USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Middleton > Town annual report of Middleton, MA. 1960 > Part 5
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200.00
Masconomet Regional School District
85. Regional
215,761.51 222,353.05
86.
Vocational Education
1,171.96
668.20
600.00
TOTALS
170,813.81 361,882.15 389,199.05
LIBRARY DEPARTMENT
- . 84% OF TOTAL
87.
Salaries
1,693.83
1,840.00
2,900.00
88. Expenses
3,332.54
2,791.63
2,000.00
Plus dog tax refund
654.15
TOTALS
5,026.37
4,631.63
5,554.15
RECREATION - . 21% OF TOTAL
89.
Park
1,006.56
1,397.92
1,400.00
90. Equipment
465.00
TOTALS
1,006.56
1,862.92
1,400.00
UNCLASSIFIED - 3.35% OF TOTAL
91. Retirement Assessment
5,864.55
5,454.70
6,086.51
92. Printing Town Report
1,043.25
1,260.50
1,250.00
93. Memorial Day
398.77
444.96
450.00
94. Insurance
6,055.34
6,260.00
6,260.00
95. MV Liability Insurance
2,366.61
2,347.91
2,450.00
96. Christmas Lighting
54.61
40.93
50.00
97. Reserve Fund
1,457.90
1,933.98
2,000.00
98. Group Insurance
1,017.61
600.00
99. Blue Cross - Blue Shield
5,341.38
2,950.00
TOTALS
17,241.03
24,107.97
22,096.51
96
RECOMMENDATIONS FINANCE COMMITTEE
Item
Item
Expended Expended
No.
1957-1959
1960
Recom- mended 1961
PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISES
Electric Light Dept.
100.
Salary
8,897.33
9,700.00
10,636.00
101. Wages
17,986.26
18,378.52
21,000.00
102.
Energy
106,587.21 116,558.53 138,000.00
103.
Expenses
17,334.41
18,545.17
20,000.00
104. Line Clearance
1,627.95
1,600.59
1,800.00
105. Depreciation
8,562.03
9,468.03
10,000.00
106.
Emergency Fund
1,000.00
107. Essex St. Lights
2,200.00
108. Lakeview Road Lights
300.00
109. Park Avenue Lights
300.00
TOTALS
152,097.56 177,050.84 202,436.00
WATER DEPARTMENT
.40% OF TOTAL
110. Salaries
300.00
300.00
450.00
111. Commissioners Expenses
113.25
80.99
200.00
112. Maintenance
2,373.41
2,560.32
2,000.00
TOTALS
2,786.66
2,941.31
2,650.00
CEMETERIES - 1.12% OF TOTAL
113.
Commissioners Salaries
60.00
60.00
60.00
114. Supt. of Burials Salary
30.00
30.00
30.00
115. Cemetery Expenses
5,404.42
5,677.42
5,800.00
116. Opening Graves
1,034.91
1,025.40
1,000.00
117. Hot Top
499.80
500.00
TOTALS
6,529.33
7,292.62
7,390.00
MATURING DEBT AND INTEREST - 5.48% OF TOTAL
118. School Addition 1950 Loan
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
119.
School Addition 1956 Loan
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
120. Fire-Highway Bldg. Loan
5,000.00
5,000.00
5,000.00
121. Fire Truck Loan
3,000.00
3,000.00
122. Interest
9,010.68
8,741.56
8,100.00
TOTALS
34,010.68
36,741.56
36,100.00
GRAND TOTALS
411,000.81 637,364.09 659,972.71
Average
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Town of Middleton
NT
for the Year Ending December 31, 1960
99
SCHOOL REPORT
SCHOOL REPORT
School Committee
MR. EBEN L. JEWETT, Chairman MR. DAVID V. HARDING, Secretary
MRS. ROSAMOND BASTABLE
MRS. KATHERINT FAIRBANKS
MR. A. CHANDLER HADLEY
Term Expires 1961
Term Expires 1963
Term Expires 1961
Term Expires 1963
Term Expires 1961
SUPERINTENDENT-PRINCIPAL GEORGE E. PORT, JR.
