USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Middleton > Town annual report of Middleton, MA. 1957 > Part 5
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80. Vocational Education
834.38
806.05
1,000.00
TOTALS
$122,703.09 $210,962.72 $207,909.23
LIBRARY DEPARTMENT - 1.14% OF TOTAL
81.
Salaries and Wages
$1,596.00
$1,875.50
$1,900.00
82. Expenses
2,247.42
3,368.76
2,600.00
Plus Dog Tax Refund
777.44
$3,843.42
$5,244.26
$5,277.44
RECREATION - 0.14% OF TOTAL
Park
83. Expenses
$ 830.65
$ 602.46
$1,400.00
UNCLASSIFIED - 4.24% OF TOTAL
84.
Retirement Assessment
$3,360.65
$5,049.66
$5,878.64
85
Memorial Day
386.80
400.80
425.00
86. Printing Town Reports
970.87
1,023.75
1,050.00
87. Insurance
3,434.12
5,310.10
7,653.00
88. Motor Vehicle Insurance
2,092.03
2,750.00
89. Christmas Lighting
67.95
74.10
50.00
90. Reserve Fund
2,000.00
1,166.16
2,000.00
TOTALS
$10,220.39
$15,076.60
$19,806.64
100
RECOMMENDATIONS FINANCE COMMITTEE
Item
Item
Average Expended 1954-1956
Expended 1957
Recom- mended 1958
PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISES
Electric Light Department
91.
Salaries
$ 7,943.33
$ 8,296.00
$ 9,200.00
92.
Wages
14,925.55
16,327.00
19,000.00
93.
Energy
81,108.20
101,780.46
110,000.00
94. Expenses
20,263.95
17,449.05
18,000.00
95. Depreciation
6,404.44
8,109.27
8,500.00
96.
Line Clearance
2,986.95
1,487.30
1,800.00
97.
Emergency Fund
1,000.00
$133,632.42 $153,449.08 $167,500.00
WATER DEPARTMENT - 0.23% OF TOTAL
98.
Salaries
$ 300.00
$ 300.00
99.
Expenses
593.63
2,000.00
TOTALS
$ 893.63
$2,300.00
CEMETERIES - 1.21% OF TOTAL
100.
Supt. of Burials Salary
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
101.
Commissioners Salaries
60.00
60.00
60.00
Cemetery
102. Expenses
4,488.98
4,199.54
5,520.00
103.
Opening Graves
759.75
977.63
900.00
TOTALS
$5,338.73
$5,267.17
$6,510.00
MATURING DEBT AND INTEREST - 8.22% OF TOTAL
104. School Addition Loan
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
105.
Addition No. 2 Loan
10,000.00
10,000.00
106.
Fire-Highway Building Loan
5,000.00
5,000.00
5,000.00
107. Fire Truck Loan
3,000.00
108. Interest
3,401.25
9,226.25
9,103.75
TOTALS
$18,401.25
$34,226.25
$37,103.75
GRAND TOTALS
$341,219.53 $430,381.83 $435,038.12
No.
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Town of Middleton
ONDE
7
for the Year Ending December 31, 1957
103
SCHOOL REPORT
SCHOOL REPORT
School Committee
MR. EBEN L. JEWETT, Chairman
MRS. ROSAMOND BASTABLE, Secretary
MR. HENRY SAWYER
MR. JOSEPH R. CHARTIER
MR. HENRY LUSCOMB
Term expires 1958
Term expires 1958
Term expires 1958
Term expires 1959
Term expires 1960
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS RAYMOND S. DOWER, JR.
Office: Howe-Manning School Tel. SPring 4-3517
Office Hours - 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. - Monday - Friday
School Calendar 1958
Open January 6, 1958 Close February 28, 1958 VACATION - ONE WEEK
Open March 10, 1958 Close April 25, 1958
VACATION - ONE WEEK
Open May 5, 1958
Close June 13, 1958
SUMMER VACATION
Open September 8, 1958
Close December 23, 1958
School Holidays
Good Friday May 30
November 11, 27 and 28
October 13
(and such other days as the School Committee may designate) The School Calendar may be subject to change.
104
SCHOOL REPORT
No School Signals
The following no school signals have been adopted:
a. 2-2-2 blast on the fire alarm
5 .
b. Two blasts at the B. B. Chemical Co.
c. Street lights on for three minutes
d. Radio Stations WBZ and WESX will carry an announcement on their regular no school broadcasts.
The signal for the High School will be at 7:15 A.M. The signal for the Howe-Manning School will be at 7:45 A.M.
