USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1907 > Part 16
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A report like this ought to contain a comprehensive account of what has been accomplished during the year and also point out some of the things that should be done during the coming year, and at the same time keep the ideal ever at the front.
The same general educational policy of the past few years has been continued.
We are not trying to develop prodigies or make some particular line of school activity excel that of our neighbors. I feel that I have had during the year, as in the preceeding years, the hearty co-operation of the teachers in trying to turn out a well rounded product. Language, with all that it embraces, has had the great- est emphasis and I am especially pleased with the results secured in reading and in original composition work The English work in the High School was never better, and when the teaching force there is large enough to allow five periods each week during the course to this most important branch of our school curriculum the results will be second to none.
TEACHERS.
There have been more resignations than last year, which has tended to weaken our instruction and thus lower the standard of work, for nearly every change in the teaching force causes a loss of time and energy on the part of pupils, as a new teacher must adjust herself to her school and the environment of the pupils, so that the longer a teacher remains in the same school, if she is a true teacher, the better will be the results as the years go by. Each year of service should add to the efficiency of every teacher
7
and only such teachers should be retained in the employment of any town. Where there is growth there is life. "It does not matter so much where we stand as in what direction we are mov- ing." We must not drift, but boldly stem the tide, if need be, and row. That town which receives the most in value from its servants is the one which does the most in showing its apprecia- tion of the work done and provides an environment neareat to the ideal. More people fail in this world from the lack of apprecia- tion than from any other one thing.
The teachers are the backbone and sinews of, every school sys- tem, and whatever effects them effects the system accordingly. To raise the salary of a good teacher is to increase her efficiency and that of the whole corps. The fact that a teacher resigns to accept a higher salary in an adjoining town also has its salutary effect on the remaining body especially when such a selection is the result of merit. Character building is the whole aim and end of the public schools-better boys and girls, better men and wo- men, better citizens is the order of development. How necessary then that the public school teacher should represent the best in the way of manhood and womanhood.
COURSE OF STUDY.
Again I wish to emphasize what I have said so many times before concerning the " Course of Study." Time and money can be saved I am sure if our school system were a twelve year course instead of thirteen as at present. I therefor urge this Committee to take such action at once as will give us a system that is in line with the best educational thought of the dey.
Since my last report Boston has adopted such a course and the City of Worcester is about to take action on the matter.
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.
Industrial Education is without doubt the greatest advancement inaugurated in this generation. I say inaugurated, but in reality only revived, for it really is putting that training into the school curriculum, which the children in the New England homes of two generations ago received outside of school -- on the farm and in the shop. If Weymouth is not ready to establish such a school with the aid of the state as set forth in your last annual report, I urge that provision, at least, be made for carrying on instruction
8
in Manual Training in all the grades from the fifth grade through the High School.
Paul E. Hanus, Professor of Education in Harvard, in an art- icle in a recent number of the Atlantic Monthly says : Twenty- five thousand children between 14 and 16 years of age are out of school in Massachusetts working at occupations in which they learn little or nothing, with very little chance of improving their positions. He gives the following as a striking example of the outlook on life of one of the twenty-five thousand " tradeless " boys :
" This boy said, 'Can't you find me a job that would pay me better?" 'How old are you?' he was asked. 'Twenty-one.' 'What can you do?' 'Well you see I left school at fifteen; I have drifted from one thing to another since; recently my father died, and I find it necessary to earn more in order to help myself and my family.' Here was a youth of twenty-one years of age, with no capacity to do anything that is worth paying more for than the sum paid for the juvenile services that he had been engaged in since he was fifteen years old. This case is probably typical of the twenty-five thousand young people in Massachu- setts to whom I referred. And it is only too probable that what is true of Massachusetts is true of other states. The investiga- tion referred to also revealed the fact that a large proportion-the majority-of these children could be in school between the ages of fourteen and sixteen if the school afforded a training that. promised increased earning capacity. It is fair to conclude, therefore, that the present condition of many young workers, typ- ified by our elevator boy, is preventable."