Office: Howe-Manning School Tel. SPring 4-3517
Office Hours - 8:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. - Monday through Friday
School Calendar 1961
Open January 3, 1961 Close February 17, 1961
VACATION - ONE WEEK
Open February 27, 1961 Close April 14, 1961
VACATION - ONE WEEK
Open April 24, 1961
Close June 16, 1961
SUMMER VACATION
Open September 11, 1961 Close December 22, 1961
School Holidays
Good Friday May 30 October 12 November 23 and 24
(and such other days as the School Committee may designate) The School Calendar may be subject to change.
100
SCHOOL REPORT
No School Signals
The following no school signals have been adopted :
a. 2-2-2 blast on the fire alarm
b. Two blasts at the B.B. Chemical Company
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 Howe-Manning School will be at 7:15 A.M.
SCHOOL CENSUS
October 1, 1960
Age
Girls 70
Boys
Total
5-7
83
153
7-16
279
313
592
4-5
44
56
100
3-4
40
32
72
2-3
38
41
79
1-2
39
44
83
Under one year
37
40
77
Age of School Admission
All children born on or before December 31, 1955 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-Principal's office during regular offce hours.
101
SCHOOL REPORT
HOWE-MANNING SCHOOL Corps of Teachers 1960-1961
Date of Grade Appointment
Name
Vice-
Eugent C. Winters, Jr., B.S. Lowell Teachers Col.
Prin. Sept. 1958
Judith Burke, B.S.
State Teachers Col. 1 Sept. 1959
Catherine Devane
Lesley College
1 Sept. 1937
Marjorie Smith, B.S.
Gordon College
1 Sept. 1959
Arlene Weinstein, B.S.
New Paltz State
Teachers 1 Sept. 1960
Emmanuel College 2 Sept. 1960
Farmington State Teachers 2 Sept. 1960
Georgia Lewis, B.S.
Boston University
2
Sept. 1958
Sylvia Harris, B.S.
Boston University
3 Sept. 1960
Lucille Nanis, B.A.
Barnard College
3 Sept. 1960
Sheila Standring, B.A.
Emmanuel College
3 Sept. 1959
Lorraine Beattie, B.S.
Gordon College
4 Sept. 1960
Rose Conrad, B.S.
Boston College
4 Sept. 1959
Marilyn Finnegan, B.S.
State Teachers Col.
4 Sept. 1960
Rose Durgin, B.S.
Gordon College
5 Sept. 1957
J. Nellie, Johnston
State Teachers Col.
5 Sept. 1949
Silvestro Borrelli, M.Ed.
Coolidge College
6 Oct. 1958
Eugene C. Winter, Jr., B.S. Lowell Teachers Col. Ruth Chasse, B.S. Mount Saint Vincent
Ungraded
Sept. 1958
Edward Bruzzo, B.S.
Tufts University
Art Sept. 1953
Linda Mortensen, B.S.
Wheaton College
Music Sept. 1959
Kathleen Dolan, B.S.
Boston State Teacher College
Reading
Sept. 1959
Arnalee Haberman, M.Ed. Brandeis University
Speech
Sept. 1960
Henrietta Giannino, M.A. Barnard College
Phy. Ed. Sept. 1960
6 Sept. 1954
Marie Kielbasa, B.A. Villa Lavorgna
102
SCHOOL REPORT
HOWE-MANNING SCHOOL (Cont.)
Staff Members 1960-1961
William C. Wiswall, Bowdoin College Physician
M.D.
Boston Univ.
Sept. 1960
Leo P. Beninato, D.D.S. Georgetown U. Dentist
Sept. 1959
Phyllis S. Brown, R.N. Union Hospital Nurse
June 1960
Lillian Floyd
Burdett College Secretary
Nov. 1959
Marjorie Comack
Fisher Business Clerk
College
Dec. 1959
Mary King, B.S.
