USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1928-1929 > Part 33
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At a meeting of the Board of Health with the School Committee on Sunday evening, March tenth, it was de- cided to close the schools for at least a week and put a ban on all public meetings. On Friday evening, March fifteenth, at another joint meeting, it was decided to continue the closing and ban on public meetings, opening the schools on March twenty-first.
At a regular meeting of the School Committee on Tues- day evening, March nineteenth, the school physician was asked to make recommendations to safeguard the pupils and prevent the spread of contagion in the schools when opened.
INSTRUCTIONS TO PRINCIPALS
The recommendations included (1) the appointment of four temporary school physicians, (2) a morning inspec- tion of every pupil, (3) typewritten instructions issued to all examiners describing their duties in detail, and (4) typewritten instructions issued to principals.
These recommendations were approved by the School Committee and were adopted and temporary school phy- sicians elected.
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During the recess janitors had been instructed to wipe all furniture used by pupils with disinfectant.
The inspection was carried out with some modification due to the illness of one of the examiners and passed off smoothly interfering very little with the school work.
A few pupils were kept out under observation because of exposure or because of illness but no positive cases of scarlet fever were found in the schools during the three days of general inspection or since.
The epidemic subsided as quickly as it came on lasting as far as the reporting of cases was concerned just about one week. This sudden rise and decline with few con- tact cases is rather typical where the contagion is milk- borne.
AUDIOMETER TEST
A test of the hearing of all children in the regular grades of the public schools including the Junior High School were made through the service provided by the Plymouth County Health Association using an instru- ment manufactured by the Western Electric Co. The instrument, called an audiometer, is the result of a study of methods of testing the hearing of school children made by a committee of the American Federation of Associ- ations for the Hard of Hearing which has the endorse- ment of the American Medical Association.
Actually 1514 pupils were tested but these figures include the "Individual School" of 23 pupils so that the total for the purposes of this report will be 1492. Of this number 235 scored 9 sensation units or more of loss on the first test. A retest of this 235 eliminated more than half who for one reason or another had not done as well as they should on the first test. Exactly 108 showed a hearing loss of 9 S. U. or more in one or both ears on the retest, 83 in one ear and 25 in both ears. The test has shown that seven out of every hundred of our school children above the second grade are deafened enough to require attention.
The following notice has been sent to the parents of each of these children :
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To the Parent or Guardian :
A recent test of hearing with the 4-A Audiometer (an instrument sponsored by the American Federation of Organizations for the Hard of Hearing Inc. of Wash- ington, D. C.) shows that is deafened in (one) (both) ears more than can be ac- counted for by normal variations and you are urged to arrange with your family physician to have (her) (him) sent to a competent ear specialist or clinic to determine what can be done, if anything, to improve the hearing or prevent the progress of the disease. So far as possible children who are shown to be deafened will be placed in the front of the school room, those most seriously affected being given the preference.
(Signed) J. HOLBROOK SHAW M. D. School Physician.
Plymouth Twenty-three
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The full statistical report by schools is given in detail herewith :
Score 9 S. U. or more Score 9 S. U. or more on retest
Name
No. tested
on first test
one ear
both ears
total
Hedge,
277
37
16
5
21
Knapp,
152
22
7
3
10
Cold Spring,
23
3
0
1
1
Oak Street,
54
3
1
0
1
Mt. Pleasant,
182
28
9
0
9
Wellingsley,
11
0
. .
. .
Cliff Street,
18
0
..
Russell Mills,
18
1
1
0
1
Manomet,
32
4
0
0
0
Cedarville,
18
3
2
0
2
Junior High,
451
94
32
12
44
Totals,
1,492
235
83
25
109
In order to determine as nearly as possible what rela- tion exists between enlarged and diseased tonsils and deafness an investigation was made in the larger schools to find out how common this condition might be among those found to be deafened with the following result.
