USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1916-1918 > Part 18
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Prescribed courses in reading with a reasonable degree of latitude will enable every pupil to follow out certain desired lines of investigation which, for obvious reasons, the courses of study cannot supply.
Herein lies the school's opportunity, and the sagacious teacher who builds upon this foundation of developing a love for good books is doing a very constructive work.
Mr. Marston has made a beginning along another import- ant and valuable line of work, and that is the old-time declama- tion and essay. The advantages of such work are so thoroughly understood that I will not discuss them here. Every pupil
, in the school should prepare, at least, two each for every year of school life. They should be required to make the most care- ful preparation; they should rehearse their parts under a teach- er with some elocutionary ability, and should deliver the same from the platform in an intelligent, dignified and impressive manner. This standard of excellence should be insisted upon and maintained throughout the whole exercise. Later on as the spirit of debate develops, we may endeavor to organize a de- bating club, which will be able to challenge similar clubs from the surrounding High Schools. Both boys and girls would be eli- gible to membership and both pleasure and profit would be
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derived from such an activity. We hope that the pupils will manifest such an interest in this matter that a real, wide-awake. successful debating club in our school may become an assured fact.
How pleased we should all be to have the pennant come to the High School !
Current events should have a larger place in all our schools, especially in the High School. The world's history is being made very rapidly, and tremendous changes are bound to fol- low. The variety and scope of our activities have increased many fold within the last two years. No one is able to keep fully abreast of the times, but everyone should keep in touch with the larger factors in the situation.
All of our pupils should be required to make a report upon such topics as have a direct bearing upon present conditions, at least, once each week. In no case should they be excused from such work; and the larger the place given. to such topics in the other activities of the school, as subjects for language lessons, compositions, essays, etc., the more vital our teaching will be- come. Let us have more of this very necessary work in all our schools, even if the time be taken that is usually devoted to other subjects.
As an inducement to more extended reading by the pupils of the school, a few magazines have been subscribed for, and. these come regularly to the reading table in the upper hall. To supplement these and to assist in the good work, some friends of the school have loaned other standard publications, or have given them to the school outright. With the additions which we are in hopes to make from time to time, we shall soon have sufficient good reading material to supply a portion of our needs, and the Public Library will supply the rest. The school library, too, is being restored to a usable condition, and then we shall be fairly well supplied for work along this line.
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Right here let it be said that the pupils who use this library under the supervision and direction of the teacher will be get- ting quite as valuable knowledge as the information furnished by the book. They will acquire a taste for good books and learn how to select them, and thus be assured of a most profit- able use of their time.
But, as I have already said in another connection, the pupil must be trained to do this. It will not be sufficient simply to tell him what to read, and take it for granted that he has done SO. He must be tried and tested on the subject treated in the book, just the same as in any other school work. And if it is found that he was negligent, that his reading was superficial and that he failed to get what was expected, he should be re- quired to read and to re-read it until it was clear that he had succeeded in his task. Books are tools to be used and not to be fooled with. Reading must be directed and, in most cases, it should be limited to those lines indicated by the aptitude, the purpose, or the individual needs of the pupil.
ยท Too much indiscriminate reading adds but little if anything to our intellectual or moral resources, and should be displaced by something that will materially develop both mind and char- acter. Therefore the reading must be directed by the teacher and the results should be measured and tested as in all subjects.
The teaching in all our schools needs to be more thorough- ly vitalized. The work of the world and of the school should be brought into closer relationship. The textbook should be more fully supplemented, or supplanted, by a knowledge of the most advanced, most comprehensive, and the most scientific practices in use along the various lines of world activities. There should be a larger background of fact and methods.
The world is our market, and the school must strive to supply it with what is required for the enlightenment and up- building of all. The world is the great university to which our
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teachers must go, if they are to be well-fitted for the tasks of the school. The schools do not lead; they follow. That school is doing its work best that keeps closest to the line of such ac- tivities and needs.
An effort has been made this year to have a closer articu- lation between the work of the drawing supervisor and that of the Manual Training Department. Mr. Lunt, while still re- quired to do some repair work for the instruction and benefit of his classes, has been excused in a large degree from doing outside work as in times past. . He is to assume the role of instructor rather than that of school carpenter.
The pupils have been required to make a drawing to scale of every object they are to make at the bench. In the higher grades, the work is to be done from blue-prints which the pu- pils prepare under the direction of the teacher. This work shows much improvement,
The careful measurements required in this work give a practical application of the theory learned from the text book, and strengthen both the work of the grades and of the shop. We feel that a good start has been made in the right direction and that the pupils themselves have begun to realize something of vital connection between the school and the world outside.
