USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1890-1899 > Part 24
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MANSFIELD, OHIO.
Wm. S. Tolman, 10 58
MEDFORD.
Abbie R. S. Richards, 23 62
MIDDLEBORO.
Sydney Tucker, 42
MILTON.
Clarence Boylston,
9 94
NEPONSET.
Wm. S. Bartlett, 9 80
NEWTON.
Renslow Crosby, 32 99 Wm. Ellison, 70
Mrs. H. A. Hall, 2 12 C. F. Kellog, 31 02
Rebecca H. Silsby, 18 33
81
NEWBURYPORT.
Joseph N. Coffin, 70
NORTH ABINGTON.
N. L. Chandler, 12 13 H. B. Wadsworth, 70
NORTH ATTLEBORO.
Maria L. Fox, 8 4G
NORTH ANDOVER.
David C. Allen,
4 79
NORTH HANOVER.
George W. Gerrish, Jr., 15 09
NEW YORK.
L. Boyers' Sons,
262 61 H. C. Crocker
10 58
Prof. J. H. Allen, 14 81 Jane H. Anderson, 37 17
PLYMPTON.
Frank Blakeman,
70 H. T. Delano,
5 29
C. S. Morse, 56 Isaac Sturtevant, 42
Ebenezer Wright,
56
PLYMOUTH.
Lucia A. Knapp,
1 07 John Murry,
42
Ezekiel Ryder heirs,
51 E. G. Perry,
8 46
Jereboam Swift, 49
PEMBROKE.
J. W. Bryant,
Clifton R. Bates,
George H. Church,
Isaac Curtis heirs,
99 James Bonney, 21
1 18 W. E. Chandler, 10 79
3 53 Peleg Cushman heirs,
2 58
7 28 Hiram Delano, 96
82
Charles Estes, 42 Baker Ford, 39
J. W. Holmes, $1 27 I. N. Howland, $3 53
Isaac Hatch heirs,
91 Horace Hall heirs, 1 10
Louis B. Howe,
6 70 Abel W. Keen, 99
J. G. Kilbreth,
42 Bernard Loring, 4 23
Lemuel Lefurgy,
7 19 Caleb Lapham, 62
J. W. Magoun heirs,
3 24 Henry Magoun, 1 48
Francis Merritt,
73 Zebulon T. Nash, 1 66
Wm. Nash,
39 M. L. Peterson heirs, 3 38
Geo. H. Ryder heirs,
C. F. C. Shepherd,
6 20 Marcus Sawin, 6 35
James Simmons,
1 58 T. M. Sampson, 4 51
Mrs. Waldo Turner,
1 41 Wm. Taylor, 14 80
G. M. Witherell heirs, 42
ROCHESTER, N. Y.
Mrs. M. T. Schofield, 15 51
SALEM.
M. S. & E. D. Devereux, 19 74 Henry I. Rice, 19 49
Snow Rich, 44 42
SCITUATE.
John Boylen, 24 53
SOUTH BOSTON.
S. S. Frizzell and W. L. Challener, 2 12
SOMERVILLE.
L. B. Chandler,
1 41 Mrs. Edwin Hunt,
8 81
Cassius Hunt, 1 13 S. E. Hopkins, 11 99
M. K. Norwood, 16 57 Helen M. Thomas, 70
SOUTH HANOVER.
E. Y. Perry, 5 04
STONEHAM.
E. D. Rich, guardian, 1 34
5 64 Hiram Randall heirs, 45 75
83
SPRINGFIELD.
L. S. Brown, $9 17
SOUTH BRAINTREE.
T. W. Herrick,
70
SOUTH WEYMOUTH.
A. E. Vining,
28 20
WAVERLY.
Wadsworth Chandler, heirs,
2 96
WATERTOWN.
R. A. Bradford,
9 87 Benj. L. Priest,
21 14
Harry Priest,
1 06
WESTON.
Mrs. C. Robbins,
2 82
WEYMOUTH.
Mrs. A. Marsh, 63 Zilpha M. Orcutt, 10 58
WHITMAN.
Andrew Peterson,
35
WABAN.
F. H. Henshaw, heirs, 5 02
WINCHESTER.
John Bradford, heirs,
3 17
WOBURN.
Fred. W. Prior, et. al. 33 84
WEST HANOVER.
Lot Phillips & Co.,
90 95 Alpheus Packard,
2 40
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF DUXBURY,
MASSACHUSETTS.
1895-6.
