USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1954 > Part 10
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61,390.00
Cemetery Perpetual Care - Principal
86,151.78
Cemetery Perpetual Care - Income
27,923.76
George A. Richards Playground Fund
11,358.79
Mary Hullahan Library Fund
3,000.00
Post War Rehabilitation
51,800.00
Post War Rehabilitation - Mun. Light Dept.
22,200.00
$759,178.40
In custody of Peirce Fund Trustees
136
ANNUAL REPORT
INDEBTEDNESS
Net Funded or Fixed Debt
$647,000.00
$647,000.00
Water System Extension Loan
371,000.00
Sewage Disposal System Loan
242,000.00
Water Extension - West Grove St.
34,000.00
$647,000.00
RESERVE FUND Transfers
Appropriation
$11,000.00
Selectmen - Detective Service
$1,096.50
Planning Board - Expense
5.67
Town Hall - Maintenance Building
11.46
Police - Salaries Specials
2,311.00
Police - - Maintenance Building
266.80
Police - Maintenance Equipment
115.38
Police Fuel
68.40
Fire - Salaries Call Men
75.00
Fire - Fuel
48.10
Fire - Maintenance Equipment
1,431.57
Fire - Maintenance Building
108.95
Health - Truck Maintenance
560.62
Highway - Road Machinery
560.95
Highway - Snow Equipment
514.85
Veterans' Benefits - Cash Aid .
1,538.24
School - Transportation
334.62
School - Moving Rounseville Unit
375.00
Library - Expense
17.82
Interest
255.00
Water - Transportation Pumping Station
71.68
Water - Power and Fuel Pumping Station
213.84
$9,999.45
.55
December 31, 1954 - Balance
Respectfully submitted,
WALDO S. THOMAS,
Town Accountant.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF
MIDDLEBOROUGH, MASS.
OLE
OR
MOUTH
COUNTY
INTY MASS
GHA
INCORPORATED
For the Year Ending December 31 1954
138
ANNUAL REPORT
At a meeting of the School Committee held on Thursday, February 3, it was voted:
"To accept the report of the Superintendent of Schools and to present it to the town as the report of the School Committee."
J. STEARNS CUSHING, Secretary to the Committee.
School Committee Membership 1954
Francis J. Silvia, 17 Prospect Street, Chairman
Term Expires 1956
Walter D. Rudziak, Wareham Street 1956
James M. Bonnar, M.D., 33 Pearl Street
1957
Walter J. D. McNeil, Mitchell Street
1957
C. Trafton Mendall, 18 Forest Street '
1955
George A. Shurtleff, Jr., 33 Peirce Street 1955
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held in Room 7, Town Hall, on the first Thursday of each month, 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.
Assistant Director of Education
Joseph C. Kunces, 12 Washburn Street
School Physician Stuart A. Silliker, M.D., 29 Oak Street
School Nurse Ila P. Jackson, R.N., 106 South Main Street
Supervisor of Attendance Benjamin J. Mackiewicz, Park Street
Census Enumerators M. H. S. Class of 1955 School Calendar 1955
First Term - January 3 - February 18
Second Term - February 28 - April 15
Third Term - April 25 - June 15, Elementary Schools June 22, High School Fourth Term - September 7 - December 23
No-School Days
Good Friday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, Armistice Day, Thanks- giving Day and day following.
139
ANNUAL REPORT
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the Members of the Middleborough School Committee:
Herewith is presented the annual report of the public schools of the Town of Middleborough and my twenty-eighth as superintendent of those schools.
Our school system has been suffering "growing pains" and accom- panying weaknesses. A growth of 126 pupils during the year, the equiv- alent of four classrooms, irritates our weaknesses. One new class was placed in a corner of the playroom of the Union Street School while classes, already beyond educational efficiency in size, were still further enlarged.
Less than two weeks after the opening of school in September, the Bates School, with an enrollment of over four hundred, was totally des- troyed by fire. How best to care for this added load became a major problem.
