USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Middleton > Town annual report of Middleton, MA. 1955 > Part 6
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Through the cooperation of the Danvers YMCA, Saturday morn- ing physicial education classes have been held this past year for boys in Grades Three through Eight. Mr. David Phillips of the school faculty has been in charge. Beginning this past Fall, high school classes have been held on Monday evenings under the same auspices.
CONCLUSION
It is gratifying to note the increased use of Howe-Manning School facilties during the past sveral years. Schools are costly to build and costly to maintain. They are even more costly to maintain when employed for school purposes only. A more complete return for money invested by taxpayers is realized when school facilities are in use as often as possible.
Individual music lessons are hled each weekday afternoon after school. Physical education classes are held Saturday mornings and at least one weekday evening. Faculty members serve as instructors. Mr. Winter is in charge of instrumental music and Mr. Phillips is in charge of recreation classes.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have taken advantage of the facilities for fund raising programs. The Boy Scouts hold their annual Christmas party each year in the school cafeteria and gymnasium. One Girl Scout troop meets periodically in the school cafeteria. In addition, community organizations have employed the school facilities at frequent intervals for various social occasions throughout the yaer, including the Summer months.
122
SCHOOL REPORT
It can be truthfully stated that the Howe-Manning School is a community-centered school - offering educational opportunity to future citizens as well as providing a place for social and recreational activity for all members of the community.
My appreciation is hereby extended to the entire staff, the School Committee, and the citizens of the Town of Middleton for their support and cooperation.
Respectfully submitted,
RAYMOND S. DOWER, JR.
Principal
123
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
A brief summary of the School Health Program is as follows:
Children in Grades 1 - 4 - 8 were given thorough physical examinations with a hemoglobin (blood color) examination done on all these grades and blood pressure taken on eighth graders.
Each child in every grade was tested for vision and hearing impairments. The Massachusetts Vision Test which is approved by the State Department of Public Health, pointed out visual difficulties while the Audiovox - a machine used only by ear specialists and in clinics - pointed out those with hearing disturbances.
The number of visits to the clinic for first aid treatment is countless. They range in varying degrees from minor cuts and bruises to fractures, appendicitis, etc.
The Diphtheria immunizations were done as usual in the Spring and this year we added a new innoculation to our program. This only applied to the first and second grades and was gratefully received by almost everyone. This of course was the Salk Vaccine as a pro- tective against Poliomyelitis.
Children were weighed and measured twice during the year. The reason for this is to see if there is any remarkable increase or decrease from time to time.
The Dental Program continues as successful as ever. This is always a popular place with the children as strange as it may seem.
Patch Tests were applied and those who proved to be Positive will be taken to the Essex Sanatorium for X-rays. This year on the recommendation of the Sanatorium only grades 1 - 4 - 7 were done.
Pediculosis checks were done a countless number of times. The number of offenders was very low.
In conclusion I would like to thank Mr. Dower, Dr. Rogers, Dr. D'Urso and all School Personnel for their cooperation and assistance.
Respectfully submitted,
LOUISE M. BRENNAN, R.N.
School Nurse
124
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF READING SUPERVISOR
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
During September and October the Stanford-Binet Tests of Mental Maturity were given to several first grade pupils who were not tested in the Spring and a reading aptitude test was administered to all the children in this grade. Then, several boys and girls who read below the level of their own grades were referred to me, by their classroom teachers, for an extensive diagnostic test. Such a test indicates the specific difficulties of each child.
Using the results of this last test, homogeneous groups have been organized for additional help in reading. Soon there will be thirteen of these groups, made up of approximately sixty pupils from grades three through eight.
When a member of one of these groups grows in reading power sufficiently to enable him to carry on the work of his grade, he will no longer attend a special reading class. If the methods of instruction are geared to meet the individual needs of the child, such improve- ment is possible. It, of course, should be done as early in his school life as possible so that wrong habits and attitudes do not become firmly set, but a diligent child of any age can derive considerable help from special reading instruction.
Respectfully submitted,
DORIS F. ASHLEY
Reading Supervisor
125
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF MUSIC SUPERVISOR
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
I submit, with pleasure, this report of the music program in the public school of Middleton.
