USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1915 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
COMPARATIVE ยท EXPENSE TABLE. 1906-1915
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
Instruction, Superintendence, Care
of Buildings, and Fuel
$24,393.14
$26,679.59
$27,646.07
$28,100.74
$30,036.61
$32,194.06
$33,461.45
$33,099.37
$35,214.85
$35,270.36
Books and Supplies
1,667.42
1,665.61
1,506.53
1,822.54
1,730.06
1,966.81
1,852.74
2,135.62
3,285.90
2,223.75
Printing
208.40
173.77
212.32
157.27
175.77
184.34
192.25
174.21
204.02
181.46
Sundries
589.64
470.45
631.71
601.26
836.54
710.12
678.59
672.40
970.59
856.50
Transportation to High School
765.12
511.59
542.60
595.30
617.10
580.45
473.65
558.55
605.80
783.56
Transportation to Elementary Schools 1,375.18
1,398.54
1,369.85
1,496.25
975.21
1,188.25
1,207.55
1,774.25
2,487 30
2,487.38
Repairs
1,558.44
1,025.80
1,007.82
1,526.09
1,050.27
1,052.06
1,755.51
3,181.99
1,968.39
1,679.07
Insurance
648.00
648.00
Rent
300.00
300.00
364.00
396.00
630.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
300.00
500.00
28
The estimated cost for 1916 is $45,802.00, divided as follows:
Salaries
$32,200.00
Care of Buildings
2,600.00
Fuel
2,100.00
Books, Supplies and Printing
2.400.00
Sundries
850.00
Water Supply
250.00
School Committee
150.00
School Physician
300.00
Tuition
52.00
Rent of Town House Rooms
500.00
Transportation
3,200.00
Repairs
1,200.00
The total amount to be appropriated to meet this esti- mated cost will be $41,000.00. This is $1,000 less than the appropriation of last year.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES H. BATES,
Secretary.
29
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
THIRTY-FIRST IN THE SERIES.
Middleboro, Mass., Dec. 30, 1915.
To the School Board :-
As it is probable that a final report will be made at the annual Town meeting by the special committee appointed by the town two years ago to investigate the matter of school accommodations, it is not thought necessary to consider this question in this report. Suffice it to say that next fall there will be a serious congestion in several of the Central schools and the need of action in this matter immediately is imperative. It is hoped that a satisfactory adjustment of this most vital problem may be made and the present efficiency of the schools in no way impaired by a lack of adequate accommodations.
The High School the present year has enrolled 265 pupils and as the entering class next year will be as large as the one this year, it is a conservative estimate to say that at least 275 pupils will be enrolled next September. With this number one more teacher will be required and it will be necessary to use the Assembly hall for two recitation rooms. The present building is inadequate for the present needs of the school. A recognition of the twenty-five years of faithful service of Principal Sampson was made the chief feature of the reunion of the Middleboro High School Alumni Association, Dec. 28, when a beautiful gold lined silver loving cup, suitably inscribed, and containing $350 in gold, was presented to him, as a gift from the Alumni and teachers of the school. A fitting testimonial of well deserved success.
The grading of the Central Schools has been the same as the previous year, and as the work is going on well it is unfortunate that this method cannot be continued, but as several of the grades in the School Street, Union Street and West Side buildings will be so large next fall a new grading
-
30
will be necessary and possibly several will be placed on half- time plan. There can be no permanent policy in regard to grading, until the town has decided what shall be done in the matter of more adequate school accommodations. The school in the Town House will be much larger next fall and it is a question whether it will be possible to follow the present plan of having the pupils of the upper grade of the suburban schools attend this school. A too large school of this kind with only two teachers will be handicapped in getting the best results.
With the exception of the assistant's position in the Town House School there have been no changes in the teaching force of the Central Elementary Schools the past year.
The Suburban Schools have had more changes in teachers the past year than the previous year, there having been five withdrawals, five appointments and one transferal. Frequent change is often detrimental to the best interest of any school. The plan of grading adopted for the Green School last year has been continued with good results and a similar plan adopted in September for the Rock School is proving to be very satisfactory. The plan of conducting the teachers' institutes for the suburban teachers has been changed so that more time is given and more satisfactory results will be possible.
