USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Middleton > Town annual report of Middleton, MA. 1961 > Part 9
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The major portion of teacher time in general music is devoted to the seventh and eighth grade program. Group singing, study of the
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instruments of the orchestra and backgrounds of present-day music are emphasized in these grades where students are required to take music two periods each week.
The band, orchestra and choral groups have continued their growth in numbers and quality of performance to the extent that space and programming for rehearsals is an acute problem. All groups have been busy with school concerts, assemblies, music festivals and exchange concerts with other schools. Highlights of the year have been The Band Exchange Concert with Bedford High School, the Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta "Pirates of Penzance" and our Spring Concert.
The participation of our students in the Northeast District Con- cert and Audition Festivals has provided special experiences for the more talented musicians and it is gratifying to note that of twenty students auditioning for District Festival in December, eighteen were accepted. Sixteen of these students will also be eligible to try out for the All-State Festival.
New scarlet and grey uniforms, made available through the combined support of the Parents' Music Association and the Masconomet School District, gave added class and spirit to our band. Marching routines together with uniforms added a great deal to our football games this fall. The same Parents' Music Association is now sponsoring a drive to secure robes and blazers for the orchestra and choral group.
Behind the performances of our music groups lies many hours of individual and group lessons and we have been fortunate in obtaining a staff of qualified instructors to come into school and give private lessons regularly to over one hundred students. Such private instruction has been found to be the only reliable method by which students acquire the competence which leads to a significant musical experience.
Physical Education
What the American citizenry chooses to do with its leisure time might well determine the progress or decay of our society, for not only is the physical fitness of our individuals at stake, but of critical concern is the emotional satisfactions or frustrations that confront human beings with time on their hands.
The goal of Physical Education then is to convince our youth through experience that they can combine recreational activities with principles of good physical fitness.
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All students are required to take physical education two periods per week and we hope that increased facilities will allow us to possi- bly double this amount of time. (President Kennedy's Council on Physical Fitness recommends that every boy and girl in our school have a physical education class each day.) All students are tested and rated twice each year using the AAHPER Fitness Test approved by the Fitness Council.
Physical Education classes include three phases - a warm up period of calisthenics followed by a short period of instruction and a greater part of the period devoted to organized activity. Great stress is devoted to body cleanliness with showers require of all who partici- pate. The boys program includes tumbling, apparatus activities, tennis, archery, basketball, track and field events, mass games, badminton, square dancing, co-educational activities and fitness test- ing. The girls have basically a similar program modified for them with the addition of field hockey and modern interpretive dance.
Athletic Program
Related to, but separate from, Physical Education is our athletic program which is available to all boys and girls who are interested enough to remain after school and participate on a regular basis. For boys we now offer varsity and junior varsity football, cross country, varsity and junior varsity basketball, tennis, baseball and track. The junior high boys play football, seventh grade and eighth grade basket- ball and baseball. For the girls we offer varsity and junior varsity field hockey, varsity and junior varsity basketball, varsity and junior varsity softball and tennis. The junior high girls receive season- al instruction in the various sports, but do not participate in inter- scholaste competition.
We would like to place greater emphasis on junior high intra- mural activities but time, facilities and personnel limit this program.
It is of significance to record the participation of Masconomet teams as competitors in (a) the Bay State Basketball Tournament Class "B" where they reached the semi-finals before being eliminated, (b) the Cape Ann League in state Class "C" Baseball Tournament where they were eliminated in the qualifying round (c) North Shore Track Conference where we placed first.
During the year we have had approximately 160 boys and 100 girls participating on the athletic teams, while approximately 110 junior high boys have been active.
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We are proud of our accomplishments but are prouder still of the continued high reputation we have for sportsmanship and fair play. Our coaching staff and student athletes have been a credit to our school.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Accepting the challenges of helping all students to grow as tall (educationally speaking) as possible means that our school program must provide instructional programs for individuals and small groups of students who have special problems or academic barriers, as well as providing challenging programs for the academically talented. An expanded remedial and developmental reading program, an integrated teaching program for slower learners and a special class for the re- tarded but educable group are all projects now established as signifi- cant parts of our system.
Reading Program
All students, fast learners and slow learners, need to improve both speed and comprehension in reading. Some fast learners may not be fast readers and some slow learners may be labelled so simply because of poor reading skills which can be overcome with specialized help. The specialized help is now being provided through the services of Mrs. Roy Hatt and Mrs. Jacquelynne Stepanian who have been provided with space and facilities by dividing the Reading Room into two teaching spaces.
