USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1915 > Part 13
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Ralph, Mrs. W. F. 4.46
Randall, Helen M. 230.72
Randall, Henry T.
8.92
Randall, Lucy A. 6.13
Randazzo, Philip 2.05
Rasmussen, Andrew J. 3.35
Raynes, Benjamin B. 9.46
Reed, Ruth D. Stevens, bal. 62.02
Reynolds, Harry E. 16.84
Rice Wilbur P. 10.04
Richardson, George E. 3.01
Richardson, John L. 15.21
Rinn, Michael
5.58
Rock, Arthur W. 3.21
Rogers, George E., bal. 105.80
Rogers, Harlowe H., bal. 102.46
Rowe, Walter 4.82
Sullivan, Mary A. 8.92
Sullivan, Mary J. 43.48
Sullivan, Michael 8.09
Swett, Frank W. 3.57
Teague, Louise H. 63.62
Thompson, Arabella 2.81
Thompson, Ruel W. 15.17
216
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Timson, Capitola 58.76
Titcomb, Robert D., bal.
15.24
White, John Heirs & Breakheart Hill Fores- try Co. 8.92
Torelli, Luigi
74.37
White, Thomas L. 8.70
Trask, Henry L., bal.
35.36
Ura, Michael
1.34
VanWart, Wilfred M.
3.21
Venuto, Carmino, bal.
.73
Whorf, W. L. 4.46
Vroom & Healey
27.29
Wahlberg, Gerda L.
80.98
Williams, William, bal. 6.69
Wilson, Charles W., heirs
124.62
Walker, Mary A.
13.67
Walsh, David J., bal.
16.19
Worcester, Edgar L. 1.67
Ward, Henry 52.45
Worthington, William 1.96
Welsh, Willard, bal. 103.47
Wynne, Michael E.
15.99
Westall, Laura M. 98.16
York, Viola 4.68
Whall, William B. F.
4.13
Young, Horatio L. 10.50
Wheaton, William 7.81
Ywanski, Alexander 2.85
Whitaker, William B. 33.17
Have collected since January 1, 1916, not included in the above list, $12,913.94, leaving uncollected $56,203.33.
HENRY A. PARKER,
Collector.
Whiting, Nellie Porter 47.93 Whittemore, Henry S., heirs 63.55
Vitale, Mary
40.16
Wilbur, Jacob W., bal. 44.60
Willard, Carrie 2.19
Wales, Edward C.
10.04
Walker, Charles F.
24.02
Wilson, Herbert N. 46.51
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND
Superintendent of Schools
OF THE
TOWN OF SAUGUS
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1915
. SAUGU
TO
1629
1815
LYNN, MASS. FRANK S. WHITTEN, PRINTER 1916
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
AND ASSIGNMENT OF SCHOOLS.
JOSEPH G. BRYER, Chairman Term expires 1917 High School, Felton, Emerson.
MRS. ANNA S. HASTINGS, Secretary, Term expires 1916 Cliftondale, Lincoln, Armitage.
MRS. MARY A. HANSON Term expires 1916 Roby, Oaklandvale, Old School.
LAWRENCE E. MORSE Term expires 1918 Ballard, Mansfield.
ARTHUR S. EDMANDS Term expires 1918 North Saugus, Lynnhurst, Manual Training.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
WILLIAM F. SIMS, Residence, 15 Emory street.
Office Hours : At Town Hall, 8 to 9 A. M. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 4 to 5 P. M. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. At Brick School, Cliftondale, 8.30 to 9 A. M. Wednesdays.
SCHOOL CALENDAR.
Winter term (8 weeks), January 3-February 25, 1916.
Spring term (8 weeks), March 6-April 28, 1916.
Summer term (7 weeks), May 8-June 23, 1916.
Grammar School graduation, Thursday, 2 P. M. June 22, 1916.
High School graduation Friday, 8 P. M .- June 23, 1916.
Fall term (16 weeks), Tuesday, September 5-Friday, Decem- ber 22, 1916.
Thanksgiving recess, 23 days, beginning at noon, Wednesday.
Winter term (8 weeks), January 2-February 23, 1917.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL.
2-2-2-2 on the fire alarm, and street lights turned on five minutes.
At 6.30 A. M., means no High School session for that day.
At 8.10 A. M., means no morning session in the Grade Schools.