At the present time there is a movement to secure a modifi- cation of the present law so that every high school may establish a course in industrial training and receive state aid. This plan is approved by the state board of education and by a majority of the superintendents. Weymouth certainly ought to be ready to accept the benefits of this if it becomes law. The "manual training" which the pupils are receiving at the Pratt school and Fogg library is the real beginning of industrial education and provision ought to be made so that every pupil in town might en- joy the benefit of this phase of school life. The girls especially should receive instruction in sewing, cooking and general house- keeping.
9
SALARIES.
The town has lost the services of several excellent teachers in the past as the result of low salaries which five years ago were far below the average in the state and now since most of the towns in the Commonwealth have increased their salaries from 10% to 30% Weymouth stands much nearer the foot of the list. I therefore recommend that you adopt a new salary scale to go into effect next Sept. as outlined last year, viz. $450. 1st year ; $500. 2nd year; $550. 3rd year. Good teaches were never so difficult to find as now. Much more is required of teachers than ten years ago, and the pay has not kept pace with the standard of efficiency, or with the increased cost of living, so that our teach- ers are not as well paid to-day as they were ten years ago.
The present average salary of our grade teachers is less than $475. After paying board for 52 weeks it leaves a little less than $4. per week for dress, books, amusements, travel, and compet- ency for old age. Now I leave it to you and the voters of Wey- mouth to say whether our teachers are paid a fair living wage. The girl who works in the shop or kitchen, and from whom little or nothing is required in the way of preparation, receives a larger net income yearly.
HIGH SCHOOL.
The High school has suffered during the year as the result of several changes in the teaching force and since Sept. the school has not been able to do its usual good work, owing mainly to the fact that there are too few teachers for the size of the school, and the number of subjects taught. The evil of this state of affairs will be more evident in the following years for it is impossible with so large number of pupils in a division to give the drill necessary in the modern languages. More-over the principal of the school is obliged to teach so many classes that he has little or no time for supervision. The school is the largest in its history, with the enrolment of 120 Freshmen, 87 Sophomores, 84 Juniors, 37 Seniors and 1 post graduate, making a total of 289. There is not another school of its size in the state but what has two or more teachers than the Weymouth High school.
A splendid spirit prevails in the teaching corps and between the teachers and the pupils. For the year ending June, 1907, the school maintained its usual high standing both in scholarship,
10
and athletics and it is to be regretted if anything is left undone to sustain the former record. We are often criticized because our schools do not turnout a finished product-finished for every walk of life. Of course that is impossible as we do not pursue instruction along all these various lines. Our High school main- tains what it chooses to call a Commercial Course and graduates of this course are able on leaving school to secure positions and hold them. The graduates of the technical and college courses are admitted to the various colleges without examinations. It is an easy matter to criticize and tear down, but quite another thing to select the good and construct the best.
Over 75 years ago the secretary of the State Board of Educa- tion, Horace Mann, declared that the age of good spellers be- longed to a former generation and how many times has it been said since ? About two years ago some examinations questions and papers were unearthed in Springfield, Mass. which were given as tests 60 years or more ago. These same questions have been used in a score of cities during the past year and though the age of the pupils have been younger and the grade lower than those of 60 years ago the rank has been from 20 to 50% better in favor of the present pupils. This was especially true in the spelling and arithmetic tests. This proof ought to dispel forever that much talked about period of excellent scholarship of 50 and 75 years ago. I am satisfied that our present text book education was never excelled. What we need now is an Industrial Educa- tion for the boys and girls when they arrive at the age of from 14 to 16 years.
MUSIC.
The work in Music has progressed rapidly since our last report. The children are learning to read music at sight and enjoy it. This reflects great credit upon the music supervisor and the teachers who have so heartily co-operated with her. The chorus work in the High School needs especial mention. Miss Nash has made a mimeograph outline of the work to be done in Music in each grade below the High School, and these have been placed in the hands of the teachers.
DRAWING.
The work in drawing has steadily improved during the year under the well directed leadership of Miss Lancaster. Many of
11
the pupils have either secured prizes or have received commend- able mention from the Applied Arts Book which is published by Henry Turner Bailey. The exhibition of school work held last June in the new Town Hall attracted wide attention mainly through the remarkable display of the work in drawing. It is planned to hold a similar exhibit next May in connection with the Horace K. Turner Art Exhibit.
