USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1920-1925 > Part 15
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HONOR LIST, NOV., 1922.
Having work completed and no mark lower than 2.
Mann, H., '23
Loring, E., '25
Osborne, R., '23
Swift, F., '26
Thomas, D., '25
Swanson, C., '26
Sprague, A., '25
Goodrich, V., '26
Merry, R., '25
HIGH HONOR LIST, DEC., 1922.
Having work completed and no mark lower than 1 DeLorenzo, Antonio, '25 Hastings, Margaret, '26 Merry, Robert, '25 Swanson, Christine, '26 Goodrich, V., '26
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HONOR LIST, DEC., 1922.
Having work completed and no mark lower than 2.
Mann, H., '23
Walker, D., '25
Osborne, R., '23
White, E., '25
Peterson, E., '24
Delano, L., '26
Jones, W., '25
Dinsmore, L., '26
Loring, E., '25
Scholpp, M., '26
Sprague, A., '25
Swift, F., '26
In September of 1922, the school certificated five recent graduates to the State Normal School at Bridgewater. At the first (Christmas) issue of marks, four of these pupils were found to have an average of B (with credit), and the fifth only slightly below the others.
To be able to make a report of this sort is most gratify- ing. Not less so, is the probability that an equal number of Duxbury girls will enter the same institution next fall. Perhaps it is fair to interpret this recent surprising tendency toward preparation for teaching as a direct result of the town's awakening interest in modern education.
The undersigned wishes to record himself as being most strongly in agreement with recent reports of his predecessor, of the superintendent, and of the school committee, in which they declare for a more varied and practical type of school- ing. Surely, our boys should have opportunity for hand- work, our girls for cooking and sewing in our public school curriculum. Drawing, too, should be given more frequent and fuller time, especially mechanical drawing.
There are, of course, certain handicaps to our doing up- to-date high school work in accordance with up-to-date high school standards.
It is impossible to arrange to make one sink and faucet serve a class of 20 in Chemistry doing individual laboratory work. Reference works in large number and variety should be added to our equipment as soon as possible. It is only
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fair to those in authority to state that this latter need is acknowledged and it is planned to meet it as fully as possi- ble. But the most fundamental requirement, it seems to me, is for a broader and richer curriculum with equipment to correspond.
The pupils of the school are working well, and to date, late in January are registering excellent attendance, espe- cially while genuine winter conditions are in evidence. Only one day of school has been lost.
The passing from service of an old and valued servant is always a source of regret. Increasing years and failing strength caused, during the year, the retirement of Mr. Harry Freeman, who, for many years, served us well in the care of the building.
We have been deeply conscious throughout the year of a sense of good will toward, and cooperation with, the school and its work, on the part of the public and our school offi- cials. May I express, for its teachers, our keen appreciation and our determination to merit its continuance ?
Respectfully submitted,
ROBERT CUSHMAN, Principal.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC.
To the Superintendent of Schools, Duxbury, Mass .:
The Music Department has been encouraged this year by the addition of two new books. The first, a volumn of Junior Songs for the Grammar Schools, furnishes us a wealth of new material to give the boys drill in the use of the bass-clef, an essential item in preparing them for High School music.
The other volume was made necessary by the moving of the piano at the High School down to the main room, for use in the morning devotional exercises. The song book we had last year was not chosen for a hymnal. Moreover, we had. only half as many books as pupils; quite enough when the: latter were seated on benches, but entirely impossible for use in the regulation school seats. The change of room has proved on the whole, an advantage, both because there is less temptation to disorder and because the more often a chorus has opportunity to sing together, the more confidence it ac- quires.
The next need of the department will be some Primary Song Books. Both teachers and pupils seem to like the board work we are doing, especially since we have had our new staff liners, but some book-reading is necessary, in order to give the fourth grades a chance to get used to it before passing on to the intermediate schools. Our present book is suited only to the older pupils of the four-grade primaries, but feeling that consolidation is in the air, offering a new scope of op- portunities for our primary music teachers, we feel that we should make the best of what we have for the present, till we see what grading we are to have permanently.
We spent rather a disproportionate amount of time last spring in the primary schools, preparing songs for a health
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crusade festival, which, however, never was put through, ow- ing to the crowded program of the last term. We had a "parents" and a "friends" evening at the High School early in the spring, to give the chorus an incentive to work during the earlier part of the year. It was fairly successful, but involved considerable effort in turning the old assembly room, occupied now by the commercial department, into an audi- torium. It is to be regretted that there is no place suitable for a simple entertainment on the High School's own prem- ises.
