USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1921 > Part 7
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
dered by the lack of suitable means for carrying on their neces- sary work.
Of course, it is thoroughly understood that our present needs are due largely to the attempts at curtailment during the excess ive price ranges during the war. But books will wear out and replacement at the present time is an absolute necessity.
The item ot Buildings and grounds includes repairs and re- pairs and replacements. Here, too, we are confronted with conditions similar to those mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
During the coldest weather we have experienced so far this winter, the grate under one of the boilers in the Winthrop Build- ing broke down, and upon examination its companion was found to be in poor condition. These grates were installed five years ago, and have done good service during that time. It is thought best to replace one of them, and to have another at hand in case of an emergency.
The sills of the basement windows in the Winthrop School, thirteen in all, are buried some little distance below the surface of the yard, and already show marked signs of decay, As a matter of economy the earth before them should be removed, and the woodwork protected by substantial brick or cement retain- ing walls, that will allow ample space for cleaning and painting whenever necessary.
The rooms in the old part of the Winthrop Building were so poorly lighted, and as complaints from parents, pupils, and teachers became so frequent, that it was decided to wire these rooms for the use of electricity. This has been done , but as the work was not completed until after January 1, 1922, no bill was presented. This item therefore will appear in this year's ex- pense account.
There are other repairs that should be made this year.
The floors in the Manning Building have never been relaid, and, after forty-five years of constant wear, cannot be expected
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
to do further service.
The three items mentioned will explain the reason for the increase in this item of the budget.
In conclusion let me urge the necessity for increased school accommodations. A temporary relief may be gained by making a four-room addition - two rooms on each end - of the Burley school. This is our most congested district, and the population in this section is growing rapidly. For further consideration of this matter, I refer you to the report of the School Committee.
Budget for 1922.
General Expense
$ 4360
School Physician
500
Teachers' Salaries
52000
Evening School
500
Text Books and Supplies
5000
Transportation
2800
Support of Truants
200
Janitors
3700
Fuel and Light
3500
Buildings and Grounds
3000
Furniture and Furnishings
300
Right of Way
25
Diplomas and Graduation
150
Insurance
700
Athletics
200
Total
$ 76935
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Acknowledgements.
It is with feelings of the deepest gratitude that I acknowledge my indebtedness to all my associates for the many and contin- ued evidences of the co-operation, the sympathy, and the good will that have been manifested by each and all in the prosecu- tion of the work of the year just closed. It has been a pleasant year; incidents of which we shall each take pleasure in recalling. Though the work has been hard and irksome in some instances, we have met it unitedly, and success has been won. The con- sciousness of having a part in the work for the common good sustains us all and will become the source of our chief joy. We have been partakers in the work, let us be partakers of its bless- ings, to the end that its influence may abide with us always.
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH I. HORTON.
Superintendent of Schools.
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
MANNING HIGH SCHOOL.
To the Superintendent of Schools,
Ipswich, Mass.
Dear Sir :-
It is with pleasure that I submit to you and to the cit- izens of Ipswich my second annual report of the work in the Manning High School.
First of all I wish to call your attention to the present occu- pation of our graduates in the class of 1921. I wish also to call your attention to the courses from which these young people graduated.
Name
Course
Present Employment
Gardner W. Brown
Latin
Post Graduate
Howard N. Doughty, Jr.
