USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1897-1899 > Part 5
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If there were any serious doubts of the continued life of the Standish Guards, the Town might prefer the annual pay- ment of $970 for a limited time to a permanent expenditure of $330. The Committee are assured, however, that the Plymouth company stands high in the militia ranks of the State, has the most thorough good will of the Adjutant General, and that there is every reason to believe that a company with a record of seventy-nine years of efficient service will long continue in commission.
It only remains for the Committee to consider what dis- position should be made of the old High School house. It has been already stated that the cost of both a reconstructed building and a new one would be the same. A new building would have the advantage of being precisely adapted to its intended uses, would be more agreeable to the eye and would run longer without repairs. In the reconstruction of the old building it would be necessary, as reported by the architect, to strip off the entire covering of shingles, clap- boards and covering boards on the outside, and the sheath- ing and lathing and plastering on the inside, and remove all doors, windows, floors and partitions, thus leaving only the bare frame to satisfy the sentiment which often justifies the desire to preserve the life of old buildings. The expert employed by the Committee reported that as far as examined the frame was sound. In reconstruction it would be neces- sary to build an extension of the height of the old building at its Southwesterly end fifty-four feet and six inches long.
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It is the opinion, therefore, of the Committee that it is ad- visable for the Town to sell the old High School building at public auction, and that so much of the lot as may not be needed to widen Franklin Street be retained subject to the action of the Town.
E. B. ATWOOD,
WM. T. DAVIS,
JNO. W. CHURCHILL,
GEORGE W. BRADFORD,
AMASA C. SEARS, DAVID L. HARLOW,
THOS. D. SHUMWAY,
WILLARD C. BUTLER,
WINSLOW B. STANDISH, JAMES MILLAR,
CHARLES E. BARNES,
G. F. HOLMES.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
FOR THE YEAR 1897.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
TERM EXPIRES.
CHARLES A. STRONG,
1900
ELIZABETH THURBER,
1899
CHARLES E. BARNES,
1899
JAMES MILLAR,
1898
WILLIAM W. BREWSTER,
1898
Chairman, JAMES MILLAR.
Secretary, ELIZABETH THURBER. Superintendent of Schools, FRANCIS J. HEAVENS.
At its next annual meeting the Town will choose one mem- ber to serve on the School Committee for three years.
CALENDAR FOR 1897-8.
Fall Term began Monday, Sept. 13, 1897
Winter Term began
Jan. 3, 1898
Summer Term begins . Apr. 11, 1898
Fall Term of 1898 begins Monday, Sept. 12.
VACATIONS.
Christmas Recess-From Friday noon, Dec. 24, 1897, to Monday, Jan. 3, 1898. Easter Recess-From Friday, Apr. 1, to Monday, Apr. 11, 1898. Summer vacation from Friday, July 1, to Monday, Sept. 12, 1898.
HOLIDAYS.
Washington's Birthday, Patriots' Day, Memorial Day, Forefathers' Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day following.
OFFICE HOURS OF SUPERINTENDENT : Every school day at 8.30 to 9 A. M., and 1.15 to 2 P. M. Saturdays at 9.30 A. M.
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The School Committee respectfully submit their annual report for the year ending December 3I, 1897, together with the report of the Superin- tendent of Schools and the Truant Officer.
The School Department is credited with :
Undrawn balance of preceding year ... $1,939 90 Appropriation for support of schools ... 29,000 00 Appropriation for books and supplies. 3,500 00 From the Murdock fund .. 18 25
Received from the Third District Court. . 22 02
$34,480 17
Expenditures as below
34,439 24
Undrawn balance
$40 93
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CLASSIFIED EXPENDITURES.