Univ. of N.H.
Cafeteria Mgr. Aug. 1958
Mary Silva
Cafeteria Worker Sept. 1955
Lorayne Hocter
Cafeteria Worker Sept. 1957
Myrtle Boardman
Cafeteria Worker Sept. 1958
Helen Doucette
Cafeteria Worker Sept. 1959
Perley Lovelace
Head Custodian
June 1957
T. Myron Reynolds
Custodian and
Attend. Officer May 1960
103
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the citizens of the Town of Middleton the School Committee submits its annual report for the year 1960.
The year 1960 brought into focus as never before, the role that today's education will play in -tomorrow's world. Two conflicting idealogues are locked in a life or death struggle, with education as one of the major battlefields. America is only as strong as its grass roots and we, here in Middleton, and those in similar small towns across the nation, are the grass roots. What happens in the Congo affects you and your neighbor, and the training that we give our children will eventually affect the remotest areas of the world. If we are to survive, our children must not only have the finest technical education avail- able, but also an education with meaning and purpose. While these goals must be achieved, they must be achieved by ways and means which are within the economic capacity of the community. If an educational system, no matter how excellent, is allowed to bankrupt a town, all that would have been achieved is lost. The decisions and actions of the committee during the past year were tempered by a keen awareness of its responsibilities to our community both locally and nationally.
Mr. George Clayton resigned from the school committee in June of 1960 due to change of residence. Mr. Chandler Hadley was appoint- ed to fill the interim until the election in March 1961.
A written policy notebook was developed, as planned during 1959, the final draft of which will be presented shortly. This project puts into written form the policy for every phase of our elementary school program. It is divided into six major series as follows:
100 Internal School Committee Operation
200 Personnel Policies
300 Pupils
400 Curriculum and Educational Programs
500 Public Relations and Business Management
600 Auxiliary Services
Each of the major series is subdivided as many times as necessary to cover the relevant subject matter.
104
SCHOOL REPORT
Every paragraph was subjected to the scrutiny of the town counsel, for possible legal objections, and many of his suggestions were incorporated into the final draft. The result is the elmination of doubt and indecision by the school administration concerning the policies as set up by the school committee. It will provide better control and help build a more efficient organization.
The Joplin Plan in reading and arithmetic inaugurated in 1959 was continued. The Gillingham System in remedial reading was expand- ed as was homogeneous grouping. All of the mentioned methods are fully described in the Superintendent-Principal's report and each deserves the careful attention of the citizens. Statistical data compiled on the initial stages of all three programs show surprisingly good re- sults. They are being continued this year with slight modifications.
The report card system was changed so as to give a more accurate picture of what the student is actually accomplishing. In making this change we did not simply revert back to the old A, B, C, system, but rather took the best from both the old and newer progressive ideas. The result is a report showing accomplishment, modified by the teacher's opinion of effort expended.
There were some excellent additions made to the school staff during the past year. In addition to the teacher replacements we were fortunate in securing the services of Dr. William Wiswall, as school physician, and of Mrs. Phyllis S. Brown, as school nurse.
Every poll, survey, and investigation made during the past few years on the relative physical condition of American youth as com- pared with the youth of the Northern European countries, has shown that our children are behind and moreover slipping farther behand. The modern "American Way of Life" simply does not allow the time or the inclination and promote better buying habits. This is in addition to the inclination for proper exercise. There is a crying need for planned physical training and exercise under supervision. For this reason we have appointed a physical education instructor. We intend to have a program which will develop good sportsmanship and leadership, but even more important, we want a hard driving program which will give our children the physical capacity to withstand the tension and pres- sures of this modern day life.
