USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1890-1895 > Part 18
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Mark R. Pearson, woodland 63/4 acres $150, mow- ing 10 acres $200. Total $350 4.10
David G. Perkins, marsh 5 acres $100. Total $100. 1.17 Dudley Q. Perkins, marsh 712 acres $150. Total $150. 1.76
Elizabeth W. Perkins, marsh 4 acres $80. Total $80 .94
Ephraim Perkins, marsh 5 acres $100. Total $100 John P. Perkins, woodland 4 acres $300. Total $300 3.51
1.17
Josiah P. Perkins, marsh 1612 acres $330. Total $330 3.86
Mrs. Sophronia Perkins, upland and meadow 15 acres $180. Total $180 2.11
Thomas Pierce, (heirs of) woodland 8 acres $160. Total $160 1.87
Baxter P. Pike, marsh 3 acres $60. Total $60.
.7.)
Eliza H. Pike, marsh 5 acres $100, thatch 2 acres $20. Total $120 1.40
Mary A. Reed, marsh 4 acres $80. Total $80. .94
A. W. Smith, marsh 8 acres $160. Total $160 1.87
Topsfield (Town of) marsh 3 acres $60. Total $60. .70
Dudley P. and Mary L. Towne, marsh 81/2 acres $170. Total $170 1.99
E. L. Wildes, meadow 1 acre $10, woodland 14
97
VALUATION AND TAX.
acres $280, marsh 9 acres $180. Total $470 5.50 Eunice Wildes, marsh 212 acres $50. Total $50 ..... .59
E. Wildes and J. A. Lamson, marsh 4 acres $80. Total $80 .94
Wildes and Cleaveland, marsh $50. Total $50. WENHAM. .59
James T. Brown, marsh 6 acres $120. Total $120. 1.40
Samuel Cook, marsh 9 acres $180. Total $180 2.11
William Cummings, marsh 13 acres $260. Total $260 3.04
Joseph Day, marsh 4 acres $80. Total $80 .94
Abram Dodge, marsh 5 acres $100. Total $100 ... 1.17
Ezra Dodge, marsh 712 acres $150. Total $150 ... 1.76 F. S. and George F. Dodge, marsh 4 acres $80. To- tal $80 .94
George W. Dodge, marsh 3 acres $60. Total $60. .70 Francis B. Edwards. marsh 312 acres $70. Total $70 .82
Edmund Kimball, marsh 3 acres $60. Total $60. Edward L. Kimball, marsh 1312 acres $270. To- tal $270
.70
3.16
William B. Morgan, marsh 5 acres $100. Total $100 1.17
Daniel Perkins, marsh 6 acres $120. Total $120. 1.40
N. P. Perkins, marsh 3 acres $60. Total $60 .70
Michael Sullivan, marsh 31/2 acres $70. Total $70. .82
Henry Tarr, marsh 3 acres $60. Total $60 WILMINGTON. .70
Henry Shelden, pasture 25 acres $250. Total $ 250. 2.93
١٠
Annual Report
OF THE
.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE,
- OF THE -
Towin of Ipswich,
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 1, 1893.
IPSWICH, MASS. CHRONICLE PUBLISHING CO. 1893.
School . Report.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
APPROPRIATIONS AND RECEIPTS.
For Manning School. $2300 00
For Other Schools. 5800 00
For Text Books and Supplies 800 00
For Repairs 500 00
For Vocal Music. 250 00
Rec'd from State Board of Education, 218 31
Received from Dog Licenses
379 39
$10247 70
EXPENDITURES.
Trustees Manning School $2300 00
Teachers' Salaries.
5540 25
Care of School Buildings
259 15
Fuel
479 38
Text Books and Supplies
750 74
Repairs, including ventilation, at Cogswell School
532 04
Incidentals 440 99
-
-$10302 55
4
CORPS OF TEACHERS.
(February 1st, 1893,) with their salaries.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Sharonton H. Baker, Principal $ 1500 00
Mabel H. Brown, Assistant. 600 00
GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
Joseph I. Horton, Principal 1200 00
Lucy Hamlin, 1st Assistant. 600 00
Carrie L. Lakeman, 2d Assistant 500 00
DENNISON SCHOOL.
Intermediate, Mrs. H. E. Noyes
400 00
Primary, Emma G. Blanchard, Principal 380 00
Primary, Anna S. Cogswell, Assistant. 280 00
COGSWELL SCHOOL.
Intermediate, Mary E. Smith
400 00
Primary, Mabel L. Hodgkins 380 00
NORTH SCHOOL.
