USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1947 > Part 6
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3,000.00
Old Age Assistance
500.00
$27,050.00
1937
Reserve Fund
$2,000.00
W.P.A. Fund
5,500.00
Union Street School
30,000.00
$37,500.00
For changes of offices and Equipment other than Electric Department
$1,969.91
1938
Reserve Fund
$2,000.00
Special Town Fund for Investigating Sewerage Dis-
posal
2,000.00
$4,000.00
1939
Reserve Fund
$3,000.00
Old Age Assistance
4,000.00
$7,000.00
1940
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes
$25,000.00
$25,000.00
1941
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes $16,000.00
Town of Middleboro Water Dept. for Water Exten- sion of School Street Extension 500.00
1942
$18,500.00
$18,500.00
1943
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes
$18,000.00
$18,000.00
1
$16,500.00
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes
$1,365.00 Dec. 31 Balance in Town Treasury
66
1944
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes $18,000.00 $18,000.00
1945
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes
$18,000.00
2,009.99
Town of Middleboro Pension Fund
$20,009.99
1946
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes
$18,000.00
Town of Middleboro Pension Fund 2,534.53
$20,534.53
1947
Town of Middleboro to Reduce Taxes
$20,000.00
Town of Middleboro Pension Fund
3,051.92
$23,051.92
$237,116.35
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF
MIDDLEBORO, MASS.
ORO
OUTH
COUNTY,M
PLYM
GH **
INCORPORATE
For the Year Ending December 31 1947
68
School Committee Membership, 1947
Term Expires
Lorenzo Wood, Plymouth Street, Chairman 1948
Horace K. Atkins, Williams Place 1948
George A. Shurtleff, Jr., 33 Peirce Street 1949
Virginia C. Smith, 43 Oak Street 1949
Joseph F. Riley, School Street Extension 1950
Ronald G. Thatcher, 25 Webster Street 1950
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.
Superintendent of Schools J. Stearns Cushing, 65 Bourne Street Office, Room 7, Town Hall Telephone 81
The Superintendent of Schools also serves as Secretary to the School Committee.
School Physician Dr. A. Vincent Smith, 35 Pearl Street Telephone 50
School Nurse Ila P. Jackson, 106 South Main Street Telephone 60
Supervisor of Attendance
Clifford S. Lovell, 182 North Main Street
Census Enumerator
Albert C. Libby, 7A West Street Telephone 865-W
SCHOOL CALENDAR 1948
First Term-January 5-February 20
Second Term-March 1-April 16
Third Term-April 26-June 16, Elementary Schools June 23, High School Fourth Term-September 8-December 22
No-School Days Good Friday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, Armistice Day, Thanksgiving Day and day following.
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OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE PROBLEM BIRTHS IN MIDDLEBORO
310 300 290 280 270 260 250
240 230 220
210
200
190 180 170 160 150 140
1
1933
1934
1935
1.936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
LET'S ALWAYS KEEP THIS CHART IN MIND WHEN CONSIDERING MIDDLEBORO'S SCHOOL NEEDS
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To Members of the Middleboro School Committee:
Herewith is presented the annual report on the "State of the Schools" of the Town of Middleboro and my twenty-first as superintendent of those schools. Departmental reports have been prepared and submitted, the complete reports bound, and three copies are on file in the office of the Superintendent. This report is intended to be an informational review of "Our School Programs and Problems" as they existed in 1947, as they will exist in 1948 and the immediate years to come.
Our Program in Transportation
Although second in the school budget expense item, Transportation assumes first place in school problems. Middleboro is a large town in area containing 68.1 square miles and has 148 miles of highway. Chap. 71 Sec. 68 General Laws directs that "If the distance between a child's residence and the school he is entitled to attend exceeds two miles and the nearest school bus stop is more than one mile from such residence and the school committee declines to furnish transportation, the depart- ment, upon appeal of the parent or guardian of the child, may require the town to furnish the same for a part or for all of the distance between such residence and the school."
