USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1913 > Part 11
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More than one-sixth of all the persons in town are attending the public schools. Approximately ninety per cent. of these are in the grades below the high school.
In the first four grades there are at present 1,227 pupils. These constitute more than one-half of the entire school popula- tion. Should these continue in school without elimination or retardation, there would be upon their arrival at the high school an enrolment of 1,227. We all feel quite certain that no such number will be enrolled in our high school by 1921. Per-
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haps 400 would be a very generous estimate of the registration at that time. In that case will not the shrinkage, the elimina- tion have been striking! In other words, more than eight hundred will have been lost in the journey through the grades.
My point is this, since hundreds are dropping out of school before completing the elementary school course, and never go beyond the elementary schools, the place to put the most efficient teachers, the choicest text-books, the best equipment, the ideal schoolhouses, the greatest emphasis is upon the schools below the high school. The elementary school period is the period that demands the best we can afford. All must attend school until the age of fourteen. Many children never go beyond this stage, and it is of vital importance to make these years the most profi- table for the youth. These elementary grades, then, form the most important part of the school system. This elementary course is the alpha and omega for hundreds and thousands of school children.
A great opportunity lies before us in enlarging and differ- entiating the curriculum which these children must pursue.
The number enrolled in the elementary schools by grade and sex is as follows :---
Total
Boys
Girls
Grade I,
347
181
166
Grade II,
341
177
164
Grade III,
291
142
149
Grade IV,
248
118
130
Grade V,
237
121
116
Grade VI,
222
100
122
Grade VII,
181
103
78
Grade VIII,
126
50
76
Grade IX,
66
29
37
Total,
2059
1021
1038
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Number of teachers regularly employed.
1900, 44,
1907, 58
1901, 47
1908, 59
1902, 48 1909, 58
1903, 51
1910, 60
1904, 51
1911, 61
1905, 54
1912, 61
1906, 57
1913, 70
In addition to the above, nine teachers are employed in the evening schools, and three in the summer school.
The following tables show the growth of the town, and the in- crease in cost of various school items :-
Appropriation for Schools
Valuation of Town
Population
1900, $35,000.00
$7,800,815.00
9,592
1901, 35,000.00
8,303,593.00
1902, 37,500.00 8,693,334.00
1903, 37,500.00
9,116,574.00
1904, 41,000.00
9,365,264.00
1905, 46,000.00
9,604,902.00
11,119
1906, 49,600.00
9,848,138.00
1907, 49,500.00
10,277,443.00
1908, 50,000.00
10,483,042.00
1909, 53,000.00
10,865,247.00
1910, 55,000.00
11,347,717.00
12,141
1911, 60,000.00
11,958,720.00
1912, 63,000.00
12,311,057.00
1913, 68,000.00
13,080,300.00
The tendency toward constantly increasing appropriations, with practically the same number of pupils, existed nearly three- quarters of a century ago, as is shown by the following :-
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Year
Boys
Girls
Total
Appropriation
1841
763
729
1492
$5,500.00
1842
790
754
1544
5,500.00
1843
775
746
1521
5,500.00
1844
787
754
1541
5,786.16
1845
776
761
1537
6,148.00
1846
741
783
1524
6,096.00
1847
785
738
1523
6,031.08
1848
798
724
1522
7,035.54
Salaries of Teachers
Janitors and Care of School Houses
Books and Supplies
Fuel and Light.
1900
$24,613.95
$1,745.13
$3,021.81
$2,915.08
1901
25,137.38
1,993.14
2,498.45
1,460.71
1902
26,643.63
2,550.48
2,769.26
2,009.97
1903
26,928.35
2,716.69
1,676.67
3,470.51
1904
28,935.87
2,869.22
2,362.87
3,564.87
1905
31,306.02
3,004.22
2,961.12
4,215.54
1906
33,266.73
3,245.36
3,351.70
4,518.19
1907
34,244.99
3,242.86
2,515.54
4,199.37
1908
35,853.32
3,519.12
2,718.65
3,609.96
1909
37,594.52
3,413.46
3,317.68
3,671.72
1910
39,075.94
3,708.63
3,468.66
4,243.75
1911
40,706.81
3,890.22
3,662.00
5,286.22
1912
43,219.26
3,851.98
3,700.32
4,378.69
1913
43,871.50
4,136.90
2,588.70
5,864.01
EVENING SCHOOLS.