Allow me to call your attention to the condition of some of the buildings and make a few suggestions for their improvement.
The unsanitary condition at the Athens needs immediate atten- tion and I urge that the present cremation system there be replaced with a modern flush closet system for the toilet rooms.
The walls and ceilings of the school rooms need tinting and the basement windows should be protected with iron screens. At the Adams a new floor and blackboards are needed in the room used and I suggest that the other room there be repaired and equipped with furniture and that a good furnace be installed in the base- ment for heating and ventilating the whole building. In Septem- ber it will probably be necessary to open another school there to include grades four to six in order to relieve the congestion at the Athens. If this is done a saving of about $320 can be saved in transportation yearly which would nearly pay the salary of the extra teacher required.
In Ward Two the conditions for securing good school work are nearly ideal. The new building erected there during the past year and occupied for the first time in September, meets a long- felt want. It is nicely constructed and admirably adapted to the needs of modern school activities. Located as it is on an emi- nence overlooking a large portion of the town and far enough away from the business center of the village to insure peace and quiet within and yet easily accessible from all sections of the dis- trict, together with its well graded and commodious play ground, make it one of the best educational plants in this section of the state, and the town may well be proud of it.
At the Washington and Jefferson improvements in the ventilat- ing systems and adjusta le furniture for the pupils are much needed.
What was said last year concerning the conditions in Ward Three is true today. Two additional school rooms are needed there at present for one room has two teachers and three grades,
12
and another school is obliged to occupy a hall on the third floor. It is impossible to secure satisfactory results under these condi- tions. As was suggested in your report one year ago, the town ought to secure the vacant lot in the rear of the Hunt and Lincoln schools and erect a twelve or fourteen-room building to take the place of the Hunt, Tufts and Lincoln schools. If those buildings are to be used much longer for school purposes, it will be neces- sary to expend considerable money for repairs during the coming year.
Ward Four is well equipped with modern school buildings with room enough for all the pupils and though it is necessary to have two. grades in a room, the small size of the schools enables us to secure as good results as anywhere in town. The Pratt School built to take the place of the old Pratt and Holbrook Schools, is a work of art located as it is well back from the street and reached by a gravel walk flanked on each side with a hedge, with well- graded grounds adorned with shrubs and prospective shade trees. While there are some things in the basement and about the toilet rooms to criticise, the school rooms, sloyd room, and halls are all that could be desired in arrangement, light, ventilation and heat. Certainly the conditions for educational work in that por- tion of the town have been improved one hundred per cent over that of two years ago.
Tinting the walls and school rooms and adjustable furniture for the pupils are much needed at the Shaw.
The conditions in Ward Five are also very unsatisfactory for securing ideal school work. It will be impossible to secure satis- factory educational results there till a modern school building of fourteen or sixteen rooms takes the place of the present ill- arranged, poorly lighted, and badly ventilated buildings. In both wards, Three and Five, the present toilet arrangements are as great a detriment to the proper training and development of the pupils as the ill-contrived school buildings are.
The buildings that are not already equipped with sanitary drinking fountains should be so equipped at once and thus do away with the common drinking cup-a menace to the health of every pupil using it.
Nearly every town the size of Weymouth and many smaller ones have their largest school buildings connected by telephones and consider that money so spent is a good investment. I feel that
13
Weymouth is especially in need of such a service and I recom- mend that telephones be installed at the Athens, Lake Street, Hunt, Shaw, Bates and Pratt schools. It would cost about $125 a year but it would enable the superintendent to keep in daily touch with all sections of the town and save much travel on the part of the teachers and superintendent besides being very con- venient for many of the parents.
Trusting that the town will see fit to make it possible for you to make some of these improvements during the coming year and thanking all who have contributed in any way to the success of the schools during the past year I will close this report.
Respectfully submitted,
ABNER A. BADGER.
APPENDIX.
CHANGES IN THE TEACHING CORPS 1907.
RESIGNATIONS.
Month
Name
June
.
Eva B. Gay
June
.
Anne C. Bartholomew .
June
Lura F. Oldham .
Grade II. Athens.
July July
.
Bessie D. Cross .
