USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1929 > 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 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17
In the lower grades games, rhymes, short talks, excur- sions, and dramatization helps meet the specific objectives
.
24
for the younger pupils. Fire drills are held regularly in all central buildings. The local fire department has furnished speakers on fire prevention, ringing alarms, use of extinguish- ers and fire escapes and their cooperation together with that of the local police department has been of great value to the safety program. It may or may not be significant but surely accidents to children have been kept at a minimum locally while our state and national figures are daily mounting.
CONDITIONS IN THE CENTRAL SCHOOLS
During the summer vacation the remaining small room on the third floor of the new high school building was equip- ped with desks and chairs. This takes the last room avail- able for class purposes. The enrollment at the present time is 533 which is slightly less than anticipated. The gradua- ting class this year numbers 76 while the entering class should number approximately 125. I feel however that we can take care of this increase without added teaching force.
Physical education for boys of this school should be considered by your committee. At present the girls are cared for, the boys who are candidates for athletic teams are cared for, but the great mass of boys have no organized physical education. I would recommend that one period each week be given all pupils in this school and that suitable instruction be provided for the work.
In the Bates school one more teacher has been added to the faculty. This has not only taken care of the increase of pupils in this school but has allowed the Supervisor of Art to spend more time in the High school classes which are rapidly increasing in numbers and also allowed her to give more time to supervision of the work in the grades. Some new chairs and desks must be purchased for this school during the coming summer. It will probably be necessary to seat the Science laboratory as a home-room to accommo- date the entering class. Additional radiation has been added to the heating system and separate returns taken to the
25
boiler. Although the weather has not been severe as yet the results indicate a much more uniformily heated building. Both chimneys on this building have been rebuilt and new grates installed in the furnace.
A new series of English books are being introduced in this school as well as a complete change in the Science text and nature of the work.
The new heating system installed during the summer in the School Street school is working out very efficiently. Each room now has a unit system of heat and ventilation under direct control of the classroom teacher and indepen- dent of other classrooms in the building. The ceilings have become badly cracked and loose pieces of plaster are in danger of falling in the classrooms. All unnecessary physi- cal activities have been prohibited on the upper floor until repairs are made, and for the safety of the pupils it is im- perative that these ceilings be replaced as soon as possible.
Crowded conditions continue to exist in some grades of the School Street school. Classes in which there are over 45 pupils are receiving the help of training students from the Normal School and I feel more satisfactory results will be obtained because of the better opportunity for a closer in- dividual contact of instruction.
In the Union Street, West Side, and Forest Street schools the entering classes this year are small and conditions that are mentioned in the preceding paragraph will be eliminated as soon as these classes reach the third grade. The new sys- tem of reading installed last year has had its first full year of trial and results seem to warrant its continuance.
CONDITIONS IN THE SUBURBAN SCHOOLS
Middleboro has more one room buildings than any other town in the State of Massachusetts. The "little red school- house" is rapidly disappearing and modern consolidated schools are taking its place. We have 12 of these one room
26
buildings in this town. All of these used to house the nine grades in each building. In most however, conditions have been somewhat improved. The ninth grade was eliminated a few years ago, and with the building of the new high school the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades were transported to the Bates school.
In the North section of the town the three schools have been treated as a unit and three grades only are in any build- ing. Last September the three schools in the East section were developed into a unit of three buildings containing two grades each; grades one and two at the Green, three and four at Soule, and five and six at Waterville. Pupils are trans- ported direct to the buildings eliminating the dangers of children walking on the highways. The educational values gained I believe are self evident. Pupils in these buildings are at the present time in a much more advance stage in the work of the grade than in previous years. Their as- sociates are of the same age. Their classes are large enough to give the children the valuable spirit of friendly competition with their classmates for no longer can a child be both at the head and foot of the class at the same time. Equipment is centralized and therefore administrations is more economical for duplication may be eliminated.
In the South section of the town conditions are not as favorable for the unit development due to the greater dis- tance between the four schools involved and I urge the im- mediate and serious consideration of this problem.