The solution, by platoon with Memorial High School, has been fairly satisfactory. There are many inconveniences in such a plan. However, these have been kept at a minimum due to excellent cooperation between the two faculties involved. Some school time has been lost, but by care- ful scheduling in both senior and junior high schools, the academic time loss is very slight.
The Rounseville School was not damaged by the fire and has been moved to the rear of Memorial High School and converted into a tem- porary shop for the Bates School and the agricultural boys.
Fortunately, plans for the new Junior High School and the Senior High School Addition were well advanced at the time of the fire, and it is expected that construction on both projects will start before the first of April.
The School Committee has held preliminary meetings with the School Building Assistance Commission and has completed studies to replace the classrooms lost in the fire, since eight of these classrooms lost were to be used for elementary grades. Voters will soon be requested to take some action to solve this problem.
With the cooperation of the Town Manager, many major repairs and building improvements have been concluded this year . The Walter Samp- son Auditorium was painted and new curtain and cyclorama installed; fluorescent lighting was completed in the School Street School; Union Street and West Side Schools were painted both inside and outside; new floors were laid in the Flora M. Clark School; Plymouth Street, Pleasant Street and Rock schools were painted outside; and a new heater installed at the Plymouth Street School. Much remains to be done and plans are being made to make further progress this year.
140
ANNUAL REPORT
A new salary schedule for teachers has been adopted and will go into effect on September 1, 1955. No general salary increases have been made, but the minimum and maximum have been raised to compete with our neighbors in hiring new teachers. Some advantages have been given those teachers with long, faithful service who have continued their professional study.
The accomplishments of the past year can be found in the accom- panying reports from Supervisors, Principals and Department Heads.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Joseph C. Kunces
Our curriculum, or course of study, is planned to meet the needs of the children in our community. Study of the curriculum is a constant process so that it will be flexible and rich enough not only to meet the needs of the children but also to provide each child with optimum oppor- tunity for development. In general, the curriculum is regarded as a framework on which to build the classroom program. Each teacher analyzes the effectiveness of his program and shares his information, techniques and methods with other teachers.
When any change in the curriculum seems necessary, a staff com- mittee is appointed to make a complete study of the proposed change and to make suitable recommendations. During the year Principal and teacher committees have been organized to work on the revision of curriculum in the various grades in the system. The areas of instruction which have been studied and revised are reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic and secondary school science. The results of these studies make for better understanding of teaching methods and a more comprehensive place- ment of subject matter in the various grades on a given level throughout the system. Course guides have been developed as an outcome of these meetings and have been placed in the hands of the teachers.
In addition to the work in curriculum revision, many hours are devoted to the area of supervision. I have attempted to visit all schools without a principal at least twice a week and all others on a weekly basis. This general plan has been disrupted, in part, because of the Bates School fire and new school planning, but resumed as soon as possible. In these visits with the teachers, methods of teaching, individual student prob- lems and school policies are discussed. In all, I have found the principals and teachers willing and cooperative in doing their very best to assist pupils and to maintain high educational standards.
During the summer, a remedial reading class was sponsored by the Middleboro Public Schools. Instruction in word analysis, word building, vowel sounds, vowel variants, auditory and visual discrimination, con- sonent blends, prefixes, suffixes, and syllabication to establish independ- ent habits of quick and accurate word recognition as well as written work using the instruction was taught to pupils who because of loss of time or poor adjustment in some earlier grade had difficulty with reading. Silent
141
ANNUAL REPORT
reading to develop immediate and delayed recall and oral reading to develop proper phrasing and contexual meaning was also made a part of the course.
Ten pupils were enrolled in this three week successful experimental course which was taught by Miss Leah M. Boutin of the School Street School faculty.
In another phase of special work, pupils with speech defects were examined by Miss Alice Monroe, a speech therapist, and instruction was given to those pupils who indicated a need for therapy. Miss Jackson, our school nurse, assisted me in making this program possible.
