USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1915-1916 > Part 29
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18
19
Number not promoted,
1
0
2
2
0
Number conditioned in two subjects, 7
14
10
14
11
Number conditioned in three subjects, 5
12
11
2
0
Number conditioned in four subjects, 0
2
1
0
1
Number taking, arithmetic,
28
48
30
22
14
Number taking geography,
6
11
4
2
Number taking history,
0
2
0
8
0
Number taking language,
17
25
27
8
1
Number taking grammar,
0
9
20
9
16
Number taking spelling,
17
6
1
0
0
Number taking reading,
3
3
0
0
0
11
3
Number conditioned in one subject, 9
14
2
2
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Average age in years and months: Fourth grade, 10 years, 8 months; fifth grade, 11 years, 7 months; sixth grade, 13 years; seventh grade, 12 years, 6 months; eighth and ninth grades, 14 years, 3 months.
SIGHT AND HEARING TESTS.
The tests of sight and hearing have been made by the teachers, as required by law.
1913-14
1914-15
1915-16
1916-17
Number of pupils ex- amined,
2,287
2,323
2,335
2,396
Number found defective in eyesight,
218
224
240
222
Number found defective in hearing,
28
32
52
41
Number of parents or guard- ians notified,
220
180
204
191
TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
Forty-five Plymouth teachers have taken advantage of the Teachers' Retirement law, and are paying into the treasury of the Commonwealth five per cent, of their salary, or the ag- gregated yearly sum of nearly $1,800.00
Amounts deducted for the Retirement from the Salaries of Plymouth teachers :
From-
Sept., 1914 to July, 1915. $1,124 62
Sept .. 1915, to July, 1916,
1,532 74
Sept., 1916, to Jan., 1917, 650 68
Total,
$3,308 04
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Report of teachers and the amounts paid, ending December, 1916 :
1 5 o ~ Number of
Teachers
Each Paying
Monthly
Total Monthly
Total Yearly
$10 00
$20 00
$200 00
5 00
5 00
50 00
4 50
22 50.
225 00
2
4 00
8 00
80 00
35
3 50
122 50
1,225 00
45
$178 00
$1,780 00
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS FOR 1915-1916.
Total enrollment of pupils,
2,512
Average daily attendance,
2,064.65
Average membership,
2,317.39
Per cent. of attendance,
89.09
Aggregate attendance,
378,848
In closing this report I wish to express my appreciation for the spirit of co-operation so generally apparent.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES A. HARRIS.
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HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
Mr. Charles A. Harris,
Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir:
I hand you herewith my sixth annual report for the Plym- outh High School.
The School.
The total membership of 310 is two less than last year, and is divided as follows: Seniors, 59; Juniors, 61; Sophomores, 80; Freshmen, 106; Post-Graduates, 4.
The year has brought its encouragements and discouragements. Encouragements because of the high rank taken by many of those who have entered higher institutions, the many words of commendation coming from those who have employed the grad- uates of our Commercial Department, and, in general, the bet- ter scholarship and better spirit in the school. Discouragements because a large number of the pupils fall so far short of what they ought to attain, a fact due, in my opinion, to lack of system- atic home study. This can be remedied only by that close re- lationship between parents and teachers which brings about hearty and sympathetic cooperation. The school cannot make the child study in the home, neither can the home make him study in the school, but if both the home and the school work together, there would be a vast change. The Parent-Teacher Association can and I believe it will do much to improve this condition.
A study room has been established where those pupils who do not spend enough time in home study are made to return in the
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afternoon, 4 days per week, for two hours of supervised study under an experienced teacher. This seems to work well, and in the majority of cases, marked improvement is seen in the work.
Teachers.
With two exceptions the corps of teachers is the same as at the close of last year. In the resignation of Miss Helen L. Barnes the school has lost an efficient, loyal, and valued teacher, the scholars, an able instructor, and a sympathetic friend and teacher. Her strong personality made itself felt in all the activities of the school and her loss is regretted by everyone.
