USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1895 > Part 14
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The following year, 1894, the school committee decided not to include in the estimates for expenses the unpaid bills of the pre- vious year, but to state to the appropriation committee that such overdrafts existed. This fact was placed before the appropriation committee but no extra appropriation was recommended to liquidate outstanding bills. In fact the amount asked for exclusive of unpaid bills was somewhat reduced.
Last year the estimates submitted by the school committee to be raised by taxation amounted to $42,186.29. The appropriation committee again refused to accept the estimates of the school committee and recommended a reduction of $1,186.29. The sum of $41,000, instead of $42,186.29 was accordingly appropriated at the annual town meeting.
This refusal of the appropriation committee to accept the esti- mates of the school committee causes a great deal of annoyance and dissatisfaction. Bills against the school department that should be paid as soon as contracted are left unpaid for months because of insufficient appropriation. For the same reason the bills of one year are necessarily carried over to be paid out of the appropriations of the following year. The overdrafts are thereby increased year after year until a special appropriation is absolutely necessary to liquidate the accumulated deficits.
On January 1, 1896, there was on hand available for the sup- port of schools to April 1, 1896, $5,599.14. It will take about $9,600 to pay the teachers and about $600 to pay janitors for that time. It will take $500, as stated in another part of this report, to pay bills already contracted for transportation of pupils, and $500 more to pay bills for supplies, fuel, etc. These items of expense make at least $11,200 that should be paid before April 1, 1896. As there is available for this purpose only $5,599.14, it is
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evident that the deficiency, $5,600.86, must be provided for by a special appropriation or the appropriation for next year must be drawn upon for that amount.
It is the unanimous opinion of the members of the school com- mittee that the appropriation for schools for the ensuing year should be large enough so that all bills for school expenses may be paid when due and not held back for lack of money, or carried over into next year.
ATTENDANCE.
The record of attendance for the year ending June 28, 1895 was one of the best the schools have ever made. The per cent of attendance was not quite so high as the previous year, on ac- count of the very severe weather during one or two winter months but was higher than we can expect to maintain year after year. The per cent of attendance, number of tardinesses, dismissals, truants, etc., of each school, may be found in Appendix VI. of this report.
The total number of pupils enrolled (2,271) in the day schools, and the average daily attendance (1,859), were the largest ever reported. This steady increase in daily attendance from 1,666 in 1891, to 1,859 in 1895, seems to indicate that the school popula- tion of Weymouth is gradually increasing ; and also to give some ground for expressing the hope that Weymouth has at last begun to make a steady and healthy growth in population ..
The following tables give the highest and lowest records in at- tendance and punctuality for the past year. No allowance is made for the size or general make-up of the several schools :
ATTENDANCE.
HIGHEST.
LOWEST.
SOUTH HIGH
98% BATES, grade I 86%
BATES, grades VIII, IX
98% ADAMS, grades I-IV, 88 %
97 % WASHINGTON, grade sub-I · 88 %
JEFFERSON, grade
BICKNELL, grades IV-VII
PRATT, grades VII-IX,
97% 97%
sub-1 88%
ATHENS, grades VII-IX FRANKLIN, grade VIII, 97% WASHINGTON, grade V, 97%
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TARDINESS.
BEST RECORD.
BATES, grades VIII, IX
4 cases HOLBROOK, I-VI 95 cases
HOWE, grades III, IV
4 cases
NORTH HIGII 86 cases
WASHINGTON, grade I
5 cases ADAMS, grades I-IV 82 cases
POND, grades I-V
5 cases PRATT, grades I-VI 75 cases
CHANGES OF TEACHERS.
From January 1, 1895 to January 1, 1896, nearly one-third of our entire teaching force retired from the service of the town. Of this number nine resigned to accept better positions in other places, three to get married and three retired on account of sickness or death of relatives. As all but five of these changes occurred dur- ing term time, (several in April and May), the management of the schools last year was particularly arduous and difficult. It is no easy task for a new teacher, in the middle or last of the year, to take up the work of a preceding teacher and pursue it with satis- faction to himself and the committee. When resignations occur as late in the year as the April vacation it is almost impossible to secure satisfactory teachers for the rest of the year. In such cases we are generally obliged to place in charge of the schools substitute teachers with little or no experience, and accept the results of their work whether good or bad.
