USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1956 > Part 10
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Last January the School Committee, acting as the Building Com- mittee, awarded contracts for the construction of a new 12-room elementary school on Mayflower Avenue. This building containing facilities for indoor play, eating and assembly, will be made available to us by next September. One of the 12 rooms has been designed for special education which will care for the needs of pupils in the lower elementary grades. The building has been named the Mayflower School.
The high birth rate in the past, plus the trend to college for more pupils, plus the need for extra education on the part of the children makes it mandatory that we carefully evaluate and study the offerings of our high school. It is estimated that 60% more children will want to attend college by 1965 then are presently enrolled in our schools
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ANNUAL REPORT
of higher education. The college and universities do not and cannot expand rapidly. Therefore, entrance requirements on the part of pupils will be stiffened and the competition will be keen. We, in Middleboro, with our present high percentage of pupils who attend schools of higher education, must prepare our present and future high school students to meet this situation. I am pleased, therefore, that the Memorial High School is now under the capable leadership of Mr. Samuel Deich. Mr. Deich's training and preparation make him an excellent choice to guide the needs of our secondary school and its students.
I request you to examine the reports of Messrs. Deich and Battis for more specific details, particularly as pertains to the new high school addition and the improvement of instruction made possible by this building.
Twenty-five teachers have resigned during the year. Two teachers of this number, however, had not been in our employ this past year but had been granted leaves of absence by the School Committee for pur- poses of military service and advanced study. Both these people re- signed at the termination of the period of the leave.
Number of Teachers
1
1
5
3
2
Employment other than
Teaching
1
Death
2
Retirement
4
Marriage
2
Marriage-Financial
2
Family Obligations
1
Position Abolished
1
Reasons for Leaving
Resignation requested by
School Committee
Geographic
Geographic-Financial
Financial
Advance Study
Twenty-seven teachers have been appointed to replace our losses and to care for additional instructional needs. Two teachers have been appointed to teach homemaking; one at the Middleborough'Junior High School and the other at the Memorial High School. A part-time Remed- ial Reading teacher and a Speech Correctionist have also been appoint- ed and serve the pupils throughout the system. In addition, a teacher of health education and a special class teacher have been appointed and assigned to the Middleborough Junior High School. At the School Street School, Mrs. Helen D. Robbins has been appointed to fill the position made vacant by the granting of a leave of absence to Miss Edith Frost.
The total number of years of experience represented by our re- placements this year is 154. Eleven of the new teachers have had no previous teaching experience other than practice teaching.
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ANNUAL REPORT
In planning our repair and maintenance program for the build- ings under the jurisdiction of the department, a systematic approach has been followed. Many major improvements have been made this year. At the Memorial High School, all the floors on the first level have been refinished, the lighting has been improved, four classrooms have been painted, a portion of the building has been waterproofed, a new program clock has been installed, three classrooms of furniture have been purchased, the old cafeteria has been converted to a class- room and in the boiler room a fire proof ceiling has been hung.
School Street School received a complete interior painting in a modern color scheme.
At the Union Street School extensive repairs have been made to the 20 year old heating system.
Roof repairs have also been made at the Memorial High School, Union Street School and the West Side School.
In the reports of the various principals other repairs and improve- ments have been noted.
Teacher Changes-1956
Transfers:
Louise C. Walker
Transferred from Bates School to the Memorial High School
Rose A. Sweeney
Transferred from the West Side School to the Middleborough Junior High School
E. Fen Carpenter Transferred from the West Side School to the Middleborough Junior High School Myra A. Shaw Transferred from the Pratt Free School to the Middleborough Junior High School
Robert W. Gross
Transferred from the Bates School to the teaching principalship of the Washburn Unit School
Leah M. Boutin
Transferred from School Street School to the position of Remedial Reading Teacher and part-time teacher at the West Side School
Virginia C. Smith
Transferred from the Pleasant Street School to the Pratt Free School
Withdrawals:
John A. Small Fred Kiamie
B. Richard Headstrom
James L. Toman Alfred Pasquale George Robertson Robert E. Hoye John A. Chambers
John T. Donovan Appointed Sept. 1, 1956, resigned Sept. 13,.1956 E. Richard McDonald
Vitautas S. Maneikis.
