USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > Town annual report of Chelmsford 1902 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Article 27. To see if the town will vote to accept the townway known as Washington Street, as laid out by the Selectmen. .
Article 28. To see if the town will vote to accept the townway known as Ripley Street, as laid out by the Select- men.
Article 29. At the request of Geo. C. Moore and others, to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of extending water pipes in the North Village for better protection against fire. Beginning at the junction of Cottage Row and Princeton Street, so called, running northerly to a point at junction of Nashua, Dunstable and West Chelmsford Roads; beginning at the first- named junction, running westerly along Wash- ington Street as far as Canal Street, now called: beginning at a hydrant, at or near the office of Silver & Gay's Machine Shop, on Princeton Street. now called, running easterly along said street about nineteen hundred feet, or act in relation thereto.
86
Article 30. At the request of John J. Monahan, E. D. Bearce, Stewart Mackay, Elisha H. Shaw, Wm. J. Quigley, Charles E. Bartlett, Charles F. Scribner, P. T. McMahon and E. W. Sweetser, to see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of two hurdred dollars for the purpose of installing a field tele- phone at the rifle range at North Chelmsford, ard for care and maintenance of said rifle range.
Article 31. To see what action, if any, the town will take towards reimbursing Clarence H. Sprague for damage done by water from the sewer in North Chelmsford, and to prevent damage of a like nature in the future.
Article 32. We, P. S. Ward and other citizens of North Chelms- ford, request the town to vote to raise a sum of money to dig a well and place a pump and trough thereat, at the northerly end of the common in North Chelmsford, or act in relation thereto.
And you are directed to serve this warrant, by posting up attested copies thereof at the post offices in the Centre of the town, South Chelmsford, North Chelmsford, West Chelmsford, and at the school-house at East Chelmsford, ten days at least before the time appointed for holding said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk at the time and place of hold- ing the meeting aforesaid.
Given under our hands this thirteenth day of March in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and two.
JOSEPH E. WARREN, FRED L. FLETCHER, P. T. McMAHON, R. WILSON DIX, . A. HEADY PARK, Selectmen of Chelmsford.
I have served the foregoing warrant, by posting up true and attested copies of the same at the places above mentioned, incre than ten days before the day of holding said meeting.
MELVIN WALKER, Constable of Chelmsford.
March 13, 1902.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
OF THE
TOWN OF CHELMSFORD.
FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR ENDING 1901-1902.
LOWELL, MASS. : COURIER-CITIZEN CO., PRINTERS. 1902.
Report of the School Committee.
An earnest and reasonably successful effort has been made by the committee to keep their expenditures within the limits of the appropriations granted by the town without impairing the efficiency of the schools. That the ends sought, economy of administration and a high standard of scholarship, have been obtained is attested by the facts that the average cost per pupil for the past year is less than the average yearly cost of a scholar ten years ago, and, further, it has been gratify- ing to the committee to learn that pupils who have removed from town to other communities have been able to enter grades more advanced than the grade they had been in in our own schools.
TRANSPORTATION.
In accordance with the implied wish of the town, as expressed at its last annual meeting, transportation has been somewhat reduced. Scholars over fourteen years of age have been obliged to walk; likewise the children at North Chelmsford and those who came by team from East Chelmsford during settled weather of the spring and fall terms. Transportation is furnished at the present time to 108 pupils.
REPAIRS.
During the summer the sanitary apparatus at the Centre was thoroughly overhauled, at moderate expense, and muchi needed improvements were made for catching rain water and carrying it off. The approaches to the basement, which were in scandalous condition, were suitably graded and concreted. One of the rooms in the old building at North Chelmsford was refitted so that now it presents an attractive appearance. A new floor was laid in the upper room, and a metallic ceiling was put in the lower room of the building at West Chelmsford. At
4
Golden Cove the building was repainted, the grounds graded, and a concrete walk laid to the entrance. The committee felt that it would be unwise to spend money upon the old school building at East Chelmsford. We recommend, viz .:
1. A careful reading of the Superintendent's report.
2. More interest shown by parents in the work of the schools. We welcome timely and friendly suggestions.
3. Slate blackboards and retinting of the rooms at West Chelmsford.
4. Increased sanitary accommodations at North Chelms- ford.
5. A two-room school-house at East Chelmsford, so that transportation from that district may be abolished, and the children educated at home.
