USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > Town annual report of Chelmsford 1929 > Part 8
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When the addition to the High School is made it will be compara- cively easy and inexpensive to provide special rooms for the teaching of practical arts. I endorse emphatically the recommendation of Mr. Hobbs that this improvement be made in the curriculum at the earliest possible date. It would not add to the cost of instruction, for teachers of practical arts can be secured at the same salaries paid teachers of Latin and French, but special facilities must be provided which are im- possible in the present crowded condtion of the building. The fact that the Lowell Vocational School is available for boys who desire to learn trades simplifies the problem materially. We need not duplicate their courses, but a school of over 300 students should certainly give atten- tion to those students, who are neither going to college, nor planning to do office work. Mechanical drawing and shop work for boys and household arts for girls are clearly indicated as needs of our school sys- tem.
TRANSPORTATION
Two changes have been made in transportation routes. Pupils near Blodgett Park are being carried to Princeton St. instead of to the Quessy School, in order to relieve the overcrowding in the lower grades at the latter school. Also a few are being carried from Stedman St. in the Westlands to the Center. A total of 480 are transported; 196 to the High School, 110 to the Center Graded School, 80 to Princeton St. 75 to Quessy and 19 to South. The routes cannot be considered as absoutely fixed; each year slight changes may be made to meet changed condi- tions. Last year 454 were transported.
MISCELLANEOUS
Owing to the lack of interest in the evening school, as manifested by the small attendance last winter, no attempt was made to secure a class this year. If a minimum attendance of 30 could be assured a school should be opened with two departments. This seems to be im- possible now.
Students in the commercial department have been of valuable as-
96
sistance as clerks both to the principal and to the superintendent. In the office of the latter they have made out under supervision the bi- monthly payrolls and entered the school bills in the lodger. Pupils in the 7th and 8th grades collected data for the school census. Public ac- knowledgement is made for this assistance.
It should always be remembered that the schools represent a co- operative enterprise in which many groups participate. The tax-payers furnish the funds and the voters choose the men who shall direct ex- penditures. It is impossible in any school report to answer all ques- tions which these citizens may have. I heartily invite any one who de- sires information on any phase of the work to call at my office for an interview. The stock-holders are privileged to ask questions and to offer criticism.
The parent-teacher associations are somewhat closer in touch with classroom work than the general public; they act in a measure as a clearing-house, through which information goes to the people and sug- gestions come back to the schools. The work of the school committee and superintendent is to serve as directors and executive in the enter- prise, and their chief duty is to provide such conditions that the teach- ers can serve most efficiently. They are the all-important workers in this enterprise.
The bus drivers, who bring the children to school safely and com- fortably; the janitors, who see that the schools are warm and clean; the doctors and nurse, who look after physical welfare and guard against contagion; the women who are providing hot lunches-all these have important places in the joint enterprise. And finally there are the fathers and mothers, devoted to their children, anxious for their welfare, hopeful that they may reach the highest pinnacle of success-they are the most vitally interested of all and their support is the most neces- sary. To all these, who have made my work and the work of the teach- ers a real pleasure, I desire to express deep thanks.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE S. WRIGHT
Mr. George S. Wright,
Superintendent of Schools,
Chelmsford, Mass.
Dear Sir:
It is with pleasure that I make to you my third annual report as Principal of Chelmsford High School.
We opened our school this last September with an enrollment of over 300 pupils and the total enrollment for the year has been 310. This is a growth of slightly more than 40 pupils over our total registration of last year. Forty has been the normal increase of students for the past two years and the size of the present eighth grade which should come into high school next September, is about the same as was the en- tering class this year. This would seem to show, in so far as we can estimate that the enrollment next September will be about 330. This is about 100 more pupils than were purposed to be accommodated in the building when it was built. Every room is filled to capacity with desks and many temporary desks have been placed in all available spaces, even to the extent of actually over-crowding the room. Still we have 21 pupils who have no desks of their own in which to keep their books and supplies. We have even opened up an unfurnished room in the basement which has been filled with chair desks and is used as a home- room by 15 boys. This situation of congestion is relieved somewhat when classes are in session by pupils occupying the Typewriting Room and Room 10 which have no desks and hence cannot be used as home- rooms, but are used as class rooms. Including the Principal, there are now ten regular teachers in the high school. There are only nine classrooms in the building and whenever the Principal is teaching the teacher with the smallest class must meet in the room in the base- ment. Ten teachers are kept busy with 300 pupils this year, four of
97
them teaching all of the six regular teaching periods of the school day and with a possible increase in enrollment to 330 another year it would seem that an additional teacher will be necessary. But where can she hold her classes in our present building since with the present number of teachers there is not satisfactory room in the building? The time is confronting us when something will have to be done before next Sep- teinber.
