USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1898 > Part 15
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It will be seen by the above that the total amount necessary to put our school houses in as good repair as they were six years ago
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will necessitate an outlay of at least $5,000, and will require as much as the committee has estimated to do that which is abso- lutely necessary.
The most important event in connection with our schools dur- ing the past year was the dedication of and opening the new High School on June 30.
The following was the program :
Music, "Gloria," High School chorus ; invocation, Rev. H. C. Alvord ; chant, " Lord's Prayer," High School chorus ; report of building committee, by Chairman W. A. Drake; presentation of keys by Architect Geo. F. Loring ; reception of keys, Hon. James Humphrey for building committee ; acceptance of the building by Bradford Hawes, for the school committee; music, "American Hymn," High School chorus ; address, Hon. F. A. Hill, Secre- tary State Board of Education ; music, " Yachting Glee," chorus ; music, "America," chorus and audience, benediction, Rev. Frank B. Cressey.
The music was under the direction of Mr. A. J. Sidelinger, Mr. Arthur M. Raymond, pianist.
Mr. Douglass M. Easton presented the school with his valua- ble collection of geological specimens.
Miss Ella Sheppard in behalf of the Monday Club, presented the School Board with a picture by Mario, entitled, " Vision of St. Anthony." Col. Henry A. Thomas represented 500 of the alumni in the presentation of the bust of "Minerva," and ten slabs of frieze from the " Parthenon."
Superintendent of Schools, I. M. Norcross, responded for the committee, accepting the presentations.
The ushers were R. E. Bicknell, Geo. P. Hunt and R. B. Worster.
Since school opened there have been presented a frieze by the class of '97, two engravings and a large oil painting by M. C. Dizer.
A committee from the class of '99, consisting of Masters Ray- mond, Sheehy and Lynch, have solicited from the town's people & sufficient sum to furnish the gymnasium. This has been com- pleted and is as well appointed as the school requires; the cost was over $700.
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The building is quite complete in its arrangements, and, with a small outlay in the laboratories and small lecture rooms, will be all that the town can wish for as a High School for many years to come.
It became necessary, as a matter of economy in saving fuel, to cover the steam pipes in the basement with non-conducting mate- rial. This has just been completed at a cost of about $230. The heaters are now being worked in an economical and satisfac- tory manner, the building being well warmed and ventilated. It will take about 100 tons of soft coal each year to heat the build- ing, which will be less than it cost to heat the old buildings.
It will be remembered that at the last annual town meeting it was voted to divert the $2,100 received from the sale of bonds from the building fund, which act compelled the Building Com- mittee to pay all the expenses of printing, advertising and selling the bonds, which amounted to about $75. This money was much needed to complete some work around the building which has been left undone. The grading on the lot has been carefully planned and drawings made, the completion of which would have cost about $1,000.
The town at the last annual meeting appropriated $1,000 for the transportation of pupils who reside a long distance from the schools which they are required to attend. As this was a reduc- tion of about 50 per cent., the committee decided to furnish con- veyanee to pupils residing near the town house and on Summer street who attend school in Ward 3, and to pupils residing in the south part of the town who attend the High School. Special cases have been furnished with tickets where distance or physical condition rendered it impossible to walk. Tickets have been furnished the teachers, to be distributed for use on stormy days to pupils who reside over one and a half miles from the school houses. Under this arrangement, pupils residing in Wards 1, 2 and 3 must walk to and from the High School. Those residing in Wards 4 and 5 receive free transportation. So far as we can learn, there have been very few complaints, the arrangements meeting with the approval of both pupils and parents.
As the above arrangements are partly experimental, we are not prepared at the present time to recommend that they be continued
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or changed. Should the appropriation be insufficient to continue the conveyance until the close of the year, the committee will be obliged to suspend all transportation for all parts of the town.
The following is a statement of the expense for transportation for the past year :-
Balance on hand January 1, 1898 . $1,047 10
Appropriated March, 1898 1,000 00
Total $2,047 10
Expended from January 1, 1898, to January 1, 1899 1,669 75
Balance on hand January 1, 1899 $377 35
The appropriation for the ensuing year should be at least $1,500.00, if the present arrangements are to be continued.