6. A continuance of the present method of school super- intendence.
7. The employment of a music teacher, who shall give a portion of her time to the supervision of the teaching of music in our schools.
8. Authority to the School Committee whereby appropria- tions may be transferred from one department to another.
In conclusion, we wish to thank the voters of the town for their liberality to the schools; the parents for their thought- ful consideration; the teachers and Superintendent for their faithfulness, and, finally, the drivers of the transportation teams and the janitors, who have done their work faithfully, and saved the committee from many petty annoyances.
Respectfully submitted,
A. J. PARK. STEWART MACKAY. ERNEST C. BARTLETT.
Report of the Superintendent of Schools.
Gentlemen of the School Committee:
I respectfully submit the following as my report concerning the schools of Chelmsford for the year ending February 28, 1902.
PRESENT TEACHING FORCE.
CENTRE.
High School-Clarence H. Knowlton, Lillian S. Copeland. Lena E. Bliss.
Grades VIII. and IX .- Ethel E. Kimball.
Grades VI. A and VII .- Susan S. McFarlin.
Grades VI. B and V. B-Belle M. Gould.
Grade V. A-Lena E. Bliss.
Grades III. and IV .- Grace C. Litchfield.
Grades I. and II .-- Grace E. Mansfield: Anna E. Bliss, assistant.
NORTH.
High School-Percy F. Parsons, Ethel D. Fisher.
Grades VII. and VIII .- Gertrude A. Jones.
Grades V. and VI .- Josephine L. Blakely. Grades III. and IV .- Sara E. Wheeler.
Grade II .- Esther B. Douglass.
Grade I .- Laura G. Hoyt.
WEST.
Grades V .- VII .- Bertha H. Long. Grades I .- IV .- Agnes Naylor.
SOUTH.
Grades I .- IV., VII .- Christina Ashworth.
EAST. Grades I .- IV .- Sara MI. Devine.
6
GOLDEN COVE .-
Grades I .- IV .- Harriet M. Hall.
SOUTH ROW.
Grades I .- V .- Grace S. Parkhurst.
STATISTICS.
Population of the town, census of 1900, 3,984.
Valuation of the town, May 1, 1901, $2,479,903.
Persons between five and fifteen years of age, September, 1901: boys, 357; girls, 350; total, 707.
Persons between seven and fourteen years of age, Sep- tember, 1901: boys, 261; girls, 259; total, 520.
Illiterate minors over fourteen years of age, September, 1901: 0.
For the year ending in June, 1901:
Different pupils 828
Pupils under five years of age 6
Pupils over fifteen years of age 73
Pupils between seven and fourteen years .of age. 538
Average membership in all the schools.
674.7
Average attendance in all the schools 605.2
Per cent. of attendance 89.7
Average length of all schools. 8 months, 17 days
Average length of high schools 9 months, 141/2 days Teachers now required
TEACHERS AND THEIR WORK.
Four teachers have resigned during the year covered by this report, namely, Misses Bertha M. Allen, Helen G. Fulton, Bessie M. Coburn, and Grace W. Heartz. One married soon after her resignation, another is a student in Radcliffe College. and the other two have accepted positions in schools that pay mit1ch better salaries.
The work in the school rooms is, on the whole, being faithfully done, day by day. Some of the teachers have gone beyond the requirements of the course of study, and have inter- ested their pupils in pictures to such an extent that the children gladly contributed pennies until a sufficient amount was gath- ered to purchase a picture for their room.
7
One teacher discovered that a number of the boys in her ' room were smoking cigarettes. She promptly prepared a pledge, which provided that the signers should abstain from the use of tobacco as long as they were pupils in that school, and presented it to the boys, asking them to sign it if they thought that they could keep it. The pledge, with the signa- tures, was then placed where it could be seen every day.