Of the 44 found deafened at the Junior High School
8 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 10 found deafened at the Knapp School 1 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 9 found deafened at the Mt. Pleasant School 3 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 19 found deafened at the Cornish School 2 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 21 found deafened at the Hedge School 6 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the total of 103 children in this group found to be deafened only twenty or less than twenty percent have been found to be suffering from diseased tonsils and adenoids to an extent deemed sufficient to require a notice sent to the parent or guardian.
A test of the students at the High School was begun in December but owing to failure of the instrument it could not be completed.
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STATE CLINICS
A so called re-examination clinic was held at the Cor- nish School by the State Department of Health, Division of Tuberculosis on May sixth. The report shows that twenty-two children were recommended for re-examin- ation the previous year, sixteen or seventy-three percent of the twenty-two coming from the High and Junior High Schools. Three were absent, had moved away or left school and four refused examination, leaving fifteen to be re-examined. Of this fifteen who were re-examined, fourteen were found to be improved and one unimproved.
The one who is unimproved is recommended for X-ray and sanatorium treatment. This boy has been under observation for several years.
The Division of Tuberculosis provides forms for all children to be re-examined and these forms are kept by the nurse who weighs and measures the children each month recording the result. Fourteen such forms are now being kept by the nurse and all but one of the chil- dren are doing well.
Dr. Patterson, psychiatrist for the State Department of Mental Diseases, arrived with her assistant December first and examined about fifty retarded children. Twenty of these were examined last year and a re-examination requested by the examining psychiatrist. No report has been received on this last examination.
The report of the examination of a year ago received in January showed that forty children were examined and that of that number fourteen had an I. Q. of 75 or lower.
Five of the children examined were three to five years retarded i. e. they were three to five years behind normal children in mental ability to do school work. Five were five or more years retarded and one of these was six years and seven months retarded. Eleven of the children examined were recommended for a special class such as we have in our "Individual School."
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PRE-SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS
During the month of May physical examinations of children about to enter school in the fall were held at times and places advertised in the "Memorial" and by circular.
One hundred and seventy-two children were examined and two hundred and fifty-one defects found as follows :
Overweight (20% or more) 3
Underweight (10% or more) 8
Posture 26
Skin 3
Teeth 130
Eyes (diseases) 4
Ears (plugged with wax) 10
Nose and throat 58
Glands (cervical)
2
Feet (fallen arches)
7
Total defects 251
CONFERENCES WITH TEACHERS
In order to keep in touch with his teachers the school physician finds a half hour monthly conference helpful.
The subjects taken up at these conferences during the year were as follows :
January-"Treatment and Prevention of Colds."
February-"The Teacher's Relation to the Posture Problem."
March-Conference omitted.
April-"The Newton Plan for Health Education." (Pamphlets distributed) .
May-Conference omitted.
June-"Importance of School Medical Service and Health Education in Fight Against Tuberculosis."
September-"Vaccination and the Sight and Hearing Test."
October-"How Correlation of the Health Idea Vital- izes the Teaching Program."
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November-"Hygiene of the School-room."
December-"Report on Health Conference at Bridge- water."
MOTION PICTURES FOR HEALTH
Each month a motion picture which teaches some- thing helpful related to health is shown to some twelve hundred children. If interest is a vital factor in teach- ing, our pictures are scoring heavily.
The program for the past year has been as follows:
January-"Highland Lassie" and "Team Work." Two films loaned by the New England Food and Dairy Coun- cil on the production and distribution of milk.
February-"Sniffle Snuffle." Showing how colds are transmitted through carelessness.
March-Picture omitted.
April-"Our Common Enemy." Showing how flies transmit disease.
May-"The Spirit of Play." Showing how animals play and that play is natural and necessary.
June-"Just Pals" and "What Makes It Go." Two films to interest children in drinking milk.
September-"Posture Clinics." A splendid exposition of what correct posture is and how to get it.
October-"The Turn of the Road." Showing the neces- sity for cleanliness in handling milk.
