USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1889 > Part 15
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The State is of God; hence civic duties are moral obligations. The presence of the national ensign ought to call attention to the fact that the school is an institution not only of the State, but for the State. A free State demands a free school as the palladium of its liberties. Our fathers so understood and so intended. Let the flag, as it floats over the school, emphasize the idea that citizenship, not scholarship, or rather citizenship through scholarship, is the end sought therein. So may the "fine, sweet spirit of nationality " transform the dross of worldly ambition and of selfish greed, lifting coming generations of citizens to higher and higher levels of " nobler motives and more heroic patriotism." Let the motto of the school be, " Columbia expects every scholar to do his duty." Accept, then, this flag in the name of the Wednesday Night Club.
EDGAR R. DOWNS, President. DAVID S. MURRAY, Secretary.
SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASS., Feb. 10, 1890.
MESSRS. EDGAR R. DOWNS, President, and DAVID S. MURRAY, Secretary, of the Wednesday Night Club :
Dear Sirs, -The Shaw School most gratefully accept both flag and motto, -- the generous gift and the helpful thought presented by the Wednesday Night Club. We return thanks to the Club, and through it to the member to whom we are so deeply indebted, and whose public spirit is so generously shown.
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It remains for us, and for all who in the coming years will feel the inspiration of the gift, to show our appreciation by each presenting to his
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country that best gift of a noble life, - not necessarily sacrificed upon a battlefield.
It is our sincere hope that we may hourly honor our nation and our flag and daily grow more able and worthy to serve her,
For the Shaw School,
MARY E. BRASSILL, Principal.
WEYMOUTH, MASS., Feb. 14, 1890. MR. JOHN P. LOVELL :
Dear Sir, - Simultaneously with your gift of a flag to the Bicknell School, came one from Mr. Z. L. Bicknell, which was accepted. Knowing your deep interest in the movement to provide flags for schoolhouses, I write to ask you, am I at liberty to transfer your flag, say to the Tufts School at the Landing, or to such other school unprovided with a flag, one month from date, as I may select ?
Very truly yours,
GILMAN C. FISHER.
FEB. 14, 1890.
GILMAN C. FISHER, Superintendent of Schools :
Dear Sir, -In answer to your inquiry of this date, I would say that I do not wish to forestall any one in the gift of a flag; neither do I wish to prevent the children or the teachers of any school from procuring a flag by means of subscriptions. But believing the welfare of the country de- pends upon the welfare of the school, I should like to see a flag above every schoolhouse in the land, If, therefore, at the end of a month from this time, there is a school in town without a flag, you are at liberty to make such disposition of mine as yon see fit.
Very truly yours,
JOHN P. LOVELL.
Mr. E. S. Beals of the Century Club, offering to give, in the name of the Club, a flag to the River School, the Club passed the following resolutions : -
Resolved, That the Century Club, approving of the movement to provide flags for schoolhouses, gratefully accepts the offer of Mr. E. S. Beals to give, in the name of the Club, a flag to the River School; and, thoroughly appreciating tlie generosity and patriotism of this honored member of the Club, extends to him its sincere thanks.
At the same meeting, Rev. W. D. Leland pledged a flag to the Adams School, the money to be raised among members of the Club. This was the last flag needed to complete the list, all of the other schoolh uses in the town having flags in actual possession or guaranteed, - the pupils of the Hunt, Athens, and Pratt having raised theirs by private subscription, and members of the Wednes- day Night Club, active and honorary, having pledged those of the
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Thomas, Pond, and Hollis. Henry A. Nash, Esq., gave the flag for the Adams School.
TEACHERS' SALARIES.
The only sad thing for me about the flags is that they are to float over teachers who, after dressing well enough to keep their places, heeding the calls of charity that come to them very much as they come to ministers, buying all the fair and concert tickets that the children ask them to buy, sending hoquets to the sick, provid. ing Christmas trees for the little ones, attending the teachers' meetings and conventions as required, paying car fare, and meeting other incidental expenses, frequently have not enough of their sala- ries left to keep soul and body together without help from a paternal or other quarter. Who would think that all this fine correspondence that the donation of the flags has called forth, was carried on in a town that pays its teachers - I am speaking here of female teachers - less than any other city or town in Massachusetts of more than ten thousand inhabitants except Pittsfield,* in the extreme western part of the State? Who would think that all these beautiful letters, back and forth, were written in a town that pays its teachers less than any other city or town within fifteen miles of Boston, except Braintree ?; But such are the facts of the case, as shown by the
* Pittsfield is no longer an exception, as will be seen from the following letter :-
PITTSFIELD, MASS., Jan. 28, 1890.
