USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1941-1945 > Part 17
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We request no appropriation this year for the support of an Americanization class since there is no opportunity to continue this work at present.
The appropriation for Vocation and Trade School tui- tion can be reduced to $250.00. The availability of some types of vocational training in defense plants has tempo- rarily resulted in a decrease in the number of requests for vocational training in the schools.
We request that the sum of $53,500.00 plus the Dog Tax be appropriated for the regular use of the schools.
Respectfully submitted,
KENNETH G. GARSIDE, Chairman HERBERT WIRT, Secretary JOSEPH W. LUND WALTER G. PRINCE J. NEWTON SHIRLEY
Copy of the letter of authorization to the Graduate School of Education of Harvard University.
July 27, 1942
Professor Alfred Simpson Littauer Building Cambridge, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
The Duxbury School Committee at a meeting held on July 7th voted that the following policies should govern your investigation and recommendations for our School Department.
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The School Committee, in voting to employ you and your associates has only one desire in mind and that is to seek your aid in making our educational system the best that can be provided, taking into consideration the size of the community, the physical limitation of our buildings and the amount of funds which the town can reasonably be expected to pay for its public schools.
We hope that you will make your report based on the fact's as you find them, leaving aside personal factors, and pointing every way in which improvements can be made. We trust that good points as well as bad points will be mentioned.
If the School Committee is at fault in any way, or its past actions have been harmful to proper development, we trust that you won't worry about hurting our personal pride in what we have tried to do.
We have instructed Mr. Green to cooperate with you in every way, giving you such access as you need to records of pupils, teachers or finances.
The Committee is most anxious this summer to work toward improvement in these definite lines :
1. A better rounded program for manual and physi- cal education, coordinated properly with the rest of the school work.
2. A better understanding of the objectives in the grade school work with those of the upper grades and high school.
3. To see if the school day can be shortened in the upper grades and high school without sacrifice of school accomplishment.
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4. To study the extra-curricular activities to see if they are those best suited to the needs of the town and are not over-emphasized in the general program.
We trust that you will obtain all the cooperation that you need and that you won't hesitate to call on us for any information you may deem, helpful.
Mr. Green has a copy of this letter.
Very truly yours,
HERBERT C. WIRT,
Secretary, School Committee
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Report of Superintendent
To the School Committee of Duxbury :
I present, herewith, a statement covering operation of the schools during the year of 1942, together with such reports as have been presented by supervisors, special teachers, the nurse, the school physician, and educational advisor.
Slowly, ponderously, relentlessly the huge weight of our country : agricultural, industrial, financial, materi- ally, intellectually, spiritually, has swung into an all out prosecution of World War II. It is inevitable that every person, group, and organization in the land be caught up by the backwash of this irresistable movement and for the moment be carried along on the mountainous wave of enthusiasm that follows in the wake of the collosal war effort. It is there that education finds itself today, swept along by the flood tide of expanding military effort. Five years ago we dared not mention military drill; today we can think of nothing else. What will be our attitude five years hence? This is the confusing challenge that con- fronts us as we wind up the affairs of another year. We must give unstinted energy to the winning of a glorious victory, but we must also work unsparingly to prepare for the skills and attitudes necessary to preserve a perma- nant peace.
In the war effort to date, Duxbury schools have gladly shouldered their share of the burden. We have given four teachers to the armed forces and our graduates are on
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every fighting front of the world. Teachers have co-oper- ated in the registration for selective service and handled the registration for rationing sugar, gasoline, and fuel oil without the loss of a single hour of school time. Every teacher and many pupils have taken courses in first aid and received the Red Cross Certificate. Air raid precau- tions have been studied and drills held periodically. We are adopting such units of the Victory Corps Program as seem feasible for a small high school.
Many pupils helped with the salvage drive, and both pupils and teachers are to be found in the Civilian De- fense Corps, doing typewriting, duplicating, spotting air planes, driving automobiles, acting as messengers or air raid wardens, painting and building bulletin boards.
