USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1856-1880 > Part 15
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ART. 10TH. To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer to hire money in anticipation of taxes.
ART. 11TH. To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer to renew notes that are now due.
ART. 12TH. To see if the Town will accept the list of jurors as prepared and posted up by the Selectmen.
ART. 13TH. To see what rate of interest the Collector shall charge on all taxes not paid when due.
ART. 14TH. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate money for the purpose of defraying the expenses incidental to decorating the Soldiers' Graves on Memorial Day.
ART. 15TH. To see what action the Town will take in regard to an appropriation for the purpose of erecting a fence around, and gilding the names upon, the Soldiers' Monument.
(Continued on next page.)
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ART. 16TH. To see what action the Town will take in regard to building a High School House, and appropriating money for the same.
ART. 17TH. To see if the Town will authorize a settlement of their claim upon Daniel A. Hodgkins, for placing an incum- brance upon the highway, and authorize a suit against him, if it cannot be justly settled without one.
ART. 18TH. To see what action the Town will take in regard to lighting the streets in various places, and appropriating money for the same.
ART. 19TH. To see what action the Town will take in rela- tion to widening and straightening East Street from Hovey's Bridge to the house of Micajah Treadwell.
ART. 20TH. To see what action the Town will take in rela- tion to surveying and grading Sawyer, Cogswell and Wain- wright Streets.
ART. 21ST. To see what action the Town will take in rela- tion to building Reservoirs, or any other way to provide water in case of fire, and appropriating money for the same.
ART. 22D. To see what action the Town will take in relation to widening Cross Street from East Street to Green Street.
ART. 23D. To see what action the Town will take in relation to building a Town House.
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting up attested copies of the same at each of the meeting-houses, Town Hall, and at the School-house in the North District three days at least before the time of said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, at the time and place of said meeting.
Given under our hands, this Twelfth day of March, A, D. 1872.
THOMAS H. LORD, AARON F. BROWN, S Selectmen of Ipswich.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
Town of Ipswich,
FOR THE YEAR ENDING
MARCH 1st, -1872.
IPSWICH : EDWARD B. PUTNAM, PRINTER. 1872.
REPORT.
-
"The Committee in presenting their Annual Report, congrat- ulate the citizens upon the general good appearance of the schools. The examinations just closed, show no falling off in the scholarship, and with one or two exceptions the discipline and deportment in the school room has been all that could be reasonably desired. The corps of teachers in the employ of the town, are, as a body, faithful, intelligent, and devoted to their work.
But our schools have not, as yet, reached the high water mark. In many respects there is room for improvement and advance. Your Committee, as a part of the duty imposed upon them, would with their Report, call your attention to such suggestions, as are in their view, essential to the further progress and prosperity of the schools under their care. The first great need in a system of education, is a series of
GRADED SCHOOLS.
Such a series now exists among us. We have a High school a Grammar school, two Intermediate and three Primary schools.
Besides these, there are five schools in the outer districts of the town, in each one of which studies are pursued, varying all the way from those taught in the classes of the Primary and High schools. The distance of these schools from each other, and from the centre of the town, and the comparatively small number of pupils who attend them, prevent, of course, any such classification and arrangement, as characterizes the graded' schools. These are, and must continue to be, mixed schools. The best that can be done for them is to furnish pleasant and. comfortable school-houses, faithful and efficient teachers .. From time to time they will send their most advanced pupils either to the Grammar or High schools. The success of our school system will depend upon the rank and influence which these two schools-the Grammar and the High-hold in the series. If they are what they should be, their influence will be felt to the farthest extremity of the town. The High school, especially, will be the cynosure to which the eye of every child' in the village will turn. Statistics will show that the largest number of boys and girls in the large towns and cities, com- plete their education at the grammar schools. Only a small proportion of pupils enter the High School, and a larger part of these fall off during the first or second year. The Gram- mar school, therefore, should take high rank, and be able to. give every scholar who enters it a complete practical busi- ness education. It should have a course of study adapted' es- pecially to those whose school days are to end with its instruc- tion. The diploma of the school should be ready at the close for the faithful student. Besides this course of study, there should be another and different standard for those who intend to pursue an advanced course in the High school. A good grammar school education, complete in itself, is much to be preferred to a smattering of new studies, begum but not fin- ished at the High school. The High school is, or should be, the college of the community. It is designed for the more mature scholars, for those whose time and means allow of a more extended education. The standard of its studies should.