ROCKLAND : ROCKLAND STANDARD PRESS. 1896.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
HENRY BARSTOW, NATHAN T. SOULE, WILLIAM S. DEWOLF,
TERM EXPIRES.
1896. 1897. 1898.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS :
EDGAR L. WILLARD, Marshfield Hills, Mass.
The Superintendent is at the residence of Mr. Wm. S. De Wolf, Chapel street, Duxbury, Mass., from 3 to 4.30 P. M. every Wednesday, for the purpose of meeting any one who desires to see him personally on school matters.
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The School Committee hereby submit their annual report, together with reports from the Superintendent of Schools, and the Principal of the Partridge Academy.
The Committee have tried to expend the money appro- priated by the town, in a judicious manner; nevertheless, some of the appropriations have been overdrawn.
The expenditure for Support of Schools is somewhat in- creased by the expense of tuition paid to the town of Pembroke for the high school pupils in District 9. These pupils live so far from our Academy, that in order to give them the benefit of a High School course, an arrangement was inade, as authorized by Sect. 6, Chap. 498, acts of 1894, to have them attend the Pembroke High School.
In the Incidental account, unpaid bills of 1894, and new text books, help to overrun the appropriation. It is abso- lutely necessary to make a change in text books from time to time, in order not only to have clean books for the pupils to use, but also to have the schools furnished with modern methods of study, that the pupils may graduate on a par with those of other towns.
The Committee have not furnished the schools with some apparatus they intended to, on account of the smallness of this appropriation.
The appropriation for repairs, has not been wholly ex- pended, the Committee thinking that part of it had better be saved towards Incidentals, as the town did not vote the amount asked for Incidentals last year, by two hundred dollars.
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As we had no Superintendent of Schools last year, the town receives no money on that account from the State to help out on teachers' salaries. When filling vacancies the Com- mittee have felt obliged to hire new teachers at lower salaries than their predecessors were paid, in order not to overrun the Support of Schools account.
There have been an unusual number of changes among our teachers during the past year, owing chiefly to an increase of salary offered in larger towns and cities. Although we can- not compete with larger and wealthier towns in the payment of salaries, yet the Committee feel that with an increased appropriation, we could retain teachers who have done good and efficient service.
After a long and faithful service, Miss Emily W. Sears re- signed her position in District No. I, shortly after the commencement of the Fall term, and was succeeded by Miss Florence A. Chaffin. Miss Jessie A. Eddy resigned at Dist. No. 4, and Miss Lillian A. Tibbetts was elected to succeed her. Miss Hattie N. Peterson resigned at District No. 2, and Miss Charlotte A. Tower was transferred from District No. 5, to fill the position. Miss Mary B. Peterson succeeded Miss Tower in District No. 5. Miss Phosie B. Peterson re- signed at Dist. No. 8, and was succeeded by Miss Anna M. G. Newman. Her successor was Miss Mary E. Boynton, who also resigned Jan. 28. The present teacher in this school is Mr. C. L. Hayward, a graduate of the Bridgewater State Normal School. He comes with excellent recommendations.
Those teachers who resigned this year, did so on very short notice. This gave very little time to seek for experienced teachers without closing the schools. The most experienced teachers had already obtained situations, so that only those of less experience were available.
Those whom we now employ, we are satisfied, are enthus- iastic in their work; and with the right sort of help from pupils and parents, they will, under our Superintendent's directions, be able to discharge their duties satisfactorily.
5
How can parents help the teacher ? Not by talking against her before their children, as some do, when they hear magni- fied stories of punishment inflicted. Not by believing every story that is passed about the community. Children do not always see and report things in a proper light. Unimportant acts get magnified and twisted into elephantine proportions in the course of conversation. If the parents are really de- sirous of having good schools for their children, they should visit them occasionally.
They should not wait for the teacher to call on them, but cultivate her acquaintance by asking her to their homes, and conversing about the school, the children and their ways. The better the relation between parent and teacher the more a child is understood, and the better his good points can be brought out and developed.
The number of truants has been small. The Superintend- ent and Truant Officers together have investigated five cases. In each case, the parents have complied with the law, after it had been explained to them.
Barnes' Geographies have been introduced into our schools on very favorable terms, by exchanging, in part payment for them, the old geographies on hand.
The Normal Course of Music has been revived, and good progress has been made. Only a short time is spent in this exercise during each week.
The Normal Course of Vertical Writing has also been intro- duced under the recommendation of our Superintendent. The object of vertical writing is to make plain each letter and word ; an essential feature in writing.