In closing we cannot refrain from calling your attention to the necessity of careful consideration of the wants of our schools, by the appropriation committee. This large appropriation ought not to be disposed of in one hour's sitting and a report made to the town, but only after careful consideration in all its details, care- fully investigating the work done and the requirements of the town and the expenses incurred as well as the estimates for the ensuing year, ought the report of the appropriation committee be accepted. We regret that in previous years this has never been done. We are ready to give the greatest freedom and assist that committee to understanding the conditions as they exist and will do all in our power to carry out their wishes.
Respectfully submitted,
WM. A. DRAKE, WM. HYDE, JR., JOSEPH CHASE, JR., H. FRANKLIN PERRY, BRADFORD HAWES, GEO. C. TORREY,
School Committee.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERIN- TENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
To the School Committee of Weymouth :
GENTLEMEN, - I herewith respectfully submit my ninth annual report of the public schools of this town.
In order to give place for a full report of the Building Com- mittee of the new High School and a short account of the dedica- tion exercises, my report will be as brief as is consistent with the best interests of the schools.
The past year has been one of general progress. We have not attained that degree of excellence which we anticipated, but our future prospects are encouraging. Our teachers are faithful to the trusts given into their hands and seek in many ways to im- prove themselves in scholarship and efficiency. During the past year fifty-one have read regularly one or more educational papers ; forty-two one or more professional magazines; thirty-three one or more educational books; ten have been members of literary circles ; sixteen have taken lessons upon subjects directly con- nected with school work, and eighteen lessons on other subjects ; three have attended summer classes ; thirty-three have made their rooms more attractive by pictures, plants, etc. ; and every teacher has visited from three to six schools and attended from four to twelve educational lectures.
As to previous professional training, nine are college trained, sixteen normal trained and sixteen from training classes.
If the above records were compared with the training and edu- cational activity of the teachers of ten years ago a very great im- provement would be noted.
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Our schools have never been so well equipped with trained and growing teachers as they are to-day, and returns for money ex- pended have never been so great.
The following summary of statistics, presented in the usual form to facilitate comparison, will be easily understood. In the appendices will be found special reports from the High School Principal, and the Instructor of Music, the graduation exercises, and other matters of interest pertaining to the schools.
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS.
Population, state census 1890
10,883
Population. state census 1895
11.291
Increase from 1890 to 1895
408
Valuation of town, 1896
. $6,754,004 00
Value of school property
190,650 00
Value of books, apparatus, etc. (estimated)
5,500 00
Current school expenses (including repairs)
.
43,295 48
SCHOOL POPULATION.
Number of children between five and fifteen
(school census, May, 1898)
1,913
Number of children between five and fifteen (school census, May, 1897)
1,871
Gain
42
Pupils distributed by wards as follows :---
May, 1898,
May, 1897.
Gain.
1088.
Ward 1 .
252
227
25
Ward 2
713
717
4
Ward 3
402
403
1
Ward 4 .
253
237
16
Ward 5 .
293
287
6
Total.
1,913
1,871
47
5
PUPILS IN SCHOOL.
The following tables are based upon the school registers for the year ending June 24, 1897 :-
-
17
Number of pupils enrolled in all schools (excluding duplicate enrollments )
2,415
Average membership
2,045
Average per cent. of attendance
94.4
Number of pupils sixteen years or over
108
Number of pupils between fourteen and fifteen
196
Number of pupils between fifteen and sixteen
182
Number of pupils under eight .
742
Number of pupils between eight and fourteen
1,187
Number of pupils belonging Jan. 1. 1898 .
2,021
Number of pupils belonging June 25, 1898
2,062
Number of pupils not absent for the year
165
Number of truants (reported) . ·
54
Number of visits by members of school committee
111
Number of visits by superintendent (reported)
755
Number of visits by music teacher
978
Number of visits by citizens and friends
5,436
Number of instances of tardiness
2,075
Number of dismissals (many to carry dinner and papers )
6,393
SCHOOLS.
Number of high schools ·2
Number of grammar school classes
21
Number of primary school classes
13
Number of mixed grammar and primary classes
12
Number of school rooms in use
53
TEACHERS.
Teachers in high schools, male 3, female 4
7
Teachers in grammar grades, male 7, female 14
21
Teachers in mixed grammar and primary, female
12
Teachers in primary, female
13
Special teachers
1
Superintendent
1
Total number .
55
18
SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS.
LOCALITIES.
Buildings.
Rooms.
Teachers.
Pupils.
