USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > Town annual report of Chelmsford 1911 > Part 6
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I recommend action in this matter.
THE NORTH CHELMSFORD SITUATION
Owing to the large number of pupils enrolled here in the fall, resulting in crowding in the primary and grammar de- partments, many changes were necessary. With the opening of the room at the fire house, with Miss Julia E. King as teacher, and the seventh grade as pupils, provision was made for the grammar department.
Miss Jones was relieved of the seventh grade and retained the eighth grade only.
There still remained the problem of handling the primary pupils.
There were about sixty-five children in the first grade and nearly as many in the second grade. After looking over the ground carefully, and, viewing the situation from all sides, it was decided that the best arrangement was to open the vacant room in the West School and transport one grade, daily, on the cars. It did not seem advisable to send young children, so the eighth grade was chosen. While this arrangement is by no means ideal, it has worked fairly well, and it is pleasing to note that, with few exceptions, the parents did not object. They realized the problem and the difficulty of its solution and were not unreasonable.
By a general rearrangement of grades, the room occupied last year by Miss Gookin and her second grade was given to Miss McCue, who received some of Miss McDermott's first grade pupils and some of Miss Gookin's second grade.
At present Miss McDermott lias forty-three pupils, Miss McCue thirty-seven, and Miss Gookin forty-three. Each has more than she should have.
When the new four-room building, which might appropri- ately be called the Highland School, is opened, if proper dis-
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tribution can be made, there should be room enough in the various buildings for the immediate requirements, and possi- bly one room may be used for other purposes than a session room. I speak of this in another part of the report.
It is regrettable that there is to be so little playground around the new building. In fact, all the schools at the North Village are decidedly lacking in this particular, as is the con- dition at the Centre. In these localities are grouped about 650 pupils, many of whom spend their noon hour at school, and the entire space for playgrounds, unless we include the streets and parks, is sufficient for about 100 pupils. £ This is questionable economy.
It is pleasing to note that the lot purchased recently by the town contains land enough for decent playgrounds. If we expect to keep our children out of mischief and danger, we must provide them accommodations for suitable diversions.
Bubbling fountains have been installed and have given satisfaction on the whole.
Dr. Varney calls attention to the need of improvement in the sewerage in his report as school physician.
The fire house room has served a necessary purpose this year, but its continued use, except by a small number of pu- pils, would be very undesirable because of the almost total lack of proper ventilating facilities. The discontinuation of the use of the room in the Town Hall will be desirable because of the poor light.
I strongly urge that fixtures for gas be provided for some of the rooms in the High School building.
OTHER BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
Now that common drinking cups are not allowed, I believe it is very desirable that tanks be placed in the buildings not now supplied and that suitable bubbling fountains be in- stalled. This can be done in every building without great expense. There are suitable fountains adapted to a limited water supply that can be purchased reasonably. Several scores
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of cups sitting around and collecting filth do not make a pleas- ing spectacle, nor are they conducive to the most healthful conditions.
In some of the buildings there are force pumps, and these could be used to fill the tanks.
In the East School building there is some of the necessary material lying idle. I recommend that you give this matter your careful consideration and if possible take favorable action.
The floors of a few of the buildings have not been oiled, and for hygienic reasons I recommend that this be done.
As a result of the scarlet fever outbreak at the West School the floors were oiled. thereby contributing much to the sani- tary condition of the building. The basement floor needs re- surfacing badly.
The heating plant at this school seems wholly incapable of heating the building properly in severe weather, even when the supply of fresh air is reduced far below what it should be.
That conditions might be bettered I recommended, in the winter, that storm sash be placed upon the windows on the west side of the building. Accordingly twenty sash were sup- plied, covering all the windows on the west side and four on the north side. They have helped a great deal, but there is still much trouble in getting the temperature up to the proper point in severe weather. This trouble has always existed since the building was first occupied. The matter should receive careful consideration before another winter.
At this school there is especial need that something be done concerning a supply of drinking water. At present the teachers each have a pitcher in the room and the children have their cups at their seats. This is a very unsatisfactory arrange- ment.
At the South School some minor repairs have been made in connection with the water supply. At this school there has been little complaint concerning the lack of heat.
At the East School there is no way of flying the flag which has been provided for the purpose. There is no staff upon the
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building nor pole in the yard. The law specifically states that a suitable pole shall be provided. I recommend early compli- ance with the requirements of the statute.
The grounds at the South Row School have been partly graded and the work will be finished as soon as the weather permits. The grading done has added much to the warmth of the building, as the earth had washed away so that the wind entered freely through the holes in the dry wall below the underpinning.
At the Golden Cove and North Row Schools minor details only have demanded and received attention.
