USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1940 > Part 7
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Savings Bank Deposits
Brockton
$2,000.00
East Bridgewater
2,000.00
Middleborough
4,329.82
New Bedford
1,000.00
Wareham
1,666.00
10,995.82
$49,417:86
Total income for the-year
Dividends
590.74
Interest
1,341.39
$1,932.13
Paid to Treasurer of the Middleborough Public
Library
1,932.13
Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR D. BENSON, FREDERICK S. WESTON, FLETCHER CLARK, JR.,
Trustees under the will of Thomas S. Peirce.
102
REPORT OF THE TOWN TREASURER
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :
submit herewith my report as Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes for the year 1940.
Cash Receipts January 1, 1940, to December 31, 1940
Taxes
$310,834.08
Licenses and Permits
7,861.10
Electric Light Department
140,788.92
Gas Department
38,100.96
Water Department
26,647.53
Police Department
2,297.61
Fire Department
490.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures
215.89
Moth Department
690.50
Trimming Trees
1.30
Forest Fires
119.66
Health
2,477.25
Highway
2,796.43
Welfare
18,137.07
Aid to Dependent Children
9,563.70
Old Age Assistance
100,536.51
Soldiers'. Relief
1,157.45
Schools
15,031.80
Library
470.25
General Government
1,322.71
Court Fines
159.40
Interest
3,683.51
Dog Officer
3.00
Unclassified
2,134.36
Grants and Gifts
32,502.90
Cemetery Bequests and Care of Lots.
3,105.09
Loans
51,500.00
Total Receipts
Cash on hand January 1, 1940
$772,628.98 88,598.96
$861,227.94
Total Expenditures on Warrants
$813,973.61
Cash on hand December 31, 1940
47,254.33
861,227.94
CASH RECONCILIATION, DECEMBER 31, 1940
Middleboro Trust Company, General Account
$31,590.90 150.00
Cash in Office
Merchants National Bank:
General Account
10,961.35
Hi Tension Account
4,552.08
$47,254.33
Respectfully submitted, CHESTER L. SHAW, Town Treasurer.
103
TRUST FUNDS IN CUSTODY OF TOWN TREASURER December 31, 1940
Maria L. H. Peirce Luxury Fund :
Middleboro Trust Company, Savings Account
$3,798.74
Enoch Pratt Library Fund:
Middleboro Savings Bank, Savings Account 5,668.75
Kansas City Terminal R. R. Bond 4%, 1960 5,000.00
$10,668.75
Water Investment Fund:
N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co., 31/2% 1954 Deb. Bonds
4,000.00
Cemetery Trust Funds in Middleborough Trust Company, in- cluding principal and interest 27,975.57
Cemetery Trust Funds in Middleborough Savings Bank, in- cluding principal and interest
41,647.75
Mary A. Eaton in Middleborough Trust Company. For care and Burial
350.39
John S. Reed in Middleborough Trust Company
300.00
For care and Burial
Total $88,741.20 Anyone wishing a detailed list of all Cemetery Trust Fund accounts may apply to the Town Treasurer's Office.
Respectfully submitted,
CHESTER L. SHAW, Town Treasurer.
OUTSTANDING INDEBTEDNESS
December 31, 1940
MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL LOAN Paid from Taxation
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Rate of Interest
141 to 150 incl.
$10,000
April 1, 1927
April 1, 1941
4%
151 to 160 incl.