November-"The Flying Bandit." An interesting car- toon giving many interesting facts in the natural history of the fly.
ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CLINIC
A general examination of the mouths of the whole school population with the exception of the Senior High School pupils was made by the dentists at the beginning of the school year. The results which are given with the figures for 1927 and 1928 for comparison indicate a grat- ifying decrease in the number of carious temporary teeth
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each year which is due to the stressing of nutrition, as it affects the teeth, in all our health teaching but especi- ally in the early grades.
The fact that the improvement in the temporary teeth is not as great as in 1928 and the further slight increase in the number of cavities found in the permanent teeth is undoubtedly to be attributed to the economic situation which has resulted in fewer children having their teeth repaired.
The examining dentists assure us that the mouths ex- amined looked better than last year and that there was a noticeable absence of large cavities, also the 607 teeth "tags" distributed by the dental hygienist at the "Health Day" exercises in June to children who had had all neces- sary work done compare favorably with the 479 given out the year before.
ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CLINIC
Number Examined
Defective Permanent Teeth
Defective Temporary Teeth
Number Free From Cavities
1929
1928
1927
1929
1928
1927
1929
1928
1927
1929
1928 1927
Hedge
424
443
446
1,387
1,701
2,002
1,482
1,722
2,300
24
20
3
Cornish and Burton
347
349
348
1,111
867
1,068
975
1,176
1,184
1
32
25
Knapp
.
216
246
243
646
830
991
912
990
1,057
16
11
11
Mt. Pleasant
232
240
219
776
535
617
929
718
909
9
33
13
Cold Spring
43
46
49
113
85
162
185
164
255
0
7
0
Manomet
58
56
48
183
144
122
244
208
204
26
5
0
Small Schools
200
213
210
517
462
624
808
964
1,078
29
11
3
Totals
1,520
1,593
1,563
4,733
4,624
5,586
5,535
5,942
6,987
105
119
55
Number Examined
Defective Permanent Teeth
Defective Temporary Teeth
Number Free From Cavities
1929
1928
1929
1928
1929
1928
1929
1928
Junior High School
431
465
2,146
2,287
96
162
42
41
Note - The economic situation is reflected in the figures for 1929, fewer parents being able to have work done on the teeth of their children. The improvement in the number of cavities in the temporary teeth in spite of this situation shows the effect of nutrition teaching in the early grades.
ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CLINIC
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TEACHING ORAL HYGIENE
The dental hygienist follows a well arranged program of teaching throughout the school year each month stressing some particular phase of the subject using various projects to interest the children.
The proper use and care of the toothbrush is taught and much attention is paid to nutrition, attempting to assist in formation of good food habits.
The visits of the hygienist are the occasion for an informal talk with the children and for leaving material with the teacher which she can use in developing the subject. The number of such talks which have been given in the school-rooms during the year was 303.
The dental hygienist continues to give a thorough cleaning of the teeth to each child who does not have it done by his own dentist. This makes a deep impression on the child which carries over into the home and is invaluable as educational incentive. The number of such cleanings given partly at the Gov. Bradford Building and partly at the Hedge School was 1007.
DENTAL CLINIC
At the usual dental conference which was held at noon on Friday, September sixth, in the Governor Bradford Building, no member of the Board of Health was able to be present but word was received that the Board were entirely in accord with the present administration of the clinic. Those present were the superintendent of schools, school dentists, dental hygienist and school physician.
It was agreed that no material change in the policy or procedure of the school dental program or clinic was advisable or desirable.
There was some discussion relative to the dental exam- ination of children applying for the pre-school physical examination. The dentists generously offered their serv- ices, the details of the examination to be arranged with school physician.