Grade II, Washington Grade IX. Hunt. Grade VII. Hunt.
July
.
H. Forrest Wilson Florence E. Crombie Lena E. Patten
.
Grade VI-VII, Athens
July
Mabel T. Hardy .
. GradeIV. Howe.
August August
A. F. Leonard
· Science. High.
French and German.
October
Celia B. Leland . Ellen L. Roche .
. Grades V-VI. Shaw.
November
Mary L. Veazie .
· Grade VII. Hunt.
November
Louise Graham .
. Grades I-II. Shaw.
APPOINTMENTS.
Month
Name
June
Helen C. Bragg .
June
Alice M. Farwell
Mathematics. High.
June
Joanna Connell .
Grades I-IV. Pond. Mathematics. High.
August
Henry G. Blount .
Science. High.
August
Ethel D. Shaw
French and German. High.
August
Ellen C. Minard . Bertha M. Ogden
· Grade VII. Athens.
August
·
August Albert S. Ames .
. Grade 1X. Hunt.
August
Ethel G. Higgins
· Grade IV. Tufts.
.
July
.
Harriet A. Quick
.
High.
. Grade VII. Lake St.
November
-
June
.
Marian S. Wentworth .
Subject or Grade Mathematics. High. Mathematics. High.
Subject or Grade Grade VI. Athens.
. Grade III. Wash'gton
15
August Nettie B. Woodman
Grades III, IV, Shaw.
August Alice A. Goodnow · Grade IV. Howe.
September. Susan M. Tracy
·
Grade I. Franklin.
September. Fannie M. Katelle .
Grades II, III, Tufts.
December . Myrtie A. Adams
Grade VII. Lake St.
December . Florence R. Thibodeau
Grade VII. Hunt.
December . E. Evangeline Martell,
Grades V, VI. Shaw.
December .
Mary O. Nolan
Grades I, II. Shaw.
TRANSFERS.
Month Name School and Grade
June Lottie M. Murphy . Pond I, IV to Pratt V, VI
August Katherine McEnroe . Shaw III, IV to Jeff'r'n IV
August ·
Mary L. Veazie . Tufts III to Hunt VII.
SCHOOL REGISTERS, SEPTEMBER 1906 TO JUNE 1907.
Number of Schoolhouses 17
Number of Schools .
54
Number of teachers employed, men 7, women 59 ·
66
Number of different teachers employed during the year, men 8, women 66 74
Number of teachers graduated at Normal Scoools . 29
Number of teachers who have attended Normal Schools without graduating 1
Number of teachers graduated at Colleges
7
Number of teachers who have attended College with- out graduating .
1
Number of different pupils enrolled in all the schools
2,260
Number of pupils under 5 years of age .
23
Number over 15 years of age · · .
204
Number of pupils between 7 and 14 years of age 1,488
Number of pupils between 5 and 15 years of age
2,094
Average membership
2,144.44
Average daily attendance .
2,077.97
Average per cent attendance
92.76
Aggregate length of all schools 514 months, 16 days
Average length of school
. 9 months, 7 days
Statistics, A.
Population of Weymouth, census of 1905 11,585
Assessed valuation, May 1, 1907 . $7,269.084
Assessed valuation, May 1, 1897 . $6,661.969
16
SCHOOL CENSUS, SEPTEMBER, 1906.
Number of children in town between 5 and 15 years of age
2028
Number of males in town between 5 and 15 years of age
1069
Number of females in town between 5 and 15 years of age
959
Number of children in town between 7 and 14 years of age
1548
Number of males in town between 7 and 14 years of age
816
Number of females in town between 7 and 14 years
732
of age
Number of illiterate minors over 14 years of age
1
Enrollment and Membership, Dec. 20, 1907.
GRADE.
SCHOOL.
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII VIII
IX
X
X
XII
XIII
Totals
High
..
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
..
. .
..
120
87
44
37
289
Athens
34
29
31
35
39
44
41
17
16
.
286
Adams
12
14
13
39
Franklin
41
..
. .
. .
41
Lake St.
. .
.
. .
..
47
74
71
48
27
267
Washington
38
36
71
36
34
. .
. .
. .
.
. .
. .