In closing, I wish to thank, once more, all the teachers for their friendly support and cooperation.
Respectfully submitted,
REBECCA PHILLIPS.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL PHYSICIAN. FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR SEPT., 1921 TO JULY, 1922
Duxbury, Mass., July 1, 1922.
During the past year the school physician has continued the work of examining pupils, much as carried out during the previous two years, and as was outlined in the school physician's report for the fall term of 1919.
The children in the first five grades have been examined with backs and feet exposed. In the higher grades, except in special cases, shoes and stockings have not been removed, and the examination has been carried out fairly carefully with- out exposure of the chest or back. This makes a fairly satisfactory chest examination but the lines of the spinal column and shoulders, except in such cases as a marked de- formity, are not so accurately seen as they would with the clothing removed, and this has not been deemed wise as yet in the case of the majority of the older children. The height and weight of all the pupils has been taken and statistics are included in this report.
During the year there has been less contagious sickness than I think school years in general would average, and perhaps at this point some general remarks would not be amiss. Whenever, in this community, a case of contagious disease arises in the public schools, there is always a clamor from a portion of the parents to close the schools, and some- times this clamor reaches such a point that a considerable number of the pupils remain away, making it difficult to carry on the school work to advantage with the remainder. Many times this is unwise and does more harm than good. With the facilities which are now at hand for repeated ex-
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amination of the school children at school it would seem ; to me that very often the danger of a spread of contagious diseases was lessened by keeping the schools open than it was by closing them. This was well illustrated by what occurred during the past winter when one case of scarlet. fever kept a lot of children away from school in a manner that was entirely unnecessary.
Repeated visits to the various schools have been made by the school physician throughout the year. At the time of these visits particular attention has been paid to general conditions of heat, light, ventilation, the seating of the children, the condition of the toilets, and the general aspect as to neatness of the school rooms and the school grounds. In a number of cases the attention of the teachers has been called to the fact that the grounds and the toilets were poorly cared for. I am glad to say that on the whole, how- ever, there seems to be a marked improvement in these various items just referred to. The teachers, particularly in the grade schools, seem to have grasped a little more thoroughly the importance of using curtains to change the glare of light in childrens' eyes, and to be more careful in the sanitary conditions of the buildings and grounds. One cannot, of course, hold the teachers responsible entirely, yet it seems to me that it is as important to instruct children in habits of neatness and the general principles of sanitary living as it is to teach them the three R's. The condition of the grounds, which in one or two instances during the past year have been rather disgraceful, can be justly referred to the teacher only in such cases as are directly attributable to the carelessness of the children. Debris left by the mechanics and picnic parties are, of course, up to the Committee. The lighting facilities in several of the graded schools have been improved by reversing the position of the seats, as was suggested in our last report. This is a very great improve- ment.
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The work of the school physician has been ably assisted and much helped by the work of the school nurse. As has repeatedly been said by the school physician, without care- ful follow-up work it was of very little practical use to call the attention of children, or even parents, to defects, but this is very much improved by the visits which have been made by the school nurse, and in some cases by the school physician at the homes. Parents apparently are realizing more than ever before the importance of careful attention to childrens' teeth, to tonsils, to adnoids, and to the other defects which interfere with a child's health as well as with its proper growth and development.
For several years a Throat Clinic has been in existence at the Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, and during the past year several of the children have had tonsils and adnoids removed at that Clinic, as well as some in the various clinics in Boston, and by their own physicians. This clinic at the Jordan Hospital is available at a very small fee to such only as cannot afford to employ a surgeon to do this work, and requires a certificate from the school physician or the school nurse, or both. All other cases should, of course, consult their own family physician as to what to do.
In the matter of the cases which show flat feet and de- viation of the spinal column in young children, in some cases attention of parents, and in others of the teachers only, have been called to these faults in the children, and advice has been given as to methods of correcting the same.
The total number of children examined is 355. This number you will note is slightly over the total enrollment given for last year and is accounted for by the fact that in our statistics we have included all the different children that we examined during the two years since our last report for the year 1919 and 1920.
The following are the percentages of those examined : 35.77 per cent. show flat feet in the varying degrees.
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25.07 per cent. show deviation to one side or the other of the normal spine.
11.55 per cent. show evidence of some skin disorder.
6.48 per cent. had trouble with hair, usually nits.
49.01 per cent. showed teeth needing attention.
