Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Williamsburg 1959, Part 4

Author: Williamsburg (Mass. : Town)
Publication date: 1959
Publisher: Town of Williamsburg
Number of Pages: 116


USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Williamsburg > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Williamsburg 1959 > Part 4


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DEPOT ROAD PROJECT


On our Depot Road project we placed 1,404 yards of gravel and installed three drainage structures. In order to carry our grade through on the north end of the job we had to leave the ditch line incomplete. An article will appear in the warrant to this effect in order to finish this work and hard surface this section of road.


BRIDGES AND RAILINGS


On our bridges and rails account we installed new stringers and deck planks on the 72' structure called


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Skinnerville Bridge. We replaced two old small wooden structures with three foot steel pipes and inlet sections. We replaced deck of 18' structure Geer Hill Road. We cut, peeled, and piled to dry 250 railing posts on the town lot. We also did minor deck and abutment repairs on other bridges. We plan much railing work next year and re-decking of two other large structures.


SIDEWALKS ACCOUNT


We put new top on six short sections of our sidewalks using a sheet mix to make the top surface smoother and did repair work on all walks where needed.


In regard to various articles I have inserted in the warrant I would like to offer this word of explanation. It is my aim or goal to organize and run for the people of Williamsburg a small compact, modernly equipped, efficiently operating highway department. I believe that we can afford and do need this type of department and with your support at annual town meeting can get this job well started. I further believe that until we have well housed, modern equipped, efficient operating department we will not have any real improvements in our antiquated highway system.


My request for operation of the Highway Department for 1960 represents 9.7% of the requested budget.


In conclusion I would like to say that it has been a pleasure to work for you people this past year and would especially like to thank those of you who have taken time out of your busy days to call and tell us how much you appreciate our work.


Respectfully submitted,


HARRY W. WARNER, JR., Superintendent of Streets


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CHAPTER 81 EXPENDITURES


Road


Totals


Mountain St.


$203.70


Chesterfield


107.50


Ashfield Road


862.35


Conway Road


100.00


Shumway Pillinger


52.30


Depot Road


1,493.55


Nash St.


853.90


Ice Road


30.00


Valley Road


348.57


Mill St.


45.00


Village Hill


327.45


Old Goshen Road


578.65


Brier Hill Road


458.15


Petticoat Hill


782.35


Unquomonk Road


184.60


South St.


1,234.95


Hyde Hill Road


409.00


Hyde Hill Branch


72.55


Geer Hill Road


50.00


Bullard Road


382.45


Adams Road


385.00


North Farms Road


90.00


Hatfield St.


318.00


Kingsley Ave.


55.00


South Main St.


121.40


Hemenway Road


1,327.51


Nichols Road


328.11


O'Neil Road


166.55


Main Road (Route 9)


33.05


Edwards St.


154.80


Maple St.


149.00


Pine St.


246.43


Myrtle Ave.


204.00


Grove St.


131.00


Fairfield Ave.


183.18


90


Main St. (Williamsburg) Sanatorium Road Dansereau Road Walpole Road Hosford Road


123.80


39.00


561.80


412.00


River Road


260.00


Eastern Ave.


30.00


Snow Road


803.50


$14,700.05


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ANNUAL REPORT


of the


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


of the


Town of Williamsburg


for the


YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1959


School Organization


SCHOOL COMMITTEE


Mr. Kenneth Sherk,Chairman 1962


Mrs. Mary Kellogg, Secretary 1961


Mr. Joseph Batura 1962


Miss Eleanor Mansfield 1960


Mr. Richard Warren


1961


SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


Francis P. Reddington Office, Anne T. Dunphy School


SCHOOL PHYSICIANS


Dr. Joseph Hobbs, Williamsburg Dr. Ruth Hemenway, Williamsburg


SCHOOL NURSE


Mrs. Margaret Madison, Williamsburg


SUPERVISOR OF ATTENDANCE


H. Merrill Bisbee, Williamsburg


SUPERVISORS AND SPECIAL TEACHERS


Mrs. Elizabeth B. Ferrante, Florence Mrs. Mary G. Lettau, Northampton Miss Olive Healy, West Chesterfield Mrs. Evelyn Kmit, Williamsburg Mrs. Jean Snow, Williamsburg