The war also caused an unusual turn-over in our teach- ing personnel. The four already mentioned as entering the armed services are Mr. A. Kempton Smith, teacher of English, who entered Officers' Training School in August ; Mr. Ralph N. Blakeman, Director of Physical Education, who was commissioned a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Naval Aviation Corps late in the fall; Mr. Winthrop E. Jackson, who had succeeded Mr. Kenneth Macomber as teacher of Manual Arts was called by selective service in October, and Miss Marguerite Brooks, teacher of the fifth grade, who enlisted in the Waves in December. To replace these teachers, to whom we are legally required to grant leaves of absence, Mr. Arthur Lee Homan was secured to teach English, Mr. John MacFarlane is the teacher of Manual Arts, Mrs. Rose Delano is teaching the fifth grade. The physical education has been divided up between Miss Madeline Tobin, a new teacher in Duxbury this year, and Mr. Richard Bradford the special class teacher, and vari- ous other home room teachers. With the end of the school year in June, Mrs. John DeWolf resigned and Mrs. Arthur
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Homan was secured to take her place in grades two and three at the Village School. Miss Phyllis Johnson and Miss Nancy Horton did not renew their contracts for another year and the vacancies caused thereby were filled by Mrs. Horatio O'Neil in grade six and Miss Marilyn Miller in French and Problems of Democracy in the High School. Of eighteen full time teachers who were with us on December 31, 1941, the names of only eleven are still on the roster, and of these eleven, only six were teaching in Duxbury three years ago.
The school lunch project has run smoothly during its second year. Thanks to the special appropriation made at the last town meeting, we were able to secure a large refrigerator for the kitchen at the Abbott House. The rapidly advancing food prices during the spring of 1942 so increased operating costs that there was a deficit of about three hundred dollars in June. This represented a loss of less than half a cent per meal served. The books were balanced through the use of the money appropriated for this purpose. It was deemed advisable to increase the price of lunches from twelve to fifteen cents when school opened again in September. This increase enables us to maintain the quality of meals served in former years, and it also helped to provide a wider variety of foods. The Duxbury Golf Club gave us the apples on their property. About ninety bushels were gathered by the boys. Many smaller donations from private gardens were received. The number of children buying hot lunches is slightly less than last year. We continue to give free lunches to all children who are under-privileged or under-nourished. There was a favorable financial balance at the end of the calendar year.
Plans for the operation of this project for another year must be entirely revised. The latest information received
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indicates that all W. P. A. lunch projects must end by the first of April 1943. The records show that the W. P. A. has contributed $8,137.14 to the Duxbury project. This amount has been used exclusively for wages for workers. The variety and quality of food available through the commodities department is falling off. When these will cease to be available is problematic. The value of the foods received from this source is about $6,000.00 per year.
There are in Massachusetts about 1,080 schools par- ticipating in the school lunch programs. The pupil mem- bership in these schools is nearly 140,000. Commissioner of Education, Mr. Walter F. Downey, spoke at a meeting of the School Lunch Advisory Committee held at the De- partment of Education on December 21st, 1942 as follows : "So far as we know W. P. A. will be curtailed June 30, 1943. In some way we must see that our school children do not suffer thereby. The important thing is to make certain that all concerned with the school lunch in Massa- chusetts are aware of these difficulties. Especially with mothers working in industry and a growing shortage of food and depleted labor, the children will suffer unless we begin to help at once. In some localities, children are growing more and more apart from mothers' care. Be- cause of mothers' defense work, mother is naturally very busy and sometimes works as late as 11 o'clock at night and gives the child the extra money to buy a more sub- stantial lunch at school. Often the school lunch is taking the place of the main meal at home. All organizations must do everything possible in their communities to stress and work out a solution to the problem." Here is the chal- lenge handed to us by our Commissioner. To work out the solution to this problem is no mean task.
With the help of the Portuguese-American Citizenship Club, Americanization Classes met at the Fernandes store
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in Ashdod during the winter months. Mr. Richard Brad- ford was the instructor. Due to black-out regulations and other difficulties of travel the classes have not been re-opened during the present school year, $111.52 was spent from the appropriation. Since there is little likeli- hood that there will be further opportunity for continuing this work until the end of the war, I recommend that no money be appropriated.