The school has been fortunate in securing the services of Miss Alice A. Preston, a graduate of Boston University, and a teacher of experience, who has taken up the work of this department with enthusiasm which augurs well for her success.
Miss Paulyle W. Flavell, a graduate of this school in the class of 1912, and of Smith College in the class of 1916, was engaged to do work in both the Junior and Senior High Schools. Her work in History and English in the Senior High School has been very satisfactory.
Social and Other Activities.
The socials held in High School hall have continued to be very popular with the student body and have done much to create the right kind of a spirit in school, and to bring about a closer and more cordial relation between teachers and pupils and be- tween the different classes. Two debating clubs, one for boys and one for girls, have been organized. The meetings of these clubs are under the direct supervision of a teacher, and are intended to give the boys and girls that training which is fast becoming a necessary asset for their success in life. There seems to be much interest in this work and the two clubs have a membership of over 40.
There has also been formed "The Plymouth Colony of the Massachusetts Province of the Patriotic League of the United
Plymouth eighteen
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States." As was fitting, the Plymouth colony was the first to be organized. The purpose of this league, which is under the di- rection of Mr. Samuel Abbott, of Newton, is to form a colony in every high school in America in order to create a greater interest in the History of the United States and to arouse in every child a pride in his own country which makes for true patriotism.
THE WORK OF THE SCHOOL
All the departments are, I believe, steadily increasing in efficiency, but I wish to call your attention to the work of two.
There has been greater improvement in the English Depart- ment the past year than at any time during the present ad- ministration. It is enough to disorganize any school to be obliged to change teachers as often as we have in this subject. The pupils are now being held up to a high standard of scholar- ship and are beginning to realize that English is their most important study. If the present efficient teacher can be retained for a period of years, I believe we will have an English De- partment second to none in the State.
The work in cooking and sewing is arousing greater inter- est and greater enthusiasm each year. We have a department of which we may well be proud. The study of Dietetics is being taken up this year which will add much to the usefulness of the course.
At the beginning of the year there was a demand for a class in Camp Cooking, and we now have 14 boys who are learning that which will be of great value to them in later life.
Recommendations.
I would respectfully call your attention to the last report of the High School in regard to a lunch room. The need is greater today than ever. I urgently recommend that a good one be established before another year.
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The work in cooking has been somewhat hampered by the fact that the rooms have never been completed and equipped. I believe it is due to the splendid results attained during the past three years by both teacher and pupils that this should be done.
The steadily growing demand for the study of Spanish has induced a large number of High Schools to introduce it, and all Scientific and Technical Schools and many Colleges accept it as one of the Modern Languages required. I believe there is going to be an increasing demand for young men with a technical training and a knowledge of the Spanish language. I would, therefore, recommend that it be placed in our curric- ulum.
In closing, I wish to express my appreciation for the cord- ial support given me by the School Committee and yourself, and for the loyal co-operation of my associates in making the year a success.
WILLIAM C. WHITING.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Pupils in High School Membership:
Boys
Girls
Total
First Year,
39
67
106
Second Year,
39
41
80
Third Year,
23
38
61
Fourth Year,
26
32
58
Post Graduates,
5
5
Total,
127
183
310
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Number graduated in last school year :
Total graduates,
24
35
59
Attending colleges,
4
1
5
In A. B. courses,
4
1
5
Attending State Normal Schools,
4
4
Attending other schools,
4
7
11
Total continuing their schooling,
8
12
20
Classes of Various Sizes.
Total number of classes in all subjects except music and physical training-84. Of these
5 contain 1-5 pupils.
8 contain 6-10 pupils.
11 contain 11-15 pupils.
13 contain 16-20 pupils.
17 contain 21-25 pupils.
14 contain 26-30 pupils.
13 contain 31-35 pupils.
1 contains over 35 pupils.
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REPORT OF ATTENDANCE OFFICER
Mr. Charles A. Harris, Supt. of Schools :-
I respectfully submit the following report from Jan. 1, 1916, to Jan. 1, 1917.