At 11.15 A. M., means no Ninth Grade session. (The street lights cannot be used for this signal).
At 12.45 P. M., no afternoon sessions.
Report of School Committee.
To the Citizens of the Town of Saugus :
In March, following election, the Committee organized with Joseph G. Bryer as Chairman and Anna S. Hastings as Secre- tary. During the year the Committee has held thirty-one meet- ings at nearly all of which the entire membership of the board was present. After a careful study into the financial needs of the school system, the Committee recommended to the citizens an appropriation of $57,800 for school purposes. At the annual town meeting held in March, the citizens appropriated the sum of $54,000 for school purposes and in November an additional appropriation of $1, 800 was made to carry on the School Depart- ment for the balance of the year. .
Immediately after the annual meeting, the Committee spent considerable time to devise some method by means of which the schools could be run upon the original appropriation. By cut- ting down the length of the school year, and by purchases of a smaller supply of coal than has been made in the past, it was thought that the department could be maintained within the appropriation. When the Special Town Meeting was called in November, a study was made to ascertain the amount neces- sary to maintain the schools upon the schedule which has been carried on in this Town for a long period of years, and it was found that with an additional appropriation of $1,800 this could be done. Of this additional appropriation, $80 remained unex- pended at the end of the year and was returned to the Town Treasurer as an unexpended balance.
The School Department has been conducted upon the basis of most rigid economy in all departments and it has been able to maintain its system for some two thousand dollars less than that recommended to the Town in March; but your Committee is still of the opinion that the difference in the amount recom- mended and that expended, if it had been used for school pur- poses, would have increased the efficiency of your schools far in excess of the proportionate expense thereof. The Committee has found it necessary to deny many requests for school needs
4
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
and to desist from taking up various phases of the work which were deemed to be of a highly beneficial character to the entire system.
The schools of the Town are at the present time being con- ducted at a far less total expenditure of money than any other town or city in the Commonwealth having a school population numerically approaching that enjoyed by the Town of Saugus. Your Committee realizes that the school expense in the Town of Saugus is a heavy and disproportionate burden on its taxation problem but the children are with us and under the statutes of this Commonwealth must attend our public schools and it is therefore necessary that large appropriations for school purposes shall continue until some solution of the problem is provided through the agency of state aid.
Your Committee has exerted its utmost influence during the year to bring about a higher degree of harmony and unity of efforts in the educational system of the Town. We feel that much has been done in the direction, especially in the High School, where the teachers seem to be putting their best efforts to bring the school into its highest degree of efficiency and efficacy.
Commercial Course.
The work at the High School this year has been most satis- factory considering the present conditions. Representatives of the State Board of Education commend the work there, yet call our attention to the necessity of having two more teachers if we are to continue to certificate our pupils to the State Normal Schools.
The wisdom of the citizens of the Town in instituting and retaining the Commercial Course in its High School has been clearly established during the past year, and the product of this branch of the school is improving to a most satisfactory stand- ard. The Committee believes that the finished graduate of this course, who has had the entire three years' work originally planned for in the curriculum, should be a credit to the school and their ability to go into the' business world and compete with the graduates of business colleges should be irrefutable. A reference to the report of the High School Principal, and the statistics contained therein should relieve the mind of every citizen who has any doubt concerning this proposition.
The Domestic Science Course continues to justify itself in the self-supporting luncheon, yet the ever-present question seems to
5
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
19157
be : Shall we continue to give our girls instruction in scientific and economical cookery with the belief that once started correctly they will continue that way, or shall we take the chance that they may learn in the home? Instinct no more teaches a girl to cook than it teaches a boy a trade. Either must have training or their work will be, except in rare instances, mediocre. Then, too - Shall our boys, most of whom cannot go to higher institutions, be left to take up what- ever work comes along, or shall they be given a scientific train- ing which may give them a definite inspiration for the future. These courses have been detailed and their efficiency shown by the Principal of High School in his report. It remains for you decide whether or not we shall cripple our High School and take away the chances of our pupils in competing with pupils of neighboring high schools.
Your Committee is firmly convinced that the citizens of the Town should carefully consider the questions concerning school matters, which have been referred to the Finance Committee, and they feel that any action, other than the retention of the coaching teachers, and the Manual Training and Domestic Science Courses, will be a step backward in the school standards of the Town.
