USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1904 > Part 6
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International Quarterly,
International Studio,
Ladies' Home Journal,
Little Folks, Literary Digest, McCall's,
Masters in Music,
Modern Priscilla,
Munsey's,
Century, Collier's,
Cosmopolitan,
Country Life in America, Craftsman,
Critic,
Current Literature,
Delineator,
Donahoe's,
Eclectic,
Education,
Engineering Magazine,
Etude,
Everybody's,
Farm Poultry,
Forum,
Four Track News,
Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly,
Good Health,
Good Housekeeping,
Harper's Bazaar,
Harper's Monthly,
Harper's Weekly,
House Beautiful,
Independent,
Success, Travelers' Record,
Twentieth Century Home,
105
L'Art de la Mode, Library Journal, Life, Lippincott's,
Vogue, World's Work, Youth's Companion.
Religious Weeklies.
Christian Herald,
Christian Register,
Universalist Leader, Watchman,
Churchman,
World's Crisis,
Congregationalist,
Zion's Herald.
Sacred Heart Review,
Local and Political Weeklies.
Barnstable Patriot,
Bristol County Republican,
The Commoner,
Middleboro Gazette,
Old Colony Memorial, Practical Politics, Republican Standard (New Bedford ) .
Dailies.
Boston Herald,
Brockton Enterprise,
Boston Globe,
Brockton Times,
Boston Post,
New York Sun,
Boston Record,
Boston Transcript,
New York Mail and Express (Saturday Edition ) .
The following is the financial statement for the year :
GENERAL EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
On hand January 1, 1904
$299 28
Received " dog money"
1,117 40
"other licenses"
60 00
interest on deposits ·
30 17
E. Pratt fund
400 00
material, etc., from old library
67 25
fines, etc., at library
34 50
$2,008 60
106
Paid Librarian
$450 00
re-cataloguing
427 99
assistants
394 09
janitor
315 00
coal and wood
70 80
insurance
61 40
library cards .
45 80
expenses of moving to new library
31 88
telephone bill
11 35
supplies and expenses
55 17
lighting bill
20 10
painting, glazing, etc.
42 30
awning and pamphlet boxes
9 05
printing
11 00
P. O. box and express
4 75
$1,950 68
Balance January 2, 1905
$57 92
PEIRCE BOOK FUND.
On hand January 1, 1904
$178 11
April 2, received from Peirce Trustees
.
.
987 50
Received for book sold
3 15
October 1, received from Peirce Trustees
984 15
Paid for books . $1,583 85
for papers and magazines .
254 60
for binding .
104 90
for book plates
57 70
for reference cards ·
.
55 00
for globe
.
22 50
for freight and express
22 29
2,100 84
Balance January 2, 1905 $52 07
Respectfully submitted. JOSEPH E. BEALS, Secretary and Treasurer.
$2,152 91
.
107
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 1904-5.
Calvin D. Kingman, President
Term expires 1905
W. H. Southworth
·
·
66
66
1905
David G. Pratt
66 1906
Kenelm Winslow
1906
Joseph E. Beals, Secretary
1906
George Brayton
1907
Edward S. Hathaway
.
.
66
66
1907
Andrew M. Wood
66
60
1907
.
.
66
1905
Nathan Washburn
.
.
.
.
.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF MIDDLEBOROUGH, MASS.,
FOR 1904.
LEE
ORO
COUNT
U
PLYMOUT
NTY, MA
H
M
*
INCORPORATED
AD.1669
MIDDLEBORO, MASS. : MIDDLEBORO GAZETTE OFFICE. 1905.
3
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Organization, 1904-1905.
REV. W. C. LITCHFIELD, Chairman.
CHARLES H. BATES, Secretary.
Members.
REV. W. C. LITCHFIELD, 1 Southwick Street, Term expires 1905 WARREN H. SOUTHWORTH, 7 West Street, Term expires 1905 WILLIAM A. ANDREWS, 57 So. Main Street, Term expires 1906 NATHAN WASHBURN, 70 So. Main Street, Term expires 1906 CHARLES S. TINKHAM, Pleasant Street, Term expires 1907
JOANNA T. LEONARD, 5 North Street, Term expires 1907 ELISHA T. P. JENKS, 26 North Main Street, Term expires 1905
Joanna T. Leonard resigned September 1904, and Elisha T. P. Jenks was elected to fill the vacancy.