Pupils per
Teacher.
Pupils per
Room.
Weymouth High
1
4
4
170
42.5
42.5
South Weymouth High
1
3
3
100
33.3
33.3
North Weymouth .
3
6
6
287
47.8
47.8
Weymouth Landing .
·
3
11
11
490
44.5
44.5
. East Weymouth
4
15
15
799
53.3
53.3
Ward IV
4
6
6
241
40.
40.
South Weymouth
4
8
8
328
41.
41.
20
53
53
2415
45.5
45.5
TRUANCY.
Taken from the reports of the truant officers :-
Number of investigations from Jan. 1, 1898, to Jan. 1, 1899
102
Number of pupils out of school because of poor clothing .
7
Number out by consent of parents
28
Number out by neglect of parents
·
10
Number of truants
50
Number of truants caught and returned to school
15
Number of second offense truants
4
Number of third offense truants
4
Number of arrests for truancy
0
Number sent to truant school
.
0
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The total enrollment for the school year ending June 24, 1898, was 2,415 which is an increase of 30 over the previous year, and largest ever reported. The per cent of attendance (94.4) was very large considering the severe weather during some of the months and the large amount of sickness. It is sometimes said that figures do not show the efficiency of a school, but they cer- tainly do indicate in a large sense the degree of interest that the pupils and parents take in the school, and the personal element of the teacher. The teachers who are unable to train the pupils in habits of punctuality and regularity, are usually unable to secure the best intellectual efforts from the pupils when in school.
The number of dismissals for the year (6,393) was much larger than it should have been. A large proportion of them however was for carrying dinners and papers. Now that the schools close at 11.45 in the forenoon and at 3.30 throughout the year in the afternoon the dismissals should be greatly reduced. One hundred and sixty-five pupils were not absent and 1,473 were not tardy once for the year.
The following tables give the highest and lowest records in attendance and punctuality. It is not an entirely just compari- son for size and grade are not taken into account. An exact com- parison may be made by referring to the summary of teachers' reports in the appendix.
ATTENDANCE.
HIGHEST.
LOWEST.
South High
97% Pratt, I-V, 87%
Athens, VII-IX
97% Shaw, I-II 89 %
Athens, V-VI
97% Jefferson, sub-1 . 89%
Jefferson, V-VI,
97% Washington, sub 1, 90%
Jefferson, III-IV
97%
TARDINESS.
BEST RECORD.
POOREST RECORD.
Bates, VII-VIII
3 cases South High 546 cases
Bates, V-VI
3 cases Adams, I-IV . 121 cases
Pratt, V-IX .
4 cases Hunt, VIII . 85 cases
Bicknell, VII-VIII
5 cases Athens, VII-IX 78 casee
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CHANGES OF TEACHERS.
From Jan. 1, 1898, to Jan. 1, 1899, twelve teachers retired from the teaching force. Several of these changes occurred dur- ing term time, and thereby increased greatly the work of the management of the schools. Miss Emma F. Parker and Miss L. Gertrude Bates had been in the service for many years. By their faithful and conscientious labor they had won a large circle of friends and are greatly missed by their associates. Miss Parker resigned to accept a more lucrative position in Lexington, and Miss Bates on account of sickness in her family. Miss Stella Tirrell, who was given a leave of absence to take an extra course at Bridgewater Normal School, returned to her class in September.
The first of April, 1898, J. Cuthbert Johnson, an assistant in the North High school, passed away after a very short illness. Mr. Johnson, although he had been connected with the high school but a short time, had won the respect and confidence of his pupils and associate teachers. His heart was in the work for which he freely gave his life. In moral' and christian charac- ter he was a worthy example to his pupils and to the community.
The following is a complete list of changes of teachers for the year :
Date. Name.
School.
Grade.
April, 1898. L. Gertrude Bates,
Bates,
I-II.
April, 1898. Lottie F. Sampson,
Athens, III-IV.
May, 1898. Hattie J. Goodnow,
Hunt, VIII.
June, 1898. Minnie Mathewson,
Adams, I-IV.
June, 1898. Lewis A. Fales,
Washington, Principal.
June, 1898. Wm. D. Mackintosh,
South High,
Principal.
June, 1898. Clara B. Count,
High,
Assistant.
July, 1898. Emma F. Parker,
Hunt, VI.
July, 1898. Antoinette Pond, Hunt,
V.