The ideal and practical thing to do would be to build on to the high school a gymnasium with an auditorium above. By doing this our pres- ent unsatisfactory assembly room, which accommodates about two-thirds of our present enrollment, could be divided into two regular classrooms and furnished as such. There is. no question as to the impracticability and danger of our present gymnasium in the Grammar School base- ment. The posts in the playing court are a danger and the passing be- tween the gymnasium and the high school out of doors and down a steep grade, cold, slippery, and muddy as conditions often are, is a hazard to the health of the pupils.
While contemplating an addition to the High School a very obvious need in our curriculum should be adjusted by the introduction of Prac- tical Arts, especially Domestic Arts for the girls. We have boys and girls in the high school today taking Latin, French, Algebra, Geometry, etc., and being labeled failures in this work who would be much better occupied in the study of Domestic and Practical Arts. It is true that the pupil not going to college should receive and needs' culture and mind training from some classical subjects, but how much better it would be for them to be getting this training of the mind in more practical sub- jects, We know that we have a good College Preparatory Course for this has been demonstrated by the success of graduates in college, e. g. (from our last two graduating classes we have one boy at Annapolis, one boy at Harvard and are preparing one of our graduates this year for M. I. T.) However out of graduating classes ranging from 35 to 50 only about five or six ever go to college and for the vast majority who will not attend college we need courses of a more practical nature than Latin, French, and Algerbra.
We held this year for the first time an evening session in order that the parents and friends might have the opportunity of seeing the school in actual operation. Four periods of work were shown, the pe- riods being shortened to 30 minutes each, and we were tremendously pleased with the co-operation which we received from the pupils and from the townspeople. Over 180 visitors were counted in the school at one time and all pupils were present except about 20. The apparent success of this enterprise makes us feel that it might be worthwhile to have another "Know Your School Day."
We are in the process of purchasing a moving picture machine and a projection lantern by means of the school funds which are available. All of this money has been raised by the pupils and the healthful con- dition of these funds is shown in the accompanying financial report by Miss McCarthy.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VARIOUS FUNDS OF CHELMSFORD HIGH SCHOOL
December 31, 1928-December 31, 1929
1. General Fund:
Balance 12-31-'28
$ 199.97
Receipts
861.69
$1061.66
Payments
758.71
Balance 12-31-'29
$ 302.95
2. Music Fund:
Balance 12-31-'28 $ 219.91
98
Receipts
218.75
Payments
216.98
Balance 12-31-'29 $ 221.68
3. Class of 1930:
Balance 12-131-28
$ 16.54
Receipts
371.83
Payments
328.82
Balance 12-31-'29
$ 59.55
4. Class of 1931:
Receipts
$ 27.61
Payments
7.80
Balance 12-31-'29
$ 19.81
5. Year Book 1930:
Receipts
$ 279.50
Payments
189.67
Balance 12-31-'29
.$ 89.83
6. Athletic Association:
Balance 12-31-'28
$ 483.09
Receipts
1444.03
$1927.12
Payments
1241.34
Balance
$ 685.78
7. Blue Moon :
Balance 12-31-'28
$ 216.46
Receipts
75.54
$ 292.00
Payments
106.40
Balance 12-31-'29 $ 185.60
We were very sorry to lose the services of Mr. Coates this year. For nine years he had given very valuable services to this school and was a most excellent teacher in Science. His position has been filled by Mr. Greene. Mr. Hayes has taken the position left vacant by Mr. Tor- rey and besides being an excellent teacher, he has enabled us to im- prove our curriculum by the addition of Mechanical Drawing. Miss MacBrayne, an experienced and excellent teacher, is the new head of the English department, replacing Miss Reed who resigned.
I cannot close my report without mentioning the excellent work which Miss Dunigan is doing with the the publication of our school pa- per, "The Blue Moon," of which we are very proud since it is truly one of our products, being produced entirely within our school, whereas many school publications have to resort to outside printers for production. She has been aided by the assistance received from the English and Drawing Departments. The work which is turned out by the Commer- cial Departmst such as tickets, special forms, programs, etc., denote its efficiency.
In closing, I wish to thank the townspeople, the Board of Education, the Superintendent and the entire High School Faculty for their co- operation throughout the entire year and to especially acknowledge the gift from the Center Parent -- Teacher Association for the blankets which they have furnished for the football team and the athletic pants
99
$ 438.66
$ 388.37
and jerseys for the basketball team. This co-operation is greatly appre- ciated.
Respectfully submitted,
HORACE E. HOBBS.
