USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1901-1910 > Part 9
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A building as proposed by the committee for the accommo- dation of the children in Districts 1, 2, 7, 8, and the Grammar
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school, would be an ornament to the town, would give the in- habitants a graded system of schools, and would dispense with the services of one teacher. The cost of transportation would be small, as only those south of Hall's Corner, and from the Millbrook District would need to be carried. The consolida- tion of schools in the upper part of the town would reduce the expenses much more, as the five schools numbering from 10 to 25 scholars each could be accommodated in one building, thus saving the expense of hiring three teachers, and still increase the efficiency of the schools.
As the disease of smallpox has been prevalent in many parts of the United States, the committee by advice of the State and local Boards of Health, require that each and every pupil at- tending the public schools of the town shall give proof of hav- ing been vaccinated, or that they have been exempted there- from. The following notice has been posted in all sections of the town: Attention is called to Chap. 47, Sec. 9 of the Re- vised Statutes, viz : "The School Committee shall not allow a child who has not been duly vaccinated, to be admitted to, or connected with the public schools.
Chap. 515, Sec. I. Parents and guardians shall cause their children and wards to be duly vaccinated before they attain the age of two years, except as provided by Sec. 2 of this act. For every year's neglect, the party offending shall forfeit the sum of five dollars.
Chap. 515, Sec. 2. All children who shall present a certifi- cate signed by a regular practising physician, that they are un- fit subjects for vaccination, shall not be subject to Sec. 9, Chap. 47 of Public Statutes, excluding unvaccinated children from the public schools, and all children upon a certificate shall be ex- empted from the provisions of this act, and the parents and guardians of such children shall not be liable to the penalties imposed by Sec. I of this act."
The committee are pleased to report that the movement has met with general favor among the parents throughout the town, and has been complied with in most of the schools.
The Joint Committee of Duxbury, Scituate and Marshfield at their annual meeting in April re-elected Mr. Edgar L. Wil- lard as Superintendent of Schools. We are pleased to state that the schools have made commendable progress during the past year, largely owing to the untiring efforts of our Superin- tendent, supplemented by faithful, conscientious work on the
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part of the teachers. We have the honor according to the report of the Secretary of the Board of Education of being the first District to employ a Superintendent of Schools. That District consists of Scituate, Marshfield and Duxbury. Then it was optional with the town whether a Superintendent should be employed, but the Legislature at its last session passed a law obliging towns to employ a Superintendent after July 1, 1901, thus making it unnecessary for a vote of the town to be taken in regard to the matter.
Wm. J. Turner, Thaddeus Chandler, and the Superintendent were appointed truant officers. We understand that their at- tention has been called to but very few cases, thus speaking well for the attendance upon our schools.
In conclusion we would extend our thanks to the citizens for their interest in school work, and we trust with your co- operation to raise our schools to a much higher standard of ex- cellence. Appended to this report will be found the reports of the Committee on Consolidation of Schools, the Principal of Partridge Academy, and the Superintendent of Schools.
The Committee would make the following estimates for the ensuing year :
Support of schools,
$4,000 00
School incidentals,
700 00
Repair of schoolhouses,
400 00
Salary of Superintendent, 250 00
WILLIAM J. ALDEN, JR., HENRY BARSTOW, NATHAN T. SOULE. School Committee of Duxbury.
SCHOOL STATISTICS-1900.
Districts.
SCHOOLS.
TEACHER.
P. O. ADDRESS.
Number Enrolled. *
Number under 5 years
Numbe between 8 and
Number over 15 years
Average Membership
Average Attendance
Per cent. of
Attendance.
Per cent. of
Attendance, 1899.
1
§ Partridge High } Academy
Herbert E. Walker
Millbrook
41
0
5
28
39.1
34 9
89.5
90.2
Grammar
Nathan T. Soule
Duxbury
27
0
10
9
26.7
25.7
95.9
94.8
1
Village
Florence A. Chaffin
Duxbury
29
0
20
0
23.3
22.4
95.5
93.7
2
South Duxbury
Charlotte A. Tower
Duxbury
35
0
27
1
28.1
25.2
89.7
92.9
3
Island Creek
Nellie F. Randall
Kingston
22
1
12
1
17.3
15.4
88.7
83.6
4
Tarkiln
Ida M Raymond
Kingston
19
0
11
0
15.7
14.