Superintendent of Schools. CHARLES H. BATES, 103 So. Main Street. Office, Room 7 Town Hall. Telephone, 45-6.
Office Hours, school days : Mondays and Fridays, 4 to 5 P. M. ; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 to 9 A. M .; Wednesdays, 6.30 to 7.30 P. M.
Regular meetings of the Committee are held in Room 7 Town Hall, on the first Thursday of each month, at 8.00 P. M.
All bills against the School Department should be sent to the Secretary's office not later than the Wednesday preceding the first Thursday of each month.
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TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO.
IN SCHOOL COMMITTEE. Feb. 2, 1905.
Voted: That the reports of the Superintendent of Schools, Principal of the High School. Supervisors of Music, Drawing and Manual Training, be adopted and presented to the town by the School Board.
CHARLES H. BATES, Secretary.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
TWENTIETH IN THE SERIES.
MIDDLEBORO, Mass., Jan. 3, 1905.
To the School Committee of Middleboro:
In compliance with your regulations I respectfully sub- mit to you and to the citizens of Middleboro my fourth annual report of the schools of the town.
Enrollment and Attendance.
The total number of pupils enrolled for the year was 1,376, an increase of 30 over the previous year ; the aver- age membership, 1,188, an increase of 35 ; the average daily attendance 1,095, an increase of 46; the percentage of daily attendance to average membership, 92.2, an increase of 1.4. It is gratifying to note that the percentage of daily attendance last year was the highest for the last three years. The 'number of cases of tardiness and dismissal was larger than the previous year, although a few had a good record. The following schools deserve especial mention in this particular: Nemasket, 6 cases of tardi- ness ; Wappanucket, 6; Main street, grade 9, 13; School street, grade 2, 15; Fall Brook, 17; Main street, grade 7, 20. The schools were closed the smallest number of times the past year for many years. The faithful atten- tion to their duties on the part of our janitors, notwith- standing the excessively cold weather last winter, resulted in not closing any of the center buildings on account of cold rooms, while the " no school" signal was sounded but once for the High and upper grammar grades and but twice for the primary grades. It is pleasing to record that according
6
to the last published report of the State Board of Education our town stands 49 out of 353 towns and cities of the state in regard to the average attendance of children upon the public schools, and number three in the county. Great care is exercised by the teachers in the matter of attendance and with few exceptions the percentage of attendance in all the schools is higher than for the previous year. A study of the enrollment table for November for the past 10 years will show that the central schools, with the exception of one year, have gradually increased their membership each year from 662 in 1895 to 891 in 1904, a gain of 229, while the suburban schools, with a more variable yearly attendance, have increased from 337 in 1895 to 400 in 1904, a gain of 63, making a total gain for that period of 292.
The census returns show an increase of 73 children be- tween the ages of 5 and 15 over the returns of the previous year, and an increase of 59 children between the compul- sory age limits of 7 and 14. The school and census returns show a gradual increase in the school population.
School Accommodations.
At the close of the school year in June it was evident that an increase in the teaching force of the High School would be necessary in order to maintain the standard of the school and the problem how to secure the additional accommo- dations confronted the board. As the fourth grade in Sep- tember would be smaller than for several years it was sug- gested that it be divided into two separate schools to occupy the rear rooms in the Union street building, that the fifth grade occupy the fourth grade room, and that the sixth grade in the Main street building be transferred to the room . to be vacated by the fifth grade, leaving the sixth grade room for an additional recitation room for the High School. This plan was adopted and has worked well. In the fall term enough pupils were transferred from the fifth and sixth grades to the West Side schools so that these grades in Union street school have had an average attendance of not more than 50 pupils.