10
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ANNUAL REPORT
Frederick H. Ryan, Jr.
Sarah Bartlett
Maiken S. Kunces
Lorraine E. DiMuzio
M. Alice Jones
R. Naomi White
Ruth A. Cushing
Eleanor H. Thomas
Jean P. Ford
Mary R. Hammond
Barbara A. Tripp
Donald E. Jesse
Raymond C. Lemieux
Mary E. Hoeffer
Lorraine R. Moriarty (Leave of Absence March 29, 1956 to July 1, 1956)
Appointments:
Samuel Deich
Joseph B. Gregg
Memorial High School
Margaret L. Fogg
Memorial High School
M. Christiana Gates
Memorial High School
William H. Bell
Memorial High School
Frank R. Almeida
Charles M. Stewart
Franklin E. James
Middleborough Junior High School
Middleborough Junior High School
Middleborough Junior High School
Middleborough Junior High School
Harry I. Pickering Stanley G. Maxwell Anne M. Kelleher
Carver H. Mann Hilda J. Buck
Nancy L. Bernacchio
Valdis W. Talbot
Harriet B. Blanchard
A. Louise MacArthur
Doris P. Orr
Vincent P. Sullivan
West Side School
Part-time Remedial Reading Teacher
Pleasant Street School
Rock School
Part time, speech correctionist
School Street School
On Leave of Absence: Edith Frost
On Military Leave of Absence:
Alan L. Buchsbaum
CONCLUSIONS
At this time, I wish to extend my sincerest appreciation to the School Committee and the School personnel for their cooperation throughout the year.
JOSEPH C. KUNCES, Superintendent of School 1 .
Middleborough Junior High School Washburn Unit School Union Street School
Flora M. Clark School West Side School
West Side School (part-time to full-time)
Leah M. Boutin
Margaret J. Walsh
Catherine E. Kaladin
Helen Lamb
Helen D. Robbins
Principal, Memorial High School
Memorial High School
Memorial High School
Clare R. Hanrahan
A. John Livingston Mildred E. Stearns
Middleborough Junior High School
Middleborough Junior High School
Middleborough Junior High School Middleborough Junior High School
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ANNUAL REPORT
ART DEPARTMENT Sylvia G. Matheson, Supervisor
Our Art Education Program in the schools this past year accom- plished many outstanding art activities in the creative growth of the pupils. "We believe that creative expression is the birthright of every child." The outlines made out by me for each teacher in the entire school system provided a guide that stimulated inherent creativity for each child.
The art outlines were based on these following objectives:
1. To develop a better knowledge and appreciation of art.
2. To develop standards of good taste.
3. To provide opportunities for art expression and to stimu- late creative imagination.
4. To discover and encourage the development of talent.
5. To give an appreciation of the role of art in daily living.
6. To educate for leisure time enjoyment of the arts and crafts.
In connection with each problem the pupil was familiarized with causes and effects in a typical situation. He engaged in creative think- ing which called for application of art principles in the solving of problems related to real life. Known facts were assembled and organ- ized so that the best possible solutions were obtained. This method of teaching called for judgment skill as well as technical skill. Technical skill was encouraged and creative and manipulative problems were provided to round out the courses. Problems involving technical skill were not offered as ends in themselves but as a means toward the acquiring of fruitful knowledge which will function in the life needs of the pupils.
Art education has become increasingly important in this day and age to the pupil in his daily living and to the enrichment of the school curriculum.
During the year, besides teaching at the Memorial High School three periods every day, and teaching four periods a week at the Middleborough Junior High School, visits each week have been made regularly to all elementary grades in all the schools. In the elementary schools I have taught 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 exhibited the pupils' art work in their room during the entire year so that there has always been a chance for visitors to see the art work produced throughout the year.
As the pupil moves on into secondary education in our high school, he finds the opportunity for more specialized and technical instruction in art according to individual interests, talents and skills. In addition to becoming an ever-increasing popular area in the curri- culum for its selection as a major field of study, many students find the art curiculum a most desirable and valuable field for the selection of elective subjects. There were 200 or more students that elected the art courses offered this past year.
