USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1864-1888 > Part 7
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SECT. I. No child under the age of ten shall be employed in any manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile establishment in this Commonwealth, and any parent or guardian who permits such employment, shall, for such offence, forfeit a sum of not less than twenty, nor more than fifty dollars, for the use of the public schools of the city or town.
SECT. 2. No child under the age of fourteen years shall be so employed, unless, during the year next preceding such employ- ment, he has attended some public or private or day school, under teachers approved by the school committee of the place where such school is kept, at least twenty weeks, which time may be divided into two terms, each of ten consecutive weeks, so far as the arrangements of school terms will allow; nor shall such employment continue, unless such child shall attend school as herein provided, in each and every year ; and no child shall be so employed, who does not present a certificate, made by or under the direction of said school committee, of his compliance with the requirements of this act, provided, however, that a regular attendance, during the continuance of such employment, in any school known as a half-time day school, or an attendance in any public or private day school twenty weeks, as above stated, may be accepted by said school committee as a substitute for the at- tendance herein required.
SECT. 3. Every owner, superintendent or overseer in any establishment above named, who employs or permits to be em- ployed any child, in violation of the second section of this act, and every parent or guardian who permits such employment, shall, for such offence, forfeit a sum not less than twenty, nor more than fifty dollars, for the use of the public schools of such city or town.
SECT. 4. The truant officers shall, at least once in every school term, and as often as the school committee require. visit the establishments described by this act, in their several cities
23
SCHOOL REPORT.
and towns, and inquire into the situation of the children em- ployed therein, ascertain whether the provisions of this act are duly observed, and report all violations to the school committee.
TRUANCY.
If the State provides, as a measure of self-protection, for the education of its members, it follows that it has a right to compel, as far as possible, every member to receive that education. It sometimes occurs, especially as population becomes more dense, that children of a legal school age are not found in school. The law has provided for the investigation of such cases, and has established penalties for the violation of its provisions. In order that all parents may be informed of its provisions, printed below will be found an extract from the proposed new By-Laws for the town, which is substantially the law of the State concerning Truancy :
SECT. I. Any child between the ages of seven and fifteen years, who may be found wandering idly about in any street or public place in the Town of Saugus during school hours, having no lawful occupation or business, not attending school, shall be arrested by the truant officer of said Saugus, and taken to the school to which he or she belongs and delivered to the teacher thereof. And any child who may be absent as aforesaid a third time, shall be deemed an habitual truant, and may be punished according to Section 2.
SECT. 2. A child guilty of truancy shall be reported by the teacher to one of the school committee, who shall, if he deems the offence sufficiently aggravated to deserve punishment, forth- with notify the parent or guardian of such child, who shall be allowed to prevent summary punishment by such pledges for the good conduct of the child as shall be satisfactory to the school committee ; and if such pledges are not given or kept, the school committee, or one of them, may forthwith notify the truant officer, who shall at once make the complaint required by law
24
SCHOOL REPORT.
against such child, before any trial justice or tribunal having jurisdiction of the case.
SECT. 3. Any of the persons described in the first section of chapter two hundred and sixty-two of the Acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-three, entitled “ An Act concern- ing truant children and absentees from School," upon conviction of any offence described in said Act shall be committed to the State Primary School at Monson, and the same is hereby as- signed as the place of cor finement, discipline and instruction for persons so convicted.
During the past year, two or three cases of truancy occurred in Cliftondale, which interfered greatly with the welfare of the schools. The truants endeavored to induce other boys to follow their example. Other complaints have been made, but the Committee are not able to deal with such difficulties, because the town is not provided with the proper By-Laws. It is expected that this obstacle will be removed at the next town meeting. The law requires the School Committee to appoint a truant officer, who shall receive and investigate all complaints, and to see that the law is carefully enforced. All cases of prolonged absence, for which no valid excuse is made, should be entrusted to him to investigate. It would also devolve upon him to see that the law regarding employment of children of school age is enforced.
ABSENCE AND TARDINESS.