All the regular work in these schools, as well as the special courses under the direction of the supervisors, continue to give satisfactory results. I have to report one less suburban building than last year as the Nemasket School house was totally destroyed by an incendiary fire on the morning of July 4.
The matter of a revision of the salaries of the Central Elementary female school teachers will next year be pre- sented to the Committee on Appropriations.
That committee will be asked to recommend an increase for those teachers, so that all such teachers having served less than three years shall receive $550 a year, while those who are on the tenure list shall receive $600 a year. All such teachers will be given a yearly salary instead of being engaged at a specified sum for each week as at present. The raising of the salaries of such teachers will be only in keep- ing with what is being done in many towns in the State, and if the proposed schedule is adopted our teachers will receive a fairer compensation and one more nearly equal what is given to teachers in towns the size of Middleboro.
31
The plan of having student teachers from the Bridgewater Normal School assist in the work in two of the Central schools has been continued the past year. At the School Street building by partitioning off a room in the boys' base- ment, a well equipped recitation room has been provided and the work of the student teacher has been made of more value.
The student-teachers at the West Side building have been of great service and the plan there is working out excellently. I would recommend that the work be extended so as to include one more student-teacher at the West Side build- ing and one at the Union Street building.
The town at the last annual meeting appropriated $150 for the starting of a stamp saving system in the schools. Up to last year such a system was in successful operation, under the direction of the Cabot Club. A similar system has been devised and material enough for five years purchased. The supervision of the work has been placed in charge of Mrs. Leonard O. Tillson, for several years treasurer of the system under the direction of the Cabot Club. The work has been started under favorable conditions, and we antici- pate good results in teaching the habit of thrift.
The present method of fire drills in the High School, School Street, Union Street and West Side buildings has been in continuous use for 12 years. These buildings are required to have at least one fire drill a week. The number of fire- drills is reported monthly by the principals to the School Board at each regular meeting. In this way the drills will not fall into disuse but will continue until abolished by the School Board.
The longest time it takes for all the pupils to leave any building at the sound of the alarm is 45 seconds.
Parents may feel assured that this phase of fire protection is well enforced and well carried out.
In conclusion it gives me pleasure to report a very suc- cessful year's work in our schools, to commend the intel- ligent and earnest efforts of the teachers and the supervisors, and to acknowledge my appreciation of the co-operation of the parents. Steps are being taken in the Central schools to bring the homes and the schools into a still closer relation-
-
32
ship and already several parents' meetings have been held and mothers' clubs formed. The schools of the town are worthy of better accommodations than some of them now have and it is a misfortune to lower their efficiency because of crowded conditions. The children attending our schools have a right to have well lighted, well heated and well ven- tilated school rooms, with satisfactory sanitary arrange- ments. Good school buildings are a good asset for any town. The health of the child should be the first consider- ation in education and to assure that the child should have plenty of pure air in the school room and approved sanitary conditions as a safeguard against disease.
I am glad to commend in this report the efforts of the Cabot Club in this phase of physical education in giving an opportunity to the young people of the town for enjoying out-door games and athletic contests. It is something that should receive the hearty support of every citizen. The public playground under proper supervision can be made the place for a good physical training which will be of inestimable value in preparing a child for future usefulness. It is pleasing to note that much of this work in the form of games and folk-dances is now being done in many of our schools.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES H. BATES,
Superintendent of Schools.
1
SPECIAL REPORTS
PRINCIPAL OF HIGH SCHOOL SUPER VISOR OF MANUAL ARTS SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC SUPER VISOR OF PENMANSHIP SCHOOL PHYSICIAN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER
-
34
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools:
Dear Sir :- In accordance with custom I am making this brief report of the High School. The following changes have taken place in our teaching force. During the latter part of the school year Miss Esther E. Morse and Miss Susie W. Eastham resigned their positions. Miss M. Lazelle Sutliffe and Miss Marion R. Whyte were elected to fill the vacancies. Miss Helen R. Scammon was elected as an additional teacher. Miss Whyte resigned during the fall term and Miss Mildred I. Goudy was elected in her place.