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To conform with this law, our program now operates 8 busses, one more than last year being necessary to relieve overcrowding and to cover the added mileage. Our program includes transportation over 490.8 miles of highway daily which is 56.9 miles more per day than was necessary last year. Due to increased school enrollment, our program provides for the transportation this year of 664 children.
In order to help meet the advancing costs of this expanding program on July 1, 1947, the General Court approved An Act Relative to Reimburse- ment to Cities and Towns for Certain Expenses Incurred for the Trans- portation of Pupils. Chap. 71 Sec. 7A states "The State Treasurer shall annually, on or before November twentieth, pay to the several towns from the proceeds from the tax on incomes, which shall be available therefor subject to appropriation, the sums required as reimbursement for expenses approved by the commissioner of education, incurred by any town for the transportation of pupils once daily to and from any school within the town, or in another town, in excess of five dollars per annum per pupil in the net average membership of such town; provided, (a) that no transportation reimbursement shall be made on account of any pupil who resides less than one and one-half miles from the school which he attends, measured by a commonly travelled route; and (b) .. . "
Under this Act the town has received reimbursement of $9,352.00 which actually is about one-half of our transportation bill for the year. By virtue of this State-aid, we have been enabled to carry more children, more miles, more comfortably in more busses, for about one-half of the appropriation for this item. Although this reimbursement cannot be used to directly reduce the appropriation, the amount can and will be used as an estimated receipt reducing the tax rate by more than one dollar. It is estimated this reimbursement in 1948 will exceed $12,000.00.
All school busses are inspected bi-monthly by the inspectors from the Registry of Motor Vehicles and all bear the approval of that department.
Our Elementary School Problem
Our Elementary School Problem is rapidly and seriously becoming a Housing Problem and a definite Housing Shortage. As this paragraph is being written there are 57 more children in our grade schools than on the same date one year ago. In other words, there are two full classrooms of children crowded into already crowded classrooms to be taught by teachers already teaching an over per-pupil load. Neither teaching efficiency nor learning efficiency is possible under these conditions.
A study of, or even a glance, at the graph showing the number of births in Middleboro over the years should convince all parents that some- thing must be done, and done soon, if your child is going to receive an adequate educational training. A platoon or part-time education must necessarily be in operation soon, probably next September.
If you have not noticed the graph showing the Births on page 3 of this report, please do so now, and then wonder where the more than 1300 children born in the last five years can go to school in the next five years when the graduating classes of the senior high school average only a little over 100 per year. More children were born in Middleboro in 1947 than will probably graduate fron high school in the next 3 years.
The School Committee is aware of this condition; the Schoolhouse Building Committee is also aware of this condition, and the plans for a new building are complete; parents must also become aware of the neces- sity of action. It may not be the best time to build but the education of a child does not wait, and if State Aid becomes available to assist local communities, it may be a better time to build.
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Our Bates School (From the report of Henry B. Burkland, Principal)
Somneone has said that "nothing is as certain as change," and the past year at Bates School has been a testimony to that statement.
Four hundred eleven pupils have been enrolled in the school since September, 1947, making the employment of another teacher on the staff a necessity, and increasing the sixth grade to four home rooms. The school now houses four sixth grade units, three seventh grades, three eighth grades, and the special opportunity class for the town. It is, at present, necessary to use the third floor corridor as a classroom twenty periods per week as well as for a small homeroom group.
During the last calendar year, five new teachers and a new secretary to the principal assumed their places on the faculty. These, in addition to the teachers already in service at the school, give a strong well-balanced faculty equal to the task of large class groups and varied school and administrative duties. An after-school program of athletics for the boys is now in progress.