Mr. John A. Hood, one of the nation's leaders in adult education once stated that "Adult education should be the keystone of the whole educa- tional structure". He claims that "adults are ready for education because they have gained the understanding, perception, insight and wisdom to profit from education".
The rapid growth of this division of the Middleboro Public Schools proves conclusively that adults are desirous of learning new skills and understanding. The attention rendered by these people to their learn- ing responsibilities in evening school is positive proof, and incidentally, a real delight to the teachers.
The following comparative tables depict the growth in Adult Educa- tion in Middleboro:
Table I -1953-54
Course
No. Classes
Enrollment
Teacher
Shorthand
1
17
E. L. Moore
Typewriting
2
39
E. L. Moore
Total
3
56
TABLE II -1954-55
Course
No. Classes
Enrollment
Teacher
Typewriting
2
45
L. M. O'Neil
Bookkeeping
1
26
W. G. Hicks
Comptometer Operation
2
26
W. T. MacMann
Braided Rugs
1
20
E. B. Tripp
Total
6
117
A basic fundamental of this office is best expressed in the statement that "the teacher is the key to good education". Consequently, Mr. Cushing and I have spent many hours in screening and interviewing candidates for the various openings in our teaching force. In all in- stances, those candidates who have met the educational requirements necessary and who show outstanding promise then meet with the prin- cipals of the respective schools. Careful screening and proper follow-up of credentials has resulted in the selection of some very excellent teachers. Seventeen appointments were made in 1954.
142
ANNUAL REPORT
Serving as an educational adviser along with Mr. Cushing in the planning of the proposed Junior High School and the addition at the High School has taken many hours of work and research. The duty, however, has been one of real satisfaction. I feel certain that the town will be proud of the buildings educationally and architecturally.
The plan of insurance adopted by the School Committee purely as a public service provides coverage for accidental bodily injuries sustained while students are: (1) on way from home to school, (2) while at school, (3) on way home from school, and (4) while participating in required school activities other than interscholastic football. There is no limit to the number of accidents during the policy term (September 30, 1954 to September 30, 1955). For the school year 1954-55, the figure of 1,260 enrollees was attained. This represents 58% of our student enrollment.
GUIDANCE
John E. Driscoll
In the short time that I have served as Guidance Director in Middle- boro I have found a well structured Guidance Program. A program that has shown years of hard work and years of careful planning. A program that is fortunate in having the support and understanding of the admin- istration, teachers, parents, students, and the public. It is with this kind of background and understanding that a guidance program is able to grow and meet the constantly changing needs of the community in which it is to function with the maximum of efficiency.
A guidance or pupil personnel program in the public schools is directed toward helping individuals develop their personal resources through: (1) Satisfactory educational and personal growth and adjust- ments; (2) Adequate self appraisal and planning activities; as these relate to their educational and vocational progress and total life adjust- ments. Guidance involves cumulative learnings for all pupils in relation to the afore mentioned objectives and is, therefore, a long-term process. It is developmental in nature since it looks to the fullest development of the potentialities of individuals and their effective living. Essential services included in a guidance program are:
1. Study of all individuals in the student body.
2. Interpretation of individual and group needs as the basis for curriculum development and its adjustment to special needs of the pupils.
3. Specific instructional and counseling services for all pupils.
4. Placement and follow-up activities.
5. Maintenance of effective home-school relationships.
6. Coordination of those school and community services which are of a personnel nature.
143
ANNUAL REPORT
In September it was planned that we would adhere as closely as possible to the program as it had been set up. the previous year. This was possible up to the point of the existing emergency. Since that time it has been necessary to modify and revise the program to fit the present conditions.
The testing program, although somewhat similar to previous years, will fall behind original tentative dates. The purpose of the testing program is to aid the teacher to know and what to expect from the pupil in the way of academic performance, and to survey the assets and limita- tions of the individual pupil in the various learning capacities. The schedule of group tests includes :
Test
Grade
1 234
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 x x X
Mental Ability Test Achievement Tests Reading Tests Occupational Interest Inventories
x X X
X
x
X
x
Boston University Battery
X
In addition to the above group tests, individual tests are given throughout the system by request of the administration, school principals, and teachers.