All of the teachers conducted appropriate memorial exer- cises in their rooms at the time of the burial of our late Presi- dent, William McKinley, that being the only school work under- taken on the day of sepulture. An appropriate souvenir, the gift of the School Committee, was presented to each child.
The principal work being done in the teachers' meetings this year is the study and discussion of Gabriel Compayre's "Psychology as Applied to Education."
VERTICAL WRITING.
One of the principal charges which has been preferred against vertical writing is that of slowness. Some recent tests, however, reported by one of our leading educational papers, seem to prove that the point has not been well taken. The results of these tests were collected by Mr. R. K. Row, of the University of Chicago, and used by him in a paper read before a recent meeting of the Federation of Commercial Associations in St. Louis.
The first table gives the summary of results in one-minute tests in slant writing; and the second, the summary of results in vertical writing, with whole classes of public school children in different cities.
In giving these tests, a short sentence was selected. and from five to ten minutes allowed for practice before the giving of two one-minute trials. The results of the better trials are recorded in the tables.
Vertical Writing.
TABLE. I.
PERSONS TESTED.
Number of
persons
Average num-
ber of letters.
Highest num-
ber of letters.
Business College
38
95
132
Business College.
78
105
155
Business College.
28
101
156
High School Commercial Class
15
107
130
Professional Penmen
6
105
132
Professional Penmen
17
108
144
Average number of letters a minute ..
103.5
TABLE II.
CITY.
Grade.
Average num-
ber of letters.
Highest num-
ber of letters.
Omaha, Neb.
8th
106
144
Saginaw, Mich.
6th
114
200
Bucyrus, O.
8th
116
150
Tiffin, O.
6th
116
199
Dayton, O.
6th
118
157
Des Moines, Ia.
6th
119
196
Lockport, N. Y
8th
122
170
Polo, Ill .
8th
127
172
Berea, O.
7th
133
184
Ypsilanti, Mich
8th
133
203
Keokuk, Ia
5th
141
245
Springfield, O
8th
143
200
St. Louis, Mo
7th and 8th
148
175
Kingston, Can.
7th
·150
207
Austin, Minn.
5th and 6th
164
240
Average number of letters a minute.
130
9
As will be seen from the tables, the average for the 1s2 slant writers, who were nearly all adults, was 10312 letters a minute; while the average for about 600 school children, why had been trained from two to five years in vertical writing, was 130 letters a minute; a result which is surprising even to many of those who have advocated verticality in writing.
Being curious to know what pupils in our own schools could do, I asked Miss Kimball, the teacher of the upper grammar room at the Centre, to test her scholars. The result was all average of nearly 132 letters a minute, the highest being 170.
DRAWING AND MUSIC.
Some work is being done in both drawing and music in nearly every school in the town; but, as I suggested in my report last year, I believe that more effective work would be done if we had special teachers of those subjects.
We do not expect that every child will become an expert in these branches, even if we should furnish the very best instruction. That is not the object. What the object is in drawing may be best stated in the words of Mr. Henry T. Bailey, State Agent for the Promotion of Industrial Drawing, in his report of last year, when speaking of the results that should be obtained from following the course of instruction planned by him. His words are: "Acquaintance with the beauty of nature and with the best examples of pictorial. structural and decorative art : ability to draw common objects with some degree of facility and correctness: ability to recognize, amxl a mass of detail, the essential features which constitute a characteristic whole; knowledge of the principles of design, and a well- trained sense of good arrangement, adequate form and har- monious coloring."
Concerning music. the French educator, Gabriel Com- payre, has said that "music is to the ear what drawing is to the eye." And the object of musical instruction in the schools may be fairly summed up. I think, when we say that it is to train the child to express with greater accuracy the musical emo- tions with all their soothing and enchanting effects. and also to give him the ability to recognize and appreciate such expres- sions when made by others.
10
Desiring to know what provisions other towns similarly situated had made for the teaching of drawing and music, I sent letters of inquiry to the superintendents of all the towns in Middlesex County which have a population above two thou- sand and less than five thousand. Making use of the informa- tion kindly furnished by them, I have prepared the appended table, which contains matter in addition to that which I pre- sented in a report, prepared at your request, several weeks ago.
