. Permissions were gotten from parents to allow their children to be immunized. Those ten (10) years or over in age were first Schicked to determine their sus- ceptibility. Those who proved susceptible were then given three (3) treatments of Toxin Anti-Toxin. All pupils under ten (10) were given this Toxin Anti-Toxin without first Schicking.
A re-Schicking was given this fall to all who had been given Toxin Anti-Toxin to determine whether or not immunity had been established. In all cases where immunity had not been established, three (3) more treat- ments of the Toxin Anti-Toxin were given. The per- centage of immunizations secured after the first adminis- tration of the Toxin Anti-Toxin was not as large as had becn desired. This, in the opinion of the State authori-
13?
ties, was due to the fact that immunization of children in Palmer apparently was more difficult to secure than in some other places, the reason being that the children had, in many cases, very little natural immunity. Natural immunity is established by children being exposed to the germ in the many diphtheria outbreaks that occur. These attacks are not successful in a great many cases and, as a result of the unsuccessful attack, a natural immunity is built up. The fact that Palmer has been as free as it has from diphtheria outbreaks is responsible for the lack of natural immunity.
The dosage of Toxin Anti-Toxin is today one-thirtieth (1/30) of the strength of what it was several years ago. It is mild in strength-possibly, too mild. When Toxin Anti-Toxin was thirty (30) times its present strength, it was found that about ten per cent. (10%) were still "Positive" after the first three (3) treatments of Toxin Anti-Toxin. With the milder dosage, about fifteen per cent. (15%) were found "Positive." This fifteen per
cent. (15%) is a relative percentage. In some commu- nities, it runs as low as five per cent. (5%) ; in others, as high as, and higher than, twenty-five per cent. (25%) "Positive." In many cases, it is found that the milder dose of Toxin Anti-Toxin is enough, when added to the natural immunity of children, to build up a sufficient immunity to ward off diphtheria. Our percentage of "Positives"-thirty-seven and eighty-two hundredths per cent. (37.82% )-ran high. This high percentage, in the opinion of State authorities, was due not to faulty technique but, rather, to lack of natural immunity. When the re-Schicking of those who have received this last administration of Toxin anti-Toxin is done, it is believed that the then percentage of "Positives" will be very small.
This immunization work has been carried on through the local Board of Health in the parochial schools and with children of pre-school age. If every parent would
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allow his child to be immunized, diphtheria would abso- lutely become an unknown quantity in Palmer. During the past year, only two (2) cases have been reported in town-one on the part of a child who had had the treat- ments of Toxin Anti-Toxin but two (2) months- it takes six (6) to secure immunization-and the other where the
parents had refused to allow the immunization.
It is
difficult to make the parents realize, in many cases, that treatments such as these should be given their children. Some parents are suspicious of any effort of this kind that is put forth. It is all in the best interests of the child. Nothing bespeaks more highly the present-day attitude throughout the country of those in authority than work of this sort, which, distinctly lessening the number of deaths, is given to the children without any cost to them individually.
The statistics on this immunization work in the schools follow :
Diphtheria Immunization SPRING, 1927
Schicking and First Administration of Toxin Anti-Toxin
(Pupils under 10 years of age given Toxin Anti-Toxin without Schicking ; pupils 10 years or older first Schicked and, if found positive, given Toxin Anti-Toxin.)
Summary
Enrollment
1,888
Permissions
1,249
Per Cent. Permissions
66.15
Number Schicked
624
Number Positive
314
Number Negative 310
§ Number Toxin Anti-Toxin Treatments
2,829
§ Each pupil given three treatments-943 pupils treated.
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OCTOBER, 1927 Re-Schicking
(All pupils given Toxin Anti-Toxin six months pre- viously Schicked to see if immunity was established.)
Summary
Number Schicked 764
Number Positive 289
Number Negative 475
Per cent. Positive
37.82
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1927 Second Administration of Toxin Anti-Toxin
(All pupils given Toxin Anti-Toxin who, by re-Schick- ing were found to be still susceptible, were given second administration of Toxin Anti-Toxin.)
Summary
Number First Treatment 284
Number Second Treatment 276
Number Third Treatment 273
Number Toxin Anti-Toxin Treatments 833
First Administration of Toxin Anti-Toxin to First Grade Pupils
(It is our purpose to give each fall Toxin Anti-Toxin to all first graders where parental permission is granted.)