A larger place has been given to the subject of Mechanical Drawing. This was made necessary by the increased demand for draughtsmen as well as the growing importance of the sub- ject itself as a necessary part of an educational equipment. The pupils themselves are taking a deeper interest in the work, especially those who are preparing for higher schools where this subject is an elective, or a required subject for admission. It is becoming a very necessary mode of expression today, and is rapidly winning its way to a fuller and well-deserved recog- nition.
Our next step will be towards a closer co-ordination of
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drawing with the subjects as geography, history and literature, and physics. This will open up the field of illustration and possibly discover to us a few incipient artists whose powers will be given a larger scope in the field of nature study to be taken up shortly.
Singing, especially in the High School, though far below our ideal of what High School singing should be, has made a distinct gain in the last year. Every morning, chapel is held in the school hall and singing forms a large part of this important service. More pupils are taking part in these exercises and
they enter into them with more enthusiasm. A finer spirit is noticeable throughout the school, which I attribute in no small degree to the influence of these morning services.
No one questions the value of singing in our schools, es- pecially in times like these. The spirit of patriotism should be thoroughly implanted in the hearts of young people; and music, or singing, is conceded by all to be the best agency for accom- plishing this important work.
Here again, we need more time for the proper develop- ment of this important subject. Little can be accomplished with but one lesson a week, and we are in hopes erelong to see music take its rightful place among the other subjects taught in the school.
We want to see a genuine appreciation of good music counted as one of the most necessary accomplishments in our schools. Such a condition would reflect great credit upon our educational work and become a source of pleasure and enjoy- ment to our community for years to come. Let us have more time for our music; let us have more music, and better music.
For a better consideration of this subject I wish to refer you to the Supervisor of Music's report to be found in another par of this report.
Upon the death of Miss Nutter, notice of which has been
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given farther along in this report, Miss Alice K. Lockwood of North Grafton, Mass., was elected to fill the vacancy.
This young lady is a graduate of Framingham State Normal School and comes to us well recommended. In fact, she has already received a call from another town, but was induced to remain with us through the persuasive influence of an agency that has been invoked on similar previous occasions. So far, it has never failed us, but signs of weariness are becoming per- ceptible.
We are endeavoring to carry along the work upon the lines established by Miss Nutter. As heretofore our efforts will be guaged by the requirements of the good, average American home. Waste or extravagance will not be tolerated. A prac- tical training in all that true home-making implies and requires will still be our aim and purpose in this department.
Our purposes to further strengthen the work of these class- es lie along three main lines of endeavor:
1 st. By increasing the opportunities of the pupils for a more vital and practical knowledge of the various mate- rial made use of in the home by personal visits to the places where such material is sold. Here, under the instruction of the teacher and the shop-keeper himself, these pupils should be able to gain considerable information in reference to qualities and values of many materials.
. 2nd. By increasing the opportunities for gaining a fuller knowledge of the sources of production, processes of manufac- ture, methods of transportation, and the seasons when fruits and vegetables are most abundant, and cheapest. This will require the use of reference books and closer co-ordination of the sub- jects taught in the other departments.
3rd. By extending the work of this school to include the "making over" of articles of clothing, knitting, and millinery.
As an auxiliary to the Red Cross movement. this department
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is at present doing such work as the local branch of the Senior Red Cross Association provides, and this requires a knowledge of the art of knitting.
All the activities of this department center upon the art and science of home-making.
If we appreciate our homes as we should, if we realize their value as an individual and a national asset, then let us give to this department all the wise planning, all the intelligent thought, and all the moral and financial support to which it is justly entitled.
During the past year a School Nurse hasl been given a place upon our teaching force.
Through an arrangement made by the School Physician and the Trustees of the Coburn Home, the services of Miss Mar- tha J. Stewart were secured for this most important work. In this we were extremely fortunate; and we deeply appreciate the broad and generous spirit which was shown in the interest of the school by the several parties in the matter.
Miss Stewart is well known among us. She is familiar with the home-life of a large majority of our pupils, and she brings to her work all those qualities of mind and heart that have al- ready secured for her a large place in the confidence and es- teem of this community.
In her work here she has been especially helpful in looking up cases of reported sickness, and in securing proper medical attendance where the cases demanded it. . She has reported back to this office all cases that were of a contagious nature, and thus assisted in preventing what otherwise might have be- come an epidemic.
On the other hand, in cases of slight indisposition - so prev- alent among children-the pupils have been sent to school where their work suffered but slight interruption. Minor inju- ries have received her personal attention; while, in more serious
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cases, the pupil has been accompanied to the hospital. For a list of such cases see School Nurse's Report. The sanitary con- ditions have been looked after, and children who were detained at home on account of insufficient clothing were reported to the proper authorities.