SCHOOL CENSUS
October 1, 1957
Age
Girls
Boys
Total
5-7
58
73
131
7-16
243
270
513
4-5
48
35
83
3-4
30
33
63
2-3
36
25
61
1-2
30
30
60
Under one year
27
20
47
Age of School Admission
All children born on or before January 1, 1953 are eligible to attend school in the coming Fall term. No entrance tests for children under the age requirements will be given.
Employment Certificates
Certificates for the employment of minors between the ages of 14-18 may be obtained at the Superintendent's office during regular office hours.
105
SCHOOL REPORT
HOWE-MANNING SCHOOL Corps of Teachers 1957-1958
Date of
Name
Grade Appointment
Geo. E. Port, Jr., M. Ed.
Boston College
Prin. Sept. 1955
Catherine Devane
Lesley College 1 Sept. 1953
Evelyn Hausman
Westchester Teachers 1 Sept. 1956
Gertrude Moffette, B.S. Ed.
Fitchburg Teachers 1 Sept. 1957
Mary L'Heureux, B.S. Ed.
Boston College 2 Sept. 1956
Carol Mansfield, B.S. Ed.
Salem Teachers Col. 2
Sept. 1957
Eleanor Cassidy, B.S. Ed.
Salem Teachers Col. 3 Sept. 1955
Gladys William's
Bridgewater Teachers 3
Sept. 1954
Rhoda Goodwin, B.S. Ed.
Salem Teachers Col. 4
Sept. 1957
Marjorie Eustis
Westfield Teachers
4 Jan. 1958
J. Nellie Johnston
Salem Teachers Col.
5 Sept. 1949
Rose E. Durgin, B.S.
Gordon College
5 Sept. 1956
Betty Bourdreau, B.S. Ed.
Lowell Teachers Col.
6 Sept. 1957
Nancy DeSautels, M. Ed.
Boston Teachers
6
Sept. 1957
Shirley Foley, B.S. Ed.
Salem Teachers Col.
7 Sept. 1955
John Hanlon, M.A.
Am. International Col. 7
Sept. 1957
Lillian Taylor, B.S. Ed.
Salem Teachers Col. 8
Sept. 1953
Eugene Winter, B.S. Ed.
Lowell Teachers Col. 8
Sept. 1954
Ida Romanow, B.A.O.
Staley College
Ungraded
Sept. 1957
Tufts University
Art Sept. 1953
Lowell Teachers Col.
Music Sept. 1957
Salem Teachers Col.
Read. Sept. 1957
Staff Members
Date of
Appointment
Lois K. Rogers, M.D.
Yale Univ. Physician
Sept. 1945
Stephen D'Urso, D.M.D.
Tufts Univ. Dentist
Apr. 1953
Irene Richmond, R.N.
Salem Hosp. Nurse
Jan. 1957
Marion Seaver
Bryant & Secretary
Aug. 1955
Dorothy Coffin
Cafeteria Mgr. Sept. 1953
Jennie Johnson
Cafeteria Worker Sept. 1952
Mary Silva
Cafeteria Worker Sept. 1955
Mary Armitage
Cafeteria Worker June 1956 Head Custodian and
Nathan Hayward, Jr.
Attend. Officer Apr. 1950
Perley Lovelace
Custodian June 1957
Edward Bruzzo, B.S. Sandra Masi, B.S. Ed. E. Frances Donovan
Name
Stratton
106
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the citizens and taxpayers the Middleton School Committee hereby submits its report for the year 1957:
Your school committee has held its regular monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. In addition to the regular meetings, special meetings have been held for the purpose of evalu- ating our educational program and for preparation of the school budget. Last spring our committee enrolled in the seminar for school committees sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and given in Boston by the Boston University School of Education. During this weekly series of seven meetings, some of the major concerns of school committees were analyzed and discussed by persons competent to assist school board members in understanding and fulfilling their responsibilities. Our committee members have also attended our area meetings of the Massachusetts School Committee Association. These meetings provide the opportunity to visit new school buildings in the area, hear authorities talk on some topic of vital interest to school committees and to exchange ideas and compare notes with school people from other cities and towns.
The current problems most common to all school committees seem to be increased enrollments, increased budgets, lack of teachers, and lack of space. We in Middleton have faced these problems but to a lesser degree.