Art German Music


Physical Education Reading


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MEETING O SCHOOL COMMITTEE


Last Wednesday of each month


HELEN E. JAMES SCHOOL Tel. COlony 8-4421


Principal, Bertrand G. Roger : English Williamsburg


Mrs. Eleanor Bart : Social Studies, Jr. Business 41 Conz St., Northampton


Mrs. Anne Belck : Science Williamsburg


Robert Branch : Mathematics 61 Meadow Street, Florence


Mrs. Anna B. Curtis : English grades 7 and 8 Chesterfield


Miss Martha Dickerman : Social Studies grades 7 and 8 Williamsburg


Mrs. Frances Grinnell : Commercial Studies 32 Conz St., Northampton


Mrs. Margaret Halberstadt : Librarian, English Williamsburg


Mr. Donald MacGregor : Biology, Science grades 7 and 8 51 Marshall St., Northampton


Mrs. Marjorie McKusick : Latin, Ancient History, English Haydenville


Mrs. Jean Gromacki : Arithmetic grades 7 and 8 Prospect St., Hatfield


Henry Simm : Guidance, Social Studies 187 Main St., Northampton


Mrs. Marie Thomas : English, Speech Haydenville


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Earl F. Tonet : Asst. Prin., French, Driver Education, Physical Ed., Coach 387 Florence Rd., Northampton


ANNE T. DUNPHY SCHOOL Tel. COlony 8-7770


Principal, Edith D. Foster, Williamsburg-grade 6 Mrs. Margaret Breckenridge, Williamsburg-grade 5 Mrs. Gertrude Ramstrom, Haydenville-grade 4 Mrs. Nancy LeFante, Williamsburg-grade 3 Mrs. Ethel Graves, Williamsburg-grade 2 Mrs. Sophia Eaton, Williamsburg-grade 1


HAYDENVILLE CENTER SCHOOL Tel. COlony 8-4012


Principal, Margaret Trainor, Haydenville-grade 6 Mrs. Marion Hickey, Haydenville-grade 5 Mrs. Priscilla Kostek, Haydenville-grade 4 Mrs. Ruth Nash, Williamsburg-grade 3 Mrs. Doris Tilley, Williamsburg-grade 2 Miss Mary Crompton, Haydenville-grade 1


SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT COUNSELOR


Mrs. Jane Marx-office-Haydenville Center School - Tel. COlony 8-7534


SCHOOL CENSUS - OCTOBER 1, 1959 Haydenville


5-7


7-16


16 or over


Boys


17


93


7


Girls


14


97


5


Total


31


190


12


233


95


Williamsburg


Boys


26


121


11


Girls


20


104


6


Total


46


225


17


288


Combined Total


77


415


29


521


NET EXPENDITURES FOR SUPPORT OF SCHOOL 1959


Requested School Dept. Budget


$194,449.95


P.L. 874 Funds to reduce budget


2,864.39


Appropriated by Town for School Dept


191,585.56


Reimbursements and Payments 1959


Chapter 70


$32,988.27


Transportation


6,292.50


Supt. Salary


1,400.00


Special Class


1,224.12


Vocational


1,897.47


Adjustment Counselor


3,600.00


P. L. 874


5,198.10


Tuition Pupils


23,711.68


Telephone Charges


122.91


Total Income


76,435.05


Net Expenditures from Local Taxation $115,150.51


96


SCHOOL CALENDAR - 1960


Monday, January 4, 1960


Schools Open


Friday, February 19, 1960


Schools close at regular time for Winter Vacation


Schools Open


Schools Closed-Good Friday and Spring Vacation


Schools Open


Schools Closed-Memorial Day


Elementary Schools Close for Summer Vacation High School Graduation


High School Closes for Summer Vacation


Staff Meeting


Schools Open


Schools Closed- Columbus Day


Schools Closed- Veterans' Day


Wednesday, November 23, 1960


Schools Close at noon for Thanksgiving Holiday


Friday, December 23, 1960


Schools Close at regular time for Christmas Holiday


97


Monday, February 29, 1960 Friday, April 15, 1960


Monday, April 25, 1960 Monday, May 30, 1960 Friday, June 17, 1960


Thursday, June 23, 1960 Friday, June 24, 1960


Tuesday, September 6, 1960 Wednesday, September 7, 1960 Wednesday, October 12, 1960