Intermediate, S. Isabel Arthur 400 00
Primary, Eva A. Willcomb, Principal 380 00
Primary, E. Mabel Adams, Assistant. 280 00
WAINWRIGHT SCHOOL.
Susie H. Potter.
380 00
MUSIC TEACHER, A. E. Bradford
250 00
UNGRADED SCHOOLS.
Appleton, Allegra Manning 250 00
Argilla, Cora A. Smith. 250 00
Candlewood, Susie C. Cobb 250 00
Grape Island, Cora H. Jewett
250 00
Linebrook, Sadie W. Matthews
300 00
Village, Josephine C. Colby 250 00
Willowdale, Mabel R. Willis.
250 00
5
ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE.
Whole Nunber Enrolled.
Average Membership.
Average Attendance.
Percentage of Attendance.
High School,
64
46.3
43.3
93.5
Grammar,
145
135.7
124.1
92
North Intermediate,
45
33.3
31.5
94.6
Cogswell
38
31.2
28.1
90
Dennison
55
50
47
94
North Primary,
112
78.4
71
90.6
Cogswell 66
74
50.5
40.7
80.6
Dennison 6
101
76.1
68
90
Wainwright“
68
43.4
38.1
88
Appleton,
10
6
5.6
93.3
Argilla,
13
10
8
80
Candlewood,
18
15.6
13.6
87.2
Grape Island,
6
6
6
100
Linebrook,
25
18
14.8
82.2
Village,
25
14.3
12.4
87
Willowdale.
18
16.1
13.4
83.2
817
630.9
565.6
89.6
Number of children in town according to census taken in May last :
Between the ages of 5 and 7 years
276
Between the ages of 8 and 14 years 582
-858
Pupils enrolled in the public schools, 817, as follows:
In the four Primary schools. 355
In the three Intermediate schools 138
In the Grammar Schools 145
In the High School. 64
In the Out Districts Schools 115
Average membership of all the schools 631
Average attendance of all the schools 566
Per cent. of attendance. 891/2
NOTE .- In connection with the above, it should be stated that many children do not enter the schools until six or seven years of age, and that the number enrolled in the schools includes 120 who are above fifteen years of age.
6
LIST OF PUPILS WHO RECEIVED DIPLOMAS
June 30, 1892.
THREE YEARS' CLASSICAL COURSE.
Rufus Hamilton Brown,
Robert Scott Kimball,
Bernard Lester Goss,
Eliza Foster Plouff,
Franceine McIntire, Annis Elzina Cook, Maye Everett Clarke, Grace Estelle Smith, Helen Gould Safford, Maud Pauline Maynard.
THREE YEARS' ENGLISH COURSE.
George Everett Hodgkins, Mabelle Roberts Willis, Mary McLaughlin, Samuel Foster Damon, William Roscoe Spinney.
The past school year has been uneventful and we count its uneventfulness our good fortune. Excepting a run of scarlet fever, which happily did not become epidemic, though it caused the suspension of the Candlewood school for some weeks, and the ravages of the grippe in the Argilla and Willowdale districts, no prevailing sickness has interfered materially with general school work. Some changes have been made in our corps of teachers, but the Dennison Pri- mary is the only large school which has suffered a change of administration. To fill this vacancy, Miss Emma G. Blanchard was transferred from the Wainwright school, and the high standard attained under Miss Crosby's skillful hand has been fully maintained. Miss Susie H. Potter, the assistant at the North Primary was placed in charge of the
7
Wainwright, and Miss E. Mabel Adams, formerly of the Vil- lage school, was assigned to the vacancy in the North. Both these teachers, we are pleased to see have done excellent work. Miss Cora H. Jewett retired from the Candlewood school with the close of the school year, and Miss Susie C. Cobb of Salem has been doing good work as her successor. Miss Sadie W. Matthews has been transferred from Willow- dale to the Linebrook district and the vacancy thus made was filled by the appointment of Miss Mabel R. Willis, who promises well in that position. At Linebrook alone, re- peated changes seem necessary, due largely to the peculiar environment of the school. A local dissatisfaction with the teacher, which is in great danger of becoming chronic, has hampered the work of several teachers in rapid succession, and greatly impaired the efficiency of the school.