Cases of
Truancy
Cases of
Sickness
Other Cases
of Absence
2 2 & Investigated 2
Alden Street School,
0
1
1
Allerton Street School,
0
1
1
Burton School,
4
13
5
22
Cold Spring School,
2
4
1
Cornish School,
4
14
74
92
Chiltonville Grammar School,
1
2
8
11
Chiltonville Primary School,
0
0
2
2
Hedge School,
5
9
59
73
High School,
ry
0
9
16
Individual School,
3
2
56
66
Knapp School,
1
1
43
45
Knapp Evening School,
0
0
15
15
Lincoln Street School,
0
3
0
3
Mount Pleasant School,
10
14
27
51
Nath. Morton School,
2
21
30
Oak Street School,
0
3
4
South Street School,
3
1
6
10
Spooner Street School,
3
8
8
19
473
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Cases investigated for Superintendent's office,
157
Employment Certificates Investigated, 37
Number of Homes Visited, 667
Total number of investigations, 667
Found on street and taken to school, 3
Number of visits to schools, 43
Number of habitual absentees brought to court,
1
I wish to thank the Superintendent and teachers for the kind assistance which they have given me during the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN ARMSTRONG,
Attendance Officer.
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LIST OF TEACHERS
High School.
Wm. C. Whiting, Principal, 3 Lothrop street.
Walton E. Briggs, 5 Lothrop street.
Elizabeth Mackenzie, 2 Sever street.
Ella A. Kimball, 20 Winslow street. Helen W. Smith, 18 Allerton street.
Alice A. Preston, 22 Allerton street.
Mary R. Miller, 27 Russell street.
Lucia M. Richardson, 9 Sever street.
Mary L. Lowden, 18 Allerton street.
Gertrude Darling, 21 Chilton street.
Edna M. Sturtevant, 27 Russell street.
Almira B. Coffin, 2 Sever street.
Paulyle W. Flavell, 145 Court street.
Hedge School.
Grade 1. Elizabeth H. Sampson, Principal, Clifford Road.
1. Dora L. Dexter, Plymouth, Mass.
1. Helene E. Field, 8 Park Avenue.
66 2. Lorna Doon, 12 Sever street.
2. Grace N. Bramhall, 12 Sever street.
2. Ruth M. Gammons, 19 Franklin street.
2. Bertha E. McNaught, 6 Samoset street.
66
3. Lucy L. Hildreth, 133 Court street.
3. Ella F. Robinson, 12 Sever street.
4. Mary J. Pimentel, 15 Savery avenue.
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Knapp School.
Grade 8. William I. Whitney, Principal, 6 North street.
66
7. Maude H. Lermond, 31 North street.
6. Lydia E. Holmes, 261 Court street.
6. Eva M. Garvin, 27 Mt. Pleasant street.
5. Katherine G. Zhan, 320 Court street.
66
5. M. Alice Morong, 133 Court street.
66
4. Helen Klocker, 38 Union street.
3. Annie S. Burgess, 37 Union street.
1. Flora A. Keene, 21 Stafford street.
Cold Spring.
Grade 2. Gertrude C. Bennett, 12 Stafford street.
3. Mabel F. Douglas, 200 Court street.
Alden Street.
Grade 5. Susan C. Thomas, 200 Court street.
Allerton Street.
Grade 1. Helen F. Holmes, 28 Chilton street.
Oak Street.
Grades 1-2. Agnes V. Eaton, 19 High street. 1 66 3-4. Bertha H. Smith, 22 Pleasant street.
Cornish School.
Grade 8. Addie L. Bartlett, Principal, 22 Pleasant street.
" 8. Frances I. Bagnell, 5 Spring street, Kingston, Mass.
6. Jean Murray, 11 Brewster street.
6. Mary M. Dolan, 11 Lothrop street.
66 5. M. Etta Cooney, 10 Winslow street.
5. Charlotte E. Lovering, 12 Sever street.
66 3. C. Irene Beer, 58 Samoset street.
