USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1953 > Part 17
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At the regular meeting of the Saugus School Committee held on January 18, 1954 it was voted to accept the Annual Re- port of the Superintendent of Schools as the Annual Report of the School Committee.
JAMES W. ELSMORE, Chairman
-- -
Administrative Staff-Office of the Superintendent of Schools Miss Anna V. Jacobs-Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools Miss Betty M. Brook-Junior Clerk
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS (Sixty-First)
To the School Committee:
Nineteen hundred fifty-three has been a year of growth in Saugus; growth of the staff in numbers and in breadth of train- ing, growth of the curriculum through adding of subject matter and the use of new tools, growth of the community through better understanding of the needs of the children, and finally growth through increase in numbers of pupils. This report will dwell briefly on some of these since the appended reports of staff members discuss them in detail and in an excellent manner. It will also mention some of the outstanding needs to be met in the future.
Staff
At the close of the school year in June the resignation of Sarah A. Curtis, Principal of the Felton School, was received after 30 years of service to the school children of Saugus.
On September 10 the resignation of M. Edward Hayes was received. Mr. Hayes was a teacher of Saugus High School pupils for 28 years.
We wish both Mrs. Curtis and Mr. Hayes many happy years in retirement.
During the two preceding years courses have been offered in Saugus through the Harvard-Boston University Extension Serv- ice. In 1951 the Audio-Visual Aids class was well-att .nded by the elementary teachers. In 1952 this was followed by a course in "The Improvement of Reading". Approximately sixty teachers from Saugus and neighboring communities met in the Veterans' Memorial School for this study. For the most part these were grade school teachers. This fall with the advent of the New High School a certainty it was felt that the teachers of grades seven through twelve would profit through a study of teaching methods, organization, or the curriculum of the modern high school. During the first semester it was impossible to secure the necessary number of registrants to make the course possible. It is hoped that this plan can be executed during the second semester. To delay later would not leave sufficient time to plan a possible reorganization of the curricula before pupils are enrolled in their courses for their first year in the New High School and the consolidated Junior High School. In addition to the courses previously mentioned many teachers have studied during the school year and during the summer vacations to fulfill degree re- quirements and to satisfy individual needs. With the exception of a small group the staff has been generally active in study groups. Public school education appears to be a profession like law, medicine, and government that requires study from time to time to keep up with new developments.
Additions to the Curriculum
The curriculum has been broadened during the year. At the Saugus High School for the first time in many years domestic science was offered. Due to a shortage of space the subject was limited to three days each week. It is planned to make this a full-time subject in September for Junior and Senior girls. Many statements of praise and appreciation have been received from the parents of the few who have been able to receive in- struction in this course. A good program of domestic science for the Saugus Junior and Senior High Schools would require a de- partment of five teachers. The three-fifths of a teacher employed this year is at least a beginning.
In the report of the School Nurse, Miss Frances McLaughlin, there is a good account of the part-time speech work introduced this fall, as a Saturday morning clinic. It is most difficult to secure qualified instructors for such specialized teaching, es- pecially on a part-time basis. We were fortunate, due to our loca- tion, to secure the services of two regular members of the Lynn Public Schools staff. Miss Reardon, Head of the Speech Depart- ment of the Lynn Schools was most helpful. She recommended two young men in her department. Lawrence Fulton holds the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from Boston University, with specialization in speech therapy. Ray- mond Harrington has degrees of Bachelor of Arts, with major in
psychology, and Master of Education with specialization in speech therapy. Sixty-four pupils were invited to attend the classes, of whom thirty-eight are attending. Classes are one-half hour long, the number in each class depends on the age and the degree of speech difficulty of each child. Classes meet from nine to twelve at the Veterans' Memorial School. This is a beginning. Saugus Schools should have, as a minimum, one full-time speech correction instructor. If pupils with speech impediments are to lead normal, happy and useful lives corrective speech measures must be taken early in their lives.