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STATISTICAL REPORT ON WORK OF DENTAL CLINIC
Number of examinations 1988
Number of extractions of temporary teeth 197
Number of extractions of permanent teeth 18
Number of fillings 175
Number of treatments
39
Number of children discharged (all work com-
pleted) 61
Number of operations 361
Money received by dental hygienist and at clinics From "Cleanings" by dental hygienist $98.15
From sale of tooth brushes 50.64
From fillings and extraction at clinics
25.65
$174.44
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AMERICANIZATION AND EVENING SCHOOL CLASSES
The classes meet three evenings a week from seven- fifteen to eight-forty-five at the Knapp and Cornish School Buildings for a term of sixty nights.
The classes are really divided in two groups :
1. Those required to attend because of having left school before the completion of the sixth grade.
2. Adults who are learning English or studying to pre- pare themselves for naturalization.
In the first group the work is carried on as in the day schools, except that fewer subjects are taught. The work is largely individual and a pupil may advance as rapidly as he or she is able.
The second group comprise Americanization Classes, and are graded as : Beginners, Intermediates, Advanced and Citizenship. They are made up of earnest men and women, who are doing excellent work, and trying their best to become familiar with our language, history, civics and workings of our government.
Beginners
Type of work presented to these are:
1. Lessons in understanding and speaking English.
2. Lessons in reading English.
3. Lessons in writing English.
4. Good Citizenship.
Intermediate
Here work of the Beginners is continued but with a wider range of subject matter. Pupils write from dicta- tion, express their thought through letters and short. written themes. Some history and government are taught.
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Advanced
Pupils here have very good understanding of English but wish to study farther. More advanced work is given and more of history and the workings of our government. Citizenship
The Citizenship Classes follow a course outlined by the State Department. Some of the aims are:
1. To show the functioning of our American form of government.
2. To teach those facts of history and government which have significance in their bearing on good American citizenship.
3. To trace growth of our American institutions.
4. To stress right civic conduct.
5. To teach American ideas, ideals, principles of gov- ernment and abiding beliefs.
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SUMMER SCHOOL REPORT
During the summer of 1929, seventy pupils were en- rolled for special duty under the supervision of Miss Ellen M. Downey, Miss Helen F. Perrier, and Mrs. Miri- am A. Raymond, the Principal.
With the aid of data submitted by the regular teacher, and the terminology used in giving this data has now become more uniform, the summer school teacher gave each pupil class instruction and individual work in a given subject for a fifty-minute period. Then, in cases where it would prove beneficial, highly individual instruc- tion was offered for as much of a second fifty-minute period as was deemed necessary. Results demonstrated that improvement by this method is fairly certain, pro- vided a pupil is deficient in certain phases of a subject rather than in the whole subject.
As in the past, most of the pupils attended school reg- ularly and showed a willingness to work in return for the opportunity extended to them. When these and other positive characteristics were not to be found, an attempt was made to establish them. Special emphasis was placed upon punctuality, neatness, pride in work.
At the end of the term, the summer school teacher gave each pupil a grade in Accomplishment, Attendance, and Attitude, this record to be returned to the regular teacher, who would grant or withhold promotion. In some classes it was found feasible to return to the regu- lar teacher sets of papers showing the type of work done by the pupil during the summer.
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DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENSES
During the past two years the school department has kept a careful record of the distribution of expenses for the several schools. (See accompanying tables.) The figures for 1929 are more accurate for some schools than those of 1928, as many supplies were sent to the Cornish School and were then sent to the small schools, thus mak- ing this cost higher at the Cornish than it ought to be. The general office expense and the cost of the health depart- ment were apportioned according to the number of pupils. Tuition and transportation for out-of-town pupils, Amer- icanization and evening school and the cost of the Fresh Air or Rest and Nutrition Class were not included.
From a study of these figures certain facts are evident.
1. The large schools are run economically.
2. The schools with a small number of pupils per teach- er are expensive.
3. Maintenance costs are very variable in any one school, depending on the amount of repairs or painting done in that year.