Repairs.
The amount voted by the Town at the 1915 annual meeting for repairs on school buildings was $1,500.00. This was $500.00 less than the appropriation for the previous year. This amount might in all probability have been sufficient had it not been found necessary to make several expensive repairs, among which were new tubes in one of the boilers at the Roby School which were condemned by the Inspector of Boilers on his annual trip of inspection during the summer vacation. Also new steps and a platform were installed at the Armitage School and one new set of basement steps at the Roby School. In addition to this, it was found necessary to do a large amount of painting on the interior of the building at North Saugus and to make other extensive repairs both inside and outside of the same. This was made necessary in part by an epidemic of scarlet fever and diph- theria which appeared immediately after school opened in the autumn. It was then found necessary to ask the Town for a further sum of $500.00 which was voted at the meeting held in November. This sum enabled the Committee to continue the work already begun and carry it forward to a point where it
6
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
could rest until settled weather in the spring should favor its completion. We recommend that the outside of the North Saugus Schoolhouse be painted, as some repairs have been made on the clapboarding.
Sanitation.
We feel at this time that much emphasis should be put upon this subject and recommend that at an early date all outside toilets be done away with and modern sanitaries installed, espe- cially in those schools located in thickly settled communities. We recommend this improvement as we feel that outside toilets are not only a menace to the health of the children but to the occupants of adjacent property as well.
Parent-Teachers' Association.
The Parent-Teachers' Association, at the Felton School, has increased its activities during the past year, and has equipped with fixtures for electric lighting, the lower hall and Principal's room, in order that evening meetings may be held there. Numerous lectures of vital interest to parents and teachers are being given, thus bringing about a closer relation between the home and the school without which, little can be accomplished for the child.
Miss Smith, the Principal, as well as the other teachers, have reason to be proud of their organization which is ably led by Mrs. Leon Adams.
A suggestion might be made to include other schools in this organization thus bringing the benefits enjoyed to a greater number.
Your Committee heartily indorse the suggestions contained in the report of the Superintendent and the Principal of the High School relative to High School Athletics and the need of proper playground facilities for the benefit of all the school children of the Town.
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH G. BRYER, Chairman, ANNA S. HASTINGS, Secretary, MARY A. HANSON, ARTHUR S. EDMANDS, LAWRENCE E. MORSE.
School Committee, Town of Saugus,
7
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1915]
FINANCIAL STATEMENT EDUCATION School Department
General Expenses.
Superintendent
· $2,000 00
Superintendent care of
supplies .
50 00
Secretary ·
50 00
Attendance officers .
150 00
School Physician .
300 00
Clerk
157 34
Printing, stationery and
Postage .
147 10
Telephone 107 62
Travelling expenses
43 88
School Census
95 46
All other
7 00
$3,108 40
Teachers' Salaries.
High and 9th grade
· $9,586 25
Elementary .
. 26,575 82
Music, drawing, sewing,
and manual training . 2,950 00
39,112 07
Text Books and Supplies.
High and 9th Grade.
Books .
$873 60
Supplies
409 91
1,283 51
Elementary.
Books .
.
$949 67
Supplies
.
834 82
1,784 49
Manual Training.
Supplies
155 58
Amount carried forward,
$45,444 05
8
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Amount brought forward, $45,444 05 -
Commercial Course.
Typewriters .
$250 00
Supplies
12 00
262 00
Domestic Science.
Supplies
II 54
Drawing.
Supplies
5 04
Tuition.
Tuition .
478 50
Transportation.
Electrics
600 00
Support of Truants.
Essex County
114 43
Janitor Services.
High
$893 19
Other ·
3,589 0I
4,482 20
Fuel and Light.
High.
Coal and wood
$697 07
Gas and electricity
59 77
756 84
Other.
Coal and wood
. $2,756 52
Gas and electricity
81 90
2,838 42
Building and Grounds. Interior repair.
Carpentry and painting . $779 52
Plumbing
509 10
Oiling floors .
186 00
Masonry
129 70
Electrical
83 38
Glass, shades
47 45
All other
42 68
1,777 83
Amount carried forward,
$56,770 85
1915]
Amount brought forward, $56,770 85
Outside Repairs.