While it may be possible, owing to the size of the grades next fall, to continue the present arrangements another
7
year, it is time, however, to consider what must be done to relieve the congestion which will come if industrial con- ditions remain the same. To erect a suitable building adapted to the wants of the High School with its rapidly increasing membership would probably cost $60,000. The town by its action last March in not accepting the offer of the Peirce trustees to erect a $50,000 building for the use of the High School must look to some other solution of the school accommodation problem. If it is not possible to secure a new building for the High School then the present . building should be given up to its sole use. An eight or ten-room building for elementary grades should be erected, and thus the school accommodations would be adequate for a number of years if no phenomenal increase in school population should come to pass. The number of pupils at the South Middleboro school last fall was 45. It was necessary to add four extra seats and desks to accommodate them. The room is now seated to its fullest capacity. If the number should increase it would be neces- sary either to transfer some to the Rock or Highland schools or to enlarge the present building.
School Exhibition.
An exhibition embracing the work in all studies in all the schools was successfully carried out in Town Hall, Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings, June 17 and 18. As this was the first exhibition of this nature ever held in the town the following account from the Middleboro Gazette is inserted :
A PRAISEWORTHY EXHIBITION.
If anybody in Middleboro has felt that our mod- ern public school training is too largely theoretical, he was easily undeceived by attending the exhibi- tion which was successfully carried out, Friday and Saturday. Besides the musical and rhetorical feat- ures, there had been arranged a display of school work on what was practically a continuous table around the interior of Town hall. Suitable placards showed where each school's work was to be seen, and during the two days about 2,500 visitors availed themselves of the opportunity to see what the chil-
8
dren are doing under the stimulus of twentieth century educational methods.
Perhaps two-thirds of the artieles displayed on wall or table were illustrative of artistic effort, and some surprisingly good work had been done by our youthful students with brush, pen and pencil, and even seissors in the hands of the youngest pupils. In the line of penmanship were maps, ornamental lettering and musical manuseripts. There were numerous sketehes in water color, pen and pencil ; representations of flowers and animals; original wall paper designs ; neat manuseript books showing studies in history, geography, geometry and trigo- nometry ; and several fine speeimens of needlework. The High school display ineluded mechanical and architectural drawings of no slight merit, and a number of ingenious models of Julius Caesar's military bridge, built from the deseription given in his famous Commentaries on the Gallie War.
Pleasing entertainments were given by the younger pupils of the central and suburban sehools on Friday afternoon and evening and on Saturday afternoon. The programs comprised instrumental solos, voeal solos, trios, quartettes and choruses, recitations, dialogues, drills and marches. The Boys' Band assisted at Friday evening's entertain- ment.
The exhibition as a whole attested painstaking and careful devotion on the part of our faithful and not overpaid teachers, particularly Miss Sewall, who has given drawing instruction in the High and other schools during the past year. Though the exhibition was not deeided upon until a few months ago, it has proved at once so anibitious and so thorough as to furnish an event of a character unique in the educational history of the town, and Supt. Bates and the teachers are certainly to be congratulated upon the sueeess attained.
Manual Training.
Through the earnest co-operation of the Cahot Club arrangements were made in June whereby a manual training course was introduced into the schools at the beginning of the fall term. The work as now outlined consists of sloyd work for the boys of the seventh, eighth and ninth grades in the Main Street and West Side schools and a course in sewing for the girls of the same grades. A mixed class composed of boys and girls of the same grades from the suburban schools is given weekly lessons on Friday after- noons in the High School building in the same work. The
9
value of manual training as an important factor in public school work needs no argument at this time. It is being extensively introduced and the day is not far distant when as much emphasis will be placed on hand training as is now given to mind training. The work in our schools has aroused a great interest and we look for gratifying results as it progresses. We shall be under additional expense the present year in this work as it will be necessary in order to give bench work to the boys of the eighth and ninth grades to have a room equipped with suitable benches and tools for a working class of at least twenty-five pupils.
At present the only possible thing to do as regards a room is to finish one on the third floor of the High School building similar to the laboratory on the same floor. To suitably equip such a room will cost at least $500.00.
Our thanks are due to the Cabot Club for its great interest in this movement. The expense of the manual training teacher is assumed by the club, and in order to create an interest in the work among the people of the town, the club, at its own expense, secured Prof. Larsson of Boston to give a lecture in Town Hall on the value of manual training as an educator, in order that its great value might be presented by one of its greatest exponents in the country.
Stamp Saving System.