Dear Mr. Fisher,-Yours of the 25th inst. is received, and I heartily sympathize with you concerning the unhappy state of Weymouth and l'ittafield salaries.
I have been hammering away for five years trying to get ours up a little, and we have done something during the past year. Our average for female teachers is now $36.60, the annual pay roll having been increased about $3,000.
You are perfectly welcome to state this.
T. H. DAY, Superintendent.
t Braintree has also gone up higher, as will be seen from the following letter :-
BRAINTREE, MASS., Jan. 27, 1890.
Yours of the 25th is at hand, and I take pleasure in replying.
Braintree, I am proud to say, has taken two steps ahead. She pays the same salary for all grades below the Grammar School; and, secondly, pays for the work required without regard to sex. The lady principal of one of our grammar schools has the same salary that the other principals get.
Grade.
Salary per year (40 weeks). $1,200
High School Principal
High School Assistant
600
Grammar School Principal
700
Intermediate and Primary, each
400
Mixed Schools, each
400
except in two mixed schools, where, on account of the small number of pupils - twenty or less - the salary is only $320.
CLARENCE W. FEARING, Superintendent.
The average salary of the female teachers of Braintree is now $42.27.
Weymouth, therefore, stands at the foot of the list.
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following figures taken from the last published report of the State Board of Education - that for the school year 1887-88 : -
AVERAGE WAGES PER MONTH OF FEMALE TEACHERS.
I. - In Weymouth, $35.39.
II. - In other cities and towns of Massachusetts of more than 10,000 inhabitants : -
Attleboro
$42 05
Holyoke $41 58
Northampton . $37 25
Boston
72 95
Lawrence
47 00
Pittsfield
34 50
Brockton 47 42
Lowell
57 77
Quincy
44 30
Cambridge 61 45
Lynn .
57 85
Salem
56 22
Chelsea 58 00
Malden 52 57
Somerville 60 00
Chicopee 43 05
Marlboro 41 33
Springfield 56 96
Fall River . 47 74
New Bedford . 50 17
Taunton . 43 60
Fitchburg . 40 00
Newburyport . 37 65
Waltham
58 88
Gloucester 39 70
Newton
63 41
Woburn . 50 00
Haverhill 54 50
North Adams . 37 04
Worcester . 54 58
III. - In cities and towns within fifteen miles of Boston, not including those mentioned above : -
Lynnfield
$37 33
Needham
$45 54
Reading
$39 00
Nahant
60 00
Norwood
42 42
Stoneham 42 29
Saugus
36 92
Wellesley
49 94
Wakefield
44 98
Swampscott. 42 72
Arlington 51 36
Watertown 54 43
Brookline 66 00
Belmont 45 25
Weston 45 66
Canton
44 43
Everett
44 73
Winchester 44 80
Dedham . 45 70
Lexington 50 00
Revere .
42 66
Dover 39 00
Medford . 49 00
Winthrop 39 10
Hyde Park
3 39
Melrose
52 77
Braintree
33 40
Milton .
55 00
Natick . 40 68
.
Of towns adjoining Weymouth, not including those mentioned above, Hingham pays $43.07 per month; Rockland, $38.77; Abington, $41.93 ; Holbrook, $38.65. The average pay of the female teachers of the county is $42.97, and that of the State $44.88. The former is $7 and the latter'$9 per month more than Weymouth pays. Can Weymouth afford to be so far behind ?
It is with teaching as with any other business. You get just about what you pay for. In the long run you cannot get as good a shoe for $3.20 as for $4, although you may chance upon a bar- gain now and then. In the long run you cannot get as good a teacher for $320 as for $400, although circumstances may enable you to retain for a series of years, some very valuable teachers whom family ties keeps from going away.
