USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1914 > Part 18
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No unusual repairs have been made in any part of the town during the past year with the exception of the requirements of the State Police to put hand rails in all buildings and vestibule locks on all doors. This occasioned an outlay of about $400.
At the Franklin one room was opened to accomodate the in- crease in that part of the town.
We respectfully submit the following estimates for school ex- penditures for the coming year :
317
RESOURCES.
Appropriated March 1914 . ·
$75,000 00
One-half dog license money
·
691 97
Tuition of State children
141 00
Hingham, for tuition .
52 00
Individual for tuition .
40 00
Sales, manual training and domestic science
75 00
Supplies and tickets sold
175. 84
Tufts School, use of phone
13 24
P. T. Pearson, phone
4 85
N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co., damages 8 25
Allyn & Bacon, old books
5 40
$76,207 55
EXPENDITURES.
Superintendent .
. $2,183 33
Instructors
. 49,947 52
Janitors
5,378 00
Fuel .
4,879 28
Repairs
3,350 53 ·
Water rent
366 00 .
Supplies
4,537 28 .
Miscellaneous
1,527 90
Transportation of pupils
3,345 00
$75,514 84
Balance unexpended
$692 71
ESTIMATES FOR 1915.
Superintendent
$2,200 00
Instructors
.
.
. 54,000 00
Janitors
.
.
5,500 00
Fuel .
5,000 00
Repairs
5,000 00
Water rent
370 00
Supplies
4,500 00
Transportation
3,000 00
Miscellaneous
1,000 00
$80,570 00
Respectfully submitted,
CLARENCE P. WHITTLE,
SARAH S. HOWE, THERON L. TIRRELL,
ELMER E. LEONARD,
PRINCE H. TIRRELL, ARTHUR H. ALDEN.
·
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.
.
.
.
.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Members of the School Committee :
I herewith submit my sixth annual report, the same being the twenty-ninth in the series of annual reports of the superintendents of this town.
SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS .- In my last report attention was called to the steady increase in the number of school children in town. The registers for the year closing in June show an enroll- ment of 2,540, an increase of 108 over the previous year. The average membership shows an increase of 120. For the last three years the average increase in our enrollment has been about 100. From these figures it is apparent that additional accomodations for the children will soon have to be provided unless the buildings that we now have will take care of the increase in school popula- tion.
There are sixteen buildings in town which are used for school purposes. There are six rooms which are not in use in the six- teen buildings. Of the six rooms, one at Pond Plain, one at Weymouth Heights and the one which is temporarily closed at Nash's Corner, may not be considered as available for purposes of expansion, as they are not located near the points where the in- crease in our school population is becoming most marked. The three rooms that are available are located in the Franklin School, a four-room building in East Weymouth. One room in this building was opened in September, and the crowded conditions in the lower grades in this part of the town would seem to indicate that two more rooms will have to be opened next year. East Weymouth is one of the centres where our school population is rapidly increasing, and is fortunate in having room for expansion.
In North Weymouth, where the increase in population is also marked, the Athens School, an eleven-room building, is now filled, one more room having been opened this fall.
In Weymouth the increase has not been as marked, but has been sufficient to overcrowd the buildings. Three of the rooms
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in the Hunt School have over fifty pupils each, although every- thing possible has been done to relieve the congestion. This overcrowding, together with the poor condition of the buildings themselves, would seem to have warranted the efforts that were made last year to secure better conditions for the children in this ward.
There is no department of the town's activities in which it is more desirable to provide for the needs of the future than in the school department, and yet there is no department in which it is ( more difficult to get money beyond the needs of the present. The children of the town are its best asset and money expended for their educational advantages will not be given unwillingly by those who have the best interests of the town at heart, nor can it be considered in any degree as money wasted. Good schools and good school buildings are an excellent investment for any town.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT .- An examination of the expenditures for the year shows that we have kept within the appropriation granted by the town. The small balance is practically covered by bills that either were not presented or could not be paid at the time the accounts were closed. The miscellaneous bills were somewhat larger than expected owing to requirements made by the District Police for safety appliances in the buildings. Con- siderable extra money will have to be raised to cover the increase in salaries granted by the town at its last annual meeting. It will also take more than our regular appropriation for repairs to put the buildings in Weymouth in good condition, if they are to be continued in use as school buildings.
