Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1901-1910, Part 48

Author: Duxbury (Mass.)
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1404

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1901-1910 > Part 48

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Voted, That the Selectmen appoint a local Superintendent for the work of suppressing the Gypsy and Brown Tail Moths.

Voted, That the Selectmen be instructed to appoint ac- cording to the provisions of law, a Board of Fire Engineers and that the matter of providing for housing the Engines be put in the hands of that Board.

Voted to appropriate :

For the support of schools, $5,200 0C

For school incidentals and repairs of school houses, 800 00

For Superintendent of Schools, 250 00

For Free Library, 500 00

4.000 00 For repairs highways.

For cemeteries, 400 00

For Sinking Fund,

2,000 00

For interest railroad note,

1.000 00

For School house loan and interest,

1.080 00

For Stone Road loan and interest.

2,240 00

For support of poor.

1.600 00

For Board of Health.

500 00

For Forest Fire Wards.

400 00

For repairs Gurnet Bridge,

98 34

For Board Fire Engineers.

1,500 00

600 00

For discount on taxes.

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For abatement of taxes,

For Memorial Day,

500 00 100 00

For incidental expenses, bank and corporation taxes.

Voted, That the unexpended balance on account of Bay Pond Road, road at South Duxbury and Powder Point Road be transferred to highway account.

Voted, To accept the List of Jurors as prepared by the Selectmen and that the Selectmen fill vacancies.

Voted, That the Town accept a piece of land deeded them by the Ladies Cemetery Association.

Voted, That the thanks of the Town be given to the Ladies Cemetery Association and the heirs of John S. Lor- ing for presenting this tract of land and that the Town Clerk be requested to inform Mrs. Loring, President of said asso- ciation, of this vote.

Voted, That the Cemetery Trustees be authorized to em- ploy an Agent to look up title to Cemetery land and such other records as may be required and any expense, not to ex- ceed one hundred dollars, that incurs, be paid from the In- cidental Account.

Voted, That the Selectmen approve bills of the Tree Warden, to be taken from Incidental Account, not to exceed two hundred dollars.

Voted, That the Selectmen be instructed to have a copy of all franchises granted by the Town that are now in force printed in the next annual Town Report.

Voted, That any franchises granted during the year be added to the list and that the Selectmen state in the next Annual Report, the consideration received for these franch- ises.

Voted, That the care of the clock donated the Town by the descendants of Mrs. Almeda Ellison be placed in the hands of the Selectmen.

Voted, That, whereas, the Town of Duxbury has received as a memorial of Mrs. Almeda Ellison the gift of a clock from her descendants.

Resolved, That the citizens of Duxbury in Annual Town Meeting assembled desire to express their appreciation of this gift and their respect for the long and well-spent life thus commemorated.

Resolved, That the above be entered unon the records of

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the Town and that a copy be sent to Miss Laura B. Ellison and the other donors.

Resolved, That the citizens of Duxbury in Town Meeting assembled would express sorrow for the death of their townsman the late John B. Hollis and would hereby form- ally acknowledge his services to the Town and would partic- ularly specify his valuable service in connection with placing the Gurnet Bridge in the custody of the County. His suc- cssful efforts in having the State law passed by which this was done can only be fully appreciated by those of us who were with him working for the same end. And would ex- press their regrets that they can no longer have the spec- ial information, of importance to the Town, which Mr. Hol- lis was able to give of the proceedings of the Legislature.

Resolved, That these resolutions be put upon the records and that a copy of them be forwarded by the Town Clerk to Mrs. Hollis.

At the close of registration February 24, 1906 there were 570 assessed polls and 456 registered male voters. At the above Annual Town Meeting there were 348 names checked as having votes on Town Officers and License.

March 26, 1906, Special Town Meeting.

Chose Herbert C. Freeman, Moderator.

Voted, To appropriate four hundred dollars for removal of snow.

Voted. That the Town sustain the Board of Health in de- fending any law suits that may be brought against them.

Voted, That the whole matter of expending fifteen hund- red dollars for the Engineers be life in their hands.

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March 30, 1906, Special Town Meeting. .

· Chose, Edmund H. Sears, Moderator.