10,000
April 1, 1927
April 1, 1942
4%
FIRE DISTRICT LOAN (Water Tower) Paid by Taxation
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Rate of Interest
37
$1,000
May 15, 1915
June 1, 1941
4%
38
1,000
May 15, 1915
June 1, 1942
4%
39
1,000
May 15, 1915
June 1, 1943
4%
40
1,000
May 15, 1915
June 1, 1944
4%
41
1,000
May 15, 1915
June 1, 1945
4%
104
COURT HOUSE AND POLICE STATION LOAN Paid by Peirce Trustees
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Rate of Interest
390, 391, 392
$3,000
August 1, 1935
August 1, 1941
2%
393, 394, 395
3,000
August 1, 1935
August 1, 1942
2%
396, 397, 398
3,000
August 1, 1935
August 1, 1943
2%
399, 400, 401
3,000
August 1, 1935
August 1, 1944
2%
402, 403
1,500
August 1, 1935
August 1, 1945
2%
COURT HOUSE AND POLICE STATION LOAN Paid by Peirce Trustees
Rate of
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Interest
413
$600
April 15, 1936
April 15, 1941
214%
414
600
April 15, 1936
April 15, 1942
21/4%
415
600
April 15, 1936
April 15, 1943
21/4%
416
600
April 15, 1936
April 15, 1944
21/4%
417
600
April 15, 1936
April 15, 1945
21/4%
418
450
April 15, 1936
April 15, 1946
21/4%
WATER STORAGE TANK AND SAND FILTER UNIT Paid by Taxation
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Rate of Interest
464, 465
$2,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1941
13/4%
466, 467
2,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1942
13/4%
468, 469
2,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1943
134%
UNION STREET SCHOOL Paid by Taxation
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Rate of Interest
437, 438, 439
$3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1941
134%
440, 441, 442
3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1942
134%
443, 444, 445
3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1943
13/4%
446, 447, 448
3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1944
134%
449, 450, 451
3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1945
134%
452, 453, 454
3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1946
13/4%
455, 456, 457
3,000
Nov. 1, 1937
Nov. 1, 1947
134%
ANTICIPATION OF CHAPTER 90 ROAD WORK Paid by County and State
Note Nos.
Amount
Date
Due Date
Rate of Interest
487
$1,500
Sept. 5, 1940
Feb. 5, 1941
1/4%
Paid by Taxation
$52,000.00
Paid by Peirce Trustees
16,950.00
Paid by County and State
1,500.00
$70,450.00
Respectfully submitted,
CHESTER L. SHAW, Town Treasurer.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF
MIDDLEBORO, MASS.
OLE
RC
PLYMOUT
SU
UNTY, MASS
TH
*
INCORPORATED
D.1669
For the Year Ending December 31 1940
106
SCHOOL COMMITTEE Organization 1940
Members
Term Expires
Fred B. Alger, 5 Court End Avenue, Chairman
1942
Lorenzo Wood, Plymouth Street
1942
L. Francis Callan, 10 Clifford Street
1941
Forest E. Thomas, 59 Everett Street
1941
Priscilla S. Alger, 10 Southwick Street
1943
Virginia C. Smith, 43 Oak Street
1943
Superintendent of Schools
J. Stearns Cushing, 91 Bourne Street Office, Room 7, Town Hall Telephone 81 Office Hours, School Days, Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3:30-5:00 P.M .; Tuesday, Thursday 8:00-9:30 A.M.
School Physician Dr. A. Vincent Smith, 35 Pearl Street Telephone 50
School Nurse Helen B. Pasztor, R.N., 132 North Main Street Telephone 81
Supervisor of Attendance
Thomas E. Hirst, Pleasant Street Telephone 169-W-5
Census Enumerator
Albert C. Libby, 7a West Street
Vocational Agriculture-Advisory Committee
Dwight Kinsman, Thompson Street John H. McNeece, Summer Street . N. Merrill Sampson, Lakeville Ernest W. Shaw, Carver H. Arthur Standish, Thompson Street G. Ward Stetson, Plympton Street Frederick Weston, Plymouth Street
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held in Room 7, Town Hall, on the first Thursday of each month, excepting July and August, at 7:30 P.M.
107
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the Members of the Middleboro School Committee:
I hereby present the annual report of the schools of the Town of Middleboro and my fourteenth as superintendent of those schools. The report deals with those details of our school system which should be of public interest and concern. In order to cover the many phases of school work that should be covered by a report of this kind I have asked the high school and Bates school principals, supervisors, and department heads, to submit a report of their work to me. Portions of these reports are included in this annual report and complete reports bound and filed in the depart- ment office.
Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this report is to furnish you and the citizens of the town useful and interesting information concerning the work of the public schools. When once we stop to consider the question seriously we are forced to the conclusion that the administration of its public school system is the biggest business in any community. In the rush of every day business and activities we are prone to forget this fact. In our complex national life more and more obligations are being placed on the schools of the nation. Upon them primarily rest the duty and privilege of molding the lives and ideals of the future citizens of the nation. If a nation is to endure the teaching and instruction of youth must be a matter of universal concern. It is the hope of your superintendent that the information contained in this report may, in some measure, set forth the conditions in our schools so that all who read it may have a better understanding of our efforts in the training of the young people in the public schools of our town.