NEW EQUIPMENT .- For the first time in several years it has been possible to , buy new equipment. For the grades over one hundred adjustable desks have been purchased and distributed in the buildings where they were needed. In the Washington and Jefferson schools one row of adjustable desks has been placed in eight of the ten rooms. Forty new desks have been placed in the fifth grade in the Hunt School and twelve desks in the Howe School, which makes the equipment of that building complete.
For the High School nineteen new drawing tables and six domestic science tables with magnesium tops and gas fixtures attached have been purchased. Through the generosity of the Old Colony Gas Company gas was installed in the building and connection made with the chemical and physical laboratories at
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320
no expense to the town. The company also provided a large cooking range, three five section restaurant heaters and a single heater together with the connections for the same at a purely nominal cost.
SUPERVISORS .- During the last few years we have been very fortunate in having a remarkably strong corps of supervisors who, without exception, have brought to their work unbounded enthusiasm. Their willingness on all occasions to give more of their time and strength than is required has secured unfailing co- operation on the part of both pupils and teachers.
Mr. Calderwood, who has been with us for nearly five years as Supervisor of Music, needs no comment from me, as his work is thoroughly appreciated both in the schools and in the community. Through his efforts money has been raised for the purchase of victrolas by the pupils of the High School, the Athens, the Hum- phrey, the Hunt, the Tufts and the Pratt. Many of the schools have an excellent collection of records and these have done much to create in the pupils an appeciation of good music as rendered by the best artists.
Under his direction the orchestra in the High School has passed the experimental stage and has now become one of the fixed organizations of the school. It has played at all the school functions, before the Monday Club, at the Weymouth Forum, and in addition its services have been employed by various local organizations. "The Egyptian Princess," which was given by the pupils of the High School, excited much favorable comment and was repeated by request several times in different parts of the town.
Miss Carleton who had also been with us for nearly five years as Supervisor of Writing, resigned late in November to accept a more lucrative position in the City of Fitchburg. We were very sorry to lose her services. She first entered upon her duties here when the present system of writing was introduced and it was largely through her efforts that it became a marked success. No one has yet been chosen to fill her position.
The art of writing a plain, rapid and legible hand is one which all are expected to acquire, but one in which many fail. Many celebrities have been noted for the illegibility of their writing. The poor writing of Horace Greely has become almost proverbial. It is related that Jay Gould wrote such a poor hand that a letter
321
of dismissal sent by him to one of his employees was used by the latter for a number of years as a pass over all the Gould roads. In fact so great is the prevalance of poor writing that it has come to be considered the one mark of genius that many possess. Our present system of business writing with its provisions for in- creasing speed and legibility is doing much to eliminate this mark of genius from the pupils in our upper grades.
The drawing under the supervision of Miss Avery has main- tained its standard of excellence. Those who have attended the graduating exercises of the High School for the last two years have commented very favorably upon the exhibits of mechanical and free-hand drawing as shown by the pupils of the school.
The teaching of cooking, sewing, and manual training being the latest additions to our curriculum I have asked the supervisors of these subjects to write a full report of the activities of their departments in order that those interested may have a full and comprehensive knowledge of the work.
Mr. PARKER T. PEARSON,
Superintendent of Schools.
DEAR SIR :
I herewith present to you a report pertaining to the courses of instruction in sewing and domestic science.
Beginning in the eighth grades with sewing the girls are first taught all stitches used in plain sewing, followed by practise work on various samplers which show the application of the stitches previously learned. At the same time some article, involving stitches and constructiou work used in the model, is also made. Practise work includes patching, making of button-holes, sewing on buttons, darning, etc. Articles made in the eighth grades are towels, pin-cushions, pillow-cases, iron holders, sewing aprons and chemises. Girls who are proficient accomplish more than this since there is much interest shown in the work and many spend extra time outside of the lesson period.
Having learned the various stitches, their uses and the con- struction of simple articles, the girls in the ninth grades are now able to make an entire set of undergarments. In this grade both hand and machine work is done and all girls who have not previously used a sewing machine now have an opportunity of learning. After satisfactorily completing a set of underwear the
322
ninth grade girls make a simple wash dress. Although every girl may not reach the point where she can make a dress, the majority will do so before the end of the school year.
