USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Town annual report of Quincy 1882 > Part 9
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5
February,
S
5
13
March,
7
2I
April,
15
8
23
May,
7
7
14
June,
4
IO
July, .
7
IO
August, .
IO
19
September,
S
I2
October,
2I
November,
9
I4
December, .
8
5
I3
106
76
182
Number.
Deaths under 1 year of age, .
46
66
between 1 and 10 years of age,
41
66
66
20 " 30
66
I2
66
66
40 50 66
66
IO
66
66 60 66
66
8 13
66
66
66
66
I6
66
15
66
66
66
66
I
6
66
70 80 90 95
90 95 100
66
O
66
4
66
30 66
40 66 66
I6
66
50 60 66 70 80
182
Total.
I2
Females. 7
6 6 9 4
7 5
IO " 20
REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF QUINCY,
FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR 1881-82.
School Committee.
EDWIN W. MARSH, GEORGE L. MILLER,
WILLIAM G. SHEEN,
JASON G. WITHAM, ALFRED SAMPSON, SIGOURNEY BUTLER.
Superintendent. SYLVESTER BROWN.
BOSTON : COCHRANE & SAMPSON, PRINTERS, 30 BROMFIELD STREET. .
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
In June last, Mr. J. Q. Adams, having resigned his position as a member of the School Committee, the remaining members of the Board, with the Selectmen in convention, unanimously elected Mr. Sigourney Butler to fill the vacancy for the remain- der of the municipal year.
Elected a member of the Committee in 1857, 1859 and 1860, and serving continuously since 1870, Mr. Adams has given to the town and the schools a valuable service of nearly fifteen years, during eleven of which he has been Chairman of the Board. He early realized the economy of placing our schools under trained and competent supervision, and when in 1875 the town, adopting the recommendation of the School Committee authorized the employment of a Superintendent, his influential and hearty support of the new officer contributed largely to the very marked success of the experiment. His retirement is much regretted by his associates of the Committee, by the Superin- tendent and teachers, and by all connected with, or interested in, the public schools.
It is gratifying to us, as we feel sure it will be to the town, to have the assurance of Mr. Adams, when severing his connection with the schools, that his interest in their welfare is unabated and that at no time during his term of service have they been in a more satisfactory and encouraging condition.
In the last report of the Committee reference was made to the injury to our schools arising from the constant change of teachers. We have hoped that this was a temporary evil, but we find it otherwise. The reputation of the Quincy school, having gone abroad, committees and superintendents of various cities and towns, having a wish to try what they are pleased to call " the new system," naturally look to us to furnish teachers who are trained to the work.
(12 Q)
(177)
178
During the two years of Mr. Brown's superintendency twenty- six teachers have left us, the larger portion to accept better pos- tions and higher salaries elsewhere: while others, refusing tempting offers made them from abroad, have remained with us at a considerable financial sacrifice. As has been often said, it is useless for us to undertake to compete with the cities and richer towns in the matter of salaries. We have a very large school population in proportion to our valuation, and while our neighbors of Milton can, with an assessment for schools of but one and three-tenths mills on the dollar, make an appropriation of twenty-six dollars for each child between five and fifteen years of age, we, with an assessment of nearly three times that amount, can spend upon each scholar but fifteen and one-half dollars. But while we cannot attempt to compete with these richer towns in bidding for the services of teachers, we have felt that when an exceptionally good teacher was willing to remain with us at a salary considerably less than had been offered else- where, it was but fair and reasonable that we should to some ex- tent, and so far as we were able, make recompense for the sacri- fice. It is for the town to decide to what extent we shall be able to carry out this policy in the future.
We have met with a serious loss during the past year in the death of Mrs. Mary T. Dewing of the Willard School. That she has served the town long and well is shown by the satisfac- tory accounts given of her school in former reports of the School Committee. As long ago as 1853 the Hon. Charles Francis Adams, then Chairman of the Board, writing of the South District, said, " The district has been singularly fortunate in the selection of a teacher in Miss Beal, ... during the whole of the year her school has presented to the Committee the uni- form aspect of a MODEL of its kind." In 1860 the Committee speak of her as "a very peculiarly good teacher," and in 1861, " There is an unmistakable superiority in the school kept by Miss Beal ;... she seems to have a genius for her profession, which enables her with ease to reach a degree of pre-eminence above ordinary good schools."