215
Jefferson.
36
30
40
41
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
35
..
. .
193
Tufts
32
16
50
58
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
156
Lincoln
35
38
9
22
19
18
7
13
13
. .
. .
117
Pratt
19
17
20
20
15
17
11
7
9
.
. .
..
135
Bates
. .
..
..
. .
42
27
23
35
. .
127
Howe
32
17
22
40
48
. .
. .
159
Pond
11
6
13
9
. .
..
.
. .
39
Hollis
9
10
2
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
. .
..
..
21
Totals
315
212
292
260
240
221
206
147
122
120
87
44
37
2304
Average age Sept. 1, 1907
5-8
6-9
8-1
10-1 10-9 11-5|12-4 13-1 14-0 14-8 15-3 16-7 17-7
147
Hunt
. .
. .
. .
39
37
43
39
. .
. .
. .
. .
73
Shaw
16
..
. .
. .
.
. .
..
·
. .
..
17
SCHOOL CENSUS BY WARDS, 1907. .
WARD.
Boys,
5-15.
Girls,
5-15.
Total, 1907.
Total,
1906.
Gain or
Loss.
Boys,
7-14.
Girls, 7-14.
Total,
1907.
Total,
1906.
Gain or Loss.
I.
177
160
330
338
L 8
119
105
224
238
L 14
II.
428
324
752
740
G 12
314
259
573
576
L 3
III.
219
172
391
398
L 7
176
137
313
292
G 21
IV.
113
143
256
255
G 1
89
102
191
185
G 6
V.
139
160
299
333
L 34
118
129
247
233
G 14
Total
1069
959
2028
2064
L 36
816
732
1548
1524
G 24
HIGH SCHOOL STATISTICS.
SCHOOL
Graduated from Grammar School June 20, 1907
Entered High School Sept. 3, 1907
Boys
Girls
Total
Boys
Girls
Total
Athens
7
11
18
.7
8
15
Franklin
19
19
38
12
16
28
Hunt
11
24
35
11
22
33
Bates
26
23
49
19
19
38
Other Sources
3
3
6
Total
63
77
140
52
68
120
.
.
.
.
.
/
1
Statistics from Registers, September, 1906, to June, 1907.
SCHOOLS.
Grade.
No. Enrolled.
Boys
Girls.
Highest Member-
Average Member-
Average Daily
Average Per Cent.
Attendance.
Tardinesses.
Dismissals.
Visits by Super-
intendent.
Visits by Others.
WARD 1.
43
25
18
45
42.02
39.04 47.87
93.03 92.09 93.82
185 129
115 119
40
70
Athens
5
46
24
22
49
43.62
40.45
1.76
158
28
25
Athens . .
4
38
24
14
41
35.02
33.01
94.00
90
35
26
76
Athens ..
3
34
18
16
38
27.87
25.23
90.50
260
29
27
48
Athens . .
2
34
18
16
35
30.96
28.18
91.02
69
15
23
123
Athens .
1
36
18
18
36
28.33
24.18
85.35
83
4
30
49
281
157
124
298
236.20
982
485
208
455
1-3
33
13
20
33
28.87
25.81
89.40
61
10
12
76
314
170
144
331
289.25
262.01
90.28
1053
495
220
531
WARD 2.
Franklin
9
45
16
29
47
40.90
39.30
96.00
87
68
18
97
Franklin
8
42
16
26
14
37.95
35.06
92.50
65
80
13
32
Franklin
14
22
22
37
33.70
31.06
92.29
59
48
18
28
Franklin
1
32
19
13
28
98.27
27.44
94.65
74
125
16
20
Total
163
73
90
161
141.53
132.86
93.86
285
321
64
177
Bicknell .
38
20
18
40
37.59
36.00
96.20
12
16
10
23
Bicknell .
6
49
21
28
49
44.10
41.60
94.30
44
36
Bicknell
33
24
9
33
29.52
27.91
94.50
31
29
8
30
Total ..
120
65
55
122
111.11
105.51
95.00
87
81
26
56
Washington .
5
35
21
14
40
37.30
35.29
94.51
51
32
23
37
4
50
23
27
47
43.45
40.56
93.17
71
42
10
17
Washington
3
39
23
16
43
40.61
38.35
94.44
35
3.2
13
24
.