Everything pertaining to the health and comfort of the pu- pil has been looked after. . A single bed with suitable bed clothing has been installed in the Winthrop School, and here Miss Stewart teaches the pupils how to make up a bed for the sick, how to change the bed clothing under a sick person with the least discomfort possible; how to make and apply bandages, dress wounds, etc.
The care of the body, bathing, cleanliness, exercise, sleep, care of the teeth, etc., all come in for a proper share of atten- tion. We feel safe in saying that the practical instruction given here will result in an increasing physical and intellectual vigor.
The School Physician's report which is appended will give some idea of what has been done in his department. With the increased filing facilities just installed, we shall have as com- plete a system of physical records as may be found.
With the essential needs of this department fairly well sup- plied, with the cordial co-operation of the School Nurse, the School Physician and the representative of the Board thor- oughly established, we shall be in a position to do some good work along the line of prevention of sickness.
This will insure to this generation and to the generations to come many important physical advantages of which the war- ring nations of the world will soon, if not already, stand in great need,
I wish to call your attention specifically to that part of the School Physician's report which deals with the subject of phy- sical training in all our schools. I feel that his suggestions and conclusions are timely, logical, and sound, and I shall warmly
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second all his efforts towards giving our boys and girls the best possible equipment for life-a sound mind in a sound body.
The report of the Night School has to do necessarily with the classes of 1916-1917. The school usually begins the last of October and continues through the winter months of Novem- ber, Deeember, January and February, and closes about the first of March. This gives two periods of about ten weeks each with a week or ten days vacation at Christmas time.
Acting upon the suggestions of the Commissioner of Edu- cation at Washington, D. C., we advertised the opening of school by inserting notices in the press and by distributing posters printed in three different languages. Every reasonable effort is made to acquaint our people with the nature, scope and pur- pose of the school, and every inducement was held out to them to make use of its privileges and enjoy its advantages. Offers were made to teach any subject desired, provided a class of twenty members could be formed. Notwithstanding all this, few indeed of our native citizens availed themselves of these opportunities or made any response to these appeals. Not so
with the other portions of our population. These people, han- dicapped as they are, made a generous response and continued in the school until its close. They are eager to learn and come to school with a purpose to accomplish something, and they succeed.
The school, though not large, showed considerable activity in all departments. In addition to the elementary subjects, bookkeeping, typewriting and stenography were taken up, but these classes were so reduced by non-attendance that we were obliged to discontinue them before the school closed.
The fact that attendance hereis not wholly compulsory should not be overlooked. By law, all non-English speaking persons between 16 and 21 years of age are obliged to attend
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evening school. Nearly 50 per sent of the attendance was well above this age limit. Many of the pupils were above 30 years of age and in one or two instances the pupil had reached the age of 35. This tells its own story and gives conclusive evi- dence that these pupils realized the value of an education and 1
were willing to make sacrifices in order to obtain it.
These classes were well attended through both terms, showed a lively interest in their work and made good pro- gress.
The closing exercises of the school was made the great occasion of the year. School officials, parents and friends were invited to attend. The program consisted of selections for reading and recitation, singing by the school and music by the Greek orchestra.
At the close, Dr. George E. MacArthur commended the work of the school, urged the pupils to continue their work along the same line, and then presented them with their certifi- cates of credit for the work done,
I have dwelt purposely upon the details of these closing exercises of the Night School, for, it seems to me, they possess a deeper meaning, a broader significance, than we realize. To be sure it was a small assembly, with little or nothing to interest or attact the attention of any but those whose presence was de- manded by a sense of duty. Yet, in a larger sense, it was the concrete expression of that broader American spirit which re- sists ignorance and guarantees to all within our borders those educational foundation principles upon which all our liberties are built,
Is it the appreciation of this fact that makes the foreign- born portion of our citizens so anxious and determined to se- cure the advantages offered by our schools? If . so, let our native-born American begin now to follow their ex- ample.
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It was found that pupils entering the High School were not only unfamiliar with the use of the dictionary but were ignorant of the methods of using it. Diacritical marks gave no assist- ance in pronunciation and primary and secondary accent with- held their aid. To the pupils these things were meaningless hieroglyphics. A search of the book-shelves revealed the fact that we were possessed of a very few copies of partially worn books too few in number and unfit for distribution. Two hun- dred new books have been purchased and divided equally be- tween the Junior and Senior High Schools. This number will be increased later on, so that each pupil above the 5th grade may have a copy for his own use.