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ANNUAL REPORT
The courses offered in the art program at Memorial High School are as follows: Freehand and Mechanical Drawing, two periods a week. Interior Decoration, Costume Design, Potential Artists Group, and In- dustrial Design are full-time courses. Also, an Art Club was organized by popular demand for those pupils who could not fit art into their regu- lar program. This Club meets with me once a week during activity period.
During United Nations week in October, an exhibition was held at the Middleboro Public Library of figures dressed in their native costumes. These figures were painted in water color by the pupils in the Costume Design class of Memorial High School. This display aroused a great deal of interest and many favorable comments were made on the excellent work done by the pupils.
Many students from the Memorial High School and Bates School entered their work in the Art Contest sponsored by the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Exhibition held at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston last February. Six of the students received the certificate of merit and two received a gold key. The work of the students that re- ceived a gold key was sent to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the National Art Exhibition held at the Carnegie Institute. This was an honor for our students.
In addition to the regular class work that was carried on, here listed are some of the ways in which the art department has been helpful to the school and community this past year. We made posters for all school organizations, civic clubs, campaigns, dances, food sales, teacher's play, senior play, football rally, and student council, and decorations for all school parties as well as senior banquet, junior prom, senior reception, assembly programs, senior play stage and lighting.
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
Organization
Henry E. Battis, Director of Athletics, Coach of Baseball
Frank R. Almeida, Assistant Coach of Football, Assistant Coach of Basketball
Virginia Bartlett, Coach of Girls' Athletics
E. Fen Carpenter, Coach of Junior High School Girls' Athletics Alfred E. Farley, Coach of Track
A. John Livingston, Coach of Junior High School Boys' Athletics Joseph A. Masi, Coach of Football, Freshman Coach of Basketball Charles M. Stewart, Coach of Basketball, Freshman Coach of Football
The Superintendent of Schools and the principals of the Memorial High School and the Middleborough Junior High School serve as super- vising advisors to this department.
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ANNUAL REPORT
For the first time in many years we feel that our athletic depart- ment is functioning under conditions equal to those of our rivals. Our coaching staff in all sports is organized so that a "building" program, similar to that used by all our opponents, is possible. The seriousness of the interruption of this program was well illustrated this past fall in football with our sophomore class. Only after a continuous effort were we able to get five boys from this class out for football. We are of the opinion that this is the result of not having any freshman program for this class the previous year. Two years ago our freshmen had a real worthwhile program. As a result, our present juniors give us a fine nucleous with which to work. This year our freshmen had a fine program, also. If it hadn't been for that lapse between these two ¡classes we feel that next year's team would have been one of our best. Possibly our reasoning is off. However, we do appreciate our pres- ent "setup" very much, and are hopeful of giving it a long term tryout, even if all we prove is that our assumptions were incorrect.
Naturally we are very much pleased with our new gymnasia in the junior and senior high schools. A summary of my reports over the years might give some idea of how these new additions are appre- ciated. Now that the biggest obstacle with which we have been con- fronted the past dozen years has been overcome, students here will have the same opportunities that the students in all the surrounding communities are getting.
Our most urgent request is for time and patience. Athletes and athletic teams cannot be made overnight, not in one, two and some- times even three years. The results of our present program, which extends down into the 8th grade, will not be apparent until our varsity coaches can work with groups that have been through the "system". One very important thing to remember is that when and if our present program materializes, no one should expect us to win more than just "our share" of the games, since we will be competing with other schools that also are functioning with a program similar to ours.
In order to climb to the top and stay there, many additional factors become vital. All our coaches agree that the one thing that would help us reach this pinnacle more than anything else would be to have available the full potential of our student body for our athletic teams. The results of a questionnaire recently submitted by the foot- ball coaching staff shows that over 50% of the boys in the school were not out for football because they worked. A very small percentage of this group worked in order to help support the family-while a large percentage of the group worked in order to have money to run their cars.