The attention of parents is called once more to these often mentioned subjects. We are persuaded that teachers feel the evils of them so much that they do all they can to remove them, and that any improvement in these respects must be the result of greater attention on the part of parents. Children should not be allowed to be absent or tardy unless for imperative reasons. The loss occasioned by these evils fall not only upon the scholar himself, but also upon the
25
SCHOOL REPORT.
whole class to which he belongs. We would. therefore, urge upon parents greater attention to these matters. It is a hindrance, and not a kindness to a child, to allow him to remain from school, unless sickness or some equally good cause demands it.
By request of the School Committee, teachers in the several schools have kept a record of the number of ab- sentees during the past year. The total number absent for various reasons amounts to nearly fifteen thousand. Deducting five thousand for the number absent on account of sickness, leaves a balance of not far from ten thousand. Allowing thirty-seven weeks for the school year (the record extending over that period only), it will be seen that the time lost, if improved, would furnish instruction for twenty- seven scholars for the entire year. The large number absent, added to the tardy scholars, numbering some eigh- teen hundred, must have a tendency to injure the efficiency of the schools, placing the standard far below what it should be. There is a much needed reform in this direction. Parents should exercise a continual watchfulness over their children, see that they are not only constantly but promptly at school, that they may be able by this means to receive the full benefit of the money expended for their education.
HIGH SCHOOL.
The maintenance of a High School in a town of the size of Saugus is required by law. The establishment of such a school, and especially raising it to the desirable standard, requires time. The Committee have endeavored to bring the standard of the High School up to that of similar schools in the towns around us. The course of study, as laid out. is almost as extensive and advanced as that in the neigh- boring city of Lynn. In larger towns the law requires certain studies, such as Greek and German, which are not required in smaller towns. With these exceptions. the
26
SCHOOL REPORT.
Committee believe that the course is as extensive as is at present needed. The facilities for certain studies, espe- cially in the Physical Sciences, are very deficient, and therefore there is not that proficiency in these departments which is desirable.
The conditions for admission to the High School are as follows : Applicants must pass written examinations in Arithmetic, History, Grammar and Geography, and are required to be prepared on all that is contained in the text- books used on these subjects in the Grammar Schools. The applicants have not yet been quite up to the proper standard, and more careful preparation must be required in the Grammar Schools. The examinations for admission should also be made more severe each year, and pupils should not be allowed to pass from one class to another in the High School who have not satisfactorily passed the monthly written examinations in their several studies.
The High School needs apparatus with which to illus- trate Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, and works of reference in other departments, especially History and English Literature. A small amount should be placed at the disposal of the Committee to furnish the school in these branches. By a slight expenditure each year, the school would soon be supplied with what is most indispensable to its greatest efficiency. The school needs, also, better accom- modations. At present one of the dressing-rooms is used as the Assistant's room, but it is so small that the whole of the junior and middle classes cannot be accommodated at one time. If a large room could be used, some exercises could be conducted for the whole class instead of one-half of it, and thus time saved for other recitations.
The Committee would recommend that the school be furnished with more commodious quarters in the new Town Hall. The lower hall could be easily adapted to the wants of the school. A room opens upon it which would make a very good room for the Assistant, while dressing-rooms
27
SCHOOL REPORT.
could be provided in the basement at a very slight expense. The Committee would urge this matter, because they feel how important such a step is to the best interests of the school. They hope, therefore, that the citizens of the town will carefully consider such a proposition.
PRIMARY SCHOOL, WARD TWO.
This room is too crowded in its present quarters. Almost eighty scholars are confined in this room, which is low studded, dark, and unventilated. The Assistant's room is one of the dressing-rooms, and is very unsuitable for a recitation-room, being small, inconvenient, and not easily ventilated. The Committee advise the division of this school; that one part occupy the present room, and the other the room above. The furnishing of the new room would be very slight, as enough chairs and desks are already provided in the lower room, and a part of them can be removed to the upper room. This matter should be favorably considered. The crowded condition of the school at the present time cannot but be detrimental to the health of the young children who attend it. The ven- tilation being so poor, the air must necessarily be so impure as to exert an injurious influence on the physical, and through that on the intellectual condition of the pupils. The slight expense required to establish another school would be trifling compared with the benefits which would be secured.