The number of students now involved in the reading program has nearly doubled in one year with 173 pupils currently enrolled in either a developmental or remedial program.
Developmental reading has been carried on in all senior college preparatory English divisions and with two voluntary groups of juniors. Another experimental program involves the reading specialist working two periods each week with an 8th grade English division. Remedial cases are assigned to special reading instruction after being identified through careful study of reading tests or by referral from teachers. Almost all cases must be handled on an individual basis as each case involves different combinations of skill deficiences and the length of time that an individual will remain in reading will vary. Pupils are released as soon as adequate progress is made, therefore the number involved at any one time will fluctuate and the total number served during the school year 1961-1962 will exceed the cur- rent enrollment of 173.
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The expansion of the reading program is a natural and inevitable process since we are becoming increasingly aware of the number and variety of reading problems. This is not to say that our present day students are poorer readers than in years past. Quite the contrary, the majority of present day students are reading more and with better comprehension.
Special Education
Guided by state regulations, Masconomet instituted a Special Class for children retarded in mental development but able to profit by an educational program designed for them and taught by a teacher with specialized training in the field of Special Class Teaching.
Mr. Herbert Silander, who previously taught regular classes here, accepted the challenge or organizing and teaching this class. He has taken the special courses to qualify and in September 1961 he started working with nine students who were screened for the program by psychological and medical examinations as prescribed by the Massa- chusetts Department of Education.
Pupils now enrolled in this class (7 boys and 2 girls) are scheduled with Mr. Silander for all of their basic academic subjects, English, Math, Social Studies and Science and join regularly schedul- ed classes in Art, Music, Industrial Arts or Home Economics and Physical Education. The small size of the academic class and the specialized learning approach make it possible to almost completely individualize the instruction and emphasize many specific habits which will serve the students in life. Punctualty, responsibility, fairness, self-control, truthfulness and other characteristics of citizenship are handled with the particular student in mind.
A successful phase of this program has been the coordinated work experiences provided through lunchroom and custodial work. Students have not only provided service to the school but they have experienced pleasures and problems related to wage earning and saving.
Careful evaluation of each individuals progress is made by the teacher and close communication with parents has been established with both the teacher and the school nurse making home visits.
The scheduling of this Special Class has proven to be of great benefit to the students involved. They are happy and for many it is the first time that they have been able to enjoy school and experience succes with learning. The fine start is a great credit to Mr. Silander's understanding and dedication to the program and we anticipate con-
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tinued improvement of the program through added instructional aids geared to this class.
Integrated Teaching For Slower Learners
By scheduling one teacher to teach both English and Social Studies to the same group of students and making the numbers in the group smaller, we can have the teacher working more periods with each pupil; thereby knowing him better and at the same time connect- ing the work done in English with that done in Social Studies. If we add to this type of scheduling the notion of asking teachers to specialize in teaching slow learners, we have the essence of our special efforts toward an integrated program for slower learners in grades seven and eight. We, likewise, are using a similar scheduling practice in mathematics and science where one teacher is teaching both sub- jects to the same group of students.
In my opinion by far the greatest factor in the success or failure of such an approach is the quality of the teachers involved. A great deal more study and planning needs to be done in this area, but the results being achieved now are great enough to warrant continued efforts on our part. A significant problem to date has been the turn over of teaching staff in these courses, but we have several enthusias- tic teachers now accepting the challenges and I have hopes that we can keep them on our staff.
Driver Education
Nearly every boy and girl now growing up will become a driving adult and the amount of driving will undoubtedly increase. Predictions that one out of every two Americans will be killed or injured in traffic accidents can be proven wrong if we can develop in our young people a strong sense of personal and social responsibility for the common welfare as it is affected by the operation of motor vehicles. This is the challenge confronting our Driver Education Program.
Our present program includes two phases: classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training. Approximately 140 students will re- ceive classroom instruction by Miss Catherine Clarke, a teacher with special training in Driver Education. Priority is given to upper-class- men insuring all seniors wishing to participate an opportunity to do so. Many pamphlets, charts, films and other aids made available by insurance companies, oil dealers and automobile dealers have been used to enrich the course. A great deal of emphasis is placed on developing proper attitudes and high personal standards which pro- mote safe highway conduct.
