USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1904 > Part 6
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Annual Report.
The school committee present to the inhabitants of Ipswich for their consideration the report of the superintend- ent of schools, a part of which are the reports of certain of our teachers. Many recommendations are made therein that the . committee feel should receive the attention and due consider- ation of the town. These various reports are embodied in and comprise a part of, the report of your school committee.
Your committee have the command and expenditure of the largest amount of money raised and appropriated by you for any single department of the town government, and with all the endeavors of the committee to practice economy, and keep within the appropriation made by you for the support of the school department, yet it is a fact that for two success- ive years we have been compelled to come before you in spec- ial town meeting, and request that an additional amount of money be raised to enable us to pay the expenses of this de- partment. Of course the greater part of this amount of money is expended for salaries of teachers, janitors, the rent of school building, etc., which amount can be exactly esti- mated, but there are other expenses in this department whichi must be met such as books and supplies, fuel and incidental expenses, which are in their nature fluctuating; and although in our recommendation for the school appropriation for the ensuing year we ask for specific amounts for the various items of expenditure, and hope that we can pay all our expenses
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from the money raised for this department, yet unusual and unexpected demands may be made upon us, compelling an ex- penditure of the funds at our command before the end of the year, with the necessary repetition of a request for more money to pay the ordinary running expenses of your schools. And, even though your committee may contract and pay some bills that afterwards might be considered unnecessary for the successful conduct of this department, yet if we are able to economize to such an extent that the least possible amount of the appropriation be expended, and we close the year without having exceeded our appropriation a single cent. but rather with a small balance to our credit, neverthe- less under the ruling made by the selectmen-to wit: that after orders have been drawn by any department on the treasury of the town to the full extent of the appropriation made for that department, no further bills contracted by that department will be ordered by the selectmen to be paid by the treasurer, until a further appropriation is made by the town for such department to meet such bills contracted --- a special town meeting must necessarily be held prior to the annual town meeting to raise sufficient money to pay for the usual running expenses of your schools. To explain: The appropriation for this department is made for the purpose of paying the expenses of the schools from Jan 1st, to Dec. 31 of each year. Nothing is asked or appropriated for bills becoming due in January and payable in February of the following year, and a consequent result is that unless this department can borrow from another department of the town. or the town has appropriated at a special meeting, a sum of money sufficient to pay such debts, then such bills must re- main unpaid until the authority is granted at the annual town meeting in March to the treasurer of the town to bor- row money in anticipation of taxes, when he will thereby be enabled to pay such bills; such bills however are con- sidered in any event a part of the debts paid from the appro- priation made for the year in which the debts are contracted. We would therefore recommend that either this year, or
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sometime in the future, a sufficient amount of money be ap- propriated for the school department which would leave a bal- ance in the treasury of the town to our credit sufficiently large to pay the January bills, with the understanding and expectation on the part of both the town and the committee that all future appropriations for the school department would be made on the basis of expenditures from January 1st to December 31st in each year, but also that at the end of each calendar year there would be this balance in the town treasury to pay all debts contracted during the month of January in the following year.
Under the existing law of the state it is incumbent on the town to employ a superintendent of schools. In the em- ployment of such superintendent we are permitted to join with one or more towns, making a school district. the super- intendent's time in such district being divided among the various towns in proportion to the amount each of the towns pays toward his salary. In some towns where certain con- ditions exist the school committee are the committee ex-of- ficio of such towns to form such district. But in towns as in Ipswich, where the conditions are different, as for instance where among other things the valuation of the town exceeds two millions five hundred thousand dollars, the towns must vote to authorize their school committee to join in such district. For the past three years the district of which this town is a part. has been composed of the towns of Ipswich, Essex, Hamilton and Wenham. Your committee feel that such a district is too large and unwieldy, and we had this past spring, a disagreeable feature of a large and unwilling district committee forcibly called to our attention. Your committee had considered the advisability of withdrawing from the school district, and employing a superintendent who would devote his entire time to the schools of this town; but will say that after due consideration we deemed it, at that time, inadvisable. Nevertheless when the district com- mittee met, one member said that he had heard that Ipswich intended to withdraw from the district, and he also politely
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but forcibly reminded us that we had joined the district for a three year term, and if we wanted, or showed any dis- position to, withdraw from the district, the remainder of the committee were determined that we should not be permitted to do so. His remark was especially irritating to your com- mittee, since it came from a member of the committee of the town that begged to be permitted to join the district at its formation, but the other two towns objected, and only on the urgent solicitation of the Ipswich committee was it permitted to come into the district, and then only when the Ipswich committee consented to allow such town to have one of the days we intended to have the superintendent devote to the
schools of Ipswich. The "bread we cast upon the waters returned after many days," but we could not admire the con- dition in which it came. This was and is our first experience in a school district. and the lesson taught us by that expe- rience causes us to submit to you the following recommenda- tion. Althogh the present superintendent of schools informs us that two days a week is ample time for a superintendent to devote to the schools of Ipswich, and we acknowledge that his opinion is entitled to considerable weight, we would how- ever recommend that the town authorize us to join with not more than two towns, forming a school district, three-fifths of the time of the superintendent to be given to the schools in Ipswich and two-fifths of his time to be given to the schools in the other part of the district.