Another interesting observation is the number of students unable to go out for football because of parental objection. This is the pre- rogative no parent should be denied. However it is a factor with which the people . looking for championship teams should be acquainted. Eliminating close to 20% of our male enrollment in this manner presents a hardship to our coaching staff.
Many other observations from this survey, such as the number of boys with the problem of transportation after practice, were interest-
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ANNUAL REPORT
ing as well as surprising. All these factors, added to many other experi- ences in our other sports, lead me to stress that championship teams will only become a reality when the problem over which our athletic department has no control are overcome by the community as a whole.
In conclusion, let me state that, although championship teams are not out of the realm of possibility, what the athletic department is actually aiming at is to have every boy and girl who possibly can tak- ing part in as much of our athletic program as possible, so that they may experience the value of exercise, robust health, good sportsman- ship, and the many other advantages that we feel the program has to offer.
HEALTH
Dr. Stuart A. Silliker, School Physician Ila P. Jackson, R. N., School Nurse
Children cared for at office 766
Children cared for at schools 53
Children to a doctor 7
Children ill, taken or sent home 62
Home visits 9
Other visits and consultations with parents 336
Physical appraisals by the school physician: Grades I, IV, VII and X, 859. In addition, 13 seventh grade pupils were done by the family doctor.
Audiometer tests: Grades I to VIII, 1288. Retests 162; failures 51. Memorial High Schol boys, 194; failures 18. Total pupils tested 1482 with 69 failures of whom only 15 have been seen by an ear specialist.
Mass. Vision Tests: Grades I to VIII 1394; retests 61; failures 49. Memorial High School boys 214; failures 10. Total pupils tested 1608 with 59 failures of whom 38 have been seen by an eye specialist. Four of these were fitted to glasses financed by community funds.
Speech Correction Classes have been held weekly with a total en- rollment of 21 pupils of whom five now require no further instruction. Seven others have been examined for future therapy. Arrangements were made for one boy to spend a week at summer camp under the supervision of the speech therapist. Community Funds contributed financial aid as needed for some of this work.
Immunization Clinics At three clinics for immunization against diphtheria and tetanus 168 original inoculations were given to 62 pupils and 304 more received boosters.
Polio vaccine inoculations: Available records to date show that more than 1900 pupils presently enrolled are being immunized.
Communicable diseases: Cases of scarlet fever, chicken-pox, measles, mumps, conjunctivitis and ringworm were reported but were not epidemic.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Heights and weights were completed at all schools except Junior High.
Hair inspection: 6 rooms and 29 individual inspections.
Milk program: 95,015 bottles were issued, 7048 of them free. Total cost of program: $5,793.40.
Meetings attended: 8.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT Organization Luther Churchill, Supervisor Dorothy R. Ferry, Assistant
It is a pleasure to present herewith my nineteenth annual report.
In the vocal field Miss Ferry and I have held periodic meetings with the teachers in the lower grades and with Miss McKenna at the junior high school. In general, the work covered has been following the course of study outlined several years ago, but has been altered in some respects in order to follow up the plan of the Music Educators National Conference which divides the teaching of music into five categories.
1. Singing
2. Instrumental development
3. Rhythmic interpretation
4. Music appreciation
5. Interpretation
Miss Ferry visits all of the grades every two weeks except the School Street School, which I supervise and visit at two-week inter- vals. At the West Side School a selected group of girls and boys meet with Miss Ferry every Tuesday and Thursday during the lunch period and are developing into enthusiastic singers who will, one day, belong to the a cappella choir in the high school. Miss McKenna also has a choir at the junior high school; the personnel including many of the pupils in last year's West Side School choir. In this way we are plan- ning for the future. The a cappella choir and training choir at the high school continues to attract those students interested in vocal music.
The following is a report of the public appearances made by vocal groups in our schools.
