USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1905 > Part 5
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In compliance with your regulations I respectfully submit to you and to the citizens of Middleboro my fifth annual report of the condition and needs of the schools of the town.
Enrollment and Attendance.
The total number of pupils enrolled for the year was 1,368, a loss of 8; the average membership 1,211, an in- crease of 23; the average daily attendance 1,133, an in- crease of 38 ; the percentage of daily attendance to average membership 93.5, an increase of 1.3.
The percentage of daily attendance last year was the highest in the history of the schools. For the first time for years, if ever before, the suburban schools reached a per- centage of over 90. The banner system introduced a year ago last September to stimulate attendance in the suburban schools contributed in a great degree in reaching this grati- fying record. What is possible to do in thus creating an interest where teacher, parents and pupils are enthusiastic in this matter, is well illustrated by the record of the smallest school in town-the Thompsonville school. This school has an enrollment of 12 pupils and was not closed the last term, except for legal holidays and conventions. Its record by months was as follows: Sept., 99.71; Oct., 96.75; Nov., 99.16; Dec., 95.83.
Its percentage of attendance for the term was 98.5. I doubt if many rural schools in the state can show as good a record.
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We have given up the banner system and are now offering more substantial rewards for attendance. The suburban schools are now divided into two divisions-one comprising those schools with an average membership of 25 or more, and the other those with an average membership of less than 25. For the best attendance for December, a geographical outfit was given. The Green school secured the honor in the first division and the Thompsonville school in the second. For the best attendance in January a globe and map are to be given. The object of the incentives is the forming of habits of punctuality. Pupils who form the habit of attending school regularly will carry that habit into the affairs of life after leaving school.
School Accommodations.
The coming of a new industry to town which will ulti- mately bring a large number of families into the place, presents a serious problem as to what shall be done with the children who will seek admission to our schools. If many of our school rooms were not now seated to their fullest capacity, the problem would not be so serious. Already, even with no further increase, it is a question how we can grade the schools so they shall not be overcrowded next September. The West Side school must be regraded to accommodate even the present membership. This will be done by placing in room two-which now has grades three, four and five-only grades three and four, and changing room three from a two-grade room to a three-grade room. This will nearly fill every seat in these rooms, leaving but little room for pupils to be transferred from the other Central schools. We cannot look to much relief to the West Side building for the overcrowded Central schools, as we have for the past four years.
Two years ago the fourth grade in the immediate center, on account of the number being smaller than usual, was divided into two fourth grades and placed in the two small recitation rooms in Union street building. The present year the same plan was continued. Next year on account of a larger third grade, now numbering 72-and a constant addition being
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made to the fourth grade by pupils from other towns moving here, this plan will have to be changed. · What may have to be done is to take one of the large rooms in this building for the fourth grade and the other for either the fifth or sixth grades. This will necessitate a new room for one of these grades. For immediate relief it may be necessary to build a portable school building. The best plan for meeting the conditions soon to exist would be the erection of a new High school building. The High school is growing rapidly and with more pupils in our schools is sure to grow faster in the future than in the past. The school needs a building equipped for carrying on its work under better conditions. It needs better laboratories, a large assembly hall for music work, rhetorical exercises and lectures, a room equipped for advanced work in drawing, a room fitted for a first class commercial course, a basement suitable for maintaining a good lunch room, more rooms for recitation work than the present building will be able to furnish in a few years. The town will greatly benefit its educational facilities by erecting a suitable High school building convenient for all High school work and commodious enough for many years. If this is done I would recommend that the ninth grades in the Ele- mentary schools be placed under the supervision of the High school, and their work be made a part of the High school work, making the elementary course eight years in- stead of nine. This would relieve the suburban schools of this grade, increasing the efficiency of those schools. The present High school building would then accommodate eight grades with a master in charge. The other school buildings at the center could take care of any overflow. The West Side school could be graded with two grades to each room. This plan would give adequate school accom- modations for many years. The placing the ninth grades as part of the High school is successfully carried out in such progressive places as Plymouth, Arlington and Gardner in this state. It seems an excellent plan for perfecting a sys- tem of schools. The present membership of the larger schools in the three central buildings is as follows :
1st grade 50
2nd grade 50
3rd grade 72
4th 66 62
5th
66 59
6th
55
7th
52
8th
43
9th 47
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Based on the present membership and not considering the cases of non promotion the enrollment in the central grades in the School street, Union street and Main street buildings next September would be as follows :
Grade 2, 50
Grade 6, 59
66 3, 90
66
7, 55
66 4, 72
8, 52
66
5, 62
66
9, 50
These buildings are taken because here is where the congestion will be if there is any increase of membership in the immediate central schools. The fact these schools even now are increasing in membership by the enrollment of new pupils emphasizes the urgent need of some immediate action on the part of the town, looking towards more adequate school accommodations.