The urgent necessity of additional school accommoda- tions is apparent to your committee. We believe the entire Manning building should be used for the High school. Ac- commodations must then be provided for the eighth and ninth grade schools which now occupy two rooms on the first floor of the Manning building. Then also as the school children advance from the low to the higher grades in the schools, the rooms occupied by the upper or higher grades become overcrowded. The superintendent and your commit- tee found it necessary at the opening of the schools in Sept- ember last, to have the third and fourth grades taught in
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rooms where heretofore only the third grade was taught. The fifth, sixth and seventh grades only are now taught in the Winthrop school building, and notwithstanding this the Winthrop building is now crowded to its fullest capacity. Next September some fifty children will be advanced from the Winthrop building to the eighth grade taught in the Man- ning building, and between eighty and one hundred children advanced to the grades taught in the Winthrop building for this building is the only building in which the work to which these children will be advanced is taught, and as these con- ditions must necessarily grow worse instead of better, it will be incumbent on your committee to provide as early as next year, some additional accommodations. We would therefore recommend the erection of a new school building, either by adding four rooms to the Winthrop building or by erecting an entirely new school building of eight rooms and thereby dispose of the Payne school buildings, the latter named buildings having outlived their usefulness. But as the engineers of the fire department feel the necessity of, and may urge the town to erect, a central fire station this year and if the town shall vote to build such fire station and should think it not advisable to erect such school building at the present time, then it will become necessary for your committee this coming September to provide somewhere a room in which to teach the children who will be advanced to and for whom no accommodation can be found in the Win- throp building, and then next spring the town will see the absolute necessity of an additional school house.
Having pointed out to you the special recommend- ations your committee would urge upon you, thus looking to the future welfare of your schools, we would call your atten- tion in a general way to the changes made in some schools the past year.
We found in the Argilla District in September but on scholar. As the parents of this child did not like to have this scholar transported daily to town we secured the services of Miss Cora A. Smith, one of our former teachers, who
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agreed to tutor this child at a salary of two dollars per week. We feel that, considering the age of the child, such course is better for his welfare than bringing him into town, and this is more economical for the town, as it would cost more for transportation charges to bring such child into the central schools, than we pay for such tuition.
With exception of matters relating to the High school, all the material changes in our schools are set forth in the report of superintendent hereinafter submitted to you. There are in High school three courses of study, viz: English, Com- mercial, and Classical, and in each course the studies therein prescribed are required to be taken by the pupil taking such course. The pupil is allowed on entering the school, to select which course he desires to pursue. but he can sub- sequently change the list of studies he selected for any other course, provided he prepares himself in all the studies in the newly selected course that are not included in the course of study that such pupil has been previously pursuing. The length of time now required to complete a course in the High school, regardless of which branch of the work is se-
lected, is four years. We would merely refer to the trouble we had in securing a teacher for the commercial department in the High school. In June prior to the closing of the school, upon the recommendation of the superintendent and of the principal of the High school, Miss Rachael F. Riley of Boston was engaged to teach the commercial course, Miss Thatcher who formerly taught that course having resigned. On July 15th the committee received a letter of resignation from Miss Riley; this necessitated the employing of some one to fill this position. We examined applicants for the posi- tion and among these was Miss Riley who stated that at the time she sent in her resignation on July 15 family con- siderations influenced her, but matters had since been so arranged that she could accept, and if re-elected she would fill the position, and promised that there would be no repe- tition of the former acts. Your committee relying on these
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statements, and she having been previously engaged by us upon the recommendations as set forth above, again elected her to the position. But scarcely had she received notice of the second election when we received from her a second letter of resignation. We then from the list of applicants, selected Miss Esther Dacey of Lexington, who was obliged after one week's teaching to resign on account of ill health. We were fortunate at that time, the middle of September, to secure the services of Miss Mildred F. Powell of Orono, Maine, who has given excellent satisfaction.