Evening schools must be maintained annually by any town, or city, the population of which exceeds ten thousand. In accord- ance with this law, two evenings schools, one at the Cornish
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and the other at the Knapp building, are maintained for a per- iod of twenty weeks, three evenings per week. Nine teachers in all have been employed in this field of work, six at the Knapp, and three at the Cornish school.
By statute all persons between sixteen and twenty-one years of age, who cannot read, write, and spell the English language in accordance with the requirements of the admission to the fifth grade, must attend evening school, the entire time during which such school is in session.
Opportunity has been given for work in advance of that re- quired of the illiterates. By opening the course to others, an opportunity is thereby furnished for self-improvement to the ambitious, and indirectly better citizenship, which we all so much prize, is bound to result.
The following table shows the increased number of illiterates.
Illiterate Minors.
Males
Females
Total
1907
12
16
28
1908
4
13
17
1909
33
31
64
1910
8
13
21
1911
31
41
72
1912
34
46
80
1913
66
49
115
The record of the two evening schools from Oct. 14, 1913, to Jan. 9, 1914, follows :-
Knapp
Cornish
Number of boys enrolled,
73
29
Number of girls enrolled,
43
8
Average number belonging,
111.43
32.8
Average evening attendance,
99.86
25.94
Per cent. Attendance,
89.51
79.36
1912-1913
1913-1914
Total number enrolled in Evening Schools,
118
153
The expense of the evening schools, for the year 1912-1913, exclusive of light, was $769.50.
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SUMMER SCHOOL.
The vacation school enables those who have just failed of pro- motion to make up their work and advance with their classes. It is also a help to those who are almost ready for double pro- motion. In either event, the child completes his school life earlier, and, therefore, it is a matter of economy to the town, and a decided advantage to the child. Only those pupils should be granted the privileges of attending this school, who are in earnest, and who show evidence of their willingness to work.
Last summer, for a period of six weeks, a vacation school was maintained for pupils of grades four, five, six, seven and eight.
A record of attendance follows :---
Between 5 and 15
Over 15 Between 7 and 14
Boys,
52
6
43
Girls,
72
3
63
Totals,
124 9
106
Total number of boys,
58
Total number of girls,
75
133
1912
1913
Total Membership,
73.
133
Average Membership,
71.3
127.78
Average Attendance,
69.1
120.15
Per cent. Attendance,
96.8
94.03
The cost of the school during the summer of 1913 was $222.00.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Our high school is in a prosperous condition. The law re- quires us to prepare pupils for normal schools, technical schools and colleges. We are doing this and more. We are under no
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compulsory influence to give instruction in commercial branches ; yet this is being done, and done creditably. The increase in enrolment of the Plymouth high school should be noticed. In 1900 the enrolment was 123 pupils. Last year the enrolment was 235. The increase since 1900, therefore, is more than 91 per cent.
The growth has been slow, normal, healthy. The hold that public education has on the masses is shown by the number in high school in comparison with the population. We find that last year the ratio of high school pupils to the inhabitants of Plymouth, was approximately 1 to 52. In other words, Plym- outh had in the year 1912-1913 fifty-two inhabitants for each pupil attending the high school.
In comparison with the school population, Plymouth has ten per cent. in the average membership in the high school.
The high school costs much more per pupil than the ele- mentary schools, and it will probably always be so. This is true for two main reasons (1) higher salaries paid to the high school teachers. (2), the number of pupils per teacher is al- ways fewer than in the grades. In other words, an elementary school with the enrolment of our present high school (240) could be easily and successfully taught by a corps of six teachers, whereas, in our high school we have ten teachers. Again, text
books cost more per pupil in high school than in the elementary schools. Last year the cost per pupil for text books was $2.43, whereas, in the grades, the cost per pupil was only forty cents.
