USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Williamsburg > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Williamsburg 1953 > Part 4
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Robert H. Nye, (wiring and fixtures) 419.60
F. C. Taplan Company,
(snowplow and chains) 394.00
$3,220.54
Total committed from Rehabilitation Fund
$6,708.92
Trust Funds-Sanders Fund :
Janitors' Supplies
$13.61
Sundries
10.47
Office Supplies
13.75
Smith's School Transportation
44.25
$82.08
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School Committee
Loomis Fund :
New Equipment
$215.41
Sundries
6.50
Repairs
7.00
$228.91
Collins Fund :
Transportation
$15.00
Smith's School Transportation
22.00
Sundries
14.50
$51.50
Total expenses for support of schools committed to Dec. 31, 1953
$94,131.29
Less commitments not cleared against
Rehabilitation Fund by Dec. 31, 1953
1,242.09
Net payments for support of schools Dec. 31, 1953
$92,889.20
Appropriations by Town Meeting
$85,774.60
Appropriations to Rehabilitation Committee
8,793.48
Transfers from Trust Funds
362.49
Transferred by the Finance Committee January 12, 1954
1,285.28
$96,215.85
Less expenditures
92,889.20
Balance in Rehabilitation Fund Dec. 31, 1953 $3,326.65
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School Committee
Expenditure for support of Public Day Schools exclusive of General Control for School Year ending June 30, 1953 (as per State report)
1-8 8-12
Per pupil in average membership of
Elementary 8-4 schools, Williamsburg $150.32 $305.75 Towns less than 5,000 population main- taining High Schools our class, Group III $169.12 $322.94
Books-High School:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
$37.75
McGraw Hill Company
14.30
McMurray Company
2.53
Hewig Company
4.50
National Education Association
1.57
American Book Company
112.90
South-Western Publishing Co.
77.76
Benton Review
11.66
Allyn & Bacon Company
72.13
Ginn & Company
35.03
Oxford Book Company
12.31
Prentice Hall Company
6.54
Follett Publishing Company
1.15
Scott & Foresman Company
7.85
397.98
Books-Grades:
Ginn & Company
$39.06
Scott Foresman Company
650.55
Boston Music Company
9.74
Iroquois Publishing Company
41.14
Lyons & Carnahan Company
43.43
Lorenz Publishing Company
38.46
Eldridge Publishing Company
12.61
The MacMillan Company
2.71
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School Committee
Century Press
7.17
Houghton Mifflin Company
171.42
The John C. Winston Company
21.80
American Book Company
56.73
J. B. Lippincott Company
46.87
Row Peterson Company
40.44
World Book Company
6.66
Margaret E. Trainor
1.25
Prentice Hall Company
3.92
Expression Company
2.52
University of Illinois
2.12
C. E. Merrill Company
8.21
D. C. Heath Company
20.15
Follett Publishing Company
24.78
American Book Company
4.17
Vintage Press
2.15
$1,258.06
New Equipment :
Baltzer Tree Service
$36.90
Arthur M. Condon
21.00
Standard Duplicating Machine Co. 2.59
Walter F. Tetro
21.90
$82.39
89
School Superintendent
Superintendent's Report
To the Members of the School Committee:
The annual report of the Superintendent of Schools is herewith submitted. It is the thirty-third of the pres- ent series and the fifty-second since the formation of this school union. I is also the first report for the new Union No. 58.
An important change was made during the year when an historic chain of events caused the organization of a new school union. Easthampton withdrew from Union No. 20. Southampton and Westhampton then applied for admission into our union. At a meeting held April 25, 1953, the school committees of Williamsburg, Chester- field, Worthington, Southampton, and Westhampton met at the Chesterfield Hotel where an excellent roast turkey dinner was provided by the Chesterfield Committee under the direction of the secretary, Mrs. Raymond Wisner. At the meetings which followed the dinner, the Union No. 43 committee invited Southampton and Westhampton to join with them in forming a new union of five towns. The in- vitation was accepted and the new union organized. Mr. Roswell Merritt of Chesterfield was elected chairman, and Mrs. Henriette Miller of Westhampton was elected secre- tary. Under new business the superintendent of schools was elected for three years. The meeting then adjourned.
Since these towns are not too different in size and have similar problems, this new district should be a bene- fit to all of them. We have already formed an elementary principals' committee from the six elementary schools.
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School Superintendent
This committee will work with the superintendent, and will consider first the social studies program. It will also review the whole grade program as well as study building and playground management. The recommendations of this committee should be of great benefit to the various school departments.