The widening opportunities for women are constantly operating against our schools. Less good talent presents itself than for- · merly. Some choose to go to a normal art school to become teach-
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ers of drawing, others to go to a conservatory of music to become teachers in that branch Still others choose to be milliners or dressmakers, clerks or bookkeepers, because they can earn more. We are not likely in the future to get even the pick of our trainers. Of this year's trainers, one of the most promising has already secured a position in another town. Of last year's trainers, four are teaching with us and seven are teaching elsewhere. In look- ing over our school records for the past eight years, I find that during that time Boston, Cambridge, Malden, Methuen, Lawrence, Watertown, Lexington, Barre, Quincy, Bridgewater, and Brock- ton have taken fourteen of our teachers, one is, or was quite recently teaching in London, Eng., one went to Florida to teach, and another to Oregon. Our low salaries are beginning to operate adversely. It has become extremely hard to hold the schools where they are, and I do not think their present state of efficiency can be long maintained without an increase. I speak one word for the teachers and more than one for the schools. The people do not know the facts, but they ought to know them, and I believe that if they did know them, they would change them. The people of Weymouth go about their business and leave it to the school and other authorities to tell them when anything is wrong. They are & remarkable people in this respect. I do not believe there are a dozen persons in the town not connected with the schools, who know that, in the payment of her teachers, Weymouth is behind other towns. The information should not be withheld from the people. Now that the "Stars and Stripes " are so soon to float above our schoolhouses, and intense public interest is concentrated on the common school system of the country, they should be warned of the dangers that lurk in their midst.
TEACHERS' MEETINGS.
As in previous years, we have had during the past year some very fine teachers' meetings. Dr. Emerson, of the Monroe School of Oratory, addressed us once, and Mr. Henry T. Bailey, of the State Board of Education, being present at one meeting, give illustrations in paper-cutting, as a sequel to work laid out at m etings conducted by him the year before. Mr. Bradford has held a series of three meetings to give better direction to the work in music ; and Prof. Leib, of Kansas City, who chanced to be upon an Eastern tour, was employed by you, at an expense of $50, 10
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hold a series of five meetings, designed to show the teachers just how to correct the indistinct utterance of the pupils in reading; speaking, and reciting, and how to improve their manners and appearance in the school-room, by the correct placing and use of the vocal organs. Being himself a speaker of rare gifts, and a singer of extraordinary power, as well as an expert in all these special matters, the meetings were of a very delightful as well as profitable character, and quite largely attended by the citizens. I think the money could not have been better expended under the circumstances.
Among teachers' meetings conducted wholly by ourselves, one was held at the height of the flower season, and devoted largely to botany. At this meeting, Mrs. Geo. C. Torrey, of the Pratt School, conducted a class exercise with flowers, seeking to show. the teachers how to make the floral contributions of the pupils. mean more to the latter and afford them more pleasure than they now do. Another meeting was devoted to geography. This was a grade meeting, conducted by Miss Mary A. Dee, of the Middle Street School. By means of a paper, and a class exercise, she- outlined and illustrated the work of the Second Intermediate, in. geography, and as the method employed seemed to me better than any I had prescribed, I have asked the other teachers of that grade to follow them. To make the paper more easily accessible to them,. I will ask your permission to incorporate here the following abstracts : - 1
The subject of geography is introduced in the first primary grade, or third year of school life. In no other grade is so much real teaching done in my opinion. The work consists of teachers' talks concerning familiar objects, the different forms assumed by land and water, - these being illustrated by drawing, moulding, etc No text-book or note-book is used, but printed words are vitalised by the living teacher and made suggestive of ideas.
In the third intermediate, our own country is taken up, and in no course. of study that I have seen is the work better outlined than in our own ; but. unfortunately the teacher has one troublesome assistant - one to which I shall again refer : the note-book.
In the second intermediate, the work is extended to the other countries- of the globe, and all the continents are taken up. The plan pursued by most of the teachers is somewhat as follows : A note-book is procured for each pupil and with the aid of the " essentials," together with the differ- ent geographies, enough matter to cover about two blackboards is copied each day. Long columns of difficult names are placed on the board to be found on the maps, and the pupil is required to learn what and where each
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particular locality and feature is. When the time for recitation comes, the nine or ten-years-old child is supposed to have received his ideas from the note-book and the maps, and the teacher, with a word of explanation now and then, listens to the recitation.
Another method of " saving the teacher," as it were, I observed in the schools of -. The subject being Asia, Miss - had written on the board in a straight line, " size, surface, climate, productions," etc., and at the word " next," the pupils recited in turn. The time devoted to the recitation was thirty minutes, and if it was not all used up in going round once, the teacher went round again.