Under the direction of the Cabot Club with the approval of the School Board the stamp saving system was intro- duced in our schools last May. The local club is a branch station of the central station in Boston, and receives its stamps from the Boston station. Each week on Friday afternoons, at the close of the school session, different mem- bers of the club visit the several school buildings at the centre, and give in exchange for the money brought by the pupils stamps, representing the value of the money received. Pupils wishing to deposit are given stamp cards, on which they place the stamps received. When the pupil has filled his card or has stamps representing the value of three dol- lars, he can exchange his card and receive the money value or he can open an account with the local Savings Bank.
10
During the past term nearly 400 pupils took the cards and 30 opened an account with the Savings Bank.
The pupils have manifested a great interest in the system, and much money, which would have done the possessor but little good, has found its way into the local bank. The teaching of thrift and the habit of systematic saving of money are two important factors in an education. The suc- cess of the system has obliged the Cabot Club to increase its working capital from $50 to $100.
In the Suburban schools the work is carried on by the several teachers. The Cabot Club in thus carrying on this important work shows what an influence for good any such organization can be to a community. I trust the work of the stamp saving system may continue for a long time to come.
Evening School.
Last winter an evening class was organized which held weekly sessions in the High School building. Penmanship and Arithmetic were taught in alternation on Saturday evenings. The largest number in attendance was 49. The class in Penmanship was composed mostly of teachers. The class was carried on with practically no expense, the two teachers in charge giving their services.
This winter an evening school started Jan. 3rd, to continue eight weeks, with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The studies taken are Penmanship, Arithmetic, Grammar and Spelling. The session is from 7 to 9, and the course elective, each student taking whatever subject or subjects he wishes. The arithmetic and grammar work is carried on in two classes, an elementary and an advanced. The school numbers 51 pupils, composed of clerks, shoemakers, stu- dents and laborers in various occupations. A great interest is manifested, the attendance being exceptionally good. I would recommend that it be continued next winter, and that a sum of $50 be appropriated for carrying on the work. I believe the attendance next winter would be even larger and the result more gratifying than the present term. An oppor- tunity is here given for conducting classes in other subjects; such as English Literature, Civil Government, American
11
History, etc. The question often raised that the educational buildings should be more used by the people at large meets a partial solution in opening this building at night for such work.
Music and Drawing.
The work in music has been productive of better results owing partly to the better equipment of the schools for carrying on this study. During the past year material to the amount of $175.00 has been purchased and the work has been more systematized. The work in drawing has been extended so that now the supervisor visits each central elementary school each week instead of once in two weeks as formerly. In the High School the work is elective and is now offered to all pupils, lessons being given on each Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The work for the subur- ban schools is more systematically arranged the present year, the supervisor meeting the teachers once a month to outline the work of the month and to give suggestions as to how it should be carried on. The supervisor has visited a few of the suburban schools in order to acquaint herself with the conditions for getting the best results. The manual training work is under the direction of the drawing supervisor.
High School.
At the opening of the fall term the High School had an enrollment of 200 pupils. The steady growth of the school is a good indication of its appreciated work. Since the present principal began his work fifteen years ago the school has increased from 87 to 200, and it is probable that next fall the membership will exceed 200.
One reason for this growth is found in the fact that the percentage of pupils graduating from the grammar grades and entering the High has been rapidly increasing. Last June of 52 pupils graduating from the Main Street school 49 or 94 per cent. entered the High School in the fall. 85 per cent. of the ninth grade graduates last June entered the High School. In 1901, 74 per cent. of the graduates entered the High School. The class of 1904 had the honor of enrolling the largest number of its graduates as members of the High School.
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The large number who are enjoying the privilege of the school should appeal to the citizens of the town for hearty endorsement and liberal support. The school has enjoyed a prosperous year. The spirit of the school is to be com- mended. Its excellent standing is recognized by college authorities who accept its graduates without examination on the principal's certificate.
The changes in the curriculum recommended in the report of last year have been carried out. Through the interest and efforts of the science teacher the laboratory facilities have been extended. An additional teacher has been engaged.
The usefulness of the school would be greater if a strong business course could be introduced. Under present con- ditions such a change is not advisable. The increase in membership strongly emphasizes the need of more room and more teachers.