The demands of war on boys and girls of the late teen ages, and the opportunities for vocational training offered by industrial organizations have reduced the number of candidates for out of town vocational schools. The appro- priation for this work can be reduced safely to $250.00.
In extra curricular activities as in everything else, there has been either curtailment or a change of emphasis. The school newspaper, which came out in eight issues last year, has been reduced to four issues this year. All the work, with the exception of making the linotype, is still done by the pupils of the school plant. At the end of the school year a very creditable year book was pro- duced by this newspaper organization.
Basketball continues to hold the center of interest in athletics. With an undefeated team Duxbury High School acquired the third championship banner in four years. As we approach a new season, the transportation problem seems to present serious obstacles to following the normal schedule. The Victory Program requires intensive empha- sis on physical fitness. This can best be realized through the athletic program. If the gasoline shortage or other re- straints associated with the total war effort interfere with league activities, an attempt will be made to carry on with such local groups as we can muster for opposition.
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The sale of war savings stamps has been organized and set up through-out the schools by the student council. The council has also busied itself with planning and di- recting the other defense activities ..
In spite of the black-out, gasoline rationing and the storm, the Senior Class gave its annual play on December 18th. "Almost Summer" was the selection of this year's group.
The Parent-Teacher Association gave the annual Christ- mas Party to all of the children of the schools. A magi- cian was secured as an entertainer.
Through the leadership of Mrs. Max Habicht, a group of parents have equipped the playground at the Point School with a new slide and have the supports for a new swing that will be put in place when the frost is out of the ground sufficiently. Miss Eleanor Hodgdon gave an upright piano to replace the old square instrument, that has long since passed its days of usefulness, in the second grade of the Village School. Mrs. Horatio O'Neil also gave an upright piano which replaces the old instrument in the first and second grade room at the Tarkiln School. Dr. Shirley secured the apparatus for making a test of the eyes, and with it the sight of every pupil has been carefully checked. The Senior Class left as a farewell gift to the School the major portion of the cost of the electric score board that now hangs in the High School Auditorium. The balance of the cost of this score board was secured through the efforts of Mr. T. W. Herrick, by public subscription. The Duxbury Yacht Club and the Duxbury Community Garden Club have jointly offered a scholarship of fifty dollars to any girl accepted for train- ing by an accredited school of nursing. For these tokens of interest and co-operation I extend my heartiest appre- ciation.
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Most of the expenses for new equipment and repairs during the year 1942 were of a routine nature. An over- flow cesspool was necessary at the Tarkiln School and at the High School. These were installed during the spring and summer months. Painting projects were carried out as follows: Tarkiln School-the south classroom, entry ways and toilets; Village School-the outside trimmings and the stair wells; Point School-entry ways and class- room; High School-toilets, exterior doors and gutters. It was necessary to put up a new ceiling in Room 8 at the High School. For economy, safety, and appearance, wall board squares were used. The wood work in this room was re-waxed for the first time in fifteen years. All shrubbery and trees on the school grounds were pruned. We maintained the regular cleaning which is as follows: floors are thoroughly scrubbed at least three times a year. All walls, desks, and other wood work are carefully wash- ed and all scratches, scars, and blemishes are repaired during the summer vacation. In addition to this a certain number of desk tops are revarnished and all floors are either waxed, oiled, or varnished annually.
In anticipating our needs for another year we must bear in mind the continuing increase in the cost of many of the supplies we need. We must realize that much of our equipment cannot be replaced until the war is over. More time and effort must be devoted to reconditioning and repairing in order that we may preserve that which we now have. Due to the necessity of carrying war in- surance the cost of this protection has advanced. The pressure of high war wages has its effect on every person employed in the school department. Transportation is not only more costly, but also restricted. We have fuel enough on hand to carry us through to the end of the present school year, but to refill our bins next summer will probably cost more than ever before.
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To estimate the extent of these increases in these chang- ing times would amount to little more than a rough guess. However, at the moment, the minimum amount of money necessary for carrying on the work of 1943, I would judge to be $54,000.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE E. GREEN.
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ENROLLMENT AND DISTRIBUTION
of Children by Schools and Grades,
December 31, 1942
Grade
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Sp.