I would suggest that a committee be appointed to look into the matter of future school accommodations and report at the adjourned town meeting in March. To meet the anticipated overflow next fall it may be advisable to erect a portable building near the town house in which the sixth grade and a mixed school of the other grades from the overflow of these central schools can be carried on. This portable building should be large enough for a main room and a recitation room, capable of seating 75 pupils and probably would cost $2,500.00. The other alternative if the central membership increases would be half sessions for those rooms too small to accommodate all their pupils-half of the pupils attending the school in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. The school day in such grades would be six hours. The need of doing something for better accommo- dations is imperative and should be looked into at once.
High School.
The High School continues to grow both in numbers and in efficiency. Its total enrollment last year was 200. The school has been indeed fortunate in keeping at its head for so long a period such an excellent instructor and disciplin- arian. Last June Mr. Sampson completed his fifteenth year
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of service as principal. He has witnessed a remarkable growth in the school in that time, but no more remarkable we believe than what the future will show. The spirit of teachers and pupils was never better than today. The conscientious efforts and loyalty to the principal, of the assistants are characteristics which have aided the develop- ment of the school. The school has an excellent standing among the colleges of New England and other portions of the country and its graduates have entered those institutions well fitted for collegiate work. A new building, better equipment, broader courses of study, a larger corps of teachers would still further add to its great usefulness as an educational institution.
The trustees of the Peirce fund have given $800.00 for salaries in this school, paying the full salary of one teacher and one hundred dollars towards the salary of another teacher.
Central Schools.
The membership of the Central schools is increasing each year. It will soon be a serious problem to adjust the work in the several grades that there may be no loss in efficiency. Already a number of the grades are too large for one teacher. The departmental plan of work in the Main street grammar school has been replaced by regular grade work, each teacher remaining in her own room and doing the work of that grade. While under certain conditions the departmental plan may work advantageously yet its results are not as satisfactory as those obtained under the one room plan. Rhetorical exer- cises have been made a part of the work for the ninth grades. I am a great believer in this kind of work and hope to see it strongly carried on. If public exercises could be held from time to time pupils would gain confidence in public speaking. The four hour plan was adopted for the primary grades in Forest street and grades one and two in School street building last term. The hours for the morning session are from 9 to 11 and in the afternoon from 1.30 to 3.30. The same plan has been in vogue for the first grade West Side school for nearly two years. The plan as carried out
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at the School street and Forest street schools is somewhat as follows :
The schools are divided into four divisions-A, B, C and D-according to the ability of the pupils to do work. These small divisions enable the teachers to become better acquainted with the pupil's class work. The forenoon session is divided into two parts with a recess of 15 minutes. Those pupils who need especial attention in any study are detained at 11 o'clock and the time till 12 is given to them for individual instruction. The teachers are enthusiastic over the plan and report not only better work but without any special effort the classes are further advanced at this time than ever before.
The plan acts as an incentive to the brighter pupils so that they may be dismissed at 11 and it encourages the other pupils by individual attention of the teachers to do better work in their studies. It seems to solve the problem of how to get at these pupils whom the class work does not seem to reach and I look for excellent results the longer it is continued.
The substitution of Arithmetic for the Algebra in the ninth grades has been a decided change for the better. The pupils need all the time for Arithmetic and the little work formerly done in Algebra according to the mathematical teachers in the High school did not result in any better preparation for that study in the High school. I would recommend that Physical Geography be dropped from the studies in this grade and Commercial Geography substituted. The modern geography contains so much of physical geography and besides this study is afterwards taken in the High school that a course in Commercial Geography would be productive of better results. The current event period in the eight and ninth grades still continues to be of great interest.
School Ornamentation.
The efforts of the teachers to make their rooms more attractive by pictures, statuary, and other forms of orna- mentation are very commendable. During the past year a
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great deal has been done in this direction. The proceeds of a well attended lecture under the auspices of the High school enabled the school to purchase four busts and a beautiful picture of " The Aurora". Two of these busts- Lincoln and Shakespeare-were placed in the English room and two, Venus and Apollo, with "The Aurora" were placed in the Latin room, adding very much to the attract- iveness of these rooms.
Grade eight, Main street building, held a successful entertainment in town hall during the spring term and expended the money for statuary and books of reference.
Fall Brook school held a school fair which was liberally patronized by the people of the district and the proceeds were used to buy pictures for the school room.