For the little folks, we have introduced a series of Busy Work. While it will amuse and keep them busy, it will, at the same time, teach them to form words and sentences, and ınake them interested in studies to be taken up later.
The fire at the almshouse destroyed school books and sup- plies belonging to the town to the value of nearly $200.
During the past year, besides ordinary repairs, a new well has been driven at the Nook schoolhouse, and is working to
6
the satisfaction of your Committee. The well at Tarkiln was driven deeper, and a new pipe put in. It is now in a good condition. The schoolhouse at Millbrook has been painted outside, and some grading done around the building. The schoolhouse at Ashdod has been painted on the inside, and newly papered.
The schoolhouses at the Nook, Tarkiln, Millbrook and the Point, have been calcimined.
As a rule, the buildings are in fair condition, excepting the house in District No. 1. The sills and floor joists of this building are reported to be in such poor condition that further expenditure for repairs would not be advisable. The Com- mittee recommend, sometime in the future, the erection of a building on the Village lot in which the Grammar and District pupils can be accommodated.
The Grammar School, started in a room in Duxbury Hall building, the only available place the Committte could find that could be fitted at small expense for school purposes, is giving satisfaction. In the way of furnishing this schoolroom, desks, maps, and books were about the only new things pur- chased. The blackboards were contributed by Misses Lucy and Jerusha Hathaway, and Mr. John S. Loring; and one large board was loaned by the trustees of the Academy.
The Duxbury Hall Association kindly loaned settees. The stoves were old ones that had been in use before. Thus we have been able to make the expenses for fitting, very small.
Owing to the smallness of the appropriation, and the diffi- culty of procuring a good male teacher at a low salary, Mr. Nathan T. Soule, one of our successful Duxbury men, who had returned to his native town to live, after an experience of twenty-five years teaching in different parts of New England, was persuaded to take charge of the Grammar School. His instruction is giving satisfaction to the Committee and to the parents of the pupils who attend. It is hoped he will continue as master another year. The Grammar pupils in the districts remote from the Grammar School, have been instructed by the district school teachers in their own districts in the same line
7
of study that Mr. Soule has taught at the Grammar School. This arrangement, although not at all satisfactory, is the best that could be made without an appropriation for transporta- tion. The Committee hope that the voters of the town will act favorably upon their recommendation for an appropriation for transportation of Grammar School pupils, that they may all be under one teacher ; and the district teachers have more time to devote to lower grade pupils.
The cost of transportation is somewhat of an unknown quantity. It is hard to estimate, without bids being solicited, the cost of getting pupils from all parts of our town to a cell- tral school. Whether the Grammar School is located where it now is, or near the Academy, the transportation would cost about the same. The Grammar pupils in Districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 can be transported by running two lines of carriages. One starting from North Duxbury, and running via Ashdod and Millbrook. The other starting at Tarkiln and running through Elm street to Island Creek, then via Border street through South Duxbury. Pupils living over a mile and a half from the school might be carried, while those inside that limit could easily walk, as they now do.
According to the vote of the town, the Committee were in- structed to employ a Superintendent of Schools in connection with two other towns. A joint convention of the Committees of Scituate, Marshfield and Duxbury was called at the Public Library in Duxbury, for the purpose of organization. Col. H. A. Oakman of Marshfield was chosen chairman, and Mr. Fred T. Bailey of Scituate secretary. After a number of ad- journed meetings held at Scituate, Edgar L. Willard, A. M., a graduate of Brown University, was elected Superintendent of Schools.
Mr. Willard entered upon his duties June Ist, 1895. The Committee feel satisfied with what he has accomplished thus far, and are confident that at the end of the year quite an ad- vancemement will be made in our schools. His report ap- pended to this will give the town all the information desired in regard to the plan of his work.
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The Committee would suggest that the following appro- priations be made for next year :
Support of Schools, $4,000 00
School Incidentals, 800 00
Repairs on school property, 300 00
Salary of Superintendent, 250 00
Transportation, Grammar School pupils, 1,000 00
On the following pages will be found reports from the Prin- cipal of the Partridge Academy and the Superintendent of Schools, as well as the tables of information required from us by law.
HENRY BARSTOW, NATHAN T. SOULE, WM. S. DEWOLF, School Committee of Duxbury.
REPORT OF PARTRIDGE ACADEMY.
To the School Committee, Gentlemen : .
I submit herewith a brief report, calling attention to those points only, which are aside from the regular routine. The general "Course of Study" is to be found in the printed list issued by the Superintendent of Schools.