Firmly believing that a syllabus of study can never be static, the various courses in the school were the subject of revision during the last school year, and a mimeographed outline of the same was compiled in the summer. Various committees of faculty members worked on this revision of which the principal was the coordinator. Criticism and suggestion for improvement were given not only by the Superintendent of Schools, but by the faculty members of the Summer Session at the State Teachers' College at Bridgewater. No radical changes were made in the general program, but a few changes warrant mention. An exploratory course in general science for grade six was added called "Science Stories," and the course on Manual Arts for boys in grades seven and eight was expanded. Under splendid leadership, much progress has been made in that depart- ment. Other educational progress has resulted in the course in Speech, and outstanding work in Guidance.
The installation of an oil burner and the addition of two new units of the "univent" systen top the improvements made in the physical plant. New lighting and seating in two classrooms as well as needed weather- stripping have also added to the comfort of the building. It is well for us to remember that although built in 1886, the Bates School is a very well built building, and that its use will be continued for some grades even after the proposed new building is a reality, so it is to advantage to keep the building in repair.
This would be incomplete without suggestions for the most important needed changes, which to my mind are: (a) Enlargement and moderniza- tion of the pupil toilet rooms and facilities, (b) The increase, year by year, of the "univent" system, until all rooms in the building are so equipped, (c) The re-seating of at least two classrooms with new furniture, (d) The re-surfacing of the playground on the Union Street side of the building, and (e) The reconstruction of many window casings.
Under the direction of the Supervisors of Art, Music and Physical Education, the activities in these three fields are well planned and co- ordinated with the regular curriculum of the school. The work in Home Economics and the work in Manual Arts are supervised by the Plymouth County Extension Service Club agents since the 4-H system and outline are used. Junior Red Cross, Traffic Safety Council, Current Events Council, Drill Leaders Council, The Minor Repairs Club, The Willing Workers · Club, The "Echo" School Paper Staff, and the homeroom officers, all work for the interest and experience of the pupils with various faculty leaders. The special interest clubs have had to be dropped from the Junior High School grades due to the addition of the sixth grade to the building.
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While there is no cafeteria, ice cream, milk, crackers, and other foods, under the supervision of the School Nurse, are on sale. The kitchenette, equipped by the Bates School P. T. A., has been increasingly helpful as the number of pupils remaining for lunch has grown rapidly.
Our High School (From the report of Lindsay J. March, Principal)
A few of the more significant aspects of the high school are here recorded to indicate present conditions, to measure progress, to show trends, and to furnish statistical records of essential data.
The kinds of education and training which the school is equipped to give, can be shown as being carried on in a satisfactory manner. This statement is supported by the results of the testing services of the Science Research Associates of Chicago, the Boston University Testing Service, and by records of graduates in schools or positions for which they have received special preparation. The results of these testing services are on file in the principal's office.
In order that this community may know the extent to which the Memorial High School meets all of the needs of all of its children, it is recommended that the school be studied according to the Criteria for Evaluating a Secondary School as set up by The Co-operative Study of Secondary School Standards. In this study the efficiency of the school is measured on the nine points of, curriculum, pupil activities, library, guidance, instruction, outcomes, staff, plant, and administration. These ratings are summaries of many items of measurement as for instance, the strength of the curriculum is measured by ratings of efficiency on, general provisions, development sources, development procedures, English, foreign languages, mathematics, sciences, social studies, music, arts and crafts, industrial arts, home-making, agriculture, business education, and health and physical education.
A committee is at work revising the criteria for evaluation. It is recommended that the study of the high school be made as soon as the committee completes its work in order that objective data may be available for guidance in making improvements in the school.
A very co-operative and conscientious staff of teachers has continued through the entire calendar year, there being no changes in September. This absence of turnover of teachers is helpful in the establishing of continuity in the development of the curriculum. Here the curriculum is construed to include all of the experiences and influences provided by the school, in the classroom and out, which contribute to the growth of its pupils.
To keep from losing effectiveness by getting out of touch with new techniques, a very large percentage of the teachers have followed some type of improvement during the year. Fourteen out of the twenty-four full time members of the faculty have enrolled in professional courses of study. Seven teachers attended summer sessions, five of whom took exten- sion courses also. As a group, the faculty has been active in taking advan- tage of the opportunities furnished by their respective professional organi- zations.