=
Exeter Academy
Richard S. Hodgkins
Post Graduate
William F. Hayes
Holy Cross College,
Nathan Sushelsky
Harvard College
Joseph Frederick Witham
Boston College
Muriel Russell =
Post Graduate
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Gertrude Chapman Anna N. Narkun Mary Martel
General
=
Commercial College Foster's Shop, Rowley
=
(Studying Music
(Working at Helens
Esther Bisson
Catherine Caldwell
Marion Scotton
11
Tyler's Store
Emma Haley
Foster's Shop, Rowley
Gerard M. Houghton
Mass. Inst. of Technology
Lawrence M. King
=
At Home
Maynard S. Whittier
11
Museum Fine Arts, Boston
Hilda Scales Commercial
Irène Atkinson
=
Burdett College G. A. Barker, Agency
Ruth Ardace Savory
11 =
Salem Commercial
Ruby M. Earley =
Burnham's Trading Post
Katherine Reddy
(Martin W. Dugan Co. (Newburyport
Richard H.Ralph
(Ipswich Mills Office (Night work at North- (eastern College
In addition to the regular graduates of last year, the follow- ing attended school as Post Graduates and are now pursuing their studies as follows:
Austin Caverly
Samuel Gordon
Mary Nourse
Mass. Inst. of Technology
New Hampshire State College
Salem Normal School
You will notice from the above that all the graduates from the College Course, are attending College, or, doing special work with the intention of going next year.
Salem Commercial
Salem Normal ?
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
From the general course and commercial course, the major- ity are going on with their education or making use of their high school training in work which could not be accomplished without such training. It is gratifying to see from the above, that four graduates from the commercial course are well situated in office work. I have received reports from the colleges, normal and commercial schools, and some of the employers of last year's graduates and post graduates, and I am pleased to say that all these reports are most pleasing.
Ipswich should feel proud to graduate from Manning High School, a class of such ambitious, energetic, young men and women who have found for themselves in practically every case, employment worth while. This is especially true at a time when the country is flooded with unemployment.
Even though we have reason to be proud of the twenty-five, including the post graduates, who went out from the school the last year we cannot help but say, "What is the reason Ipswich is graduating only twenty-three pupils from its High School?" And if you will notice three of these are pupils from Rowley.
I think if parents and friends of the pupils who graduated from the Junior High School four years ago last June, will study the situation a little, they will soon see the reason. The ambition to earn money at that time was so great that few stopped to think how much more they would be worth to themselves and the community with at least four years more of school training.
Probably I realize more than many the present attitude of those people who might have graduated in the class of 1921 if they had remained in school. Some have now come to realize the mistake made and resolved to continue their education in some way. Others, however, simply go on from job to job wondering why they are not wanted.
I believe there is no time in the life of a boy or girl so vital to future success and happiness as that period immediately fol-
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
lowing the time he or she leaves Junior High School. The child at that age is self-conscious and shows that self-consciousness either, in diffidence, or in an attempt to be bold, and indepen- dent. He cannot be left wholly to his own inclinations; even though he does not like school, or perhaps does not like a teach- er, he should be encouraged to overcome that feeling and see something beyond.
The highest degree of efficiency to which our educational system has yet attained still leaves a gap between the junior high school and the high school. When the pupil enters high school he finds that even though he has learned all the principles of arithmetic, English, geography. and other elementary subjects, he is now expected to do a little more; he must correlate those prin- ciples he has learned, and through a process of his own reasoning he must solve simple problems; he must write and apply his principles of grammar. He has been dealing wholly with the concrete, he must begin to deal with the abstract.
He begins to wonder why he should study ancient history, but if we can keep his interest for a few weeks, we find him associating present conditions with facts of the early ages. He is bored with the study of Latin, but as time goes on, he begins to pick out of the common words he is using, words that have come to his knowledge directly from the Latin.
I assure you it is a pleasure to teach a group of children of the age with which we deal in the high school. We are sorry to say that we fail in arousing that interest in some pupils, but the cases in which we fail are few if the pupil can be encouraged to go on in school for at least two years. I have definite cases, in mind, of pupils who have attended high school for as many as three and even four years with apparently no interest in school work or life in general, finally coming to a realization of what they are missing, either by the personality of some one teacher, or the appeal of some special subject.
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
I called your attention in my report of last year to the fact that too large a proportion of pupils are inclined to the commer- cial course, and although the commercial course has proved it- self of the greatest value in some cases, in other cases pupils take the commercial course only to find at the end of four years a desire to take advanced work without the proper preparation.