Another very important event of the school year was the final approval by the voters of a new elementary build- ing. This building is planned for grades 1-6 and is to cost $360,000. It will contain six classrooms, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium large enough for high school and community use. The request for a gymnasium is finally fulfilled af- ter many years. This new building has been needed for a number of years and will be of great help in developing our changing program. It has been named the Anne T. Dunphy School in honor of our high school principal.
After much study and discussion the school depart- ment agreed that the best educational system for Wil- liamsburg is the so-called 6-6 plan. This will divide the program into six elementary grades and six secondary grades. Eventually there will be a six-grade elementary school in each village and a junior-senior high school at Williamsburg. Under this plan all pupils in grades 7 through 12 will be enrolled in the high school building. The study of other six-year high schools indicates that an improved plan of secondary education can be offered through this six-year program.
During the year three new classrooms were opened in the elementary schools. The purpose in doing this was to eliminate, in so far as possible, classrooms with two grades, or with split grades. A new room was equipped at Haydenville and a teacher transferred to that school. We now have six rooms in operation there. Four of the teachers have single grades and two of them double
91
School Superintendent
grades. The Helen E. James auditorium was divided into two more classrooms during the fall. Grade eight wasi moved from the high school section to the west room, and grade seven was assigned to the east room. Grade four was changed to the room in the basement where grade seven had been. Now all elementary teachers at Williamsburg have single grades, and another classroom has been made available for the work of the high school. Two new teachers have been employed in order to provide teaching service for the new classes. This single grade system should make for improved teaching in all grades.
A new teachers' salary schedule was adopted by the School Committee on December 2, 1953. The new sche- dule sets a new minimum of $2500 a year and a new maximum salary of $4700 per year. During this period of shortage of teachers, it should be of great help in secur- ing competent and well-trained teachers for our schools. The complete schedule is printed on another page.
There were two teachers who left our service in June. Miss Nancy Carson who had taught English in High school gave up teaching for other work. Mr. Kenneth Wheeler, our science teacher, resigned and is now teach- ing in the eastern part of the state. To fill the English vacancy, Mrs. Fred L. Smith of Haydenville was ap- pointed. Mrs. Smith is a graduate of Smith College and has had several years of teaching experience in Green- field and other towns. Mr. Peter P. Ball of West Spring- field was secured for the science position. Mr. Ball is a graduate of A.I.C. and is a science major.
Two new elementary teachers were added to our staff during the year. Mrs. Gertrude Ramstrom of Haydenville was assigned to teach grade 2 in Williamsburg. This was to fill the vacancy caused by the transfer of Mrs. Pris- cilla Kostek to Haydenville. Mrs. Ramstrom received her
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School Superintendent
bachelor's degree from Bridgewater State Teachers' Col- lege and has had experience in Chesterfield and Hayden- ville. When the new grade 4 was formed, Mrs. Eleanor Soden of Williamsburg was secured to teach that grade. Mrs. Soden is a graduate of Jamaica Training School in New York City, and has had experience in Long Island, Chesterfield and Haydenville. These teachers have done well in the work assigned to them and are excellent mem- bers of our faculty.
The organization of the high school in September was as follows: Principal, Anne T. Dunphy, two classes in La- tin, one in civics and local history, and the work in guid- ance; Robert Branch, four classes in mathematics, two in U. S. History, audio-visual education; Peter P. Ball, six classes in science; Mrs. Lula Smith, five classes in Eng- lish, one in speech, assembly programs; Mrs. Frances Grinnell, three classes in typewriting, one in shorthand, one in junior business, one in bookkeeping, and director of school publications; Earl Tonet, two in French, one in problems of democracy, world geography, world history, driver training, coach of boys' athletics; Olive Healy, one in chorus and one in orchestra. The coach of girls' basket- ball is Mrs. Evelyn Kmit.
There are three plans of study offered in the high school program. Students may select the college course, the general course or the commercial course. Pupils who are near the age when they may get their operator's licences are given a course in driver training. Audio- visual aids to education are used whenever possible. Ac- tivities which students may take part in are boys' and girls' athletics, glee club, orchestra, debating, school plays and school publications. The school operates on a one- session plan from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. each school day. The tuition rate for 1953-1954 is $200 per year.
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School Superintendent
Both the boys' and girls' basketball teams are look- ing forward to having the new gymnasium to use for prac- tice and games. Each team has worked hard and is play- ing fine basketball. Much credit is due the coaches, Mr. Tonet for the boys' team, and Mrs. Kmit for the girls' team, for the excellent training these teams have received. Thanks are extended to Smith's School for its help in providing a place for our games again this year.