It is the desire of your committee to bring and keep the schools of the town up to a standard that will compare well with the schools in any town or city in the state. We realize that the boys and girls who are now the inmates of the schools are the ones who will take in the world the places of their parents in carrying on the burdens of life, and to them will fall the heritage of keeping up to the present high standard the town, state and national government. For only by their early training in life, and particularly by the impressions made upon them in their school life, can we hope that these children will become so imbued with the spirit of faithfulness in their work, honest in their dealings with their teachers, the pupils and others with whom they come in contact that they will become useful and conscientious men and women, good and upright citizens of the town or city in which it may be their good fortune to live. We labor for this end, but only by the united efforts of parents, the teachers, and the committee aided by all those who have at heart the interests of good discipline in life, good government and pure homes, can the schools attain that high end for which they were instituted. We ask the co-operation of all the citizens of the town to aid in every possible way all these who are in any manner connected with the gov- ernment of your schools and you will receive not only the ap- probation of the teachers and the committee, but also the thanks of the citizens of the town and of the coming gener-
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ation, and the approval of a satisfied conscience. Respectfully submitted,
George W. Tozer, Ch. John H .. Cogswell, Sec. Harriet E. Noyes
Charles W. Bamford
Charles G. Hull
George H. W. Hayes
School Committee of Ipswich.
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Superintendent's Report.
Members of the School Committee:
After the passing around of another cycle I herewith submit to you with pleasure my third annual report as super- intendent of schools. My endeavor will be to state as briefly as may be the work and progess of our schools during the past year and to outline what will conduce to the well being and improvement of our schools.
In last year's report the urgent need of an increase of school room accommodations and of the number of teachers was stated. This need has proven even greater than was anticipated and the outlook promises more congested condi- ditions yet. Many of the schools of the town have been woe- fully overcrowded this year. Eight of the schools have had more than fifty pupils in attendance so far this school year. The Cogswell Lower Primary has had fifty-seven (57); the Dennison Lower Primary, fifty-nine (59); the Dennison Upper Primary. fifty-eight (58); the Payne Grade II, fifty-three (53); the Payne Grades III and IV, sixty-six (66); the Win- throp Grade V, fifty-seven (57); the Winthrop Grades V and VI, fifty-four (54); the Winthrop Grade VI, fifty-six (56); These figures must surely open the eyes of the citizens and parents of Ipswich to the imperative demands of more teach- ers and more school rooms. The children of the town gen- èrally are suffering both educationally and physically from this wholesale overcrowding, Of no less importance than
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illuminating the streets is dispelling the darkness of mind of our children. of no less concern than protection from fire and flood is precaution against disease physical and moral in our youth.
We have been attempting four grades of work in the primary schools but this cannot be done satisfactorily when teachers have fifty to sixty children. Such crowding results at the end of each year in a double-dyed evil. A large num- ber of children are necessarily ill-prepared for the work of the next grade, and must be either held back in the same grade a second year or else promoted before they are ready. The amount of work required in the modern school makes it next to impossible for any teacher with more than forty-five pupils to keep her school up to the standard. To lower the standard of our schools is an injustice to the children con- cerned. It is sincerely to be hoped that another year will not pass without some relief.
In the Manning Grammar school the work is much hampered by the eighth grade marching in and out of the recitation room. This disturbs the work of the ninth grade and wastes the time of the eighth. The High school should have a room for a chemical and physical laboratory. There ought to be better accommodations for teaching drawing. The business department needs a room fitted up with desks suitable for the use of bookkeeping classes by transferring the ornithological and geological specimen cases and moving back the partition between the cloak and recitation rooms the latter need would be accomplished,
GRADING AND PROMOTIONS.
It is evident that graded schools have come to stay. Yet ever since the system has become established in this country educators have been trying to eliminate certain evils connected with it. One of the most perplexing of these dif- ficulties is to make the system more flexible so that a. bright pupil may be advanced as rapidly as he is capable and that a lower pupil may go more slowly. Several schemes have
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been devised such as semi-annual promotions: individual instruction; and of advancing grades as in the Cambridge system; which shall enable some children to cover the work in a shorter time than is generally required. These plans are mostly applicable to a city system of schools. The most that we can do is to divide each grade into two divisions. The advanced division will be required to work more rapidly than the other. If in time the advanced division shall com- plete the work of its grade and begin that of the next grade, this portion of the class will thereby gain a grade and omit no work.