The policy of allowing the teachers a day in each term for visiting the schools of other communities has been continued with gratifying results. The teachers invaribly return from these excursions to the famous schools of Quincy, Chelsea, Cambridge and elsewhere with fresh interest and new de- vices, and twice at least these visits have established the fact that our schools are maintaining a really high stand- ard. In one instance, a primary principal satisfied herself that the fifth grammar grade in a large Cambridge school, corresponding nearly to the second intermediate grade in our system, was not as far advanced in arithmetic and geography as her first primary class, and in the other the principal of our grammar school saw for himself that a recent graduate from his tuition was easily maintaining the first rank in her class in the Lynn high school. All things considered, we may well believe that our local school system is accomplishing substantial and valuable results. Never- theless defects are apparent, and improvement in many re- spects may be made.
In our district schools, we must confess, are the least sat- isfactory portions of our local system. For various rea-
8
sons they are not accomplishing all that we could wish for the children of the various localities, in which they are loca- ted. The radical trouble is that generally they are too small. The average membership for the year at the Apple- ton has been 6; at the Argilla 10; Candlewood 15; Village 15; Willowdale 16; Linebrook 18.
These few scholars are often of widely different ages, and are distributed through all the grades from lowest Primary to second Grammar. There can be no class system in con- sequence, as in larger schools, and only a few minutes can be given to any one recitation. The healthful stimulus found in graded schools is almost wholly lacking and many children advance more slowly than they would under more auspicious circumstances. With a single exception, these schools do not share in the musical instruction, which is one of the most valuable elements in our schools, and even if in- struction were given, little profit would result in most cases in the smaller schools, because of the impossibility of attain- ing any good musical effects.
The salary of twenty or even thirty dollars a month for ten months, is not tempting. It secures only young and totally inexperienced teachers, who welcome any opening which will give them practical experience in school affairs,. or teachers who have little fitness for their profession. Much poor teaching results, frequent changes are unavoid- able and continuity of work is impossible. The isolation of these schools from the center and from each other renders proper supervission difficult, and makes them practically independent, and each going at its own easiest pace and covering its own ground. But is there any remedy for these evils in a town like ours, where so many groups of families with children of school age, live in these isolated neighbor- hoods? In the case of the Grape Island school, no improve- ments on present conditions seem possible. The Linebrook school is so remote that it is practically eliminated from our inquiry. In the case of some of the other schools, consider-
9
able improvement might follow from the extension of musi- cal instruction, and with provision for more helpful and systematic supervision.
But the most satisfactory solution and one which is en- gaging much attention in many quarters, lies in the aband- onment of the local school buildings, and the transporta- tion of all the children by the town authorities and at pub- lic expense from their homes to the schools in the center. This system is being worked successfully in a number of our suburban towns. It has its disadvantages, in the case of very young children, it must be confessed, but there are great compensating advantages, which demand careful consideration, in the skilled teaching and the more stimula- ting environment.
The committee made some inquiries of parents, in one neighborhood, as a preliminary to attempting this exper- iment, and has seriously considered adopting this measure in yet another district. As yet, the scheme has not taken definite shape, but great possibilities of good seem to lie within it.
THE INTERMEDIATE AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
This group of schools is of the highest importance. They contain a large proportion of our school popula- tion, 493 out of 817. Some admirable work is being done. In scope and quality the training given compares well with that of some of our best. Some re-arrange- ment however is imperatively needed, and will be forced upon us ere long.
The problem of room for the primaries is again a pressing one. At the Dennison, the average during the winter term has been so large, that the natural increase in attendance during the spring and summer terms is likely to bring more children than can be accommodated with comfort.
10
At the North Primary school, the prospective difficulty is yet more serious. The present enrollment is 112. The av- erage attendance for the year, including stormy days and pleasant days alike, has been 79. Within a few weeks a hundred children will be in regular attendance here. There is absolutely no accommodation for such a multitude, and on sanitary grounds alone, it is to be hoped that no attempt will be made to seat this number in so small aroom. It will be impossible for the two teachers in charge to maintain the standard of the school under such pressure.
The Cogswell Primary with its enrollment of 74 already taxes the resources of the principal too heavily, though the school is making excellent progress. The spring influx will probably carry the enrollment and the average attendance much above any reasonable limit. The Wainwright as well is full already, with its enrollment of 68.
At the same time, it happens somewhat singularly, that the Dennison Intermediate is the only one of the three schools of that grade which has a full quota of pupils. The Cogs- well and the North are very small and remain so, despite our effects to promote as many as possible from the prima- ries.
A partial and temporary relief may be found in the ap- pointment of pupil teachers to assist the Cogswell and Wainwright principals. Some of our bright High school graduates, it is hoped will esteem this opportunity of gain- ing practical experience, valuable enough to lead them to volunteer for this service, without remuneration. The ex- perience thus gained will be of great value in settling the question, whether the aspirant for this profession has that in-born aptness for the fine art of teaching, which is the indispensable pre-requsite to success, and will determine the wisdom of a Normal course, or further preparation for this work.