The enrollment during the fall term was 265, an increase of 20 over that of last year. The number of tuition scholars was 42, an increase of 8. The number of pupils drawing transportation money was 61, an increase of 5. The tuition scholars are furnished by towns as follows: Lakeville 35, Plympton 4, Rochester 2, Halifax 1.
The graduating class last June numbered 42, one less than that of the previous year. Eighteen graduates of the Mid- dleboro High School entered the following institutions of learning last fall: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1, Dartmouth College 2, Amherst Agricultural College 1, Bos- ton Conservatory of Music 1, Bridgewater State Normal School 6, Framingham State Normal School 1, Wentworth Institute 2, Bay Path Institute 2, post-graduate department in Middleboro High School 2.
Larger accommodations for our High School must be pro- vided for right away, if the efficiency of the school is to be maintained. We should have at least eleven teachers to carry on the work to a good advantage. We have only nine recitation rooms including the Assembly room, which is being used as a recitation room this year. The enroll- ment promises to be larger than ever next year. It is a serious problem how we can accommodate this increase. Can there not something be done- immediately looking toward the relief of the situation?
Respectfully submitted, WALTER SAMPSON, Principal of the High School.
35
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MANUAL ARTS.
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools:
Dear Sir :- I hereby submit my annual report of the work in Manual Arts in the Middleboro Public Schools.
The aim during the past year has been the same as that set forth in last year's report with perhaps greater emphasis upon the attempt to develop in the child more power to work things out alone and not depend entirely upon the teacher's directions or dictation.
In general, fewer problems are given and in working these out the child is lead step by step to a knowledge of the object to be made in its several varieties by a study of various forms of the object itself. Then the object is taken apart and its pattern studied, learning how to draw the pattern and obtain and place on it the measurements. By this time the child is ready to make his own working drawing or read any similar drawing, draw his pattern, and construct the object or any similar object.
All this involves much drawing, both appearance and working drawing, as well as construction, and it requires independent and clear thinking, and should develop more self activity than many problems worked out from dictations.
We are trying to bring the laws and principles of art, in other words design and color, into the every day lives of the children that they may appreciate and choose that which is fine and beautiful and that they may know how to use better combinations of color, more graceful lines, and better arrangement of masses in their dress, furnishing of homes, and so forth. Also to enable them to express their ideas clearly and intelligently by means of drawing.
All this necessitates some change in the course of study; much less painting from nature for the sake of making pic- tures; color is studied for its variations and combinations and flat washes are used to illustrate these problems. Pros- pective and the more artistic effects obtained by different methods of rendering are not taught until the upper three grades. The lead pencil and crayon are used freely in ex- pressing the character, proportion and shape of objects.
36
As far as possible the work in drawing is correlated with other school activities. The High School and Town House School made posters to advertise their foot ball games. The grades have worked out problems in construction and color, making useful and attractive articles.
The sewing classes, girls in the 5th and 6th grades, made a book of sewing models of the various common stitches with a written description of the same.
The suburban work in most cases is very good especially considering that they can give less time to the subject than the center schools, also that until this year the suburban teachers have had only a short time for instruction from the supervisor. Now it is arranged so that much more instruc- tion can be given to the suburban teachers in teachers' institutes.
It would be an advantage if a little constructive work could be given in the suburban schools, adding greatly to the interest and inspiration of both teachers and pupils. Expensive materials would not be necessary, and no special materials would be given a pupil until he had made the article satisfactorily in common material and brought a penny or two to pay for the special material. This seems to be the custom in all towns where manual work is taught.
Last June an auction sale of articles made during the year by the pupils was held in the School Street building and the proceeds from this helped pay for the manual work supplies.
Respectfully submitted, MARY L. COOK,
Supervisor of Manual Arts.
37
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC.
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools:
Dear Sir: The following is the report for the last four months of the Supervisor of Music.
One should never lose sight of the fact that music is a large subject, consisting of many branches. The time allot- ted to music in the public schools is obviously too short to cover all these branches, even in the most meager fashion.