31.55 per cent. showed enlarged tonsils-or glands.
10.14 per cent. had obstructed nasal breathing. 3.09 per cent. showed some imperfections of sight.
00.84 per cent. showed imperfections of hearing.
3.38 per cent. showed some organic disease of the heart.
00.84 per cent. gave evidence of disease of the lungs.
Now, please understand that these figures do not mean that a little over one-third of the children have crippled feet, or that a quarter of them have deformed backs, or that a third of them need to have their throats operated on, or that one in ten should have some operation on the nose. It does mean, however, as we have previously suggested, that a very large number of children have already formed habits of careless walking, standing and sitting, which only ever- lasting vigilance on the part of the teachers and parents will correct. It does mean that such children as have enlarged tonsils, or even tonsils that are unhealthy without being enlarged, who are mouth breathers at night, who are in- clined to have frequent colds, who have ear aches of en- larged glands in the neck, should at least be examined care- fully by some surgeon competent to give advice as to the necessity of having the throat attented to.
More and more we are coming to realize the importance of an unhealthy condition of the tonsils or of adnoid growths in the naso-pharynx as effecting a child's general health and development. All children, of course, are not built on the same lines. The weight of bone and the ten- dency to be slender or to be fat, and the child of the so- called slender type who may be under weight as shown by a given standard, need not necessarily be unhealthy or un-
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der nourished, and may often have a much greater resisting power than the child who is fat and flabby and over-weight. Nevertheless, if a child persistently remains under weight it is at least a good plan to consult the family physician and ascertain whether there is some real physical fault or whether it is a characteristic of the child.
Again I want to emphasize the importance of careful ex- amination and follow-up work for the children in the lower grades. I want to call the attention of the Committee, of the teachers and of the parents to the importance of selecting and retaining the best possible talent for teachers in your primary grades. For here is the secret of a good start, both physically and mentally, in the school life.
While I realize that it is not exactly required of the school physician to examine or report on the condition of teeth, I have looked at teeth and made a report on the records, looking at teeth from the standpoint of a physician rather than that of the dentist, and I have been a bit surprised, and somewhat disappointed, to find that after all the agita- tion over teeth that has been had among the school children during the past few years that the general condition of the childrens' teeth had not shown more improvement.
N. K. NOYES, M. D., School Physician.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN OF DUXBURY,
1922-1923
The results of physical examinations of the school children made in October, 1922 and January, 1923, are given in the following table :
Total number of pupils examined, 317.
Total number without defects, 227.
Total number with defects, 90.
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Defects as follows :
Feet 28; Back 22; Skin 1; teeth 9; Throat 60; Nose &; Heart 13; Lungs 1.
This table includes defects serious enough to be classified as real defects and does not include pupils showing a slight defect, such as cases of slightly enlarged tonsils or mildly round shoulders or slight deformity of foot. It means that there are 28 pupils whose feet should be attended to; 22 whose backs should be straightened; 60 whose tonsils or adenoids should be removed; 9 whose teeth are a menace to general health. There are besides a large number whose teeth should be cared for. Under defects of heart, 7 showed real heart disease; the remaining 6 a slight defect of heart that will entirely disappear as the pupil grows older.
When we know that one-half of all diseases come from en- larged tonsils and carious teeth, and how easy it is to have these defects removed, it is to be hoped that parents will do their utmost to attend to these cases. So doing will pre- vent disease and result in a strong, healthy body of citizens.
The percentage of pupils with defects is about 29. This is low compared with average results in towns and cities of Massachusetts. Boston in 1922 showed that 51% of its pupils were defective. On the whole the physical condition of our children is good and compares favorably with that of most towns in our state. This good rating it should be our effort to maintain, and to improve upon.
ROGER SPALDING, M. D.
Duxbury, Jan. 20, 1923.
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
To the School Committee of the Town of Duxbury :
In accordance with my contract, I have followed the plan of giving approximately one-third of my working time or two days a week to school work. I have so planned that each school has been visited once a week-the east side schools on Wednesday and those at the west side on Fri- day. My work has fallen into three divisions. The first consisted of visits of examination made with the school physician or the school dentist. I assisted Dr. Noyes with examinations in June, Dr. Spalding in September, and ac- companied the school dentist on a round of inspection in the spring.
Under the second class of visits come those made to the children by the nurse during the school sessions. Once a month I have made a thorough general inspection covering hair, teeth, throats and skin. Once a week I have made in- dividual inspections where they appeared to be necessary. The third class of visits are follow-up calls in the homes, when advice is given to parents in caring for the children's teeth, tonsils, diet, etc., and for meeting perhaps some spe- cial problem in child training. In the homes I have also given follow-up nursing care under a doctor's direction.