There have been few changes since my last report. The course of study remains the same, except in some minor points, which I shall note.
Last spring the senior class, having completed the required work in Geometry, took a short course in Trigonometry and Surveying. Through the kindness of friends, they were able to have actual practice with instruments in field work. I hope to follow the same plan this year, since such work com- bines the mathematical training of Geometry with facility in practical measurements.
Geometry is continued, as heretofore, without the use of a text book. In the Sciences, experiment and observation are called in, as far as possible, to supplement the text book.
The study of General History, which was begun as an ex- periment, is now firmly established as one of the regular branches.
The time given to Political Geography has been shortened somewhat, and Physical Geography has taken its place. Evi- dently it is quite as essential that a pupil should know some- thing of the natural forces all about him, as the location of an obscure place in China.
Instruction in Business Methods, Penmanship and Type Writing are continued, and also Military Drill. I have been
10
obliged to abandon Manual Training for want of proper facili- ties, but I hope to resume it in the near future.
There are now enrolled fifty pupils, of whom eight are in the senior class, and three are members of the graduating class of last year, who have returned to take advanced work. Their course is at present experimental, and consists of ad- vanced History, German and Political Economy. It is hoped that this class will become a permanent feature, thus creating a sentiment in the direction of a higher grade of work, and resulting in a higher standard for the school.
Another innovation looking to the same end, is the opening of the Grammar School, though it is not my province to en- large upon this, further than relates to the Academy. Thus far, a great obstacle to good work has been, that the pupils coming from the district schools, have been taught under such varying conditions that it takes about a year to bring them into harmony without much being accomplished in the line of direct advance.
The Grammar School should enable them to come well prepared to take up the proper work of the High School.
Concluding, I would extend a hearty welcome to all the friends of the academy. Visit us as "early and often" as you have the time and inclination.
Respectfully submitted,
THOS. H. H. KNIGHT, Principal,
REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
To the School Committee :
In accordance with your request I hereby submit my report, hoping that you will think it fitting, as I myself do, on ac- count of the short term of my service, to have it brief. In it I will make no attempt to give statistics, as I think you have already done this part of the work yourselves.
SCHOOL WORK.
Upon taking charge of the schools several months ago I found them, as a rule, doing good work and in good condition generally. The teachers were enthusiastic, but owing to the lack of a definite course of study, the results did not seem to be what might be attained, if all the teachers could follow some definite and systematic lines of work.
Acting upon your suggestion, as well as upon that of the committees of Marshfield and Scituate, I tried to make a gen- eral outline of study for each grade in all the ordinary branches of common school work. This outline met with your approval as well as the approval of the committees of the other two towns, and was adopted for the whole district in October last. This now is the basis of all work done in the schools. It might be well to say at this time that this does not represent the amount of work now being done, but what in the future it is hoped may be done. It is hoped too that the definiteness of the course of study and the convenience of having it in printed form, will aid greatly both the teachers and myself in the work.
As was inevitable in taking up a new course of study, some
12
confusion was manifest. The classes could not at once con- form to it. In time, however, this evil will disappear, and the teachers will all be working together, while the classes in the different schools of the same grade will be doing practically the same work.
ATTENDANCE. PARENTS PLEASE NOTICE.
While the per cent. of attendance was second of the towns in the district, being a fraction over ninety-three, it was too low. In part this may be attributed to sickness or other suf- ficient reasons, and is of course excusable. But yet, in many cases, it is evident that the attendance could have been more regular. Slight pretexts should not be allowed to keep a child away from school; for by frequent absence an injury is done, not only to the child, but also to the class of which he is a member. Excusals before the close of school sessions are in some of the schools too numerous, and ought to be checked. This irregularity of attendance, whether in the form of tardi- ness, excusals or absence in the ordinary use of the word, is the greatest hindrance to the work of a teacher, and must re- sult in broken work, poor recitations, slow progress and in- evitably, loss of interest and power of application. The pa- rents alone have it in their power to remedy this evil.
While the truant officer has not been called upon by me to perform any service, several cases of truancy have come to my notice. In every case, I have reason to believe, the parent, not the child, has been at fault.
For the benefit of any who may not have had their atten- tion called to the law on this subject, I would like to quote from Chapter 498, Acts of 1894, Section I.