Friday, November 11, 1960


Report of School Committee


To the Townspeople of Williamsburg :


Greetings :


The School Committee, comprising Mrs. Eleanor Mans- field, Mrs. Charles Kellogg and Messrs. Joseph Batura, Richard Warren and Kenneth Sherk, organized with Mrs. Kellogg as Secretary and Kenneth Sherk as Chairman. Regular meetings on the last Wednesday of each month and several special meetings were held. The meetings of the School Committee are open to the public.


Our Union Superintendent resigned to continue his studies toward a Ph. D. degree. A Union Screening Com- mittee made up of a member from each Town Committee was formed and interviewed a large number of candi- dates for the position. This Screening Committee invited the top five candidates for interviews with the combined Union Committee and four accepted. From these, Mr. Francis P. Reddington was chosen to be the Superin- tendent of School Union #51.


As predicted in our report for 1958, the State raised the legal minimum for teachers' salaries, thus making the Williamsburg scale sadly out of date. The Committee has devised a new salary schedule based on the legal mini- mum of $4,000.00, to be achieved in steps over the next two years. The salary increase for teachers and a pro- portionate increase for all personnel (except the Commit- tee) along with provisions for an increased enrollment are the major reasons for the increase in our budget for 1960.


We finished the fiscal year with a small balance. Re- imbursements from sources such as State, Federal Gov-


98


ernment and tuition for out-of-town pupils amounted to $76,435.00 which was more than one-third of our gross budget. The Committee wishes to point out, again, that these reimbursements are not reflected in our requested budget and thus the latter is not a true indication of the cost to the town of our schools.


One can hardly think of costs without raising the ques- tion of the caliber and type of education offered by the system. The increased numbers of students, thanks to the out-of-town pupils, makes it feasible to operate a high school curriculum that would be uneconomical, if not impossible, with fewer students. In this respect, we offer a full commercial course and a solid college prepara- tory course including, in addition to four years of Eng- lish, three years of a modern language, four years of mathematics, four years of science including chemistry and physics, as well as two years of history and two or three of Latin. Students in the general course are en- couraged to take subjects from the commercial and college preparatory courses whenever it is to their advantage. The philosophy of the system is to furnish the oppor- tunity for every student to learn as much as he can at the highest level possible. Since this report is not the proper place to include the details of the curriculum, the Committee invites parents or other interested parties to inquire about our offerings and discuss their relation to a particular student with our Principals or Superintendent.


The Committee, the school administration and the teachers have spent much thought and time on the prob- lems of discipline and student relationships within and to the school. Several experiments have been tried. This is not a simple problem and is one that confronts every school system. The time is past when a public school should be looked upon as a place where an uninterested or recalcitrant student spends his time until he may be legally liberated by attaining a certain age. It would be simple to say that, if a student doesn't care to take ad-


99


vantage of the opportunities available in our system, let him be excluded. This attitude, however, is not permitted within the laws of the Commonwealth, nor is it consistent with the obligations of the school system to furnish an education to our children. The Committee has no dis- position to allow the educational opportunities and their benefits to the majority of the pupils to be jeopardized by the action or indifferent attitudes of a few. On the other hand, we are unwilling to give up attempts to help any student to obtain the maximum possible achievement from our system. Parents, students, teachers, and the school administration have obligations and responsibili- ties in these as well as in all educational matters. It is the hope of the Committee that all concerned will recog- nize the obligations, accept the responsibilities and bene- fit from the opportunities.