High School a cappella choir 8 2
West Side School choir
Operettas (Miss Ferry) Eighth Grade Operetta 1
3
The instrumental program has grown to such proportions that it is becoming more and more a problem of where to find teachers than where to find students. Our high school band, which is under my direction, has a personnel of seventy nine players and a twirling corps
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ANNUAL REPORT
of seven. The junior high school band, which is directed by Miss Ferry, has about eighty members and has the possibility of growing to ninety three before the end of the school year. This fall we started about eighty students in our instrumental beginners classes. Miss Ferry has a class of over thirty at the West Side School and she assists me with a class of about forty pupils at the School Street School. My son, Luther, Jr., very kindly consented to take a class of nine trumpets and cornets at the School Street School when it became evident that I couldn't find the time in my schedule to reach them. We are continuing to follow the plan of giving free lessons to the beginners until the end of the school year.
The following is a report of the public appearances made by our instrumental groups during the past year.
High School Band 12
Junior High School Band 8
High School Orchestra 3
Junior High School Orchestra 4
West Side School Band
1
Pratt Free School Band
2
This report would not be complete without mentioning the activi- ties of several smaller groups which have appeared in public during the year.
High School Girls' Trio
All-State Band
All-State Chorus
SEMSBA Band concert in Brockton
Instrumental class demonstrations
Soloists at the music festival in Needham
Other soloists and small group ensembles
Instrumental and audio-visual equipment purchased this year in- cludes the following.
Alto clarinet
4 Bass horns
2 Baritone horns
Records for rhythm and listening
3 Music Magne-Boards
1 Toy Xylophone
MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
Samuel Deich, Principal
Brevity is one of the advantages to be gained by a factual report. In this particular instance of reporting, the writer has been serving as principal of the Memorial High School since September 1st of the year covered by this report. Thus, of necessity, the report must be brief.
With the re-opening of. classes. in. September; the most obvious changes included the use of the new facilities which are provided in
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ANNUAL REPORT
the High School Addition. Though an "Open House" exercise has been held on November 25th, the space areas of the Addition bear repeating. They are as follows: Cafeteria (dining room and kitchen) thoroughly equipped to serve 300 students at one sitting; a modern gymnasium with folding bleachers to seat approximately 1000 spectators; shower rooms, locker rooms, and storage spaces to meet the needs of the physi- cal education and athletic programs of the boys; home-making class- rooms areas, which include cooking and sewing with their associated furnishings; a separate boiler room for the Addition, engineered to provide heat and ventilation in the various areas of the Addition as desired; lobby and corridor entrances and exits so as to provide access from the main buildings as well as from the street; and finally the grounds surrounding the front of the entire high school have been re-designed, paved, graded and seeded to provide that area of North Main Street with a beautiful lawn in keeping with the tradition of the location.
But, the physical changes of the high school were not only in the Addition. In the so-called main building there were physical changes taking place during the summer. These were as follows: Room 17, for many years used as a cafeteria, has been re-decorated, re-lighted, and re-furnishd and is now being used as a classroom; the rear of Room 21, formerly separated by a folding partition and used as a library, is now part of Room 21 and now is used as a large study hall. The library is now located in Room 28, on the second floor, front, center of the building. Room C2 of the main building has been divided approximately in thirds so that one portion is used for much needed office space for the assistant principal, one portion is used for a general office practice and secretarial training room, and another portion is used as part of the connecting bridge to the new Addition. Room 12 which was used as an office practice room is now available for small classroom purposes.
These changes have been physical ones. As we all realize, the school building represents a shell or envelope to house the educational process. How about the educational changes? Greatest of them all is the fact that the high school is now on a full-time basis again. The school day is as long as it has been in many, many years. Program offerings have remained relatively the same with the exception of the homemaking courses and the increased physical education program for girls. As soon as the Washburn Unit is vacated, it will be made ready for use as a general shop area in an industrial arts program. The return to normalcy from a half-time schedule is readily recognized by those staff members who have been in our high school during the past years. Students and teachers alike are frequently found remarking that the "rush" of school is no longer present. As we move ahead, the future demands that we make our schools worthwhile. We must review our course offerings; we must make our high school diploma worthy of its significance. In short, we must protect our educational investment so that it does not become thinned to the point of not being of high school caliber. This, then, will require consideration of our system of required and elective courses, credit allowances and general pro- motion and graduation requirements. Our educational trust is a sacred one; it cannot be defiled.
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