Voted, That the amounts of $5,200 for Schools; $4,000 for Highways; $1,500 for Fire Engineers; $2,000 for Sink- ing Fund; $1,000 for Interest; $800 for School Incidentals; $500 for Free Library; appropriated at the last Annual Town Meeting, be transferred and appropriated to the pay- ment of the Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad loan falling due April 1, 1906 and that the Treasurer is hereby authorized to use the same for the payment of said bond. Ten voted in the affimative and none in the negative.

Voted, That for the purpose of raising money for the ex- penses of the Town for the current year the Treasurer be and is hereby authorized to issue bonds or notes of the Town to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars at a rate of interest not exceeding four per cent. per annum, payable semi annu- ally, the principal payable fifteen hundred dollars a year for ten years, said notes to be signed by the Treasurer and ap- proved by a majority of the Selectmen, the proceeds of said notes be applied and credited by the Treasurer as follows : For Schools, $5,200 00

For Highways, 4,000 00

For Fire Engineers, 1,500 00

For Sinking Fund, 2,000 00

For Interest, 1,000 00 For School Incidentals, 800 00

For Free Library. 500 00

Ten voted in the affirmative and none in the negative.

Voted, That the Moderator appoint a Committee of three to consider the matter of formation of a Warrant or Fin- ance Committee.

November 12. 1906, Special Town Meeting.

Chose, Laurence Bradford, Moderator.

Voted, That an explanation be requested of the Board of Fire Engineers of their action in locating the Engine House.

Voted, That the vote of the Town whereby the Town

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gave the Board of Fire Engineers full power in the matter of the location of the Engine building, be rescinded.

Twelve voted in favor and eleven in opposition. Mr. Frederick B. Knapp raised the point of order that the mo- tion did not come under any article of the warrant and so could not be considered at this meeting.

GEORGE H. STEARNS,

Town Clerk.

Duxbury 5

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

OF THE

TOWN OF DUXBURY

FOR THE YEAR

1906

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

William J. Alden, term expires, 1907

Nathaniel K. Noyes, term expires,

1908

Albert M. Goulding, term expires, 1909

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.

John E. DeMeyer, North Scituate.

TEACHERS FOR 1906-1907.

Name, School, and Post Office Address. Herbert E. Walker, Partridge Academy, Millbrook.

Lizzie S. Sampson, Partridge Academy, Duxbury.

Eva W. Eldredge, Partridge Academy, South Duxbury. Mary F. Kauffman, Grammar, Duxbury.

Florence A. Chaffin, Village, Duxbury.

Ellen W. Downey, South Duxbury, Kingston.

Grace M. Peterson, Island Creek, Millbrook.

Mrs. Ida M. Raymond, Tarkiln, Kingston.

Sadie E. Spaulding, Ashdod, Duxbury. Ella W. Hodgdon, North Duxbury, Duxbury.

Grace M. Hastings, Millbrook, Duxbury. Mrs. Mary L. Devereux, Point, Duxbury. Mrs. Lillian C. Stoddard, teacher of music, North Scituate. Harriet J. Ford, teacher of drawing, Millbrook.

REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The School Committee of the Town of Duxbury here- with submit their Annual Report together with the Report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year ending De- cember 31, 1906.

Mr. Edgar L. Willard, for eleven years Superintendent of our schools, resigned his position in April. We wish to place on record our appreciation of his faithful services, his gentlemanly character and interest in the work of education. He is now officiating as Superintendent in the City of New- buryport.

At a joint meeting of the Committee of Scituate, Marsh- field and Duxbury held April 26, Mr. John E. DeMeyer, was unanimously elected Superintendent of Schools for the ensuing year.

All needed repairs have been made on our school houses during the year. The outside of the Grammar school build- ing has been stained and the trimmings painted and new blackboards have been put in at the Tarkiln school.

The Truant Officers for the present year are: Wm. J. Turner, Thaddeus W. Chandler, Warren E. Peterson and the Supeintendent.

The Committee have made arrangements for the superin- tendent to have an office in the selectmen's rooms. He will be there on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 3 to 5 p. m., and will be glad to meet either teachers or parents who wish to consult him concerning school mat- ters.