The services of Mrs. Dewing in more recent years are truth- fully presented in the report of the Superintendent, whose per-
179
sonal association with her while Principal of the Willard School, and later as Superintendent, has given him especial opportunity to appreciate her worth. Of a service covering a period of thirty years, it is fitly said of the beginning, " Her school was a model of its kind," and of the close, " She excelled in her profession."
In their report to the town at the close of the school year 1879, the School Committee, referring to the enlargement of the Adams School-house in accordance with a vote of the town at the previous annual meeting, expressed the opinion that the accom- modations thus furnished were sufficient for the wants of that part of the town for many years to come. But the number of children in this district between the ages of five and fifteen, which, on the first day of May, 1878, was but three hundred and sixty-five, had on the first of May, 1881, increased to four hun- dred and thirty-nine ; while the number of pupils of the lowest grade in the school increased from seventy-five in the summer of 1879, to one hundred and fifty in the summer of 1881. Realizing the necessity of some immediate provision for this rapidly increasing number, the Committee during the past year have finished, at a moderate expense, a pleasant and convenient room in the attic of the building, and by removing the older pupils to the upper rooms, sufficient accommodations are pro- vided below for the present needs of the lower classes.
At the last March meeting an appropriation of $750 was made for providing additional accommodations at the Willard School. It was thought at that time that a small room might be finished in the present building, sufficient for present abso- lute wants ; thus postponing any considerable outlay in this district for a few years longer. But the rapid increase of chil- dren in this part of the town makes it evident that something more must be done. The number between the ages of five and fifteen on the first day of May last was six hundred and eleven, while by the enumeration of 1878 it was but four hundred and seventy-eight; showing an increase in three years of one hun- dred and thirty-three, or twenty-eight per cent. Under these circumstances the Committee have thought it unwise to spend much money on what at best would be but a temporary make- shift ; they have thought it better to get along as best they
180
could through the present year, and to ask the town for an ap- propriation sufficient, not only to meet properly our present needs, but to make also some provision for the inevitable future.
This we think can be done economically by extending the present building toward the street in front, a distance of sixty feet, with a width of forty-two feet; making the extension the same size as the original building. This will give four light and convenient rooms, two of which are absolutely needed for im- mediate use ; the others may remain unfurnished until they are wanted. This addition can be made, including the furnishing of two rooms, at an expense not exceeding $6000, and we would recommend an appropriation of that amount for this purpose.
It has been necessary to spend a portion of the appropriation of $750 for furniture for pressing needs, and for some slight re- pairs, all of which is of permanent value ; the balance remains in the treasury.
For several years the Committee have endeavored to reduce the expenditure for the transportation of children. The village of Germantown, isolated and at a distance from any school except the Washington,- with which at present there is no practicable means of communication, - is clearly one of those cases which the law authorizing this expenditure was intended to meet.
The children from a small settlement near Granite Bridge having a considerable distance to walk, over a road but little travelled, and through a section but sparsely inhabited, it has been thought reasonable that through the most inclement sea- son they should be provided with conveyance to the school at Atlantic to which they belong. To these two sections the out- lay had been pretty much confined, until there arose at Squan- tum a state of things which made - at least in the minds of the people of that section - a necessity for a considerable additional expenditure.
The residents of this part of the town have in the past, from time to time, asked of the Committee some provision for the conveyance of their children. The increase of population, inci- dent to the construction of the Boston sewer, furnished an ad- ditional argument in favor of their claim, particularly as it was
181
urged that under existing circumstances, it was hardly safe for their children to travel unattended over the road to school.
After careful consideration, we have thought it advisable to make for the present the same provision for the scholars at Moon Island and Squantum, as has been made for those at Hough's Neck and Germantown. This unexpected outlay has caused our expenditure for transportation to exceed the estimate made at the beginning of the year, and will, if continued, neces- sitate an increased appropriation for that purpose for the year ensuing.
