USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1957 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
If the "no-school" signal is sounded on days when there are Evening School Classes, these classes will also be cancelled.
Announcements for "no school" will be broadcasted over radio stations WEEI, WBZ, WBET and WPLM and over TV Channel 4.
自
-
T
HonodoganaaIw
58
ANNUAL REPORT
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the Members of the School Committee:
With the completion of the Mayflower School, the building program has finally come to an end - at least for the present period. In fact, the school year opened with four vacant classrooms. This condition is one of merit and represents a tribute to the citizens of Middleboro, who have made this possible. Our schools have been re-aligned to service pupils in a far different manner than in the past. I am presenting, therefore, the following table for your convenience and better understanding of the total housing picture.
Graphic Presentation of the Number and Placement of the Different Grades in the Middleboro Public Schools
Grade
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
I.A .*
Mus .*
P.A .*
Memorial High
Washburn Unit
*
...
Rounseville
*
Middleboro Junior High
Mayflower
1
1
2
2
3
1
School Street
3
2
2
Union Street
5
3
West Side
1
1
1
1
2
1
Flora M. Clark
1
1
Rock
1
1
South Middleboro
1
1
Pratt Free
Plymouth Street
1
Pleasant Street
1
10
8
8
7
7
6
....
...
...
5
*
*
*
*
*
*
...
...
:
....
...
I.A .*- Industrial Arts at the High School level.
Mus .*- Music Room at the High School level.
P.A .*- (Practical Arts) Special Education Classes.
There are many special features that should be noted in this re- alignment and I would be remiss in not mentioning them.
A. The Union Street School is 20 years old. This building has con- tained either one or two additional temporary classrooms which have been located in the basement playroom since the second year of the school's operation. Since September this condition has been corrected and all classrooms are now located on the main floor.
1
1
1
59
ANNUAL REPORT
B. Class sizes have been adjusted to comply with sound educational practices. The average Grade 1 class size is 24. No grade in the system contains more than 36 pupils, and this number is limited to Grade 4 only.
C. A room for an additional special education class became a reality, and a class has been instituted in the Mayflower School. Limited to 18 pupils, this class is designed to meet the needs of pupils who possess learning handicaps. This phase of the total educational picture has been neglected for many years in Middleboro.
D. The Washburn Unit School has finally commenced its true func- tion. Originally built as an annex to the high school for industrial arts education, it was converted prematurely into a classroom building for elementary grades, to alleviate crowded classroom conditions that existed at that time, and served in this role until the Mayflower School was com- pleted. I refer you to the report of the Memorial High School for detailed information regarding instruction that is taking place in the Washburn Unit Shop under the direction of Mr. Henry E. Battis.
E. The Rounseville School was originally built as an annex to the Bates School and has served many worthwhile functions. Prior to the fire that destroyed the Bates School, this building served as a classroom. After being moved to its present location, it served as the industrial arts shop for the Junior High School pupils. Now its role is one that is com- pletely different, in that all of the music presently taught at the Memo- rial High School is being conducted in this building. Mr. Churchill's report contains more specific information as to the instruction taking place.
School management encompasses problems far beyond the scope of basic education. As Superintendent of Schools and the executive officer of the School Committee, I am directly responsible for the biggest trans- portation system in this community. This transportation system includes 10 busses, all of which are of a 60-capacity nature. These busses travel some 600 miles per day and carry some 1400 passengers daily. The severe traffic tie-up that resulted from these busses calling for students at the School Street and Union Street Schools demanded a re-examination of the transportation arrangements. To eliminate this congestion it was decided to use the area between the Mayflower School and the Middle- borough Junior High School for a central depot and to make all pupil exchanges upon that location. This resulted in a safer and more efficient use of our existing transportation facilities.
Another duty that is required of the Superintendent of Schools is the management of the largest restaurant business in this Town. I substanti- ate my comments and urgently request that you examine the report of the Lunch and Milk Program, which will provide you with more specific information.