Our enrollment figures show Middleton's growth to be increasing steadily rather than in leaps and bounds. The 6-room addition of which the townspeople can be justly proud is nicely caring for the accumulation of the enrollment growth of the past few years. Naturally an enlarged school plant results in increased staff and increased maintenance and operating costs which are reflected in the school budget. However, by and large, the major increase in the school budget proposed for 1958 is the result of the full impact of the salary program adopted last year. In spite of the readjustments made and the schedule voted a year ago, in order to keep Middleton in a bargaining position in the teacher market, the committee has increased the minimum salary from $3,300 per year to $3,500 per year effective September 1958 with a resulting $200 across the board increase. We feel that we have an outstanding and dedicated teaching staff who are in no sense of the word overpaid. In spite of a national teacher shortage, we have been able to keep our schools adequately and capably staffed.
107
SCHOOL REPORT
In all our deliberations we have made an earnest effort to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of all phases of our school system.
We have continued our policy to encourage the use of our school for community and civic purposes. During this past summer arrange- ments were made to allow for the use of the school toilet facilities by the children participating in the playground program.
We as a committee have been concerned for some time that many Middleton pupils fail to take advantage of the educational oppor- tunities afforded them and many capable students fail each year because of a decided lack of effort and/or excessive absences. Aside from the fact that these failures place an unnecessary burden upon the taxpayers, the committee is convinced that our young people have a responsibility to assume and have faith that our young people will meet this responsibliity. Consequently we have voted to declare ineligible for payment of tuition by the town any pupil over 16 years of age whose school failure is judged due to decided lack of effort and/or excessive absences.
The school committee has petitioned the State Department of Education to reconsider its decision of two years ago and to allow Middleton to have one person serve as both superintendent and principal instead of having a full-time superintendent as recommended at that time. We feel that we have been administratively top heavy which makes for less efficiency and a greater financial burden.
We have been very happy with the fine educational program and excellent cooperation offered our Middleton high school pupils by the Salem High School. Since these tuition arrangements with the Salem School Department are of a temporary nature, the Middleton School committee is still looking forward with anticipation to the completion of the regional Junior-Senior high school by September, 1959.
We wish to express our gratitude to the parents and townspeople for the outstanding interest, cooperation and support given our school system during the past year. We solicit your cooperation and sug- gestions in the future.
We wish to thank our Superintendent, Mr. Dower; our Principal, Mr. Port; our faithful teachers, supervisors, custodians and cafeteria workers for their cooperation and loyalty during the past year.
Respectfully submitted, MIDDLETON SCHOOL COMMITEE Eben L. Jewett, Chairman Rosamond L. Bastable, Secretary Henry F. Luscomb Joseph R. Chartier Henry Sawyer
108
SCHOOL REPORT
ENROLLMENT STATISTICS AGE-GRADE DISTRIBUTION - OCTOBER 1, 1957
Age 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 15
16
Totals
Grade
I
20
55
3 .
78
II
6
48
6
60
III
14
43
4
3
64
IV
10
37
14
2
63
V
12
43
7
62
VI
11
40
3
54
VII
6
25
3
4
38
VIII
15
14
7
3
1
40
Ungraded
1
3
2
2
3
11
Totals
20
61
65
59
54
74
57
45
20
11
3
1
470
TEACHER-GRADE DISTRIBUTION - OCTOBER 1, 1957
Un-
Teacher
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
6
7
8
Miss Devane
26
26
Mrs. Hausman
26
26
Mrs. Moffette
26
26
Miss Kelley
30
30
Miss Mansfield
30
30
Mrs. Williams
33
33
Mrs. Cassidy
31
31
Mrs. Feenan
30
30
Miss Goodwin
33
33
Mrs. Johnston
30
30
Miss Durgin
32
32
Mrs. Boudreau
26
26
Miss DeSautels
28
28
Miss Foley
19
19
Mr. Hanlon
19
19
Mrs. Taylor
21
21
Mr. Winter
19
19
Mrs. Romanow
11
11
Totals
78
60
64
63
62
54
38
40
11
470
Grade Grade Grade. graded· Total
109
SCHOOL REPORT
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
To the Middleton School Committee:
Herein is submitted my annual report as Superintendent of Schools for the Middleton School System.
FACILITIES
Probably the most important changes taking place on the Middleton educational scene during the past year have been the completion of the six-room addition to the Howe-Manning School and the transfer of Middleton high school students from Danvers to Salem.
Culminating the work of several years, the long awaited six-room addition to the Howe-Manning School was opened this past September. That its opening was none too soon was evidenced by its immediate employment for classroom space. Only one room in the entire building does not house a class. It is employed as a music and art room this year and this will be in use as a classroom by September 1958. The addition represents a masterful blending of the original structure with the new on the part of the architect and contractor.
The new rooms have been equipped with the latest in school furniture. Plastic topped desks and individual desk and chair units in pleasing colors have been installed. Individual toilet facilities are present in the lower grade rooms. Drinking fountains and sinks are present in each classroom to cope with problems encountered in modern educational instruction.