DRAWING AND MUSIC.
TOWNS.
Valuation May 1. 1899.
Population cen-
Supervisor of
drawing?
Salary.
Days a week
engaged.
Supervisor of
Salary.
Days a week engaged.
Acton .
$1,580,770
2,120
No.
. .
Yes.
$ 75.00 .. ..
1
Ayer. .. .
1,511,302
2,446
Yes.
$ 10.00 a term ..
*
Yes.
250.00. .
1
Belmont .
5,068,780
3,929
Yes.
300.00.
1
Yes
300 00.
1
Billerica
1,876,979
2,775
Yes.
300.00
Yes.
500.00.
2
Chelmsford
2,446,180
3,984
No.
. .
. .
.
·
Dracut. .
1,951,026
3,253
Yes .
+ ..
:
Yes.
+ . ...
.
..
..
..
·
5,032,005
3,831
Yes -
250.00. .
Yes.
350.00.
13
Maynard ..
2 136.428
3,142
No.
No.
·
Pepperell ..
2,210,247
3,701
Yes-
9.00 a week.
23
Yes.
24
Reading . .
4 423,735
4,969
Yes.
400.00.
2
Yes.
2
Tewksbury
1,642,701
3,683
Yes.
+ ...
. .
Yes.
.... ... ...
:
Wayland .
1,581,325
2,303
Yes.
3.50 a day. .
1
Yes.
12.50 a month .. 250.00 .. . .
1
Westford .
1,276,216
2,624
No.
.
Yes.
24
.
.
14
Yes.
350.00 ..
1
Holliston .
1,458,129
2,598
No.
. .
Yes.
250.00. .
....
1
Hopkinton
1,786,890
2,623
Yes .
5.00 a day. .
·
Yes.
200.00 .. .
...
.
.
. .
* In Ayer, the supervisor prepares outlines and meets the teachers once a term.
+ In the district consisting of Dracut, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and North Reading, one person teaches both music and drawing at a salary of $1,100 a year. .
=
Groton .
3,144,283
2,052
Yes.
200.00
No.
....
..
. .
. .
Lexington
.
9.00 a week .... 650.00.
..
. .
music:
sus of 1900.
12
HIGH SCHOOLS.
Towards the close of the spring term, the principal of the North School arranged three courses of study for that school, making use of the same studies that are offered at the Centre. At the present time pupils are pursuing studies taken from two of these courses, the English and the scientific.
One pupil, Minnie J. Brennan, received a three-year diploma last June.
At the Centre, a successful effort was made to reduce the number of classes, so that the principal might have a vacant period during the day for attending to the various details of administration. This was accomplished by uniting the third and fourth year classes in English, by making arrangements to have a class in beginning French only every other ycar, and by giving chemistry one year and physics the next, the latter subject being taught this year.
At the graduating exercises of the Centre School last june, seven received diplomas. One of the graduates, Carlton E. Atwood, is now a student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, having passed all of his examinations successfully. As far as I know, Mr. Atwood is the first person to pass directly from the Chelmsford High School into an institution of col- legiate rank. We trust that many may follow his example.
HIGHER EDUCATION.
The number of young people in the United States attending collegiate institutions has just about doubled in twenty-five years, so that in 1899 there were twelve hundred college students in every million of the population, or one and two- tenths students for every thousand people. That would make the proportion for Chelmsford five students, approximately. But, as Chelmsford is situated in a part of the United States noted for its educational advantages, its proportion should be larger. in order to counterbalance the small attendance in those parts of the country where opportunities and privileges of this character are confessedly meagre.
In view of these facts, I feel that the attention of the young people should be directed to the advantages to be derived from having a liberal education. At the same time they should not
13
be encouraged to believe that every person who has a college degree will attain eminence in some of the fields of human activity. I do believe, however, that they should realize the fact that it will greatly enhance their chances in the life struggle, will · broaden their outlook, extend their sympathies, and increase and elevate the sources of their enjoyment. Concerning this question, the author of a recent magazine article says: "But whatever may have been in the past, or now are, the short- comings and limitations of American colleges, they represent the main-spring of opportunity and preparation to the large majority of those who guide the destinies, dominate the affairs, and lead in the intellectual and artistic progress of our nation."