But other measures must soon be resorted to. More room must be provided, or some re-arangement made. Shall this
11
be attained by building another primary building in a thick- ly peopled section and establishing another school, as in the case of the Wainwright a few years ago? As an objection to this, it is to be observed that the multiplication of small, independent schools is very undesirable. Already, our town primary schools, and the intermediate as well, are far from attaining a uniform standard, or covering identical ground. Our grading is far from being as systematic as it might be and should be. In the absence of any official and thorough- going supervision, our schools gradually drift apart, as the skill of a particular teacher, in her preference for partic- ular studies, or her ambition to excel, are not counterbal- anced by some common make weight. Inevitably there is no small variance in the advancement of pupils of the same grade in different schools. It may be objected again, that our three principal buildings in the centre of the community, the Cogswell, Dennison and North, are old and inconvenient, although in fair condition at the present time, and that it is a policy of doubtful expediency to build small new build- ings, or additions to the old buildings, and thus perpetuate our present loose system, and postpone longer than is wise the adoption of a comprehensive system for many years to come.
Is not the time ripe to consider the centralization rather than further multiplication of our schools? Other towns of equal size with ourselves are building large new buildings and gathering a number of schools of related grades under a sin- gle roof. In this manner the schools can be conducted more economically, as there is reason to believe, and certainly more systematically. A large new building or buildings in some central location with accommodation for the entire Primary and Intermediate school population, both in town and outlying districts, or a considerable portion of it, seems the final settlement of all our difficulties. There are difficul- ties attending it, indeed, but there are great advantages in the systematic grading, the more thorough instruction, the
12
more rapid promotion and the longer period of schooling likely to result from this system. Such a school could be administered with much less expense than our present sys- tem entails.
In the five out district schools, which might be despensed with under this system, 62 pupils on the average are being taught at an expense, for teachers' salaries, fuel, care and re- pairs of buildings, approximating to two thousand dollars a year. Half that sum would secure better results in the way suggested. The running expense, bill for repairs, etc., would be largely diminished.
The general compactness of the school population apart from the out districts, renders the plan easily feasible in town and some method of transportation might readily bring the out district pupils to the door. The re-arrange- ment of pupils thus made possible in the Intermediate grades would accomplish at once a more satisfactory and more economical administration of these grades, than is possible under our present local arrangement.
HIGH AND GRAMMAR GRADES.
The Grammar school has maintained its own high stand- ard of efficiency, and the increase in size, which necessitated another room a few years since has been steadily main- tained. Under the skilled oversight of the principal, an ideal unity of endeavor has prevailed in the several grades. The teachers have labored in season and out of season to secure the best possible results, and their success has been most gratifying.
The High school, too has made evident progress toward our ideal. Under the firm, but judicious guidance of the principal, that lax and demoralized tone, which characterized the school when his administration began, has given place to a more vigorous and healthful school life. More and bet- ter work than for years past has been accomplished. The recent introduction of theme writing and declamation is an
13
admirable addition to the course of study. We regret that the facilities for illustrative experiment, in the chemical and physical departments, are so meagre that the value of the scientific courses is greatly impaired. We hope that the school will soon gain such an acknowledged preeminence, that a larger number of our youth will recognize the value of the education here imparted, and that very speedily we may find a rising tide of interest in the higher education in the community, and a regular outflow of students into the colleges and technical schools. One additional year of special study, supplementary to the regular three years' course, is amply adequate to fit any student for our higher institutions, especially when a college preparatory course is chosen at the very beginning, and the few years' study is systematically arranged. If, year by year, our students were entering college or technical school, a marked enthusi- asm, stimulating and pervasive, would soon lift our whole school system into more vigorous life.
MUSIC AND DRAWING.
Four years ago the study of music was introduced as a part of the regular course in all our schools. Time enough has elapsed to prove the entire success of the method of in- struction adopted, and to demonstrate the value of thestudy itself. In every grade, now, with the possible exception of the High school, music is studied regularly and with in- creasing enthusiam.
In the Primary and Intermediate grades, a surprising de- gree of familiarity with the elementary principles is manifes- ted, and within a few years, as the pupils of the lower grades advance, the music course in the higher schools will become one of the most characteristic studies, and at graduation, every student with any natural taste for music, will be able to sing moderately difficult music at sight.