Two years ago the Hunt, Bates, Athens and Humphrey schools each had a sale of useful articles made by girls in the sewing classes. Members of the Monday Club and Old Colony Club very kindly donated some materials which were utilized for the work. Money realized from the sales was used to purchase the sewing machines now in the ninth grades.
Plans are being made and work started for a similar sale, but on a larger scale, in the high school building early in the spring. Each grammar school is to be represented as well as the high school classes in sewing and domestic science. Such things as dish towels, dusting caps, kitchen aprons, fancy aprons, children's rompers, underwear and fancy articles will be offered for sale ; also canned fruits, jellies, pickles, cakes, cookies and candies, the latter, products of the work of the domestic science classes.
It is hoped that the townspeople in general, whether parents of school children or not, will patronize this fair not merely to purchase but to see and examine the work being done in the schools. The object of having this fair is to raise money for ad- ditional equipment. . In some schools where the classes are large another sewing machine is needed. Cutting tables for the ninth grades would greatly facilitate the work as there is not sufficient room on the ordinary school desk for the cutting of garments.
In the high school where we have one machine another might be used to advantage as well as dress forms, an electric iron and pressing board. Here the girls are taught simple pattern draft- ing, including a shirt-waist and skirt. "Each girl then makes a waist and skirt from her own drafted pattern. Some have already completed the making of a woolen skirt. Later paper patterns will be purchased and instruction given as to their use. In ad- dition to making a waist and skirt each girl will be expected to make one or two wash dresses and lastly a more elaborate dress.
The class in domestic science includes eighteen girls from the senior and junior classes. This is a new department introduced in the high school last September and consumes one period for text book study and recitation work with two periods for practi- cal cookery. The latter includes the preparation and cooking of vegetables, soups, scalloped dishes, cereals, beverages, simple
323
desserts, dough and batter mixtures, as biscuits, muffins, bread, etc., cakes, pastry, egg dishes, salads and sandwiches. Occasion- ally foods prepared in class are served at the high school lunch counter. No elaborate dishes are attempted but only such as may be economically served in the average home.
The equipment in this department is as yet somewhat inade- quate since there is no pantry arrangement or suitable place for the storage of food materials. The tables accommodating two girls each, are very satisfactory as are also the cooking utensils which are sufficient for present needs. A supply of dishes is needed however in order that the girls may have practice in set- ting a table and the serving of meals. We hope to obtain enough money from the food table at the fair to enable us to purchase a set of dishes.
These two subjects, sewing and domestic science, which are so closely connected with home life should receive co-operation of parent and pupil and all who are interested in the work will be gladly welcomed as visitors in the classes at any time. Their in- terest in the work will help to stimulate that of the child as well as give encouragement to the teacher.
Respectfully submitted,
H. MILDRED COWAN, Teacher of Sewing and Domestic Science.
January 25, 1915.
Mr. Parker T. Pearson, Superintendent of Schools, Weymouth, Mass .-
DEAR SIR :
I herewith submit the following report of the work done in manual training in the Weymouth public schools.
In manual training, as in any other subject, it is important that the boy be given the right start. He first is taught to make and read working drawings (beginning, of course, with the simple and advancing to the more complex), to know and handle correctly his tools, as well as to rub them up on the oil stone, to be careful, accurate and orderly.
For awhile the class is held to about the same work, in order that each may get all of the fundamental principles-whittling,
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rip and cross-cut sawing, broad and narrow surface and end planing, laying out work, gauging, squaring, spokeshaving, glue- ing, assembling, staining, shellacing and waxing. The boys learn to know as many different kinds of woods as possible, and some of the characteristics of each.
The Hunt and Humphrey boys have woodworking in the ninth grade only, and for one and a half hours a week, making a total of sixty hours, or about twelve school days in the year. Of course in that short time they cannot branch out very much. They have made hat racks, bread boards, kitchen racks and blotters, and will make tabourets or small tables before the year is over, and so get a few simple joints.