A school superintendent is no better than his immediate lieutenants. I feel very pleased in stating that the principals of the various schools
60
ANNUAL REPORT
in this system have been most cooperative and willing to carry out various policies that have been adopted by our governing body, the School Com- mittee. Each month the Superintendent and the various principals meet to discuss problems affecting the management of individual schools and the system as a whole. These meeting are concerned with such items as pertains to grade placement, testing, curricula, discipline, attendance and teaching evaluation. In our organization this group is referred to as the Administrative Council.
As Superintendent of Schools I have repeatedly mentioned the tre- mendous stress being placed upon school administrators and school com- mittees in the constant evaluation of our public school system. The Middleboro School Committee is cognizant of the present demands and has taken definite steps to insure and to maintain high standards of accomplishment. The accepted policies which have been adopted this year include :
1. The promotion policies for yearly promotion and graduation at the Memorial High School. (I refer you to the report of the Principal of the Memorial High School for a detailed accounting.)
2. The elevation of the passing standards of accomplishment from 65% to 70% in all grades throughout the system. (Previously, this stand- ard was in effect at the high school only.)
3. The extension of the teaching of formal reading and phonics into Grade 6 for all pupils. (Previously formal reading terminated in the fifth grade.)
4. The importance of science training at the secondary level was appre- ciated by this School Committee long before the successful launching of the Satellite Age. It is with pleasure that I present this excerpt from Principal Deich's report :
"It is only fitting that the citizens of our community be informed of the extent of science education in our high school. With the open- ing of school in September there were a total of 79 students enrolled in the general science classes. This represents 43% of the freshman class for whom general science is an elective. Not all students elect general science in high school. The better students have sufficient general science background through the 8th grade so that they enroll in academic subjects in the 9th grade and complete their science background with biology, physics and chemistry. There are 135 students in the biology course which is elective for all sophomores. This represents 79% of the sophomore class. Students who do not take general science as freshmen must take biology as sophomores. Physical survey is available to the members of the junior class. It is a non-college science course, providing a well-rounded training in practical physical science aspects. There are 36 students enrolled in this course which is available to juniors as an elective. This repre- sents 28% of the junior class. Physics is offered in the junior year
61
ANNUAL REPORT
to 36 students enrolled which represents 28% of the junior class. Chemistry is offered in the senior year of high school and has an enrollment of 46 students, representing 39% of the senior class. Another way of reporting these statistics is to say that approx- imately 55% of the entire student body is enrolled in some kind of a science program.
At the present time, the general science, biology and physical survey classes meet five times a week. The classes are conducted on a lecture-demonstration basis with laboratory periods provided in the biology classes on approximately a bi-weekly period. The physics and chemistry classes are arranged so that seven periods per week are provided for in our schedule. Twice a week a double period enables an extended laboratory session."
At this time it is also advisable to report that the courses of study in English for grades 9 through 12 were prepared as a result of faculty study last year. This syllabus is now available in typed form and is being followed by our English teachers. The course of study for English in the high school is arranged so that the areas of language arts in English (reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, and spelling) have a place in each year's program and each year there is an advance in the degree to which these arts are covered. Having put our course of study on paper first, the School Committee has provided the high school with the necessary textbooks and materials in order to put this program into practice. Tremendous stress has been placed on the need for in- creased writing, reading, vocabulary and spelling drill for all our stu- dents. The students have already reported evidence of increased ability to handle the most recent College Entrance Board Examinations as a result of vocabulary drills that were added to our English program. The important point in our new syllabus is that the revision applies to all grades of the high school and not one particular grade or one partic- ular area.
The key to good education is the classroom teacher. My chief respon- sibility as a school administrator is to search for outstanding personnel and then to recommend these persons to the School Committee for ap- pointment. This past year I interviewed 201 persons for the positions that needed to be filled. I feel that we in Middleboro are fortunate to have the professional services of the personnel that have been selected. In 1957 the School Committee received the resignation of 19 teachers and the school nurse, Miss Ila P. Jackson. I have submitted the following table which depicts the reasons presented by the various personnel at the time of the resignation.