Number First Treatment 81
Number Second Treatment 78
Number Third Treatment 77
Number Toxin Anti-Toxin Treatments 236
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Grand Summary
Total Number of Schickings 1,388
Total Number of Toxin Anti-Toxins 3,898
The usual complete physical examina-
Physical tions required by State law were given at the begining of school this fall. These
have been carefully tabulated and a com- parison of the defects this year with those of the four (4) previous years is here given :
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
No. Examined,
2,014
1,902
2,299
2,290
2,201
Defects Found :
Appearance,
154
72
30
23
21
Nutrition,
211
80
80
71
43
Posture,
438
160
113
98
46
Scalp,
329
200
105
77
51
Skin,
119
52
34
18
11
Teeth,
745
457
362
347
438
Throat,
867
561
395
345
386
Nose,
55
15
5
7
1
Glands,
137
64
36
32
14
Heart,
80
24
22
67
50
Lungs,
13
3
0
0
0
Feet,
10
11
6
0
0
Spine,
17
16
18
21
5
Total
3,175
1,715
1,206
1,106
1,086
Examinations
There has been an almost marked decrease in each defect found, the only exceptions being "Teeth" and "Throat", where there has been rather a marked increase, especially in "Teeth". The total number of defects found-one thousand eighty-six (1,086)-is twenty (20) less than that of 1926. This decrease of twenty (20) does not seem large, except when you consider that the increase in "Teeth" and "Throat" defects is approxi-
136
mately one hundred forty (140) more than those of last year. Most of these "Teeth" and "Throat" defects are remediable. If parents would only sense the importance of taking care of these defects, they would, without doubt, had they the means, have them remedied.
The general shrinkage in the number of defects, viewed over this period of five (5) years, is the strongest testimony of the effectiveness of health work as con- ducted in the schools.
The work which we have been doing in Tuberculosis detection of tuberculosis since 1921 is still being as intensively pursued as ever. Recently, Dr. Chadwick, Superintendent of the Westfield Sanatorium and Head of the work being conducted by the State on its $500,000 ten-year program in detecting tuberculosis among school children, stated in a lecture that the first work of this sort done in any school system was in Westfield in 1920, when he requested permission of the school authorities there to weigh and measure pupils in one school. The first school system to ask that this work be done was Palmer. The request came a few months after his experiment in Westfield. These two (2) experiments were responsible for the State even- tually launching out upon such an extensive program. Before its work is finished, these examinations will be given to all the school children in the State. The Hamp- den County Tuberculosis and Public Health Association has always co-operated very extensively in this work. In fact, much of the credit for the good results secured belongs to them.
Briefly, the statistics of the clinics held under their auspices during the past year are as follows :
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Clinics
Number Children Examined 53
Number Tuberculin Tests Taken, 23
Number Positive,
11
Number Negative,
17
Number Children X-rayed,
31
Number Negative,
15
Number Suspicious,
12
Number Positive Hilum,
4
PENNY SAVINGS
The Penny Savings report from November 1, 1921, to July 1, 1927, is as follows :
No. of Deposits
Thorndike Street
9,412)
Amount $2,399.37)
Park Street
34,891)
9,507.06)
Three Rivers
16,182
6,465.05
Wenimisset
3,987
1,062.42
Thorndike
14,524
5,577.05
Bondsville
19,386
5,924.84
Quabaug
3,157
2,168.55
Forest Lake
1,143
303.04
Palmer Center
700
122.17
103,382
$33,529.55
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The report from September, 1926, to July, 1927, the last school year, is as follows:
No. of Deposits
Thorndike Street
6,049
Amount $1,467.05
Park Street
12,460
2,907.07
Three Rivers
4,999
1,563.60
Wenimisset
2,186
414.75
Thorndike
2,944
774.15
Bondsville
5,148
1,428.89
Quabaug
1,250
598.58
Forest Lake
424
79.28
Palmer Center
346
39.36
35,806
$9,272.73
PROMOTIONS
The promotion statistics for the last school year, compared with those of the previous year, are here given :
Comparison
No. of
Promoted Uncondi- tionally
Promoted Condi- tionally
Not
Pupils Promoted 1926 1927 1926 1927 1926 1927 1926 1927
Grade 9
91
101
83
100
7
1
1
0
8
108
131
81
101
22
26
5
4
7
183
172
114
116
49
41
20
15
6
199
218
141
171
45
40
13
7
5
241
180
193
142
36
33
12
5
4
220
205
160
147
46
37
14
21
3
238
238
181
191
27
20
30
27
2
281
268
241
224
19
17
21
27
1
300
271
250
227
11
6
39
38
Total
1,861 1,784 1,444 1,419
262
221
155
144
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The percentage of pupils not promoted for 1926-1927 is one-fourth (1/4) per cent. lower than for 1925-1926. The percentage of failures of promotion is gradually get- ting smaller and smaller each year.