Additional Personnel September 1954
Eleven additional persons will be required in the schools for next September. The enrollments in all three levels of the school system have sharply increased. It is presented here in tabular form for the past three years:
Grades
1951
1952
1953
Increase 2 yr. period 140
I-VI
2,007
2,089
2,147
VII-VIII
520
511
566
46
IX-XII
740
757
808
68
Totals
3,267
3,357
3,521
254
An 8 per cent increase in an already overcrowded school system brings about a very serious situation. With great dif- ficulty a room was freed at the Central Junior High School in September for an additional seventh grade class. There are a total of fifteen seventh and eighth grade classes for the 566 pupils in the Sweetser and Central Junior High Schools-an aver- age of approximately thirty-eight in each room. Seventy addi- tional pupils next fall will bring this average up to forty-two. Since these pupils cannot be distributed evenly except through double grades it would appear to be necessary to two-platoon some grades or secure temporary classrooms in other than school buildings until such time as the New Senior High School is com- pleted. Therefore the 1954 budget provides for four additional junior high school teachers for next September.
If the number of pupils entering grade one next September is as large as expected, the four additional elementary teachers budgeted will be needed to two-platoon some groups of ele- mentary pupils.
The institution of the two-platoon system in some buildings will require additional custodial service since classes will be in session after the regular working hours of the custodians are over. This can be done through over-time payments to custodians or through the appointment of one full-time employee. The latter plan will cost less and in addition the school system will receive additional help during school hours and vacation periods.
Girls' Physical Education
For many years the School Committee has subsidized boys' athletics through payment of coaches and in recent years with funds for equipment and other expenses. During this time noth-
ing has been done to provide for physical education instruction for girls of Junior and Senior High School age. Last year in- formal sports were introduced. In the 1954 budget funds are allocated to employ one full-time instructor of physical education for girls. Not only is such a person much needed for the present but her help will be an aid in planning the program of physical education for the New Senior High School.
Clerical Aid
The eleventh additional member of the personnel of the schools included in the budget is a clerk for the Central Senior and Junior High School Building. At the present time there are twelve hundred pupils in this building. The amount of detail of a clerical nature in the various offices is enormous. The Director of Guidance is forced to spend much time on clerical duties. His time should be spent in individual work counselling boys and girls, very important work, instead of filling out forms and keep- ing clerical records.
Remodel Central Senior High School
For two years the sixth grade at the Oaklandvale School has been transported to Saugus Center. Pupils from the Elm Street area have been transferred to the Veterans' Memorial, Roby and Centre Schools. Other children from the Bennet High- way and Route I, south of the Essex Street overpass, who would normally attend the Armitage School, have been attending the Veterans' Memorial School. This policy has been followed until all of these schools are overcrowded. Oaklandvale and Lynn- hurst are rapidly growing residential areas. The former should have single grades: one, two, three and four. The latter will soon have space for only three grades. It will be necessary to trans- port grades five and six and four through six respectively to Saugus Center.
The Central Junior High School wing of the Saugus High School is a modern school plant of twelve rooms, toilets, cafeteria, and shower facilities. It can be used for elementary school pur- poses as soon as the new High School is completed with little or no expense except furniture of proper size.
If all junior high school pupils are assigned to the present Senior High School Building there will be approximately 700 pupils requiring approximately twenty home rooms. In this building there are twenty-three rooms exclusive of the two in the basement now used for shop purposes. The time has now come when architectural and engineering services should be engaged to plan the thorough remodelling of these antiquated facilities.
The new Senior High School will make possible a modern curriculum for the top level of the system. The transfer of all Junior High School pupils to the present Senior High School Building will provide space for the modern curriculum so long and so sorely needed for these pupils. However, extensive alterations will be necessary before these curriculum changes can be made.
Manual Training classes can be conducted, if necessary, in
the present shops. It will be necessary to remodel classrooms for cooking and sewing. The toilets should be removed from the basement and one for boys and one for girls placed on the first and second floors. The present assembly hall, with minor changes, can be used for physical education classes as well as for assembly purposes. Showers are available in the adjacent wing.