Salaries . $24,732 97
Books and supplies 2,466 75
Fuel and light. 2,474 66
Repairs 1,108 87
Printing. 88 20
ยท Truant officer. 100 00
Janitors and care of school-houses 1,763 39
Furniture and furnishings 338 19
Maintenance of heating apparatus. 635 60
Freight and teaming 73 31
Tuition paid to Town of Bourne 80 00
Transportation 399 00
Incidentals 178 30
$34,439 24
Expenses have been kept within the appropria- tions, and everything has been paid for, excepting a few small bills which were not rendered in season. An inspection of the above schedule will show that no reduction of expenditures can be made without a corresponding reduction in the efficiency of our schools. The item for repairs includes the cost of reshingling several roofs which had become defective. This work was im- perative, and has caused the postponement of repainting that is much needed.
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In recent years much has been done to im- prove the heating aud ventilation of the school buildings, and the new buildings have satisfactory systems, but nearly all the older ones are far from being what they should be. A year ago the Committee hoped that the Town, at its an- nual meeting, would put at their disposal an appropriation sufficient to enable them to do much more in this direction than has been found pos- sible. We have been restricted to the two-room building at Cold Spring, and the improvements suggested in our last report for this building have been made with satisfactory results. The building on Whiting Street and the Cornish building should each receive early attention. The needs of
the former seem to be more pressing. Its two furnaces proved to be inadequate, and were sup- plemented by four air-tights, one in each room. The furnaces, besides being too small and poorly arranged, are now old and worn out. They should be replaced by new and larger furnaces, as this building is in a very exposed position and requires a most efficient heating apparatus.
At the Cornish building, each room is heated by a coal stove, giving an unequal distribution of the heat. It is the duty of the Town to remove these defects, and a beginning should be made at once. We think that this matter is of suffi-
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cient importance to warrant a special appropriation therefor, and we ask for an appropriation of one thousand dollars, to be expended for apparatus for heating and ventilating school buildings.
The building at Ellisville is the poorest that we now have in use, being small, inconvenient and old. Its condition is such that it will not warrant any considerable outlay for improvements or repairs. If a school is to be maintained at this place, the time will soon come when the building should be replaced by a house similar to the one recently erected at Vallerville.
One policy of insurance, covering the High School House, expired this year and was renewed at a cost of thirty dollars. The remaining poli- cies all expire this coming year, and their re- newal will make an unusual item of expense. We have heretofore called the attention of the Town to the fact that the High School House is the only building upon which we carry any insurance, and as the Town has not directed otherwise, it is understood to be the wish of the voters that the Town carry the risk on all other of the school buildings.
We would again call attention to the danger of losing our best teachers by their being called away when their worth has become apparent. We
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have recently been deprived of the valuable ser- vices of Miss Sarah F. Averill, a teacher at the High School, by our inability to pay the salary that she can command elsewhere. It is probably true that the voters do not realize how difficult it is to secure and retain the kind of teachers that we need, for the salaries we are able to pay, nor how much the work of a school is impaired by any change of teachers during the school year.
Numerous complaints have been received from parents who felt aggrieved by the assignment of their children to schools other than those that they desired. These complaints have been care- fully considered, and relief has been afforded where it could be done with justice to the interests of the Town and of the other scholars. It is not pos- sible to know in advance, or to make exact pro- vision for, just the number of children in any locality. Consequently the school houses are not now placed so as to accommodate the children with the least amount of travel. The variation in attendance is shown by the school at Cliff Street, where the number has diminished from thirty to eight. Grading also affects the distribu- tion ; pupils of one grade at Russell Street have been obliged to go to Whiting Street, while in another grade this was reversed. It seems at first sight unfair to send a child living close beside
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one building to another at some little distance; yet this has been found in some cases to be un- avoidable. The Committee regret that they have so often been unable to make the changes asked for, and further explanation of this matter will be found in the Superintendent's report.
Sewing has, for a long time, been a branch of work in many of the public schools of the State. Although there have been many expressions of desire that it should be carried on in our schools, the Committee have never felt authorized to place it there, as no appropriation had been made which would cover the expense of engaging a regular teacher for that branch.
A few weeks ago, it was decided to try the experiment of introducing it into five schools of the third and fourth grades. The Committee were enabled to do this by the help of twelve ladies, who kindly consented to give their services for a while. Two or more of these teachers go into a school once a week for an hour, and instruct the girls, while the regular teacher attends to the lessons of the boys.