4. The costs of transportation are high, due to pupils coming from long distances, i. e., from Vallers, Man- omet, Chiltonville, Russell Mills, Long Pond and Darby.
5. Fuel costs are very variable, due to factors discussed on a following page.
6. The cost per pupil for text books and supplies in the elementary grades is fairly uniform. Even though each teacher may order some entirely different ma- terial, due to special projects in her room, the final cost for the year is about the same.
DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENSES FOR YEARS 1928 AND 1929 - PER PUPIL BASIS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 12
Membership
Large Grade Schools
Hedge
1928
442
36.8
$47.42
$2.69
$3.42
$2.71
. . . .
$4.33
$63.38 64.63
per pupil 1928
83.27
1929
358
35.8
50.59
3.12
3.96
4.36
2.99
7.54
75.47
78.82
Mt. Pleasant
. . 1928
239
39.8
41.06
2.84
4.43
2.00
3.95
5.57
62.66
65.77
1929
236
39.3
44.33
3.75
4.49
2.10
5.72
3.05
66.35
69.70
Knapp
1928
252
31.5
56.50
2.26
5.10
5.00
6.22
77.89
81.00
1929
234
33.4
57.65
2.10
5.60
4.75
5.82
78.83
3 3.11
82.18
Above Combined
. . 1928
1,281
35.6
$48.18
$3.44
$4.09
$4.59
$1.56
$6.06
$70.73
$73.84
1929
1,263
36.1
$50.00
$2.95
$4.21
$3.50
$1.93
$5.33
$70.83
$74.18
Two Room Grade Schools
Oak Street .
1928
66
33.
$43.66
$2.34
$3.63
$4.06
$17.62
$74.12
$77.23
1929
65
32.5
44.12
1.43
3.70
3.54
. .
7.87
63.57
66.92
Manomet
1928
51
25.5
49.41
6.60
9.80
9.75
$16.05
8.71
103.13
106.24
1929
56
28.
48.66
5.93
8.93
5.01
17.57
9.82
98.83
102.18
Cold Spring .... 1929
1928
45
22.5
70.91
2.63
8.00
8.13
... .
5.08
97.56
99.61
43
21.5
73.03
2.18
8.37
5.65
. .. .
4.12
96.26
3.35 per pupil 1929
$66.49
1929
435
36.3
48.47
2.89
3.47
2.38
. .
Main. and Furniture
Health
Cost Items 3-10
Gen. Exp.
Total Cost
Cornish-Burton
...
1928
348
34.8
48.00
5.64
3.98
7.06
$3.07
9.60
80.16
per pupil 1928
2 2.81
2.91 per pupil 1929
No. Pupils Per Teacher
Teachers,
Salaries :
Principals, Supervisors
Text Books, Supplies,
Misc.
·
Janitor
Fuel
Transportation
4.55
67.98
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·
. .
. .
...
100.67
One Room Grade Schools
Lincoln Street
.... 1928
38
38.
45.33
3.39 2.96
7.37
6.21
5.43
70.52 75.03
73.63 78.38
Alden Street
1928
25
25.
64.61
1.39
7.20
1.18
6.74
83.93
87.04
1929
22
22.
74.07
1.78
8.18
3.54
4.13
94.61
97.94
Wellingsley
1928
20
20.
62.79
5.05
12.00
9.12
11.12
102.89
106.00
1929
25
25.
50.34
3.70
9.60
7.08
7.62
81.25
84.00
Cliff Street
1928
15
15.
79.66
5.54
10.00
3.61
6.09
107.71
110.82
1929
13
13.
92.97
4.71
12.31
4.08
4.66
121.14
2
124.49
Cedarville
1928
19
19.
74.79
5.65
4.21
4.15
53.43
6.76
151.80
154.91
1929
22
22.
64.34
6.65
7.29
3.84
53.38
6.58
144.99
148.34
Russell Mills
.... 1928 1929
14
14.
101.05
3.86
7.53
6.88
. . . .