There was placed at the disposal of the School Committee at the last annual town meeting, for all purposes, the sum of $37,000. There has been received from the State school fund, $198.12, and from the Coddington land, $75 ; making the whole amount to be accounted for, $37,273.12.
There has been expended $36,861.08, as follows : -
For Teachers' salaries,
$24,279 64
Fuel,
1,566 71
Care of rooms,
1,997 92
Books and stationery,
809 22
Incidental expenses,
2,216 33
Transportation of pupils,
798 00
Repairs,
2,383 76
Willard School,
309 50
Out-house at High School,
500 00
Salary of Superintendent,
2,000 00 $36,861 08
Balance unexpended,
412 04
$37,273 12
The expenditure for fuel has exceeded our estimate by nearly $300, which is accounted for by the exceptionally cold weather of the spring and early summer ; the expense of finishing a room at the Adams School, for which no provision was made, has caused an overrun in the item for repairs ; and the convey- ance of children from Squantum has unexpectedly added some $200 to the outlay for transportation. These amounts are offset,
182
however, by a saving of a like amount from the estimate made for teachers' salaries.
To conduct our schools in a satisfactory manner for the ensu- ing year, your Committee are of the opinion that the following sums will be required : -
For Teachers' salaries, fuel, and care of rooms,
$ 30,600
Incidental expenses,
2,500
Transportation of pupils,
900
Books and stationery,
800
Repairs of buildings,
2,000
Superintendent's salary,
2,000
$38,800
To which should be added, for addition to Willard School-house,
$6,000
Reference to the following table, giving for four years the number of children in the town between five and fifteen, on the first day of May, will show, that though our school expenses have increased from year to year, the increase is far below that of the school population.
1878.
1879.
1880.
1881.
Adams,
365
402
407
439
Coddington,
262
277
306
344
Washington,
245
257
27I
290
Willard,
478
508
550
6II
Wollaston,
I33
I57
189
197
Atlantic,
166
191
225
256
1649
I792
1948
2137
Three years ago, the previous enumeration, showing the num- ber of children to be one thousand six hundred and forty-nine, the town appropriated for the usual school expenses the sum of $34,000 ; with two thousand one hundred and thirty-seven children we now advise an appropriation of $38,800, showing, with an increase in the number of children of more than twenty- nine per cent, an increase in the estimate of but fourteen per cent. - An increased number of scholars necessarily requires
183
more teachers, more rooms, and more fuel ; each new pupil must be seated, and more tools must be provided with which to do the work.
Thus any considerable increase in the number to be educated necessitates an increased expenditure in nearly every item of the account.
The prevalence of epidemic diseases among children during the past year has reduced somewhat the average school atten- dance, and as the expenses necessarily continue the same, the amount expended upon each pupil actually present has conse- quently been slightly increased.
Though we have fortunately thus far had no case of small- pox in our midst, its unusual prevalence in other sections prompts the Committee to call the attention of parents to the following State law enacted for the protection of their children.
"The School Committee shall not allow a child, who has not been duly vaccinated, to be admitted to or connected with the public schools." - Public Statues, Chap. 47, Sec. 9.
The detail of the year's work and progress, together with valuable suggestions relative to the schools, will be found in the report of the Superintendent hereto annexed. In inviting especial attention to this, his second report, the Committee de- sire again to bear testimony to the tact and intelligent industry with which Mr. Brown is prosecuting his work. In expressing our entire satisfaction with the result of his two years of service, we would not overlook the assistance rendered by the faithful corps of teachers, who, transferring to the new Superintendent the confidence and support they had so freely given his prede- cessor, have from the first heartily joined with him in a common labor for the common good.
In rendering to the town their account of the disbursement of the appropriation intrusted to their care, your Committee would respectfully suggest, that inasmuch as the taxpayers are wont to examine and criticise the work of officials intrusted with the expenditure of public money, they should also visit the schools and see for themselves the amount of work accomplished,
184
and the manner in which it is done. We feel confident that after such an examination, our fellow citizens will join with us in the conclusion, that the town is receiving a fair and valuable equivalent for the money expended for the education of its children.