I wish to recommend the early erection of a four or five room building somewhere near the geographical center of the four buildings of this section that will house the pupils in a modern structure with modern heating, lighting, ven- tilation and sanitation. The four buildings now in use may then be abandoned. The cost of transportation should not be materially increased as pupils are at present transported to all of these schools and in only one district would mileage be increased. The cost of maintenance and upkeep of the
27
one building should be less than that of the present four. The cost of instruction would not be increased. The educa- tional value of the room-per-grade school over the present organization of these schools offers no discussion.
Realizing that such a building is improbable before the opening of the next school year and that the crowded con- dition of the South Middleboro school is not for the best interests of the pupils of that school, I would recommend a study of the advisability of the unit treatment of Rock and South Middleboro only, as a temporary solution of this serious problem.
CLASS FOR RETARDED PUPILS
Due to the loss of pupils during the summer vacation the formation of a class for retarded pupils was not necessary this past year. The examination of pupils for the present year has just been completed and recommendations from the State have not been received. Forty-three pupils were examined and it is most probable that this class will be formed for next September.
VACCINATION
At the May meeting of the School Board the Compulsory Vaccination law was accepted and it was unanimously voted to place the same in operation at the beginning of the Fall term. No child is now admitted to enter the school system unless he or she has complied with the law as stated in Chap- ter 76 Section 15 of the General Laws of the State of Massa- chusetts.
HEALTH
The smallpox epidemic of last April was a most serious condition but our school children were less affected than the
28
adult population. The immediate vaccination without doubt lessened the number of cases among the school chil- dren but our greatest loss was of school attendance due to quarantine. Added effort however upon the part of both pupils and teachers brought the pupils to the usual standards before the close of school in June.
Diphtheria is a preventable disease that occurs most frequently between the ages of six months and eight years. Since this dreaded disease is preventable it is planned to hold a clinic for immunization against the same sometime in March of this year. Parents will have the privilege of sending or bringing their children to the clinic. Information regarding the clinic and work done will be sent parents prior to the date set. There will be no compulsion of immuniza- tion but it is sincerely hoped that parents will take advan- tage of this opportunity to safeguard the health of their children.
I wish at this time to express my appreciation of the work of the School Nurse and Public Health Officer. The School Nurse has been most efficient and her efforts far-reaching. Her conduct of the newly formed Dental Clinic has been of inestimable value to our lower grades. The local Health Officer has at all times cooperated with the health work and policies of the School Department. I trust that every citizen will read carefully the report of the School Nurse ap- pended to this report that they may better realize the scope of the work accomplished.
THE NEW HEARING TESTS
For the first time in Middleboro the Audiometer, a mechanical device for the testing of hearing, was used in our schools this Fall. The machine and operator were ob- tained through the Plymouth County Health Association and our entire school population above the second grade was tested. Hitherto no uniformity of test existed and
29
results were very unsatisfactory. This year pupils who showed any defect after the first test were retested and if any defects were then evident the parents were so notified.
Defect in Hearing is the cause of many school failures and it is hoped that where parents were notified a defect was found that the advice of a competent physician will be sought and correction made.
PRACTICAL ARTS
I wish to recommend the study of the revision of the curriculum in the seventh and eighth grades in the Bates School. At the present time our schools provide nothing for the boy or girl who is manually and not book minded. Some form of handwork should be provided for these pupils in adolescent age; work of a pre-vocational nature for the boys and a course in Homemaking for the girls. A room in the basement of the school would readily lend itself to a General Shop for the boys' work while a room on the upper floor would care for the girls' activities. The work now being done through the medium of clubs is very meager and insufficient necessarily reaching only a very few pupils while all pupils of this age should have the opportunity for hand training.
THE BUDGET FOR 1930
This year the School Department asked for and received a smaller appropriation than that of the previous year and closed the year with a small balance. The large increase in enrollment in the High school in the past two years has necessitated three additional teachers while the increase in the Bates this year added one teacher to that faculty. These four additional teachers were carried without an ad- ditional appropriation for the four months of last year al- though the individual budget item for teachers' salaries was
30
exceeded by $3,040.70. The budget for 1920 must care for the first full year of all four of these teachers and an increase experienced in that item. There are 111 more pupils in our Secondary schools today than at the same time last year.