Miss Louisa E. Humphrey, who was given a leave of absence for one year in order to pursue a special course of study in Radcliffe college returned to her work at the North High School in September.
The following is a complete list of changes of teachers for the year :
RETIRED.
DATE.
NAME.
SCHOOL.
GRADE.
Feb. 1895, Grace W. Mitchell,
Athens,
V and VI.
April,
Elizabeth Fowler,
South High,
Assistant.
April,
A. Amelia Jordan,
Pratt,
Principal.
April,
Mary A. Stanton,
Hunt. V.
POOREST RECORD
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RETIRED.
DATE.
NAME.
SCHOOL.
GRADE.
May, 1895,
E. Louise Leland,
Athens,
1 and II.
May,
Julia E. Cates,
Jefferson,
I and II. IV.
May,
Anne B. Hunt,
Tufts,
May, 66
Irene Braley,
Tufts,
II and IV.
June, Anna M. Hamilton,
North High,
Assistant.
June, 66 Mary C. Flagg,
Athens, III and IV . VIII.
June, 66 Winona Cobb,
Hunt,
July, 66
G. Alvin Grover,
Washington, South High,
Assistant.
Sept.,
Geo. W. Winslow,
Hunt,
Principal.
Oct., 66 John B. Hoag,
Franklin,
Principal.
Nov.,
66
Mary E. Ford,
Hunt,
VII.
APPOINTED.
DATE.
NAME.
SCHOOL.
GRADE.
Jan., 1895,
Winona Cobb,
Hunt,
VIII.
Feb.,
Nellie M. Baker,
Athens,
V and VI.
April, Belle S. Hall,
South High,
Assistant.
April,
Juno Hutchins,
Pratt,
Principal.
May, 66 Mary E. Hunt,
Hunt,
V.
May, 66 Annie H. Weston,
Athens,
I and II.
June, A. L. Saben,
North High,
Assistant.
June,
Lottie Graves,
Athens,
III and IV.
July, 66 Fannie A. Wheeler,
South High,
Assistant.
July, 66 Ruth N. Tower,
South High,
Assistant.
July, 66
Mary K. Tibbits,
Hunt,
VIII.
July, 66 Hattie J. Goodnow,
Tufts,
Principal.
Aug.,
Nellie T. Whelan,
Tufts,
II and IV.
Sept.,
A. S. Ames,
Washington, Jefferson, I and II.
Sept.,
Lura F. Oldham,
Oct., 60 Geo. W. Chamberlain,
Hunt,
Principal.
Oct.,
66 E. G. Campbell,
Franklin,
Principal.
Nov.,
Louise G. White,
Hunt, VII. (sub.)
Principal.
July, 66
Belle S. Hall,
Principal.
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REPAIRS.
One of the most important official duties of the members of the school committee is the care of the school property. Public sen- timent demands that the school buildings of today be kept in good condition and made attractive. The condition of the inside and outside of the school buildings of this town ten years ago, would not be tolerated by our citizens at the present time.
We have twenty school buildings to keep in repair. This can- not be done without considerable expense. It is false economy to postpone mending a rent or painting a building until the rent causes greater outlay, and the building is materially injured for want of paint. Business principles should be applied in the care of our school buildings. Money is expended to the best advan- tage when it is used at the proper time.
For the past ten years the average cost for ordinary repairs and improvements has been about $3000 a year. Of this amount, hundreds of dollars have been expended annually for replacing old desks and worn-out blackboards. There are a few more rooms that need to be re-seated, and several more blackboards that should be replaced by slate. But this work is so well in hand, and can be brought about so gradually that it seems to me that after the present year the cost for repairs, annually, will not be so large as in the past. The overdraft in this department last year, caused partly by unexpected outlays, and partly by the failure of the appropriation committee to recommend the amount asked for by the finance committee, makes it necessary to ask for $2,500 for the ensuing year.