The moral and æsthetic benefit accruing during school days, and the whole after life is of the highest moment.
14
To this study, it is much to be desired that drawing should now be added, either in every grade at once, or beginning gradually in the lower grades and advancing reg- ularly with the pupils until it has gained place in the whole course. The education of the eye by this study should go hand in hand with the training of the ear by music. Educa- tion it is conceded shall be symmetrical. The fullest de- velopment of the mind is attained only through the agency . of each and every sense.
Our aim as educators, is to be not cramming the mind with facts, but training its various faculties to quick, varied and accurate use.
Eventually, we trust, when Mr. Manning's bequest for an Industrial Education Fund becomes available, practical ex- periment will be made in this direction. The suggestive re- port of Dr. Chadwick to the British Association, quoted briefly by Dr. Buchanan in the Arena for February, 1893, seems to demonstrate that great improvement in intellect- ual power is thus attained as well as manual dexterity in various sorts of handiwork. As a preliminary to our antic- ipated addition of Industrial Education, it would be wise and timely to determine upon some course of Drawing, and begin instruction with the next school year.
A WORD WITH PARENTS.
In closing our report, a few words with parents may not be amiss. While the Board of School Committe welcome at all times any suggestions or complaints that parents may wish to address to them, it deprecates any direct interfer- ence on the part of parents with the teachers. Too easy cre- dence is given, we can believe, to stories of undue favorite- ism, or of underserved discipline or unwarrantable neglect, that a child may bring home. Our teachers are carefully selected, their faithfulness and discretion are always to be presumed, and in any issue between a teacher and a pupil, the teacher will be found almost invariably in the right. At
15
the least, every teacher has reason for asking a fair hearing before being condemned. Sharp and hasty judgment of a teacher's course, even in the family, only widens the breach between teacher and scholar, and often unsettles the disci- pline of the whole school, and greatly increases the teacher's burden.
Complaint reaches us from time to time of the amount of study out of school hours. In particular cases, it may be that too large demands are made upon the evening and hours that should be spent in sleep, and that some relief is rightly asked as a condition of unimpaired health.
Such cases may well be brought to the notice of the com- mittee. But in the main, we incline to the belief that the grievance is exaggerated. If the spare moments in school were improved, and the time devoted to study at home were actually spent in hard, uninterrupted work, there might be a large saving of home study. Many hours are fritted away in a show of study in the family circle, or with a school- mate. A due amount of home work, we esteem of real ser- vice, as an offset against the pernicious habit of spending the evening on the street, or in unprofitable amusements. Too many of our children are found on street corners, and in idle and dangerous company, acquiring a habit of rough speech and boisterous behavior, if nothing worse.
Apart from this, can it ever be insisted on too strenuously, that school life is short and that in these few choice and for- mative years, school and study should have the first place in the thought of pupil and parent alike, and should occupy as large a portion of every day as is consistent with health? Frequent request is made of this Board or the teachers that children be excused from the memorizing of standard poems. Just here, however, we believe that our schools are doing some of their most valuable work. An acquaintance with the best literature, attained in the regular round of school work, from the primary grade upward, is of the highest value in offsetting the trashy prints which confront our
16
school children everywhere, and cultivating a taste for the best authors. In mature years, the children who are being drilled so thoroughly in this study will be more than thank- ful for the broad and accurate knowledge of the purest English they are now acquiring.
17
DETAILED STATEMENT OF REPAIRS.
COGSWELL SCHOOL.
Austin L. Lord, 2 days labor on old chimney
$ 11 00
200 bricks. 2 00
Lime, Cement, Lead, etc
2 96
Henry A. Pickard, labor in school room ... 20 00
John W. Bailey & Sons, mantels 11 00
S. F. Canney, lumber 8 44
John W. Goodhue, hardware.
2 49
J. H. Lakeman, labor. 1 50
7 20
$ 66 59
NORTH SCHOOL.
S. F. Canney, lumber 10 01
Edward W. Choate, labor 11 86
Foss & Butler, painting buildings, as per contract. 100 00
Austin L. Lord, repairing chimney
9 10
Henry A. Pickard, labor.
6 35
J. W. Goodhue, paint, oil and varnish
24 87
Foster Russell, cellar windows, etc
6 50
J. W. Newman, hardware.
1 30
A. H. Plouff, conductors 12 43
M. Nolan, iorn work. 2 10
George Fall, shingles, etc.
2 38
John W. Bailey & Sons, mantel
5 63
Foss & Butler, painting fence and other work. 52 50
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