Enrollment-December 1936-1937-1938-1939-1940
School
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
Memorial High
598
593
573
564
557
Bates
326
336
327
316
338
School Street
354
344
286
287
288
Union Street
110
116
248
256
276
West Side
144
137
90
86
82
Flora M. Clark
67
65
52
52
51
Suburban
243
241
219
203
170
Total elementary
918
903
895
884
867
Total all grades
1842
1832
1795
1764
1762
From the table of comparative enrollment it will be observed that the total school enrollment of December 1940 is eighty pupils less than the total in 1936. The dropping off in elementary school enrollment is not peculiar to Middleboro but seems to be prevalent throughout the nation during the past five years. The question naturally arises as to future trends and what enrollment we may expect in the next five years. To estimate that future trend let us look at the following table.
108
Number of marriages
Percent of increase over 1933
Number of births
Percent of increase over 1935
1933
77
1934
96
24.6
1935
98
27.2
129
1936
107
38.9
161
24.8
1937
100
29.8
164
27.1
1938
117
51.9
188
45.7
1939
120
55.8
214
65.8
1940
150
94.8
227
75.9
Following a steady decline the lowest number of marriages in twenty- five years occurred in 1933. From that year there has been a marked increase in the number until the year 1940 shows an increase of 94.8 per- cent, or nearly twice the number of marriages seven years ago, in fact there were more marriages in 1940 than in any year in the last twenty-five.
A new low point in the birth-rate of the past twenty-five years was established in 1935. From that year the number of births recorded has steadily increased to a new high in 1940 of 227 or an increase of 75.9 per- cent in the past five years. Here again the highest birth-rate in twenty-five years was reached in 1940.
What effect will these facts have upon school enrollment?
Children born in the year 1935 will enter our schools. next September. Next year therefore our entering class should be small in comparison with that of the past five years. The number entering from then on should be steadily and rapidly increasing, at a rate of about 20 percent each year, for the next five years. This fact coupled with the 94.8 percent increase in marriages this year would indicate an increase for a much longer period.
In September 1940 we experienced the largest entering class in grade one in nearly ten years. This class of 163 necessitated the formation of a new group in the Union Street School and the use of the playroom as a classroom. This large class was totally unexpected and could not be anti- cipated since a survey of the group showed that 37.1 percent of the children were not born in Middleboro but that their parents had moved here within the past six years.
Elementary Schools
During the past year greater emphasis has been placed on the READ- ING program. Longer time allotments, frequent standardized tests, and modern remedial techniques, have been employed to improve the reading facility and comprehension. The greater use of phonics in this program has greatly improved the child's power to attack new material. Much has been accomplished both in quantity and quality of reading and our children are steadily gaining in reading power.
ARITHMETIC. Meetings of primary teachers and superintendent were held during the year to discuss the arithmetic course of study in the first three grades. As a result of these group meetings changes were made in method and placement and a new course of study placed in the hands of the teachers for their guidance. New arithmetic books were examined and it is hoped that changes in this text may be made as soon as the necessary funds are available.
109
SOCIAL STUDIES. Geography and history teaching is undergoing major changes. The unsettled status of the countries on the continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa, has made geography teaching one of daily changes. In order to meet this unprecedented situation meetings of all social study teachers were held with the superintendent. Under the direc- tion of the head of the history department of the High School, a committee composed of himself, the principals of the School Street and Bates schools, and the superintendent, organized an outline of work to be covered by each grade and suggested methods to be used. Under this plan all geography and current history of the old world is taught as events of the day dictate. Geography texts have been surplanted or supplemented by magazine articles, newspaper maps and stories, news reels, and other relative material. The social studies are therefore being taught as a vital part in the daily lives of the children.
A sub-committee is now at work gathering and listing by grade, all materials, such as stories on child-life in foreign countries found in supple- mentary texts, and that are available in our system and pertinent to the countries under study. This entails much research and preparation and the result will not be in the hands of the teachers until the opening of the new school year.
It is planned to have an outline of the HISTORY OF MIDDLEBORO prepared for use in the fourth grades, the material to be so written that it may be readily understood and will appeal to this age child.