2. Arline Avery, 28 Allerton street.
1. Margaret L. Christie, 401 Court street, N. Plymouth.
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Burton School.
Grades 3-4. Grace Blackmer, 5 Warren avenue.
Grade 4. Teresa A. Rogan, Newfields street.
7. Abbie E. Ashton, 28 Vernon street.
66
7. Florence I. Murray, 11 Lothrop street.
Mt. Pleasant School.
Grade 7. Augusta M. Morton, Principal, 162 Sandwich street.
6. Alice M. Cagney, Winslow street.
66
5. Grace L. Knight, 133 Court street.
66
4. Ruth Mansfield, 2712 Fremont street.
3. Helen H. Linnell, 72 Warren avenue.
66
1. Lizzie E. Mitchell, 5 Mt. Pleasant street.
Wellingsley.
Grades 1, 2, 3, 4. Cora W. Gray, 133 Court street.
Chiltonville Grammar.
Grades 6, 7, 8. Beatrice Curran, Warren ave. near Cliff street.
Chiltonville Primary.
Grades 1-5. Catherine W. Sampson, Clifford Road.
Cliff Street.
Grades 1-5. Helen D. Stranger, 126 Sandwich street.
Russell Mills.
Grades 1-5. Mary A. Morton, Chiltonville.
Manomet.
Grades 1-4. Grace F. Farrington, 1 Mt. Pleasant street.
5-8. L. A. M. Black, 7 Stephens street.
Vallerville.
Ungraded. Mary E. Robbins, 7 Water street.
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Cedarville. Ungraded. Rhoda M. Haskell, Bournedale.
Long Pond. Ungraded. Lida M. Bassett, Bournedale.
Spooner Street.
Grades 3-4. Susan M. Quinn, 147 Main street, Kingston.
Household Arts. Hazel A. Ross, 38 Union street.
Music Supervisor.
Laura E. Brown, 5 Holmes terrace.
Manual Training and Drawing.
Jennie F. Stratton, 2 Sever street.
Dorothy Nichols, Cohasset.
Morton School. (Junior High)
Katherine A. O'Brien, Principal, 23 Nelson street.
Fred L. Shea, 28 Russell street.
Eunice B. Paulding, 12 Sandwich street.
Leonora Stiles, 38 Union street.
Marion F. Leonard, 38 Union street.
Lincoln Street.
Grade 1. Grace R. Moor, 110 Sandwich street. 66
2. Helen G. Annis, 102 Allerton street. South Street.
Grade 2. Bertha E. Hood, 271/2 Fremont street.
South Street. (Special School). Mary L. Jackson, 7 North Green street.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
To the School Committee of Plymouth :-
I submit for your approval my tenth annual report.
During the ten years since the inception of medical inspec- tion of school children in Plymouth, there has been a steady growth in the scope and efficiency of the work. At first it was necessarily limited to an attempt to merely meet as well as we could the requirements of the law, but gradually new feat- ures have been added. A thorough study of the seating prob- lem resulted in a regular and scientific adjustment of school furniture twice a year in place of the old haphazard adjust- ment by guess.
A notable step forward was the opening of the Dental Clinic with corps of experts examining the mouths of the children, reporting the exact conditions to parents and treating those who cannot afford treatment, not gratis but for a sum which they can pay without hardship.
Rules for the better control of contagious diseases were care- fully compiled and adopted.
The "special" school for retarded pupils, while it cannot be claimed as a part of the system of medical inspection, was fore- shadowed in the first report in 1907 and the problem more care- fully worked out and brought to your attention in the report for 1912. To the interest which Mr. Harris, your superinten- dent, has taken in this problem and his earnest efforts we owe the establishment of the school.
The greatest advance which the work has made since it began, took place when the committee decided to employ a school nurse who should devote her whole time to the health of the children.
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Briefly these are some of the ways in which this department has grown in importance and efficiency, but we are still looking forward to larger things in the not distant future.