In addition to the regular work, the ninth grade at the Humph- rey have cut the lumber to send to the other schools, mended all broken chairs for the class in cane seating, and done some neces- sary repairing.
The boys in the Athens and Bates schools have wood-working in the eighth and ninth grades one hour each week. In those schools the eighth grade boys have made hat racks, bread, cake or sleeve boards and broom holders. They will also make flower- pot stands, pen and pencil stands and nail, knife, necktie or handkerchief boxes. The ninth grade boys have made kitchen racks, blotters, beanpot stands and ring toss, and some are now working on tabourets, davenports, library tables, medicine cabi- nsts and writing desks.
The ninth grade Shaw boys work with the Bates boys.
The Pratt School boys have wood-working in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grades. Beside the regular models, we have under way a doll house, a bookcase, several sewing screens and a number of oak footstools with dowel or mortise and tenon joints.
When a boy finishes a model he fills out a record telling stand- ard measurements and the measurements he obtains (so that he realizes how nearly accurate he has been), the names of the tools he has used, the time he has taken to make the article, the num- ber of board feet used and the cost.
In all of the schools except the Pratt each boy has to pay for his model if he wishes to take it home. There is seldom a boy who is not anxious and willing to do this, but whenever there is such a one we sell the article to the girls or teachers if possible.
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In several of the schools the lack of equipment hampers the work. We are planning to work with the girls when they have their fair in the spring and hope to make enough money to buy these necessary tools.
Respectfully submitted,
ALICE L. TUCKER.
Teacher of Manual Training.
THE HIGH SCHOOL .- Regarding the work in the High School I submit the following extracts taken from the report of Mr. Hilton, the principal of the school :-
"The general work of the High School continues very satis- factory. There have been few changes in the teaching force and all alike show an interest and earnestness in their work that cannot fail of good results. The addition of sewing and cooking to the curriculum gives the young ladies an opportunity to become proficient in these most essential branches of home-keeping. The sewing classes have been held in the gymnasium the first three days of the week, while the drawing has been changed to the last two. The old drawing tables have proven to be much better adapted to cutting and sewing than to drawing.
" The cooking equipment has been placed in the lunch room.
"The introduction of gas into the building has not alone bene- fited the domestic science course. The physics and chemistry work has always been more or less handicapped by lack of heating facilities. Now each student in these laboratories is provided with a Bunsen burner and many experiments before impossible are now performed in a satisfactory manner.
"We trust that the reflectoscope, which has been presented to the school through the efforts of the Monday Club, will prove quite beneficial in adding interest to many of our scientific and historical subjects. We appreciate the spirit of the deed no less than the very excellent and useful gift.
"We are beginning to feel the need of more class rooms. Our numbers are growing, and this year we have reached the highest enrollment in the history of the school. Our normal seating capacity is three hundred sixty-four. This year, with a small graduating class and the prospect of a large entering class, we number three hundred twenty-four. The possibility of divid- ing the gymnasium into three class rooms seems to be the easiest solution. We are already using this as a single large room for recitation purposes, so that it is not available as a gymnasium.
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Very satisfactory arrangements have been made for our athletic teams at the Clapp Memorial Building, so that we could very easily get along without this room.
"One can best judge of the success of our various courses by comparing our product with that of other schools. It has been rather pleasing to hear good reports from so many sources. An inquiry from one of our prominent commercial colleges brought the reply that our graduates, as a rule, stood high. How high, can be judged from the fact that three competitive prizes, in- cluding the highest, fell to the lot of our graduates. We have found that some of our better students have proven to be very efficient help in local offices. One concern reported that they were accustomed to hire recent graduates for office work during the summer, and that they had noted considerable improvement in the typewriting of last year's graduates over that of previous years. We are anxious to have these so-called practical courses improve until a student will have something he can actually use when he graduates, and not simply have made a beginning.
"In regard to our students who are in regular colleges taking B. S. or A. B. courses, I am glad to say that their work is good enough so that our school has been placed on the three-year certificate basis. This does not mean that all graduates will be certified to college, but we are glad to certify where a student does even work at a grade of 85% or better. In doubtful cases we believe the student should take his examination, and not endanger the certificate privilege of the school. We might say that this certificate privi- lege is given to only those schools that offer adequate courses for the New England Colleges, and whose students show by their actual work that they have had suitable preparation."
