USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1954 > Part 11
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Unfortunately because of the Platoon at Bates and the High School some of the activities in art have had to be curtailed because of lack of time and room.
An art club has been organized for the first time this year in the High School. It was organized primarily for students who could not fit art into their regular program and for those who wish to specialize in the field of art both for leisure time activities and as a career.
In addition to the regular work that has been carried on, here are some of the ways in which the art department has been of help to the school and to the community: posters for all school organizations, civic clubs, campaigns, dances, food sales, senior play, rummage sales, com- munity calendars, senior activities, student council and the school maga- zine drive. The decorations for all school parties as well as assembly programs and stage settings and many projects for the Junior Red Cross were made to decorate the wards in hospitals throughout the state.
The climax of the many helpful and outstanding achievements of the art department was the finishing of the Christmas scene which has adorned the Town House lot for the past six years. The present Potential Artists Group of the High School added the two new features of it. Also this group designed, painted and decorated the Santa Clause Workshop on the Post Office lawn. These projects have shown the public the values of art education not only as a lesson in art, but, also, as a lesson in being of service to the community.
One student from the High School's graduating class (1954) is now attending an art school.
In March a three-day Art Workshop was held at Union Street School under the direction of Miss Wilma Geer, art consultant of Binney and Smith Company of New York City. There were fifty teachers that at- tended the three five-hour sessions. We awarded In-Service Credit cer- tificates to all of the teachers completing the course. This art workshop proved very inspiring and most helpful to the teachers.
Mrs. Maiken Hersh, art teacher at Bates School, and Mr. Eugene Baer, art teacher at the High School, have been of great assistance to nie in carrying out the work of this department. They are to be commended for their efforts which have greatly facilitated the number of students
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desiring art; thus allowing me to devote sufficient time in supervising and making specific plans for all the pupils in the schools and especially those who were interested in specializing in the field of art.
It is with sincere gratefulness that I thank those who have cooper- ated with me in my earnest efforts to make art progressive in Middleboro.
HEALTH
Dr. Stuart A. Silliker, School Physician
The physical examinations as proposed by the State for pupils in grade one, four, seven and ten were given with the assistance of Miss Jackson, the school nurse. More thorough physical examinations were given to all boys and girls participating in athletics. These examinations, with some office calls, constituted the main duties of your physician.
Ila P. Jackson, School Nurse
Children cared for at office 1001
Children cared for at schools 43
Children to doctor's office 10
Children ill, taken or sent home
101
Home visits 10
Other visits and consultations with parents 253
Physical appraisals by Dr. Silliker: Grades I, IV, VII and X, a total. of 897 pupils.
Massachusetts Vision Tests: 1291 pupils were tested with 112 fail- ures. On September 1, revised standards for vision testing became effective.
Audiometer tests: The new Maico Audiometer was received on March 2, with a set of ten earphones on loan from the office of Philip Johnston. During the spring 1060 pupils were tested with 36 failures. This fall 1589 pupils have been tested with 102 individual retests and 32 failures.
Immunization Clinics: Held on March 29, April 26 and May 24. 208 pupils were inoculated - 60 originals and 148 boosters.
Chest X-Ray Clinic: Held at the Memorial High School on June 7. 430 High School pupils were X-Rayed.
Speech Clinic: On March 4, Miss Munroe, speech therapist at Lake- ville State Sanitorium, made a survey of 12 pupils with speech defects. 6 of these children were found to need special training and arrangements were made for therapy twice a week. One child had required surgery done during the summer. This work was made possible through contributions from Community Funds. Community Funds were used also to provide glasses, dental care and clothing as needed by underprivileged children.
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Communicable diseases: 5 cases of scarlet fever were reported; 3 of polio - one non-paralytic; 3 severe cases of ringworm; several cases of initial lesion ring-worm which responded to prompt treatment; a few cases of German measles; epidemics of chicken-pox and mumps occurred from January to June and this fall there has been an epidemic of severe coughs.