EXAMINATIONS
The results obtained in the mid-year and final tests since the time of their inception is here given in tabulated form:
Mid-year
Final
Mid-year
Final
Mid-year
Final
Mid-year
Final
Mid-year
Final
Mid-year
Final
1922
1922
1923
1923
1924
1924
1925
1925
1926
1926
1927
1927 Total
No. Taking Tests
984
961
877
790
893
846
1000
982
1045
1008
1076
1008 11,470
No. Averaging Better than 70%
361
521
558
649
722
754
901
915
959
952
1017
970 9,279
Percent
36.69
54.21
63.63
82.15
80.85
89.11 90.10 93.18 91.77 94.44 94.52 96.23 80.90
No. Averaging Less than 70%
623
440
319
141
171
92
99
67
86
56
59
38 2,191
Percent
63.31
45.79 36.37
17.85
19.15
10.89
9.90
6.82
8.23
5.55
5.48
3.77 19.10
No. Averaging Between 60% and 70%
200
172
174
80
103
59
66
39
57
35
38
23
1,046
Percent
20.32
17.90
19.84
10.13 11.54
6.99
6.60
3.98
5.45
3.47
3.53
2.28
9.12
No. Averaging Between 50% and 60%
188
111
82
36
50
21
25
16
22
19
15
5
593
Percent
19.11
11.55
9.35
4.56
5.60
2.48
2.50
1.62
2.11
1.88
1.39
.496
5.14
No. Averaging Less than 50%
235
157
63
25
18
12
8
12
7
2
6
10
555
Percent
23.88
16.34
7.18
3.16
2.01
1.42
.8
1.22
.67
.19
.56
.99
4.84
!
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It is worthy of comment that there has been a lessen- ing in the percentage of pupils averaging less than seventy per cent. (70%) year by year. During the first two or three years, the lessening was very marked. During the last two or three years, the lessening is not as marked because of the fact that the percentage of failures has reached such a low point that further marked decreases are impossible. It should be noted that the percentages obtained in both mid-years and finals are smaller than in any previous year.
EXTENSION WORK
There has been no change in the kind of extension work done during the past year.
About seventy-six (76) pupils were en- Americanization rolled in the various Americanization
classes. At the closing exercises in April, fifty-four (54) State certificates were awarded to pupils in the following classes :
Adult,
16
Intermediate,
28
Beginners,
10
54
They were awarded to men and women in the various villages as follows :
Three Rivers,
23
Thorndike,
13
Bondsville,
9
Palmer, 9
54
142
It is unnecessary to reiterate what has been said dur- ing the past ten (10) years about the importance of this work. It is sufficient to state that there is not a phase of our school work which is of greater importance than this.
In co-operation with the Hampden Home Bureau County Improvement League, several adult projects have been carried on dur- ing the past year. Classes in Home Nursing, Millinery, Clothing, Foods, etc., have been conducted in Palmer and in one of the other villages. Great interest is shown by the women in these projects and much valuable informa- tion and skill are acquired by them.
The work done by the boys and girls in Boys' and Girls' the various gardening and canning clubs, Club Work carried on during the past year in con- junction with the Hampden County Im- provement League, was good. Their work compared favorably with that done in other towns and cities in the county. They won the usual number of prizes at the Eastern States Exposition. A few of our boys and girls have done, over a period of several years, outstanding work.
OPPORTUNITY CLASS
Seventy-three (73) different pupils were enrolled in the Opportunity Class in the Wenimisset School during the past year. At the present time, fifty-nine (59) pupils are attending this class. There are three (3) full-time teachers, together with one (1) who does part- time work. No work is as much misunderstood by parents and others as is the work of this class. The aim, motive, and method of this sort of work have been set forth fully in years past, both in school reports and in the
143
local papers. This work has been carried on now some six (6) or seven (7) years locally. I believe it is one of the finest efforts that the local schools make in behalf of its pupils.
Recently, the State Department of Education has issued regulations for the establishment of such classes as required by General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 46. I believe a statement of the law and regulations at this time is desirable. In addition, opinions from the Attor- ney-General of the State in reply to three (3) questions is given.
Law and Attorney-General's Opinion
Chapter 71, section 46, General Laws, as amended by Statutes, 1922, chapter 231:
The school committee of every town shall annually ascertain, under regulations prescribed by the department and the commissioner of mental diseases, the number of children three years or more retarded in mental develop- ment in attendance upon its public schools, or of school age and resident therein. At the beginning of each school year, the committee of every town where there are ten or more such children shall establish special classes for their instruction according to their mental attain- ments, under regulations prescribed by the department. No child under the control of the department of public welfare or of the child welfare division of the institutions department of the city of Boston who is three years or more retarded in mental development within the meaning of this section, shall, after complaint made by the school committee to the department of public welfare or said division, be placed in a town which is not required to maintain a special class as provided for in this section.