Thus far it has seemed to work well, but it is still an experiment, and no definite results can yet be seen.
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During the past year bi-monthly meetings of the Committee have been regularly held on the first and third Monday evenings of each month, with special meetings from time to time, as circum- stances have demanded. Doubtless the work of the Committee will necessitate as frequent meet- ings in the coming year, probably to be held on the same evenings, and parents and others having petitions or complaints to present are requested to offer them at the meetings of the Committee, rather than give them to some individual member.
It is very desirable that all bills be presented promptly, and expenses paid as incurred, but we find a great reluctance to put in bills promptly against the Town, even when asked for, many wishing to hold them back for the payment of taxes, or until after the close of the financial year. We ask that all bills be sent in immedi- ately after being incurred.
In view of the comparatively large expenditure of money made by this department, it is impor- tant that the lines along which its efforts are being directed should be understood and appreci- ated by the voters of the Town. We therefore ask of all a careful consideration of the accom- panying report in which the Superintendent has more fully explained the purposes, needs and
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work of the schools. We unanimously endorse his recommendations and ask co-operation in his efforts.
We recommend that the appropriation for the coming year to cover the support of public schools, including the purchase of books and supplies, be thirty-five thousand dollars, with an extra appro ation, as already recommended, of one thousand dollars for heating and ventilating apparatus.
JAMES MILLAR, ELIZABETH THURBER, CHARLES E. BARNES, WILLIAM W. BREWSTER, CHARLES A. STRONG.
Committee.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
The following is respectfully submitted as the report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year 1897 :
The work of the schools has gone along steadily and quietly. No important changes have been made. It has been our purpose to make the wisest use of all possible re- sources, and to make the schools the best which can be secured with the means at hand and under the conditions as they exist. Faithful and earnest effort has characterized the work of both teachers and pupils.
Your attention is called to the following
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS. I.
1. Number of school buildings in use. 27
2. Number of school rooms in use including High School 44
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II.
3. Number of teachers employed . 46
High School. 6
Grammar schools 13
Primary schools 20
Ungraded schools 5
Music
1
Drawing
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46
III.
4. Whole number of pupils enrolled
1,669
Number under 8 years of age. 516
between 8 and 14 years 859
between 14 and 15 years .114
over 15 years
180
Number of girls. 812
boys 857
1,669
5. Average membership of all schools. 1,361
6. Average daily attendance 1274.3
7. Per cent. of attendance. 93.6
8. Number half days absence of pupils 31,719
9. Number cases of tardiness 6,438
10. Number cases of dismissal before close of school session 1,588
11. Number cases of truancy reported by teachers 45
12. Number half days of teachers' absence .. 159
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13. Number visits made by Superintendent. . 707
14. Number visits made by members of the School Committee 99
15. Number visits made by parents and others 1,049
IV.
16. Assessed valuation of real and personal property in Plymouth, May 1, 1897. .... $6,894,875 00
17. Percentage of valuation expended for schools in 1897, current expenses . .00396
18. Expense per pupil on average member- ship $20.11
19. Expense per pupil on same for all schools of the State, 1896 $24.73
20. Average expense per pupil for books and supplies . $1.47
21. Average expense per pupil for same in all schools of the State, 1896 $1.50
22. Average expense per pupil for drawing supplies $0.34
V.
23. Average monthly expense per pupil for whole enrolment (1669) on aggregate ex- penditure for schools ($34,439.24) in 1897 $2.063 24. Same on whole enrolment in 1896. $2.054
25. Average monthly expense per pupil in average membership on aggregate ex- penditure in 1897 $2.53
26. Same on average membership in 1896 ... $2.56
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27. Average monthly wages of men teachers in Plymouth in 1897 $100.00
28. Average monthly wages paid same in the State in 1896 $ 136.03
29. Average monthly wages paid women teachers in Plymouth, including all High School teachers except the Principal, in 1897 $40.60
30. Same paid women teachers in the State, 1897 $52.20
VI.