Heights and weights: Completed for Grades 1 to VIII.
Hair inspection: 11 rooms and 101 individual inspections.
Milk program: Since November 1, the three North Middleboro schools have been included in the School Milk Program. All schools are now participating. Total bottles issued 80,243; bottles free 10,140; total cost of program $4,859.00.
Meetings attended: 9.
MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
John A. Small, Principal
The total enrollment of the Memorial High School for the school year is 567. We will probably reach a total enrollment of 575 before the school year is completed in June.
The reasons for the increased enrollment, of course, are well known. However, I would like to point out that 35 new pupils, a very sizeable number, came to us from communities other than Middleboro and Lake- ville.
The rotating schedule of classes was replaced with a non-rotating schedule of six class periods of forty-two minutes in length. With the unfortunate burning of the Bates School, it was necessary to reduce these classes to forty-minute periods. This coincides with the approved mini- mum educational standards and is the same time allotted as last year. Biology classes now have an extra period for laboratory work, making six periods weekly. Physics and Chemistry classes now have two extra periods for laboratory work, making seven periods weekly. This is a new plan to meet the needs of the college preparatory group.
The over-all time lost because of the necessity of the platoon system is fifteen minutes of teaching time. The regular activities of athletics, band, orchestra, etc. are still part of the M. H. S. program. The band and orchestra now practice from 12:10 to 1 after the high school has been dismissed. The early 7:45 opening of school and the dismissal at 12 reflect an increase in tardiness and absenteeism. The very important "Help and Make-up Period" is still in effect and every pupil can get extra help daily from 12 - 1 and later in the day by appointment.
A Driver Training Labortory, planned by Mr. Kunces, was a wel- come addition to our facilities. It is located on the black top road in front of the field house. With this facility, all the different road markings
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are available for use by student drivers, before they practice driving on the streets of the town.
In order to encourage civic responsibility, a Christmas project was planned in cooperation with the Middleboro Retail Merchants Associa- tion. Twenty strings of Christmas lights were made and strung across Center, North and South Main, and Wareham Streets by a group of M. H. S. pupils. At the Post Office grounds, a Santa Clause house was built under the supervision of John S. Zynsky, Bates School shop instruc- tor, by the boys of the Agricultural Department. The decorations were made by the art classes under the direction of Mrs. Sylvia G. Matheson, Supervisor of Art.
The Guidance Program is supervised very capably by Mr. John Driscoll. The general plan is for Mr. Driscoll to work with the boys and direct the program with Mrs. Pardey to counsel the girls on their problems, thus providing a two-member department to balance the work of guidance. Time is also allotted for Mr. Driscoll to supervise a grade school program of guidance.
The problems of the platoon system have been greatly minimized by the cooperation of Mr. Henry B. Burkland, Principal of Bates School and his very cooperative staff. It is a pleasure to work with them through this emergency.
In June, the Class of 1954 graduated from the beautiful outdoor setting of Battis Field. Many more people could attend the graduation exercises and it met with general approval.
DEAN OF GIRLS
Helen A. Pardey
The dean of girls is, indeed, grateful to those who made possible the renovating of the boys' room near Room 21 and the library into a com- fortable and attractive office which provides privacy for conferences - a major part of her personnel work. No longer does she hide beneath the stairs of the auditorium and raise and lower her voice to compete with the intensity of the high school band, orchestra, choirs, music appre- ciation classes or class meetings. During the teaching periods of the dean and on Tuesday afternoons, Mr. Churchill has made use of the space for private music lessons. Since this office and that of the guidance director are at opposite ends of the building, there is a need to develop here an auxiliary set of educational and vocational files. Mr. Driscoll is already promoting this plan.