The Committee would make the following recommenda- tions for the ensuing year :

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Support of schools,

$5,200 00 School incidentals and repair of school houses, 800 00

Salary of Superintendent,

250 00

NATHANIEL K. NOYES,

ALBERT M. GOULDING, WILLIAM J. ALDEN,

School Committee.

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

To the Duxbury School Committee :

I respectfully submit my first annual report for your con- sideration. As I have served you in the capacity of super- intendent only since last May, this report will be short and in some respects incomplete. I shall attempt to give as con- cise a statement as possible of the condition of your schools when I assumed my duties, together with the changes that have been made already and those I consider advisable in the near future.

During the past year the work in the schools has been good when one takes into consideration the fact that many of the schools are small, and the teachers have several grades each. Very few vacancies occurred last

spring to disturb the usual order of the work. Miss Haskins resigned her position in the grammar school and Miss Grace Brown at Island Creek. These vacancies have been successfully filled. Miss Mary Kauffman suc- ceeded Miss Haskins at the grammar, Miss Peterson was transferred from North Duxbury to Island Creek, and Miss Ella Hodgdon succeeded Miss Peterson at North Duxbury. Aside from these changes we have been fortunate in re- taining our old teaching force.

No attempt has been made to make any radical changes in the school system. Reforms to be effective in the best sense of the word should come about gradually and be the

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result of experience. Prof. Homes in an address delivered last June to the Superintendents of New England, on "School Reforms" said, "Move conservatively but move." That I believe is the policy of the present school manage- ment.

COURSES OF STUDY.

A course of study to be effective should be a matter of growth. It should be modified from time to time to meet new conditions as they arise. Any course so inflexible as to prevent its adaptation to conditions is a hindrance to good work, rather than a benefit. No attempt has been made to introduce a new course of study, but certain modifications have been made in the one we already have.

The course in reading has been changed by the introduc- tion, in the first grade, of the Ward system. The Ward method is a combination of the best features of the old word and sentence method together with the best of the phonetic method. The present first grade will continue the same line of work in the second grade and so on up through all the grades, thus preventing the breaks in the development of the work that comes from changing from one teacher to another where no systematic method is employed.

One of the chief purposes of the school should be to de- velop power and ability to read and appreciate good litera- ture. The early processes of reading must be carefully considered by every teacher if the desired ultimate results are to be obtained. Much of what is sometimes considered mechanical in the early training of the child can be made interesting by a careful and thoughful teacher. The child delights in a story and under direction will assimilate the elements that have the slightest parallel in his own experi- ence. Without the assistance of the teacher very little at- tempt is made by young pupils at interpretation. Interest must be aroused and experience interpreted by the aid of the teacher.

In the grammar grades there is a great opportunity to es- tablish a taste for good literature. We do a child a very doubtful service when we teach them how to read and not what to read. The latter may be accomplished by enriching our reading courses so that our pupils, instead of reading

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from one text book, may have a number of complete school stories placed at their disposal. Thus the authors, in whose master pieces are found the clearest pictures of life and the most accurate expressions of truth, are introduced to the pupils at an age when they are most susceptible to impres- sions. I would urge that this phase of our school work have your most careful consideration.

A new course in third grade language has been introduced which will be followed immediately by new courses in the other grades. The new work in language will take up much more composition than has been taken up in the past and will make the lower grade work much simpler and more practical.

METHODS OF PROMOTION.

The function of the public school is to train youth into social efficiency and not merely to acquire facts. The ques- tion that confronts us is : How may the highest degree of intellectual vigor be secured? When determining whether a pupil shall be promoted or not, one should take into con- sideration the ability of the pupil to solve new problems for himself, as well as his ability to pass a certain regular per- cent in the subjects he has taken during the year. In the elementary work even greater stress should be placed upon mental development than upon mere acquisition of facts. The results obtained from any one set of test papers deter- mine neither the intellectual status of a child nor his ability to do the work in the grade above him. These facts can be obtained only by a careful estimate, on the part of both teach- er and superintendent of the daily work of the child and his power of application together with a series of short tests both written and oral given at short intervals. The objects of these tests should be not merely to ascertain how much the pupil knows of the subject but also to ascertain where his weak points are before it is too late to strengthen them. Instead of tests given by the superintendent at the end of each term, the above method of promotion has been adopted.