89.
92.1
5
Ashdod
Ellen W. Downey
Millbrook
25
1
20
0
18.8
16.4
87.2
85.5
6
North Duxbury
Grace M. Peterson Elizabeth B. Wadsworth
Duxbury
26
1
18
0
20 8
17.4
83.6
86.6
7
Millbrook
Lola W. Randall
North Duxbury
35
1
27
0
34.9
31.5
92.6
86.3
8
Point
High Street
Grace M. Hastings
Duxbury
2
0
0
0
11.8
11.3
96.6
277
4
162
39
251.
227.4
90.6
89.5
* Figures in this column show the number of pupils enrolled that have not previously attended any other school in town.
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88.2
Kingston
16
0
12
0
14.5
13.2
90.8
9
Hannah D. Symmes
South Duxbury
of age.
14 years of age.
District.
Name of Teacher.
Post Office Address of Teacher.
Average Number
Belonging.
Average
Attendance
Absences.
Tardinesses.
Dismissals
Punishments.
Attendance.
Rank
Acad.
Herbert E. Walker
39.1
35.1
1147
232
44
0
90.
8
Grm. 1
Florence A. Chaffin
23.3
22.4
356
77
24
0
96.1
1
*2
Bessie Stewart
South Duxbury West Duxbury
25.1
23.2
520
27
12
1
92.4
5
3
Nellie F. Randall
17.2
15
592
186
29
2
87.3
9
4
Mrs. Ida M. Raymond
15.6
14.3
569
51
0
0
91.6
6
14.6
13.3
456
96
25
0
91.1
7
6
Grace M. Peterson
Millbrook
19
16.3
837
57
19
4
85.8
10
7
Elizabeth B. Wadsworth
Duxbury
22.2
17 4
854
75
21
0
78.4
11
8
Lola W. Randall
33.8
31.5
775
66
23
7
93.2
4
19
Grace M. Hastings
South Duxbury Totals and
12.5
12
121
28
0
0
96.
2
Averages 248.7
225.5
6635
932
211
15
90.6
3
Nathan T. Soule
26 3
25
408
37
14
1
94.7
Corporal
Per cent. of
Hannah D. Symmes
Millbrook South Duxbury Duxbury ..
Kingston
5
Ellen W. Downey
* Not reported for May, June and December.
+ Opened April 16, 1900.
CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE.
Upon investigation, your committee found that a new school building on the village lot was an absolute necessity. Also, that for six years the town has paid $100 yearly for a room for the use of the Grammar school.
Looking still farther, we found that with a two-room build- ing the same number of teachers must be employed as now, while with a four-room building, accommodating the four schools in the thickly settled portion of the town, and the Gram- mar school, the services of one teacher (salary $333) could be dispensed with, also the rent ($100) of the Grammar school- room, and the town would have three buildings and two lots at its disposal.
We would call your attention to the fact that the bill paid for fuel and janitors for the five buildings now in use amounts to $200 yearly.
A sub-committee visited Plymouth, Middleboro, Whitman and South Weymouth, viewing school buildings and seeking in- formation, and consulted Cooper & Bailey of Boston, architects who were selected to represent the State of Massachusetts at the Paris Exposition. Your committee have held five meet- ings, have devoted much time and thought to the subject, and have tried to look at it in all its bearings, and the estimates we present are sufficient to accomplish the object. We feel that if the town decides to build a four-room building on the village lot, to be paid for in not less than five years, nor more than ten years, it will be of the utmost value to the children, and wise financial action on the part of the town.
Your committee, therefore, unanimously present the plans for such a building, at an estimated cost of $10,000.
A. M. GOULDING, WENDELL PHILLIPS, T. W. GLOVER, E. T. SOULE, NATHAN T. SOULE.
PARTRIDGE ACADEMY.
To the School Committee of Duxbury, Gentlemen-
With the close of another year the following report of Partridge Academy is submitted in accordance with your re- quest.