Items of repair that have made our buildings more effi- cient include the installation of better lighting and the painting of the walls in the upper hall in the Helen E. James School, replacement of several pipes, valves and pumps, to make the heating system at the Haydenville building more effective, and repairs to the drainage field of the sewage disposal system at the Anne T. Dunphy School.


Our audio-visual aids have been augmented by a pro- jector and tape recorders purchased, at no expense to the Town, from the interest accrued from various trust funds. Out-of-date books and obsolescent school furni- ture have been replaced in accordance with previous prac- tice.


The Committee is again happy to acknowledge the in- terest of the local Rotary Club in the education of our children. We thank the Rotary Club for its tangible and important contribution in the form of a scholarship awarded to one of the graduates of the class of 1959. Another group, the donor of the Western Hampshire


100


Scholarship for a graduating senior from Chesterfield, Westhampton, or Worthington, also deserves our ac- knowledgement and warmest thanks. These gifts in sup- port of the further education of worthy high school graduates represent benefits which cannot be measured in dollars and cents and which are difficult to describe with mere words.


This report should not be ended without another re- minder to the townspeople that a small high school is un- economical and in many respects, inefficient, especially in regard to the depth and breadth of subject material if can offer. Solid and effective education of our youth to its maximum capacity is the base upon which his nation must build. A regional high school operated in conjunction with our surrounding towns could offer more and better education for all of the pupils concerned. We must soon decide whether we will form a regional school district with our neighbors or "go it alone."


The Committee wishes to acknowledge the good rela- tions it has enjoyed in its dealings with the townspeople, town officials and all members of the staff.


Sincerely,


KENNETH W. SHERK,


For the School Committee


101


Superintendent's Report


I am pleased to submit my first annual report as your Superintendent of Schools.


Upon beginning the administrative work here, it is gratifying to find that the Williamsburg pupils have good facilities in our schools and a well-trained, veteran staff under the able direction of principals whose conscientious efforts are invaluable to our school system.


The annual meeting of the School Committee of Union #51 was held on April 7, 1959, at the Russell Conwell School in Worthington. Mr. Clement F. Burr of South- ampton was elected Chairman, and Mr. Richard Warren of Williamsburg, Secretary.


The State Legislature has created a new minimum salary for Massachusetts teachers of $4,000.00. This law is to be effective as of September 1, 1960. Your School Committee has revised the salary schedule to comply with this law, to maintain a realistic salary scale for our pres- ent teachers, and to remain in a competitive position for securing the best possible teaching service for our schools.


Enrollment figures in all our schools taken October 1, 1959 are as follows :


Anne T. Dunphy School


154


Haydenville Center School


120


Helen E. James School


273


547


Smith's School


10


Holyoke Trade


1


Special Class Northampton


3


102


The figures above include tuition pupils from the follow- ing towns :


Cummington


6


Worthington


18


Plainfield 1


Goshen


18


Chesterfield


13


Westhampton


27


83


The town of Williamsburg received $23,711.68 during 1959 as payment for tuition of these pupils.


The program of planned repairs, maintenance and im- provements of our buildings was continued during the summer months.


Haydenville Center School :


The outside of the building and the flagpole were painted. The interior hallways leading to the basement, the cafeteria and basement floors were repainted. There has been an increase in the number of children bringing their lunches and remaining at school during the noon hour and also an increase in the number of children parti- cipating in the hot lunch program. To accommodate these youngsters, the cafeteria has been enlarged and tables and chairs added.


Anne T. Dunphy School :


The trim of this building was painted. Spotlights were installed to brighten the parking area and entry as a matter of safety and convenience for the pupils and townspeople using the building in the evening. The blacktop sluiceway was repaired. This will minimize the washing away of loam from the hillside at the rear of the school.


Helen E. James School :


The upstairs hallway was painted and new lighting in- stalled in this area. The hallways leading to the base-


103


ment and the stairwells were also painted. The custo- dian, Mr. Bisbee, built a combination science table and cabinet for the Junior High science room.


The care and maintenance of our school buildings is a never ending task for our custodians. Their work re- quires many hours each week to keep our buildings in their present good condition. The job these men do is appreciated.