5
not be low. It is the stepping-stone to the professional school, the university, and active business life. Our sons and daugh- ters should not be obliged to go out of town to get an educa- tion at an academy, public or private school, which could be furnished at less cost at our own doors. Many scholars enter the High school too soon ; not a few of those in its lower clas- es would be greatly benefitted by remaining a year or two in the Grammar or District schools. The High school wouk! then not only have a more mature and better class of scholars, but the Grammar school would be improved to the same cx- tent. Many of our boys and girls will not go beyond the Grammar school. For their sakes this school should have a wider range of studies than at present. General History, the elements of the Useful Sciences, Book-Keeping, may well be introduced into the course. Unpractical studies should be ex- cluded, while the preference is given to those branches which are most useful and necessary in active life. By such a plan as this, the Grammar and High schools would be greatly im- proved, the grade of each advanced, and a better class of schol- ars found in them both. Your Committee hope to prepare and introduce during the coming year, a programme of studies for each grade of schools in the town. Especially do they hope to be able to inaugurate a definite and wider range of studies in the Grammar and High schools, enlarging and advancing the standard in each. Thus we should have a series of schools in which the student would pass rapidly and with case, from step to step. Entering the Primary at five or six years of age, the child will finish his elementary studies in two or three years. The Intermediate school, in a course of two years, will give a thorough preparation for the Grammar. Three or four years more will furnish a good, practical, business educa- tion, or enable him to enter into the last class of the High school. Four years, or less, suffice to carry him through this school, fitting him for college, or giving him such culture and training as will not cause him to be ashamed, into whatever business or social cirele his lot may be cast. The whole course
would require for its completion, from eight to thirteen years .. At its close, the pupil will have gratuitously received from the. town, an education of more value than any inheritance, an edu- cation which many of our fathers and mothers would have giv- en all they now possess, to secure.
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
This school is fortunate in its teacher. For a low salary- which ought to be increased -- we have an instructor whose ser- vices would be highly appreciated in any town or city of the Commonwealth. But the school is unfortunate in its building. No one points to this with any pride ; many are ashamed of it. As you walk by with an intelligent stranger, and he unwitting- ly asks : " What house is that?" the voice sinks, and the coun- tenance falls as you reply : " That, sir, I am sorry to say, is our High School House." It is time, and high time, that the citizens should bestir themselves about this matter. If we are not to have money from abroad, let us at once begin to put up a school house which shall be not only an honor to the the town, but a building which is imperatively called for, by every interest of education among us. The cultivation of the taste is a part of every system of education. A beneficial in- fluence is exerted upon the mind by pleasant and attractive sur- roundings. Our boys would be more manly, our girls more womanly, if their studies were conducted in a school-house where no shock was given to their sense of what is beautiful and appropriate. Neither we nor they, can respect what is not respectable. Besides, this building, bleak in winter, hot and illy ventilated in summer, is imperiling the health of the children we love.
The teacher of this school repeatedly calls for an assistant. At present, there is no room in the building suitable for the use of such an assistant. Perhaps, too, in a higher and in- creased range of studies, no more scholars would enter this.
school, than could be instructed with ease and profit by one teacher.
A philosophical apparatus, a set of instruments and mecha- nisms, for the illustration of the principles of natural science, is much needed in this school. A small appropriation made every year for this purpose, would in time give us a very valu- able and useful collection.
We ought to make more and more of our High school, With a new building, a higher standard of studies, and better arranged classes, it would be the pride and boast of the town. Like the ocean, it would daily send over the whole community a strong, deep tide of influence-an influence that would be felt in every nook and corner of the town.
There should be two complete courses of study in this school : an English and a Classical course. The former shouldi take the graduated scholars of the Grammar school, and carry them forward in advanced English studies, to such an extent, that in general acquaintance with literature, science, and prac- tical affairs, they should not fall behind the best scholars in any of our academies. It is wrong and foolish to suppose- that a boy or girl cannot be as well educated at home as abroad. An unnecessary expense, and a great risk to morali- ty and virtue is incurred, in sending the child away from the. family fireside, when it most needs the mother's care and the- father's counsel.