During the winter term, Miss Symmes, who had served faithfully as assistant for several years, was obliged to leave her work for a time, and during her absence, which continued until the end of the spring term, Miss Eva W. Eldredge was employed as substitute. With this exception, there have been few interruptions during the year. Few changes in text-books have been made, the most important being the introduction of a new text-book in physiology. The work in drawing has been continued under Miss Ford's direction, and the results have been commendable. While it is evident that the lower schools, as organized at present, cannot devote much time to drawing, it is hoped that in the near future drawing may be taught by a competent teachers in all the schools of the town. An arrange- ment has been made with the trustees of the Duxbury Free Library, by which books may be taken for use in the school, and these books have supplemented the work in various sub- jects, particularly English.
For the past fifteen years the writer of this report has had an opportunity to judge of the preparation which the pupils en- tering the Academy have received in the public schools of the town, and therefore what is said on this subject is the result of observation. With the employment of a superintendent of schools and the adoption of a more definite course of study, there came something like uniformity in the work done in the various schools to prepare pupils for the Academy. Since the establishment of a school of two grades, or classes, in Dux- bury Hall, a much better preparation has been made, for a ma- jority of the pupils who enter the Acedemy attend the above school. Today, in order to raise the grade of the Academy, one of two courses should be followed : either the requirements for admission should be increased, or a year should be added
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to the course. When it is considered that the average age of the class which entered last September was nearly fourteen and one-half years, and that a year, at least, must be spent in com- pleting the usual studies of a grammar school, it seems desira- ble that a reorganization of the lower schools should be made.
The per cent. of attendance for the past year is a little lower than for the preceding year. While the per cent. of attendance for the Academy is frequently less than for some of the other schools, it should be remembered that the pupils come from all parts of the town to the Academy instead of coming from a single district. Very often pupils from several families ride to school in the same team, and if, for any reason, the team does not come, a considerable amount of absence is caused, absence for which the ordinary record offers no explanation. While poor attendance, whatever the excuse offered, is a serious hin- drance to good work in school, there is a nominal attendance which is little better than absence; for if pupils attend school too tired to study because of the lack of necessary sleep, or if social pleasures are uppermost in the mind, mere bodily pres- ence in the schoolroom can effect but little.
In closing, I urge the School Committee to visit the Acad- emy more frequently, and I thank the Superintendent of Schools and the Committee for their co-operation during the past year.
Jan. 1, 1901. HERBERT E. WALKER.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
To the School Committee:
This report, the sixth of the present series, is respectfully submitted for your consideration.
The general work of the schools during the year has been fully equal to, if not in advance of that of previous years. There are two branches in which the work of our schools does not improve, and in which it is next to impossible to make any substantial improvement under the present conditions. I refer · to drawing and music.
The regular teachers cannot do this part of the work as it should be done, without aid. Proper aid can be had only from those who have had special training in these subjects.
I believe the time has come in the affairs of the town and in the management of her schools when it is not only proper and right to suggest that a special teacher in each of these subjects be secured, but also that it is necessary to do so, unless we in- tend to ignore almost entirely branches considered by many as fundamental. Do the citizens of the town wish these subjects abandoned in the schools ? I cannot believe that they do, yet they practically are, and must be.
It is comparatively easy for any teacher to teach her pupils to repeat certain musical sounds after her,-or, what is worse still, after one of her pupils,-and in this way teach certain tunes, but this is imitation pure and simple, and a long way from teaching music. The regular teacher, too, may place objects before her pupils and tell them to draw them, but this is not teaching drawing ; yet that is about all that two thirds of our regular teachers can do.
If there should be one who is expert in this line, it is almost sure to follow that this advantage which she possesses over other regular teachers is more than counterbalanced by her total inability to perform satisfactorily some other equally important part of her work.
As some of our teachers are neither musicians nor artists, and as some have no taste nor ability whatever in these lines, it
Duxbury I
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is impossible for them to intelligently support-much less direct -this part of their work, unless they first receive instruction from some one whose special province it is to impart. It is my special desire that you will find it within the limits of possibility and advisability to employ a special teacher in each one of these branches the coming year.
On the following page will be found the attendance in each school for the year 1900, together with the names and addresses of the teachers. It will be seen by the table that the Village School is at the head of the list in regularity of attendance, while the school at Millbrook is the lowest. This, however, should not reflect too much credit upon the former, nor dis- credit upon the latter school. The Village School has a great advantage over any other district in town, in the smallness of territory from which its pupils come, being limited in the north- erly direction by a line near Mattakeesett Hall, and in the southerly direction by a line near the residence of the late Fan- nie Davenport.