E. W. MARSH, J. G. WITHAM, G. L. MILLER, ALFRED SAMPSON, WM. G. SHEEN, SIGOURNEY BUTLER.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
Gentlemen of the School Board : -
My Second Annual Report, the seventh report of the Super- intendent of Schools, is respectfully submitted.
In accordance with your request that I should state to what extent the recommendations made in my report of last year have been carried out, I will briefly present the matter in detail. You will remember that more emphasis was given to the neces- sity for the study of drawing than to any other recommendation which was made ; accordingly the sum of five hundred dollars was appropriated, in order that our teachers might be instructed so that hereafter they could carry on the work by themselves the same as in any other study. No person was favorably re- commended to your notice until the beginning of the present term, owing to the fact that until that time no person was found in whose hands I was willing to place the work. By your recent action appointing Mr. C. M. Carter to fill this position, you have secured the services of a man in whom you can place the utmost confidence. Mr. Carter is employed by the State Board of Edu- cation three and one-half days each week, and devotes one and one-half days to our schools. Of this time, one-half day each week is spent in teaching at the High School, and the remainder of the time is given to the instruction of teachers in the primary and grammar schools. Besides this work in the schools, Mr. Carter has arranged for a course of eight lessons to be given to the teachers, at the Coddington School-house, under the aus- pices of the State Board of Education, free of expense to us. It is evident that in so short a time but little can have been accom- plished, yet a marked degree of enthusiasm is manifested by both teachers and pupils, and we have reason to hope for much in the future if, by the wisdom of your Board and the liberality
(187)
188
of the Town, the services of Mr. Carter are continued the com- ing year.
My suggestion of last year with regard to instruction in Civil Government has been carried out, and a sufficient number of copies of " Martin's Civil Government" has been purchased to place one in the hands of each A Grammar pupil in all the schools. The principals have been instructed to see that their pupils obtained such a knowledge of this subject as would enable them to become intelligent citizens ; accordingly the pupils are prepared to correctly state the qualifications necessary to enable persons to become eligible to the principal offices and positions of trust and honor in our Town, State and National Govern- ments, and also to describe the manner in which these officials are elected. To further create an interest in matters of import- ance to every citizen, the principa's are requested to keep daily before the minds of their pupils the chief events of political and historical interest now occurring, and on this the pu ils are ex- pected to be prepared for examination at any time.
A good beginning has been made in singing in a number of the schools, and all are in advance of the position they held one year ago. So much progress has not been made as could be de- sired, on account of the inability of many teachers to teach the subject properly. As in all other studies, ability to give in- struction in singing depends largely upon the ambition the teachers have to succeed. We look forward to a good degree of improvement in the future, as much anxiety is manifested by the teachers to teach this subject as well as they are teaching other studies. Mr. Holt, the successful teacher of music in the Bos- ton public schools, is giving a course of lessons at the English High School Saturdays, and has kindly extended an invitation to the teachers of Quincy to be present. Notwithstanding the expense, and the extra tax upon their time, all of our teachers have expressed a willingness to attend, and from this we have great hopes that success will follow their efforts.
It was formerly believed that all persons could not become proficient in penmanship, but that excellence in this could be attained only by those who had a natural aptitude in this direc- tion. The writing in our schools has for a long time been a
189
subject for special commendation, and it may be stated as a matter of fact that no pupil who has been a constant attendant in the schools has graduated for a number of years from the grammar department who could be called a poor writer, thus proving that all children can be taught to write well. Hereto- fore, however, our children have lacked the ability to write with that rapidity it is desirable that they should attain. The first result to be reached is accuracy so far as practicable, and when this has been accomplished rapidity is of great importance. Im- provement in rapid writing has been gradually made during the year, and while the quality of the work has not deteriorated, in many schools the time required has been greatly reduced ; in- deed, an examination paper that required three hours for its completion one year ago, is easily done now in half that time. This skill in the use of the pen will receive renewed attention the coming year. In nearly all the schools the pen to a consid- erable degree displaces the pencil after the pupils enter upon their fourth school year. The work was so well done by pupils of this grade, that in two schools of the B Primary grade trial was made to ascertain what degree of proficiency could be at- tained there. This experiment having been proved a success, all teachers of this grade will at once enter upon the same kind of work. Teachers should bear in mind that in writing especially, the children should have a good example before them. It is no- ticeable in all grades that those teachers succeed best in teach- ing writing, attaining both excellence in work and rapidity in execution, who have best carried out the suggestions they have received with regard to their own writing. Much board writing is done by the teachers, and if this writing is done well the effect is very marked in its influence upon the pupils. In three or four rooms in Quincy the writing done by the teachers is considerably below the standard ; but I hope soon to be able to report to you that these cases no longer exist.