FRESH AIR ROOMS.
It has been possible, through the cooperation of the Public Health Committee of the Woman's Club, to give the cloth win- dow screens referred to in the 1915 report, a trial. As they were not obtained until the late spring of 1915, no fair test of their usefulness could be made as the outside temperatures were not sufficiently low to require much artificial heat in the school rooms, but the impression gained from observations of the con- ditions in the cloth screened room in the Cornish building compared with a similar one in the same building not screened, indicated that when the outside temperature was below, say 40°, the room temperature in the screened room could be kept from 3º to 5° lower than in the other room with greater comfort to the teacher and pupils.
With the advent of really cold weather an attempt was made to get some accurate data and arrive at some definite conclu- sions as to the usefulness of the screens.
In reporting tests the room furnished with cloth window screens will be referred to as Room A and other unscreened rooms as Room B and Room C. Room B is across the corridor from Room A and Room C directly under it.
These three rooms are for all practical purposes identical, containing 9720 cubic feet and having 120 square feet of window space. Room A has 60 square feet of window space covered with unbleached cotton cloth through which fresh air from the outside filters into the room.
The following table shows the out-door temperature at 9 a. m. for five consecutive days, also the average temperature of Room A and Room C for each day and the amount of heat used by each room. The method of estimating the use of heat was as
-283-
follows. A marker was placed upon the chain controlling the heat valve and a graduated scale from 0 to 20 placed vertically beside it, so that when the valve was entirely closed, the marker on the chain indicated 0, and when the valve was wide open the marker indicated 20. Thus the figures from 1 to 20 may be considered as representing so many heat units, and as the source of heat is the same for both Room A and Room C, rec- ords showing the position of the marker on the scale taken at regular and corresponding intervals in each room should show the relative number of heat units being used in each room. Room doors were kept closed during all tests.
Table showing average daily temperature and relative amount of heat used in Rooms A and C for five consecutive days.
DATE
Out - Door Tempera- ture
ROOM A
ROOM C
Av.Temp.
Heat used
Av.Temp.
Heat used
29
22°
66°
3
68.3º
6
30
40
70°
0
69.1º
3
31
34
66.1º
5
68.8º
12
1
38
68.5°
2
65.5°
25
2
17º
66°
26
68.8°
39
When the screens were first introduced in Room A the fact was noted by several observers, and repeatedly, that at the same thermometer temperature the screened room would feel warmer than Room B, unscreened. The hope, therefore, naturally arose that the claim of the advocates of this method of introducing fresh air into school rooms, that it is not only a health conserv- ing, but an economic measure, because of the saving of fuel, might be borne out by further investigation. Reference to the above table shows that by actual test more heat was used in the
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unscreened room each day, the difference in the number of units used in the two rooms ranging from 3 to 23.
The average temperature of Room A for the entire week was 67.3° and of Room C, 68.1º, so that very nearly the same temperature was maintained in each, but while Room A con- sumed but 36 heat units in the entire week of the test, Room C consumed 85 during the same period, thus confirming the claims made by the advocates of cloth screens, that they lessen heat consumption and reduce coal bills.
However important economic considerations may be, they are secondary to the physical welfare of the child and the really vital thing to be determined is whether the screens really do change the character of the air in the school room, making it more healthful. It has been shown beyond the possibility of a doubt that the trouble with the air in school rooms heated to a point of comfort is that it is too dry and that this does harm to the delicate mucous membranes of the children and makes them languid and listless, subject to colds and susceptible to germ invasion. We are told that cloth screens have been used in many other places admitting more moisture and inproving conditions, but what we want to know is whether the cloth screens in use here are actually introducing more moisture in the air in our school rooms.