105
SCHOOL REPORT
Firm and uncompromising fiscal policies demanding full value for every dollar expended have been continued. A new inventory system on equipment and furnishings has been set up, which will avoid duplica- tion and promote better buying habits. This is in addition to the revolving inventory established some years ago for the control of classroom supplies. New and less expensive sources of supply have been sought out. The school administration and staff cooperated fully in this program. Although supplies, salary raises, and even textbooks have been kept to a minimum competitive conditions demanded a re- vision of the salary schedule.
The challenge is great, but the mandate is clear. We move into 1961 determined and confident that our town, as part of the free world community, can and will build an educational system far superior, and of greater benefit to mankind, than anything the advocates of state rule can produce.
Respectfully submitted,
MIDDLETON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Eben L. Jewett, Chairman David V. Harding, Secretary Rosamond L. Bastable Katherine Fairbanks Chandler Hadley
106
SCHOOL REPORT
Enrollment Statistics - Age-Grade Distribution - October 1, 1960
Age
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
Totals
Grade
I
18
61
7
86
II
16
54
6
1
77
III
17
40
13
1
71
IV
21
37
9
67
V
1
43
10
3
57
VI
14
40
9
1
64
Ungraded
1
3
1
1
1
3
1
11
Totals
18
77
79
70
53
67
51
13
4
1
433
Teacher-Grade Distribution - October 1, 1960
Teacher
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Ungraded
Totals
Miss Burke
22
22
Miss Devane
21
21
Mrs. Smith
21
21
Mrs. Weinstein
22
22
Miss Kielbasa
29
29
Mrs. Lavorgna
21
21
Mrs. Lewis
27
27
Mrs. Harris
24
24
Mrs. Nanis
24
24
Mrs. Standring
23
23
Mrs. Beattie
25
25
Miss Conrad
20
20
Miss Finnegan
22
22
Miss Durgin
28
28
Mrs. Johnston
29
29
Mr. Borrelli
32
32
Mr. Winter
32
32
Miss Chasse
11
11
Totals
86
77
71
67
57
64
11
433
107
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT- PRINCIPAL
To the Middleton School Committee:
Herein is submitted my third annual report as Superintendent of the Middleton School System and Principal of the Howe-Manning School.
HOWE-MANNING SCHOOL STAFF
The faculty now consists of 18 classroom teachers, an Art Super- visor, Music Supervisor, Reading Specialist, Speech Therapist, and Physical Education Instructor. New teachers on our staff this year include: Grade One, Mrs. Arlene Weinstein; Grade Two, Miss Marie Kielbasa and Mrs. Villa Lavorgna; Grade Three, Mrs. Sylvia Harris and Mrs. Lucille Nanis; Grade Four, Mrs. Lorraine Beattie and Miss Marilyn Finnegan; Speech Therapist, Miss Arnalee Haberman; and Physical Education Instructor, Mrs. Henrietta Giannino.
Mrs. Phyllis Brown, School Nurse, joined our staff in June and Dr. William Wiswall became our School Doctor in September. Mr. T. Myron Reynolds became assistant custodian in June.
Standards of class size established this year as part of School Committee policy resulted in the creation of an additional fourth grade and, also, another class at the first grade level. It was felt that in- coming first grade children who have not had the benefit of kinder- garten experience could not be adequately prepared for second grade if they were grouped in classes with as many as thirty members. Fur- thermore, the establishment of large classes tends to impede the educational advancement of slower children.
CURRICULUM AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
In my last report, I described a program, commonly known as the Joplin Plan, then being intiated and used in Grades 4, 5, and 6 in the areas of reading and arithmetic. In this type of program, children who are clearly above or below grade level in one or both of these sub- jects are allowed to progress at the rate which their ability and achievement best indicates. This is accomplished by having the children leave their homerooms and attend classes which are working at their particular pace and grade level. As I indicated in my report to the School Committee in June, the results have been extraordinarily good. The program is being continued again this year with only slight modifications.