Although the guidance director, Mr. Deich, resigned last March and his position was not filled until this fall, many of his duties were carried on by the high school faculty until June. Because of the flexibility of the dean's program, she held the interviews with every freshman, sophomore, and junior (and often times parents) to make out curriculum programs for the next year. Likewise here guidance services have increased this
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year. As in the past, the school assumes the responsibility of "securing and making available to pupils information which is essential to making wise educational and vocational plans" and of "securing the most effec- tive relationship to a job or to the next step in his educational or per- sonal plans." Beginning this fall, under the direction of the new guidance director, the dean is assisting in the educational counseling as well as the social counseling. Though her responsibility tends toward the girls, she counsels the boys when their free time does not coincide with that of Mr. Driscoll. The dean's office becomes an employment agency for under- graduates as well as for seniors. This is a community service especially for those wanting "baby-sitters" or girls to do household tasks.
The sponsoring of the Girls' League and Silver "M" Society offers informal opportunities of counseling. In spite of the restricted school pro- gram this fall, the League is attempting to carry out a broad program with attention to the sick, earning money for St. Luke's Hospital as a community project, presenting the annual Christmas assembly, sponsor- ing a dance and Mother and Daughter party, providing an outing for all members, and planning three auditorium meetings on phases of social and vocational interests. The three meetings, necessarily held after school, include "I'm Going to the Thanksgiving Dance" (emphasis on posture and poise) by Patricia Sullivan, "Women in White" (nursing field at three levels), and "How to Make An Interview" by a representative of Katharine Gibbs School.
The Silver "M" Society, by electing members from the various classes and by the formal tapping ceremonies, keeps alive before the student body the principles of good citizenship. In contrast to the news- paper accounts of juvenile delinquency, this program points up the worthy actions and ideals of teen-agers.
This uniting of the educational and social counseling is a progressive step, for personnel work is concerned with the "whole" student, and for "all" students, not just the maladjusted; therefore, the work must be preventative, diagnostic, remedial and developmental.
AGRICULTURE
William H. Tufts, Head of Department
Most of the farmers who get a living from some phase of agricul- ture endeavor in Plymouth County are not grieved to ring out 1954. It has been a rough one, the worst in our memory. The amount of rain was 50 per cent above our normal needs for the year.
It will not be easy for any of us to forget 1954 because of the dam- age inflicted upon us due to the hurricanes. The clean-up work is still going on in many areas. Take a drive in most any direction, town, city or country, and you will see the homes that are still in need of repair. Folks still waiting for contractors, brick layers and carpenters they engaged months ago, who are still working six days a week, and in some cases on Sunday, where there is a real emergency.
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During the fall disaster that hit New England, the chain saws were a definite help as well as the hydraulic equipment operated by the State and town crews day and night in order that highways be kept open for ambulances, fire fighting equipment and so men and women could get to their jobs as soon as the weather was restored to its normal pattern.
The telephone and electric crews from States which were not in the path of the storms rushed to team up with the local service men and displayed unity of purpose long to be remembered.
America's finest hour has always been when the going is tough. Al- though some of our youngsters may be more highly informed on the "Lone Ranger" activities, our U. S. history gives many interesting ac- counts of brave and loyal men and women. The Pilgrim's first winter at Plymouth would make some of our own problems insignficant.
Carefully laid plans for the annual Middleboro Future Farmers Fair had been made before the agricultural students of Memorial High School were released for Farm Placement in the spring of 1954. Boys had indi- vidual and committee assignments similar to what they will soon carry in a few years as adult citizens. The first hurricane of the season caused us to cancel our plans so the boys could assist farmers to make emergency repairs and manage the dairy and poultry plants. Many of the farmers had to resort to primitive ways of living, feeding and watering their stock until power was restored.
Corn fields on Thompson Street were flattened in one direction with Carol and then Edna decided to take a stroll in a different lane. Conse- quently, the Future Farmers in the local chapter were called on to har- vest acres of such crops which might otherwise have been a complete loss.