Attention is called to the table comparing the number admitted to the high school, year by year, with the number of graduates.
High School Membership
Number Admitted
Number of Graduates
1900
123
44
18
1901
129
42
13
1902
138
53
21
1903
136
38
19
1904
128
35
23
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1905
140
42
22
1906
140
44
22
1907
145
43
24
1908
187
91
21
1909
200
49
25
1910
214
46
35
1911
218
52
26
1912
224
49
49
1913
235
80
37
The expenses of the high school for the school year ending June, 1913, were as follows :
Salaries,
$8,000.00
Text books and supplies,
804.86
Janitor,
583.40
Fuel,
676.99
Transportation,
176.75
Other expenses,
240.00
$10,482.00
The per capita expense in the total high school membership was, therefore, $44.60.
The expense per pupil on the average membership of the entire school population of the town was $31.43. In the year 1844, the amount raised for each child was $3.75.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Buildings in Use.
Containing 9 rooms, 1
Containing 8 rooms,
2
Containing 6 rooms,
1
Containing 4 rooms, 2
Containing 2 rooms,
4
Containing 1 room,
10
High School,
1
Total,
21
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SIGHT AND HEARING TESTS.
The tests of sight and hearing have been made by the teachers, as required by law.
Number of pupils examined,
2,287
Number found defective in eyesight,
248
Number found defective in hearing,
28
Number of parents or guardians notified,
220
REPORT FROM THE SCHOOL CENSUS
Sept., 1913.
Boys
Girls
Total
Between five and fifteen years,
1,081
1,159
2,240
Between seven and fourteen years,
44
793
1,537
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LIST OF TEACHERS
High School.
William C. Whiting, Principal, 3 Lothrop Street.
Walton E. Briggs, 5 Lothrop Street.
Lucia M. Richardson, 125 Court Street.
Elizabeth Mackenzie, 2 Sever Street.
Elizabeth Hunter, 9 Sever Street.
Helen L. Barnes, 6 Carver Street.
Frances H. Kerr, 3 Lothrop Street.
Mary R. Miller, 24 Allerton Street.
Elsie A. Salthouse, 3 Lothrop Street.
Helen W. Smith, 18 Allerton Street.
Hedge School.
Grade
1. Elizabeth H. Sampson, Clifford Road. 1. Grace N. Bramhall, 12 Sever Street.
1. Ruth H. Wilkes, 58 Allerton Street. 2. Lucy L. Hildreth, 133 Court Street. 2. Ruth M. Gammons, 3 Massasoit Street. 2. Bertha E. McNaught, 6 Samoset Street.
3. Ella F. Robinson, 12 Sever Street. 3-4. Eunice B. Paulding, 12 Sandwich Street.
Knapp School.
Grade
7-8. William I. Whitney, 49 Pleasant Street.
6. Lydia E. Holmes, 261 Court Street.
6. Maude H. Lermond, 49 Pleasant Street.
5. Mary A. Morong, 133 Court Street.
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4-5. Katherine G. Zahn, 320 Court Street. 4. Frances M. Phipps, 48 Allerton Street.
3. Eva M. Garvin, 48 Allerton Street.
2. Annie S. Burgess, 37 Union Street.
1. Flora A. Keene, 34 North Street.
Cold Spring.
Grade
2. Gertrude C. Bennett, 12 Stafford Street.
3. Mabel F. Douglas, 129 Court Street.
Alden Street.
Grade
5. Susan C. Thomas. 200 Court Street.
Allerton Street.
Grade
1. Alice V. Hulett, 48 Allerton Street.
Oak Street.
Grade
1-2. Agnes V. Eaton, 19 High Street. 3-4. Bertha H. Smith, 22 Pleasant Street.
Burton School.
Grade
7. Grace M. McKowen, Warren avenue.
7. Emily E. Kendregan, 10 Park avenue.
4. Teresa A. Rogan, Newfields Street.
4-5. Mary W. Burgess. Warren avenue.