5.14
127.37
130.72
Special School
South Street
1928
28
14.
120.00
8.21
10.00
9.52
12.93
9.62
173.09
176.20
1929
30
15.
105.09
4.02
8.25
8.98
5.60
6.01
140.86
144.21
High Schools
Junior
1928
475
67.40
6.59
4.23
3.67
11.78
6.23
102.71
105.82
1929
446
76.74
5.61
4.85
3.24
11.25
4.54
109.14
2
112.49
Senior
1928
475
. . . .
77.90
10.37
4.95
3.70
8.95
13.52
2 2.91
122.20
125.31
1929
495
. . . .
88.11
10.12
4.53
3.21
10.01
6.85
125.74
129.09
.. .
1929
35
35.
47.70
7.71
8.37
5.38
. . . .
· . .
3.01
87.45
90.50
20
20.
68.31
5.15
5.40
2.77
. . . .
. . . .
. . .
. .. .
2.81 per pupil 1928
3 3.11 per pupil 1928
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per pupil 1929
3 3.35 per pupil 1929
. . .
. . . .
...
. . . .
. . . .
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ANALYSIS OF COSTS
In order to understand fully the situation in Plymouth with regard to the cost of the schools, two conditions must be realized. First, is the fact that Plymouth is the larg- est town in extent of territory in the state. With its widely scattered pupils, transportation costs are neces- sarily high; and second, there are several small schools where the number of pupils per teacher is small. Both of these items materially affect the total cost to the town. 1. Transportation.
Based on the returns from all the towns and cities in Massachusetts for the year ending June 30, 1929, the per pupil cost for transportation for the state was $2.56 and for Plymouth it was $6.63, a difference of $4.07. If this difference be multiplied by the approximate member- ship, 2500 pupils, it gives $10,175 as the cost above the general average.
Some items of transportation are exceedingly high when the number of pupils are considered as illustrated in the following cases :
(1) 4 pupils from Long Pond, 2 for the morning ses- sion and 2 for the afternoon session of the high school, necessitate two trips a day. This cost is $10 a day dur- ing the fall and spring terms. During the winter these children board in town, for which an allowance of a dollar a day per child is made. The total cost is about $1400 per year. The only way to reduce this cost is to have the children board in town the full year, but this is not advisable. Every child should be home nights.
(2) One child from South Pond Village is brought to the first grade at the Mt. Pleasant, at the cost of $2 a day.
(3) A few pupils are brought from Long Pond to Cedarville School and three pupils from Cedarville to the Sagamore Grammar School. This costs $12 a day.
(4.) At least $2400 a year extra is caused by double trips from Manomet, Long Pond and Chiltonville due to the two sessions at the high school.
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2. Cost of Small Number of Pupils in Classrooms :
The extra costs of some of the small schools above the large schools is more than one would realize.
From the figures given on another page the following facts are available :
Schools
No. Pupils per teacher 36.1
Cost per pupil $74.18
Excess cost per pupil
Total excess cost of school
4 Large Grade Schols,
Cold Spring (2 teachers), 21.5
99.61
$25.43
$1,117.79
Alden Street,
22
97.94
23.76
522.72
Wellingsley,
25
84.60
10.42
270.50
Russell Mills,
14
130.72
66.54
791.56
Cliff Street,
13
124.49
50.31
653.93
Total in small schools 117 pupils
$3,356.50
The keeping open of these small schools cannot be justified on any ground, except that it is a convenience to have the small children near their homes. On the one hand is the natural desire of parents to have their small children near their homes, on the other the loss of certain educational and social gains which come from competi- tion and association with large numbers of pupils.
Material saving to the town could be made by reorgan- ization and consolidation of some of these schools.
During the past year, Cedarville cost $148.34 per pupil, of which $53.38 is due to transportation. Manomet cost $98.83, of which $17.57 is due to transportation. Owing to their location these conditions cannot be changed.
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