Carpentry and painting . $186 10
Masonry
30 00
Care of grounds
2 00
218 10
Furniture and Furnishings.
High
·
$19 58
Other
15 00
34 58
Janitor's Supplies.
High
$9 20
Other
·
89 77
98 97
Other Expenses.
Diplomas, graduation ex-
penses
$40 35
Water .
386 50
Disinfectant .
25 75
Express
52 21
Cleaning cesspool .
57 00
All other
48 38
610 19
Cliftondale School Repairs.
Architect
$15 00
Plumbing
·
485 00
500 00
Unpaid Bills.
Bills, 1914 Schools
$52 46
Bills, 1914 Lynnhurst . 17 50
69 96
Total for Education
$58,302 65
·
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
9
IO
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Report of Superintendent of Schools.
To the School Committee of the Town of Saugus :
The twenty-third annual report of the Superintendent of Schools is here presented.
School Accommodations.
The most important consideration demanding the attention of your Committee and the Citizens of Saugus, with reference to our schools, is more school room. As is known to all, the hours of the High School and the Ninth Grade have been changed in such a manner as to accommodate these large schools. The High School pupils use the High School Build- ing from 7.40 A. M. to 12.15 P. M., and the Ninth Grade pupils use the same building from 12.30 to 4.30 P. M. I am glad to report that both students and parents have accepted this unusual situation almost universally with a fine spirit of coopera- tion. The length of the High School day has not been materi- ally changed, although it begins at quite an early hour. It is probably true that the results will be quite as satisfactory as heretofore. The condition, however, is not an ideal one. It is hardly to be expected that pupils can rise so early in the morn- ing, eat a hasty breakfast and get to school prepared to do their best work. Nevertheless, the effort that is being made by all to make the best out of this situation is gratifying to all concerned with the management of the High School.
The length of the school day for the Ninth Grade, however, is one hour shorter than required by statute law for a school day, excepting those days on which the pupils take manual training and domestic science. On account of this short school day the Ninth Grade pupils have only three study periods per week at school. It is therefore necessary that more than the usual amount of home study must be done by these pupils. Because of this situation the work of the Ninth Grade has not been as good as it should be. Some of the Ninth Grade pupils and their parents have failed to understand this situation, with the result that the school work of these pupils is not as good as it should
II
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1951]
be. However, the work has improved and we hope we will not have at the end of the year as many failures as at one time seemed probable.
We are now using the vacant room in the old school building at Saugus Centre four mornings per week for a study hour for those pupils who desire it and for those pupils of whom it is required by the teachers. This plan removes the necessity of pupils stopping after school at night. Four-thirty o'clock is late enough for the pupils to be at school during the short winter days. I believe the plan will greatly improve the work of our Ninth Grade.
A New Building.
This statement of the congestion at the High School foretold by me several years ago in my annual report brings before us the need of a new school building. While seeking to relieve this congestion we should also endeavor to improve our school system. It should be our aim to provide a more efficient system of schools and if more efficient it will also be more economical. As pointed out in previous reports the purpose of our next build- ing should be the consolidation of all grades above the sixth and the elimination of the Ninth Grade. If the work of the school is to become more efficient, departmental teaching must begin with the Seventh Grade. Teachers must be selected for their ability to teach one subject unusually well. Therefore, it is necessary that the same method of teaching prevail in the six upper grades as are to be found in the best High Schools to-day.
A Differentiated Course of Study.
One mistake of the elementary schools universally recognized to-day is that of requiring all pupils to pursue the same course of study. Subjects have been added to the elementary curricu- lum to such an extent that the purpose of the school is almost thwarted in trying to do so many things. Superficiality is almost a certain result. The redeeming feature of this situation, however, is that superficiality, if found, generally prevails in the work of those subjects not considered to be fundamental. Now this broadened program of the elementary schools is a mistake when forced upon every child. This mistake is being remedied throughout the country by the introduction of differentiated courses of study. In these courses of study the fundamentals will be thoroughly taught in all. The pupils will do here with the help of their teachers and parents what they are now doing
16
I2
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
in the High School, namely, select such a course of study as suits their needs. The pupils preparing for college will follow a different line from the pupils preparing for commercial work and both different from the pupils intending to engage in some industrial occupation.
[ Compulsory Age of Attendance.