WARD FIVE.
The Committee would recommend the discontinuance of this school. The number of scholars who attend there is very small, especially in the winter term. The average attendance for the year is only twelve scholars. The parents of three children who now attend there have applied to the Committee for permission to send their children to a school in Melrose, which is much nearer to them than the
·
28
SCHOOL REPORT.
school at Oaklandvale. Two or three of the other fami- lies could send their children to Cliftondale or North Sau- gus as conveniently as to the present school, while others could attend the school at the Centre, where they would make no appreciable difference as to numbers. By this expedient the town would save some four hundred dollars, and the pupils would have better opportunities than can be afforded by the present arrangement.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.
The use of a means of discipline which can be perverted so easily as corporal punishment, needs to be placed under stringent regulations. It does not seem advisable to pro- hibit any recourse to this kind of punishment, because cases some times occur where physical suffering may be the only means of influencing a stubborn will or insubordinate dis- position. The present school law requires a teacher to resort to other means of punishment, and only when these have failed, to use corporal punishment. To prevent any possible cases of cruel or unjust treatment, and thus to remove causes which might furnish grounds of complaint to injudicious or inconsiderate parents, the Committee have further required that before using this means of chastise- ment, information shall be given to the parent or a member of the Committee, and his permission obtained. How this rule will work can be proved only by experience, but the Committee hope it will remove the temptation from the teacher to proceed too readily to this punishment, and all occasion for unnecessary complaints from parents.
TEACHERS.
During the past year two changes only have been made in the corps of instructors. At the beginning of the Fall Term, Miss Sweetser resigned her position in the Grammar School at Cliftondale. Miss Farrington was elected to fill
29
SCHOOL REPORT.
the vacancy, and has given the highest satisfaction in that position. During the summer vacation, Miss Abbott re- signed the care of the school at Oaklandvale. Miss Payson was chosen to fill the position, and has discharged satisfac- torily the duties of that place.
APPROPRIATIONS.
At the last March meeting of the Town, the appropria- tions for schools was diminished by the sum of five hundred dollars. The Committee endeavored to meet this reduction by reducing teachers' salaries, and also by cutting off one week from the school year. The report of school expenses will not show the reduction of the full amount, because en- gagements with teachers prevented a reduction of salaries till the beginning of the Fall Term. If the amount ex- pended from June, 1876 to June, 1877, be determined, the Committee believe that it will be seen that a reduction of the full sum has been made.
In presenting this report, the Committee express their belief that the schools generally are now in as favorable a condition as they were represented to be one year ago. Several of the classes show a higher state of proficiency than the previous year. This statement is endorsed by many of the teachers.
Continual watchfulness is required to see that all inter- ests are provided for. There should be no resting in what has been accomplished, but all should strive together, committee, teachers and parents, that the greatest efficiency should be given to every department of instruction. We trust that the condition of the schools will continue to im- prove until committees shall have no requests to make, but only commendation to give.
B. F. CALLEY, J. PARSONS, JR., C. A. B. MUNROE, -
Committee.
30
STATISTICS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SAUGUS FOR 1876-77.
| No. of Ward.
Grade of
NAMES OF TEACHERS.
Schools
Whole No. Scholars
belonging Spring T.
Whole No Scholars
Whole No. Scholars
| belonging Winter T.
Av. No. belonging
Av. No. belonging
Av. No. belonging
Av. weekly attend.
Spring Term.
Av. weekly attend.
Av. weekly attend.
Per cent. of attend.
No. of scholars over
No. of Males in each
No. of Females in
each school.
each school.
No. of Visits by the
Average age of
No. times scholars
absent in each sch'l.
Times absent on ac-
count of sickness.
No. of times tardy.
Wages of Teachers
per week.