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The second phase of the program, Behind-the-Wheel Training, is taught by Mr. Robert Parker, Director of Driver Education, and Mr. Donald VanPelt, a classroom teacher and qualified Driver Training teacher. About seventy students receive this instruction during the school year with all driving being done after school hours and Saturdays. Basic driving skills are combined with emphasis on safe driving, good form, sound judgement and self-control. In a 1962 Valiant, donated by Loring Motor Co., of Salem, each student will receive at least six hours of behind-the-wheel practice. During this period, students are also encouraged to obtain additional practice in the family car and at the conclusion of the school program all students receiving the recommendation of the driving instructor, are tested by the Registry of Motor Vehicles inspector. Driver Training certificates are awarded students who meet three qualifications: (1) Pass the classroom instruction with an 80 average, (2) Complete a minimum of six hours of driving in the school car plus six hours of observation, (3) Obtain a driver's license from the Registry.
The Driver Training Program has become a very popular course in the summer school program, allowing us to reach twenty additional students each year.
As we anticipate enrollment increases and consider ways of including more students in this program we are faced with the pro- blem of time and facilities to handle satisfactorily the demands for we are presently using the training car as much as possible unless we consider use during the regular school day. Another alternative might be the use of more than a single car.
Guidance Services
Believing that each child must eventually stand by himself and face with confidence his responsibilities as both a producer and con- sumer in adult life, our guidance program continues to assist pupils in making reasonable self-appraisals identifying strengths and weak- nesses in abilities, interests, and achievements. Results of aptitude and achievement tests are shared with pupils and parents and more attention is now being given to helping teachers utilize test data to analyse both individual and group strengths and weaknesses. The more we work with standardized test results, however, the more we realize the limitations of such instruments unless they are carefully used in conjunction with school records, personal aspirations, indus- triousness, and personal and social adjustment of each child.
Individual counseling sessions with students and/or parents con- tinues to utilize much of the time of our counselors. This fall we
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initiated Wednesday evening counseling sessions for any parents unable to schedule sessions with counselors during the regular school day. It is early yet to properly evaluate the effectiveness or the necessity of such a program, but to date quite a few parents have taken advan- tage of this added service. A very successful Seminar for parents of seventh graders, as measured by turn out and spontaneous response from parents, suggests that more of this type of program, wherein parents, teachers and counselors have the opportunity to discuss educational questions and problems common to them all, should be held. As we progress with our guidance services to increase help to teachers and to parents as well as expanding our guidance services to the student, we need to relieve counselors of their classroom teach- ing assignments so that full time can be devoted to guidance work. The tremendous demands just to keep abreast in the fields of educational and occupational information make the responsibilities of the counselor or guidance worker heavy. Our counselors have regular- ly attended conferences, met with college admissions personnel and visited college campuses, and enrolled in guidance institutes or courses to keep themselves up-to-date in a rapidly changing field. The very low drop-out at Masconomet can be credited to a substantial degree to the success of our guidance program in helping our youth select courses that satisfy their needs, and in other ways assisting them in adjustments to school life. As we grow we plan a more energetic pro- gram of assisting students not going on to college with their solutions of job placement problems.
Continuing to be successful are the series of occupational infor- mation conferences sponsored by Northeastern University. These con- ferences make available to students authorities in a variety of fields of work. A series of films and occupational information tapes are also used through their services.
Another significant development in our Guidance Services has been the establishment of close cooperation with the North Shore Child Guidance Center where service to work with deep-seated emotional or maladjustment problems are available. Several meetings with personnel at this center have strengthened our understanding of how special cases identified by our personnel can be best handled.
Research is an important function of the Guidance Department and now that two classes have graduated and are making their way into adult life we will be starting follow-up research to determine how well we have served and in what ways we can improve. Not only are we concerned about graduates but likewise we are concerned about students who have dropped out of school before graduating. During this
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past summer Mr. Nathan Purpel did considerable research on all such students who have left Masconomet since it started in 1959. The results of his research reveal that sixteen students withdrew from school in the 1959-60 school year while only half that number, or eight, withdrew in 1960-61. The percentage of enrollment figures are even more significant with .036% withdrawing in 1959-1960 and decreasing to a low .016% in 1960-1961. This is a very low percentage and speaks highly for our program but we would like to have it even
lower. Of the 24 students who have withdrawn, fourteen were boys and ten were girls. The average age of withdrawal is seventeen and the average grade level achieved is grade ten while the average marks were "D's".
According to the survey, nine are gainfully employed; four are unemployed; seven are married; and four are in the Armed Services.