The present heating plant should be eliminated and a new positive ventilating and heating system should be installed. The dim and inadequate lighting system should be replaced in order that the inadequate natural light due to insufficient fenestration will be supplemented by enough artificial light of good quality to guarantee the protection of the pupils' eyes. Egress from the classrooms should be in conformance with the standards of the Department of Public Safety, and stairwells should be fire- proofed. Laboratories should be renovated for the proper teach- ing of General Science. Proper shades should be provided throughout. This project should be started, in the planning stage, at once in order that the facilities of the Junior High School could be modernized and ready for occupancy on the date of the open- ing of the New High School.
In subsequent years it will be necessary to eliminate the elementary grades from the now Central Junior High School as the Junior High School enrollment increases.
Visual Aids
The audio-visual aids committee has functioned actively under the chairmanship of Miss Mary Walsh. Her report is ap- pended.
Report Card Committee
The committee on revision of the elementary report cards, working with Miss Helen Brownrigg, Elementary Supervisor, as consultant, have report cards for primary and middle grades almost ready to submit to the School Committee for approval.
New Senior High School
The Town Manager's appointive High School Advisory Com- mittee have labored long and well on the planning of the New High School. Chairman Paul A. Haley, the Advisory Committee, Architects S. W. Haynes and Associates, and Town Manager Walter E. Lawrence have all been most cooperative in consulting and adopting suggestions of the school staff, the School Commit- tee and the Superintendent.
Bids were received from twelve contractors on October 30, 1935. The Advisory Committee recommended to the Town Man- ager that the bid of The Vara Construction Company of Boston be accepted at $1,736,000. This being below the $1,800,000.00 estimate it is planned to ask for bids for four additional class- rooms. It was originally planned to construct classroom facilities for 850 pupils. The additional rooms will increase this number to approximately 975. Original gymnasium, auditorium, shop, homemaking, laboratories and special facilities were planned for 1200 pupils. This fortunate circumstance will delay for some
time the necessity of adding to the building. All of us interested in this project appreciate the farsighted attitude of citizens and town officials in providing these modern facilities for the children of Saugus. The Superintendent has served as Educational Con- sultant to the Advisory Committee.
Salary Schedule Civil Service Employees
Upon recommendation of Town Manager Lawrence, the School Committee voted to adopt, for a one year trial period, with minor modifications, the salary schedule for Civil Service Employees proposed in the survey made by the Griffenhagen Associates. Budgetary provisions for 1954 continue this schedule.
Furniture Replacement
The policy of replacement of furniture in the elementary grades has been continued. One hundred eighty-three movable units were purchased. Most of these were placed in the second grades. At the present time all of the first and second grades in town have new furniture, with the exception of the Legion Build- ing, in which case there is inadequate space. Eight units were placed in the Veterans' Memorial School to provide in part for increased enrollment. The following table shows in detail the progress of the program. Starred items indicate double grades. "N" and "O" indicate new and old furniture.
GRADES
Ttl. Rms.
SCHOOLS
1
2
3
4
5
6
Sp. New Old 0
Armitage
N
N
N
N
N
N
6
Ballard
N
N
N
0
N
0
0
0*
5
3
Centre
0
0
0*
0
0* 0
4
Cliftondale
N
N
0
0
2
2
Emerson
N
N
0
0
2
2
Felton
N
N
N
N
N
0
5
1
Legion
Lynnhurst
N
N*
N
N*
0 2-N
2-N
N
0
North Saugus
N
N.
N*
0
0* 0
0*
2
2
Oaklandvale
N
N
N*
0
0*
0*
2
2
Roby
2-N
N
0
0
0
2-0
3
5
Sweetser
0
0
0
2
Totals
42
45
Care of Grounds
The grounds at the Veterans' Memorial School were partly landscaped during the fall. In 1954, attention should be given to the front lawns at both Armitage and Lynnhurst Schools. Dur- ing 1953 a special appropriation was used to black top the Ballard yard. Town Meeting approval of a similar project at Lynnhurst
0*
2 13
1
Memorial
2-N
2-N 2-N
2-N
0
N
N*
0
0
1
0
The Veterans Memorial School Parent-Teacher Association (William H. Robinson, President ) The fathers install the playground apparatus The customers are present and ready as soon as the slides are up Building strong bodies
was obtained this fall and the work will be done in the spring. All of the other school yards are in deplorable condition and should be improved through a long-range program.