Mr. George S. Wright,
Superintendent of Schools,
Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir:
In submitting my report on the previous year's work, I do it with a great sense of pleasure, because it is the one way I am able to tell the people of Chelmsford the keen enjoyment that is derived in making the children happy through music. Also there are new phases of the work that are brought up each year, which, I am sure, will be of interest to all.
The child is taught to sing lightly, and this should carry on through all the grades. The teaching of the general technique in music is fa- cilitated this year by the addition of new books where they are sorely needed. Little by little the old books are being replaced by new and more' up to date materials.
Music appreciation is given just as large a place in the routine as materials will allow. The children love it, and respond quickly and eas- ily, to the various moods and rhythms the music portrays.
We have rhythm bands in four schools this year. The Parent- Teacher Associations purchase most of these instruments, and I greatly appreciate the interest shown bby the P. T. A., as there is nothing better than the rhythm instrument to develop a child's sense of rhythm. One school purchased its own rhythm band with money raised by the school itself.
This year, through an arrangement of the State Department of Edu- cation, the music department of the high school is a part of the train- ing system of the State Normal School, at Lowell. Senior members of the four year music course at Lowell Normal come to high school and teach a block of the work supervised by myself, under the direction of Inez Field Damon, music director at Lowell Normal. Each girl comes twice a week for a period of five weeks, and teaches the class, chorus, nota- tion, and music appreciation. This work is a great benefit to both school and pupil-to school because of the close relationship to Lowell Normal and to pupil, because of the broadening out to phases of the music work that could not be taught before due to lack of materials. The school choruses are mixed, and each class meets twice a week. Boys' and girls' glee clubs have been organized and meet every two weeks for rehearsals. The school orchestra meets once a week for rehearsal and furnishes the music for assemblies and school parties.
Thanking every teacher for his or her splendid co-operation, I am,
Yours truly, CHARLOTTE L. HYDE.
Chelmsford High School, Chelmsford, Mass.
Mr. George S. Wright, Superintendent of Schools, Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Dear Sir:
I herewith submit to you my first annual report concerning the Physical Education Department of the Chelmsford School system.
100
Owing to the length of time that I have been a member of this sys- tem. I cannot submit a very lengthy report, but must confine myself to the Fall term of the 1929-30 school year.
The Physical Education program is carried out in all grades and the scope of activities range from story plays in the first and second grades to calisthenics, marching tactics, tumbling, dumb-bell drills, free hand exercises, dancing and group games in the high school.
All high school classes were held out of doors in the fall while good weather prevailed. I'introduced football in all classes because, noticing the small attendance of high school pupils at the local football games, I found the reason to be ignorance of the game. I think the knowledge gained helped the attendance somewhat and the physical needs of the pupil were fully taken care of.
Due to the large enrolment of pupils this year, especially in the high school, I found it necessary to create two new classes in the high school and one at the Highland Avenue school. This necessitated a complete change of last year's schedule and consequently I did not deem it advisable to have any of the grade school classes out of doors, as most of the period would have to be spent in marching out and back, leaving no time for any activity. This is a condition which I think should be remedied, as Physical Education for children has as its chief fundamental, play, and children are more apt to respond out of doors than they are in the class room.
I wish to take this opportunity to submit the needs of the Physical Education Department : A fully equipped gymnasium, including show- ers and locker space, full time assistant, high school freshmen, sopho- mores, juniors, and seniors having their own gymnasium periods so as to allow progressive work through the four years, separate enclosed play spaces for the boys and girls of the grade schools to be used in in- clement weather, supervised play both at recess and noon time.
The Physical Education Department wishes to express its sincere thanks to the Centre Parent -- Teacher Association for the wonderful co- operation they have shown in the giving of the blankets to be used by the football teams and the training units to be used by the basketball teams.
Respectfully submitted,
R. A. LA FOUNTAIN,
Physical Director
REPORT OF SCHOOL NURSE
Mr. George S. Wright,
Superintendent of Schools,
Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir:
The following is a general summary of work in school from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31:
Absentees visited in homes for illness 25
Children examined for minor ailments 26
Children sent home for illness 15
Children excluded for ringworm and impetigo 31
Simple dressings .53
First Aid 13
Follow-up Visits 33
Observation and advisory visits 23
Contagious visits made on school children 62
Accidents taken to hospital 3
To private doctor 16
To District Court 1
101
1
Children placed in orphanage
Personal hygiene and health talk to High School girls.
Health talks given in all Chelmsford schools.
All school children weighed and measured.
Assisted School Physician with Physical Examination of all pupils. Also assisted School Physician with complete Physical Examination of boys who were candidates for football team.