A Classical course is a necessity in this school. In a town of the size of Ipswich, two or three boys, at least, should en -. ter college every year. Of distinguished scholars in the land,, who have died within the past ten months, two were natives of this town. Coggswell and Treadwell are memorial names. here. What these men have been, others from among us may be. Parents who have abundant means should encourage the aspirations of any of their boys who may incline towards the choice of a college carcer. The town, at some future day, may reap the benefits of such a choice. As a rule, it may be: said, no scholar should enter the High school, who does not
intend to pursue an advanced English or Classical course. A thorough acquaintance with grammar and district school stud- ics, is far preferable to new studies, begun in the High school and never finished. Of course, to the rule named, there must be many exceptions ; but every scholar who begins a carcer of study in the High school, should look forward to a diploma at its close.
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
The Committee have made a beginning here. They made choice of a teacher who possessed, in their view, the rare fac- ulty of helping the scholars to think for themselves. But to increase the usefulness of this school, to make it a place where every boy and girl in the town, can if he choose, complete his school education, or get the preparation needed for the High school, an assistant is needed. The number of scholars at present in the school is so large, that one teacher cannot faith- fully perform the duties which are required of him. We ask, therefore, for a special appropriation for an assistant teacher.
Into this school, in obedience to a law of this State, which requires it to be taught in every town and city, we have intro- duced drawing. The result has been marked. The schol- ars who pursued this study exhibited an improvement in pen- manship which surprised the Committee. For this reason, if for no other, we should urge the continuance of this branch as essential. But when we remember that drawing disciplines the eye and hand, develops the powers of observation, creates a pure taste, aids the mechanic in getting out his plan, and the artist in sketching his picture, we are forced to consider this study as important, as it is useful and entertaining.
This school, as we have before suggested, should have two courses of study-one adapted to the needs of those whose sole opportunities for education, will end with its instruction, and another for those who purpose to enter the High School.
It is not the sole, nor the main work of the Grammar School to prepare students for an advanced English course. It should rather seek to instruct our children in those branches which are necessary in the every day affairs of life, and which form the basis of all education.
It is a mistaken idea to suppose that Arithmetic and Gram- mar alone should form the principal studies in this school. There should be a wider range. It is quite as important that those whose schooling ends with this grade should be made familiar with Physiology, or the Laws of Health, Chemistry, and Philosophy, or the Laws of Nature-the world they live on, its history, its plants, its animals, its commerce, its pro- ductions-as it is that they should spend large portions of their time in working out hard problems in Arithmetic, or memorizing useless rules in Grammar. It is in the Gram- mar School that the great mass of the men and women in the land are to prepare themselves for the active duties and employments of life. The Grammar School, therefore, claims a large share of our attention.
THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS.
These two schools, the North and the South Intermediate, have, during the past year, been under the excellent care and faithful instruction of Misses Lord and Tyler. They hold an important place in our series. Upon the thoroughness of the studies here taught, upon the faithful drill in the elementary branches, upon the stimulus here imparted to the mental faculties, much of the future success of the student depends. The special province of these schools is to fit the boy or girl for the Grammar course. The child whose education is su- perficially conducted at this stage, will feel the effects of such neglect in the whole future of his school carcer.
THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
The town has been favored with the best of teachers in
10
these schools, in Misses Perkins, Archer, Hobbs, and Mrs .. Kimball. Miss Hobbs stood at her post till within a week of her death. Though disease had fastened its mortal grasp upon her, yet she bore up under it with that silent endurance and fortitude for which woman is so distinguished. The ex- amination showed the good result of her assiduous labor. Faithful and affectionate, her little scholars will long re -- member the teacher "who died."
It is perhaps a two common idea that "any one can teach a. Primary School." But there is no school so difficult to teach .. There is no grade of school which requires more patience, toil, originality of invention and practical wisdom. The mother at home sometimes wearies with the care of one or two of her- children. What patience and kindness, prudence and skill, must she exercise, who receives from many mothers, from forty to eighty little ones !