A change in route and means of transportation in one district together with the necessity of an additional route of transportation has increased that item of the budget. The School Department is now transporting 614 pupils, 276 miles per day, in 11 departmental operated busses. In addition to these pupils there are 91 pupils who are carried in public carriers and who are reimbursed for tickets bought in the school. A study of the table on transportation on a later page will give a clear idea of this perplexing problem in detail.
Even with the addition of the new building last year the Maintenance of Buildings item was reduced $4500.00. The smaller amount asked for was not sufficient to meet the needs of the ever-occuring necessary repairs, new seats, and equip- ment. The amount asked for in the present budget is $1500.00 more than of last year but also $1500.00 less than that of the two previous years when we had one less building than at present.
The small increase in Supplies is a direct result of in- creased pupil membership. Other items of the budget for 1930 remain practically as of last year.
MEASURING A SCHOOL SYSTEM
According to Prof. Blair a city or town that spends on its schools from $90.00 to 100.00 for each pupil in average daily attendance; that has an average of 35 pupils or less for each teacher in the school system; that devoted from 65% to 70% of its school budget to teachers' salaries; that spends more money on educational control than upon the business offices of the Board of Education; that does not pay more than 1/10 as much for janitor service will be in the upper
31
half of the cities and towns in the United States. If in addi- tion to this, the school authorities so plan the course of study and direct the teachers work that 20% to 25% of the school population are attending the last four years of the 12 years, that city or town will have reason to claim that it has a good school system.
Middleboro has about 1900 pupils in its public schools, 500 of whom are in the last four years of the high school or 26% of the school population. In this respect Middleboro meets the requirements; but there are many teachers in grades one to nine who have over 35 pupils which means an overload in some respects. The rest of the requirements are in favor of our local department. The average cost per pupil for the schools of Middleboro this year is $76.17 or $21.98 under the average for the State. Of the 355 towns and cities in the State of Massachusetts Middleboro ranks 312th in per capita cost for the support of its public schools.
CONCLUSION
The reports of the High School Principal, Supervisor of Art, Music, and Penmanship, School Nurse, School Physician and Supervisor of Attendance are appended to this report and I sincerely hope these reports will be carefully read, their recommendations duly considered, and their efficient work fully appreciated.
Respectfully submitted,
J. STEARNS CUSHING,
Superintendent of Schools.
32
REPORT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Middleboro, Massachusetts
January 6, 1930
Mr. J. Stearns Cushing Superintendent of Schools
Dear Sir:
I herewith submit my fourth annual report under the following headings and tables.
COLLEGE CERTIFICATE
The High School continues on the approved list of the New England College Certificate Board. It is also approved by Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Dartmouth Col- lege, and is in Class A for Normal Schools.
Those interested in knowing which higher institutions are attended by graduates, should look at the tables at the end of this report.
TEACHING CHANGES
One new teacher and one additional teacher were neces- sary at the beginning of this school year. This represents the least turnover in our teaching force for some years, a condition which can be but for the best interests of the school.
SIZE OF SCHOOL
The school did not increase this past year quite as ex- pected.
In 1927-28 our total enrollment was 461, and the actual enrollment in June, 1928, was 418, a decrease of 43.
In 1928-29, the total enrollment was 513, but in June, 1929, there were 463, a decrease of 50.
In 1929-30, the total enrollment is 533, and actual num- ber in school December 20, 1929, is 507; if the decrease is as
33
the past two years, the actual registration in June, 1930, will be about 485.
Our registration September, 1930, should be about 560, and it is the expectation that this will be the peak of High School attendance. If so, I feel that we will best try to keep the single room left on the first floor for the Lunch Room, instead of putting seats and desks into it. During the past summer, the one empty room on the third floor had seats and desks placed in it. Further expansion will mean the abandonment of the Lunch Room. An additional teacher next year will not be necessary, as has been the case the last several years; unless, of course, the increase is far in excess of that expected.