By this sort of teaching, if teaching it was, the brightest pupils may get a good insight into geography, but the dull and slow - and these con- stitute the majority - will fall far short of any adequate comprehension of the subject.
Regarding the note-book, I would say that its disadvantages are so numerous as to merit its banishment from a well conducted second inter- mediate school. How often are the teachers greeted by remarks such as these : I was absent yesterday and did not copy the lesson. My head ached and I could not learn the long names. I left my note-book at home, etc., etc.
Another disadvantage of the note-book is, the penmanship suffers through hurried copying.
My idea of how the geography of the second intermediate should be taught, is this : It should be considered simply as a continuation of the first primary work - that work to be occasionally reviewed during the year. The moulding table is not out of place in this grade, as an accurate moulding of a continent, and the study of the same, with its mountains, rivers, lakes and other natural features, is an excellent preparation for the map sketching of the higher grades. I think the instruction should be all oral, and neither note-book or text-book should be placed in the hands of the pupils, except as the latter is employed for supplementary reading.
We all appreciate the idea of teaching the whole before the parts. I would not attempt to teach North America without showing, by a map of my own drawing, or otherwise, that North and South America are one great piece of land, studied separately for convenience; neither would I take Europe without showing a map of Europe, Asia, and Africa together.
Upon introducing a continent, a talk is necessary concerning the form, size, shape, climate, productions, etc., of the continent, as compared with other continents. This may be extended and made interesting according to the skill of the teacher ..
The teacher then draws a map, under the pretence of illustrating some journey or event, naming each natural division to be remembered, and writing, as she proceeds, the names upon the board. The lesson of to-day should be briefly repeated to-morrow for the benefit of those who are slow to comprehend.
The whole map having been at last completed, a form of the continent, cut out of paper, is then handed to each pupil. He draws it, writing the names which are on the blackboard in their proper places on his map.
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The natural features being taught, the climate, productions, size, shape, names of the countries, capitals of each, and one or two other large cities, with a fact concerning each country and city, will complete the study of the continent. Don't attempt to teach everything; simply extend the work of the First Primary, and, by awakening the interest of the pupils, and creating a love of geography, pave the way for a time when the minds of the pupils will be more fully developed, and better qualified to take in large instalments of facts.
Geographical pictures are a help, geographical games, descriptions of trips, letters from various parts of the world, cabinets of curiosities, and the like.
Finally, the general character of all true elementary instruction in geog- raphy is very well outlined for us by the words of the quotation which Mrs. Morton employs as an introduction to her charming work on geography : -
" Children are simple, - loving, - true; 'T is heaven that made them so ; And would you teach them, be so too, And stoop to what they know.
" Begin with simple lessons, things On which they love to look;
· Flowers, pebbles, insects, birds on wings, - These are God's spelling-book."
VISITING OTHER SCHOOLS.
The teachers are allowed to take one day a year to visit schools, and by your requirements are to report to me in writing how they spent the day. The letters received are of considerable general interest, and when conveying news of importance, reporting meth- ods with which we are not familiar, or making points of special value, are read by me at the teachers' meetings. To afford an idea of their general character and the benefit to be derived from the regulations at present in force with regard to them, I append one from a teacher of the lowest primary grade : --
I took Tuesday, September 17, to visit schools.
On arriving in Boston, I went to J. L. Hammett's headquarters for Kindergarten supplies and inquired concerning the different branches of Kindergarten work. He, very obligingly, showed me the different "gifts," and directed me to the Kindergarten department of the Cusliman School, on Parmenter Street
I reached Miss Page's room at 9.20 o'clock. The school was in the midst of a general exercise, consisting of a natural history lesson, varied by songs and gesture exercises relating to the subject under consideration, which was a short talk on " Birds and Their Young," the object being to
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develop the idea of mother-love. The little ones, about fifty in number,. were allowed to talk to their neighbors on any occasion when the teacher was not speaking.
After this exercise, which was very interesting, there was more singing.
The children then took a short recess out of doors, accompanied by the- " nurse," a young girl of about fifteen years, who was a sort of second assistant. On their return to the room the teachers joined them in a game- which was a combination of "On the Green Carpet," " Bean-Bag," and several other games dear to childish hearts.
This was followed by a pretty marching exercise, with piano accom -. paniment.
