USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1925 > Part 2
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The usual praiseworthy musical entertainments under the direction of the supervisor of music. The music work in our schools has reached a high degree of efficiency and ,both the vocal and instrumental work is favorably commented upon. The High School Orchestra is an excellent organiza- tion. A Boys' Band has this year been an added musical activity in the High School.
The presentation of a framed picture to the School Street School, the establishing of a scholarship fund, the in- come to be awarded annually to some deserving member or members of the graduating class of the High School as an aid in securing higher education, and the offering annually of two
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prizes for the two best essays written by members of the High School-all these by the Cabot Club-which thus gives praise- worthy encouragement to the interests of education.
The meetings of the Parent-Teachers' Associations con- nected with ten of our schools which have been of so much help to the schools, and the many improvements made in the rooms due to their interest; the Visitation Days of par- ents; the special occasions at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and School Memorial Day; the interesting graduation programs ; the valuable work of the Junior Red Cross, so practical in the teaching of thoughtfulness for others; the varied programs of the meetings of the Teachers' Association; the helpful meetings of principals, grade teachers, suburban institutes and general meetings, so long a factor in school supervision ; the valuable work of the Nutrition Committee in furnishing milk for the midmorning lunch, a great help in the health program; the practical benefits of the Evening Practical Arts Course for women, so successful in bringing new methods for home work; these and many other contributing factors have served to make the work of the schools the past year interesting, progressive and efficient.
The amount expended for repairs was the largest in many years, but it was money well spent as now nearly all the school buildings are in good condition. A new furnace has been installed at the West Side building; the School Street building has been painted; the division of the upper room at Union Street building entailed an expense of nearly $1,000.00, owing to the cost of an electric ventilating-heating apparatus ordered by the State Inspector; the Green, Water- ville, Thomastown and Wappanucket buildings have been painted and the interior of each building thoroughly reno- vated, presenting an attractive appearance. It is probable that no other town in the State has its rural school buildings in such good condition as those in Middleboro. This year the Purchade, Plymouth Street and Pleasant Street build- ings will be painted and then these rural school buildings
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will not call for much expenditures for repairs for several years.
The fitting up of the additional rooms at the Union Street building and in the Town House was done at a small expenditure as we were fortunate in securing 130 seats and desks at a very low price.
Electric lights have been installed in the central rooms which did not have them so that now all the school rooms are thus equipped-a great help in carrying on the work in dark days. At the High School electric lights should be placed in all the rooms. The stairs need repairing and many seats and desks will be needed to give a sufficient number of home seats for the enrollment next year. An additional room will be needed for an extra teacher. A visit to the building recently resulted in a demand by the State Inspector for a fire escape on each end of the building and several changes in the inte- rior. The changes in the first floor of the Union Street build- ing similar to those on the floor above will call for an expen- diture of nearly $1,000.00. A large appropriation for repairs will therefore be asked for the present year.
While the cost of maintaining the schools is gradually increasing owing to the increase in number of teachers, caused by increase in number of pupils, and the increase in cost of books and supplies, owing to a larger enrollment, Middleboro is not paying for supervision and for salaries of its teachers as large a sum as is paid in many of the towns in the County and State of the same size. The cost of trans- portation is increasing and it is a problem how it can be kept down. Whether it would be better for the town to own its busses, give out by contract to bidders the award to trans- fer the pupils or make private terms with individuals own- ing their conveyances, as at present, are very important ques- tions. The Board has recently appointed a sub-committee to look into the matter of charting the routes over which con- veyances can best go to meet the conditions and when this is determined then certain sections of the highways can be put into good condition each year and in a few years all the
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routes be made passable the year round.
The courses of study which have been undergoing revision have been placed in the schools the past year. In the grades the fundamentals are strongly emphasized and a recent sur- vey of the schools shows that between 60 and 70 per cent of the time is given to the three R's.
A state wide test in arithmetic for grades 5, 6 and 7, conducted by the School of Education of Boston University, was given in those grades of the Central Schools in December with very creditable results.
The Bolenius System of Reading is being used in grade one of the Forest Street School, and the results are so satis- factory that it should be extended to other grades next year.
The course in reading carried on by the librarian of the Public Library with the upper grades of the School Street School has been of great value to the pupils. The object of the course is to teach pupils how to use the dictionary, ency- clopedias and reference books. The pupils visit the library once a week for these lessons.
Attention has been called to an intensive phase of ethical teaching in the schools. Copies of Collier's Moral Code have been placed in the schoolrooms and lessons bearing on those traits that make for upright character are being given. Cer- tainly in these hectic times when the homes seem to be plac- ing much of the moral training of the children on the schools and are looking to the teachers for that character develop- ment which will make worthwhile citizens, the teaching of morals should find a prominent place in the school curricu- lum.