This conclusion was not based on mere hearsay, but was the result of careful investigation, which brought out the fact that about seventy per cent. of the leading men of our land, in various walks of life, had enjoyed the advantages of college instruction.
COURSE OF STUDY.
ALL GRADES.
Follow the outline given in the Third Report upon a Course of Studies for Elementary Schools by John T. Prince for the work in physiology and hygiene.
Give instruction in drawing once a week throughout the year, and in nature study once a week during the spring and fall terms.
Fulfil the requirements of the law regarding instruction in morals.
Insist upon neatness, order, and politeness at all times.
GRADE I.
Reading .- Follow the instructions in the Ward Manual. The Ward Primer and a part of the Ward First Reader.
Writing .- Letters, words, and sentences from the black- board and from slips.
Language .- Oral reproduction of stories read or told by the teacher. Short sentences copied. Short pieces learned .. Teach pupils to write their name, the name of their town, etc. Spelling.
14
Arithmetic .- Combinations of numbers to ten, with and without objects.
GRADE II.
Reading .- Follow the instructions in the Ward Manual .. The Ward First Reader and other Readers.
Writing .- Use copy books in this and following grades until the eighth.
Language .- Oral and written reproductions. Dictation exercises. Memory gems copied and learned. The use of the period or question mark at the end of the sentence and of capitals at the beginning. Spelling.
Arithmetic .- Book I., Prince. Multiplication tables to and including fives.
GRADE IN.
Reading .- See list of reading.
Language .- Daily composition and dictation exercises. Give attention to abbreviations, punctuation, capitals, choice of words, forms of words, spelling. Extend memory work. Hyde's First Book. Part I.
Arithmetic .- Book II., Prince. Multiplication tables to and including tens.
GRADE IV.
Reading .- See list.
Language .- Frequent composition or dictation exercises. Give attention to punctuation, capitals, spelling. choice and forms of words: also to clearness and conciseness of expression. Continue memory work. Hyde's First Book, Part II.
Arithmetic .- Book III., Prince. Multiplication tables to and including twelves.
Geography .- Local geography in the fall term. Frye's Primary to the World Ridge in the spring term.
History .- Local history in the winter term.
GRADE V.
Reading .- See list.
Language .- Continue the work as outlined for the fourth grade. Metcalf's Elementary English to page 102.
15
Arithmetic .- Book IV., Prince.
Geography .- Frye's Primary to the New England States. History .- Montgomery's Beginners.
GRADE VI.
Reading .- See list.
Language .- Continue the work as outlined for the fourth grade. Metcalf's Elementary English from page 102 to the end.
Grammar .- Teach the pupils to recognize the parts of speech.
Arithmetic .- Book V., Prince.
Geography .-- The New England States in Frye's Primary and a review of the whole book. In the spring term. begin Frye's Complete and take to North America.
History .- Guerber's First Thirteen Colonies.
GRADE VII.
Reading .- See list.
Language .- Continue the work as outlined for the fourth grade.
Grammar .- The sentence. Kinds of sentences. Phrases and clauses. Analysis of simple sentences. Metcalf's Gram- mar. Part I.
Arithmetic .- Book VI., Prince.
Geography .- North America, the United States, Groups of States, New England States to Maine, and South America in Frye's Complete.
History .- Montgomery's Leading Facts of American His- tory to The Union, page 191.
GRADE VIIL.
Reading .- See list.
Language .- Continue the work as outlined for the fourth grade.
Grammar .- Kinds, forms, and uses of all the parts of speech. "Rules of syntax. Analysis of sentences. Metcalf's Grammar, Part II.
Arithmetic .-- Book VIL .. Prince, or some equivalent.
Geography .- Frye's Complete finished.
History .- Montgomery's Leading Facts of American His- tory completed.