The men of the Veterans' Memorial School P.T.A. installed swings, slides, seesaws, and jungle gym early in the fall. President William H. Robinson and other fathers planned and executed the whole project at no cost to the town.
Auto Driving Instituted
After several years of striving, funds were finally obtained to provide behind-the-wheel instruction for some of our High School pupils. Through the courtesy of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and The Hanson Chevrolet Company of Saugus, a new 1953 Chevrolet four door sedan was donated to the schools. The report of Miss Louise Solomita, the instructor, is appended and describes the program in detail.
Other Needs
Additional staff members, not discussed above, are needed. Our school nurse cares for over 3500 pupils distributed in four- teen buildings. In addition, she serves as supervisor of elementary attendance. The maximum recommended for one nurse is two thousand pupils. The situation is about the same in three other fields. Additional drawing, music, and special class and adjust- ment teachers are needed if we are to give our children educa- tion comparable to that offered in neighboring communities.
Safety Patrols
This report must not be ended without a statement in re- gard to the work of the School Safety Patrols. Officer Walter Elsmore has organized and equipped a large group of pupils this
T
Officer Walter W. Elsmore and Ballard School Safety Patrols
fall. An outstanding job has been done both on patrol lines and traffic direction at the various schools. We appreciate very much the attitude of Chief Roland E. Mansfield in making this very important work possible. Mr. Elsmore has an excellent detailed report of this work in another section of the town report.
In Appreciation
The year now closing has been an eventful one for the Saugus schools. We feel that it has been one of substantial growth and progress. If so it has been due to the cooperation of many groups and individuals. Our Parent-Teacher Associations, under the respective presidents, and the Council under the pres- idencies of Mrs. Marion Needham and Mrs. Rose Oljey, have been towers of strength. The individual P.T.A.'s have been active in providing visual aids and other materials. The Council aided in the taking of the annual school census, and awarded scholarships to two prospective teachers. These organizations that have come to be considered a part of the schools have given understanding and support to the teachers and to the total school program.
The Band Parents' Association, under the presidency of Mrs. John P. Peschier made a fine contribution in support of our bands.
The American Iron and Steel Institute presented the schools with film strips, a speaker, and provided a luncheon for a State meeting of the Eastern Massachusetts Division of Audio-Visual Instruction, as well as a tour of the Iron Works on the occasion of the fall meeting at the Veterans' Memorial School in Saugus.
The Lions Club provided a banquet for the football team and television sets for each school on the occasion of the inaugura- tion of President Eisenhauer.
12
Part of group attending Eastern Mass. Division Audio-Visual Instruction fall meeting at Veterans Memorial School and tour of First Iron Works through courtesy of the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Town officials, parents, School Committee, principals, super- visors, office staff and custodians have all aided to give the best education possible to Saugus children with the resources avail- able.
We want the best we can afford for our children. The eminent educational philosopher and teacher, Professor John
Dewey once said, "What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that the community wants for all its children. Any other ideal for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it destroys our democracy".
Respectfully submitted, J. J. MORGAN Superintendent of Schools
December 31, 1953
APPENDIX A Secondary Schools Report of the High School Principal
School opened this past September with the largest enroll- ment in the building that we have had in a great many years: 806 in the Senior High School and 345 in the Junior High School. Our enrollment in the seventh grade was so large that we were forced to take one of the Senior High rooms for an additional place to house these pupils.