The custom of employing five or six different men to make the necessary annual repairs on the several school buildings in town seems to me to be not only inconvenient but unduly expensive. Inconvenient, because the carpenters cannot be secured when most needed ; expensive, because in many cases work is done that was not recommended by the repairs committee, and necessary work left undone thereby requiring a second or third trip to the sune building. I, therefore, recommend in the interest of convenience and economy, that one man be employed to make the necessary repairs on all school buildings ; that he be requested to make the
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annual inspection of school buildings in company with the repairs committee, and be required to do the work upon each building under the direction of some one member of the school committee.
TRANSPORTATION.
So many calls are made upon the school committee for trans portation of pupils to and from school at the expense of the town, that it seems necessary to make the following statements concern- ing transportation and the duties of the school committee in this connection. The figures given are not absolutely correct, but near enough for practical purposes.
In 1884, the town paid $651.53 for conveying pupils to and from the North High school. . From 1883 to 1894, there was a gradual and natual increase in the cost of transportation of pupils to the high schools. In 1893, the cost to both high schools was about $1,200, the average for the ten years being about $820. In the fall of 1894, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Com- pany increased the rate of transportation from North and East Weymouth by railroad, nearly one-half. This action of the rail- road officials compelled the school committee (because it could be done at less expense) to convey the pupils to the North High school in barges, and increased the cost of transportation to high schools for 1894 and 1895 nearly $500 a year. Conveying the pupils in barges was continued until the beginning of the summer term of 1895, when the electric cars began to run between East Weymouth and the Landing.
At the present time, as all high school pupils are conveyed by electric cars at rates not subject to change, it is possible to make a very close estimate of the cost of transportation to high schools. Since September, 1895, we have distributed tickets to twenty-six pupils from Ward 1, to sixty-four pupils from Ward II, and to eighteen pupils from Ward IV. The cost annually for each pupil from Ward 1 is $22, from Wards II and IV, $10. On this basis the cost for 1896 would be $1,392, but an allowance should be made for a slight increase in the number of pupils next year.
For conveying pupils below the high schools, the town paid $145.58 in 1887. From that time to 1894, the average cost per
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year was about $250. In 1894, at the annual town meeting, a new line, the Summer Street, was added by direct vote of the town at a cost of $200 a year. At the present time, four pupils are conveyed from the Neck to North Weymouth ; thirteen from Ward IV to the Landing ; and over thirty on the Summer Street line, at an annual cost of about $450. This amount added to the cost for high school pupils, makes nearly $1,900, the cost for trans- portation annually on the present basis. There is now outstand- ing against this account a bill for $250 which has been approved by the committee but has not been forwarded to the selectmen, besides other bills that have not been rendered, amounting prob- ably to $250 more. It is necessary, therefore, if transportation on the old lines is to be continued for the ensuing year, that $2,500 be granted for that purpose.
In order that all applicants for the establishment of new lines of transportation may be given ample opportunity to present their claims to the proper body of men, the appropriation committee, the school committee have asked that the following special article be placed in the town warrant : " To see what sum of money the town will vote to raise and appropriate for transportation of pupils." All applications for new lines of transportation should be presented to this committee, as the school committee will not feel free to establish additional lines unless so directed by vote of the town.
STUDY OF LITERATURE.
In the course of study for high school adopted by the commit- tee in September 1891, a systematic course in English literature was outlined. At that time, as very little had been done in the study of literature in the grammar grades in previous years, it was necessary to read several selections in the high schools that should have been taken in the grammar schools. Since 1891 the study of literature in the lower grades has been extended year after year until the reading matter in the grades below the high school compares very favorably with that of the best schools of the state. As low as the fifth year in school we read such liter-
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ary productions as Hawthorne's "True Stories of New England History." After the fifth grade the most of the reading is sup- plementary and from standard authors. In the sixth grade Long- fellow is taken as the children's poet, and several of his easier poems are read. The pupils of this grade read " Hiawatha " as understandingly and profitably as the ninth grade pupils were able to do a few years ago. In the seventh grade in addition to read- ing "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Black Beauty," the pupils make quite a careful study of Whittier, reading "Snowbound," "Among the Hills," and several of his shorter poems. In the eighth grade we read Holmes' "Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill Bat- tle," "The Ploughman," "The Chambered Nautilus," and "My Hunt after the Captain"; also Franklin's Autobiography, Haw- thorne's "Great Stone Face," and Burrough's "Sharp Eyes." In the ninth grade in addition to reading several selections from Low- ell, and Longfellow's " Evangeline"; considerable time is given to the study of selections from Irving's "Sketch Book," Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac," "Emerson's Essay on Behavior," Bryant's "Thanatopsis," and O'Reilly's "The Pilgrim Fathers."