16 .
GRADE IX.
Reading .- See list.
Language .- Frequent composition exercises. Correlate with other work.
Grammar .- Continue the work outlined for the eighth grade. Metcalf's Grammar, Part III.
Arithmetic .- Involution, square root and its applications, percentage and its applications, and measurements. A half- study for the year.
Geography .- Review comparatively, using the United States for the basis of the work. First half of the year.
History .- Review topically, introducing civil government in the latter part of the year.
Algebra .- A half-study for the year.
Physiology .- Second half of the year.
CONCLUSION.
To those who have contributed to the success of our schools, either by faithful service or by words of friendly counsel, I desire to express my grateful appreciation.
FREDERICK L. KENDALL,
Superintendent of Schools.
Roll of Honor.
Pupils who have been neither absent nor tardy for one or more terms during the year ending in June, 1901.
No. of
CENTRE HIGH SCHOOL. terms.
Roberta II. Greenleaf .. 3
Louise Adams.
William E. Robbins
Alta B. Byam
1
Sidney E. Dupe
1
Olive G. Eaton
1
Breck Emerson .
1
Emma Glidden
1
Kate D. Greenleaf 1
Ena G. Macnutt. .
1
Edward B. Redman
1
AAddie A. Wright
1
GRADE IX.
G. Goldie Hunt .
3
Florence Feindel 2
Alfred M. Howard
·)
William E. Adams.
1
GRADE VIII.
William H. Brown ·)
LaRoy A. Cheney .
Richard E. Davis
Agnes V. Eaton.
Ralph K. Howlid
Helen J. Lord
Elsie S. Perham
Orlo F. Stearns ..
Edward H. Fleming 1
Alice R. Gould
1
Susan F. Grady
1
Harry W. Harmon
1
No. of
terms.
Frances M. Harrington . 1
Hilda C. McKinley.
. .
William B. Noyes. .
1
Walter A. Robinson
1
1
GRADE VII.
M. Marion Adams.
B
Zora L. Feindel.
3
Leon S. Holt
3
Leon II. Parker
Grace Atwood. 1
Helen M. Knowlton 1
Ethel C. Robinson.
1
Wallace II. Ross
1
GRADE VI.
Irving B. Hunt
B
Ruth E. Adams.
Ethel P. Parker
Fred K. Parkhurst
Lucy E. Googins. 1
Edward W. Grady 1
Frank J. Noves.
1
Nellie R. Redman
1
Ada E. Ross ..
1
Cora M. Stevens
1
GRADE V.
Arthur Redman.
Hosmer Sweetser
B
Jessie Atwood.
2
Louise Robbins
Jessie Chamberlin
1
John Logan.
1
18
No of terms.
GRADE IV.
Ida R. Lovering
3
Frederick Russell 3
Ella M. Burns. .
Nellie W. Hills.
Charles E. Parkhurst . . 2 Abbott W. Russell. ·)
Thomas E. Sheehan . . .
Alfred L. Douglass
1
Charles E. Douglass 1
E. Roy Kittredge.
1
Edward B. Russell
1
Eugene Shinkwin .
1
GRADE III.
Leroy C. Bliss
Lillian F. Brown.
John II. Higgins.
Almon W. Sweet.
:1
Elizabeth Chamberlin
1
Esther G. Hills .
1
AArthur C. Robbins. ..
. .
1
Clarence H. Sweetser . . 1
Paul Leonard
1
GRADE II.
Adelbert Adams
Arthur Ayotte. 2
Gwendolyn Sweet 1
Irene French
1
GRADE I.
Earl Day.
Israel Ayotte. 1
Stirling Haley 1 Guy Kelley. 1
Lewis Lovering.
1
Jennie Rogers
1
NORTH HIGH SCHOOL.
Gladys E. Swain .
Arthur H. Sheldon 2
Esther A. Bearce 1
Hubert H. Bearce
.
1
No. of terms. Patrick J. Flym. 1
Stewart Mackay, Jr
1
Mary II. Morning
1
Florence Queen.
1
George C. Shaw
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.