USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1936 > Part 15
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Much credit is due also to the superintendent of schools for his assistance to the building committee. He gave liberally of his time in attending their meetings, aiding them by his knowledge of the sub- ject, and then, by watching the progress of the work, saw to it that none of the numberless details called for by the contract were omitted.
Now that the High School has been opened to public inspection, it seems needless to devote any extended space to describing it. Suffice it to say that it is all that we hoped that it would be. If there are any shortcomings they are largely due to the fact that to the old building there was added the new part which is about twice as large.
Br. 3893
5 Essex Terrace
Marion D. Morse
Br. 3168
26 Banks Road
Edson G. Waterhouse Br. 9077
197
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
1936]
By the erection of a fence in front of the Hadley School, and with the help of the Selectmen in stationing a police officer near the junction of Blaney and Redington streets at the close of school, we have succeeded in lessening, if not in eliminating, the traffic hazard that has existed in that locality.
The principal accessory to the schools was the new athletic field at Phillips Park. While this is the property of the park department, it is of obvious interest to the schools. The net receipts from the football games have been turned over to the High School Athletic Association, thus making it unnecessary for us to ask for any appro- priation for athletics in our budget for 1937. In the past we have had an item of $1,000 for this purpose.
Once again we are returning an unexpended balance from our appropriation. In this connection we call attention to the fact that we have steadily reduced our budgets from $203,000 in 1932 to $187,622 in 1936. The increase this year is made necessary solely by the increased cost of maintenance at the High School which the superintendent's report explains in detail.
In a separate article in the warrant we are asking for a suffi- cient sum to install new toilets in the Clarke School. Those now in use were installed about 1906 when the building was erected. They are too small, old-fashioned, unsanitary, and, of course, are not im- proving with age. Owing to a change in business conditions we find that the cost of this work will be substantially greater than it would have been last year when the town meeting, in its wisdom, saw fit to refuse this appropriation.
In conclusion, we wish to thank the superintendent, the princi- pals, the teachers and janitors for their whole-hearted efforts and co-operation in making 1936, as we see it, a successful school year.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS S. BUBIER, LEO J. COUGHLIN, PHILIP H. STAFFORD, MARION D. MORSE, EDSON G. WATERHOUSE.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee of the Town of Swampscott
of Mrs. Morse and Gentlemen:
I submit herewith my annual report as Superintendent Schools for the year now ending.
A review of the year indicates that it has been a period both of settling down after a series of upsetting years and a period of re- adjustment. On the one hand our elementary schools have enjoyed a year free from such disturbing events and conditions as had dis- tracted them for several years previous. On the other hand our High School has been in the throes of building construction with the at- tendant confusion for the twelve months.
At the time we prepared our 1936 budget, we pointed out to the Finance Committee and the Town Meeting that considerable doubt cxisted as to what extra expense the new building would entail. We were sure only that with the trebling of High School space some extra expense would be incurred for fuel, janitor services, etc. It seemed likely that we might have to go back for more money if what were admittedly sheer estimates proved to be wrong. It has developed, however, that, aided by some unforseen opportunities to save in other directions, we are not only not having to ask for more, but have an unexpended balance.
198
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
In preparing the 1937 budget, several items must be taken into consideration as adding to costs. We must be prepared for greater total expenditures for fuel at the High School. Estimates based on present conditions indicate consumption of approximately 58,000 gallons of fuel oil. This means a cost of about $2,000.00 as against $950.00 previously, but on that basis we are heating three times as much building at twice the cost. Again, to care for the normal jani- torial work three men and a woman are necessary at all times, and there will be occasions when even that force cannot keep the build- ing as we expect to have it kept. I estimate that we need a fifth per- son about half time. Previously we had one man on full time and an- cther part time. The additional cost of electricity and water cannot be estimated with any degree of accuracy yet, because the use of each, because of building construction, has been abnormal up to this time. I believe we shall maintain the present cost of current because of the opening of the auditorium, and are due to have increased use of water because of shower baths.
The gymnasium is in constant use. All items considered, it would appear that we shall need $400 to $500 a year to cover the ad- ditional cost of this part of the building when in use by bone fide town organizations not connected in any way with the School De- partment.
For these reasons, it would appear that the School Committee cannot be expected to follow the example of the past three years and show a reduction in our budget. It appears to me that we must request approximately $191,900. The increases, for items indicated above, total $5,000. However, due to savings in other items, the to- tal increase that such a budget would involve is $4,300 over the bud- get for 1936, and, this, considering our great increase in plant main- tenance is, in my opinion, an increase entirely warranted and justi- fied.