BOOKS
During the year most of the schools not already supplied with spelling books have received them.
The Gulick series of physiology and hygiene has been purchased for all grades in town for which the various books are suitable.
Quite a large number of music books was bought to make up deficiencies and to replace useless books.
Some supplementary reading matter has been purchased, but there is still need for much more. Each of the grades should have at least three sets of supplementary readers, and more are desirable. It is not economy to transfer these in any quantity from one school to another as the wear and tear of moving them is something, and, moreover, responsibility for damage cannot be placed. There is also the hygienic reason. Then, too, it is impossible to move them all at the time they are most needed and such delays are undesirable. The super- intendent's time is fairly well occupied and it often takes time that he might profitably spend otherwise.
Most of the geographies in town are worthless and really needed replacing at the beginning of the year, but since radical changes are being made in most geography texts at this time, it was deemed unwise to make a change this year,
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or to make large purchases of new books of the present series. Hence, the teachers and pupils have struggled along with very poor books. Next September it will be necessary to replace a large number of them whether the new editions are ready or not. If the new editions are not ready some arrange- ment for exchange later, will be made.
The present texts in language and grammar are unsatis- factory. The series is not consecutive, and the grammar, for the upper grades is too purely technical. There should be a complete series for all grades, and the book for the upper grades should contain more language material. There are several good series, new books and revisions, and I believe it is very desirable that a change be made.
Some of the schools have been without a dictionary for common use, or have been trying to get along with one that was past use. To meet this need four copies of the latest edition of Webster's International Dictionary, and seven copies of Webster's Collegiate Dictionary have been purchased re- cently. One or two more may be needed.
Some of the schools are not properly supplied with refer- ence books. I hope that it may be possible to furnish these at an early date.
THE COURSE OF STUDY
Under this head your Superintendent of last year set forth very fully the functions of a course of study. He also ex- pressed the intention of having a new course of study ready for this year, but one-year terms are not productive of such work.
It is my intention, here, to call attention to what I con- sider are some of the defects in the present course of study, and to suggest some changes, in correction of these defects. I shall speak first of the elementary school course, and then of the high school course.
I do not advise any very radical, immediate changes in the elementary school course of study, for I believe that all courses of study should be progressive.
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While all of us realize that there should be a broad educational foundation laid, since our democratic form of government depends upon it, and its existence would be en- dangered without it, yet progressive thinkers are of the opinion that this can be given and at the same time we can offer a little something more than is now given for the utility side of education-for efficiency.
I believe that it is the concensus of opinion of men who have given the subject careful thought that too much time is being spent on the present elementary course of study, in common use. There is a feeling that all that is essential in it can be satisfactorily accomplished, and something of intrinsic value in addition to it, and this, too, without adding to the burden placed upon the child. I believe that this last should be carefully guarded against.
At present we do not differentiate between boys of dif- ferent tendencies, nor between girls of different tendencies, nor even between boys and girls, in any part of our elementry school course. This, I believe is not as it should be. When pupils reach the age of about twelve years their tastes begin to show differences and their interests begin to differ. It is the knowledge of this fact that has caused some educators to establish the six grade unit for the elementary school course, with the elements of differentiation in the upper grades, in place of the present common eight grade or nine grade unit. The differentiation while not radical is distinct. This move- ment is growing. Our own Commissioner of Education, Dr. Snedden, and his associates are contemplating the preparation of, or are already at work upon such a course. In New York State I believe such a division, into elementary and inter- mediate courses, is now established.
Commissioner Draper of New York State, in his annual report for 1909, said, " As much of the present elementary course as has seemed feasible has been placed in the first six years. In the two years' intermediate course the work begin to differentiate. It includes arithmetic, history, English, phy- siology, modern languages, and other subjects which have
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previously been considered in academic work. Certain work from the academic course, elementary in its nature, is brought down to the seventh and eighth in the place of non-essentials which have been eliminated. It also includes work specially adapted to prepare pupils for commercial and industrial courses in high schools and trade schools."
In Columbus, Ohio, the board of education has established a " junior high school system." Under this arrangement the school system consists of elementary schools of six years, junior high schools of three years, and senior high schools of three years. The " junior high schools " will teach the essen - tials of the seventh and eighth grades, including manual training and domestic science, and the first year of high school work as schools are now generally organized.
I make this rather extended statement concerning the six- grade elementary school course and the intermediate school course, in order to make myself clear, and to show that the movement is already under way. In fact, some of its principles are in common use, and have been for several years. We are a little behind in this respect.
While we may not be able to make any very distinct change, we can, at least, make a beginning. We certainly can give to all pupils above the seventh grade, if not above the sixth, some elements of industrial training, with a differ- entiation between boys and girls, without discarding any- thing of value from our present course. I will try to show how this is possible.