Our State Normal Schools and even Commercial Colleges prefer that a pupil applying for entrance be prepared to present Algebra, Geometry, and at least two years of a modern language. I still believe that a pupil entering high school, very rarelv, has any idea as to what he will do after graduation, because of this feeling, I strongly recommend that a pupil take the College or at least the General Course for the first two years. The General Course as outlined at the present time will fit a pupil for a Technical School, Normal School, or any Commercial School.
I trust you will permit me to publish the course of study at this point that all may see the motive of my suggestion.
Course.
You will note that Algebra is required for the first year of all pupils; not that I believe all pupils get the greatest amount of good from such a plan, but keeping in mind the fact that few pupils at the time of entering high school have any definite plans for the future, and that all higher institutions require or at least expect a preparation in at least one year of algebra. I think we are justified in requiring the pupil to study it.
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Standing of the School.
There seems to be much doubt in the minds of some as to the standing of the school among the high schools of the state. The school holds from the State Department of Education a rating as a Class A High School, meaning that we meet in gen- eral the demands of the State in preparing for State Normal, and Technical Schools. A pupil may enter such a school from this school on a certificate, if the rank has been at least 80 per cent in each subject certified.
The New England Certificate Board, made up of several of our New England Colleges, allows us the privilege of sending pupils on certificate if they have received a rank well above 85 per cent.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has granted us this year for a period of five years permission to send pupils to that institute on certificate if the rank of the pupil is well above 85. There are many other institutions ready to accept graduates of our school on certificate.
We have another group of colleges, admitting no one until the required examinations of the New England Board have been passed. It is a credit to an individual to be able to pass these examinations. Pupils intending to enter college by any of the above methods, should never drop below 80 per cent at any time during the high school course; and in general, a pupil in- tending to go to college should have a rank above 90 per cent.
I believe the same holds true with graduates from the com- mercial course. Although rank does not always show the per- sonality of the pupil, it is an exceedingly good indicator as to the nature of work he will do in an office or other line of work
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
after leaving school.
In order to do the work required, that the school may main- tain its present standing, the pupil has a serious and hard task. I think people in general look upon the pupil in high school as having an easy time. It is a pleasant period in one's life but not easy. The pupils should have a definite program for each day, including at least one hour for recreation cut-of doors. I find that many do not have such a program, and many a day's work is not done because the individual is taken from his work for various outside interests. It is discouraging to the teacher to go before a class of pupils with poorly prepared work, and many times some pupils are too tired to even get the class work. A pupil cannot do good work. without regular habits of study, rest, and recreation.
Attendance.
A pupil cannot do satisfactory work if often absent. Every day lost from school is actually a waste and cannot be made up. The best pupil in school cannot afford to lose unneces- sarily, even one day of the year's work. The workman staying away from his work for a day, loses that proportion of his pay. A store cannot do its best work if one of the force is absent; a printing office would fail to accomplish its work if it was com- pelled to put up with the absence of employees that we have to deal with among pupils in school.
I grant that absence is necessary at times, but aside from illness there is no logical excuse. Some pupils will not stay away from school unless physically unable to attend, while others are ready to stay away at the least provocation. Good scholar- ship and perfect attendance invariably go together, and some of
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
the best pupils in school fail because work is lost and cannot be made up.
The time is not only a waste to the pupil himself, but to the whole school system. A pupil stays out one week, and as a result the teacher has to put in an equivalent amount of time outside of school to help the individual, when she should be helping the whole class by correcting papers or preparing ad- vanced work.
The total enrollment for the present school year is 163 di_ vided as follows; post graduates, three; seniors, twenty-one; jun- iors, thirty-three; sophomores, thirty-five; freshmen, seventy-two.
The following people were neither absent nor tardy during the fall term:
SENIORS.
Ruth Marr Catherine Ryan
JUNIORS.