The Junior High School was, among its other advantages, sup- posed to do what has been glibly referred to by some as "bridging the gap" between the elementary and the senior high schools. The public-and school people as well-have been too prone to assume that the mere existence of an organization labelled "Junior High School" assured that the bridging was in effect.
No junior high school organization has any such magic inherent in its name. Left to iself and unguarded, its growth may well as- sume quite the contrary result and produce two gaps where one existed before. Unless there is close and sympathetic co-ordination between junior high and elementary grades, and between junior high and senior high grades, instead of one well-related whole, there may develop three unrelated entities.
We have watched our own situation with some care, and have, we hope, made some progress in avoiding the undesirable outcome. The greatest difficulty that a pupil encounters in moving from one school to another is strange environment and associates. The need is for orientation. To this end we have arranged for all pupils of grade nine to visit the Senior High School and observe its workings dur- ing school sessions. We have also arranged assemblies in the Junior High School at which the Senior High School teachers have ad- dressed the pupils of grade nine, outlining the work of the various high school courses and curricula and familiarizing the junior pupils with the type of thing they may expect as they make the transition from one school to the other. To somewhat the same degree we have attempted to introduce the sixth grade pupils to the Junior High School. It is our hope during the coming year to make further pro- gress in this direction.
199
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
1936]
Teachers have frequently commented on the degree to which pu- pils find themselves in the wrong courses both in Senior and Junior High Schools. The situation leads to numerous adjustments and con- sequent loss of time to pupils and teachers alike. The condition arises usually from the fact that parents are not fully informed as to the possibilities. We know that in some cases selection of courses for pupils going into High School has been made purely on the basis of a friend's selection so that two companionable children could be in the same classes. In other cases the wrong selection has been made be- cause the child had incorrect, inadequate, or incomplete information. These are highly unsatisfactory arrangements, yet difficult ones to combat wholly successfully. We feel that there is much to be done in correcting them, and to that end last spring inaugurated a series of meetings between teachers and parents. It is our belief that the meetings were beneficial to both groups, and we propose to continue them.
We attempt constantly to improve our curriculum. Much atten- tion was paid last year to geography, on which a committee of teachers worked some eight months. The result was a somewhat re- vised course of study and the adoption of a new text. This year, after the first of January, we shall undertake a study of arithmetic with emphasis on problem solution.
As to the High School, Mr. Gray calls my attention to changes under consideration by the College Entrance Examination Board. He writes:
"The Commission on History of the College Entrance Examina- tion Board has recommended that four units of study be recognized within the general area of European and American history: Ancient and mediaeval history of Western Europe from the Beginnings to 1500; Modern European history from 1500; American history; Con- temporary civilization.
"It recommends that these four units be the basis of any cur- riculum of the social studies in secondary schools and the basis of the College Board examinations in those studies.
"It further recommends that the student be permitted to pre- sent himself for a single comprehensive examination in a combina- tion of these studies, covering not less than two units of credit for admission to college. In order to facilitate the transition from the old one-unit type of examination to a comprehensive examination which will test the work of two or more years, the Commission also recommends that a single unit examination in American his- tory be retained for five years and that comprehensive examinations be offered.
"The Commission recognizes the desirability of allowing the candidate to get three units of credit from an examination based on three years' work in any two related fields.
"If these recommendations are accepted and we conform to them, a revision of our program in the social studies will be neces- sary. Ancient history as such will be eliminated from and Mediaeval history, Modern history and Contemporary civilization be added to the college preparatory curriculum."
There have been in each school small funds under the direct control of the respective principals. Although small in most in- stances, the funds have been a matter of concern to those responsi- ble for them, because there was no provision for an accounting and consequently no protection against charges of misapplication. These
200
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
funds have this fall been united into one banking account against which each school may draw to the extent of its credit, and the ac- counting for the entire sum is headed up by a teacher in the High School Commercial Department. Some eight separate funds are handled in the account now. While a few difficulties of operation ap- peared at first, they have been smoothed out, and the scheme in general appears to be accomplishing what was intended.