We are beginning geography one year too late and are stringing it out too long. Geography should be begun as a text-book study in the fourth grade, and should be completed, except in its advanced form of physical, industrial, and com- mercial geography, by the end of the seventh year, or cer- tainly not later than the middle of the eighth year-a full year earlier than our present course provides.
We are about a year behind in arithmetic. This subject should be far enough advanced to be dropped as a formal
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subject, in its general form, by the middle of the eight year, certainly not later than the end of that year. I do not mean by this that it need be wholly discontinued, but that if given it should be given a definite application to some phase of work.
The subject of language and grammar, in its present elementary school form, should be finished by the end of the eighth year, at the latest.
With these changes, noted above, made in the course of study there would be ample opportunity and time for differ- entiation between the work of the boys and that of the girls, in certain respects. The girls might be given the elements of household science, and the boys elementary work in manual training and mechanical drawing for example Different schools under differing conditions would require different treatment. In some the elements of agriculture might be introduced. In all we could give the beginnings of indus- trial training.
Our high school course needs revision badly. At the Centre the course seems to suit conditions fairly well, but at the North we are offering something for which there is almost no demand. Even at the Centre we are trying to fit some square pegs into round holes. We have failed to recognize the pedagogical principle that training for a certain line of work is only acquired through related subjects, and not through unrelated subjects. The study of Latin, while of use along some lines, is a little value in the training of a mechanic
Our present course is practically college preparatory, with the exception of a little commercial work in business arith- metic and book-keeping.
With one exception, the elimination of Greek, the course is identical with the one from which the writer graduated more than twenty years ago. This is not progressive as con- ditions have changed very materially in twenty years. The
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system of apprenticeship, for example, has largely disap- peared, and the work of the schools must take its place in certain respects
We are still bending our efforts to fit for college while only a very small percentage ever head that way.
We can as well lay the broad foundation of education in something of practical value to the great number whose formal education ends in the high school.
At the North we have an excellent opportunity to put into practice some of the ideas suggested.
I recommend, and urge strongly, that the North High School be changed from its present form to a manual training and technical school, and that the few who desire the college preparatory course, be furnished transportation to the Center High School. Those who wish the manual training and tech- nical course should be given a similar opportunity to attend the North High School. It might be advisable to offer the business course in each school.
This arrangement would bring hardship upon very few indeed and we should be adding very materially to the value and efficiency of our work. The number to receive the benefit of our work would undoubtedly be increased. If we give something that is wanted our pupils will remain in school. At present they do not remain as is attested by the fact that there is but one pupil in the fourth year class and three in the third year class at the North High School.
I recommend also, that with the establishment of such courses, certain features of the work be extended to include those of the upper grades in the elementary school, who are qualified to undertake the work, and who show inclination for it. In this way we can make a practical differentiation in the work of the grades.
With the completion of the new building it may be pos- sible to so distribute the pupils as to obtain one room in the present group of buildings to be fitted up and used as a manual training room and workshop, in which industrial work
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could be done also. If the change were made gradually the initial expense would be small.
Details can be worked out later and will need careful consideration and some expert advice.
I earnestly urge this upon you, for your consideration and action, believing it to be the best solution of the problem.
HEALTH
Compulsory medical inspection is one of the late com- pulsory features of the Massachusetts school law. A few years ago only the cities and the larger towns did anything in the way of giving expert attention to the health of the school children. Now the law compels every town in the State to provide a school physician, whose duty it is to inspect every child, teacher, janitor and building.
Chelmsford does her dnty better than some towns in this respect, and I am pleased to record here my satisfaction with the work of the two physicians who serve you in the capacity of school physicians.
While they do their work well, and the conditions gener- ally, as regards health, are being improved materially, yet a great part of the benefit that might be gained from their work is not received because of the failure of parents and guardians to act after receiving notice of some defect in the health of the child.
What is needed is some suitable person to act in the capac- ity of school nurse or school visitor to follow up the cases that need attention and to secure action on the part of the parent.
The neighboring city of Lowell has employed during the present year one young teacher-not a trained nurse-whose sole duty it is to look after such cases as need her attention, and the results of her work have been almost phenomenal. Through her efforts alone tuberculous children have been placed where they can receive proper treatment, hygienic con- ditions of many homes have been improved greatly, children needing medical attention, and who would not have received
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it but for her efforts, have been brought to a condition of health, and even children, crippled from birth, have received the surgical treatment needed, solely through her efforts, and are no longer hopeless cripples.
We could hardly afford to employ a person to devote her full time to such work, nor would it be necessary. What we could do, and what we should do, is to secure some person who can devote one day a week, or such time as is needed, to the work. Such a person can be secured, and I believe it to be our duty to engage her.