108
SCHOOL REPORT
Another program initiated a year ago was the Gillingham System of reading. This program proved to be highly successful within the confines of the remedial reading program, as is mentioned in the re- port of the Remedial Reading Specialist. Encouraged by this suc- cess and having in mind the axiom that "the best cure for reading pro- blems is to prevent them from occurring," it was decided to train a teacher in this method and introduce the system in a first grade class. The children were selected with very definite criteria in mind and placed in one particular division of the first grade on October 1st. The favorable results are already evident, although definite statistical proof must await the conclusion of the program in June.
Homogeneous grouping in Grades 2 and 3 appears to have been quite successful. Evidence of this is the success in reading of the best division of the second grade which read both second grade read- ers, two supplementary readers, and one of the third grade readers.
'The assisting teacher program inaugurated in the slow division of the second grade in January proved highly successful as the objec- tive evidence proves that the children, although already in educational difficulty, progressed almost three times as far as they had under the previous arrangement. It has thus been proven that much can be gain- ed by using this plan when we discover a class that is having great difficulty in learning.
New report cards based on grade standards have been issued. This report card states specifically what the quality of the child's work is, at what level the child is working, and the teacher's estimate of the effort being expanded by the child.
Regular monthly meetings of the Superintend-Principal of the Masconomet Regional Junior-Senior High School, the Superinten- dent of Schools of Boxford and Topsfield, and the undersigned have been held with a definite agenda planned beforehand. From these meetings have come a much better articulation between the schools in the areas of testing, school records, and children's problems.
In accordance with the plans devised last year to assure uniform- ity of information being presented to the Masconomet Regional Junior-Senior High School authorities, our testing program has been modified this year. At present, intelligence tests are administered in Grades 1, 4, and 6 and achievement tests at all levels from the 2nd through the 6th grade.
A committee composed of the principals and a faculty member from each of the four schools mentioned, under the chairmanship of Mr. Winter, of our staff, drew up a new cumulative record card to further insure uniformity of all data being given the Regional School.
109
SCHOOL REPORT
Faculty subcommittees have continued to function this year, and the undersigned is pleased to comment on the high quality of work being done by the faculty during these after school sessions. Author and title indices have been made for every book in our library and work is underway at present on a subject-matter index. Another committee constructed a handbook of regulations and information for new teachers. Still another committee is constructing a cross-indexed card catalog for visual aids.
As can be seen through the reading of the annual reports of past years, the curricula emphasis has been on reading and arithmetic, in that order; and while we will never be satifised with progress made, we feel that sufficient progress has been made in our various programs so that we can now focus more sharply on the area of the Language Arts. The undersigned is now working with a committee of teachers in an attempt to evaluate our Language Arts program which includes English Grammar, Handwriting, Spelling and Speech.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
It is the feeling of the administration that an intelligent under- standing of the problems and efforts of the school by the citizens of Middleton will inevitably profit both the school and the home. For this reason, an effort to involve more citizen participation, with a view toward explaining what is being done, has been one of our major tasks this year.
The undersigned instituted a series of five seminar-type sessions which have been offered to three groups of twenty parents each this past year. These sessions include discussions on matters of intelligence, achievement, discipline, retention, curriculum plan for the future, and many other problems. They afford the opportunity to obtain first-hand answers to questions in small group discussions and, in several in- stances, suggestions of parents in these group have been adopted by the administration.
The half-hour teacher-parent conferences on the second Wednes- day of the month have been conducted this year. These afford a fine opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss problems during a scheduled period with the child's record at hand and when other people will not interrupt.
MAINTENANCE
Again this year most of our maintenance work has been centered around repairs to the various facets of our heating plant.
During this year the last of the repair work on the temperature controls was completed and a contract drawn up with the Minneapolis- Honeywell Company to maintain these delicate instruments.