The opening of two new classrooms at Williamsburg and one new one at Haydenville changed the grade assign- ments during the year. The final arrangements of classes were completed in November.
The Helen E. James School was organized as follows : Principal Mrs. Edith Foster, grade seven; Miss Martha Dickerman, grade 8; Miss Nelle Dolan, grade 6; Mrs. Mar- garet Breckenridge, grade 5; Mrs. Eleanor Soden, grade 4 ; Mrs. Dorothy Colburn, grade 3; Mrs. Gertrude Ramstrom, grade 2; and Mrs. Sophia Eaton, grade one.
The Haydenville School had the work arranged as follows: Miss Margaret Trainor, principal and grades 7 and 8; Mrs. Marion Hickey, grade 6; Mrs. Priscilla Kostek, grades 4 and 5; Mrs. Ruth Nash, grade 3; Mrs. Doris Tilley, grade 2; and Miss Mary Crampton, grade 1.
The supervisors of special subjects were Miss Olive Healy in music, Mr. Raymond Drew in drawing, and Mrs. Elizabeth Koss in penmanship.
The teachers serving this community are well trained for work they have to do. They are deeply interested in the successful development of each child who comes to them for instruction. The best of cooperation between the parent and the teacher is needed if the child's school experience is to be a successful one.
94
School Superintendent
The work of the health department has been directed by Dr. Joseph Hobbs and Dr. Charles H. Wheeler as school physicians. Dr. Glade P. Hall has served as den- tist, and Mrs. Barbara Swanda as school nurse. The usual examinations, eye and ear tests, and clinics have been completed. The health of the children is reported as good. The protection of the health of our children is necessary for their success in school.
The school committee has again provided vocational and trade training at Smith's School this year. Twenty- six pupils have been in attendance there and in the ma- jority of cases are making satisfactory progress. The school committee pays tuition and furnishes transporta- tion for those pupils who wish to take advantage of this training.
Maintaining clean and efficient school buildings is a never-ending task for our janitors. The continual traffic of many children entering and leaving each building se- veral times a day necessitates sweeping and cleaning all the time. Added to this problem is the firing of coal-burn ing boilers which require the shovelling of 100 tons of coal in one building and about 45 tons in the other. Plans should be made to replace these boilers with oil-burning equipment as soon as it can be brought about. However, our janitors who are dependable and responsible men do an excellent job and deserve our appreciation.
Transportation has been furnished on the following routes : the North district, the Chesterfield Road, Hayden- ville and Mountain Street, South Street, and Nash Street. During the summer Mrs. Harold Smart was awarded the contract to carry the children on the Nash Street and South Street routes. Tickets are furnished to 26 Smith's School pupils who ride on the street railway buses. One hundred and thirty-nine pupils have been transported.
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School Superintendent
The local buses cover 75.6 miles per day. The good, safe service provided by our operators deserves our commenda- tion.
For the administrative work of the superintendent of schools of this five-town union, the present office is too small to be efficient. It is hoped that the new office planned for in the new building will have adequate space and equipment for doing the important work required of a superintendent of schools. This office should be the best in the system.
Free public schools have through many years pro- vided the spark that has made our nation the great de- mocracy that it is today. The belief in equal opportuni- ties for all has been brought to all children through our system of universal education. In this new year may we continue to work for more and better education for all of the children of this great country.
To teachers, parents, pupils and all others connected with the schools, I extend my sincere thanks for the loyal cooperation I have had during 1953.
My work with the members of the School Committee has been interesting and pleasant. May I extend to them my appreciation and thanks for their cooperation.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIUS A. MERRITT,
Superintendent of Schools.
96
School Nurse
School Nurse
Mr. Lucius A. Merritt Superintendent of Schools Williamsburg, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
The annual report of the school nurse is herewith submitted for January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1953.
Dr. Joseph Hobbs was assisted in physical examina- tions of all pupils in Williamsburg, and no defects were found.
Dr. Charles Wheeler was assisted in physical exami- nations of all pupils in Haydenville. One child was sent to the orthopedic clinic in Springfield. No other defects were found.
One child has been sent to a speech clinic and placed in a foster home. This was done with the aid of Mr. Barry of the Children's Aid Association. This child was also taught a few hours a week by Mrs. D. Clary Snow before going to the clinic.