The work of the schools the past year can be regarded as very satisfactory. There have been fewer changes than usual. There were two resignations in the Central Schools, none in the Suburban Schools, although three teachers were transferred to the Central Schools, and four in the High School. One more teacher was added to the High School faculty and two more in the grades. Miss Mary H. Head, who has served in our schools for several years as a faithful
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worker, was retired on a pension by the State Department of Education, July 1, 1925. The position of Submaster was created at the School Street School and Henry B. Burkland of the South Middleboro School was transferred to that po- sition. A new Supervisor of Drawing succeeded Miss Wells who resigned to accept a more lucrative position in Fair- haven.
In September the eight-grade system became a part of our educational system and hereafter there will be twelve grades in the course-grades 1 to 8 in the elementary schools and grades 9 to 12 in the High School.
Out-of-town teachers visiting our schools comment on the amount of material the teachers have to work with. It is es- sential for good schools that they be thus equipped. It is doubtful if any system of rural one-room schools in the state is so well supplied with educational aids as the rural schools of our town. The past year maps, charts, supplemen- tary educational work for self-supervised study have been placed in these schools. The same is true of the Central Schools.
I look upon the past year as the most satisfactory one in my long term of administration. I appreciate highly the loyalty and conscientious efforts of the teaching force, the support of the town in liberally financing the needs of the schools, the appreciative attitude of the parents towards edu- cational problems and the great interest shown in the schools by frequent visitation, and the co-operation I have always received from the School Board.
CHARLES H. BATES, A.M.,
Superintendent of Schools.
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REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir :
The High School Report for last year was devoted to an analysis of the school housing situation and the effect of the broadened courses of study. The length of that report made it impossible to present a summary of progress in the various activities of the school. Such statement is here offered, covering the period from September 1923 to date.
I. SCHOLARSHIP
A. The chief emphasis of the school is steadily upon scholarship. The graduates of the Middleboro High School are making consistently good records in the colleges and nor- mal schools to which they have gone. In several cases these students have won distinct honors. The school has a right to be proud of the records of its graduates.
B. As an incentive to scholarship an "Honor Roll" has been established which is proving of distinct value to this end. This Honor Roll is printed regularly in "The Middle- boro Gazette."
C. Mid-year and Final Examinations have been estab- lished as an incentive to intensive study and as a prepara- tion for college examinations.
D. "The Washington and Franklin Medal" offered by The Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revo- lution, for excellence in the study of American History is now awarded annually in this school, and is proving an in- centive for the study of this subject.
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II. ADMINISTRATION
The administration of the school has clearly in mind two very fundamental purposes: (1) to adapt the work of the school to the ability and life needs of the student, and (2) to keep in close touch with the attitude and progress of the indi- vidual student, and, so far as possible, to guide him wisely.
A. One of the most important steps in adapting the work of the school to the pupils has been the broadening of the courses of study.
1. Ten subjects commonly offered in high schools have been added to the curriculum.
2. With the addition of these subjects it became possible to expand the two courses into four distinct courses, the Classical Course, the Scientific Course, the Commercial Course, and the General Course.
3. The Commercial Course has been lengthened from a 2-year to a 4-year course.
4. Ancient History, Algebra, and Geometry, for- merly compulsory subjects for every student now appear as "electives" in some of the courses.
5. A larger proportion of "elective" subjects is offered to all students in the school.
6. The number of periods of Drawing has been in- creased from 2 to 6, and students now take Drawing in their free periods instead of being required to omit their regular school work in order to take the subject.
B. The school has been adapting its work increasingly to the ability and needs of the students. This is clearly shown by the following figures :
Average number term failures per pupil Sept .- Dec. 1923 .62 Average number term failures per pupil Sept .- Dec. 1924 .56 Average number term failures per pupil Sept .- Dec. 1925 .48 In short, the amount of failure has steadily decreased each year for the last three years, and the amount of failure this year is about one-quarter less per pupil than in 1923. In terms of 330 pupils the gain in adaptation of the work to the
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students can be seen to be most marked. It ought to be noted that this decrease in failure has been achieved in spite of the fact that in 1923 the pupils were, except in a few instances, carrying only four subjects, whereas in 1924 and 1925 at least three-quarters of the students have been carrying five sub- jects.
These results have been achieved through pursuance of the second purpose above mentioned, namely, keeping closely in touch with the work and progress of the individual stu- dents. The following are the chief means adopted to this end :
1. A teacher-advisor system has been established. Each student has been assigned to a teacher-advisor who takes a personal interest in his welfare and progress, who reports important situations to the principal for his attention, and to whom the student may go at any time for advice and help.
2. A course in "Study of the Vocations" has been given to non-college students in the freshman year as a means of waking a more or less definite purpose in their minds for doing their school work well, and for giving them some un- derstanding of the world's work.