Thomastown school, assisted by the people of the district, gave an interesting entertainment in the school room and with the money received secured some beautiful pictures for the school room.
Teachers in other schools have interested their pupils in this matter and by individual contributions have secured pictures for their schools.
Suburban Schools.
The suburban schools as a whole had a successful year. The membership in some of these schools is exceedingly variable. One year there will be in some districts fairly large schools and the next year these schools will be much smaller owing to the removal of families having many children. Nemasket in 1900 had an enrollment of 41; it now has 17. Thompsonville last year enrolled 22: it now has 12. Fall Brook now enrolls 19. While some of these schools have had a decrease in membership others have increased. Highland school which the board thought of closing a few years ago now numbers 32. Soule, formerly one of the smallest schools at one time, last term enrolled 36. The total enrollment in these schools for the past five years will be seen in the table :- 1901, 442: 1902, 419; 1903, 465: 1904, 466; 1905. 441.
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Outfits for busy work for pupils of the primary grades have been placed in every suburban school the past year so that all these schools are as well equipped for such work as the central schools.
Permission is now given the teachers to dismiss the pupils of the first two grades at 11 o'clock. This gives those grades a four hour session in the winter months. Those pupils whose parents do not wish them to be excused at that hour are allowed to stay in the school room.
The teachers report that their work can be carried on more satisfactorily under the present arrangement. It is also a good thing for the children to get out of doors after their school work is finished. These schools are allowed now to hold one session of school in stormy weather when- ever in the judgment of the teachers conditions require it. This will have a marked effect upon the percentage of attendance.
The school teams conveying pupils to the Wappanucket and Thompsonville schools have been discontinued; at Wappanucket owing to the opening of the Marion Road school, and at Thompsonville because the number of pupils had been reduced to one. Satisfactory arrangements have been made with the parents of this pupil. This means an expenditure for elementary transportation of nearly $700.00 less than for 1905.
The great problem in these schools is not their number but their grades. Many of these schools have grades from one to nine. Any plan which can reduce the number of grades without doing any injustice to the pupils or lowering the efficiency of the schools would greatly benefit them. In some future time it may be possible to have the pupils of the ninth grades at least attend school at the center- as has been done the present year with the pupils of the ninth grade at the South Middleboro school.
These schools greatly need some reference books for work in the upper grades and it is our plan the present year to furnish each school with an unabridged dictionary and a good atlas.
South Middleboro school at present is quite large. Fifty- three different pupils have been enrolled the present year.
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It now numbers 48. If it is assured that this section promises the same or a larger future membership the present building should be enlarged to a two room building. One night during the spring term a fire broke out in the Thomastown school building but by the energetic action of some of the neighbors it was extinguished before much damage had been done. If it had happened later in the evening the building would probably have been totally destroyed.
Stamp Saving System.
Under the direction of the Cabot club the stamp saving system has been vigorously carried on the past year. The work now includes all the central schools excepting the High school. During the fall term it was extended to nearly all the suburban schools.
" The system is designed to inculcate in the youthful mind the wisdom of looking out for the pennies in order that the dollars may look out for themselves, and to encourage the spirit of independence and self respect which accompanies the honest accumulation of an individual bank account." I have asked Mrs. C. W. M. Blanchard who has this work in charge to give a brief report and it will doubtlessly be read with great interest.
Teachers' Meetings.
A change in the method of conducting teachers' meetings has been inaugurated the present year. Instead of the grade meetings being divided to embrace groups of three grades, meetings for each grade have been arranged. This has proved to be much more satisfactory than the former method, as now more attention can be given to the work and needs of the several grades. Sixty-three such meetings will be held this year. The suburban meetings are conducted on the same plan as formerly. Eight suburban meetings are held this year.
A general meeting for teachers of the central elementary schools is held at the opening of each term. The principal of the High school holds weekly meetings with his teachers.
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The supervisors of music and drawing hold frequent meetings to give definiteness to their work. A Teachers' Association has been formed this year. Under its auspices four lectures and a social meeting in May will be held.
Manual Training.
A year ago last September a system of manual training was introduced into the schools. It included a course of sloyd for the boys of the upper grammar grades and a course in sewing for the girls of the same grades. The course was opened to the pupils of the upper grades of the suburban schools also. Last March an appropriation was called for to continue the work by fitting up a room in the High school building, so that bench work could be given to the boys who had followed the knife work for one year. The appropriation was not granted. The school board feel- ing that if the work was to continue as part of the instruc- tion in the schools that an opportunity for advanced work should be given under the conditions voted to discontinue the manual training course. The school board believes thoroughly in manual training and discontinued the course because of its inability from lack of funds to carry on the work as it should be carried on. It is admitted today that too much emphasis has been placed on the purely intellectual studies. That the time is ripe for the union of the two forces-the training of the head and the hand.