Defects found and parents and guardians notified.
Number of pupils examined 1450
Defective teeth 620
Defective tonsils 426
Defective heart
10
Cervical glands
140
Pediculosis
44
Acne
110
Malnutrition
2
Children 10% underweight weighed monthly.
Immunization clinic held in October. One hundred and ninety-six pupils were immunized and eighteen pre -- school children. Tests will be given in May, 1930.
We have had a School Dentist in Princeton Street School, North Chelmsford for three months. We have finished our dental work there, which was 91 cases. We have a great many still to be cared for, and a number are going to their family dentist. We were very fortunate in securing Dr. James C. Coughlin for our dentist this year.
I find in my health survey the children who have enlarged tonsils, poor teeth, nasal trouble, cervical glands, are the so-called underweight children. I also find they have not enough sleep, poorly ventilated rooms, insufficient rest, and excessive social activities.
I feel certain that pediculosis could be eliminated from schools alto- gether if the parents would give care to the children's personal hygiene.
I do hope the parents will take a step in the right direction, and early in 1930 take their children of pre-school age to their family phy- sician and have their defects discovered and corrected before they enter school in September. This would greatly reduce the defects found in our first graders and would make better school attendance.
School Health Cards will be gladly sent to mothers who wish to take their children to their family physician for examination, after which the cards are returned to school. I would like to make it very plain that no child will be allowed to enter school who is not vaccinated or has a doctor's certificate. It seems unnecessary to send notices home year after year to parents who do not have the defects corrected. Delays are dangerous. There were 94 of our first grade children having 127 defects. If some of these defects had been correctd before entering school, how much better our children's health would be, and also our attendance. Many of these children were not vaccinated but have been since. We had health pictures and talks in all Chelmsford schools, including High school, in December. They were given by the New England Food and Dairy Council, and were appreciated by teachers and pupils. I appre- ciate the co-operation I have had since Sept. 1, 1929.
Yours respectfully,
December 31, 1929.
MAE S. LEWIS.
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ENROLLMENT, OCTOBER 1, 1929
Grades
1
2
3
4
5
G
7
8
35
37 281
East
19
20
19
15
22
15
11
16 137
Highland Avenue
19
14
28
12
20
16
15
11 135
Princeton Street
44
33
34
32
36
39
33
25 276
Quessy
20
18
18
14
11
12
11
12 116
South
14
7
11
13
10
55
South Row
8
7
6
2
23
Westlands
21
21
21
16
24
19
17
17 156
Total
175 156 172 143 152 141 122 118 1179
High School:
Frehsmen
98
Sophomores
.100
Juniors
56
Seniors
5:2
Total
306
Total
Enrollment
1485
SCHOOL CENSUS, OCTOBER 1. 1929
Registration of minors
5-7 yrs.
7-14 yrs.
14-16 yrs.
Boys
125
513
125
Girls
115
480
135
Total
240
993
260
Distribution of minors:
In public schools
191
974
225
In vocational school
7
In private schools
5
15
6
In institutions
1
Not in school
44
4
21
Total
240
993
260
ENROLLMENT FOR TEN YEARS
Grades
High
Total
1920, fall term
110
160
1170
1921, fall term
1007
181
1188
1922, April 1
1090
184
1274
1923, fall term
1064
203
1267
1924, Oct. 30
1128
221
1394
1925 Oct. 30
1122
194
1316
1926, Oct. 1
1166
216
1382
1927, Oct. 1
1162
224
1386
1928, Oct. 1
1148
266
1414
1929, Oct. 1
1179
306
1485
36
35
39
29
40
Center
39
103
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Total cost of schools for 1929, including expenditures by school com- mittee from regular budget and special appropriations, Lowell Voca- tional School, insurance, etc., as itemized by Town Accountant on pages 41-42 $109,367.72 Receipts of the Town on account of schools:
from state for teachers' salaries $8,461.69
From state, tuition of state wards 1,685.53
from state, for evening school 105.60
from state, for Vocational School 2,083.10
Tuition from other towns
210.56
Rent of garage
45.00
East Chelmsford fire insurance
1,522.50
Sale of busses
675.00
Rebate on insurance on busses
72.40
Total receipts on account of schools
$ 14,861.29
Net Cost of Schools to Town
$ 94,506.43
SCHOOL BUDGET
Appropriation Expenditures Proposed
for 1929
for 1929
for 1930
Administration
$ 4,350.00
$ 4,122.28
$ 4,550.00
Instruction
68,300.00
68,290.20
69,230.00
Operation and Maintenance
17,300.00
17,216.01
18,400.00
Auxiliary Agencies
11,200.00
11,095.13
11,320.00
New Equipment
500.00
397.81
1,000.00
$101,650.00
$101,121.43
$104,500.00
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS:
Toilet System, Princeton Street
3,800.00
3,799.92
Grading, Westlands
600.00
585.65
Repairs, East Chelmsford
1,240.69
1,203.89
Sale of Busses
100.00
97.50
GRADUATES OF HIGH SCHOOL
June 26, 1929
Ruth Agnes Billson
Lena Leonora Lyman
John Lincoln Birtwell
Wilbur McCormack
Lora Frances Bowen
Leslie Mary McDonald
Mildred Elizabeth Buchanan
Raymond Joseph McGlinchey
Ruth Mary Calder
John Joseph McQuade
Dorothy Woodies Coburn
Mabel Lorraine Morrell
Edna Mary Davis
Helen W. Newman
Dorothy Rose Dixon Paul Tı. Dunigan
Agnes Laura Olsen
Raymond Arthur Eno
Ebba 4. Peterson Thelma Amy Peterson
Mary Rita Fitzpatrick
Josephine Margaret Quigley
James Julian Gale Marion Winifred Grantz
Bertha Isadore Sears
Catherine Frances Hehir
Mildred Marie Shinkwin Beatrice Estelle Smith Earl Joseph Watt
Clifford Mansfield Hoyt
Ruth Helena Johnson
Ben McLean Whiting
Arthur P. Kirk Annette Marie Loiselle
Letitia A. Winters Adam Carol Zabierek
104
GRADUATES OF EIGHTH GRADE June 20, 1929 at North Chelmsford PRINCETON STREET
Albert Francis Andrews Russell Beanchemin
Eva Locapo
Margaret Beatrice MeCarthy
Peter Belida
Rita Celia Mary McGovern
Fanny May Bomal
Edward Joseph Matuck
Andrew Peter Boumil
Phyllis June Marinel
John Homan Cassidy
Lydia Regina Mercier Benjamin Morris Mikulis
Andrew Oma Champagne
Nora Ellen Miskell
Bernard Frederick Crowley
James William Mungovan
Anna Marie Dixon
Joseph Patrick Mungovan
Charles Francis Donaldson
Frederick Edward Reedy Wilfrid Joseph Roderick
Lena Margaret Fantozzi
Margaret Ina Sears
Lathan Atwood Farnham
Raymond Edward Secor
Edna Mae Rita Gallagher
Kenneth Allen Shaw
Leonard Eugene Gaudette
Marjorie Frances Shugrue
Gertrudle Greska
Jennie Rita Stanevicz
Edmund James Hehic
Marjorie Mary Stephens
Bertha Mabel Jensen
Arline Mary Stirk John Elie Theriault
Lillian Mildred Williams
QUESSY
Frederick Abrahamson
Warren Edward Buckley
Joseph Dirubbo
Charlene Soule Kent Gertrude Emma Levasseur Aldona Mary Plein
Esther Louise Safford
June 21, 1929 at Chelmsford Center CENTER
Emily Elizabeth Adams
Grace Mildred Jones
Olive Louise Bockes
Julia Alice Katsikas
Dorothy Grace Bray
Anna Norwood Kinney
Helen Gertrude Burndrett
Julia Koulas
Eva Adeline Clark
Florence Blanche Loiselle
Matthew Christopher Clark
Phyllis Cole Lane
Edward Arthur Joseph Manseau
Marjorie Holt Marshall
Thelma Ashley Morrill
Edward Warren Freeman
Henry Alexander Joseph Oczkowski Clifton Tracy Pope
Eleanor Alberta Hazeltine
Grace Olive Taylor
Sally Hale Hemenway
Omer Ernest Tremblay
Ruby Emma Hill
Adolph Joseph Warner
Ruth Esther Hill
Hope Ordway Wilson
Barbara Elizabeth Worthen
Marguerite Elfreda Hoar Michael Zaher
EAST
Maybelle Booth Birtwell Phyllis E. Cunningham John Peter Emerson Mary Ferreira
Edward Benedict Lantagne Anthony Fred Medeiros Paul William O'Neil George G. Pardoe
105
Francis Charles Clark
Paul Francis Doyle
Cedric Daniel Kinch
William Ralph Ducharme George Edwin Dutton John Luffinger Fish Marguerite Eileen Anita Foye
Daniel Edward Haley
Mary Eva Jesus Walter Joseph Krol
Ethel L. Raposa Wayne Arthur Wilbur
WESTLANDS
Florence Thelma Annis Ida Dorothy Bragdon Gertrude Vera Brockelhurst
Grace Viola Crawford
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