3. One of the teachers has been appointed as Director of Guidance, and, together with a committee of students has been developing an educational-guidance plan for leading students to think of those kinds of work to which they are best suited and to choose their courses and adapt their work to these ends.
4. Intelligence tests have been given throughout the school and are used in helping to understand and to guide the student.
5. Pupils elect courses in the spring for the following fall and must have elections approved by teacher-advisor, parents, and Principal, which insures deliberate and thought- ful selection of courses.
6. Students are permitted to change courses and in some cases subjects when the work selected appears mani- festly ill-adapted to a student's ability or purpose.
7. Pupils are not arbitrarily required to repeat sub-
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jects in which they fail; subjects are assigned as nearly as possible in harmony with the ability and need of each stu- dent.
8. Through a "Make-up" slip system students are ab- solutely required to make up within a limited time all work lost through absence.
9. Teachers are required to be back at school two after- noons a week, but as a matter of fact the earnestness and interest that prevails in the faculty leads the teachers to be back most afternoons for make-up work and to give extra help to those students who need it.
10. "Insufficient Preparation" slips and "Demerit" slips are passed to the office daily by the teachers for students whose home work is not well prepared or whose conduct, while not requiring that they be sent to the office, is never- theless not satisfactory. Every one of these slips is given the personal attention of the Principal or Sub-master, fre- quently the same day, and never later than the next morn- ing. This results in accurate knowledge of what is going on, prompt attention to what needs attention, and furnishes a permanent record of effort and attitude.
III. MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
1. Purchase by the school itself, from funds it has raised, of about $350 worth of musical instruments which have been loaned to students of the school.
2. A Boys' Glee Club has been organized. Two gradu- ates trained in this club are now members of The Middleboro Male Singing Society.
3. A Boys' Quartet has been organized.
4. The Girls' Glee Club has about doubled in size, numbering at present about 100 voices.
5. A school band has been organized.
6. The school orchestra has been greatly increased in size ; approximately one pupil out of ten in the school is a member of the orchestra and is securing a musical training of great benefit to himself and to the community.
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7. Two annual concerts are being given instead of one.
IV. LITERARY INTERESTS
1. A school paper, "The Sachem," has been established and has been regularly published, furnishing interest to the entire school and valuable training to the members of the staff.
2. "A Little Book of Middleboro High School Verse," the first volume of poems by Middleboro High School stu- dents has been published. It is hoped that this will prove a stimulus to literary interest of a really high type.
3. An informal literary club has been formed in the school.
V. ATHLETIC INTERESTS
1. The athletic program of the school has been broad- ened to include basket ball. For the past two winters about 75 boys and girls have participated regularly in basket ball. This season a regular first and second team are represent- ing the school in a schedule with other high schools. In addi- tion to this there are six group teams playing a regular sched- ule among themselves.
2. A Director of Athletics has been appointed in the school, insuring increased interest and activity in athletics.
VI. MISCELLANEOUS
1. A school library has been established under the guid- ance of one of the teachers and a committee of students, and will contribute materially to the work and welfare of the school.
2. A school play, "Mother Carey's Chickens," by Kate Douglas Wiggin, was given this year, and proved to be a great success both artistically and financially.
3. One of the commercial teachers has been appointed
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as School Treasurer, books are being kept, and all the finan- cial transactions of the school are being handled on a com- plete business basis.
4. The school day has been lengthened to provide more adequate school opportunities to the students.
5. An absolutely definite "point system" of promotion and graduation has been adopted and a more definite system of permanent records installed.
6. "American Education Week" has been given due recognition through "Parent-Visiting Days" and "Parents' Nights" at the school during "American Education Week."
7. The following additions have been made to the ma- terial equipment of the school : a number of new and modern text books have been provided; adequate map equipment has been provided for the History department; a Victrola has been added for aid in teaching Typewriting, Penmanship and the languages; two rooms have been added to the capacity of the school by installing two sliding partitions in the assembly hall; one of these rooms has been equipped with home-room seats ; electric lights have been installed in the corridors ; fire extinguishers have been placed on each floor, and an addi- tional fire gong has been installed; a modern and complete filing cabinet has been installed in the office.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Professional study on the part of the teachers is most important for the welfare of the schools. It is recommended that consideration be given of a plan for the awarding of a bonus of $50 to any teacher each time that she takes a course of professional study approved by the school authorities, and provided that she remains in the service of the town the en- suing year.