The mode and method of instruction in these schools, must be left to a large extent, to the discretion and good sense of the. teacher. The best Primary school instructor, is the one most fertile in expedients for interesting and instructing her children. Singing, object-teaching, drawing upon the slate and black -. board, general exercises which amuse, while they inform,-she- who makes the most use of such expedients, will be most like- ly to succeed. The youngest children should not be too close -- ly confined ; light calisthenic exercises, and frequent opportu- nities to run out into the open air, should partially relieve the smallest of them from what, under any circumstances, must prove an irksome bondage.
The High Street Primary School is too large. Eighty scholars are too many for one teacher. One teacher can not do justice to eighty scholars. An assistant should be employed in this school. At the present time however, there is no ante -. room in the building, which could be used for this purpose .. A new school house, of brick or wood, with ample accommoda- tion for all the schools in this section of the town, may prove- a necessity at no distant day.
THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
The five schools in Linebrook, Ipswich Village, Appleton district, Candlewood and Argilla, have been kept during the past year by Misses Adams, Vose, Pickard, Kimball, Smith, Brown and Tower. These teachers have been conscientious and dilligent, and the schools are now in good condition.
GENERAL REMARKS.
A tendency to depend two much upon the text book has shown itself in many of our schools. This is an evil to be guarded against. The teacher should be the book. He or she should explain, illustrate, draw out the ideas of the schol- ar, help him to think himself, and express in his own lan- guage, that which he has learned. It is the province of the instructor, not only to listen to the pupil as he repeats the words of the book, but to see that the meaning of the words themselves, and the principle expressed by them, is made clear to his mind. We went into a school-room not long since, and a class in Geography in answer to questions proposed by the teacher, readily repeated from memory, sentences which con- tained the words Agriculture, Commerce, Manufactures, but- when the children were asked the meaning of these words, they were unable to tell. Now if the teacher had but pointed to a farm, spoken of a schooner sailing into or from the har- bor, called attention to the cotton-mill by the stream, or the shoe-shop in the town, the pupil would have seen the meaning, and always remembered the definition of the book. Children are naturally inquisitive, eager to learn, anxious to see the reason of things. Every instructor should avail himself of this principle. The memory should not be burdened to the great grief of the child, but his thought and curiosity should be excited, for this is his chief delight. The duty of the teacher is not done when the lesson is recited, but when it is comprehended and understood. The dry page of the text-
12
book must be made interesting by the remarks and illustrations of the instructor. He must not only make use of a book, but exercise the teaching faculty, and ever be enthusiastic to seize upon every good and useful fact, or truth. and turn it to the profit of the school.
One other thing is of great importance in the school-room. It is the moral atmosphere. Our teachers should be patterns of propriety. In dress, habits, manners, they should be models for their scholars. Kindness, gentleness, courtesy, these should be the law of the school room. Good breeding should be taught there. All this is to be done in the main by the silent and unconscious influence which the teacher cx- erts. The character of the teacher stands like a painting before the eve and mind of the scholar, and many a little hand and heart is continually transcribing its salient features and lincaments ; and the defects and blemishes are copied alike with the virtues. The whole bearing of the teacher should indicate culture and refinement.
In some of the schools the Committee noticed but a small degree of improvement in spelling. This is an important study. Good spelling is indeed no special honor, but it is a great discredit not to be able to write a word correctly. Nothing would be better for the schools in this respect than the old-time custom of "choosing sides." Let the teacher make an indiscriminate selection of words in common usc and enlist the pride and competition of the scholars in this most desirable attainment.
The Committee were sorry to notice in one or two of the schools, a number of abscences made in anticipation of exami- nation day. This is a great wrong, and parents should frown upon it. Nothing but sickness, or some unforseen occurrence, can be urged as a reasonable excuse for the abscence of the scholar at such a time.
18
SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, SALARIES, &c.
NAMES OF SCHOOLS.
NAMES OF TEACHERS.
SALARIES.
LENGTH OF TERMS.
High School,
Issachar Lefavour, J. M. Coyngrayhame, Hannah S. Lord,
40 00 per month.
10
66
Kate M. Kimball.
30 00
66
10
Central Primary,
Lucy A. Perkins,
36 00
66
..
10
. ..
Susie Archer.