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Cornish School.
Grade
8. Addie L. Bartlett, 22 Pleasant Street.
8. Frances I. Bagnell, Kingston, Mass.
7. Kathleen L. McGill, 15 Franklin Street.
6. Clara M. Belknap, 28 Russell Street.
5. Charlotte E. Lovering, 12 Sever Street.
6. Jean Murray, 11 Brewster Street.
3. Susie G. Thompson, 1 Winslow Street.
2. Arline Avery, 24 Allerton Street.
1. Frances E. Burke, 11 Brewster Street.
Mt. Pleasant School.
Grade
7. Augusta M. Morton, 162 Sandwich Street.
6. Alma L. Pommer, 1 Massasoit Street.
5. Grace L. Knight, 133 Court Street.
3-4. Marguerite C. Rogers, 10 Winslow Street.
3. Annie M. Frost, 8 Bartlett Street.
1-2. Lizzie E. Mitchell, 27 Mt. Pleasant Street.
Wellingsley.
Grade.
1, 2, 3. Cora W. Gray. 133 Court Street.
Chiltonville.
Grade.
7-8. Maude R. Robinson, 34 Court Street.
Cliff.
Grade. 1-5. Helen H. Farnham, 131 Court Street. Chiltonville. Grade. 1-5. Catherine W. Sampson, Chiltonville.
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Russell Mills.
Grade.
1-5. Mary A. Morton, Chiltonville. Manomet. Grade.
5-8. L. A. M. Black, Manomet. 1-4. Grace F. Farrington, 1 Mt. Pleasant Street. Vallerville.
Grade.
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 .- Grace F. Swift, Bournedale. Cedarville.
Grade.
2, 4, 7, 9 .- Rhoda E. Moore, Bournedale.
Long Pond.
Helen D. Stranger, Sandwich Street.
Music Supervisor.
Ethel M. Horsman, 19 Mayflower Street.
Manual Training.
Jennie F. Stratton, 3 Lothrop Street.
Assistant.
Marjorie Brownell, Kingston, Mass.
Morton School.
Grade.
8. Katharine A. O'Brien, 23 Nelson Street.
9. Mary L. Donovan, 19 Mayflower Street.
9. Helen T. Lydon, 23 Standish Avenue.
2. Helen G. Annis, 92 Court Street.
Lincoln Street School.
Grade
1. Grace R. Moore, 110 Sandwich Street.
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Total number of teachers, 70.
Total weekly pay roll, $1,113.00.
Attention is directed to the appended report of the High School principal, Mr. William C. Whiting.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES A. HARRIS, Supt. of Schools.
Jan., 1914.
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HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
Mr. Charles A. Harris-
Superintendent of Schools-
Dear Mr. Harris :
I am submitting to you a brief report of the High School for the year 1913 :
The following changes have been made in the corps of teach- ers : Miss Gertrude Thomas, who has had charge of the Modern Languages for several years, resigned to accept a better position in the Belmont High School, and Miss Elsie Salthouse, a grad- uate of Wellesley College, was elected to take her place. Miss Frances H. Kerr, a graduate of Radcliffe College, was elected to take charge of the English Department in place of Miss Grace Croff, who resigned on account of poor health. Miss Gertrude Smart, teacher of Mathematics, accepted a similar position in the Dorchester High School, and Miss Lucia Richardson, a grad- uate of Mount Holyoke College, was elected. Miss Helen Smith, a graduate of this school, and of Radcliffe College, who sub- stituted for Miss Croff, was elected to teach English and Com- mercial subjects.
All of these teachers are doing their work well, and are prov- ing themselves to be a very distinct addition to the efficiency of the Corps.
The work of the year has been very satisfactory. The stand- ard of scholarship is steadily being raised, the pupils, as a whole, are working hard, and there is noticeably present a school spirit and loyalty which has been lacking during the past few years.