62
ANNUAL REPORT
Number of Teachers
Reason for Leaving
3
Retirement
2
Resignation requested by School Com- mittee
4
Geographic
5
Geographic - Financial
3
Financial
1
Employment other than teaching
1
Family obligations
19
In the list of appointments which is appended to this report, please note that four persons from within the system have been selected for administrative responsibilities. These persons have demonstrated their abilities for such responsibilities and it was with pleasure that they were recommended for the positions by the Superintendent of Schools.
Miss Leah M. Boutin was also appointed full-time Remedial Read- ing teacher. Miss Boutin had previously demonstrated her ability in this field as a part-time teacher. Her work has proven most beneficial to pupils needing additional assistance and a specialized knowledge which supplements the daily study activities presented by the classroom teacher.
Of the remaining appointments, all but six of the teachers have had previous teaching experience, which has ranged from 2 to 20 years of service.
The maintenance and repairs of all school property is systematically planned and is under the immediate direction of the School Committee and the Superintendent of Schools. I refer you to the reports of the various school principals as to the actual repairs and maintenance work performed this year.
Conclusions
At this time I wish to extend my sincerest appreciation to a most professional and diligent School Committee and the various members of my department for their cooperation.
JOSEPH C. KUNCES,
Superintendent of Schools.
Teacher Changes, 1957
Tranfers:
Edward W. Sawicki
Transferred as teaching principal of the School Street School and appointed supervising prin- cipal of the Mayflower, Rock and South Mid- dleboro schools.
63
ANNUAL REPORT
Robert W. Gross
Charles E. Valine
Anne L. Washburn
Esther M. Spooner
Rose Maley
Lillian G. Standish
Carol A. Chaplain
Elizabeth D. Tate
Harriet B. Blanchard
Vincent P. Sullivan
Leah M. Boutin
Transferred as teaching principal of the Wash- burn Unit School and appointed teaching prin- cipal of the School Street School.
Transferred from the School Street School to the Mayflower School.
Transferred from the School Street School to the Mayflower School.
Transferred from the School Street School to the Mayflower School. Transferred from the School Street School to the Mayflower School.
Transferred from the School Street School to the Mayflower School. Transferred from the Washburn Unit School to the Mayflower School.
Transferred from the Union Street School to the Mayflower School.
Transferred from the Flora M. Clark School to the Mayflower School.
Transferred from the West Side School to the Middleborough Junior High School.
Transferred from the West Side School (part- time) to full time Remedial Reading teacher.
Withdrawals:
Name of Person
Ila P. Jackson
Ernest E. Thomas
William H. Bell
Memorial High School
Memorial High School
Memorial High School
Memorial High School
Middleboro Jr. High School Middleboro Jr. High School Middleboro Jr. High School Middleboro Jr. High School Middleboro Jr. High School School Street School Washburn Unit School
Washburn Unit School
Washburn Unit School Washburn Unit School Union Street School West Side School
West Side School
Rock School
Memorial High School
Memorial High School
Date of Resignation
Dec. 31, 1957 July 1, 1957 July 18, 1957 April 12, 1957
Roger W. Arnold
Joseph B. Gregg Frank R. Almeida Norman W. Lindsay Clare L. Hanrahan A. John Livingston
Stanley G. Maxwell Mary-Ellen McKenna Edith Frost Nancy L. Bernacchio Kathryn L. Mclaughlin
Meredith G. Martin Dorothy A. Dunn Louise C. Matheson Edward M. Falk A. Louise MacArthur Catherine E. Kaladin Alan L. Buchsbaum Margaret L. Fogg
School
School Nurse
Memorial High School
Aug. 19, 1957 Aug. 12, 1957 July 1, 1957 June 30, 1957 July 18, 1957 Aug. 1, 1957 June 24, 1957 July 1, 1957 June 24, 1957 June 24, 1957
Feb. 4, 1957
June 30, 1957 June 30, 1957 Oct. 31, 1957 Aug. 1, 1957
July 18, 1957
May 8, 1957
July 18, 1957
64
ANNUAL REPORT
Appointments :
Edward W. Sawicki
Robert W. Gross Joseph L. King
Harry I. Pickering
Assistant Principal of the Middleboro Junior High School
Joseph S. Antone, Jr.