The freight entrance and storage space also provided will serve as welcome relief to the problem of storing necessary supplies. The new kitchen has proved itself in the few short months it has been in operation. Much favorable comment has been heard both from townspeople and from educators in surrounding communities who have visited the local structure.
Other facility changes this past year have included moving the reading room from the top floor of the building to the main floor where it is now located across the hall from the office. Combined with the library it now serves as a resource center for classroom, audio- visual and other reference materials. The former reading room has now become the men teachers' lounge and has been equipped with
110
SCHOOL REPORT
several pieces of furniture to allow the male members of the faculty to have a room to themselves - something they have not had up to this time.
With the aid of the additional classrooms, it has now been possible to satisfy State Department of Education requirements for ungraded classes. One classroom has been set aside for this purpose and special equipment including a stove has been procured to aid the instructor.
The transfer of Middleton students to Salem from Danvers was inevitable because of the rapid growth in recent years of the Town of Danvers. Its school population increasing at a rapid rate, the neighboring community found itself hard-pressed for classroom space. The City of Salem was able to provide the temporary answer to Middleton's housing problem at the secondary level. This community is indeed fortunate to be able to send its pupils to a high school with highly diversified course offerings, experienced staff and exceptionally capable administrative personnel. Relations have been most gratify- ing with officials of the Salem School Department whether concerning administrative matters or problems involving individual Middleton púpils.
CURRICULUM
Of personal satisfaction to the members of the faculty and to the writer has been the adoption of new science textbooks for the Howe- Manning School during the past year. This adoption has resulted from the year-long study undertaken by members of the factulty during the 1956-57 school year. Recognizing the need for an evaluation of science instruction more than a year ago, faculty members created a complete program of science instruction from Grades One through Eight and recommended the D. C. Heath Science series as the text best suited to parallel the course of instruction constructed by the teachers. This new series was installed in Grades 1-6 in September, 1957. Since that time, additional equipment has been authorized the junior high science program under the direction of Mr. Eugene Winter. Items for demonstration purposes have been purchased and are now in use.
Also, during the past year, additions have been made to the social studies program. This also is a result of the faculty workshop program. The Follett Unified Social Studies series of textbooks had been installed in the sixth grade during the 1956-57 school year on a trial basis. This was done in order to introduce more material concerning Canada and South America and also to determine pupil and teacher reaction to the materials presented. The reaction has
111
SCHOOL REPORT
been so enthusiastic that this series has been extended to the Fourth and Fifth grades.
Further work in the Social Studies area has shown the need for more adequate maps and globes to build global concepts and under- standings. A planned program of map and globe replacement extend- ing over several years has been initiated and initial equipment has been installed in practically every classroom.
A new system of penmanship has been adopted by the Middleton School Department. After several years of experimenting with the Rinehart system of penmanship, the Zaner-Bloser system of hand- writing has been adopted. Along with this new system, ball point pens have been furnished students from Fourth Grade up. These pens are loaned to the students and serve to encourage better handwriting as well as neatness as the need for individual ink wells is eliminated.
The need for diversified reading materials in the school library has been recognized and based on the recommendations of Mrs. Frances Donovan, remedial reading teacher, a large selection of books have been purchased for the library. In addition, the yearly selection of Cadmus books has been made and purchased for the school library. These books are correlated with the classroom reading materials and offer the classroom teacher an extra opportunity to further incite the interest of her pupils through proper reading materials.
Additional classrooms have meant more time necessary for supervisors. The Music Supervisor, Miss Sandra Masi, is now spending a day and a half each week at the Howe-Manning School in order to visit each classroom at regularly spaced intervals. Previously only one day each week was necessary for the special subject supervisors. The Art Supervisor, Mr. Edward Bruzzo of Lawrence, is now spending one day each week at the elementary school but provisions have been made to increase this time allotment to a day and a half each week in September 1958.
MAINTENANCE
A second janitor was added to the maintenance staff this past year in order to assist Nathan Hayward, head custodian, to adequately care for the Howe-Manning School which was increased from fourteen classrooms to twenty classrooms with the completion of the new addition. Mr. Perley Lovelace was elected to the new position and began work in June in order to assist Mr. Hayward with the Summer maintenance program. With the addition of the second custodian, it has been possible to clean the classrooms at the close of the day rather than during the recess periods as was done heretofore. Mr.
112
SCHOOL REPORT
Hayward is on duty from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mr. Lovelace is on duty from 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. In this way, it is possible to make the building available for youth groups during the evening hours as the custodian is on duty. The addition of the second custodian is expected to be of great assistance during the years ahead as many repairs heretofore handled by outside contractors can now be handled by the maintenance staff.