July, 1898. Leanora Taft,
Pratt, Principal.
Nov., 1898. Florence Locke,
Athens, I-II.
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DIED.
Date.
Naine. April, 1898. JJ. Cuthbert Johnson,
School.
Grade.
North High,
Assistant.
APPOINTED.
·
Date.
Name.
School.
Grade.
April. 1898.
Josephine Bryant,
Athens,
III-1V.
April, 1898,
B. Belle Shurtleff,
Bates,
I-II.
April, 1898,
Elizabeth Magay,
High,
Assistant.
May, 1898,
Carolyn Varney.
Hunt,
VIII.
July, 1898,
Ellen Smith,
High,
Assistant.
Aug., 1898,
Walter Obear,
High,
Assistant.
Sept., 1898,
Annie R. Smith,
Adams.
III-IV.
Sept .. 1898,
Eben D. Bodfish,
Washington.
Principal.
Sept., 1898,
Annie C. Washburn,
Hunt,
VI.
Sept., 1898,
Lizzie Hallahan,
Hunt,
V.
Sept., 1898,
Everett N. Hollis,
Pratt,
Principal.
Nov .. 1898,
E. Maude Smith,
Athens,
I-II.
Dec .. 1898,
Fannie Chubbuck.
Adams,
I-II.
HIGH SCHOOL.
The new High School building was opened in September and is now occupied for high school purposes. It is a well planned build- ing, equipped with the latest improved furniture, well lighted, and has one of the best heating and ventilating systems now in use. The grounds about the building are ample, and when properly graded will give our high school as beautiful a location as any in the state.
The inside of the building has been made more attractive by numerous works of art presented to the school by past graduates, graduate classes and citizens. By the generosity of our citizens the gymnasium has been thoroughly equipped and the botanical and geological cabinets greatly enlarged. These additions are a source of delight to the pupils who show their appreciation by in- creased application and a marked improvement in their work.
In my last report I stated that our high schools had necessarily been largely classical in their work ; that few pupils had received the training best suited to their physical and mental development ;
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that pupils desirous of gaining some practical knowledge and skill in certain lines of work were obliged to pursue their studies in other places ; and that many pupils left school before graduating, because the subjects taught in the upper classes were not of suffi- cient practical value to warrant spending the extra time in school. Nine-tenths of all the pupils in the high school do not continue their studies in higher institutions, why tben should they not be given, in the high school, lines of work more in accord with their educational needs? The course of study adopted last year by your committee recognized those needs, and in a good degree pro- vided for them, but for lack of funds the course is not being car- ried out. The reduced number attending the high school is the result. During the past year many pupils have told me that they left school because the new course of study was not to be taken up.
At the beginning of the present school year, many pupils were unable to decide upon the course they wished to take, because no course presented all the subjects which they desired to pursue. This source of injustice to the large number of pupils who must so soon earn their own livelihood should not be allowed to con- tinue. The High School is the poor man's college, the poor boy's rightful heritage, and should be jealously guarded. Its courses should be broadened and deepened, until the child of every labor- ing man is given an opportunity for mental development along lines fitted to his capacities and possibilities.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
I wish to call the attention of the committee to several needed improvements in and about the school buildings.
The Athens building is sadly in need of repairs. The sills are nearly all decayed, and in many places can be picked to pieces with the fingers. In several places the wood has fallen away and left holes large enough to be seen by people passing in the street. To delay making thorough repairs upon this building another year would be to practice false economy. The building i's an object lesson of neglect to citizens and pupils of that ward.
The cellars in the Adams, Bates and Howe buildings should be drained as soon as possible. They are a menace to the health of
23
the children attending these schools. At the Howe building the cold air passages have been so nearly filled with water several times this winter that enough cold air could not be forced through them to supply the furnaces. The rooms have, there- fore, been poorly heated and ventilated. The water frequently rises in the furnaces nearly to the fire boxes. If this is allowed to continue new furnaces will be required in a short time.
The fences in the yards of the Franklin, Tufts, Hunt and Bates schools should be thoroughly repaired. Flower gardens and dilapidated fences will not combine to make even contrasted harmony.
The outbuildings at the Bicknell and Tufts have long been a source of annoyance. Only the good natures of the people living near these schools have kept them from appealing to the Board of Health for redress. These old buildings should be replaced by new and modern ones.