..
.
. . .
. .
..
. .
.
.. .... .
. .
. . .
...
. . .
.
.. .
...
. .
.
..
. .
50
30
2.
54
51.98
..
. .. ..
. .
. . .
. . .
.. .
....
. ... .
.....
.
.....
Total
Adams
Total .
8-9 6-7
Athens
34
73
Athens ..
.
. ... . .
6
3
Washington ..
ship.
ship.
Attendance.
18
·
Washington .
2
14
19 19
33 39
32.00 34.00
28.00 31.00 33.51
87.70
69
11
27
95
Total
236
129
107
254
225.57
206.71
91.39
347
129
124
342
Jefferson .
4
39
24
1.
43
29.97
37.96
94.94
75
62
25
66
3
36
17
19
40
36.84
35.12
95.37
41
30
20
63
2
44
24
20
44
39.53
37.15
93.85 92.20
105
3
12
32
Total
157
88
69
175
160.44
150.93
94.09
293
109
69
212
WARD 3.
Hunt ..
9
34
11
23
36
35.51
34.53
97.23
49
54
38
113
Hunt
8
41
21
20
41
39.62
37.66
95.08
43
45
22
62
1
43
26
17
41
36.88
36.96
95.30
27
24
16
70
6
41
23
18
43
41.16
39.54
95.71
24
57
15
87
Hunt
5
42
24
18
41
38.78
37.33
96.24
13
52
10
88
Total
201
105
96
202
193.95
186.02
95.91
156
232
101
420
Tufts
41
18
23
45
43.00
41.67
96.91
79
14
21
45
3
34
13
21
35
32.82
30.49
92.93
22
14
23
62
Tufts
29
21
8
29
32.00
94.36
51
5
20
41
Tufts ....
1
29
12
17
29
26.26
26.55 23.80
91.00
47
0
17
53
Total
133
64
69
138
134.08
122.51
93.80
139
33
81
201
Lincoln .
45
28
17
46
44.03
41.30
93.61
26
12
12
92
Lincoln .
36
20
16
36
31.90
29.60
92.80
13
15
9
47
Total .
81
48
33
82
75.93
70.90
93.21
39
27
21
109
Total
415
217
198
422 | 403.96
379.23
94.30
334
292
203
730
WARD 4.
Shaw ..
7-8
23
12
11
23
23.60
22.39
94.89
24
67
18
0
Shaw .
5-5
24
13
11
25.
21.62
20.75
95.95
8
18
18
29
Shaw ..
3-4
40
18
22
43
36.46
34.15
93.60
33
33
23
35
Shaw . ..
1
33
20
13
38
32.30
29.60
91.00
51
9
20
41
Total
. ...
120
63
57
128
113.98
96.89
93.86
116
127
79
103
.
..
.
....... ..... ...
.... ...
....
......... . . ........ ....
. ......
.
.
.. .
.. .....
2
.
.
.. ..........
.
.. .
.
....
.
.
. .
.
....
.
2
..... .
........ .....
7
23
110
Washington
1
42
30
12
52
38.21
87.50 91.00
38 83
28
59
Washington
....
.
·
. ...... .
... . . . .
. . . .. .
. .
.... . ... .
.. .
....
Jefferson ..
1
38
23
15
48
44.10
40.79
72
14
12
51
Jefferson. .
Hunt.
...... .
...
. . .... . .
. . .. .. .. . ..
4
... .....
Tufts
3
-
.
.
...
Hunt ..
19
-
33 37
18
Jefferson .
1
STATISTICS FROM REGISTERS, SEPTEMBER, 1906, TO JUNE, 1907 .- Continued.
-
SCHOOLS.
Grade.
No. Enrolled.
Boys.
Girls.
ship.
ship.
Average Daily
Attendance.
Average Per Cent.
Attendance.
Tardiness.
Dismissals.
Visits by Superin-
tendent.
Visits by Others.
Pratt ..
5-7 1-4
36 36
17
19
36 39
33.50 36.10
32.90 31.70
94.43 88.00
25 73
21 3
6
39 24
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