2. Since most girls become home-makers and therefore need practical knowledge of such matters as home decora- tion, color harmony and design, sewing, dressmaking, mil- linery, cooking, purchasing, and budgeting; since many boys
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take up mechanical or hand work in one form or another; since a number of students drop out of school because of lack of interest or adaptability to academic subjects; and because it is the duty of tax supported schools to offer to the children of taxpayers as far as possible the kind of education which they need for their future lives-it is recommended that thought be given to the advisability of establishing courses in Household Arts for girls and Manual Arts for boys when- ever housing conditions will permit. I do not feel that I should be doing my duty in the light of present-day educa- tional practice nor in behalf of a number of the school chi !- dren of the town if I were not to recognize the need, value, and importance of this kind of work and to go on record as recommending its adoption.
I should be ungrateful indeed were I to fail to mention my deep appreciation of the loyal, earnest and competent service rendered by my fellow teachers of the high school faculty and special supervisors; and I speak for myself and for the entire faculty when I express to you and to the School Committee our sense of appreciation for the constant support given to us by you and by the School Committee in our efforts to serve the school children of Middleboro.
Respectfully submitted,
PAUL S. NICKERSON, A.M.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
January 7, 1926
Mr. C. H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools,
Dear Sir :
I herewith submit my report for the musical activities during the past season. We have tried to add something each year to the already full program and have reached at last the top rung of every school's ambition-a full-fledged "boys' band," which will be further mentioned a little later in this report.
We have introduced new material into the grades, and the plan has produced good results.
The West Side School has bought two drums, and those added to the ones which they already had give them a splen- did nucleus for a drum corps of their own.
At School Street music in the eighth and ninth grades is in the hands of Mr. Burkland, who is carrying on the work of the classes in four-part singing. He has formed a girls' glee club of quite some size in the seventh and eighth grades.
The drum corps is working hard as usual with the "nine- teenth of April" in mind. The inspiration and experience gained by the boys in this organization has made it easy to promote them to membership in the High School Band or Or- chestra.
The orchestra at School Street is feeling rather proud these days, as it played at the Y. M. C. A. banquet, a few weeks since, and most pleasantly surprised the speaker (who was from out of town) and their local friends as well, by their splendid precision and intonation. It is a very necessary feeder for the High School orchestra.
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The school has bought several instruments this year, viz., one clarinet, one trombone, one cornet and a set of or- chestra bells. The outfit for the drum corps is also owned by the school.
At the High School the music is progressing in its usual satisfactory manner. First period on Tuesday being devoted to choral work, and the new books are filling a long-felt want. The chorus is preparing several selections from this book for the annual spring concert in May.
After school-hours the orchestra meets for rehearsal and is preparing for the mid-year musical instrument concert. This organization is getting to be a big factor in the com- munity, requests coming often for its services. Their play- ing at the Mock Trial given by the Commercial Club recently caused much favorable comment.
The Boys' Glee Club of "quality rather than quantity" is working diligently on the mid-year program.
The Boys' Quartet, with a seventy-five per cent change in personnel, (Thomas Weston being the only one of last year's organization who is still with us, is rehearsing regu- larly and will uphold the past reputation of the organization.
The Girls' Glee Club, with four soloists from their ranks, is preparing "Cinderella" by "Abt" for the mid-year event. They have a membership of seventy with an average attend- ance of sixty. They have elected a student manager and leader who can carry on the rehearsal when necessary.
The new organization in the school, the "Boys' Band," led by Mr. Nickerson have weekly rehearsals and will make their bow to a Middleboro audience in the spring concert. The Band is equipped with instruments owned personally, - or bought by the school, and loaned to individuals who wish to learn to play.
The school has already purchased several hundred dol- lars worth of these instruments, viz., two clarinets, two tubas, two slide trombones, two mellophones, one baritone, one snare- drum. We are very fortunate in having been presented with
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a fine bass drum by Mr. Harold S. Thomas, for which we publicly extend our appreciation.
The music in the Suburban Schools is going on in the even tenor of its way, part singing being the procedure in several instances. By the use of the automobile it has been made possible to visit these schools regularly and conserve time which has been utilized to carrying on out-of-school- hours activities which otherwise would have been impossible.
Respectfully submitted, W. B. PHILLIPS,
Supervisor of Music.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF PENMANSHIP
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir :
I am inclosing my report as Penmanship Supervisor in the Middleboro Schools for the past year.
We are striving to perfect the pupils in a penmanship system, which has as its goal rapid, legible, business writing.
During the past year each class room has been furnished with a set of Blackboard Wall Charts. These charts are placed in a conspicuous place where the pupils may see at all times the perfect forms of all the capitals, small letters, and numer- als. The teachers state that the improvement resulting from the use of these charts is noticeable in all written work turned in by the pupils.
Each teacher has for her own guidance, a scientifically arranged list of the successive steps to be taken in teaching the subject of penmanship. This list also is posted where it may be referred to constantly by the teacher.
In addition, books containing stories illustrating the forms of letters have been obtained for the use of the teacher so that she may make her work interesting for the pupils.
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