Frederick Bailey
Albert Spyut Dorothy Manthorn
SOPHOMORES.
Theo Boylan
Millard Patterson
Waldo Ellsworth
James Torpy
Christos Karigeanes
Lillian Brown
Edna Peabody
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
FRESHMEN.
Lawrence Wile
Isabella Swasey
Christine Barras
Angie Wile
Zella Zuoski
George Christopher
Kennard Damon
George Mark Hayes
Edward MacDonald
Eustice McGregor
Harry Merson
Carl Savage
Robert Shaw
The average attendance for the first sixteen weeks was about ninety-four per cent meaning that there were about eleven pu- pils absent from school each day on an average during the first sixteen weeks.
It seems that parents must realize the effect upon an organ- ization of any sort, having only 94 per cent of its operatives there during the year. I try to make the pupil see the effect of an absence, but when the parent willingly writes an excuse for that absence, my efforts are lost. The school alone cannot bring up the percentage of attendance; we must have the co- operation of parents.
During the fall term there were 155 cases of tardiness, during the same period last year there were 210 cases of tardiness, dur- ing last year there were 705 cases of tardiness. Tardiness shows carelessness and there is no one thing in the record of a high school pupil that will sooner detract from his chances for future employment than carelessness.
.
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
Teachers.
The school was particularly fortunate this year in retaining the greater part of the teaching force. The loss of Miss Cole, who left us to accept a more remunerative position, was not serious to the work of the school. Miss Allen, teaching fresh- man English last year, and being familiar with the customs and pupils of the school, was well qualified to take over the position left vacant by this resignation of Miss Cole. The position left vacant by Miss Allen in taking over the English work, was filled by Mr. Conary, but in order that Mr, Conary might have time outside of school to attend to athletic work, an extra class in English was given to Miss Allen.
I wish to commend to you the work, and attitude of each individual teacher, and the perfect harmony and co-operation in the school as a whole. Although some of the teachers may have more pupils through the day I wish to call your attention to the fact that one teacher does not feel responsible for individ- ual work alone but for the work of the school as a whole; that is, each is ready to help the other, and I assure you there is real instruction for the individual who needs help given in the morn- ing before school, at noon, and at night after school, for those pupils who really need help can get it if they are willing to put in their own time. Teachers are usually working in the building at night long after school has closed, and for the most part leave the building with two or more hours of work to do in the eve- ning. I realize this may be somewhat of a hardship, but it is useless to ask a pupil to do written work unless it is corrected.
The work in music is showing excellent results and the school as a whole enters into the drill with a good spirit.
Manual training has proved of more interest to the pupils in
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High School than at any previous time. I wish we might see more of those having had the previous work going on with it. This year I had a request from several of the girls to take the work in Manual Training. This request was granted and the result is most pleasing.
Domestic Science serves a purpose for a few of our pupils but I believe there should be provision for more intensive train- ing. I feel that we have some in school who would profit much if they could be allowed to take more of the work.
We have a large class in drawing this year and the work is very satisfactory. I will not go into detail with the work of the above departments as the work in these will be covered by the supervisors.
Special Activities.
The English Club, with a membership of those in school containing a rank of 85 per cent or over, meets regularly under the direction of the English teacher, one evening each second week, for reading and discussion of some work of literary value. During the fall term the time wa's devoted to the essay.
The work of publishing the school paper has continued this fall, and I feel certain that the publication is a result of much thought and work on the part of the pupil's and the teacher. It is deserving of credit, but even though the business men of the town responded liberally with advertisements, I am sorry to say the sales do not warrant the expense of publication.
At the present time the senior class is rehearsing a play; this means much work for the class and the teacher as well, but we believe the training is worth the effort.
The French Club, made up of members of the upper classes
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
in French, meets one evening each second week, under the di- rection of the French teacher. The time is devoted to special reading and study, stimulating an interest in the use of the French language.