These various classes of visits were in number as follows : To the school buildings, 289 visits were made, of these 98 being visits of inspection. I have made 208 visits in the homes, caring for the children or giving instruction. I have also carried children to Kingston to meet 95 dental appoint- ments, the Duxbury Nurse Association allowing their car to be used for a small fee from the parents. School cases
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have included pediculosis, scabies, first-aid treatments, and also under the direction of the attending physician, such other cases as chicken pox, scarlet fever and infected glands.
At the regular school visits after the necessary inspection, I have talked to the pupils on health subjects, such as fresh air and exercise, diet, posture, cleanliness. The children have learned and enjoyed health songs under the instruction of Mrs. Phillips. We expected to hold a health day last June and give a series of little plays, had not sickness and absence of some of the pupils prevented proper rehearsing. Miss Baker of the Tarkiln Intermediate did present her play.
It has been very gratifying to note the improvement in appearance and general health of the pupils during even so short a time as one school year. This has been especially marked along the lines of cleanliness of person and care of teeth, as well as by an intelligent fundamental knowledge of health habits. The effort and spirit of cooperation on the part of children and teachers has been pleasing and praiseworthy. I desire to thank them and all who have helped me to further the health work in the Duxbury schools.
Respectfully submitted,
DOLLY A. TAYLOR, R. N.
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LIST OF TEACHERS.
Name, Address, Training, Term of Service and Salary.
High School.
Robert Cushman, Jr., Duxbury R. F. D.,
Bridgewater Normal, Dartmouth, 2 $2,400 00
Helen K. McKay, Duxbury, Bos-
ton University,
1 1,600 00
Mabel E. Jenkins, Duxbury R. F. D.,
2
1,400 00
Ruth Tyler, (Wheaton) Duxbury,
1
1,200 00
Grammar School.
Ellen W. Downey, Kingston,
14
1,250 00
Elizabeth A. Hastings, So. Duxbury,
12
1,200 00
Edna M. Lovejoy, Kingston R. F. D., Gorham Normal, 1
1,250 00
M. Abbie Baker, East Pembroke, Hyannis
Summer, 12
1,200 00
Lower Grades.
Sara E. Paulding, Duxbury, Hyannis Sum-
mer, 18 1,200 00
Marion S. Baker, Brant Rock,
4 1,000 00
Eliza M. Nickerson, So. Duxbury, Hyannis Summer, 5
1,000 00
Viola M. Bowe, Kingston, Hyannis Normal,
Boston University, 2 1,000 00
Elizabeth W. Strawbridge, Duxbury, 2 900 00
Music.
Rebecca Phillips, Kingston R. F. D., Hol- yoke, 3 years, 3 600 00
Drawing.
Samuel Warner, So. Pembroke, N. E. Conser-
vatory, Art Department, 550 00
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ENROLMENT, MEMBERSHIP, ATTENDANCE AND TARDINESS. For term ending December 22, 1922.
SCHOOL
Enrolment
Membership
Attendance
Percent.
Attendance
Tardiness
Pupils Tardy
Pupils
Transported Carrying Lunch
High,
76
69
67
.94 135
31
21
69
Village Grammar,
39
37
35
.95
9
5
16
37
Village Intermediate,
40
36
36
.96
16
8
19
36
Tarkiln Primary,
39
37
36
.94
7
2
25
36
Tarkiln Grammar,
21
20
18
.89
7
4
13
20
Millbrook,
23
26
25
.94
18
8
18
26
Tarkiln Intermediate,
26
23
21
.94
19
8
4
13
Point,
19
17
16
.93
9
6
0
4
South Duxbury,
37
29
30
.91
18
10
8
24
Ashdod,
19
13
13
.88
57
12 0
13
Total,
339 307 297
295
94 124 278
ENROLMENT BY GRADES.
GRADE
High School
I II III
IV V VI VII VIII I II III IV Total
High School,
22 21 11 15
69
Village Grammar,
20 17
37
Tarkiln Grammar,
11 9
20
Village Inter.,
18 18
36
Tarkiln Inter.,
12 14
26
Tarkiln Primary 8 10 8 11
37
Milbrook, 7 10
6
23
Point, 6 5 2 4
17
South Duxbury, 8 5 9 7
29
Ashdod, 4 4 3 2
13
Total
33 34 22 30 30 32 31 26 22 21 11 15 307
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The following named pupils have been present every session of the sixteen weeks of school, beginning Septem- ber 5 and ending December 23, 1922. Because of this record their names are registered here :
High School.