During the past Summer, the cafeteria ceiling was covered with sound absorbent tile and new fluorescent lighting was installed. The cafeteria walls were painted and two windows installed to provide more natural light. A new ceiling together with more appropriate stage lighting was installed above the stage in the school auditorium. The gymnasium floor was sanded and relined and the shower rooms painted during the summer program.
A new asphalt tile floor has been installed in the junior high social studies room and the men teachers' room on the second floor. There are only a small number of classrooms remaining with original wooden floors, All other classrooms have had tile floors installed. This type of floor is much easier to maintain, and should remain indefinitely with a minimum of care.
TRANSPORTATION
Because of the transfer of high school students to Salem, it became necessary to negotiate transportation facilities with the present bus contractor, John Muzichuk. It has been possible to plan bus service for youngsters attending Salem High School in the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes and for seniors allowed to remain at the Danvers institution. In addition to regularly scheduled bus trips, a late sessions bus is provided with a ride home to Middle- ton. Also, bus tickets are available at the Superintendent's office for students engaging in athletics or other extra-curricular activities and thereby prevented from riding on the late sessions bus. Every effort is being made by this office to ease the transportation burden on the individual student as much as possible. Conditions will improve somewhat during the next school year as the Danvers seniors will have been graduated and all Middleton high school students will be attending only Salem High School pending the completion of the regional high school.
At the present time, three busses are necessary to transport high school students. With an increase in high school enrollment expected in September, 1958, it may become necessary to add an additional bus on the high school trips. Three busses make two trips each on the elementary school routes each day.
113
SCHOOL REPORT
Again, this past year, each classroom was accorded the privilege of one bus trip to a place of educational interest, and finally, both girls' and boys' sports teams were provided with bus transportation when participating in athletic events in nearby communities. .
CONCLUSION
In the ruins of UR a room has been unearthed that was a school 4,500 years ago. Clay tablets of instruction used there still exist. Schools and education have been a part of every known civilization. Education today is an accumulation of all things education has been in the past.
The specfic purposes for which the first schools were established are not known. It is recognized that two historic streams of culture and religion have largely produced modern Western civilization: the ancient Greek tradition and the Hebrew-Christian tradition. These two great currents continue to influence profoundly the stream of life and education in the United States today.
Along with these have developed scientific research and teaching and, utilizing both, modern technology which is producing the wonders of mass production in manufacture, agriculture and commerce.
Today there are insistent demands that major emphasis be placed on academic education so that this nation will be assured that scientists will be provided in abundant supply. The almost hysterical demand for revolutionizing our educational system to permit us to "catch up" with the Russians is emotional and ill-advised in the opinion of the majority of the nation's educators, and certainly that of the under- signed.
There is always the need for changing our educational methods and advantage should be taken of the aroused public interest to review our educational system from grade school to college, seeking basically to promote those methods of teaching which are the simplest and most straightforward in order to be understood. If this is a worthy aim, it should appply to all branches of the curriculum - whether science or history, mathematics or literature.
Our objectives should be that which include better education in literature, the arts, the social science, the biological sciences, and philosophy as well as in science and mathmetics. This is also by way of saying that our objectives at Howe-Manning School are constantly under scrutiny to determine their worthiness. Let's not be too worried about "catching up" with the Russians in science and mathematics.
114
SCHOOL REPORT
If we are to win the important race and perpetuate the democratic way of life, we need broadly educated men and women.
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.
Superintendent of Schools
115
SCHOOL REPORT
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
To the Superintendent of Schools of the Town of Middleton:
I am very happy to submit to you herein, and on the following pages, my annual report for the calendar year 1957 as Principal of the Howe-Manning School.
FACULTY
Three more teachers were added to the staff this year. This was brought about due to an added enrollment at the first grade level and two sixth grade classrooms as against only one last year, as well as compliance with the state law regarding specialized educational training.
The faculty now consists of eighteen classroom teachers, an Art Supervisor, Music Supervisor, Reading Specialist, and Principal. New teachers added to the faculty this year include: Grade One, Mrs. Robert Moffette; Grade Two, Miss Carol Mansfield; Grade Four, Miss Rhoda Goodwin; Grade Six, Miss Nancy DeSautels and Mrs. Theodore Boudreau; Grade Seven, Mr. John Hanlon; Ungraded, Mrs. Harold Romanow; Reading Specialist, Mrs. Frederick Donovan; Music Super- visor, Miss Sandra Masi.
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