PRO MERITO SOCIETY
An honor society has been established, necessitating for membership a rank of 85% average in all subjects for three years. The organization is known as the Walter Sampson Chapter of the Pro Merito Society, and is for the purpose of stimulating scholarship. (For members, see graduation program). Principal Emeritus, Walter Sampson has kindly financed the buying of Pro Merito pins for the past two years.
EXTRA-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
The Memorial High School Student Body is prospering. This year, at the students' desire, dues are $2.50 a year or 10c. a week, and include season tickets to football, basket- ball, and baseball; the three issues of the Sachem; reduced prices at socials; and attendance at Student Body meetings.
A budget has been prepared, so that the amount to be spent by each activity is estimated beforehand. The big item, of course, is athletics, which is expected to cost $900 this school year.
34
By State law the school itself must finance athletics as far as equipment, uniforms, and maintenance are concerned. This is always a problem, and we feel that we are meeting it this year in a very satisfactory way. We are indebted to the town for providing a coach, the athletic field, and the gymnasium.
Practically every teacher has one or more phases of extra classroom work to do. Four of the lady teachers have charge of the Lunch Room; one is faculty treasurer, taking care of all the various accounts in the school; another is vocational counsellor, interviewing each pupil in educational and vocational guidance. Some of the other tasks appor- tioned are acting as class advisers, coaching girls' basketball, coaching school plays, purchasing class rings, the literary and the business supervision of the Sachem, directing the library, arranging athletic schedules, etc.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Health is the first of the seven cardinal objectives of secondary education. The value of health in relation to the present and future of our boys and girls cannot be over- estimated. A constructive yet economical program in physical education is absolutely in order in Memorial High School.
The situation is similar to that of last year, the girls are much better taken care of than the boys. A young lady trainer from the Posse-Nissen Physical Education School of Boston gives instruction at the High School one school day a week. This, with the aid of one of the lady teachers, enables us to give each girl one period a week of Physical Education.
The boys, however, are not so fortunate. Of course, their opportunity is greater in athletics; but the boys who do not care for athletics are the very boys who are most likely to be benefitted by Physical Education. The athletes are in less need of Physical Education; yet even for them, in cases, certain corrective exercises are in order, of which
35
their practice in athletics does not take care. There is a splendid gymnasium in the building. It would seem that at no very great expense a supervisor of Physical Education for the boys could be secured for two days a week, which would be adequate. More lockers should be provided.
LUNCH ROOM
Except for a change in the system of management, our Lunch Room is functioning as last year. This year it is a teacher project, taken care of in splendid fashion by four of the lady teachers. The room is small, inadequate for the 250-300 pupils that regularly patronize it. The existence of the lunch room is absolutely justified. To im- prove it and give increased service is the present problem.
THE "NEW" BUILDING
Less and less frequently one hears questions as to the adequacy of the new building. The cement sidewalks and the hiring of a part-time janitress solve two glaring problems. Externally, the building is one to be proud of. The site is ample in size and seems as well located as that of any school in the state. The grading and seeding of the lawn, the careful work of Mr. Goodwin on the place, the trees of the evergreen variety enhance the appearance of the building. The Class of 1929 left money which financed the purchasing of several more trees and some ivy, so that in future years ivy will be on the walls. The field at the rear of the building provides an ideal place for recess as well as for baseball and football in season.
Internally the building is satisfactory. Personally I think it one of the best planned buildings of its size. The lighting of each room is admirable, as is the arrangement of rooms and corridors.
The Walter Sampson Auditorium receives its share of use. Assemblies, socials, outside speakers on occasion add tremendously to the success of our school. The auditorium
36
lends itself to decoration, so that it is pleasing in appearance as well as useful.
The gymnasium gives opportunity for boys' and girls' basket ball and physical exercise. Both boys' and girls' group basket ball teams add to the zest and interest of the school.
All in all, the building is very satisfactory. Changes have been made so that there is little difficulty in heating.
It would be easy to pick flaws-lack of an adequate lunch room, of provision for manual training or some sort of shop practice, and of greater locker space. However, it is easy to pick flaws in anything if one is in the mood.