In order to settle this point, an attempt was made to test the humidity in Rooms A and B, but the instruments used were unsatisfactory and it was not considered fair to draw any con- clusions from such evidence. Later, however, by the courtesy of the Plymouth Cordage Company, two excellent hygrometers were obtained for the experiment. These instruments operate on the evaporation principle, are made by Huddleston of Boston and are thoroughly reliable. They were placed as nearly as possible in identical positions in the rooms under observation, new wicks were placed in them and they were filled with dis- tilled water which was renewed daily. Moreover the instru- ments were changed, one replacing the other daily, in order to
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eliminate the possibility of error on account of any possible slight discrepancy between the readings of the two instruments.
The result of this test is shown in the following chart. The upper portion gives temperatures only, the lower portion humid- ity. Both Room B and Room C are compared with Room A in order to make sure that the differences are not due to local conditions.
It will be noted that the humidity in the screened room, Room A, indicated by the dotted line, is almost constantly higher than that in the other rooms, even though the tem- perature runs slightly higher which would tend to make the air drier. It will also be noted incidentally that the dotted temperature line representing Room A is much more even than the continuous line representing the other rooms, showing that a more equable temperature has been maintained in the screened room.
Any extended test to determine how nearly the humidity in the screened room approaches the ideal condition of the out- door air is impossible at this season with instruments depend- ing on the principle of evaporation, on account of the danger of freezing the water and injuring the instruments, but a com- parative test of humidity was secured on a warm day as follows :
Time Humidity in Room A Humidity in Open Air
10 a. m.
61.5 76.5
11 a. m. 61 70.5
1.30 p. m.
57.5 52.5
2.30 p. m.
51.5
47
3.30 p. m. 51.5 45
Out-of-doors the humidity started high in the morning, but dropped rapidly until in the afternoon the instrument in the screened room registered actually higher than the one outside.
The average humidity for the whole day outside was 58.3 and in the screened room 56.6.
There are so many factors at work outside the school affecting
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the attendance that it is perhaps not safe to depend too much upon this as evidence for or against the healthfulness of any particular scheme of ventilation but it is interesting to note that in the present instance the evidence is corroborative.
The average of the percentage of attendance of Rooms A, B and C for December, 1915, was 96.75 and the percentage of Room A 97.05. In December, 1916, the average of the per- centages of attendance of the three rooms was only 94.23, while the percentage of attendance of Room A not only did not fall with the general average, but was actually slightly higher than the previous year, being 97.1. *
From observations and tests the following conclusions seem reasonable :-
1. That pupils and teachers find rooms equipped with cloth window screens more comfortable than rooms not so screened and prefer them.
2. That the use of cloth window screens effects a remarkable saving in the consumption of heat.
3. That the air in rooms equipped with cloth window screens contains a higher percentage of moisture and is, therefore, more healthful than the drier air in unscreened rooms.
4. That the evidence obtained from attendance records of rooms with cloth window screens compared with others is strongly corroborative of the theory that such screens are an efficient means of improving the health of school children.
*Note. The principal of the Cornish School reports that of two identical rooms in the Burton School, one furnished with cloth window screens showed a percentage of attendance of 96.5 during January, 1917, while the unscreened room showed a per- centage of 87.3. The cloth screened room in the Burton build- ing showed the highest percentage of attendance of any of the eighteen rooms in the Cornish district.
Chart arranged for Comparison of Temperatures and Percentages of Humidity in rooms A, B, and C for nine consecutive school days, the broken line representing room A, equipped with cloth window screens.
Humidity
35
40
50
60
70
30
40
Temperature 50
60
70
80
9.00 .
10.00
11.00
1.30
2,90
3.30
9.00
10.00
1400
1,30
2.30
3.30
9.00
10.00
11.00
1.30
2.30
9.30
9.00
10.00
11.00
1.30
2,30
3,30
9.00
10.00
11.00
1,90
2.30
1. 30
2.30
9.30
9.00
10.00
16.00
130
2.90
3.90
9.00
10.00
11.00
1.30
2.90
9,90
9.00
10.00
11.00
1.30
2.30
3.30
Jan. 8 Jan.9 Jan.10 Jan.|| |Jan.12 Jan.15 Jan.16 Jan.17 Jan.18
Room C++
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