Gifts.
During the year the schools have received a number of gifts which it gives us great pleasure to acknowledge. In June Miss Jennie G. Ryder presented to the High School a framed picture of " The Horses of the Sun God," one of her own drawings, which had formed one of the art exhibits at the World's Fair at Chicago. Through the generosity of interested parties a fine telescope has been added to the High School equipment which is proving a valuable aid for stimu- lating a greater interest in the study of astronomy. Two wall clocks have been given to the suburban schools, and now all these schools are provided with suitable timepieces -ten having been added during the last three years.
The E. W. Peirce Woman's Relief Corps presented with appropriate exercises a school flag to the Purchade school at the closing.exercises of the fall term.
In many of the schools, through the active interest of the teachers, pupils have contributed money towards securing pictures for schoolroom adornment.
The Plymouth street school raised sufficient funds by means of a successful school fair to purchase a kindergarten number table and pictures. The Rock school by the same means has added to the appearance of its room and also
13 .
furnished the pupils with material for carrying on the color scheme in the drawing work. The South Middleboro school by means of an entertainment has made the final payment on the school organ. The efforts of the teachers to make as attractive and homelike as possible the school rooms are worthy of the highest commendation.
Repairs.
The report of the Superintendent last year recommended that the Thompsonville and Forest street buildings be painted, that the recitation room in the Union street build- ing be painted and the walls kalsomined, that a teachers' dressing room be added in the School street building by taking a section in the second grade room, that all the blackboards should be placed in good working order by a thorough renovation, that the Green school be furnished with adjustable seats and desks, that school wall clocks be furnished those schools now lacking them. All of these recommendations have been carried out. In addition the Purchade school building has been painted, a substantial fence built along the front of South Middleboro school yard. the High school building equipped in the doorways with electric lights, the new recitation room in the High school building furnished with adjustable seats and desks, the fur- naces in the School street, Union street and High school buildings repaired. The present year the following repairs will be necessary : Painting and kalsomining the interior of Fall Brook building, repairing blackboards at Soule, reseating one suburban building with adjustable furniture, renovating the interior of High school and West Side build- ings and finishing a room for manual training work on the third floor of the High school building.
Comments.
A few of the important changes and items of interest are briefly given :
Algebra has been dropped from the course of study in the ninth grades and more time given to arithmetic.
The arithmetic course for the upper elementary grades has been revised and made more practical.
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Bookkeeping has been made a full term's study instead of consisting of a few elementary lessons.
The text book in geography has been dropped in the fourth grade and a new course treating more fully with the geography of the town, county and state substituted. Maps of Plymouth county have been placed in every room con- taining a fourth grade.
The movement work in writing has been receiving much attention.
A new list of flag days has served to intensify historical study.
The books in the teachers' library have been catalogued, and printed catalogues with library cards placed in the hands of each teacher. The library now numbers 261 books and 31 pamphlets.
Attention has been given to school yard ornamentation. Under the direction of Tree Warden Bailey trees were set out with appropriate exercises in the grounds of every school yard last April. The trees were purchased by contri- butions from the pupils. It is the plan to add one or more each year to each yard until the grounds have been given a more attractive appearance.
The number visiting the schools is gratifying. Last year 2,547 names were registered in the Central schools and 1,210 in the Suburban schools.
The special exercises continued to be of great interest. Union Memorial exercises of the elementary schools in the immediate centre were pleasingly carried out in Town Hall, on School Memorial day.
The banner system to stimulate attendance in the Subur- ban schools is being tried. The school having the highest percentage of attendance for the month is awarded a silk banner, which is to remain with that school for a month or until won by some other school. The following awards have been made : Sept. Wappanucket, Oct. Thompsonville, Nov. and Dec. Rock, Jan. Plymouth street.
Teachers' meetings continued to be an important factor in our system. 45 are scheduled the present year; 8 princi pals' meetings, 32 grade meetings and 4 lectures in Home- stead Hall, which this year take the place of general
15
meetings. The social meeting in May has come to be a fixed event enjoyed by all.
The supervisors hold several meetings to give definiteness to their work and stimulate interest in the same.
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