A good supply of supplementary readers for the lower grades has been purchased; and, barring accident, these will be sufficient for some time to come. The books selected cover a large variety of subjects and should arouse the interest of the little folks who are to use them. Our aim in the selection has been to secure such books as will tend, through their style and content, to create in the minds of the little ones a real love for reading, and thus to open the door to the vast stores of knowl- edge laid up in books. The good results from the use of these new books are already apparent.
A new set of cabinet files has been installed in the Super- intendent's office. This was taken in exchange for the old one which was wholly inadequate for the needs of that department, and will furnish full accommodation for the needs of the High School, the Commercial Department, and the Superintend- ent.
The government is offering $1200. per annum for filing clerks. In view of this demand for such work we have endeav- ored to secure an up-to-date system whereby the pupils of the Commercial Department may be taught the art of filing. The Walker-Shaw Company, through whom the exchange was made,
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1
have agreed to install the system and to instruct our teachers in the latest and best methods employed.
Our school rooms are now well supplied with globes, maps, and charts. With this new equipment for teaching geog- raphy, we expect the subject will be brought up to a higher standard of excellence and that the pupils will have a fuller comprehension of what they are studying. If they do not, the fault will not lie at the door of equipment.
The School Physician's office in the Winthrop School has been fitted up with scales for weighing and measuring, an emergency kit, and a single bed to be used in case of illness among the pupils.
The Domestic Science Department has been supplied with nutrition charts and books of reference and an encyclopedia dealing with the manufacture of various kinds of foods.
Charts, maps and a filing cabinet have been purchased for the Commercial Geography division, and a large number of Government Bulletins has been obtained for use in various classes throughout the different schools.
A few reference books have been placed on the teachers' desks, as helps in their daily work. These also furnish topics for discussion at teachers' meetings and are to become the nu- cleus of a teachers' professional library.
Teachers' meetings are held once a fortnight-the first and third Wednesday in each month in the Manning School build- ing at 3:45 p. m.
We welcome the presence of anyone, whether teacher or not, who is interested in educational matters and invite all to take part in discussing the topics under consideration. If we can induce more of the parents to attend we shall be highly gratified and we feel assured that a new impetus will be given to our teaching.
The usual method of proceedure is to have one or more
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papers read by teachers to whom special subjects have been previously assigned, and then to engage in a discussion of these papers.
As a sample of the topics taken up, let me mention a few:
Miss Lucy Ardell Kimball on the Teaching of Reading in the First Grade.
Miss Nellie Sullivan on Penmanship and How to Get the Best Results.
Miss Emma Bell on Silent Reading.
This work was illustrated by a small class from her own room. .
Mr. Jackman is to have a paper on How to Teach History.
These meetings have been productive of much good. The teachers have entered into the work with considerable enthu- siasm, have done some professional reading, and have gained new courage and inspiration from the interchange of ideas.
I am planning for an address by some professional edu- cator in the near future, notice of which will be given in the public press.
Our grade teachers are working for teachers' certificates in penmanship. These will be a most valuable acquisition, a pos- itive asset, in their list of resources, Very few evening lectures or entertainments have been given this winter on account of the shortage of fuel. As soon the weather and fuel situations im- prove, we are in hopes to be able to resume this line of school activities.
Recommendations.
Some of the recommendations of last year were not carried out for what were deemed good and sufficient reasons. The excessive cost of materials and labor had a deterrent effect
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upon all expenditure where comfort or convenience alone was involved. Only in those cases demanding immediate consid- eration did we feel justified in making repairs or purchases of any kind; and this policy, I feel sure, you will continue until such time as more normal conditions prevail.
With this understanding of the matter, I repeat such of those old recommendations as I deem of importance-some of them more remote than immediate-and include them in one general list with those made necessary by more recent de- mands.
Repairs.
Minor or general repairs are always in order in every school plant and must be provided for. Fortunately these are rela- tively inexpensive and a moderate lump sum is usually sufficient to meet all such requirements.
But with the larger items the case is altogether different, These call for larger expenditure and should be undertaken only after every phase of the proposed change has been care- fully considered by competent judges and the promise of the advantages sought is reasonably assured.
And the first case to which I ask your consideration is of this nature:
During the exceptionally cold weather this winter it has been impossible to heat some of the lower rooms in the Man- ning School. There seems to be no way of regulating the sup- ply of heat which is altogether insufficient. The temperature of the upper hall may range between 80 and 90 degrees, with all valves and doors closed, while that of some of the lower rooms will be from 40 to 50 degrees. Of course we all know that the weather this winter has been unusually cold, but these are the times when heat is needed, and for which ample
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