26 00
..
South Primary,
Vandelia C. Hobbs. *
30 00
66
10
Carrie Brown,
22 00
Argilla, ..
Susie E. Tower,
1
24 00
٠٠
. .
Appleton ..
Emma J. Pickard.
24 00
66
1)
Ip. Village ..
Sarah Adams,
24 00
Linebrook ..
Helen A. Vose,
30 00
..
66
*Deceased.
*$300 00 by Feoffees of Grammar " School;" $900 00 by the town, less expense for fuel and building fires.
The whole number of children in the town between the ages of 5 and 15 veare, 547.
REPAIRS, APPROPRIATIONS, &C.
The Committee have built and furnished a new and con- venient school house in the Candlewood District, at a cost of $1024.47, the appropriation for that purpose being $1200.00.
They have also painted the Primary and Intermediate School House on the South side, and with various repairs upon the other houses in the town, have made use of $553.53, of the $600.00 specially appropriated for this pur- pose.
They have also expended for salaries and other current ex- penditures, $4783.99, the amount appropriated being $4900.
The school houses in the Appleton and Argilla Districts are in great need of repair, and an appropriation is asked for this purpose.
New furniture and flooring is also needed in the High St. Primary School House, and new desks in the Intermediate
Grammar School,
10
.6
No. Intermediate, So. Intermediate, North Primary.
Lizzie A. Tyler,
40 00
10
16.
22 00
Mary E. Smith,
Candlewood Pr'ry,
Susan E. Kimball,
24 00
4 .
10 months.
$1200 00 per annum .* 800 00 66 -
14
school room in the same building, would add greatly to its ap- pearance.
Amount of money raised for the High School $900 00
Amount of money raised for other schools, 4000 00
Special appropriation for repairs, 600 00
Special appropriation for Candlewood School
1200 00
"Town's proportion of the income of the State Edu- cational Fund. 214 45
"Total for School purposes, $6914 45
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN R. BAKER,
WESLEY K. BELL,
AARON COGSWELL,
School Committee.
WM. H. PIERSON,
CHAS. A. SAYWARD,
FRED'K WILLCOMB,
١
1
ANNUAL REPORT
THE
Receipts, Expenditures, &c.
OF THE
Town of Ipswich,
FOR THE YEAR ENDING
March 1, 1873.
IPSWICH: PRESS OF THE IPSWICH CHRONICLE. 1873.
REPORT.
.
SCHOOLS.
Paid I. Lefavour, teaching High School, $860.00
C. H. Hammond, “ Grammar,
800.00
L. A. Perkins,
Central Primary, 364.50
Susie Archer, 66
.. 341.25
V. C. Hobbs, 66
South 30.00
Hattie E. Noyes, "
66 291.00
L. A. Tyler, 66
So. Intermediate, 270.00
R. A. Hovey,
66 125.00
H. S. Lord, 66
North 66 265.00
Kate M. Kimball, “
Primary, 130.50
E. J. Pickard,
No. No.
225.00
L. A. Moore
Linebrook“ 171.00
Cyrus E. Foster, "
92.75
Susan M. Kimball "
Appleton "
137.60
Carrie E. Brown, “ Argilla 186.00
Mary E. Smith, " Candlewood, 231.00
-$4,520.60
William Goodhue, fuel,
12.00
G. A. Brown,
15.00
W. F. Conant,
7.00
W. G. Brown,
208.37
Emerson Howe,
14.25
N. H. Lavalette,
10.25
Gilbert Conant,
19.25
Moses Peabody,
6.00
Abbie T. Dodge, adm'x, fuel,
15.45
307.57
· Paid J. A. Jewett, fires and care of house,
$6.00
W. Horton,
66 4.00
A. L. Lord,
66
5.00
Ernest Reed. 66
66
31.00
D. W. Bradstreet, "
66
3.75
Arthur Brown,
66
5.40
George E. Smith, “
8.00
Arthur Kimball, “
5.00
Geo. W. Dawson, “
65
21.00
S. Butterworth,
66
11.65
Fred. Kimball,
15.00
John T. Tyler,
7.00
Jesse Kimball, 66
66
6.00
$128.80
Levi Lord, sawing and splitting wood, 4.50
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