Memorial High School
Robert F. Brady
Memorial High School
Margaret L. Fogg
Memorial High School
Lois W. Buck
Memorial High School
Albert C. Governor
Memorial High School
Helen S. Millet
Memorial High School
Marion B. Thomas
Memorial High School
Berlene B. Casselberry Edwin Denton
Middleborough Junior High School
Barry M. Moriarty
Middleborough Junior High School
Eleanor G. Sanborn
Middleborough Junior High School Mayflower School
Ann M. Callan
School Street School
Barbara F. Churbuck
School Street School
Marilynn F. Dutra
School Street School
Muriel J. Gorey
School Street School
School Street School
Susanne S. Howard Barbara T. Bates
Union Street School
Florence G. Caldera
West Side School (part-time)
West Side School
West Side School
Flora M. Clark School
Rock School
Remedial Reading Teacher (part-time to full- time)
DEPARTMENT OF ART EDUCATION Sylvia Matheson, Supervisor
The goal of the art program this past year in the Middleboro Public Schools was to accomplish two main objectives. One was the develop- ment 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 manmade things. The other was the development of consumer art in the student, or equipping 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. Keep- ing these two objectives in mind, a complete outline was planned to aid the teachers in Grades 1 through 12. A new course of study was intro- duced in the schools this year; a series of books called "Growing with
Ernestine B. Wood Myrtle A. Marden Mary F. O'Connell Margaret C. Szupillo Leah M. Boutin
Middleborough Junior High School
Virginia T. Cahoon
Supervising Principal of the Mayflower, Rock and South Middleboro Schools
Teaching Principal of the School Street School Assistant Principal of the Memorial High School
65
ANNUAL REPORT
Art." The course offered new and increasingly challenging creative experiences to the students. 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. I feel that the art education program has become increasingly important to the enrichment of the school cur- riculum and to the community during the past year.
During the year, besides teaching and supervising at the high school two periods daily, visits have been made regularly to all the elementary schools. In the elementary grades, I have taught a lesson in each class- room on the day schedule for visiting and have also left instruction for follow-up work with the grade teacher. The work has included making murals in correlation with the other subjects, illustrations, posters, con- struction work for the holiday seasons, modelling, papier-mache masks, weaving, color, lettering, paper and soap sculpture, crayon work, and painting. The teachers exhibited in all grade levels the pupils' art work in their respective rooms in a most meaningful and artistic manner. Also a special exhibit of creative art work by the pupils has been on display in the office of the Superintendent of Schools. Each school was assigned a month in which to furnish material for the large bulletin board. This has been well received with great interest by many townspeople.
In addition to the regular work that has been carried on, here are listed some of the many ways in which the art department has functioned to help the school and the community this past year: posters for all school organizations, civic clubs, dances, food sales, socials, Senior Play; school activities of all kinds and decorations for all school parties as well as many assembly programs and stage settings. Many projects have been made for the Junior Red Cross to decorate the wards in hospitals throughout the state. For the first time this year, we competed in the National Ivory Soap Contest and we won one of the two prizes in Massachusetts. This one was won by a Junior High School student under the direction of Mr. Carver H. Mann, art teacher. This certainly was quite an honor. A very fine exhibition of posters, costumes and a mural was on display at the High School under the direction of Mr. Robert Brady, art teacher, during United Nations Week in October done by the students in the freehand drawing classes.
At the public library in November we featured an unusual display of children's books, written and illustrated by 27 members of the High School Potential Artists' Group. The basic requirements were that the story be written for a child under eight years of age, and that it illustrate a moral. The students used their imaginations and natural creative abilities to complete their assignments. This assignment served several purposes, especially in proving to the student how art could be put to good use in combination with literature. This was quite an advanced
66
ANNUAL REPORT
problem for a high school student. Many of the books could well be published.