HIGH SCHOOL.

The work in the High School has maintained its usual high standard during the past year. We have been very

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fortunate in that no changes were necessary in the teaching force.

The work in the school is very seriously handicapped owe- ing to the presence of the eighth grade in the building. With our present limited teaching force, all we can expect to do is the regular four years High School Work, and any additional work must prove a serious disadvantage to that work.

Under the present arrangement the results are unsatis- factory both in respect to the High School work and the grades. High School teachers should not be obliged to spend any part of their time dealing with the problems of the grades. The higher institutions are constantly raising their standards of scholarship and our high schools must meet these standards. This means that we must demand more of our teachers as time goes on. To meet the con- ditions imposed by the higher institutions is all we can reas- onably expect our teachers to do well. The addition of the eighth means that some phase of the work most be passed over too hurriedly or left undone. On the other hand the grade must suffer when placed under the instruc- tion of teachers whose time is occupied with High School problems and who have but little opportunity to make a careful study of the needs of a grammar grade.

At present very little can be done in the department of Physics and Chemistry owing to lack of room. We need a good sized laboratory well fitted with sinks, cabinets, ap- paratus, etc., for this work. Then and not until then can we hope to meet the requirements of the higher institutions along this line. While the purpose of the country high school should not be merely to fit for college, yet we should so far as it is in our power fit our pupils for the larger tech- nical institutions and the sciences form a very important part of their requirements.

A glance at the records of the High School shows that a very small percent of the boys that enter the school ever graduate. This is, I believe, due to two main reasons, first, many of our boys are obliged to leave school early and go to work, and second, because we do not now furnish the practical course they want. The addition of a good busi- ness course would. I believe, result in keeping in school many of those boys who leave before graduation.

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I would recommend that we take the eigth grade from the school and put in a commercial course.

CONSOLIDATION.

The problem of consolidation is always a serious one, and needs careful consideration before any definite action is tak- en. Every citizen feels that it is his inalienable right to have a school established in his district, and he guards that right almost as zealously as he does his personal liberty. consideration for such right often prevents a school com- mittee from making changes that would prove decidedly 'beneficial to the educational interests of the town.

So widely scattered are our schools and so serious would be the problem of transportation that it seems to me that an attempt to abolish any of the schools would be decidedly im- practical at present. Certain changes, however, could be made which would improve every department of our school system. We are now paying quite a sum of money for the tuition of pupils living in the extreme western part of the town. By moving the Ashdod school house farther towards the western extremity it would be possible to accommodate those pupils who are now obliged to go out of town. Again the Millbrook, Point and South Duxbury schools are very small and have five grades each. By moving the Point school across the bridge and requiring part of the pupils that now go to the Point to go to Millbrook in the future and by dividing the primary scholars at the village between the Point and South Duxbury and by allowing four grades in- stead of five in each of these schools, thus giving the teacher more time and raising the standard of grades, we would greatly improve the work and lessen the percent of failures of promotion.

In the rooms thus left vacant at the village school we could put the fifth and sixth grades and in the rooms now used for the sixth and seventh, place the seventh and eighth. Such a plan would require no additional teaching force, would relieve the crowded condition of the High School and would prove a long stride towards better and more ef- ficient grade work. As to the Ashdod school, the plan sug -. gested would prove a paying investment from the start. The only additional expense would be the price of a lot and the

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cost of moving the Point school house, and that expense, I believe, would be trivial as compared with the results ob- tained.

ATTENDANCES.

A glance at some of the school registers will show that in a number of instances the attendance is below the standard required by law. The class room work should form the most important part of a pupil's work and if lost cannot be made up satisfactorily. The law specifically states that any pupil absent more than ten half days in six months shall be considered a truant and dealt with as such. Parents should take these facts into consideration and cooperate with the teacher and school management by seeing that their pupils are present at every session.

In conclusion permit me to thank those with whom I have been associated for their hearty support and cooperation.

Respectfully submitted,

JOHN E. DEMEYER.

REPORT OF DRAWING.