Several pupils were found to have very poor lunches. With the cooperation of the teachers and Miss Harris of the S.P.C.C., I was able to establish some improvement. The lunches of all children are checked during the year by myself.
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School Nurse
All children were tested in Haydenville with the au- diometer. Several defects were found and these have all had treatment. All the Williamsburg pupils were tested with the audiometer and found to be all right.
Vision-testing was done on the pupils in grades 1, 5, 6, and 7. Eight children were retested and found to have defects. After notices were sent to the parents, these defects were corrected either with glasses or by removing glasses where proper correction had been made.
Pupils of grades 1 and 2 and some of the older ones were vision-tested in Haydenville. Several were retested and nine slips were sent home. These children have had examinations by optometrists and most of them are wear- ing glasses.
It is my hope that some group in either town will purchase a Massachusetts vision-testing machine for the schools of Williamsburg. If we own such a machine, it will be possible to give the eye tests early in September of each school year. This early test is very important to children who might need glasses in order to do their school work. Under the present system, the machine is borrowed from the State Health Department, and because they own only a few machines we have to wait until late in the year to get one to use. Since this test is rather complicated and takes considerable time, it would be a great help in our work if we had a machine available at all times.
Six children were taken to the County Sanitorium in Leeds to be X-rayed.
Four boys and four girls were sent to Camp Hodgkins where they all seemed to gain weight.
All children in both schools were weighed and meas- ured.
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School Nurse
Several cases of mumps were reported in Haydenville and Williamsburg.
Several children were treated for minor cuts and bruises in both towns. One child was treated in Dr. Whee- ler's office.
The Mothers' Club of Williamsburg graciously do- nated milk for one family from March 26th until school closed in June. Now the children carry milk through the efforts of Miss Harris of the S.P.C.C.
Dr. Glade Hall, the dentist, is again working in Wil- liamsburg. To December 31, 1953, he had completed 82 operations.
Dr. Charles Wheeler held an immunization clinic in Haydenville. This was for both pre-school and school children. Many of the older children received their boos- ter shot.
Dr. Joseph Hobbs also held an immunization clinic in Williamsburg. This was well attended by both pre-school and school children.
At each school visit, a conference was held with each teacher.
Miss Welch, State Nursing Supervisor from Amherst, has visited me several times. She has been most helpful, especially in the revision of the monthly report sheet. It is my regret that she has been transferred to Boston.
Many conferences were held with Miss Harris of the S.P.C.C.
One child in Williamsburg received treatment from Dr. Hobbs in his office.
Many home visits were made and most of the parents were very cooperative.
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School Nurse
Several children from Williamsburg were taken home because of illness.
During the months of October and November, I spent four Tuesdays in Springfield attending classes on cerebral palsy. These were most interesting and proved very help- ful.
During December I attended classes on rheumatic heart disease. This also was most interesting and instruc- tive.
I wish to thank all teachers, Mr. Merritt, Miss Harris, and Mr. Barry for their cooperation during the year.
Respectfully submitted, BARBARA W. SWANDA,
School Nurse.
100
School Physician
School Physician
Mr. Lucius A. Merritt, Superintendent of Schools, Williamsburg, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir:
A "Booster" clinic for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Whooping cough was conducted in April and May of the current year, with the assistance of Mrs. Barbara B. Swanda, R.N., school nurse and Mrs. Mabel Shumway, R.N., visiting nurse. The response and co-operation of the parents for this project was gratifying and a large num- ber of pupils received the prophylactic treatment for the above named diseases.
The annual physical examinations were completed early in the school year, Mrs. Swanda, R.N., assisting. The improved physical appearance of several pupils who enjoyed the advantages of summer camp testified to the wisdom of this type of treatment. Several pupils were referred to Dr. Frederic W. Goodhue for chest x-rays.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES H. WHEELER, M.D.,
School Physician.
101
Visiting Nurse
Visiting Nurse
To the Selectmen, Town of Williamsburg.
The Visiting Nurse, Mrs. Mabel Shumway reports that a total of 422 calls were made this year.
276 children received booster shots and triple typhoid imminization.
The Annual Well Child Clinic was held June 16th and 17th in Williamsburg and on June 23rd and 24th in Hay- denville with Dr. Stephen Brown as pediatrician and Mrs. James Schoonmaker, nutritionist. 118 children were ex- amined.
Two more hospital beds and a polio pack were do- nated to the association. Anyone desiring to use any of the equipment of the organization may call the nurse, Mrs. Shumway.
Respectfully submitted,
JEAN E. HEMENWAY,
Secretary.
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