In the case of the Millbrook school, however, pupils come almost from the Marshfield line on the State road; from the Academy on the other side, and from a southwesterly direction I do not know how far. A glance at the attendance table tells its own story. So many absences from so small a number of pupils does not seem necessary. Nearly seven thousand ab- sences from two hundred and fifty pupils-an average of over twenty-six for each-is more than can be laid at the door of necessity. Neither does it seem necessary that there should be nine hundred and thirty-two cases of tardiness, and two hun- dred and eleven dismissals in one year. These would indicate that we are still far from perfection in attendance, and only the hearty assistance of the parents, coupled with the earnest work of the teacher, will ever bring about anything near to that condition.
It is with no small degree of interest that I have followed the doings of the committee chosen at the last annuai town meeting to consider the subject of consolidation, and to submit plans for a new school building to be located in the village.
I believe the time has come when the town should take a strong stand for progress. The town has had the reputation in the past of being progressive. But to keep pace with other towns of its size, Duxbury must be willing soon to give up the much cherished "little red schoolhouse," which in most locali-
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ties, in Massachusetts, at least, has outlived its best usefulness, and adopt the plan of centralizing its work of its schools.
To take up with every new plan ; to grasp at every new idea : to hasten to catch up every new fad which educational freaks may suggest ; all these have little to do with progress. But when a plan of work has been thoroughly tried and tested in all its bearings, and under all possible conditions, and yet has been found to be good, it is time for us to consider whether or not we are lagging behind when we refuse to adopt it.
If a four-room building could be located somewhere between the postoffice and Peterson's store, on or near Washington street, I believe the conditions would be far more favorable, so far as transportation is concerned, even if the five schools, South Duxbury, Village, Grammar, Point and Millbrook, were closed, than are the conditions which exist in many of the towns in Massachusetts having consolidated schools.
In fact, I believe the question of transportation could be very easily and satisfactorily arranged. This being the only question connected with the subject of consolidation which is at all debatable, it seems reasonable to hope that we may enjoy in the near future some of the advantages which a large school can give to its work over anything possible in a small school.
Superintendent Eaton, of Concord, has this to say : "In many of the towns of the State, depopulation of the districts outside of the village has made it cheaper to transport to other schools than to teach them in situ. In other towns the desire to make strong central schools, and the purpose to give all of the chil- dren of the town the benefit of better appliances, better teach- ers, and better supervision, have been the dominant motives to determine consolidation. There is a substantial agreement in the affirmative that results have been satisfactory." And again, U. S. Commissioner Harris says : "It has been frequently dem- onstrated and is generally conceded that it would be better on economical and on pedagogic grounds to unite the many small and weak schools of a township, dispersed over a large extent of territory, into a few strong, well-equipped and weil-con- ducted graded schools, located at convenient points."
Owing to some changes in the teaching force, the work of some of the schools has been more or less interrupted during the past year. This, of course, is unavoidable. But it has not done the injury it might have had not the new teachers taken hold of the work in the earnest way in which they have,
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It was once said to me by an agent of the State Board of Education that there ought to be a law that would forbid us hiring any but normal school graduates. The experience of Duxbury has gone to prove that if we can have the pick of the graduates from the local High schools, after a little training and some with very little, they are surer to make a success than such teachers as we would be able to obtain who are graduates of the different normal schools.
The teachers have, during the past year, exhibited an ear- nestness and life in their work which mark the true teacher. All are endeavoring to work out to the utmost of their ability, I believe, the plans and desire of the committee and supervisor. Harmony, a condition most necessary, has existed in all the work. I cannot help thinking that there has been a better feeling, more hearty co-operation and a more general consid- eration, the one for the other, between teachers and parents, teachers and pupils, than has existed during any previous year, and it is my sincere desire that this good feeling may continue to increase.