At the opening of school, we welcomed the following new teachers to our building: Miss Eleanor-Mae Thompson, English; Mrs. Norma Merolla, English; Richard Evans, Science; Mrs. Corinne Shuff, Sewing; John Quinlan, Social Studies. The fol- lowing teachers did not return: M. Edward Hayes, retired; Miss Mary Mendum, to be married; and Mrs. Audrey Tricco, because of illness in her family. The following changes were made: Belden G. Bly, Jr., took the classes formerly taught by Mr. Hayes; and Anthony Struzziero took the classes formerly taught by Mr. Bly.
This is the first year that sewing has been taught in the school for over 20 years. Because of the limited space in the building for such purposes and because it was decided to offer sewing after the 1953-1954 program of studies was set up, Mrs. Shuff teaches only three days a week. We were very fortunate to be able to get her to take this position.
I am more than pleased with the results after only four months. I know that the parents of all the girls who are taking sewing feel as I do. The success of a program of this kind, as is true in the case of shop work, depends almost entirely upon the teacher.
I am particularly proud of the advancement that has been made in our Vocal Music Department during these last few years. We have at the present time in the neighborhood of 100 pupils taking part in this program. When I stop to think that only a short time ago we had only a small number of girls and no boys interested in this program, it pleases me a great deal. Our church choirs have profited from this training that our young people have received. Several choir directors have told me this.
Our school band continues to function in an excellent way. Frequently I am asked by principals in other towns and cities how we come up with such an excellent band year after year. We have been faced with a problem about the band that has given me serious concern for several years. Each year we lose a great many older members of the band just when we need them most. This year we have a very large number of pupils in our Senior Class who formerly were members of the band. I have asked my- self a good many times what is the reason for this.
Lack of space in our school hampers our dramatics and speech programs more than most people realize. It is always dif- ficult to get the hall for class work and rehearsals because it is
used so much by other groups. We are looking forward to the time when we get in to the new school for we shall have the necessary facilities there. I believe that training in this field is absolutely necessary today.
We have been operating at the school for nearly a year now under the Federal Lunch Program with very good success. The limited space in the cafeteria hampers our program very much. Not as many pupils avail themselves of this program as I should like to see. I wish that I could prevail upon parents to visit the school to see how it does operate.
Within the last few years our school library has taken on a new lease of life. We are handicapped here again by lack of space. An excellent job is being done by our present librarian. He has the philosophy of what a library should be in a modern high school.
We have been making great strides in our Guidance Depart- ment during the last few years. More and more pupils are tak- ing advantage of what this department has to offer. More and more parents and ex-service men are seeking advice from our Guidance Director.
Visual Aids student group at Saugus High School with instructor, Anthony Struzziero
Our Visual Aids Program is outstanding at this time. This has come about within the last six months. It amazes me what has been done by the director and his boy assistants since September. Here is an invitation to everyone who may read this report to come visit this department.
All of us, as teachers and principal alike, know that a great deal of work must be put in before we enter the new school in
revising our program of studies. With that in mind, several members of the teaching staff started the first of the year to meet with the Director of Guidance at least once a week after school to work on this problem. Early this fall the group was enlarged and now meets every Friday from 2:30 to 4 P.M. under the chairmanship of the head of the English Department. I feel that this group is doing a fine piece of work.
I am very much pleased at the efficiency that is so evident at the present time in the way in which our athletic program is being handled. This is particularly true in the case of the pur- chase of equipment and supplies. I should like to commend, too, the care that is taken in the check on equipment and supplies. Every member of this department deserves a great deal of credit. This is a big business.
There are two problems that I should like to bring to your attention. First of all is the problem of tardiness. We as school people cannot solve this problem unless we have the cooperation of the parents of our boys and girls. I believe that High School pupils should get to bed at an early hour on school nights, get up at a reasonable hour, have a good breakfast, and get to school by 8:15.
I have felt for some time that high school pupils have a great many outside social activities on school nights. Pupils never do satisfactory school work when this is the case. The other problem is the one of such a large number of our pupils doing little or no homework. These pupils tell their parents that they can do all of their studying in school. This just can't be done. Too many of the boys are satisfied if they just "get by". Parents should keep in close touch with the school on these matters.
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