What we can do and must do is to develop the desire to sing, and to teach the children how to sing, how to express their feelings through music and the medium of their own voices.
Contrary to many individual opinions, the music work of the schools is not to teach the theoretical facts with an aim to lessen the tasks of private teachers. On the contrary, the teaching of singing, of artistic interpretation with beau- tiful tone quality, should be the constant aim in public- school music. Every singing exercises should have the enthusiastic co-operation of the teacher, every phrase should be sung beautifully, and should express a real sentiment or emotion felt by the children. It is the mission of music to express feeling; this must be emphasized if music is to come into full power in the school.
An important element in the development of the rhythmic sense is found in bodily action. Some children have not learned to march in time to music or to keep step with their mates. Children rhythmically deficient must have this instinct aroused through marching, skipping, clapping, singing, games, folk-dances, etc. The feeling for rhythm, developed through muscular response from the larger muscles of the body and limbs, will in time, enable the child to control the finer muscles of the vocal organs.
In Grades I, II, and III, we are fairly saturating the children with songs. We are teaching them to love music and to love to sing; to sing with light, mellow tone quality, and to express their feelings in an artistic manner through the songs they love. The children learn by observing, by
38
imitating, by doing the thing themselves. They are taught to HEAR CORRECTLY and to express accurately what they hear just as in the language-learning process. The ear is trained to distinguish between songs differing in rhyth- mic and melodic characteristics; it is trained to differentiate between phrases in the same song.
From Grade IV, up through the Town House School we are drilling upon sight reading, bearing in mind always that sight-reading, with all its mechanical details is only a means, though an important one, to the larger end of being able to sing and loving to sing. The desire to hear good music and the ability to appreciate it will be a natural outgrowth of this attitude toward school-music study.
The work in the High School is most gratifying. With the permission of the School Committee the High School chorus, assisted by some of Boston's well known soloists, is preparing to give The Rose Maiden, a cantata, by Fred- eric H. Cowen.
The proceeds from this concert will be used to purchase a circulating library of graphophone records to be used by all those schools in town, both central and suburban, which have graphophones. An effort is being made to equip each school building with a mechanical instrument of some kind, to be used for marching, folk-dancing and helping to develop a true sense of rhythm as well as to acquaint the children with the very best in music. There are many who could in no other way hear the masterpieces of music, famous instrumentalists and the voices of great singers.
The Supervisor of Music commends most heartily the faithful work of the teachers and acknowledges that the success already attained in our school music is largely the result of their efforts.
Respectfully submitted, GRACE G. PIERCE,
Supervisor of Music.
39
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF PENMANSHIP.
Middleboro, Mass., Dec. 22, 1915.
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools:
Dear Sir :- The following is the report of the Penmanship work for the past year:
The aim has been for legible, rapid and easy writing. Legibility is dependent upon uniform spacing, slant and size, upon clear cut lines, neatness and careful alinement. Speed and endurance both depend upon the position of the body and upon muscular control.
In the rooms where the teachers are enthusiastic and interested in getting the very best work possible, we are having splendid results. Of course where a teacher is not full of zest and alive to all the possibilities of the subject, we do not find the interest and response in the children. In most of the rooms, however, the teachers seem glad to co-operate and their attitude is very helpful.
When the first twenty-five drills have been written satis- factorily to the teacher and to the supervisor, the papers are sent to the Boston office of the Palmer Company and if the work is up to their standard, the pupil is awarded a Palmer Button. He may then try the first one hundred drills in the same way and, if successful, is awarded a Palmer Progress Pin. After this he is entitled to write all the drills, one hundred and seventy-two in number, and if he does them satisfactorily he receives a Pupil's Final Certificate. This system promotes good-natured competition and the children are very proud of their buttons, pins, and certificates.
Instead of counting for the movement drills, we often use music,-an Arinola in the rooms, where there is one, and singing by the children, in other rooms. This teaches rhythm and helps to correlate the work in music and pen- manship.
Respectfully submitted,
LOUISE H. SCOTT,
Supervisor of Penmanship.
40
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN.