I earnestly recommend that such action be taken in the immediate future.
The harmful effects of the use of tobacco and alcoholic liquors, especially by youth, has received attention enough, and is receiving attention enough, so that no thoughtful parent fails to guard against their use by the child. Then, too, the child is taught at school the dangers of their use, and this has a deterrent effect.
During the last few years the subject of tea and coffee drinking by school children has received more or less of my attention, and I have become convinced that the habit is one of the principal causes of retardation.
Failure of promotion has so many contributory causes that it is difficult to state with certainty the causes, but this habit is certainly among them. Without question the habit in growing children is harmful to both mental and physical health.
Dr. Thomas F. Harrington, director of school hygiene in Boston, says : "By far the most common and pernicious factor in the whole problem (ill health of pupils) is tea drinking among children. In the form and in the quantity now in- dulged by growing children it ranks very high as a cause of ill health present today. Its use is now so firmly fixed among all classes of school children that its eradication will require the combined efforts of every agency at our command. It is a great national evil."
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A well-known writer on school physiology and hygiene says : " The nervous system of children is easily impressed by tea and coffee, and their bodies cannot stand the stimulation and extra work which their substances induce."
Both are narcotic stimulants, and both cause similar inju- rious effects upon the digestive and nervous systems. The headaches and sleeplessness from which children suffer are often due to this habit alone.
In order to show the prevalence of the habit among the school children of the first nine grades in this town, I have compiled the following table of statistics, secured very recent- ly. While these are probably not wholly accurate, yet great care was taken in collecting them, and they are largely correct. These statistics do not apply to occasional users, but to those who have the habit :
NUMBER WHO DRINK TEA OR COFFEE
GRADE
Number Questioned
Once a Day Only
Twice a Day Only
Three Times a Day
Number Who Drink Neither Tea nor Coffee
1
117
26
28
24
39
2
107
23
20
27
37
3
83
11
17
30
25
4
115
26
23
23
43
5
78
22
16
17
23
6
76
16
10
13
37
7
65
8
12
27
18
8
60
10
·15
13
22
9
33
6
S
7
12
Totals
734
148
149
181
256
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This table of the first nine grades shows us that more than 65 per cent of those questioned drink tea or coffee, habitually, one or more times a day, that about 45 per cent use tea or coffee twice or more times a day, and that nearly 25 per cent have the habit of drinking one or the other three times a day. We note still farther, that the habit is very prevalent among the younger children, where the greatest harm is likely to be done.
Parents should give thoughtful attention to this matter.
With the exception of the scarlet fever outbreak at the West School, necessitating the closing of three rooms for two weeks beginning October 24th, there has been no serious trouble with contagious diseases during the present school year.
The complete reports of the school physicians are printed in connection with this report.
SIGHT AND HEARING TESTS
The sight and hearing tests were taken this year by the teach- ers under the supervision of the principal. The more completely these tests can be brought under the care of the room teacher, the more nearly shall we conform to the regulations laid down, and the more accurate will the tests be on the whole. Small children, especially, become nervous and excited when in the presence of a stranger, particularly when questioned by one. The same is true of older children to some extent. If taken when a child is nervous and excited, the tests are likely to be of little value.
Another reason why the room teacher should make the tests is that she will early gain knowledge of the defects and can thus deal with the child more successfully.
Parents are giving more attention to these defects in their chil- dren than formerly, but there are still many neglected cases. Here again is where the school nurse, or school visitor, would be of much value. She would follow up these cases and see that the children were given proper attention.
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The summary given below does not include those children who are wearing glasses, as that is evidence that they are receiv- ing some sort of attention, usually satisfactory attention.
The results of the tests:
Number Enrolled
Defective in Eyesight
Defective in Hearing
Parents or Guardians Notified
Centre
261
37
13
44
North
392
22
2
24
West
81
4
3
7
East
54
5
0
5
South
43
5
1
5
Golden Cove
35
1
2
2
North Row.
17
1
1
1
South Row
18
8
0
1
Totals
901
83
22
89
THRIFT
The statutes require us to give instruction in thrift in our schools. This is being done in many ways, depending much upon the individul teacher.
I have caused a beginning to be made in what I consider a practical and desirable way of teaching the subject.
Learning that the Central Savings Bank, of Lowell, was sending representatives to certain schools, through whom it received deposits at the schools, I called upon Mr. Whidden and asked him if he would collect from our schools in a similar way. He readily consented, and the work was begun in November. Though thus far they have been able to visit the schools at the Centre and North Chelmsford only, the system will be expanded to take in all schools in town, in time.
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