High School.
a Mr. F. W. Eveleth
32
47
44
29
44
42
28
=
37
.92
IS
28
4
14
14
10
690
276
250
$23 50
Mixed
Miss Mary I. Morse
26
28
22
23
24
19
19
22
I
12
16
39
7
7
I539
184
53
8 00 00
2 Primary ... . .
b Miss Georgianna Walton
82
87
75
74
79
70
74
55
.93
O
48
39
~
12
a
0
3199
1020
138
9 00
2 Intermediate
Miss Esther A. Parker
32
31
34
29
2℃
29
28
27
26
93 O
15
17
0
=
0
6
440
177
68
10 00
2 Grammar ....
Mrs. E. W. Boardman
31
30
32
25
26
27
23
24
24
.91
2
in
14
14,
12
6
711
383
78
10 50
3 Primary .
·
13
49
45
39
44
39
36
42
34
.92
2
25
24
76
7
3
2015
789
450
9 50
3 |Grammar ... . c Miss E. L. Farrington ....
31
34
34
28
32
31
26
30
.92
5
20
14
42
11
12
+
S57
342
257
9 00
4 Primary
Miss E A. Mansfield ... ...
.
44
44
43
42
39
38
35
.89
0
18
28
23
10
6
9
1827
726
75
10 00
4 Intermediate
Miss Lena G. Chandler
...
39
33
34
35
31
31
29
27
30
.89
O
22
17
12
10
0
1
1570
628
123
9 00
4 Grammar .... Miss Belle Copp ..
29
34
31
28
32
30
29
28
26
.92
2
6
15
17
13
4
749
299
224
10 00
Mixed 5
.d Miss E. P. Payson.
4
12
18
14
II
15
=
10
.84
4
12
0
15
0
II
6
535
176
56
8 00
411
432!
413 371
396
364
3421
361
327
.911
34
225|
223
258|
119/ 10 5
14132 5000 1772
$116 50
a Miss Clara J. Calley, Assistant. Spring Term.
h Miss Clara C. Farnham, Assistant.
c Miss Susan A. Sweetser, Spring Term. d Miss Alice W. Abbott,
SCHOOL REPORT.
.
Winter Term.
during the year.
15 years of age.
school.
No of Visitors to
Committee.
scholars.
Yrs. Mos.
.
25
·
60
Spring Term.
Fall Term.
Winter Term.
Fall Term.
19
.87
10
....
Miss Meta C. Orr
16
28
46
8
21
belonging Fall T'm.
31
SCHOOL REPORT.
APPENDIX.
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS.
Number of Schools in town II
Number of weeks school kept 3S
Number of male teachers I
Number of female teachers .
I 2
15
Number of different teachers employed during the year Number of persons in town, May 1, 1876, between 5 and 15 years of age . 465
Whole number of scholars belonging to the schools 432
Average whole number attending 396
Average weekly attendance 361
Percentage of attendance . 91
Number of scholars fifteen years of age and upwards 34
Number of applicants for admission to High School . 28
Number admitted . 2I
Whole number of male persons attending school 225
Whole number of female persons attending school . 223
Number of visitors to the several schools during year 259
Number of visits by the School Committee . 119
Average age of scholars in the High School 14.10
Average age of scholars in the Grammar Schools . 12.8
Average age of scholars in the Intermediate Schools . 9.33
Average age of scholars in the Primary Schools . 6.9
Average age of scholars in the two Mixed Schools . II.
Number of times tardy in all the Schools 1,772
Whole number of times absent on account of sickness . 5.000
Total number of absentees. or times absent during year 14,132
Total amount of teachers' wages per week $116.50
Total amount of incidentals $893.04
Total amount of teachers' salaries for the year $5170.32
32
SCHOOL REPORT.
QUALIFICATION FOR ADMISSION TO HIGH SCHOOL.
Greenleaf's Arithmetic completed ; Warren's Common School Geography completed ; Greene's Grammar completed ; Ander- son's History completed ..
No scholar under twelve years of age will be admitted.
Applicants were required to answer correctly sixty per cent. of ten questions in each of the following studies : Arithmetic, Gram- mar, History and Geography.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. CLASS OF '76.