Total
High School
- 31 44 27 31 31 18 22 16
10
230
Village
24 28 22
74
Tarkiln
20 15 13 13
61
Point
29
29
Totals
49 39 41 35 31 44 27 31 31 18 22 16 .10
394
PERFECT ATTENDANCE IN DUXBURY
SCHOOLS 1941 - 1942
Joyce Reiser
Eleanor Tronjeau
Gerald Torrey
Helen Randall
Audrey Tronjeau
Mildred Torrey
Carlton Torrey
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Financial Statement
January 1, 1942-December 31, 1942
General Expense
$1,903.26
Salaries-Teachers and Supervisors
28,784.86
Text Books
982.25
Stationery, Supplies, etc.
878.65
Wages-Janitors
5,517.71
Fuel, Lights, etc.
2,368.54
Repairs
2,005.20
Libraries
81.22
Health
912.39
Transportation
6,066.80
New Equipment
9.55
Miscellaneous
2,034.75
Total
$51,545.16
Appropriation
$51,554.80
Balance
$9.64
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Duxbury High School Cafeteria
Financial Report-December 31, 1942
January
Income $388.15
Expense $386.45
February
278.77
278.75
March
372.71
368.47
April
146.41
145.47
May
290.19
291.33
June
295.81
287.13
September
376.02
144.10
October
680.95
497.11
November
443.82
530.75
December
451.86
565.39
$3,724.69
$3,494.95
Balance in Bank December 31,
1942
$229.74
$3,724.69
Cash on Hand Decmber 31,
1942
$229.74
Oustanding Bills
196.02
Net Assets
33.72
Received from W. P. A. Appropriation
$299.75
Paid White Bros. June Milk Bill
$299.75
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Report of Drawing Supervisor
To Mr. George E. Green Superintendent of Schools
Dear Sir :
During the years of my service in Duxbury I have ex- plained fully and in detail my plan of drawing and its development, so there seems to be no further necessity for explanations along that line.
Next June, I retire as drawing teacher from all public school work, and my activities in the teaching line will be confined to private classes.
My work in Duxbury has covered nearly thirty years, and the work has been pleasant and successful.
We have had some very fine workers in all the grades, and the relation of pupils and teacher has been all that I could ask for.
We have had the excellent help of many good teachers- among the best being Miss Ellen Downey, Miss Abbie Baker, Miss Sara Paulding, and Mrs. Alice O'Neil, and more than any others, these people have contributed most intelligently in the gaining of results.
Kindest regard and gratitude, too, I want to express to Mr. George E. Green and to the members of the School Committee for their unfailing assistance and kindness to me. The end of my work here is attended with much regret, as Duxbury and all that it represents, has been good to me.
Respectfully submitted,
SAMUEL WARNER,
Supervisor of Drawing.
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Report of Music Supervisor
Mr. George E. Green Superintendent of Schools
Dear Sir:
The fundamental principles of musical development are as apparent in the small songs of childhood as in the larger masterpieces of musical art. By directing the attention of the children to the consideration of the elements of musical structure, as found in the songs of the course, a foundation is laid for the appreciation of the works of the great masters of musical composition. This considera- tion of the structural elements of song is begun in the primary grades through the study of phrase repetition, and through the drill of motives and figures.
It might be interesting to see of what our general pro- gram consists for the year. A brief outline follows :
Grade 1-Rote songs, rhythmics with and without the victrola, and corrective drills for monotones.
Grade 2-Repertoire songs, observation songs, begin- ning sight reading songs and rote songs.
Grade 3 .- Repertoire songs, observation and reading songs in major keys using only quarter, half, and dotted half notes, rote songs, and home and community songs.
Grade 4 .- Repertoire songs, observation songs, and reading songs, rhythmic problems, rote songs, and home and community songs.
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Grade 5 .- Repertoire songs, observation songs, and reading songs including six-eight measure chromatics, and two part singing, rote songs and community songs.
Grade 6 .- Repertoire songs, observation and reading songs including minor modes, sixteenth notes, two and three part songs, and bass staff, rote songs and community songs.
Grades 7 and 8 .- Chorus singing with technical di- rection.