Counseling is the activity which takes place during the interview. It is the personal and direct help given the student through conversation, interchange of ideas, and careful questioning. The counseling program includes counseling opportunities for fact finding, adjustment, educational, and vocational interviews. Counseling is the core of the guidance program and the keynote of counseling is to assist the student to help himself.
At present, plans are being formulated for expanding and bringing up to date our occupational information files. It will include pertinent and useable facts about occupational trends and the supply and demand of labor. These must be considered in planning personnel programs in industry, in carrying out vocational counseling and advisement, and in considering the planning of educational programs. Occupational infor- mation does not include the study of the abilities, aptitudes and other characteristics of individual workers, job seekers or students. It is used as a tool in evaluating an individual's capabilities in terms of the work he has performed. Occupational information is the principal tool in exploring with an individual the jobs, occupations, families of occupations, industries and relative opportunities that may be ahead for him if he makes certain vocational choices.
144
ANNUAL REPORT
MUSIC Luther Churchill, Supervisor
It is a pleasure to present herewith the seventeenth annual report of the Supervisor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music in the schools of the Town of Middleboro.
The vocal music program in the grades, under the direction of Assistant Supervisor of Music, Mrs. Therese Williams, has now been completely renewed since all classes have been supplied with the New Music Horizon series of song books. Several years ago the Music Edu- cators National Conference adopted a new approach in music education and Mrs. Williams is making an effort to follow this plan. Miss Joan McNeil of the Bates School faculty has a full schedule of music classes which includes two vocal classes and one music appreciation class each week. I supervise the combined seventh grade chorus and eighth grade chorus once each week and have the assistance of Mrs. Williams and Miss McNeil.
The a cappella choir in high school continues to attract those stu- dents interested in this form of singing. Last Spring well over a hundred students with the desire to sing in the choir were candidates for this year's group. It might be of interest to you to know how the choir members are selected. First, and probably most important, is accuracy of pitch, followed by tone quality. A student doesn't necessarily have to be a good music reader to be accepted in the choir. With daily practice they soon acquire an ability to read and carry their own part. After com- pletion of the testing of voices, a list of acceptable students is presented to the principal of the high school. These students are listed according to ability. If the first student listed has a conflicting subject the principal proceeds to the second name on the list and so on until the eight parts of the choir have been balanced. During the year the choir made twelve public appearances.
The instrumental program is continuing as in the past with the ex- ception of the beginners' class which has not been started due to lack of time. For several years we have had so many beginners that it was necessary to have lessons for brass instruments and strings on Monday noon and wood-winds on Friday noon at the School Street School. It was also necessary for me to have Mrs. Williams' assistance. Since the Bates School fire I am busy with the instrumental groups at the high school from 11 a.m. to 12:45 every day except Friday. I hope that I can arrange for a group to meet with me on Friday noon so that our instru- mental students from the grades will continue to supply players for our Bates and High School Bands.
At the beginning of this year (September), Mr. Small arranged the program so that the high school band could meet twice each week, one rehearsal to practice the music for the football game and the next spent working out letters and marching field maneuvers. The result couldn't be
145
ANNUAL REPORT
termed a perfect performance but it did give the band people a new musical experience.
The Bates School Band participated in the annual band concert last May and also in the Memorial Day, Veterans' Day and the Union Street School Horribles parades. In the music festival, which was held in Fall River, the Bates School Band received a good rating.
The High School Band was very busy with fifteen public appearances. These include the annual band concert, Memorial and Veterans' Day parades, music festival in Fall River, Elks' Day at the Lakeville Sani- torium, graduation of the class of 1954, football rally Thanksgiving eve and eight football games. It is also a pleasure to report that nine of our musicians were selected to play or sing in the All-State Band, Orchestra and Chorus concert which was held in Worcester. Also, that six of our high school bandsmen were selected to play in the SEMSBA (South- eastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters' Association) concert band which was held in Whitman in February.