At no time has there been greater need for professional study, because the war has created new situations. In recent years a great deal has been learned about children and how to teach them. A growing faculty will be able to keep the school abreast of the times.
While the success of the school in respect to preparation of pupils for college is not as basic a measure of the efficiency of the school as is the degree to which it meets the needs of all pupils, nevertheless it is one measure, and one that has long been considered extremely important in this community.
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Over a period of ten years, the Memorial High School has sent an average of thirteen pupils a year to college. Last year when colleges in Massachusetts were accepting only one applicant in ten, this school secured the admission of thirty-eight pupils to accredited colleges, which is nearly three times the usual number. A check of records indicate that in the past four years 107 graduates have been admitted to fifty-six different colleges. As increased time is made available to the guidance director, a complete follow-up record will be secured for every graduate.
The "new look" in secondary education is certainly evident in the curriculum that is now considered adequate in preparing young people for life. Memorial High School does not have the facilities for offering courses that will be required for the rating of A under the proposed plans . for re-classification of high schools in Massachusetts by the State Depart- ment of Education as submitted to high school principals last fall in tentative form.
Measured by the Criteria for the Evaluation of High Schools, of the Co-operative Study of Secondary Education, the school will get a low rating for the same reason-failure to offer courses in household arts and shop work. Adequate preparation for college will not, in the future, suffice to give the school approval in Class A.
Large areas of vocational activities for girls require household arts as a background of preparation. Failure of the school to provide training in household arts does more than to deny girls an opportunity to learn essential home-making skills, essential as they are to every girl. Absence of courses in household arts makes it impossible for a large group of girls to secure the fundamental background for nursing, occupational therapy, institution and tea-room management, dietetics, clothing design, mer- chandising of foods and clothing, teaching of home economics and the fields involving child care, demonstration work, county work in fields such as 4-H Clubs, interior decoration and some kinds of social work.
A well-equipped shop would provide the training essential to the agricultural students in these days of mechanized equipment. Large numbers of boys will go into skilled trades and factory work all of whom are entitled to the training so essential to their success in life.
There is much emphasis today on the common learnings of value to all citizens in a democracy. These common learnings are largely in the fields of English and social studies. In addition to the requirement of a course in problems of democracy, a course in Learning to Live with Others has been offered to seniors for the first time. It is called Orientation and is a half-year course. A course in advanced health education, home nursing, nutrition, physiology, and child care will be offered to senior girls during the last half year.
Safety education is a "must" in secondary education and a teacher properly trained for the subject should be secured as soon as possible.
The school department is spending substantial sums of money each year to provide testing programs which will enable guidance officers to advise pupils in the choice of vocations, only to find that the school does not provide the preparation needed for the most common and essential occupations.
Pupils whose vocational needs cannot be met do not have much interest in school in spite of the fact that cultural education and citizenship train- ing can be given. The major drive is for economic security and when no program is available to a pupil in this field, he or she tends to be unhappy, loses interest in school, and becomes poorly adjusted generally. It is a matter of record that the problem cases of truancy and other disciplinary offenders are misfits in school for one of two reasons-poor home condi- tions or failure of the school to provide work to meet their needs. The percentage of pupils leaving high school in Middleboro is high.
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Since January 1, 1947, no credit has been given boys entering govern- ment services for their basic training. Credit will continue to be given for successful completion of courses in government schools of established value.
Our Program in Agriculture
Though changes in policy have been slight during the passing year, there are many trends, conditions, and needs that might here be enum- erated. There is still the two-fold program; the one of the high school Vocational instruction, and the other the training of ex-servicemen desir- ing Agricultural education. With both, the aim has been for education toward a better agriculture and the desire for a better living, as the swing of the educational trend is less to "making a living" as to "making a life."