31. Percentage of increase in population of State for ten years, 1885-1895
32. Percentage of increase in wealth of State same period
33. Percentage of increased expenditure for public schools of State same period ....
34. Plymouth increased in population for same period, percentage . 10 48
35. Increase in wealth,same period, percentage
36. Increase in school expenditure, same period, percentage 31
REMARKS UPON STATISTICS.
The school records for the year show a slight increase in the whole number enrolled, in the average membership of all the schools and in the average daily attendance. Most
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52
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of the schools show a better percentage of attendance, while two or three schools have fallen below their record for the year before. Our attendance is reasonably good. Few communities show a much better record. The per cent. of attendance could be increased if the signal for no session of the schools were given more frequently on stormy days. When storms have come and the schools have been continued in session, most school rooms, except the lowest primaries, have shown a majority of the pupils present. In a com- munity of this size, it is a serious matter to close the schools even for a day. By doing so, considerable time and money are lost. So, at the expense of lowering the attendance record, the no-school signal has been given only when it seemed absolutely necessary, believing that the judgment of most parents can be trusted to keep at home those pupils for whom the storm appears too severe.
In table IV, the items are based upon the average mem- bership of the schools. Numbers 17 and 18 are based upon the amount expended for teachers' salaries, fuel and light, janitors and transportation. This amount ($27,370.02) is the sum which the Committee will certify to the State authorities as having been raised by taxation and expended "for the support of public schools." Item nineteen (19) shows the average expense for each child in average membership in the schools of the State for the year 1896, to have been more than one-fifth greater than the expense here in 1897. The State average for 1896 is used, since that for 1897 is not yet at hand. If it were, the difference shown would probably be greater, as the main item governing this expense, i. e., teachers' wages, has materially increased, while the salary list here has remained unchanged.
Table V gives the cost per pupil on the whole enrolment (item 23), and on average membership (item 24),
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based upon the total amount ($34,439.24) expended for the schools. In comparing the expense per pupil this year with that of last, it was necessary to give the monthly expense, inasmuch as the total expense in 1896 was for only thirty-nine weeks, while that for 1897 was for forty weeks.
Items 25 and 26 show the expense per pupil to be a little less for 1897 than for the preceding year.
Items 19, 21, 28, and 30 are taken from the report of the State Board of Education.
Table VI shows that while Plymouthi has increased in wealth about as fast as the State average, her school ex- penses have increased only a little more than half as fast. This is as it should be, since the increase of population here is not so great as the State average. It proves, too, that Plymouth spent for her schools as generously ten years ago as now, and that the burden -if it be one -is not one that has arisen to-day. Although the expenditure for schools in 1896 was nearly $10,000 greater than in 1886, nevertheless the gain in valuation was so great during that decade that a smaller percentage of the wealth of the Town was expended for schools in the former than in the latter year. The gain in wealth and the expenditure of so reasonable a portion of it for schools shows a safe, con- servative policy and a creditable record.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
About one-half of the average membership of the schools was enrolled in the primary schools-grades one to four. Excluding the ungraded schools, the number of such pupils was 647. These pupils were distributed in twenty schoolrooms, giving an average number of thirty-two to each primary teacher. If it were possible to assign to
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each teacher only the average number of pupils, the con- ditions for work, so far as numbers are concerned, would be well nigh ideal. But it is not possible to do that; the schools are too widely scattered. Some of these schools have had an average membership of less than twenty while others have had over fifty. The expense of keeping a school of fifty is little or no greater than that of keeping a school of twenty. It is these smaller schools which make the average expense per pupil so large. But there seems to be no way to change this at present.
Children of at least five years of age are admitted to the lowest grade of the primary school during the first two weeks of the Fall and Spring terms-in September and April. Requests are often made by parents that pupils may enter school for the first time at other dates than these, but it is not convenient to grant these requests. Pupils who enter school any considerable time after the class has begun its work generally require the formation of another class or group. I very much doubt the desirability of the present practice of admitting children twice a year, in Septem- ber and again in April. By April the greater part of the grade's work is done. There are no classes or groups into which the new pupils can enter. They form additional classes and increase very appreciably the work of the teacher. Their admittance at this time often makes it necessary that pupils already in attendance should be assigned to other schools, which sadly interferes with their work. No such rearrange- ment would be necessary if all new pupils, including those who would be five years old in the middle of the year, should enter in September, and no others be admitted until the following September.