High School-Learning of several chorus numbers from which a selection is made for the graduation pro- gram.
In all the grade programs, we study the orchestral in- struments, and music appreciation is carried on through the use of the victrola records. The children are en- couraged to study the lives of composers, and to make note books.
There is a serious attempt made by the teachers to fol- low this program and good results are forthcoming.
Respectfully submitted,
MAY B. McCLOSKY,
Supervisor of Music.
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Educational Adviser
Mr. George E. Green Superintendent of Schools
Dear Sir:
As this is my third annual report as Educational Ad- visor to the Duxbury Schools, I shall assume that my duties and my aims are already known. Since September 1942, I have been spending officially half a day Monday and half a day Friday at the High School.
In my office I have the accumulated records of indi- vidual interviews. This past year I have added 281 records of interviews. The number of interviews with parents has been increased. As one of my chief aims it to co-operate with the parents in their hopes and ambitions for their children, I am very glad at any time to arrange a meeting with any parent either at school or in my home.
As an aid to better understanding of the individual differences of each older pupil I have administered the Kuder Vocational Interest Test to each pupil in the class of 1942 and 1943. This test has been used more exclusively in schools all over the country this past year than any other similar test. It is a most ingenious and apparently ac- curate test of mechanical, computational, scientific, per- suasive, artistic, literary, muscal and clerical interests. The pupils themselves were very interested, being as anxious as I to find out what kind of a person they were. The Profile Sheet was presented and interpreted to them during a personal interview. Those high in mechanical interests were given a Stenquest Mechanical Aptitude Test.
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The tenth grade was given a Shorthand Prognosis Test and the eighth grade an Algebra Prognosis Test. These gave each pupil in these grades some comprehension of these subjects before they studied them and gave the teacher, the advisor and the pupil some measurement of their aptitude for these subjects. No one was denied the chance to study these subjects, but if his aptitude score was low he was warned that the subject would be difficult and great effort would be required on his part.
Last January a visit to the Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals in Boston was arranged for the Junior and Senior classes. Seventeen girls went in cars donated by Miss Carter, Mr. Green, Miss Gladys Cornish and myself. The girls were divided into groups at the hospital each under a graduate nurse as a guide. The blood bank, and the various steps from blood to plasma were explained. Each group was taken around every floor, to the wards, private rooms, operating rooms, kitchens, nursery and finally to tea in the Nurses' Home to meet the Student Nurses.
It, of course, was hoped that such a trip would interest the girls in nursing as a profession. To help the girls still further, as it cost $100-$150 to train, I appealed, as a mem- ber of the executive committee, to the Duxbury Commu- nity Garden Club for financial aid for training Duxbury girls. They generously offered $25.00 to each of three Duxbury girls when they were accepted for training at any hospital. The Duxbury Yacht Club has given me an additional $25.00 for the same purpose. To date there is only one girl from the class of 1942 reasonably sure of starting training in February. It is rather discouraging that almost universally young women are attracted by quick wages rather than valuable pro- fessional training. However, the project had an educa- tional value as well as inspirational.
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May I say a few words about advising young people in war times, especially boys? There are two phases to advis- ory work, immediate problems of the individual and long range (1 to 20 years) problems. Each individual and an adviser should consider both. It is difficult to make young people think about their long range problems, especially in war times. The adviser must be able to talk intelli- gently with the junior and senior boys about the various branches of services, about accelerated programs for the sixteen and seventeen year olds, about high school versus defense plant jobs. It is, however, the duty of the adviser to force the boy or girl to think beyond the war, beyond wage earning, toward finding his or her place in a normal, peacetime society.
This is also true in working with boys and girls under the tenth grade. The war will be hard on these. True, they will not be killed or maimed, but they will never have a chance to have "done their bit", they will have no privi- leges as veterans. In looking into the far future they see uncertainty, the confusion, the unemployment of the world after war and they have that feeling of missing out on all the excitement and glory. The school, the church, and the home must give these a vision of the better world to come, a world which will need every strong, able, clear- thinking youngster of to-day, a world in which the re- wards of good living, not necessarily in money, will be beyond our power to imagine.
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