Of the thirty-seven who graduated last June, fourteen are successfully continuing their studies in the Colleges and Normal
Plymouth
17
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Schools, fifteen have taken business positions, and three are tak- ing post-graduate courses. That our graduates are doing so well in college, and that the pupils who take the Commercial course are making such a good impression among the business men of our community, speaks well for the training which they have had, and for the splendid spirit shown by our teachers who have accomplished so much under conditions which would tend to seriously handicap their efforts.
I cannot speak too strongly in regard to the difficulties under which we are carrying on the work at the present time.
The necessity of being obliged, at the beginning of the year, to use the two rooms in the Lincoln Street Primary building was distracting and annoying to both teachers and pupils. When the new Nathaniel Morton school was opened it became neces- sary to give up one of these rooms to be used for the overflow from that building, and since then we have been using the base- ment, one of the small teachers' rooms for recitations rooms, besides having, during some of the periods, two or three recita- tions going on at the same time in the large assembly room. All of these things must necessarily interfere with the work, besides being a menace to the health of many of the pupils.
Our building has been used twenty two years, and was de- signed to accommodate, without crowding, about 175 pupils and six or seven teachers. We have now 240 pupils and ten teach- ers, with the prospect of a registration the coming year of about 275, as the present senior class contains only 32 pupils while the entering class next September will probably number about 90. It will readily be seen from the above that the building is entire- ly inadequate to the present needs of the school.
A High School building should be the center of the social as well as the intellectual activity of the school. We are not able to secure in Plymouth a hall large enough to accommodate all, both parents and pupils, who wish to take part in this social activity, and sometimes it is an impossibility to obtain one for Friday evening which is the only time when a school social should be held.
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If the building could be enlarged in accordance with the plans recommended by our School Committee, the desks could be taken out of the large room and this used as an assembly hall with a seating capacity of about six hundred. We should then have a hall large enough, not only for our own social life, but it could also become the educational centre of the community without in the least interfering with the work of the school.
We have a course of study which is entirely out of date and fails to adequately provide for the needs of any except the col- lege pupils. The administration has been reluctant to recom- mend a change unless it could be enriched along the industrial lines, and this is an impossibility with the present accommo- dations.
Therefore, if we are to have a High School capable of ful- filling the mission for which it was established, and one which shall be the equal of those in other towns like Plymouth, the en- largement of the building is an absolute necessity.
In closing I wish to express my appreciation of the unfailing support given me by the School Committee and yourself. A large part of what has been accomplished has been due to this support and the loyalty and hearty co-operation of the teachers.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM C. WHITING.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31, 1913.
An important innovation has been made this year in the de- partment of medical inspection, in the installation of a dental clinic. It has been evident from the inspection of the school children that there was no one condition which was a greater menace to their health than that of dental caries, the report of the school physician showing that at least 40 per cent. of the notices of defects sent to parents have been for this condition for the past three years.
Last spring the committee discussed the possibility of establish- ing a dental clinic and asked the school physician to investigate the matter.
The following letter and list of questions was sent to each dentist in town :
Plymouth, Mass., April 10, 1913. "Dear Doctor :
As a result of my work in the schools of Plymouth, I have become convinced that there is no one condition which has a more harmful effect on the growth and development of our school children than dental caries.
It has been found that each year about forty percent. of all notices sent to parents, calling their attention to various physi- cal defects, were sent for this condition, and notices were not sent unless the conditions were aggravated.
Many parents are indifferent and many unable to obtain com- petent treatment, so that a very small percentage of the children have any attention whatever paid to their teeth.
-
DENTAL CLINIC OF THE PLYMOUTH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
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Realizing the menace of dental caries, on account of its pre- valence, many cities and some towns are making an effort to better this almost universal defect and prevent, as far as possible, the wide spread and serious evils which result from it.
The School Department desires to do something practical for the betterment of conditions here at once, if the dentists are willing to co-operate, as we feel sure they will, as no class of men are better qualified to appreciate the value of this work to the community than they.
In order to help us in deciding as to the best method of carry- ing out the work here, will you kindly answer the enclosed ques- tions and mail to me at your early convenience.