The Bates School
The Bates school, in which is housed all of our seventh and eighth grade pupils, continues to be outstanding in accomplishment. Under the most excellent guidance of its principal a program of standardized tests in all academic subjects was conducted during the past year. These tabu- lated results give the teachers a measure of pupil achievement and greatly assist in proper pupil placement and remedial teaching.
Among the outstanding accomplishments taken from the report of the principal of this school we note the following: "4H work in our school has been going for some time as an extra-curricular activity. During the past year our standing has decidedly improved. The 'Middleboro' issue of our school paper, 'The Echo,' brought much favorable comment to its editors and to our English department, while our Junior Red Cross activities and participation in local and national projects has brought our Middleboro Chapter continued recognition from the National Headquarters in Wash- ington."
"One of our serious problems is the lack of facilities to care for the children during the noon lunch period. An average of 140 children daily eat at the school. Supervision of this period has improved and arrange- ments have been made to serve a hot dish to the children during the cold months of the year."
The report calls attention to some urgent needs in the building. Some kind of mechanical source of heat should be provided to keep the tempera- ture of the building at a more even temperature during the night; an elec- tric bell system is needed to organize and dismiss classes; the blackboards are getting to be unfit for use and should be renewed; and the two rooms used for assembly purposes, as well as classrooms, should be refloored and reseated.
110
The High School
From the report of the principal of the High School come the following comments: "The most significant improvement in the instruction offered is the installation of a course in Vocational Agriculture. An unfinished room on the ground floor has been finished and completely equipped through the help of the Trustees of the Peirce Estate who have seen fit to allot funds from the income of the estate for this purpose and to underwrite the town's share of other expense for five years. The expense for instruction is largely borne by the state and federal governments under the provision of the George Deen Act. The course in Vocational Agriculture is the first step in the installation of the much needed field of vocational and industrial training."
"In as many ways as possible a positive program is being carried out to make pupils able and willing to accept the responsibilities that will per- petuate our democratic form of government. A love of country and an anxiety for its safety is not being taught by an emotional appeal to mean- ingless expressions of patriotism. It is rather a program of training for responsibility by actually giving responsibility, in things that really count, to pupils who can be inspired to accept it. Pupils work with teachers on important committees which control assemblies, social activities, and school finances. The objective of doing something about democracy beyond the talking about it, is our major goal for the year."
"The three rooms built on the ground floor for locker room, storage of equipment, and physical director's office, under the direction of Mr. Battis and mainly by his own labor, was an outstanding achievement. The evacua- tion was done by N. Y. A. labor but the laying of floors and the building of partitions and lockers was done largely by Mr. Battis with material from the old Union Street school building."
"Many repairs are needed in the building and the need for painting of woodwork and water-proofing of brick walls is serious if damage to the building is to be stopped."
Art in the Schools
Art as an important phase of everyday life is a truly recognized fact of today. The objects of Art teaching in our schools is well stated in the following portions of the report of the supervisor of art.
"With faith in America's essential traditions needed now more than ever before, the schools of our country must give greater stress to the worthy qualities of our way of life. In our department there has been and is a wonderful opportunity, through drawing and picture making, to bring to the child mind important phases in the development of our republic. Posters on Patriotism, the life we enjoy, the opportunities in America, all bring a faith in an understanding of the country in which we live and cherish. Visual images give a quick response, and through drawing, greater learning and appreciation of our life takes place."
"Our art teaching today is made practical. It is built into the everyday life of the child, in the home, in the school, and into their immediate en- vironments. One has only to watch the ready appeal which a drawing lesson makes to any group of young children to know that, from the child's view- point, drawing is one of the greatest answers to his desire to express ideas in color and form. The teachers of today, in working out ways to teach all subjects are finding drawing one of the best ways in which to express ideas
111
about reading, arithmetic, spelling, geography, history, and any of the school subjects in which mind pictures need to be clarified. Giving the children opportunities to use materials which require manipulation is as essential as book usage. The school of today has taken over this form of training to help round out the various phases of elementary education."
Music in the Schools
The program of music in our schools is one of which we may be justly proud. In choral, instrumental, and technical music our schools rank with the best. Our pupils not only love to sing and play but also have learned or are learning to appreciate the best in music. May I quote the aims and some of the outstanding results as presented in the report of the supervisor of music.