110
SCHOOL REPORT
In an effort to have exact and complete records of all equipment and furnishings in the Howe-Manning School, a small sum of money was set aside for a physical inventory and numbering of all such equipment. Availability of these records is important to insurance companies and also conserves funds and saves needless duplication of purchasing.
New classroom clocks were purchased to replace worn out units, and certain electrical and plumbing repairs were accomplished.
The undersigned would like to call special attention and express appreciation for the excellent janitorial services being rendered under the supervision of Mr. Perley Lovelace, Head Custodian.
AUXILIARY SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
It is with pleasure that the undersigned notes that the school dental clinic continues to serve the children well. Most satisfying to me is the continuing emphasis on dental hygiene education.
Continuing what has been a very fine program, our school cafe- teria deserves commendation for its economical yet nutritive meals.
The wonderful group of P.T.A. members again this year con- tinued its work on selling U. S. Savings Stamps under the highly competent and willing leadership of Mrs. Willis Estey. During the year Mrs. James Stewart, Mrs. Richard Collins, Mrs. Joseph Connor, and Mrs. James Mansfield have aided Mrs. Esty in this effort so that we need not rely on teachers or children and thereby lose valuable class time.
The Student Projectionist Club, Safety Patrol, and our student newspaper, the "Chalkboard", continue to be of service to the school. Participants in these activities must live up to high standards in order to be eligible for these activities.
As mentioned in the Music Supervisor's Report, the children of Grades 2, 3 and 4 took part in a Christmas Operetta entitled, "The Christmas Wish". The proceeds from this undertaking will be used to purchase some new music books.
CONCLUSION
The education of the children of Middleton is an obligation, the solemnity and importance of which it realized by no one more than those to whom it is entrusted. But the home must be an active partici- pant in the educative process, and to be active participants, the citizens must understand how the school is attempting to educate its children.
The undersigned hopes that the citizens will read carefully and thoughfully through all the reports of the various supervisors and will make every possible attempt to gain knowledge concerning their school.
111
SCHOOL REPORT
In the near future the School Facilities Survey Committee will make its report. Since the results of their deliberations are unknown at the time of this writing, the undersigned would like to suggest quite strongly that great attention and thought be given to recom- mendations of the committee. The decision arrived at by the citizens of this town will vitally affect the educational future of our children.
It is the conviction of the entire faculty that through sustained effort and study, an even better education can be offered the children of Middleton and to this task we rededicate ourselves.
For the assistance and sympathetic understanding given him this past year, the undersigned would like to express his thanks to the entire staff, the school committee, and the citizens of the Town of Middleton. May Almighty God grant us the foresight to attempt that which holds promise, the wisdom to develop new and better plans, and the fortitude to do what is best for our children.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE E. PORT, JR. Superintendent-Principal
112
SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF SCHOOL NURSE
To the Superintendent-Principal, Howe Manning School:
During the year 1960 the following health programs were carried out at the Howe-Manning School.
The Massachusetts Vision Test was given to 429 children with 31 failures. All of these failures were reported in writing to the parents and most have been or are presently under treatment.
Hearing tests were given to 448 children with 16 failures. These children were all referred to their own physicians and I am pleased to say most of them have been seen by private physicians. The hearing tests are done individually by means of an audiometer and the failures are rechecked before a written notice of failure is sent home.
The Mantoux Test was given to the children in Grade 1. In this test a drop of harmless liquid tuberculin is put into the skin. The Es- sex County Health Association and state health officials feel this test is more accurate than the patch testing done in the past.
Physical examinations were given to children in grades 1, 4 and 6 in the 'Fall of 1959 and the Spring of 1960. A total of 103 children were given complete physicals by Dr. Lois Rogers, School Physician. 30 mothers were present when their children were being examined. 23 of the children went to their own physicians for physical examinations. Reports of defects were sent home in writing for all the more im- portant findings referring them to their own physicians for care or correction. Hemoglobin determination and urine analysis are done on all children receiving the complete physical examination at school.
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