We have one department in the system which I feel is handi- capped in its endeavors because it is undermanned. This is the de- partment of Music. While it is perfectly true that one person may suffice to carry on routine work in this department in a system the size of ours, it is quite as true that what can be accomplished is practically limited to the routine. So long as public school music remained chorus work one teacher did the work very well, but to attempt work of glee clubs and orchestras with the attendant con- certs and broadcasting (which, incidentally, our Junior High School pupils have done several times this fall, not only in music but in the field of English) requires time and strength beyond the capacity of one person. I feel that the problem should be considered in making the budget.
It will be of interest to know that through the efforts of the music department a portion of the income of the operas given by the High School each spring has been devoted to buying musical instru- ments for the School Department. The hope is to build up the or- chestra and band possibilities by encouraging pupils to learn to play while in the grades below. Three Junior High School pupils now have the use of such instruments, the only conditions being that good care be taken of them and that study on them be faithfully carried on.
We have maintained our schedule on school house painting dur- ing the year, by doing the Machon School outside and the upper floor inside. The Clarke School corridors were painted as well. If our regular schedule is followed the Machon building will be completed and the Hadley School done outside next. Our budget might consider doing the Hadley School auditorium this summer.
In general, our buildings are in good shape. The extraordinary repairs of the last five years have about caught up with the neces- sities. There is some work to be done on the terrazzo stairs in the Junior High School due simply to constant wear. The problem of the Clarke School toilets still remains unsettled. There are no other unusual items apparent at the present time.
We have lost two teachers by death during the year. Mrs. Mel- vina G. Pearson died September fourteenth after a lingering illness of over a year. Mrs. Pearson had served in the Swampscott schools for twenty-five years, fifteen of them as sixth grade teacher at the Clarke School.
On December twenty-third Miss Maebelle Adams of the High School faculty passed away. Miss Adams, like Mrs. Pearson, was a teacher of long service in the town. She first came to Swampscott in 1912 and from that time on had been teacher of science at the High School. Although in poor health for some months previous, Miss Adams had remained at her duties until the close of school last June, but from then to her death was never able to be about.
In the passing of these two, we have lost faithful and valuable teachers. Their worth to their schools went far beyond the subject
201
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
1936]
matter that they taught. They sought to place something of greater permanence in the lives of their pupils, and to become builders of character. The host of pupils that remembers them with admira- tion and respect bears witness to their success.
A tragedy at football shocked the entire town in October. John C. Leonard, a member of the High School Class of 1938, was injured in practice and died of his injuries a few days later, in spite of the constant observation and attention of physicians. The affair was purely and simply an accident, in no way attributable to neglect, but it did, of course, sadden the entire community, especially his classmates and companions at the High School. A placque has been placed in the High School in his memory.
It has been my good fortune and pleasure to have been invited to represent the School Committee with the High School Building Committee and to attend unofficially all their meetings. The high school building is now to all purposes finished. The construction which began on January 6 has been deemed by the Building Commit- tee and their architect to be substantially completed, with only a few minor details remaining. The building will remain in the hands of the Building Committee until it can be passed over to the School Department in its entirety, which may not be until next spring after the landscaping has been done.
All that existed of the old building has been transformed. We now have facilities as excellent as our old ones were poor. The school provides all that is needed for an up-to-date building. The town is to be congratulated on the care and thought and conscientiousness with which the committee in charge has gone about its work. They have given long hours to their task and have maintained careful supervi- sion of the job, both personally and through the Clerk of Works, Frank L. Burk. It seems to me that the results speak for themselves.
There have been the following changes in the teaching staff this year:
Mrs. Elva Corson, Machon School, retired from teaching.
Miss Marion J. Champion, Machon School, to be married.
Mrs. Melvina G. Pearson, Clarke School, death.
Miss Viola Anderson, Junior High School, retired from teaching.
Miss E. Marion Bryant, Junior High School, to be married.
Miss Shirley Allen, Junior High School, to be married.
Mrs. Eleanor Pettingill, Junior High School, retired from teach- ing.
Mrs. Marjorie Richardson, Junior High School, retired from teaching.
Miss Villette Powers, Hadley School, to accept another position. Miss Maebelle Adams, High School, death.
New teachers elected are:
Miss Molly L. Goldberg, Junior High School.
Miss M. Shirley Perry, Junior High School.
Miss Marjorie A. C. Young, Junior High School.
Miss Emma S. White, Junior High School.
Miss Oella Minard, Junior High School.
Miss Mae Graham, Machon School.
Miss Miriam L. Hill, Machon School.