"This department has been striving to develop a thorough knowledge of the principles of reading music, which includes singing syllables, time problems, dynamics, marks of expression, interpretation, and good singing tone. Definite lesson plans have been added to the course of study so that each teacher will present all music problems in the same manner. This is not meant to take away any initiative which the teacher may find useful to her particular class. As a matter of fact, several of the teachers have used devices of their own conception which have proved to be pedagogically sound, and I have passed some of these ideas along to other teachers."
"The general routine of the vocal department remains the same. National Music Week will be celebrated in Middleboro during the first week in May and every pupil in town will participate except those in the high school who have not elected one of the music courses."
"The Seashore Music Test was given during May and June to pupils in the fifth and sixth grade at School Street school. These tests are given for the purpose of assisting in the discovery of musical talent and several pupils with talent were found and have started instrumental study. The test will be given again this year when the norm of each pupil tested will be definitely determined."
"Some changes have taken place in the instrumental department. The resignation of Mr. Walter Weeman as director of the band was received in September. He served in this capacity since the first band was organized in 1930, inspired much enthusiasm and developed many fine bands. His genial manner won many friends and Mr. Weeman will long be remembered by all those who studied under his direction."
"Our band program has been completed and we now have an inter- mediate band at the Bates School. This gives us a program of three bands; a Beginners' Band at School Street, an Intermediate Band at Bates, and the Senior Band at the High School. Interest in instrumental instruction is manifest by the large number of children who are taking this opportunity to get started."
"I wish to recommend for your serious consideration the employment of a teacher of stringed instruments, her duties to consist of giving lessons, free of charge, to pupils in the grades up to and including grade six. I further wish to recommend a course in harmony for high school pupils. This course would require a particular musical talent and would be limited to those pupils who show signs of making music their vocation rather than avocation."
112
Changes in Teaching Staff
During the year there have been the following changes in our teaching staff.
Withdrawals
Chrystal M. Chase, Memorial High School
Alice D. Brawn, Memorial High School
Helen M. Merselis, Memorial High School Bernice C. Shaw, Waterville School Walter Weeman, Director of the Band
Appointments
Arline Merrill, Memorial High School
Virginia Cummings, Memorial High School Eleanor L. Purkis, Memorial High School Jack Sturtevant, Vocational Agriculture
Transferals
Elsie LeBlanc, Soule to Waterville School
Professional Staff Improvement
In a progressive school system a teaching staff must keep informed of the newer developments in education, newer methods and practices. Pro- fessional study is the greatest aid to this end. Many of our teachers have taken summer and extension courses during the past year, and have thereby, made themselves more valuable to our school system. It is hoped that more teachers will avail themselves of opportunities of professional improvement in the near future. A few years ago the reimbursement for professional study was necessarily dropped. I hope the time will come when some financial consideration may again be given our progressive teachers. I further hope that professional study will be made compulsory for all teachers in service, so that each teacher will have had at least one professional course, in their own or a closely related subject, once each three years.
Health in Our Schools
All pupils in our schools have been examined by the school physician, assisted by the school nurse, and notices have been sent to the homes when defects were found. The year was fairly free from contagious disease and school attendance excellent.
The Lip Reading Class, financed by the Chandler Ford Fund, has been continued and those children in attendance have shown marked interest and have made much progress in their school subjects.
The Dental Clinic, even though hampered by a cut in appropriation, has performed a major service. The great number of selective service re- jections because of bad teeth is an indication of the necessity of extending the work of this clinic to the point that a greater number of children may be treated.
The annual Tuberculosis, Retarded Class, Diphtheria Prevention, and Pre-School Clinics have been held with encouraging response for children and parents. I wish to urge all parents of children who are to enter school in September to attend the Pre-School Clinic in May in order that the child may be physically ready for school attendance. This is a free service offered the citizens of the town and should be more widely used.
113
Due to the generosity of our citizens it was possible to serve free milk to the underweight and undernourished children during the winter months. A total of 8900 bottles of milk were served to these children and milk was also delivered to five suburban schools for hot lunches during the recess periods.
School Costs
The cost per pupil for the school year ending June 30, 1939, as com- pared with the average cost per pupil in the eighty-three towns over 5,000 population in the state is shown in the following table, as compiled from the annual report of the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Item
Average cost per pupil in towns over 5,000
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