IN CONCLUSION
Time has passed quickly. It does not seem possible that I have been principal of Middleboro High School for three and a half years. They have been happy and busy years. For whatever success our High School has enjoyed, I am appreciative of our School Committee, our Superintendent, our Faculty, and our Student Body.
Respectfully submitted,
ALFRED R. MACK,
Principal.
37
GRADUATES OF PAST FOUR YEARS
Class of
Number in Class
Number going to College
Number going to Normal School
Number going to other schools
Total continuing Study
1926
50
11
7
11
29
1927
56
12
6
10
28
1928
67
10
5
13
28
1929
71
7
3
16
26
GRADUATES OF 1929 (Corrected to Dec. 20, 1929)
Higher Schools Boys
Girls
Total
Attend Colleges Brown
1 Jackson 1
Northeastern Univ. 2 Bos. Univ.
1
Mass. Agric. C.
(2 yrs. course) 1
2
Armour Inst. Chic. 1
5
7
Normal Schools
Bridgewater 1
Hyannis 2
3
3
Commercial Schools
Bentley
1
1
Nurses' Tr. School
9.
9
Other Schools
6
6
Postgraduates in MHS
1
3
4
Total continuing their education
12
18
30
Total in class
25
46
71
38
MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL MIDDLEBORO, MASS. Total Enrollment
Boys
Girls
Total
P. G.
1
6
7
Senior
37
39
76
Junior
34
79
113
Sophomore
72
88
160
Freshmen
88
89
177
232
301
533
Lakeville
Plympton
Carver
Total
P. G.
1
1
0
2
Senior
4
3
2
9
Junior
11
10
6
27
Sophomore
8
8
10
26
Freshmen
12
11
11
34
36
33
29
98
December 20, 1929
39
DISTRIBUTION OF PUPILS BY SUBJECTS
Subject
IX
X
XI
XII Total
English
169
164
120
86
539
(18)
French
78
46
17
141
(6)
Latin
43
30
23
6
102
(5)
Spanish
41
13
54
(2)
Algebra
103
103
(4)
Plane Geometry
61
61
(3)
Advanced Algebra
46
46
(2)
Solid Geometry and Trigonometry
11
11
(1)
Elementary Science
150
150
(4)
Physics
3
16
19
(1)
Chemistry
26
19
45
(2)
Ancient History
77
77
(2)
Modern History
134
3
12
150
(5)
U. S. History
88
38
126
(4)
Problems of Democracy
10
22
32
(1)
Citizenship
70
70
(2)
Commercial Geography
54
8
18
80
(3)
Commercial Arithmetic
98
98
(3)
Business Training
94
94
(3)
Stenography
40
17
57
(3)
Typewriting
59
23
82
(4)
Bookkeeping
69
28
97
(5)
Economics
22
12
34
(1)
Law and Advertising
14
22
36
(1)
Mechanical Drawing
21
26
16
15
78
(6)
Freehand Drawing
34
39
31
12
116
(6)
These figures were correct December 20, 1929. A number in parenthesis shows number of divisions; for example, there are 18 divisions or classes of English.
40
REPORT OF THE ART DEPARTMENT
Middleboro, Massachusetts December 27, 1929
J. Stearns Cushing Superintendent of Schools
Dear Sir:
I herewith respectfully submit to you a report of the Art Department for the year ending December 20, 1929.
What we are trying to do is to train a group of youths to become more intelligent consumers of the products of art education; to have proper standards of art values. Fur- thermore, we are applying art principles and art ideals to the materials, and to the conditions of every day life.
Art education becomes a part of the program in our elementary and secondary schools; it is partly for the purpose of discovering those who have talent to produce art objects later and for the great mass of those who have to use these products in industry, the home, and elsewhere. The pupils are being taught to select objects of proper design, things that harmonize, that have the right color combinations, and also some appreciation of those elements which aid in making life a little more pleasant and a little easier.
It is through the art training that a keener observation of things, both material and spiritual are kept before them.
Art training makes for efficiency through development of skills, individuality, creativeness, and taste.
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.