Attorney-General Arthur K. Reading, in reply to three questions said in part,-
"You have addressed to me the following questions :
144
"1. Can the school committee require that any child of school age shall be examined in order to ascertain the number of children who are mentally retarded ?
"2. Can the school committee compel the attendance at the special classes established under this section of children who are found to be three or more years mentally retarded ?
"3. Must the school committee require all children who are found to be three or more years retarded to attend such classes or may it use its discretion ?"
" ... A regulation of your department providing for such an appropriate examination under G. L., c. 71, sec. 46, could not necessarily be said to be unreasonable or arbi- trary, and in ascertaining the number of mentally re- tarded children of school age a school committee would be bound to follow such a regulation of your department, and the committee's requirement that a child should be so examined under your regulations would not, in my opinion be unlawful.
"As to your second question: The special classes for school children of retarded mental development, estab- lished under G. L., c. 71, sec. 46, as amended, appear from the provisions of that statute to be a regular part of the school system as much as other classes or grades to which children in the schools may be assigned, and I am of the opinion that attendance at these special classes may be compelled in the same manner as is provided for the attendance of school children in other classes of the public schools.
"As to your third question: The regulations of your department relative to the establishment, for school child- ren of the retarded mental development specified in the instant statute, of 'special classes for their instruction according to their mental attainments,' in so far as they cover the field of requirements, as to what children shall be required to attend such classes, are binding upon a school committee and it cannot exercise discretion as to requiring attendance within such field. If there are indi-
1
145
vidual cases which are not covered by your regulation, a school committee may exercise discretion within the requirements of the statute in determining the form of instruction suited to the attainments of the mentally retarded children under its care."
The reply, in sum and substance, can be summarized in one word, "Yes".
Regulations
Prescribed by the Department under which Towns and Cities shall Establish Special Classes for Children Three or More Years Retarded.
(Chapter 71, Section 46, General Laws)
1. The school committee shall require the examina- tion of all children of school age residing in the town who appear to be three or more years retarded in mental devel- opment. The examination shall be given by the State Department of Mental Diseases or an examiner approved by that Department.
2. All children of school age found to be three years or more mentally retarded, by examination as herein provided, shall be assigned to a special class unless in- struction approved by the Department of Education is provided. No child shall be placed in a special class unless the examination shows him to be three or more years retarded in mental development.
3. A re-examination of all special class pupils shall be made by the examiner at least every two years. Unusual cases shall be examined yearly.
4. The school committee shall require the atten- dance of all pupils assigned to special classes.
5. The registration at any one time in a class shall not exceed eighteen pupils.
6. Only those children whose mental age is such that they can profit by instruction in a special class and whose presence is not detrimental to other members of
I
146
the class shall be admitted. Except in unusual cases children with a mental age below five shall not be admitted.
7. At least two hours per day of some form of handwork, such as is suggested in the following course of study, shall be given to all pupils.
8. Teachers of special classes shall have access to records of examination, which shall be held by them as strictly confidential.
CONTINUATION SCHOOL
The enrollment in the Continuation School for the last school year was one hundred sixty-two (162), made up of eighty-nine (89) girls and seventy-three (73) boys.
The total expenditures for the year were $6,753.11, divided as follows :- MAINTENANCE-Administration, $225.00; Instruction, $4,475.64; Auxiliary Agencies. $764.19; Operation of Plant, $1,210.00; Repairs and Re- placements, $26.78; Total, $6,701.61. ESTABLISH- MENT AND EXTENSION OF PLANT-Construction, $45.50; Equipment, $6.00; Total, $51.50; Grand Total, $6,753.11.
The receipts were as follows :- Tuition, $369.52; Smith-Hughes Act, $335.14; Cash Received from Work and Products, $93.70 ; Total, $798.36.
The State re-imbursed the Town fifty per cent. (50% ) upon $5,903.25, the re-imbursement netting Palmer $2,951.63. The difference between the total cost of operation, $6,753.11, and the amount upon which re- imbursement was made, $5,903.25, is found by deducting from the former, $51.50, expenditure for establishment and extension of plant-a non-re-imburseable expenditure by the State, yet a necessary expenditure-plus the
147
$798.36 received from Tuition, Smith-Hughes, and Cash from Work and Products (revenue received and turned directly into the Town Treasurer). The difference is $849.86.
The direct cost to Palmer was $3,003.12. From this must be deducted $732.50-an amount charged for cleri- cal, janitorial, and operation expenses which is not an additional expenditure caused by the Continuation School- to get the actual cost to Palmer. This makes the actual cost $2,270.63.
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