To the Superintendent of Schools :

The drawing has been carried on in very much the same lines as last year. The pupils are interested and try to do their best. While the district school has its advantages in some ways, these are far overbalanced by its disadvantages the chief being, its many grades. Anyone can readily see that in giving one lesson to the whole school that lesson must be adapted to the older pupils, leaving the younger ones to get what they can out of it, they never having a lesson really suited to them. However, we shall have to adapt ourselves to circumstances and do the best we can under ex- isting conditions.

The work has gone on very regularly as a rule, the teach- ers cooperating with my plans and in every way forwarding

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the work. Sometimes the full number of lessons are not given but there is usually a good and sufficient reason for this.

In spite of bad weather it is rarely that a lesson is missed; even in the most inaccessible districts where the children have long distances to go the attendance is usually good. Since school began this year there have been many stormy days when I have made my visits, but I have always found the schools in session.

It is my plan to lead the drawing into practical lines as far as possible, to take advantage of holidays and special occasions and apply the drawing to design for special work suited to the day or season.

The drawing at the Academy is very satisfactorily car- ried on by the able assistance of Miss Eldredge. The gram- mar class in this school makes the work unsatisfactory for that class, being a large one, takes up one period of the time devoted to drawing, pushing the remainder of the school into one class, which makes the work rather unequal and not easily adapted to the four grades in the High School proper. Another year I hope the classes may be better balanced and the work more suitably placed.

I would take this opportunity to thank the School Com- mittee for so kindly cooperating with me, and for furnish- ing the necessary materials, at the same time crediting my- self with being very modest in my demands.

Very respectfully,

HARRIET J. FORD.

REPORT ON MUSIC.

To the Superintendent of Schools-

It is always a pleasure to speak of the music in the schools

of Duxbury, and it now becomes my duty to do so. It is probably the same with music as with other studies; that some pupils go ahead of others with the same ability, and still others who do not advance perceptably. However, in music there must be a certain small degree of gift or talent,

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and the lack of it does not prove the pupil stupid. There are instances in nearly every school where one or perhaps two pupils have advanced far beyond the others with no other advantages in the way of instruction than they. These are our leading voices, and, though we take a special pride and interest in them, let us not forget that all the others must learn for themselves.

Leading voices are a great help in show work; but are apt to be a detriment to a school. It should be the part of no one to lean on some one else's singing. Each one must sing his exercise or song as if he were singing it alone.

A firm insistence upon this will help future choirs. In

so many volunteer choirs we meet with the great annoyance of some or nearly all members being behind the count, and growing slower all the time; this is not from a difference in beat, but because the singer hesitates to sing any note until the ear hears it from a voice or instrument. So let us see that each phrase is learned in singing as in reading by glanc- ing at it first, and then sung independently as if singing alone. There are few schools where individual singing is practicable, because of the attitude of those not singing.

It seems that the greatest diligence on the part of the teacher will not overcome this, as it is expressed very freely outside of school hours if the feeling exists. As a boy ex- pressed it, "A fellow can't sing, because all the rest turn around and look," and if they don't just then, they observe to some purpose later on.

In some of our schools we have so many who sing in dif- ferent grades that it becomes necessary to divide the class in- to two sections, giving each part a separate lesson. This is much more work to the teacher, and shortens the time for each class in the special lesson; but the advanced singers must go on any way, and the little low grades do so well that they need the instruction also. So in some schools you may find two classes, in others a high grade class, and in still others, a low grade class. This is due wholly to the difference in ability in the present class.

There is an appeal which we wish to make to the parents. It is this: Let us refrain from telling a child that he or she cannot sing. There are many cases in all schools, of children, who cannot "carry the tune" when singing by

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themselves, and the parents know it; but these same children sing in perfect tune with the school, and the parents do not know this, as they don't go to hear. £ This is proved by the very few absolute monotones in Duxbury schools. There are instances where children do not give correct pitches in school, or anywhere until ten to fourteen years, and then suddenly find the way. In one case a girl began to sing at about eleven or twelve, and is now (in the eighth grade) a leading voice.

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Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1901-1910, Part 48

Author: Duxbury (Mass.) Publication date: 1901 Publisher: The Town Number of Pages: 1404

Author: Duxbury (Mass.)
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1404