By some it is often said that our schools are costing too much : that the outlay annually made by the town is not war- ranted by the results. It must be admitted, however, that if we have good buildings we must take care of them. If our buildings are not in good condition, we ought to make them so. If we are to have good schools, and if we wish to continue to maintain a good standard, we must pay for them. No man in any business enterprise would expect to succeed without an outlay of money. Our buildings, with the best of care, will
in time need repairing. The greater the number of buildings,
the greater the expense of keeping them in proper repair.
It
is not economy to allow buildings and grounds to be neglected. Some of our schools are located in spots for which nature has done much, and which could be made truly beautiful and at- tractive with a small outlay. Would it not pay in years to come, in its influence upon the generation now in the schools, to make such an outlay? A new floor, a whole chair, a coat of paint, fence repairs, grading of grounds, are all items of true economy so far as the mechanical part of school work is con- cerned. A dollar, or even two dollars a week, added to the wages of a teacher who has proved herself to be what her school needs, rather than to allow her to go elsewhere; new and im- proved text-books; all the appliances which tend to make the
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work of the schools better, pleasanter, easier and quicker, are sure indications of true economy.
In concluding this report, I have a few suggestions to make for what, I have reason to believe, will be the improvement of our schools.
First-That as soon as any change is made in the location of the Grammar school, whether it be to move it to a new union school building, which I trust will be the case, or to some other house to accommodate the grammar grades merely, the eighth grade be taken from the Academy. This, I believe, can most easily be done by taking the most advanced pupils of the present seventh grade and placing them in the Academy as a ninth grade, while the less advanced remain in the Grammar school as an eighth grade. This will avoid any hiatus in the classes of the Academy, and will put the Academy and the elementary schools in position to do better and more advanced work.
Second-That some particular regulations be adopted, provi- sion made and inducement offered, to influence all grammar grade pupils to attend either the Grammar school in the village, or the school at Tarkiln.
Third-That you authorize the superintendent to prepare reading lists for the pupils of the several grades, certain por- tions of which to be required either to be read by the pupils themselves, or by the teacher to the pupils, according as they are in the upper or lower grades.
Fourth-That you purchase a few copies of such books as the proposed reading list should make necessary.
Fifth-That you ask the town at the next annual town meet- ing to make provision for the employment of a special teacher each in drawing and music.
Sixth-That you appoint a school attendance officer in each district, who lives within five minutes' walk of the schoolhouse.
Allow me to thank you as a committee for the unfailing sup- port and the cordial sympathy that you have extended me dur- ing the six years of my service, and through you, to the teachers for the excellent spirit in which they have received my sug- gestions, and for their faithfulness in carrying them out.
On another page will be found my report as truant officer.
EDGAR LINCOLN WILLARD. Superintendent of Schools.
January 1, 1901.
REPORT OF TRUANT OFFICER.
Whole number of cases investigated, 7
Detained by parents without sufficient reason, 4
Cases of actual truancy,
3
Respectfully submitted, E. L. WILLARD, Truant Officer.
January 1, 1901.
TOWN WARRANT.
PLYMOUTH, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Duxbury in said County.
GREETING.
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are directed to notify the inhabitants of the Town of Dux- bury, qualified to vote in elections, and in town affairs, to meet at the Town Hall, in said Duxbury, on Monday, the fourth day of March next, at seven o'clock, in the forenoon then and there to act on the following articles, viz :
Article I. To choose a Moderator to preside in said meeting.
Article 2. To bring in their votes for one Selectman for the term of three years, one Assessor for the terin of three years, one Overseer of the Poor for the term of three years, for Town Clerk for one year, for Town Treasurer for one year, for Collector of Taxes for one year, for Tree Warden for one year, for one person for Board of Health for the term of three years, for one School Committee for the term of three years, for one Highway Surveyor for one year, for one Cemetery Trustee for the term of five years, for three Constables for one year, for two Auditors for one year. All on one ballot. Also on same ballot. Will the Town grant licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors for the ensuing year, the vote to be "Yes" or "No" in answer to the question Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this Town? Polls will be open at 7.15 a. m., and may be closed at 11. 15.
Art. 3. What action will the Town take relative to the appointment of necessary officers not chosen by ballot.
Article 4. To hear the reports of the several Town Of- ficers and committees, and act thereon.
Art. 5. Will the Town appropriate one hundred dollars to be expended under the direction of William Wadsworth Post No. 165, G. A. R., for the observance of Memorial Day.
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