Miss Ruth Holmes, Clarke School.
Miss Louise A. Cerica, Hadley School.
Mr. Theodore C. Sargent, High School.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK L. MANSUR, Superintendent of Schools.
202
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[ Dec. 31
FINANCIAL REPORT
Appropriation
$187,622.00
Expenditures
General control
$7,276.05
Instructional service
148,399.13
Operation of plants
20,549.05
Maintenance
3,563.64
Capital outlay
2,592.14
Auxiliary agencies
4,320.53
186,700.54
Unexpended balance
$921.46
General receipts of department
$140.43
Tuition received
1,350.11
State refund on Trade School tuition
356.60
State refund to town from general school fund 14,300.30
Net cost of schools $16,147.44
$170,553.10
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
To the Superintendent of Schools: Dear Sir:
I herewith submit my annual report for the year now ending.
The following figures seem worthy of your attention:
School visits
211
School visits, extra
179
Home visits
299
Notes to parents
183
Children excluded
107
Children referred to family physician
153
Children taken to clinic
34
Visits for contagious disease
120
Physical examinations
1200
Vision examinations
1100
Glasses provided
33
Defects found
231
Defects corrected
68
Defects under treatment
133
Schick tests
159
Inocculated
88
Tests for tuberculosis
271
X-ray
37
Report of Attendance
Home visits
59
Truants
11
Taken to court
6
Physically handicapped (not in school)
4
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the various individuals and organizations for their help in meeting needs arising from time to time during the year.
Respectfully submitted, MARY K. HAMMOND, R. N. School Nurse-Attendance Adjustor.
School Census-October 1, 1936
Number of boys 5 years of age or over and under 7 119
Number of girls 5 years of age or over and under 7 103
Total
222
1936]
542 Number of girls 7 years of age or over and under 14 549
Total
1091
Number of boys 14 years of age or over and under 16 158
Number of girls 14 years of age or over and under 16 152
Total
310
Number of boys 5 years of age or over and under 16 819
Number of girls 5 years of age or over and under 16 804
1623
Pupils Enrolled-November 1936
High School
Sophomores 162
Juniors 133 Class I 137
Seniors 106 Class II 149
P. G. 19 Class III 144 6 36
Totals 420 Total 430
Junior High School
Grades
1
2
3
4 37
5 41 36
37
207
Machon
37
28
25
35
37
35
23
220
Stanley
24
22
41
35
40
41-
203
High School
420
Junior High School
430
Elementary Schools
846
1,696
Age-Grade Table-October 1, 1936
Grand
Grade
Sex 5
6
7
8
9 10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18 19
Tot. Tot.
1
M
28
40
5
1
. .
.
. .
.
.
2
M
. .
20
31
2
3
.
.
2
3
·
. .
4
1
2 9
2 8
2
. .
1
6
M F M
. .
·
28 3
37 13 24 2
1
26
12
38
15
5
2
. .
7 4
8
2
1
164
11
F
134
12
M F M
F
21
Sp. CI.
M F
28
57
1 55 61
62
79
65
73
72
87
69
85
62
4.8
26 12
. . 6 3
845
1684
50 102 116 135 142 133 145 126 168 134 150 135
101
38
9 1684
F
22
25
2
17
26
13
1
. .
113
3
M
. .
. .
. .
.
1
17 30
44 15
3 40
9 44 35 15
2 7 10 21 33
21 2
42 19
2
29 3
7
5
29 1
4
4 14 13 34 37 10 25
31 22
10 19
3 15 11 26 26 4 8
10
2
3
.
3 3 .
. .
.
5
1
1
63
68
72
54
81
65
65
· 73
53
3
.
. .
3
2
3
2
3
1
23
M F
22
45
F
8
M F M
F
70 143
10
M F M
24
41
9
135
4
144
5
. .
F
·
. . 4 .
1
.
2
1
1
.
. .
. :1
N.
76 73
148
9
56 76 59 62 82 74 77 78 151 70 55 74 129
148
7
4
8
5
8 31 22
21 14
11
6 3
1
2
. .
. .
76 88 69 65 50 5.8 8 13 15 8 839
72
1
30
10
32
Clarke
36
34
216
Hadley
32
25
39
38
49 123
57
F
. .
. .
F M F M
26
30
. .
7 : 10
. .
203
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Number of boys 7 years of age or over and under 14
108 P. G.
. . 4
. 1
73
1623
Spc. Cl.