It is now generally considered of little account if a child is unable to spell a large number of words of whose meaning he knows nothing, and which he will not have occasion to use in practical life, provided he has the ability to spell correctly the words of his own vocabulary. Notwithstanding the fact that
190
this ability is considered the proper test of spelling, it seems al- most impossible for teachers not to introduced new words to the children before the spelling of the words they use in their daily conversation has been thoroughly learned. There is no study pursued in our schools that demands more watchfulness on the part of a supervisor than the study of spelling. I have known pupils, during an exercise in language, to ask their teacher for the proper spelling of a word, and sometimes the teacher has said,- though I am happy to say not often, - do the best you can ; if you think you cannot spell it correctly, try it. Anything of this kind is as fatal to progress as the old way of allowing children to try twice during a lesson in oral spell- ing. The child should never see the incorrect form of the word. If he cannot write the world correctly it is evident that he has not seen it a sufficient number of times, or he has not had his interest sufficiently aroused so that a clear impression has been made upon his mind, or he has seen the incorrect form of the word so many times that a false impression is mingled with the true. Whatever the cause. if the word is again mis- spelled, the false impression is deepened and much more time will be required to make a knowledge of the rght letiters of the word, properly arranged, a lasting possession. In lower grade work teachers should always be ready to write upon the board all words that the children can use orally but cannot write, or what is better, have some other child in the class write the word. In the higher grades, when pupils are engaged upon written work, they should have a dictionary ready for immediate reference, and it should be considered a very serious departure from good scholarship for the pupil to misspell a word during his stay in any class of the High or Grammar Schools.
I have recently received for examination, with special regard to the spelling, letters from all pupils in the Grammar Schools of Quincy. No examination can be given that will more plainly indicate the character of a school than this. In most of the schools the letters received were nearly perfect, and in all the schools a very large proportion of the papers did not contain a misspelled word. In the future my examinations in spelling will be partially of this character, and sentences, composed
191
wholly of words in actual use in the school-room, will be written from dictation. Spelling is now largely taught by writing sentences instead of disconnected words, and as this seems to be the way to accomplish most, all teachers will be expected to do much of this work in the future.
The liberal appropriation for books and stationery last year has supplied us with means sufficient to add much good reading matter to our stock; and in addition to this, a set of encyclo- pædiæ has been placed in each building. The children are mak- ing much use of these as books of reference, and are daily learn- ing not to rely upon other persons for information which they can find out for themselves. Our home reading has been greatly facilitated by the preparation of the Children's Book Lists under the direction of the Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Li- brary. Of these lists two numbers have already appeared and others are to follow. Many of these books have been on trial in our schools, as in the preparation of the lists all teachers were requested to furnish the names of those books that have been proved to be interesting and instructive. Facts are con- tinually presenting themselves which prove that the connection between the Public Library and the Public Schools is gradually growing stronger and stronger, which must be especially grati- fying to all interested in the education of the young. In this connection it may be said that the Trustees have indicated their desire to do all that lies in their power to aid the schools, and have expressed their willingness to place in the Library, for the use of teachers, Barnard's Journal of Education, in thirty volumes, which is a complete cyclopædia of educational literature. It would seem that the school department should do as much at least as the Trustees to increase the professional knowledge of its teachers. Much study upon the history, theory and practice of education is necessary on the part of teachers in order that mistakes may be avoided and the best results ob- tained ; yet it is manifest, that a teacher on a salary of four hundred dollars or less, will have little left, after defraying ex- penses, to invest in books of any kind Permit me to suggest, that a small sum of money be invested under your direction so that a few of the best works on education may be placed in the
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