The High School Group
The enrollment on January 1, 1947, was 30 boys. During the calender year, 5 left school, 5 graduated, 3 transferred to other departments in the high school, 5 Freshmen were enrolled, and 5 transfers from other courses were taken into the department. This leaves the in-school section with a membership of 27 boys. In the upper group which does more out-of- classroom work, there are 10 boys, making a group easy to transport and manage on the ordinary farm jobs; in the younger group there are 17. Thus, though the total enrollment is slightly smaller, it is interesting to note the much greater percentage of new enrollees having home projects before joining the group in September.
The work projects, considered an important part of the vocational training, were mostly of the supervised type, working for an established farm or agriculture business. The thirty boys completing projects totaled 40,600 hours of farm work for which they received much experience and financial remuneration. Fifteen thousand seven hundred dollars was received in cash for about 31,000 hours of work, and the value of $3,400 for about 9,000 hours of unpaid work (such as home farm chores, home garden, etc.) or a total of about $19,100.
It is almost irrelevant to mention the fact that these figures show that the average for the 30 boys was 1,350 hours (27 fifty-hour weeks besides school work) with an average income of $636.00 when some of the individual records are noted. Six different boys worked over 1,800 hours and three of the boys earned over $1,000. Probably the one outstanding record would be that of one boy with 1,200 hours of paid labor on the bogs of Carver and 800 hours of general farm work at home. His total earnings amounted to $1,450. The boy is likewise a near-honor student and was selected as one of the outstanding twelve vocational agriculture students of Massachusetts under the F. F. A. program. Another boy with 1,200 hours on project but with more extra-curricular activities was likewise honored. Middleboro may well be proud of them.
It should be noted here that only one boy failed to attain the required number of hours of project work, which requirements consist of 700 hours for freshmen, 1,000 for sophomores, 1,100 for juniors, and 1,200 for seniors. And credit should be given to the boys when it is noted that to attain the records, much of their summer vacation is spent at hard physical labor while many of their friends are enjoying playground facilities.
Though there have been few remarks about the situation due to the small size of the projects, a further requirement was made this year: that each student have some type of an ownership project. Since it is an aim of the program to assist and stimulate establishment in farming,, it is felt that a requirement is one method of attaining that end. A majority fulfilled the requirement.
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Four, of the five students in the graduating class, are apparently following their agriculture training. One boy is enrolled at the Stock- bridge Schol for more thorough training in Horticulture; a second is employed by the state as a blood sample collector in the poultry pullorum control program; another is doing poultry and lumber work; and still another is working up a dressed poultry business with another party.
Four hundred twenty visits were made by the instructor during the year to check on project development, home project establishment, and for minor assistance with caponizing, castrating, etc.
The instruction during the Spring term consisted of Poultry and Small Animals for the younger group, Orcharding and Floriculture in the upper class. In the Fall, instruction for the lower group is in Vegetable Gardening and Small Fruits; Dairy and Farnı Management in the upper group. It has been hoped that by the New Year some type of mechanics course could be worked out for a two-month part-time period. This seems to be a desirable feature for most all students, and apparently has a place in the department in this patronage area where machinery and equipment are becoming more and more evident. The former farm drudgery without the proper equipment to do the job has driven many of our outstanding farm , youth away from the farms. Another unit receiving increasing demand is that of a forestry project.
The instruction has been carried on as formerly, with the exception that the Department Head, also in charge of the Veterans' program, spends ten periods each week in the classroom to maintain relations with the students. Classroom work consists of text study with many references. The War has brought many changes to Agriculture in insect work, soil conservation, and marketing, with much greater emphasis on efficient management.
Visual aids are available in the Agricultural field to a great extent from the State University, Extension Service, Service Organizations and manufacturing concerns. These were obtained and used by the Agricul- tural Department during the year. Fifty-five different instruction films were used for the various purposes of explaining classroom work, showing other methods, and presenting extensive ideas in the agricultural fields. Transportation costs are the only cost to the School Department, the total sum being minimized by the more effective teaching made possible.
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