Yours very sincerely, (signed) J. HOLBROOK SHAW, M. D., School Physician.
"Are you willing to give any time to treating the teeth of school children who would not otherwise be cared for?
Would you prefer to do this work at your office or at a room provided by the committee and equipped with a few necessary appliances ?
What hours on Saturday could you best devote to the work:
If done at your own office ?
If done at a room provided by the committee ?
Have you any of the following appliances that you wish to dis- pose of, which would be useful to the committee in case a room should be equipped for dental work?
Dental chair, Cabinet, Dental engine, Bracket and table. (Please quote prices ) .
Would you use your own instruments if you did this work out- side your own office or do you think it would be necessary for the committee to provide instruments ?
Signature."
Plymouth 18
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A favorable reply was secured from all the dentists and it was evident that a room suitably equipped with dental apparatus would be likely to yield the most satisfactory results. On June 17, 1913, the committee voted to authorize the school physician to purchase the necessary equipment and make all arrangements for the clinic.
It was finally arranged that the clinic should be held on Sat- urday mornings from 8.00 to 10.00 o'clock at the School Com- mittee headquarters in a room equipped for the purpose, and that work should be confined to the Cornish and Burton Schools.
It was thus limited because the facilities which the committee were able to provide were entirely inadequate to care for all the pupils and it seemed best to make a bginning with a definite group of children and increase the scope of the work later if conditions seemed to warrant it.
The first clinic was opened Saturday, October 11th, and they have been held regularly since then except in vacation. A cer- tain number of pupils are detailed by the principal of the school to attend the clinic. Each pupil is examined by the dentist, his name is placed on file in a card index, having a diagram marked in red ink showing the defective teeth, if any. If he has defective teeth he is given a card like the one on file, but also allowing an opportunity for the signature of the parent if unable to consult a dentist at his office and wishing the child's teeth treated at the clinic.
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School.
1620.
Pupil
Age .........
Parent
MOL
6
Address.
17
82
9
10
7
11
18
31
12
5
13
19
30.
1
20
29.
2
r
3º
Y
15
22
27
: 23
24 25 26
Y
16
1
DENTAL DEPARTMENT OF THE PLYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Notice to Parents
The pupil whose name appears on the reverse of this card, has been examined by me and found to have teeth which must be attended to. You are advised to apply at once to your family dentist for treatment. If circumstances do not permit consulting a dentist at his office, the child will be treated at the School Com- mittee rooms, Town Square, on Saturday mornings from 8 until 10 o'clock. A deposit of ten cents will be required to be applied toward defraying the cost of material.
Do you wish your child's teeth operated upon ? Yes
Please indicate your wish in the matter by putting a cross in the square opposite, whichever word is your answer.
ĮNo
Sign your name here.
14
28
21
1
8
6
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The school dentists will not treat children without a card signed by a parent or guardian.
The children whose cards are signed by the parents are sent back to the clinic on some subsequent Saturday for treatment for which they pay ten cents to cover the cost of materials. Since the clinic opened, 176 pupils have been examined and out of this number but 14 were found who required no treatment. To put it another way the examination of 176 children from the Cornish School showed that 93 per cent. had defective teeth, requiring treatment, and 116 or 66 per cent. were found to have three or more defective teeth.
It has been the policy of the clinic on account of the over- whelming demand for treatment to attend to those teeth only which can be saved with the least expenditure of time, as it is only possible to fill from three to five teeth in a morning. How- ever, 40 teeth have been treated and 19 teeth extracted, which means that many children who would otherwise have received no attention have been saved much future suffering and ill health.
The dentists report that the mouths of the children are in a very unhygienic condition and need systematic cleaning at the clinic. If the proposed legislation relative to dental nurses be- comes a law in Massachusetts, this problem would be solved, but in the meantime we can do something, thanks to a liberal dona- tion by an interested patient of one of our dentists, which will enable the clinic to dispense tooth brushes and powder at a nominal cost to the pupils.
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