PENNY SAVINGS .- The report on Penny Savings submitted by the Weymouth Savings Bank shows a very encouraging increase in the amount of deposits made by the children. The amount deposited last year was $2,255.67 which was the largest amount deposited in any one year up to that time. This year the deposit of $2,820.63 exceeds last year's deposit by about twenty-five per cent. The Athens School with its eleven rooms is the largest depositor by buildings with a total of $591.70, while the Tufts school, a primary building, has the largest average deposit if the number of rooms and pupils be considered. I am submitting below the complete report as given by the bank.
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Withdrawals Withdrawals
Schools
Balance Jan. 1, 1914
Deposits for 1914
and Transfers 1914
for Deposit 1914
Balance Jap. 1, 1915
Adams
11 37
70 15
3 97
64 00
13 55
Athens
183 95
591 70
49 43
598 00
128 22
Bates
52 25
81 40
3 33
99 00
31 32
Franklin
0 00
20 29
0 00
7 00
13 29
Hollis
15 11
9 29
57
20 00
3 83
Howe
78 66
310 68
4 80
387 00
47 54
Hunt
170 09
258 99
10 49
363 00
55 59
Jas. Humphrey
106 64
242 08
18 84
252 00
77 78
Jefferson
103 06
297 17
14 01
322 00
64 22
Lincoln
58 79
127 09
19 08
144 00
22 80
Pond
12 61
15 24
1 75
20 00
6 10
Pratt
48 23
46 21
8 39
59 00
27 05
Shaw
65 28
125 93
3 52
146 00
41 €
Tufts
138 97
324 44
37 16
346 00
80 25
Washington
153 08
299 97
20 78
349 00
83 27
Totals
1,198 09
2,820 63
196 12
3,126 00
696 70
SCHOOL CENSUS .- The new law regarding the taking of the school census which went into effect the first of September oc- casioned considerable extra work for this office. The new cards issued by the Board of Education to be used by the census takers when properly filled out furnish much information that can be used by the attendance officers as well as those who have in charge the making out of the work certificates. They furnish full infor- mation concerning all residents in the community between five and sixteen years of age and of all illiterates between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one. The following is a summary of the dis- tribution of the children in town by wards :
Between 5-7. Between 7-14. Between 14-16. Total
Boys. Girls.
Boys. Girls.
Boys.
Girls.
5-16
Ward
I
55
59
151
157
32
37
491
Ward II
103
83
274
267
74
64
865
Ward III
35
49
152
157
42
32
467
Ward IV
28
23
85
73
31
34
274
Ward V
31
41
119
119
30
30
370
Totals
252
255
781
773
209
197
. ..
Grand total children between 5 and 16
2467
Respectfully submitted,
PARKER T. PEARSON. Superintendent of Schools.
APPENDIX
CHANGES IN THE TEACHING CORPS 1914.
RESIGNATIONS.
High School .- Orton C. Newhall, teacher of Science ; Audrey L. Duffey, teacher of English and French.
Athens School .- Lenore M. Ryan, eighth grade. Washington School .- Della Ryan, first grade.
Tufts School .-- Alice M. Nash, grades two and three. Shaw School .- M. Evangeline Martel, grades seven, eight and nine ; A. Isabella Titcomb. grades six and seven. Bates School .- Joanna Connell, grade eight.
Pond School .- Emma M. Baker, grades one to four.
Supervisor of Writing .- Helen S. Carleton.
APPOINTMENTS.
High School .- Francis D. Whittemore, teacher of Science. Athens School .- Esther W. Bicknell, eighth grade.
Washington School .- Jessie C. Cobb, grades one and two. Tufts School .- Margaret S. Towle, grades three and four. Hunt School .- Elizabeth Egan, grade eight.
Pratt School .- Stella T. Fearing, grades one and two.
Pond School .- Catherine D. Crawford, grades one to four.
TRANSFERS.
High School .- Prescott B. Brown from Hunt, seventh grade, to High School, teacher of English.
Athens School .- Ethel G. Higgins from Shaw, grades three to five, to Athens, grade two.
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