The promotions of pupils from grade to grade is al- ways a perplexing question and should be done with much care and honest conscientious judgment by those who have it to do. Those by whom the promotions are made should be influenced only by what would be for the best interest of the pupils and school. Promotions should be made by those - who have an intimate acquaintance with the work of the pupils. The teachers and superintendent have the best means of knowing the work accomplished by pupils and what should be a standard for promotion. These decisions should be based upon a knowledge of the pupils acquired by daily work in class and frequent tests. Double promotions should be made only when the interests of the pupil evidently demand it and never for the sake of filling one school or making room in another. Double promotion is not always wise for even an unusually bright child. His high marks may be the re- sult of a retentive memory but not an indication of mental development; he may be young for his grade and not strong physically, in which case it would be better for the child to go through the classes regularly, In cases of double pro- motion a child of necessity has to lose work. For instance if a child be promoted over the seventh grade he loses the study of Asia, Africa and Australia; United States History to the close of the Revolutionary War; demominate numbers and the beginning of percentage. Therefore although he goes to the next grade and stands at the head of it he has of ne-
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cessity lost much good work.
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
The rules and regulations of the school committee were made previous to the employment of a superintendent and in consequence need revision. It would seem wise to have these rules revised so that parents, teachers, committee and super- intendent may understand their respective duties. and the relation of each to each.
PROGRESS OF THE YEAR.
There is an evident increase of interest in the school work of the present year, extending from the primary grades through the High school. Our pupils seem to be more am- bitious and more willing to apply themselves to their tasks. There is an improvement in neatness and in accuracy of work, and a continued advance in reading and language work. We are now reading fluently in the third grade the same books that were used in the fifth and sixth grades two years ago. Your attention is called1 to the encouraging reports of the Principal of the High School, drawing teacher and music teacher, which will be found following this report.
The school buildings of the town are in pretty good condition. The Payne has been repainted and a new heater has been put in the Cogswell building. The fireplaces in these buildings enable the rooms to be well ventilated and give a cheerful glow which make the rooms very pleasant. The Argilla school became so small that it was closed and Miss Smith has been engaged to instruct the two or three children remaining there at her home.
Geographies, arithmetics, language books, and spelling books have been supplied to the children of the fourth grade in the Primary schools. These new books are having an en- livening effect. The children have the opportunity of more books to study and are learning how to get their lessons from a book and not depend so much upon their teacher. These books are having a broadening influence and should result in
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more thought work in all these subjects. Formerly the primary teachers had to write on the blackboards all prob- lems in arithmetic. When this is the case the work usually becomes very mechanical. Oftentimes children are able to do hard examples in long division when they can not do the simplest problems. A strong emphasis has been placed upon the problem work in arithmetic. The Walsh arithmetics have been introduced in grades below the eighth and these books are well stored with many practical problems. We have been endeavoring to get better explanations in all subjects espec- ially in the work in arithmetic. To learn rules is by no means out of style but the new fashion is to learn the rule after the process, to develop the rule from the process, not ! the process from the rule.
GEOGRAPHY.
The tendency of the study of geography has shifted of late years from a description of the earth's surface to the - study of man and the earth as his abiding place. The great aim of geography is threefold: to increase an appreciation of man's customs and conditions; to infuse a knowledge of natural obstacles to be overcome and resources to be dis- covered before nature's laws can be made useful to man; to cultivate the ability to locate places, noted and interesting, because of their contribution to history, science or art. We have based our course of study upon the old principle to "procced from the known to the related unknown" so that the child studies geographically, historically and politically first his home town, then his state, his country, his conti- nent, his hemisphere, the world as a whole. It may be both interesting and profitable to examine an outline of the work done in geography from the beginning of the study in the fourth grade. Fourth grade-home town, commonwealth, United States, North America. earth as a whole; all studied briefly, using pictures and stories and imaginary journeys to study peoples, animals and plant life; using globe to teach size, shape, motions, heat belts of the earth. Fifth grade:
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detailed study of North and South America. Sixth grade: extended study of motions of earth; effects of heat belts; causes and effects of winds and ocean currents; detailed study of Europe. Seventh grade: Detailed study of Asia, Africa, Australia and Ocean Islands. Eighth grade: detailed study of the United States, constantly emphasizing trade and commercial relations. Ninth grade: First half of year, general review; second half, study of fundamental princi- ples of physical geography. Instead of trying to memorize the names of all mountains, rivers and cities, a detailed study of a few places is made and these are considered as typical of others. To make these types more vivid the imagination should be assisted by specimens, pictures. maps, map drawing and geographical readers. Our work in geogra- phy has been much strengthened by the use of Carpenter's geographical readers to supplement the text books.
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