74
204
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT DIRECTORY
High School
Lee T. Gray, Principal
Bartholomew F. McArdle
Brooks K. Blossom
John I. Mclaughlin
Flora A. Boynton
Edna Morrison
Mabel M. Connell
Dorothy C. O'Keefe
Arthur G. Cronk
Mildred J. O'Leary
Harriet M. Dillon
Agnes T. Santry
James H. Dunn
Theodore C. Sargent
Walter R. Henshaw
Amy D. Thissell
Antoinette Lambert
Marjorie White
Junior High School
Alice L. Shaw, Principal
Jean G. Allan
Mary G. Boyce
Marion P. Burlingame
Beatrice L. Cook
M. Shirley Perry
Alice T. Durgin
Eleanor Sanborn
Hester Dwinell
Mary Sexton
Helen Warren
Emma S. White
Marjorie A. C. Young
Clarke School
-
Blanche E. Doyle, Principal
Hazel Dullea
Edith A. Farnum
Evilena B. Snider
Katherine F. Wilson
Hadley School
Alice L. Shaw
Louise A. Cerica
Amy M. Fenwick
Maxine Walker
Anna F. Willey
Machon School
Mary I. Perkins, Principal
Elise A. Meaney
Hazel D. Chase
Elsie B. Oakes
Mae E. Graham
Phyllis G. Smith
Miriam L. Hill
Virginia Tague
M. Elizabeth Wade
Stanley School
Blanche E. Doyle, Principal
Jessie C. Martin
Charlotte N. Conners
Grace M. Farrell
Emma W. Parry Clara Waterman
Hilda Hennigar
Supervisors
Clara B. Chase
Harold S. Martin
Esther Nazarian Marion E. Tyler
Art Physical Education Music Penmanship
Superintendent of Schools
Frank L. Mansur
Oella Minard
Geraldine Minton
Crandall P. Nodwell
Lena M. Patchett
Molly L. Goldberg
George E. Hutchinson
Florence L. Melanson
Helen B. Lewis
Eleanor C. Parsons
Ruth V. Holmes
Marion F. Newcomb
Hilda J. Thacher
Ruth K. James
Ada S. Lewis
Mary Mallery
205
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
1936]
Marjorie Webb Marion E. Clinch Frances M. Newell
Secretaries
Hadley High School Superintendent of Schools
Janitors
Leverett T. Holder
High School
Daniel Myers
High School
Frank Coletti
High School
Elizabeth Kehoe
High School
Herbert E. Wood
Hadley School
Rudolph Woodward
Hadley School
John F. Wilson
Clarke School
Simeon J. Strong Harold Wheeler
Machon School
Stanley School
High School Committee
To the Citizens of Swampscott:
The High School Committee pursuant to the several votes of town meetings has proceeded with the work of remodeling and add- ing to the already existing school.
That work has been substantially completed and the building opened for public inspection on January first and second of this year. The committee is indebted to the Superintendent of Schools for whole-hearted and earnest co-operation.
In the death of George C. Thomas the committee lost a most valued member.
Respectfully submitted, PHILIP W. BLOOD, Chairman, PHILIP E. BESSOM, FRED E. RUSSELL, LOUIS I. SCHREINER, *GEORGE C. THOMAS, HARRY D. LINSCOTT, HORACE R. PARKER, Secretary.
*Deceased.
206
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Board of Public Welfare
To the Citizens of Swampscott:
The Board of Public Welfare takes great pride in again sub- mitting a detailed report for the year ending December 31, 1936. We are very much pleased with the results and comments made about our report for the year ending December 31, 1935, which indicates to us the unusual interest the citizens of the town are taking in our report as well as those who are less fortunate. During the year we have received a great many telephone calls and personal interviews about particular cases which should be given consideration. We have tried to handle efficiently and intelligently welfare needs which, as a matter of fact, requires more thought and care, patience and open- mindedness than ever before, in order that each case may be judged on its merits. We have conscientiously given due thought to every case before granting or rejecting aid.
The Board of Selectmen have in every way co-operated, especial- ly in assigning the W. P. A. office and the Finance Committee room to us to be used for the Bureau of Old Age Assistance, as the law which went into effect September 1, 1936, definitely stated we must establish a separate office for this purpose. We in turn allowed part of the Public Welfare office to be used by the W. P. A. Co-ordinator, who kindly consented to this arrangement.
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