I believe before we decide on another date for the "Middleboro High School Fair" it might be wise to consider the merits of holding it early in October. By that time the entire student body has regained its fall stride. May I propose the Middleboro Agricultural Advisory Committee and the Future Farmers' Executive Committee give the matter early attention in 1955. The nights in October can be real cool, but a hurricane can ground us in our own kitchen.
In the meantime, progress goes on. We learn how to do jobs better and cheaper and we give the public more and lower cost food. This has been the season when New Englanders gave their first serious thought to Leghorns. The invasion of New England markets by white eggs has not met with entire disappointment. The preference of egg shell color will diminish as the years pass.
Other states also have their problems. New York State poultrymen are not getting enough money for a yearling hen to buy a baby chick.
So stated Prof. R. C. Baker, Cornell University poultry specialist, in a recent statement describing the critical economic situation of the States poultry farmers. "Poultrymen are now getting an on-the-farm price of 7 and 8 cents a pound for Leghorn chickens as compared with the usual
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20 cents a pound. In addition, fall wholesale egg prices have fallen to the pre-World War II level of 47 cents a dozen. Feed prices in 1940 were $35 a ton as compared with $80 a ton this fall", the specialist pointed out.
Progressive farmers now recognize the use of chemicals as an estab- lished part of good farming. The U. S. D. A. says that our annual five billion loss due to weeds could be cut in half if chemicals were used properly.
Remember when the old pioneer farmers did all their own handicraft and did all their own repairs and upkeep to save money and speed the plow ? Well, we are no longer in the pioneer era in many ways, but we still place emphasis always upon the skillful use of mechanical aids.
Hence, we hear many reports of new and better courses being estab- lished for farm shop, including electricity. E. P. Hilton, Director of Ag- ricultural Education for Kentucky, writes us that the mechanization of farms has come so fast that schools have not kept pace with this new phase of farming in instructional programs. He and W. A. Smith, of Cornell's Agricultural Education Service, agree that our whole concept of farm mechanics instruction is undergoing drastic revisions, and taking a greater share of attention.
Not all farm youth are naturally adept at mechanics. But they certainly face a world of achievement in agriculture which is mainly de- pendent upon a knowledge of mechanical and electrical power. It's true that our trading centers have service people able to handle much of these details, but the vital need for familiarity with mechanics remains as an asset for the beginning farmer. Horseless farms are the common thing now in many states. The well trained farm boy must be able to cope with this change as his ancestors were in the simpler times of plodding horse-power.
Few are the dairymen who turn their soil with a horse-drawn plow today. Hand milking is fast disappearing. This is the machine age - the age of the tractor, the hay baler, the gutter cleaner and many more labor-saving devices. Tomorrow will bring many more CHANGES .. . Changes which will make farming a better and more profitable way of life for those who keep pace with progress.
Mazzini summed it all up in these few words: "Slumber not in the tents of your fathers. The world is advancing. Advance with it."
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Henry E. Battis
Our physical education program for the year 1954 was conducted along the same lines as in the past few years, with few changes or im- provements.
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In the spring and fall the fundamentals of football, field hockey, softball, track and tennis were taught with most of the time spent in actual participation in these sports. Accurate records of the results of these games, as well as all individual records, have been kept and publi- cized. This requires endless hours of work, but the interest and incentive created by it more than justify the time spent.
We have continued with our individual testing program, with records carefully kept and comparisons made. With these records the Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors may be compared with one another or with these same classes in other years. The big advantage of these tests is to the individual. Each person can easily keep track of his own improve- ment, which naturally provides an added incentive to better himself. The certificates presented each boy on graduation, with a four year record of all his physical education accomplishments, seems to become more popular each year.
In the winter, classes were held in marching, boxing, wrestling, tumbling, calisthenics, apparatus and dancing. The increased demand for instruction in square dancing was met in the girls' program. Classes in the modern dance also proved popular with the girls, as well as helpful in the development of rhythm, coordination and poise. In the boys' classes more time than usual was devoted to marching tactics. This naturally cuts down on the time left for the other activities, but the endless number of boys who one way or another let us know how much this training in the basic fundamentals of marching has proven beneficial to them makes us feel that this additional time is well worth while.