My personal experiences with our Guidance Program this year have been far in excess of those normally involving a School Principal. The resignation of Mr. Milton Burton during the summer as Director of Guidance left the position unfilled. While we have been searching for the qualified person to assume this important role, my substitute work has provided a most worthwhile opportunity to hasten my understanding of our school program and the students. The nature of guidance dealing with students educational problems, test analysis, etc., involves the heart of the school, so that this oppor- tunity for me to work closely with guidance has been very rewarding and will be a definite asset to me as I continue to work as principal. However, I hasten to admit that our Guidance Program will improve and I will be able to concentrate much more of my attention upon curriculum work once we obtain the person we want as Guidance Director.
ACTIVITY PROGRAM
In addition to the musical and athletic activities previously men- tioned in this report, Masconomet accepts as part of its responsibility the careful organzation and running of a co-curricular activity pro- gram aimed at fostering leadership by students, providing students with opportunities to be of service to the school and general student body, helping students to understand how important active and intelli- gent group membership can be, developing skills in working coopera- tively with fellow students and broadening interests in worthy use of leisure time.
The continued use of Period 8 each day to schedule activities allows a large number of students to participate in over forty dif-
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ferent activities scheduled for this period. Some students are able to benefit from several activities but the majority of students must restrict participation to a limited few. This restriction is desirable however, as we encourage students to pursue quality work in what- ever they undertake. We also try to emphasize a proper balance be- tween classroom academic work and activity work although experience shows a few very talented students wishing to involve themselves with a large number of experiences. Often to our surprise such ambitious students excell in both academic and activity work, so that we regu- late participation more on an individual basis than on a rigid rule for limited participation.
It is interesting to note that all general areas used for large group activities such as the Auditorium, Cafeteria, Music Room and Gymnasiums are used every possible period and demands are exceed- ing the availability of these spaces.
Student Council
One of the most significant experiences in leadership training available to Masconomet students is membership in the Student Council. This group of eighteen student leaders, elected by the student body, works steadily in the field of student and school welfare. Spon- soring the Foreign Student Exchange Program, studying the Student Handbook and suggesting revisions, sponsoring the Student Monitor program and regulating the student activity calendar are some present examples of the type of problems handled by this group. The group is charged with the total responsibility of decision making based upon careful investigation and inquiry followed up by evalua- tion of actions taken. This responsibility for failures as well as successes help create a very real approach to a pattern of social problem-solving that can be used in social and civic living as adults. The emphasis placed upon parlimentary and democratic procedures makes Student Council work a very valuable learning experience.
As the school grows in size and experiences this student group will increase in importance and service in the identification, study, and solution of school social problems. This year the Council has joined both the National Association of Student Councils and the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils and in November, three delegates from our Council attended the fall convention of the Eastern Massachusetts Division of Student Council held at the Acton- Boxborough Regional High School.
Student Monitors
The Student Monitor program sponsored by, but seperate from, the Student Council continues to provide an extremely valuable serv-
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ice to the school. These Monitors are stationed throughout the corri- dors during the passing time between periods and help students regulate their conduct and traffic patterns. Particularly significant is the initiative and dedication of these students as they perform this very effective service. An important practice that challenges the maturity and judgment of this group is the weekly Monitors Court where the violators of school traffic and conduct regulations are given a hearing with habitual offenders being disciplined. The discipline of a student by his peer group is generally more effective than discipline administered by the teachers or administration.
Service Clubs
Several additional clubs provide needed service to our school program in addition to providing the individuals with responsibilities and human relations experiences. The Art Service Club, Library Aids, Audio-visual Club, Announcers Club, Stage Management Club, Photography Club, Student Receptionist are all such groups per- forming services suggested by the titles.
Clubs Related To Academic Subjects
The following clubs continue to function well through the interest of teachers who have the students in instructional programs that are closely related. French Club, German Club, Latin Club, Spanish Club, Junior High School Science Club, Senior High School Science Club, Biology Club, Creative Dance Club, Gym Team and Math Teams.
Activities Emphasizing Special Interests and Talents
Although some relationship exists between the following activities and skills developed in classroom subjects the talents and interests are generally remote or unobtainable through regular classroom instruction and yet the experiences are valuable to students directly involved as participants and to the rest of the student body who par- ticipate as an audience or consumers of the groups' products. Band, Orchestra, Singers, Choralettes, Cheerleaders, Majorettes, Debating Club, Dramatics, Yearbook Staff and Regional Review are in such a category.
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