The girl's Glee Club, a group of about thirty girls, is holding rehearsals under the direction of Mr. Tozer. This is entirely outside of the regular school work, but the interest is good. Last year an operetta was given, and at Christmas time the girls went about town singing carols. This year owing to an unpleasant night, and the fact that the group had planned to unite with other groups at the tree, no general work was done; however the Club went to the hospital, sang some of the carols, and re- returned to join the groups at the tree.
Debating has been undertaken in the school, and even though we have not thought it best to enter into inter-scholastic debating as yet, the student body has shown much interest in inter-class debating.
Upon the invitation of the Woman's Club, the senior class attended a lecture given by Proffessor Dallas Lore Sharpe. I believe the class derived much of value from the lecture, and I wish to express the appreciation of the school for the invitation, and I also wish to thank the Woman's Club for the interest they have taken in the school in awarding prizes for essays to be written by the pupils upon a subject of civic nature. The mem- bers of the two upper classes are invited to attend a series of lectures given under the auspices of the club, to gain information from the lectures, and whatever sources become available, and to write essays upon the subject. These essays will be read by judges not acquainted with the pupils. Three prizes in gold will be given. This is in line with school work and will be substituted for some formal work.
I will just mention a few of the many ways in which the school has been helped in its work by the people of Ipswich.
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
The lecture before the school on "Abraham Lincoln" by Rev. Carrol Perry.
The lecture before the Law Class, " Law." Judge Hayes.
The courtesy of Mr. Kelley shown the commercial class in a visit to the " First National Bank."
The work done by Mr. Patterson in installing a shower bath.
The commercial department has done much practical work this year, in connection with the clerical work of the school, in the use of the mimeograph, and we have been pleased to do some typewriting and copy work for various public interests in the town. Pupils have been given practice in making deposits, in writing letters, in filing and in business practice in general.
During the fall, the pupils have had opportunity to witness and take part in various activities. The school was much inter- ested in a lecture given by Herbert W. Mason, President of the S. D. Warren Paper Co., on the manufacture of paper, illustra- ted by moving pictures showing the process of manufacture of paper, from the standing tree to the finished product.
The ancient history classes have had illustrated lectures dealing with the countries and customs which they study.
The lantern and slides have also been made use of in the study of commercial geography. The American History class has devoted one period a week to speeches by members of the class, on current events in our national and local and civic life. Each member of the class has written papers on various sub- jects; but the greatest effort was made in requiring each pupil to write a summary of the work of the Disarmament Confer- ence. I wish to say that these papers show much thought and a careful analysis of the workings of the Conference.
In accordance with the recommendation of the American Legion as approved by the State Department of Education the raising and lowering of the flag is put into the hands of the pupils, and two boys are definitely appointed to attend to the
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IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT.
duty for a given period. This is one more definite means of determining the ability of the individual to take responsibility, as well as of teaching respect for the flag.
At stated times the school has stood in formation out-of- doors giving the salute as the flag is raised. The salute is given each morning as a part ot opening exercises also.
Socials.
School socials have been held this year by each of the three upper classes, and arrangements are now under way for a fresh- man class social. These socials are held for the sole purpose of encouraging school spirit. The majority of the members of each class with the teachers have attended and apparently enjoyed the evenings. Games are played in which all take part; there is none of the "clique spirit" that so often shows itself at social gatherings. I have tried to discourage the "clique" in school for I believe the public school is one place in which democracy should be practiced as well as taught.
The last of the year is always a busy time; pupils are pre- paring for examinations and this means a great deal of study and drill, seniors are preparing for graduation and this means much work for both pupils and teachers Last year we planned to have no activities during the last ten weeks that should take the time of the pupil or teacher from the real work that must be done at that time; however, there were some things that seemed necessarily to come at the end of the year. I sincerely hope that whatever extra work we may be called upon to do this year will be out of the way before the last ten weeks, leaving teacher and pupil free to perfect the year's work and make the graduating exercises a success.
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