The work of the primary schools is in the main good.
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Considerable time and careful effort have been given to im- prove the work in reading. By passing sets of books from school to school, and by buying other sets when neces- sary, the schools have been well supplied with reading matter. I think reasonable gain has been made in this part of the work, and that the large majority of the children are learning to read fluently and with expres- sion.
Much is being said and more written in these days on the question of the best method of teaching reading in primary schools, but there is yet no evidence of what the best method is. It is our opinion that there is no royal road for the teacher in teaching any more than for the learner in learning. While certain prin- ciples must be recognized and adhered to in this as in all other school work, teachers are not held to any particular method of teaching reading. As long as there is so much difference of expert opinion as to the best way of working, a successful teacher should be allowed to use any approved method of work. But while there has been no unity of method there has been a unity of purpose, and teachers have worked for the accom- plishment of that purpose with commendable zeal.
The primary schools of Plymouth are favored in that the majority of them are not crowded as they are found to be in many communities. The comparatively large number of buildings for primary schools, expensive to support though they may be, makes it possible to secure a reasonably small number of pupils to a school; and care in assigning new pupils helps to the same end. Still, even with a reasonable number of pupils, the duties of the conscientious teacher are arduous and exacting. To take thirty or forty children and direct their energies
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and activities into the right channels ; to teach them to read and to write ; to understand and use numbers ; to draw and to spell ; to learn music and to sing; to find and interpret some of the simple yet wonderful secrets in nature ; and then to successfully use all this as a means to train the children to habits of obedience, courtesy, order, and neatness ; to restrain and, if possible, eradicate from among them incipient vice, and to implant and to nurture in them a love of virtue and truth; to develop or foster in them the beginnings of everything that is best and highest in life,-these are a few of the duties of the primary teacher. Such a work requires infinite tact, patience, perseverance, professional knowledge and practical skill, combined with love for and sympathy with children. The best abilities, en- dowments and practical learning may here find place for their best and highest work. Yet many think it an easy thing to teach a primary school, that a moderate knowledge of arithmetic and grammar is the only real essential. To those who so think, the smallest salary paid a primary teacher must seem too much. On the other hand, to those who know the demands upon the teacher to make the schools what they all should be, what they can be, and what some of them are, no amount of money can measure her service to the welfare of the community.
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
The grammar schools include grades five to nine. The past year these grades have had an average member- ship of 532 pupils, a little more than 39 per cent. of the whole membership of all the schools. The ungraded schools have taken only thirty of these pupils. The
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rest, 502, have occupied thirteen school rooms, giving an average membership of about forty pupils to each school. While some rooms have had a membership considerably in excess of this number, the accommoda- tions for all these schools have been ample. As was ex- plained in a former report, when the Burton building was opened, the only unoccupied room there was used for a new fifth grade school, formed for the special purpose of relieving a school of the same grade at Mt. Pleasant, which had a membership of about seventy, and to provide also for an overflow from another school on Russell Street. The Burton building was the only place This where this new school could be accommodated. arrangement requires that about fifteen pupils of the fifth school year come from the Mt. Pleasant district to Russell Street. Though care has been exercised to transfer as small a number of this grade as would give the needed relief, and those, too, who lived nearest Russell Street ; nevertheless, the parents of those children have shown considerable dissatisfaction with the arrangement, and have earnestly sought to have the pupils returned; though where they would attend school, if they were returned, does not appear. It would be folly to bring about again the crowded con- dition of this grade at Mt. Pleasant, which, until the last year or two, has existed for some time, and from the effects of which the upper grades of that school are still suffering. If the Town is willing to provide another building and another teacher for these pupils in that district, the cause for dissatisfaction will be re- moved. Until this is done, there seems no better way than to continue the present arrangement.
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