Our elementary schools remain firmly rooted in funda- mentals, supported by a rich variety of learning experi- ences including projects, activity units and field trips.


Williamsburg high school's challenges remain the same : to provide facilities for the specialized departments that require adequate laboratories and other activity areas, to achieve the utmost for all students within the frame- work of a partially comprehensive school organization.


Continuing curriculum studies are needed to identify these features of the instructional program which are most effective in developing scholastic ability; to maxi- mize these factors; and to support them with added instructional activities designed to promote academic effi- ciency.


On the elementary as on the secondary level, the in- structional aids available from our audio-visual service make a powerful contribution in helping to supply the background of meaning which makes a learning situation truly educative.


Music, Art, and Physical Education continued to pros- per under the diligent direction of the respective super- visors.


Parent-Teacher Conferences were held during the past year on the elementary and junior high levels. This pro- gram gives parents a chance to discuss in detail with the teachers the progress of their children. The response was excellent. The closest possible cooperation between


104


the home and the school is necessary to promote the maxi- mum educational growth of our children and it is felt that the parent-teacher conferences are one good way to promote mutual understanding.


The school hot lunch program has continued its im- portant service under the able direction of Mrs. Helen Wells and her assistants. Approximately 310 nutritious lunches are served each school day.


An open-door policy is a vital part of our community- centered schools. Our teachers are an integral part of the open-door policy and will be privileged to help any parent whatever the occasion. Parents are invited to visit us and see what and how their children learn in the classroom.


In closing, I wish to express my thanks to the various organizations and individual citizens who contributed to the progress of the Williamsburg schools. I wish, also, to express my thanks to Mrs. Robert O'Neill and to com- mend the teachers for their fine spirit of loyalty and faith- ful cooperation in all our efforts to improve the work of the schools.


To you, members of the Williamsburg School Commit- tee, I express my appreciation for your cooperation and support.


Everyone has helped to make the adjustment to a new community a happy one, not only for me but for my fam- ily as well and we are truly grateful.


FRANCIS P. REDDINGTON,


Superintendent of Schools


105


Report of School Nurse


The anuual report of the school nurse is herewith sub- mitted for January 1, 1959 - December 31, 1959.


All primary grade children were weighed and measured twice during the school year. The High School children are weighed and measured once unless found to be under- weight or overweight. They are then subject to being weighed more frequently.


All children in the three schools had the vision test during September. Twenty-eight failures were found and were taken to an ophthalmologist by their parents.


A study has been made by three noted ophthalmologists of Boston Eye and Ear Infirmary and a comparison made of twenty-one different adolescents on the same day under similar conditions. In only one insance were the finding identical. These data indicate that differences in test findings are inevitable.


Dr. Hobbs was assisted in Williamsburg with physical examinations and Dr. Hemenway in Haydenville. Most defects found are minor such as poor posture, flat feet, enlarged tonsils, skin allergies, dental caries, functional heart murmurs and enlarged nodes.


The audiometer was loaned by the Amherst Public Public Health Office and used in all three schools during April. Fourteen failed the test. No serious hearing de- fects caused the hearing loss of any of these failures.


Dr. Modestow, our school dentist, started work in April. Three hundred and twenty-two children were' ex- amined and one hundred and twenty-seven treatments completed at the closing of school in June.


106


An immunization clinic for Poliomylitis was held in June and July, sponsored by the Board of Health. Dr. Hemenway was assisted in Haydenville and Dr. Hobbs in Williamsburg by the school nurse. Ninety-two adults, sixty-five school children and fifty-seven pre-school chil- dren were given the first, second or third vaccine injec- tion. Many who are due for the third injection at this time should get it at their family doctor's office.


A few cases of measles and chicken pox were reported in December.


Classroom inspection is made in all primary grade rooms at least once a month. Follow-up work is being done in regard to physical defects by home visits or tele- phone calls.


I wish to thank Mr. Reddington, the school physicians, the school committee, and all parents for their coopera- tion.


Respectfully submitted,


MARGARET MADISON, R.N.


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