In the spring a three-day Art Workshop was held at the High School under the direction of the art consultant of the Milton Bradley Company. There were 40 teachers who attended the three five-hour sessions. We awarded in-service credit certificates to all of the teachers completing the course. This art workshop proved very inspiring and helpful to the teachers.
It is with sincere gratefulness that I thank those who have coopera- ted with me in my earnest efforts to develop a better knowledge and appreciation of art, to develop standards of good taste, to provide oppor- tunities for art expression, to stimulate creative imagination, to discover and encourage the development of talent and to educate for leisure time enjoyment of the arts and crafts for our pupils when such a program is so much needed for our youth in the world of today.
DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS Henry E. Battis, Director
Memorial High School Staff
Joseph S. Antone, Jr., Coach of Track and Assistant Coach of Football Virginia Bartlett, Coach of Hockey, Basketball and Softball Henry E. Battis, Director of Athletics, Coach of Baseball Edwin Denton, Assistant Coach of Basketball Albert C. Governor, Coach of Cross Country
Joseph A. Masi, Coach of Football and Freshman Basketball Charles M. Stewart, Coach of Basketball W. Robert Thomas, Coach of Freshman Football
Middleborough Junior High School Staff
E. Fen Carpenter, Coach of Girls' Intramural Sports Edwin Denton, Coach of Intramural Football and Baseball Vincent P. Sullivan, Coach of Intramural Basketball
The "highlight" of 1957 in the Athletic Department was the long awaited for and much needed improvement in the "indoor" facilities at both the Junior and Senior High Schools. These new improvements have already added immeasurably to the health education program, as well as the physical education and athletic programs.
For the first time there has been an indoor intramural program for girls in the Junior High School. There has been a similar program for the boys, as well as a boys' inter-scholastic basketball schedule of six games.
The value of the new facilities can be pointed out in the High School program better than in the Junior High, because a better comparison of the new versus the old can be made. With added space, the various
67
ANNUAL REPORT
girls' teams have been getting close to two hours practice daily, as com- pared to about one hour daily in the past. Most of this time has been spent in the old gym, but they have been getting about one-half hour daily in the new gym and all their varsity and junior varsity games are played there. In addition, a much more accelerated volleyball and bad- minton tournament for the girls was conducted in the old gym. At the present time consideration is being given to running a girls' intramural basketball program.
The boys' varsity basketball team has been getting just about twice as much time for practice as before, as well as the opportunity to prac- tice on a court comparable to those used by their opponents. The size of the new floor makes it possible for the junior varsity and freshman teams to practice at the same time, giving each boy about three times as much practice as with the old system. Even when these groups prac- tice separately they get nearly twice as much time as they used to.
Needless to say, the improvements for the spectators are as notice- able as those for the players, and the compliments instead of complaints and ridicule have been most appreciated by those conducting the program.
At the conclusion of the regular session, the Middleboro gym was picked by the South Shore Principal's Association to be used twice for the South Shore Basketball Tournament. Both nights there was just about a "capacity house," with about 700 paying and 100 non-paying spectators. It was with a feeling of pleasure and pride that it was pos- sible to pay back some of the courtesies extended to us for so many years.
Although the results were not obvious, I felt that we went into our first baseball game last Spring having had more practice than in any other prior season. This, too, was made possible by the use of the new gym. Many, many hours were spent on fundamentals which, because of the weather or the size of the old gym, would have been impossible. Spasmodic practice sessions caused by bad weather conditions were elim- inated, resulting in fewer sore arms than ever before.
The near perfect weather conditions this fall made it unnecessary to use the gym for football practice sessions, except in a few instances, but again the value of this new addition became apparent to coaches and players alike.
The members of the Athletic Department are indeed happy and ex- tremely grateful to everyone in the Town of Middleboro for making these improvements possible. It is hoped that the students, themselves, will fully appreciate these facilities and will care for them accordingly - knowing that their parents' money has made them possible.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.