Middleboro, Mass., Dec. 30, 1915.
To the School Committee of Middleboro:
In submitting my annual report, I am pleased to state that the necessity of attending to defects during childhood is appreciated by most parents in the town, as shown by the fact that in the public schools of Middleboro we have about eleven hundred pupils whose teeth are in good con- dition, a large percentage of which present evidence of having been cared for by the family dentist. Other defects to which attention has been called are in many cases being cared for by the family physician.
A few cases of diphtheria have occurred during the year, but with the co-operation of the Board of Health, the epi- demics were soon under control. Cultures taken from throats of exposed pupils were examined with negative results.
I again thank the Superintendent of Schools, the Prin- cipals and teachers for their interest.
The results of the physical examinations are found below :
. Sub Primary.
Number of pupils examined
116
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
12
Adenoids 6
11
Defective teeth 66 66
31
GRADE I.
Number of pupils examined
114
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
8
Adenoids 66
66
12
Defective teeth 66 66 66
44
'41
GRADE II.
Number of pupils examined
107
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
13
66
66
66
8
Defective teeth
37
Strabismus 66
66 66
1
GRADE III.
Number of pupils examined
96
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
6
Adenoids
3
Defective teeth
37
GRADE IV.
Number of pupils examined
90
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
8
Adenoids
8
Defective teeth 66 66 66
37
GRADE V.
Number of pupils examined
88
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
9
Adenoids 66 66
8
Defective teeth 66
29
GRADE VI
Number of cases examined
89
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
8
Adenoids
66 6
5
Defective teeth
66
16
Tuberculosis of joint 66
1
GRADE VII.
Number of cases examined
75
Hypertrophied tonsils -- Number of cases
6
Adenoids
66 66
2
Defective teeth
18
Deviated septum
60
1
66
66
66
Adenoids
66
42
GRADE VIII.
Number of pupils examined 80
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
7
Adenoids
7
Defective teeth 6
15
High School.
Number of pupils examined
256
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
6
Adenoids 66
66
3
Defective teeth 66
30
Enlarged glands 66 66 66
1
SUBURBAN SCHOOLS.
Wappanucket Schools.
Number of pupils examined
19
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
2
Adenoids
3
Defective teeth 6 66 66
4
Thompsonville Schools.
Number of pupils examined
24
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
3
Adenoids
4
Defective teeth 66
7
Green School.
Number of pupils examined 46
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
4
Adenoids
6
Defective teeth 66 66 66
10
South Middleboro School.
Number of pupils examined 31
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
2
Adenoids
6
3
Defective teeth
66
12
43
Fall Brook School.
Number of pupils examined
34
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
4
Adenoids
3
Defective teeth
12
Pleasant Street School.
Number of pupils examined
33
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
5
Adenoids
2.
Defective teeth
11
Plymouth Street School.
Number of pupils examined
22
Adenoids
Number of cases
1
Defective teeth
66 16
5.
Purchade School.
Number of pupils examined
30
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
3.
Adenoids
66
2
Defective teeth 66 66 66
9
Highland School.
Number of pupils examined
11
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
1
Adenoids
1
Defective teeth 66
3
Rock School.
1
Number of cases examined 45
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
3.
Adenoids
16 66
5
Defective teeth 66 66
9
Waterville School.
Number of pupils examined
26
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
1
Adenoids 66
4
Defective teeth
7
66
66
66
66
66
44
Soule School.
Number of pupils examined
23
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
3
Adenoids 66 66
2
Defective teeth
10
Thomastown School.
Number of pupils examined
35
Hypertrophied tonsils-Number of cases
3
Adenoids
4
Defective teeth
66
3
SUMMARY.
Number of pupils examined in the Central Schools 1111
379
Number of pupils examined in the Suburban Schools Total
1490
Number of cases of Hypertrophied Tonsils in the Central Schools
83
Number of cases of Hypertrophied Tonsils in the Suburban Schools
34
Total
117
Number of cases of Adenoids, Central Schools
60
Number of cases of Adenoids, Suburban Schools Total
98
Number of cases of Defective Teeth in the Cen- tral Schools
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.