The Bates School fire has "set back" our program far more than most people realize. In the first place, it has brought about the com- plete elimination of the junior high school athletic program, both inter- scholastic and intramural. Secondly, it has resulted in considerable cur- tailment in the high school physical education program. Now the time for physical education per week varies with individuals from none to a maximum of two 39 minute periods. In addition, the elimination of the activity period meant abolishing physical education classes that met at that time. For some this meant no physical education at all; for others only one period a week; and for others abnormally sized classes, plus a mixture of 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade pupils.
The only bright spot in the whoe picture seems to be that there now appears the possibility that this problem as well as many others will be eliminated when the present plans for a new junior high school with a gymnasium and a new gymnasium adjacent to the present high school materialize.
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BATES SCHOOL Henry B. Burkland, Principal
I herewith submit my twenty-seventh annual report as principal of Bates School.
Bates School opened in the best physical condition it had ever been in during my teaching' experience in it with 404 enrolled pupils in Grades Six, Seven and Eight on September 8, 1954. Nine school days later, the disastrous fire of September removed, forever, a building rich in tradition and noted for service.
With the burning of the Bates building, many additional problems arose to add to those already facing our school department. While the building was still ablaze the school officials met to plan a course of action. It would be unfair to leave this part of the report without a tribute to our firemen, local and visiting, and our citizens in general for the won- derful offers of help that came that very night. School officials from surrounding towns, state officials, and publishers all sent offers of help and sympathy. Bates School was more than a building in that it had housed the upper grades and the Senior High School from 1886. The hallowed memories of Walter Sampson and Leonard Tillson who estab- lished, by their devotion to duty, that intangible called "school spirit" were in the minds of many of Middleboro's leading citizens as they stood weeping unashamed as they viewed the holocaust. However, it was this same spirit that inspired the present officials into action.
At this time, tribute must be paid to the Superintendent of Schools, the Assistant Director of Education, members of the School Committee, the Principal of Memorial High School, and the faculty of that school for the perfect cooperation received. Last, but certainly not least, to the teachers, secretary, and custodian of the Bates School, who, were all "on duty" the next morning and continued every day to report for both physical and administrative help. Without them, the rapid transition could not have been made, and school could not have reopened on a "platoon basis" on Monday, September 27, 1954 at Memorial High School.
It is quite wonderful to note that only thirty-five minutes of time of the week's periods had to be shortened, even with the many inconveniences to both faculties and units. On the programs outlined for both the Senior and Junior High Schools in this crisis, the State Supervisor of Secondary Education, Mr. John Millaine, has given public praise. No "patoon" system can ever be called satisfactory, but we are all at present making the best of the unavoidable.
As many regular school activities as possible have been retained, since the great majority of the pupils concerned will never again ex- perience these grades of school. Only by the outstanding cooperation of supervisors and teachers has this been possible, yet this seems one of the most important achievements of the arrangement.
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During the summer, Miss Faye H. Deane retired after fifty years of teaching in the Middleboro Schools. Following the fire, Miss Deane offered her services to assist in the mountain of clerical work necessary in doing over records, etc., and' she has been of valuable assistance to the school this entire period.
The Bates Parent-Teacher Association has continued to be a fine force for cooperation and helpfulness. In addition to its regular meetings, four parent conferences on pupil progress were arranged, a special meet- ing of parents of eighth grade pupils with senior high school personnel was held, and the selection of parent patrons for all school socials has been an added service.
The Junior Red Cross work has continued to serve local and veterans' hospitals in addition to many local services. An overseas album pre- pared under Miss DiMuzio's direction was exhibited at the national Red Cross convention and has been forwarded to Australia. Audio-Visual Aids have all been repaired and are in use under Mr. Gross' direction.
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