We continually strive to develop the child's ability to sing rote songs well, and we teach him to read music. In the lower grades we spend a great deal of time trying to get each child to sing in tune, as there are always many who are unable to do this. The lower grades also do much note reading, rhythmic work, folk dancing and listening to records. The first graders play rhythm band instruments and the third graders are playing toy flutes again this year.
In the upper grades we do more advanced music reading and singing in parts. Grades Seven and Eight have a regular music appreciation period also in which they listen to records of famous composers and learn about the various symphonic instruments.
The instrumental program is continuing to grow. There are many more stuednts taking instrument lessons this year after school. Mrs. Lucy Barnes, a professional violinist, who plays in various symphony orchestras, comes to the school one afternoon a week to teach the violin. Mr. Eugene Winter of the faculty is teaching the woodwinds, brasses and percussion.
The orchestra, which meets once a week, is growing in size and variety of instruments. Through the proceeds received from the pageant presented by the school children last year, we were able to purchase beautiful blue and gold satin capes and caps for the orchestra players. They were worn by the members of the orchestra for the first time at the graduation last year.
May I take this opportunity to thank all in the school system for their fine cooperation and friendliness.
Respectfully submitted,
DORIS M. NYQUIST
Music Supervisor
126
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF ART SUPERVISOR
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
The art program at the Howe-Manning School is designed to meet the creative, social and emotional needs of the student body.
A variety of media are used, including crayon, pencil, water- color, poster paint, chalk, construction paper, ceramic clay, clayola, and paper maiche.
Three dimensional projects are engaged in for the purposes of developing esthetic as well as manual skills. Such projects include clayola modeling, paper cast construction, paper sculpture, paste paper ceramics, clay ceramics and paper maiche sculpture.
The upper grades are given a major share of the three dimensional work, but basically the same projects are given all grades. Methods of instruction vary, according to the grade level, however.
Group murals are being made for the secondary advantages of fostering social consciousness and cooperation. These murals are correlated with subjects under study.
Posters with a socially worthy theme are made and reveal the esthetic possibilties of proper lettering.
When special occasions for school decorations arise all grades are encouraged to make contributions.
Life drawing with student models'is done in order to allow the more critical students to develop their own powers of observation, and logically outgrow whatever schematic symbolism that has lost meaning for them. It is also aimed to prevent students from falling into the habit of thinking they can do nothing worthwhile unless they copy other pictures.
Designs are made to symbolize musical compositions with the view of revealing similarities in emotional qualities. Designing is approached abstractly as a means of giving it a universal meaning.
The emotional and esthetic qualities of color are revealed by placing emphasis upon the relationships of warm and cool colors as exemplified by nature. By reducing color considerations to two, the student's innate ability to select good color is guided yet free from under restrictions.
Respectfully submitted,
EDWARD BRUZZO
Art Supervisor
127
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE HANDWRITING SUPERVISOR
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
Once again I am pleased to report on the operation of the handwriting program for the past year.
Your teachers have continued to give us splendid cooperation and for the many courtesies extended to me and my personnel I am most grateful.
Our records show at the conclusion of June 1955 that 97% of the papers scored were Excellent or Good. It is reasonable to conclude, therefore, that 97% of the papers were eminently satisfactory. Only 3% of the papers were rated Fair or unsatisfactory.
During the past school year we graded and diagnosed approxi- mately 2700 formal and 8100 informal samples of handwriting for your pupils. A formal test was administered at four teaching-week intervals and a report was furnished each teacher in writing giving a careful diagnosis of the handwriting of each pupil in the room. We supplied the following instructional and motivational materials to your pupils and teachers: teacher outlines and folders, pupil folders, motivation graphs, individual certificates to pupils who qualified, diagnostic charts, handedness tests, term envelopes, seals, etc.
Our primary objective is to teach your students to read and write both cursive handwriting and hand lettering in order that they may have these two tools as efficient aids in school, business, and social correspondence. At each grade level we attempt to achieve the standard norm in speed and never lose sight of the fact that the concomitants of neatness, accuracy, and attention to detail in going work are desirable characteristics that need to be developed along with technical skill.