Then the first division, under the charge of the principal, had a drawing lesson. This consisted of an exercise with cubes, spheres, and cylinders, and modeling in clay. Some of the little ones were called to the teacher, told to put their hands behind them, and one of the solids was put into. their hands. Then they were required to tell the object from the sense of feeling, and to give the reason for their answer. One little girl rather mixed the names of the different solids, and called the cylinder in her hand a " cucumber." The exercise with clay included the modeling of tomatoes, apples, lemons, and pears. The order of exercises in this school was different for each day of the week, the entire work for Tuesday (the day I was there) being under solid form.
While this exercise was in progress, the other division, in charge of the. assistant, Miss Richards, was busily employed in stringing small woodeu cubes and spheres of different colors, which kept them busy uutil time to. close school. I left at noon, having spent a very pleasant morning.
As the Kindergarten Schools are open only in the morning, I went to the primary department of the Rice School in the afternoon. I spent the first hour in the school corresponding to our beginners' class, third pri- mary. Here I saw a writing lesson, gymnastics, and a reading and pro- nouncing exercise under the phonic system. After recess. I visited Miss Wyman's room. Here I found the " left-over " pupils of the third primary, as they are never kept in the same class with the beginners. During this hour I saw an arithmetic lesson after the manner of our number lessons, a very good lesson in elocution, and a singing lesson. This ended the work for the day, and also ended my call.
ONE-SESSION AND NO-SESSION DAYS.
It is extremely hard to steer through our New England weather and manage our one-session and no-session days properly. I have kept a weather record for the first twenty weeks of the present. school year, which runs as follows :-
SEPT. 11. - Rained hard at 8 A. M. At 8.30, rain had pretty much ceased, but it continued misty and slightly rainy throughout the day, with a good deal of wind. No change.
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SEPT. 18. - Rained hard early in the morning but slackened up before '9 o'clock. Continued slightly rainy at intervals during the day. No ·change.
SEPT. 19. - Rained with great violence early in the morning and the wind blew hard. At 8.30, the storm abated considerably and the middle of the forenoon it cleared off. No change.
SEPT. 26. - Slightly rainy in the latter half of the forenoon and cloudy the rest of the day. As it was children's day at the fair and there was no school in Ward IV. and V., ordered one session for the other parts of the town, closing at 1 o'clock.
OCT. 1. - Cloudy and slightly rainy in A. M. Violent shower at 1.15
P. M. Clear weather afterwards. No change.
OCT. 14. - A driving northeast storm, worse in p. M. Rainfall not great, but wind high. One session.
OCT. 29. - Misty and windy. No change.
Nov. 1. - Foggy, misty, and muddy. No change.
Nov. 20. - Dark and foggy morning, with thick mists. Rained hard the middle of the forenoon. Cleared off at noon. No change.
Nov. 22. - Very dark and foggy with thick mists. No change.
DEC. 4. - A light fall of snow with cold, raw wind, in the forenoon, and flurries of snow in the afternoon. No change.
DEC. 11. - Began to rain in the middle of the forenoon. Heavy shower just at 12 o'clock. Did not rain after 12.15. No change.
DEC. 18. - Thick mist amounting to a considerable drizzle in the early part of the afternoon. No change.
JAN. 10. - Light fall of snow in the forenoon and the early part of the afternoon. No change.
JAN. 16. - Showers followed by partially clearing weather in the morn- ing, one just before 9 o'clock, and another at recess. No change.
JAN. 27. - Misty and gently raining in the forenoon, with snow squalls in the afternoon. No change.
I believe that I have made no mistake during the above twenty weeks, although there has been but one change wholly on account of the weather.
MUSIC AND DRAWING.
Steady progress has been made in both these branches, but more especially in the former, as we have in that branch a profes- sional teacher to guide us. Mr. Bradford, at my request, has submitted a report in music, which, as describing the work better than I can describe it, I beg leave to present to you, as follows : -
To say all that might well be said of what has been done in musical in- struction in the schools of Weymouth during the past year, would require more space than this brief report will allow.
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The conditions under which this branch is taught in public schools are naturally different from those existing when a class of pupils who are specially interested in the subject apply to a music teacher for instruction. They are so entirely different and so little known and understood, except by those who have had experience in this particular work, that it is impos- sible to give, in a report like this, any adequate idea of the progress made except in a general way.
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