"Every person having under his control a child between the ages of eight and fourteen years shall annually cause such child to attend some public day school in the city or town in which he resides, and such attendance shall continue for at least thirty weeks of the school year, if the schools are kept open that length of time, with an allowance of two weeks for absence not excused by the Superintendent of Schools or
13
School Committee. Such period of attendance shall begin with the first month of the fall term of school, and for each five days absence of any such child thereafter, in excess of the above allowance, before the completion of the required an- nual attendance of thirty weeks, the person having such child under his control shall upon complaint of the School Commit- tee or any Truant Officer, forfeit to the use of the public schools of such city or town, a sum not exceeding twenty dollars."
My plan has been, and is, to use every mild means in this work before calling upon the officers of the law, believing that the results obtained in this way are better for all con- cerned, than from one of external force of the law. It is my sincere desire to work with the parents in this way, hoping that no one of them will be remiss in his duty and assuring them that I shall endeavor not to be remiss in mine. For these reasons therefore I earnestly solicit the aid of every father and mother in this community in getting every child of school age into school, and keeping them in regular atten- dance.
TEACHERS' MEETINGS.
With the single exception of November. these meetings have been held each month. One was omitted then, because of the numerous breaks in school work caused by the Conven- tion at Whitman and the Institute at Hanover, the latter being attended by every public school teacher in town.
At these meetings it has been my custom to discuss phases of school work, and to give general criticisms and suggestions in regard to methods of teaching.
I have tried to awaken thought, arouse interest and pro- voke discussion as well as inspire enthusiastic teaching. In this the teachers have greatly helped. A class has been taught for criticism and suggestion, before the other teachers by Miss Chaffin, while reports have been given by Mr. Soule and Miss Tibbetts.
I regard this as the best feature of our meetings. In each case the teacher has taken her own preferred subject. This
14
not only gives her the benefit of the criticism of all the other teachers, but also at the same time she helps them, most of whom perhaps are not so strong in that particular branch.
TEACHERS.
The teachers are as a body faithful and earnest in their work, and are inspired by other than mere mercenary mno- tives. They need, however, a more hearty and sympathetic support in their respective districts from the parents of the · children attending the schools than is accorded some of them.
The cares and anxieties of a teacher's life arising from with- in the four walls of her school-room are quite enough without having additional fret and worry caused by the hostile attitude of parents, or by the idle gossip of others still less directly in- terested in the management of the school.
THE MOST PRESSING NEEDS.
These, I think, may be summed up under two distinct heads: Ist, an increased appropriation for the salaries of teachers; and 2d, an adequate appropriation for the transpor- tation of pupils. We have lost during the past few months no less than four teachers for no other reasons than that better inducements were offered them elsewhere. When the voters appropriate a sufficient amount so that the committee may feel justified in retaining good teachers at an advance equal to that offered by other towns, when we can compete with other towns in this way, then, and not till then, may we expect to have good schools.
As to the second need, that of proper transportation, I wish merely to state that there are pupils in the schools at Island Creek, Tarkiln, Ashdod and North Duxbury whose proper place is at the Grammar School.
This is a harm working in a double way. These pupils can not possibly receive the same amount of attention which is their privilege in the Grammar School, where two classes get the whole time of the teacher, whereas in the District Schools
1'5
the ordinary number of classes is five, and if this number is increased by two additional ones the evil is, or ought to be, apparent to everyone. Again, these pupils take the time of the teacher which justly belongs to the five lower grades ; so that not only are these pupils themselves injured from the fact that they are there instead of in the Grammar School, but all the others suffer likewise.
.
In conclusion I wish to thank the teachers for their sym- pathy and support, for their hearty co-operation, for the good spirit in which they have taken all criticism and suggestion and for their faithfulness in acting upon them. I wish also to express my appreciation to you for your cordial support in all lines of my work, and trust I may have it in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
E. L. WILLARD,
Superintendent of Schools.
1
16
SUMMARY OF SCHOOL RECEIPTS AND EXPENDI- TURES FOR 1895-6.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation for
Support of schools,
$3,200 00
School incidentals,
600 00
Repairs on school houses,
500 00
Establishing a Grammar school,
500 00
Superintendent's salary account,
250 00
Received from
State, account school fund,
212 80
State, account of dog tax,
270 IQ
Houghton, Miflin & Co., account of books, 4 00
Totals, $5,536 90
EXPENDITURES.
Support of schools,
$3,510 65
School incidentals,
929 73
Repairs on houses,
306 94
Fitting and maintaining Grammar school, 433 53
Superintendent's salary, 300 00
$5,480 85
Balance unexpended,
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