Fannie Robinson, Theodate Hawkes, Ralph W. Whitehead.
33
SCHOOL REPORT.
COURSE OF STUDY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL
FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 23, 1877.
JUNIOR CLASS.
Fall · Term. 1876 .- Arithmetic, United States History, Gram- mar, Physical Geography, Reading and Latin.
Winter Term, 1876-77. - Algebra, Natural Philosophy. Grammar, Physical Geography, Reading and Latin.
Spring Term, 1877 .- Algebra, Natural Philosophy, Analysis. Book-Keeping, Reading and Exercises in English Composition.
MIDDLE CLASS.
Fall Term, 1876 .- Algebra, Natural Philosophy, Physiology, Book-Keeping, French or Latin.
Winter Term, 1876-77. - Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Physiology. General History, French or Latin.
Spring Term, 1877 .- Geometry, Chemistry, General History, and French.
SENIOR CLASS.
Fall Term, 1876. - Geology, Geometry, General History. Chemistry, Rhetoric and French.
Winter Term, 1876-77. - English Literature, Geology. Botany, Astronomy, Rhetoric and French.
Spring Term. 1877 .- English Literature, Geometry, Botany, Constitution of United States. French and Exercises in English Composition.
5
34
SCHOOL REPORT.
LIST OF TEXT-BOOKS USED AT HIGH SCHOOL.
CLASSIFIED.
JUNIOR CLASS .- Greenleaf's Arithmetic, Anderson's History of the United States, Greene's Grammar, Warren's Physical Geography, Monroe's Sixth Reader, Greenleaf's Algebra, Steele's Natural Philosophy, Mayhew's Book-Keeping, Smith Drawing Book, No. 5.
MIDDLE CLASS. - Greenleaf's Algebra, Steele's Natural Phi- losophy, Dalton's Physiology, Mayhew's Book-Keeping, Ploetz's French, Bradbury's Geometry, Steele's Chemistry, Anderson's General History, Smith Drawing Book, No. 6.
SENIOR CLASS .- Steele's Geology, Steele's Chemistry, Green- leaf's Algebra, Anderson's General History, Hart's Rhetoric, Ploetz's French, Loomis's Geometry, Collier's English Literature, Wood's Botany, Steele's Astronomy, Constitution of the United States, Smith Drawing Books, Nos. 7 and S.
TEXT-BOOKS USED IN OTHER SCHOOLS.
Grammar Department .- Monroe's Fifth and Sixth Readers, Greenleaf's Written and Mental Arithmetics, Warren's Common School Geography, Greene's English Grammar, Anderson's His- tory, Worcester's and Adams's Spellers, Payson, Dunton & Scrib- ner's Nos. 4, 5 and 6 Writing Books, Smith's Nos. 3 and 4 Drawing Books.
Intermediate Department. - Monroe's Fourth and Fifth Readers, Greenleaf's Written and Mental Arithmetics, Colburn's Mental Arithmetic, Greene's Introduction Grammar, Warren's Common School and Primary Geographies, Worcester's Com- prehensive Speller, Smith's Nos. 1 and 2 Drawing Books and Second Series of Cards, Payson, Dunton & Scribner's Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Writing Books.
35
SCHOOL REPORT.
· Primary Department. - Monroe's First, Second and Third Readers, Greenleaf's Primary and Intellectual Arithmetics, Cor- nell's First Steps in Geography, Worcester's Primary Speller. Payson, Dunton & Scribner's Nos. 1 and 2 Primary Tracing Books and No. 3 Primary Writing Book, Smith's First Series of Drawing Cards.
Mason's Music Charts in all the schools.
A TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF ATTENDANCE IN THE SCHOOLS FOR THE YEARS 1876-7, AS COMPARED WITH THE YEARS 1875-6.
No. of Wards.
Grade of School.
1876-7
1875-6
Inc. Dec.
Ward One
Mixed
87
88
I
Ward Two .
Primary .
93
94
I
Ward Two .
Intermediate .