Respectfully submitted,
W. L. RINEHART
Director
128
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE DENTAL CLINIC
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
The Dental Clinic has completed another very successful year. An increasing number of pupils have taken advantage of the facilities of the clinic.
The clinic is open to children of all grades but the emphasis is with the younger children. In this way the child is introduced to the dentist before extensive tooth decay has developed. This is an import- ant factor since we are concerned not only with the correction of gross dental defects which are already present, but also in the prevention of extensive tooth decay. This is accomplished by the treatment of small defects in the teeth of the younger children, teaching them the importance of receiving this treatment at an early date. They are also taught other preventive measures such as proper methods of toothbrushing and the importance of a proper well- balanced diet.
Many of the pupils of the upper grades have also received treat- ment in the clinic. A number of these had never previously been treated by a dentist. It is gratifying to know that some of these had all necessary treatment completed before graduation and they have left the school with a knowledge of the importance of regular visits to the dentist.
The clinic is open on Wednesday and Friday mornings and parents are invited to call at the clinic to discuss problems concerning the children's teeth.
In conclusion, I wish to thank Mr. Dower, the teachers and the school nurse for their assistance throughout the year.
Respectfully submitted,
STEPHEN J. D'URSO, D.M.D.
School Dentist
129
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE REGIONAL SCHOOL INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
As a result of action taken at the last annual town meeting the following regional school investigating committee was appointed by the town moderator: Mrs. Rosamond Bastable, Mr. Richard Quinn, and Mr. Robert Sperry.
The members met on July 19 and organized with Mr. Quinn as chairman and Mrs. Bastable as secretary.
Letters were sent out to the towns of Georgetown, Danvers, Ipswich, Rowley, Topsfield, and Boxford notifying them of our organization and interest in investigating the possibilties of a regional setup with surrounding communities.
The committee met with Mr. Simeon Domas of the State Building Assistance Commission to discuss the suggested proper procedure for conducting this investigation.
To date our committee has met with representatives of the Boxford and Topsfield Regional Board and future meetings are planned with this group.
Our committee would like this to be considered a report of progress. As additional information becomes available to this com- mittee, it will be passed along to the townspeople.
REGIONAL SCHOOL INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
Richard Quinn, Chairman Rosamond Bastable, Secretary Robert Sperry
INDEX
Balance Sheet -
- 44
Cemetery Endowment Report -
-
-
-
- 51
Cemetery Department -
-
-
- 34
Charities
- - 25 -
Cummings Fund -
- 49
General Government - -
9
Health and Sanitation - -
22
Highways - -
-
-
23
- - - - - - 29 Library and Parks - -
Municipal Indebtedness -
- - - 35
Payroll Analysis
- 46
Public Service Enterprises -
- 32
Protection of Persons and Property -
- - 18
Recapitulations - -
-
- -
- - - - - - 27
- - -
3
Town Officers Salaries
-
- 13
Town Treasurer's Account - - 48
Unclassified Account
-
- 30
Veterans' Services
-
- 26
PART II
Assessors' Report
- 76 -
Building Inspector's Report
- 75
Board of Appeals -
88
Dog Officer's Report -
- 87
Electric Light Report
89
Finance Committee Recommendations
-
- 97
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - 37
School Department -
Town Officers - -
-
INDEX (Continued)
Fire Department Report - - 91
Flint Public Library Fund
- 59
Fire Station and Highway Building Committee - - 93
Highway Department
81
Jurors List
- - 74
Land Owned by the Town - - 50
Librarian's Report 1 I
- 62
Moth Department Report -
- 84
Planning Board Report
- 95
Public Welfare - -
- 96
Police Department Report - - 85
Regional School Investigating Committee -
- 129
Selectmen's Report -
64
School Reports -
- 111
Tax Collector's Report - - 78
Town Clerk's Report
- 67
Tree Department Report -
- 83
Wire Inspector's Report - -
- 90
Warrant for March 13, 1956 - Inside Front Cover
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