The accommodations for pupils at the Shaw should receive the early attention of the committee. At the present time the primary teacher has the first, second, and part of the third grades. an enrollment of 45 pupils in all; the intermediate teacher has a part of the third grade, the fourth and fifth grades, an enrollment of 44; and the grammar teacher has the sixth, seventh. eighth and ninth grades, an enrollment of 34. If the usual number (6 to 10) of new pupils enter this school in April, the whole of the third grade must be sent back to the middle teacher. This would cause an overflow in her room, and a part of the fifth grade would have to be sent to the upper teacher. Under such conditions it is impossibie for teachers to do satis- factory work, and as the lower classes are the large ones the conditions must continue to grow worse rather than better. It seems to me that increased accommodations must be provided for these pupils very soon, and I recommend for the consideration of the committee that a new modern four-room building be erected at Nash in place of the two old ones now in use.
REMARKS.
The general organization of the schools and the conditions un- der which the school work has been carried on during the past
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year have been substantially the same as in previous years. We try to add a little here and a little there from time to time and keep the educational machinery moving on approved lines.
In teaching the mechanism of reading the teachers are now nsing the compound and word phonogram as well as the simple phono- gram. This method reduces the number of different sounds that the child must notice in order to pronounce a long word. For in- stance, if the new word is "unsightly" by using the single phono- granı the child must notice and blend seven or eight different sounds. By the combining method the word is at once reduced to three, sounds un-sight-ly and is very easy to pronounce. The teachers in the lower grades are unanimous in the opinion that better re- sults are secured by this method than by any other they have used. They claim that it makes the child more independent in his reading, better able to acquire new words rapidly and gives him a better working mind. It is also useful to the child in other studies for it teaches him to seek for the unknown through the known.
In arithmetic we are trying in the lower grades to establish in the child's mind the idea of relation by making comparison of ob- jects. For this purpose a large variety of blocks of different sizes and shapes has been provided for each primary school. The child is lead to notice the likenesses and differences between the several objects as he does in color, fruit or other things brought to his attention. At first inexact relations are expressed by such words as larger, less, etc. In this way the child observes that the same line may be long or short according to that with which it is compared. He learns to use 2, 7, 12, or any number as a unit of measure, and thus gradually gains the idea of relations of magni- tudes. After gaining these ideas from comparison of objects, his mind is freed from the concrete by noticing the same relations ex- isting between many different magnitudes. As the power to image and represent in thought the conditions upon which conclusions follow is the basis of mind growth, when these primary relations become elements in the child's mental life, the foundations of mathematical reasoning are well laid.
The transfer of grades III and V from the lower to the upper room of the Howe School, and grades I and II from the Bates to the lower room of the Howe, has proved to be very satisfactory
25
to pupils, teachers and parents. The change made the purchase of new seats for the first and second grades absolutely necessary, for the old seats, which had been in use since the Bates School was erected, would not hold together to be moved.
For several years past but one of the rooms in the Adams building has been needed for school purposes. Eight years ago the school was composed of six grades and mmbered only 28 pupils. From that time the number steadily increased until three years ago, when the fifth and sixth grades were sent to the Athens School. Last fall found the Athens so crowded that the fifth and sixth grade pupils from Weymouth Heights had to be sent back to the Adams School. This made it necessary to open the lower room in that building and employ an extra teacher. There are at the present time two classes in the building -one of 29 scholars, consisting of first and second grade pupils, and one of 31 scholars, consisting of grades III, IV, V and VI.
For several years past pupils who have been mentally and phys- ically able to take two years' work in one year have been allowed and encouraged to do so. This practice has stimulated the bright pupils in all grades to better efforts, spurred on the dull ones, and improved the entire school work. About eighty pupils received double promotion during the past year.
Another encouraging feature is the degree of interest that the pupils manifest in extra work provided by the teachers. During the year over 2,500 books from the public libraries have been used in the school rooms as supplementary work. About 1, 000 pupils have read one library book, over 500 pupils have read five or more, and over 600 take books from the libraries on their own cards. So far as I am able to learn from inquiry the young people are reading a much better class of literature than in former years.
In closing it is but just that I should express my appreciation to the School Committee for their co-operation. To the citizens my thanks are due for their uniform courtesy and kind words of appre- ciation, and to the teachers my sincere gratitude for their con- fidence, co-operation, and ready response to my suggestions.
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