Manual training supplies a knowledge of the facts and forces of the tangible, living, active world of today, its buildings, machinery, processes, just as other branches of study do for history, literature and science. It develops sympathy for manual labor. It broadens the field for which to select a final calling. It stimulates perception, logical thinking, good judgment and productive imagination. It encourages truthfulness, self-control, firmness of will and is a strong factor in ethical culture. Sewing trains a girl to habits of carefulness and neatness, as well as to equip her for usefulness and independence in this art. The trained hand is as important an asset as the trained mind. The tendency of the schools is to neglect the mechanical classes.
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I trust the day is not far distant, when a well systematized course in manual training, including sewing and cooking, shall find a place in our curriculum.
The thanks of the town are due the members of the Cabot club for their great interest in this form of school activity, for through their influence money was obtained to pay for the services of the manual training teacher. Be- cause of the inability to extend the work, the board declined the club's generous offer to pay the services of the manual training teacher the present year.
School Exhibition.
It has been the custom for several years to hold the latter part of the spring term a series of parental days when the written work and drawings of the pupils would be placed on exhibition in the several rooms. Two years ago a change was made and instead of exhibiting the work in the several school rooms the work was collected and placed on exhibition in the town hall. This was more satisfactory as the work could be arranged by grades and a better idea of what was being done given. A similar exhibition to that given two years ago will be held this year in Town hall, May 11 and 12. Such exhibitions serve as an incentive for good work and bring the home and the school into closer touch with each other.
Teachers' Training Class.
By the vote of the School board a class for trainers was opened in September. The class numbers four members- two residents of the town and two non-residents. Each member observes the work carried on in each grade of the Main street grammar, Union street, School street, Forest street and West Side schools, spending two weeks in each room. One week is also spent in one of the suburban schools. On Tuesday forenoons the class meets the super- intendent for lessons in pedagogy and school management. Many practical talks on methods are also given. Some teaching is done by the trainers in the rooms under the direction of the regular teacher. An opportunity is thus
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given to the graduates of the High school who wish to become teachers but for various reasons cannot attend a normal school to secure a practical knowledge of carrying on school work. Those graduates of the training class who have taught in the Middleboro schools have done good work and many of them have developed into excellent teachers.
Evening School.
The evening school organized last winter had a very successful term. It opened with 17 members and at the close of the term the membership was 51. The work was carried on in two rooms of the High school building and two classes-an elementary and an advanced-did creditable work in penmanship, arithmetic, grammar and spelling. A great interest was manifested and the attendance at nearly all the sessions was exceptionally good.
It was not considered advisable to open the school the present winter as a similar school has been started under the direction of the Young Men's Christian Association which gives the opportunity that the evening school offered.
Eye Test.
In October the teachers were furnished with test-type cards for testing the eyes of the pupils. Many cases of defective vision previously unknown to teachers or pupils, have been discovered. The poor work of some pupils has been found due to poor vision. The results will be of great benefit to both teachers and pupils. In cases of pronounced , defects the parents have been notified.
The tests were made for defective vision in right eye; in left eye ; in both eyes.
In the High school 47 cases were found. In the central elementary schools 121 cases. In the suburban schools 50. cases. In all schools 218 cases.
This test has been of practical value in the seating of pupils and in the use of blackboards for written work.
The testing of vision in the public schools is a public necessity as it calls the attention of both teachers and parents to defects which often seriously interfere with scholarship. Many cases of apparent stupidity have been found due to poor vision.
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Marion Road School.
At the request of the parents in District No. 16 the School Board voted in December to reopen the Marion Road school, which had been closed ten years, Jan. 8, 1906.
The building has been thoroughly repaired and presents an attractive appearance both within and without. The school opened with an attendance of 18 pupils and the membership next year will probably be still larger.
Music.
The work in this department has been making good pro- gress. In nearly all the central schools the results are excellent. In the suburban schools existing conditions do not give as satisfactory results. I would recommend that arrangements be made with the supervisor of music so that more time can be secured. Under the present arrangements two and a half days are given to the work each week. The supervisor visits weekly each central school. In the subur- bán schools the schedule is arranged for four visits a term. By securing more time the supervisor could visit each subur- ban school once in two weeks, making up any lessons lost through no session of school. The people of the town will have an opportunity to observe what is being done in music at the school exhibition in May. On Friday evening May 11 Supervisor Howard will have charge of the program and give exercises showing the work in the different grades.
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