This course in literature for the lower grades, carried out en- thusiastically and wisely by the grammar school teachers, will give the boy who cannot take the high school course a slight intro- duction to the writings of our best authors ; and will also make a good foundation for a systematic and thorough study of English literature in the high schools.
With the changes recently made, our course of study for the high school comprises all the English literary works required for admission to college, but our work in this department is not at all satisfactory. Indeed it is impossible to give satis- factory instruction and drill in English literature and history with our present accommodations and corps of teachers. If we are to continue our two high schools with three courses of study in each, we certainly need more room and another teacher to give special instruction in the two high schools in the English studies. If the change in the character of the schools, suggested in my last report, could be effected another teacher would not be necessary at present and much better work could be accomplished in each school.
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GENERAL REMARKS.
As I wish to print in the present report a list of books to aid teachers and parents in the selection of reading for the children, I have presented only a few of the many things that might profitably be discussed in a school report. In conclusion I will note briefly a few other improvements that have been made during the year, and suggest one or two places where improvements might well be made.
For the first time in its history the school committee has a convenient and pleasant place to hold its meetings. During the past year at a very small expense the upper ante-room at the Bicknell school building has been fitted up for a school committee's room. The regular meetings of the committee are held at this room on the second Tuesday evening of each month except July and August, and are open to the public.
Persons who wish to bring any subject relating to the schools to the attention of the committee will find the board in session at the time and place mentioned above.
The number of cases of truancy (49) reported last year was not large. It is evident however, to any one who is at all observing that this number does not represent even in a small degree the number of pupils out of school without any good reason, loafing about street corners and upon store-steps during school hours. There are still a few parents in town who do not appreciate the advantages of an education and therefore allow their children to run the streets during school hours with little restraint. Teachers can do very little in such cases for written excuses are readily produced. The only way to stop this practise is for the truant officers to follow out the directions of the State school law, which provides that truant officers are authorized to apprehend and take to school without warrant all truants found wandering about the streets or in public places. This is the most important duty of the truant officer and should be carefully observed. He should not wait for an order for investigation. Every child between seven and fifteen found upon the streets during school hours that cannot give a satisfactory account of himself should be taken to his home or to school by the officer.
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Inside decoration of school buildings is receiving a good deal of attention from many of our teachers. Works of art are finding places on the walls of several school rooms. This is a step in the right direction and should receive encouragement and assistance from school committee and citizens. I trust that this line of im- provement will be continued until the school room becomes one of the pleasantest and most attractive places for pupils.
Very little assistance has been received from outside sources in conducting our Teachers' meetings during the past school year. On April 4, Miss Blanchard, Librarian of Tufts library spoke to us on literature and the value of the public library to the school. On June 11, Mr. Walton of the State Board of Education spoke upon methods in arithmetic. Both these talks were very instruc- tive and profitable. The other general meetings of the year have been under the charge of the superintendent.
Since the beginning of the present school year nearly all of our meetings have been grade meetings. Several class exercises have been given by the teachers and many profitable lessons learned from them. This is one of the most valuable ways of conducting teachers' meetings for it brings the work of the meeting very near to each teacher's prescribed work.
At a meeting of the grammar school principals held Jan. 14, it was unanimously voted to meet once a month at the Bicknell school building for the purpose of discussing school management and methods of teaching. As each principal is expected to hold frequent conferences with his teachers. these meetings will become a source of real help to all the teachers of the town.