93
92
I
Ward Two
Grammar
91
94
3
Ward Two .
High
92
94
2
Ward Three
Primary .
92
91
I
Ward Three
Grammar
92
90
2
Ward Four .
Primary .
89
95
6
Ward Four .
Intermediate
89
92
3
Ward Four
Grammar
92
96
4
Ward Five
Mixed
84
83
I
Total decrease from last year, 15.
5
20
36
SCHOOL REPORT.
ROLL OF HONOR.
WARD ONE. - MIXED. MISS MARY I. MORSE, TEACHER. Names of Scholars not Absent during the year.
Frank H. Coburn,
Lizzie F. Hawkes.
Absent only on account of Sickness.
John R. Morrison, Anna Butterfield,
Ina May Eaton, Eliza Homan, Susie F. Homan.
Corinne Coburn, Esther Eaton,
Not Tardy.
Ina May Eaton, Lizzie F. Hawkes,
Susie F. Homan, Eliza Homan.
WARD TWO. - GRAMMAR.
MRS. E. W. BOARDMAN, TEACHER. Absent only on account of Sickness.
Nellie Newhall, Louis Hitchings, Charles Haigh, Nellie Wilson,
Annie Davis, Marion Munroe, Josie Cheever, Willie Townsend.
Not Tardy.
Willie Townsend, Marion Munroe, Nellie Newhall, Cora Copp,
Annie Davis, Josie Cheever, Hattie Robinson, Lillie Furber.
37
SCHOOL REPORT.
INTERMEDIATE.
MISS ESTHER A. PARKER, TEACHER. Not Absent during the Year.
Belle Menzie,
George Russell.
Absent only on account of Sickness.
Lucasta Parker,
Lizzie Roote,
Willie Russell, Thomas Cash,
Nellie Spinney,
Harry Ingalls,
Ida Hitchings,
Joseph Spinney,
Rodney Davis,
Harry Whiteley,
Arthur Hitchings,
Not Tardy.
Lucasta Parker, Belle Menzie,
Lizzie Roote, Nellie Spinney,
Olive Norwood.
Hattie Pilling, Thomas Hinchliffe, Joseph Spinney, Joseph Hargraves.
PRIMARY.
MISS GEORGIANNA WALTON, TEACHER.
Not Absent during the year.
George Johnson, Arthur Johnson.
Absent only on account of Sickness.
Mamie Bailey, Grace Kingsbury, Annie Hinchliffe, Etta Wilson,
Etta Mansfield, Ann Maria Biffin,
Freddie Waldron, James Quamby, Henry Haigh,
Bertie Hitchings, Charlie Wilson, George Jenkins, Arthur Waldron, Sammy Parker, Alvah Parker, Winnie Parsons, Percy Wilson, Johnnie Hinchliffe.
38
SCHOOL REPORT.
Not Tardy.
Mamie Bailey. Julia Paul,
Mamie Stocker,
Lennie Francois. Charlie Davis, Arthur Jones,
Mary Battye, Annie Hinchliffe,
Etta Acres.
George Cheever.
Anna Cook,
David Hanson,
Grace Kingsbury.
Arthur Waldron,
Etta Wilson.
Sammy Jones,
Amy Pierce.
George Johnson.
Etta Mansfield,
Frank Ramsdell,
Martha Pilling,
Etta Nichols,
Johnnie Hinchliffe. Walter Jones, George Berrett.
Nellie Ramsdell.
Nellie Guilford,
Alvah Parker,
Ann Maria Biffin,
Percy Wilson,
Mabel Westwood,
Willie Guilford.
Lulu Berrett,
George Fisher.
WARD THREE. - GRAMMAR.
MISS E. L. FARRINGTON, TEACHER. Not Absent during the Year.
Susie Chadbourn. Tertius Vanston. Peter Flaherty, A. Henry Newhall,
Herbert Thompson. Eugene Carter, Frank Carter,
John Cunningham.
Not Tardy.
John Cunningham. Frank Carter,
Eugene Carter. Peter Flaherty. Agnes Gibbons.
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