The High School orchestra was more active this past year. Joint concerts were arranged with the North Easton and Wareham High School orchestras which seemed to stimulate a more active orchestral program. I had planned to continue this activity but due to the accelerated program I am finding it difficult to maintain the enthusiasm which was so apparent at the end of the school year in June.
It would be difficult indeed to forecast what lies ahead in our music department. With the band, orchestra and training choir rehearsals coming during the activity period, which is held after school, the students are placed in a position of deciding which activity they most desire. For instance, several of the members of the orchestra have been excused so that they might take the driver education course. I realize how impor- tant it is for the students to have such a course and I also realize that they must maintain good grades in their academic work. If a student is absent, the academic work must be made up which must come during the activity period. One can easily see that this department is hard pressed for time, but you can rest assured that I shall do everything in my power to carry on the excellent music program which has been built up during the past seventeen years.
ART
Sylvia G. Matheson, Supervisor
"To build confidence in each child in his own ability through his art work is a most important phase of art education".
The art program this past year in the Middleboro Schools has tried to accomplish two main objectives. One was the development of Creative Work in the student -- the expansion and growth of the student's power to criticize and improve his own technical ability and the power to observe design in nature and in man-made things. The other was the
146
ANNUAL REPORT
development of consumer art in the student, or equipipng the student with the ability to recognize and select well designed articles on the market; and to arrange and use them to the best advantage.
Creative self expression was the fundamental interest of all art lessons in the schools. Planning art experiences for the pupils at each grade level was based upon knowledge and understanding of the needs and interests of the children in each age group.
The understanding of the whole child, through the study of back- ground and environment, and individual child growth provided numerous and varied forms of creative activities which assured the development of emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual and mental coordination of the child.
Free creative expression develops naturally from every day experi- ences, developing from children's needs and interests in the home, school and community. Every school subject offered numberless opportunities for the exercise of imagination and the stimulation of creative powers. Through its close correlations with many activities the whole program became integrated.
(Art is a way of life, lived daily in the home, the school and in the community. It includes everything in which the child is interested or that touches his daily living.)
Keeping in mind this philosophy a complete outline was planned to aid the teachers in grade one through twelve. Every suggested lesson was based on an interest and fulfilled a need. This well balanced art program stimulated growth of every individual 'student and developed his innate capacity for expression in the environment in which he lives.
We have assisted immeasurably in the development of personality and have raised the standards of taste and judgment to aid the student in the greatest of all arts, the art of beautiful living.
Art education has become increasingly important to the enrichment of the school curriculum and to the community during the past years.
During the year, besides teaching at the High School three periods daily, visits have been made regularly to all of the elementary schools. In the elementary grades I have given a lesson in each classroom, on the days scheduled for visits, and also left instructions for follow-up work with the grade teacher. Each teacher in the grades, Junior High and High Schools have a complete course of study made out by me. The work has included making murals, illustrations, posters, construction work for the holiday seasons, modelling, paper mache, weaving, color, lettering, paper sculpture, drawing and painting. The teachers exhibited in all grade levels the pupils' art work in their respective rooms in a most meaningful and artistic manner. There has always been an opportunity for visitors to see the art work produced throughout the entire year.
As the pupil advanced into secondary education, he found the oppor- tunity for more specialized and technical instruction in art according to individual interests, talents, and skills. In addition to becoming an ever-
147
ANNUAL REPORT
increasing popular area in the curriculum for its selection as a major field of study, many students found the art program a most desirable and valuable field for the selection of elective subjects.
The courses offered in the art program at the high school are as follows: Freehand Drawing, and Mechanical Drawing, which meet two periods a week, one half credit is given for these courses. Interior Decoration, Costume Design, Potential Artists Group and Industrial Design are full time courses and receive one credit.
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