Betty Byrne
Howard Mann
Russell Chandler
Verna MacNaught
Philip Covell
Robert Osborn
Sattie Densmore
Gustav Osterberg
Helen Ellis
Carl Santheson
Isabelle Freeman
Willie Scholpp
Doris Gilman
Blanche Short Fred Soule
Virginia Goodrich
Margaret Hastings
Wilfred Soule
Edwin Hobart
Dorothy Walker
Wadsworth Jones
Edith White
Village Grammar.
Alice Briggs
Dorothy Morrison
Everett Estes
Bessie Studley
Doris Edwards
Hazel Stearns
Helen Hanigan
Edward Soule
Dorothy Hoffman
Herbert Walker
Ernest Jones William Wadsworth
George Worster
Village Intermediate.
Alice Berriman Mary Cushman Mary Edwards Hannah Hagman
Doris McNaught
Helen Jones
Harold Mosher Beulah Morrison
Rowena Morrison Carl Peterson
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Tarkiln Primary.
Antonio Barboza
Nicholas Barboza
Clarence Berg
Elsie Berg
Delbert Glass
Esther Jones
Eric Ohlson
Henry Ohlson Elsie Loring
Arthur Peacock
Howard Peacock Wilma Simmons
Tarkiln Grammar.
Ralph Blakeman Carroll Foster
Mary Condon Russell Lovell
Tarkiln Intermediate.
Elwin Clark John King Elbert Little
Esther Nickerson
Natalie Peterson
Point.
Walter Smith Edwards
Wesley Bartlett Stuart
Henry Thomas Kendall Thomas
South Duxbury. Philip Shiff
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DUXBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Supplementary Outlines of Course of Study.
READING.
The books listed below are available now. Others will be provided later. Basal texts are to be used regularly. Supplementary books should be used systematically; for example : Hygiene series, one day weekly; Historical series one day weekly, etc.
Grade I
Story Hour Primer or Beacon Primer. Basal Text. Beacon First Reader.
Progressive Road to Reading.
Child Life. First Reader.
The Field Primer.
Other Primers are available.
Grade II
Story Hour Second Reader or Beacon Second Reader. Basal.
Progressive Road to Reading. Second Reader.
Child Life. Second Reader.
Red Feather. For silent reading drill.
America's Story for America's Children. Beginners Book. Around the World. Book I.
Grade III
Story Hour Book III or Beacon Book Three. Basal Text.
Progressive Road to Reading, Book III.
Child Life. Third Reader.
Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans.
America's Story for America's Children, Book II. Around the World, Book II.
Clematis, for Silent reading drill.
Dramatic Reader, Book I.
Grade IV
Basal Text.
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Arlo for Silent reading drill.
Stories of American Life and Adventure.
America's Story for America's Children, Book III. Little American Plays for Little Americans. Around the World, Book III.
Hygiene Series : Good Health. Grade V Basal Text:
The Silent Readers, Book V.
America's Story for America's Children, Book IV.
Around the World, Book IV.
Hygiene Series : Emergencies. Grade VI
Basal Text :
The Silent Readers, Book VI.
America's Story for America's Children, Book V.
Hero Stories from American History.
Around the World, Book V.
Hygiene Series : Town and City. Grade VII Junior High School Literature, Book I. Faris, Makers of our History.
Hubbard's American Plays.
Hygiene Series : The Body at Work. Grade VIII Junior High School Literature, Book II.
Stories of the Day's Work.
Our Country, Turkington.
Hygiene Series : Control of Body and Mind.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Receipts.
Town Appropriation,
$31,000 00
Dog Fund, 319 43
Reimbursements from the State,
2,126 66
Exchange of Typewriters,
30 00
Tuition, 20 75
Total Receipts,
$33,496 84
Expenditures.
School Committee, salary and exp., $244 26
Superintendent, salary and expenses, 1,151 64 Supervisors, 1,023 75
High School :
Principal,
2,340 00
Teachers, 4,120 00
6,460 00
Elementary Teachers,
9,848 75
Textbooks :
High,
369 20
Elementary,
676 21
1,045 41
Supplies :
High
138 80
Elementary,
693 45
832 25
Janitors,
1,504 63
Fuel :
High,
280 67
Elementary,
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