In 1883 there were taken from the public library on teacher's cards, 910 books; in 1892, 2,592; and in 1894, 2,943. These figures indicate that there has been a growing interest in the public library and that some of our teachers are coming more and more to realize its educational use and value in the public school. The number of books taken out in 1895 seems quite large, but it re- presents an average of less than one and one-half books per week for the year for each teacher. As each teacher represents about 40 pupils, the small amount of work done in this direction by our teaching force is clearly shown.
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A communication received not long since contains the following sentence : - "It does seem strange that the teachers need con- tinual urging to do this work." I fully agree with the writer and cannot explain this indifference on the part of some of our teach- ers, as the necessity of directing the pupils' reading and interest- ing them in helpful books has been brought to their attention frequently by school reports, by general teachers' meetings, by grade meetings and by private conversations.
The school committee and the officials of the public library have at all times been ready to give assistance in this direction. The num- ber of books loaned on the teacher's card has been increased from three in 1883 to ten at the present time. In 1890 the school com- mittee placed in each school building in town a classified cata- logue of "Reading for the Young." This catalogne was carefully marked by the librarian of Tufts library so as to make it especial- ly useful and helpful in the school room. In 1893 a list of books well adapted for use in our schools for collateral reading was printed in the school report. These lists comprise a large num- ber of books suited to the needs of the pupils of every grade from the sub-primary through the high school. In many of our schools these lists or other good ones are in constant use, the teachers conferring almost daily with the pupils upon the best books to read. But in some of our schools these helps are things of the past, the public library is drawn upon only during times of spec- ial agitation and the pupils suffer because of the teacher's ig- norance or indifference. It is a question in my mind whether a teacher who neglects this very important part of her school work, although she may do the routine work fairly well, is worthy of a place in our public schools. Certainly she is not accomplishing for the children under her charge what the public has a right to demand.
Since my last annual report vertical writing has been intro- duced into the primary grades throughout the town, and into all the grades below the high school in Ward 1. It is too early to submit extended comparisons or to decide definitely from results which is the better form of writing for school use. Several sam- ples submitted to me from first and second grade pupils show that many pupils take to the upright form of writing quickly. Some
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of the samples from the first grade were nearly as clear cut and legible as printing. The teachers generally like the change and claim that the pupils who are naturally poor writers do much bet- ter writing with the vertical. On hygienic grounds it is certainly preferable, as the writer can assume a more natural and healthful position.
The work in number in the grammar schools has received an extra impetus during the past year, by the introduction of a new and more modern series of arithmetics. I believe that we shall be able after this year to practically finish the study of arithmetic by the middle of the ninth year and thereby gain some time for the study of the elements of algebra and geometry in the grammar schools.
For several years the desirability of introducing into our schools a modified form of manual training has been presented in the annual school reports, but no further action has been taken on the matter. In my next report I hope to present a definite plan show- ing the line of work for each grade, and the exact cost per pupil. I shall then ask the school committee to present the matter to the consideration of the appropriation committee, and to the citi- zens of the town at the next annual meeting.
Considerable attention at the present time is being given by our teachers to the synthetic method of teaching words, that is to word-building. The child is given a simple sound represented by a letter or combination of letters, as ă, õ, è, or shi, th, ch, and asked to write on his slate or paper as many words as he can con- taining these sounds. The result is that he makes a list of words like cat, hat, mat, or shall, she, shut, etc. This device gives a never ending source of profitable busy work for the child when not engaged in class-work. He is taught to sound these letters and combination of letters until he is perfectly familiar with the sounds they represent, and can give them readily and accurately. By this practice he gains a decided power over new words and is able to study out without the aid of his teacher, the pronounciation of words he has never seen before. When a word troubles him he will at once try to recall the sounds of the different letters in their associations with one another, and to blend the separate sounds into syllables and words. He becomes more independent and
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self-reliant in his reading, and as new interest and life are devel- oped, better reading must be the result.
This method properly taught, must also equip the pupils for a more intelligent use of the dictionary. Being accustomed to mark words, correctly, under the direction of their teachers, they will have no trouble with diacritical marks as used in dictionaries. This method will also tend to make good spellers, for it insures the critical inspection of each letter of the word, as it affects the other letters and modifies the pronounciation.
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