Statute law together with industrial conditions requires that all children attend school from seven to sixteen years of age. A differentiated course of study which will be made possible by a new building will make the school life of all the pupils more agreeable, and hence more effective from an educational point of view. Discipline in consequence will be easier and the interest in school work will be greater. The number of pupils driven to their school work by parents and teachers will be greatly reduced.
Age of Entrance.
This six and six plan, that is six years of elementary and six years of secondary grades, which is fast becoming the universal school system of the United States, pre-supposes that the school life of the child will begin at six years of age. This is as it should be. I know from the testimony of first grade teachers who have had many years of experience in teaching children of both five and six years of age that the age of six years is the better time for the beginning of school life. As we receive pupils in our schools only in September, some children are kept out of school to a rather late age for entrance. The best way to meet this condition would be to have pupils enter in Febru- ary as well as in September, that is, at the beginning of each half year of school. This plan would mean a semi-annual promotion for all pupils in the school system, with a High School graduation at the end of each half year. The mid-year graduation could be postponed and combined with the June graduation, permitting, however, the pupils to leave the schools as soon as their work was completed. Such a plan involves more work for the teachers and more expense to the system. Still there would be ample justification in the results that would follow.
Coaching Teachers.
It is estimated by the regular teachers that during the past six years the coaching teachers have prevented about 160 pupils failing of promotion each year. We can say now what we
13
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1915]
could not have said previously that there is practically no retardation in the public schools of Saugus. By that we mean that each pupil is in the grade where his age determines that he should be, with very few exceptions. And the cost for bringing about such a condition has been too trivial in comparison with the good accomplished to merit serious consideration.
Many times we have been able to keep the regular schools in session by placing the coaching teacher in charge of the room for a half day or more when the regular teacher has been unable to carry on her work. Frequently we are unable to obtain a substitute on the short notice given. In such cases the coach- ing teachers take charge until a substitute is found or the regular teacher returns to her work. Without the coaching teacher these schools would necessarily be closed until a substitute could be found. This means a more efficient school and a financial saving for the Town. Until we have smaller schools and until we have no backward pupils let us not seriously consider dis- pensing with the services of our coaching teachers. We can find no better instance of combined efficiency and economy than in the results of their work.
Manual Training.
We have a Manual Training equipment valued at twelve hundred dollars. Most of the work done in the manual training room is bench work, wood turning and pattern making. We have also in times past done some work in moulding and in con- crete construction. The work is taken by the boys from the seventh grade through the second year of the High School. On account of dicipline and on account of the variety of the work to be done none but an experienced teacher with the proper training would be likely to succeed here. We have such a teacher in charge now and the school has never turned out better finished work than it is doing at the present time. All good school systems are endeavoring to maintain courses in manual training. The cost of the course, for materials and instruction, is about four dollars per year per pupil.
In this connection I give a copy of a letter received from our State Commissioner of Education.
14
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Massachusetts Board of Education, Ford Building, Boston, March 18, 1915.
MR. WM. F. SIMS, Superintendent of Schools, Saugus, Massachusetts.
My dear Mr. Sims :
The impression seems to have gotten abroad, at least in the minds of a few people, that because the agents of the Board of Education are interested in vocational education they have ceased to be interested in manual training in elementary and high schools for boys, and in household arts for girls.
I want to assure you that, in the minds of myself and my co- workers, there has been during recent years no diminution of interest in these subjects. We have come to recognize that manual training cannot be regarded as equivalent to vocational training. On the other hand, I believe that manual training for boys from twelve to sixteen years of age, including under this head various forms of bench and machine work, as well as mis- cellaneous repair and construction work, is invaluable as a means of general education. Equally, I hold that work in household arts work constitutes a valuable part of the general education of girls of the same ages. All of this work, as I see it, should be taught by departmental teachers, and should be made quite practical, each piece of work having some definite usefulness.
Trusting that this will explain my position,
Very sincerely yours, DAVID SNEDDEN.
When we consider the necessity of the 'school's undertaking such work and when we consider the equipment that we already possess for doing such work it would be extreme folly to think of abandoning the work at the present time.
Make Manual Training more Effective.
Instead of abandoning this work we should endeavor to make it more effective. We should endeavor to eliminate its short- comings and its disadvantages. We should find out why the work is any way unsatisfactory and having found the reason we should remove the hindrance to success. Some places utilize
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