USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1917 > Part 7
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In like manner there are multitudinous demands on the
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teacher's time to perform duties of a semi-public nature in addition to regular school work which require energy and careful preparation. To further benevolent objects, to raise money for the Red Cross, to distribute and explain govern- ment circulars, to teach the necessity for food and fuel con- servation, to interest the parents through the children in the Liberty Bonds, to urge the saving of money through Thrift Stamps, to stimulate the production of food through home and school gardens are duties which are necessary at the present time and are gladly performed, but they require time.
SALARIES.
Any discussion of general conditions would be incomplete without taking up the salary question. Several years ago the Town granted a wage increase which seemed liberal at the time, but the increase in cost of living has rendered impera- tive some action to meet the abnormal conditions which pre- vail at present. The compensation for skilled and unskilled labor has been greatly increased, the farmer is receiving top prices for his produce and the manufacturer for his products. There would seem to be no good reason why the teacher whose expenses are certainly as heavy in comparison as any class of labor should not receive a sufficient return for the work he does. Many of the surrounding towns have granted an in- crease of ten per cent. and in some cases even more than that either as a bonus or regular salary.
LENGTH OF SCHOOL YEAR.
The fuel situation may cause a shortening of the school year, but there is a possibility that whatever time is lost dur- ing the winter months may be made up later. The opening of the schools was postponed two weeks last year owing to the epidemic of infantile paralysis, but by cutting out all un- necessary holidays and keeping school whenever possible even in stormy weather the schools closed at the regular time in June with a record of one hundred seventy-seven days of actual school as opposed to one hundred seventy-nine of the year before. .
If the Committee considers it necessary one day a week can
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be gained by lengthening the school sessions one hour per day. Such an arrangement would save fuel as it takes very little extra coal to keep the buildings warm after they have once been heated. This would not be a startling innovation as many of the older generation will remember that the school day was formerly six hours long, extending from nine to twelve in the morning and from one to four in the afternoon.
We trust, however, that it will not be necessary to do this, as by eliminating the spring vacation and continuing the work until June twenty-eight sufficient time may be gained to off- set the time already lost unless something unforeseen occurs. Two short vacations from Thursday to Monday on the week before Easter Sunday and the week of Memorial day would assist in relieving the continuity of the work.
It may be well to state at this time that for the balance of the year the schools will only be closed in the most inclement weather. Parents of course should exercise their own judg- ment as to whether their children are physically fit to attend or live at so great a distance as to make it out of the question to send them in stormy weather.
EXTENSION WORK.
Continuing the policy of the last few years to make the schools as helpful as possible to the community at large, the services of the special teachers and the equipment of the school department have been at the disposal of the public wherever service could be rendered.
Mr. Kemp did valuable work under the direction of the - Public Safety Committee inspecting gardens and advising those who desired assistance.
Miss Brassil through her work with the children in home garden, canning, pig and home economic clubs has reached many homes.
Miss Cowan gave demonstration lectures at the High School on the cold pack method of canning which were attended by about one hundred fifty women.
The Evening Practical Arts Industrial Work in cookery and dressmaking has been running to the full extent of our
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equipment. It has been necessary to open an afternoon class in dressmaking to provide for those who could not be ac- commodated in the evening.
Forty-seven enrolled in the Evening High School when it opened in October. Of this number fifteen are men and thirty-two are women. One man and thirty women are tak- ing typewriting, thirty women are taking stenography, four- teen men and three women are taking bookkeeping.
The course for illiterate minors has been discontinued. There were eleven illiterate minors in town two years ago, four last year and none this year.
An evening grammar school course was offered, but as only four made any pretense of attending regularly the course was dropped.
HIGH SCHOOL.
REPORT OF FRED W. HILTON, PRINCIPAL.
In submitting my regular annual report in regard to the work of the High School, I wish to call attention to the gen- eral tendency toward increasing the amount of time given to the so-called practical subjects. Without in any way dimin- ishing our attention to the cultural studies, we have been able to increase the time given to such studies as drawing and art, domestic science, sewing, and agriculture, as well as to offer a course in millinery. The influence of these additions has been felt, not only by the students in the day school, but in a large degree by the older members of the community.
We have been pleased to notice that the building and equip- ment have been utilized for regular classes, both afternoon and evening, during a large part of the winter months, and we feel that by such use the town must get a more satisfactory return on its school expenditure. We hope that it will soon be possible to offer a well-rounded course in household arts, although we are at present somewhat hampered by a lack of room to carry on this project.
At a meeting last spring, under the auspices of the Com- missioner of Education for the state, the matter of lengthen- ing the school day was discussed. and it seemed advisable to
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us to add an extra period of forty minutes in order to compare
favorably with what other schools of the state are doing. This has enabled us to arrange a schedule which will give an in- creased time to our practical subjects without materially les- sening the opportunity to study under the direction of a teacher.
In order to give an idea as to the comparative demand for subjects that may be taken as types to represent cultural as opposed to utilitarian subjects, I might give a brief list just at. random, but on the whole fairly representative. We recognize that this list is far from complete but it is more or less diffi- cult to say just when a subject is cultural and when it is utilitarian, and more often it is a mixture of both. We think, however, that this list is sufficient to prove the popular de- · mand for practical subjects.
CULTURAL SUBJECTS.
Number of students taking subject
Subject
352
* English
193
*French
114
Latin
29
German
UTILITARIAN SUBJECTS.
Number of students taking subject
Subject
64
Typewriting
61
Stenography
52
Bookkeeping
26
Sewing
35
Millinery
12
Cooking
62
Mechanical Drawing
* Two years of French and four of English are required.
We have felt the unusual conditions due to the war in a diminution in the number of the entering class as well as a greater tendency for the students to drop out and go to work.
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The opening enrollment was about the same as last year, so that we have about held our own in numbers without our usual increase. In some ways this has been much to our ad- vantage, because our building is already crowded to about its full capacity. We might take this opportunity to caution the parents against allowing their children to leave school when it is not absolutely necessary. We feel that the present de- mand for labor is more or less artificial and is not likely to last. If a young man gives up his prospects of an education to take a position which will last only a year or two at the most, he is likely later in life to regret his decision. The gov- ernment is so positive that many of the young men will regret dropping out of school because of the opportunities to earn high wages, that it has sent out notices through the Commis- sioner of Education, warning the young people of the country not to leave school for any unnecessary reason, inasmuch as the country for the next ten or fifteen years will have an in- creasingly greater need for highly educated young men and young women.
AGRICULTURE.
Mr. Charles W. Kemp, Director of Agriculture, submits the following concerning his work with the boys in the High School :
The value of the home project method of teaching agricul- ture is that the student has a chance to apply at home the theory learned in class.
Every boy either had a garden of some size at home or worked on a truck farm during the summer.
The size of the boys' gardens varied from one-sixth of an acre to two and one-half acres. In each case the family sup- ply of vegetables was raised, and the surplus sold either to neighbors, the local public market or the Quincy public market.
One of the boys raised two pigs, fattening them on yellow corn which he raised. Two boys each raised one pig. Three of the boys have cows and are retailing their milk at local prices. One boy has four cows, another three and the third has one cow.
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The milk is weighed at each milking and the result tabu- lated on the milk sheet.
Each student keeps a set of books showing the receipts and expenditures of the particular project with which he is work- ing.
Three of the boys have carried poultry projects beside their garden work. Before grain began selling for such abnormal prices they were making a fair margin of profit but at pres- ent are barely holding their own, however, with prospects of making something soon, as the pullets are beginning to do their bit.
Two boys instead of having a home project worked with a nearby market gardener during the summer; much valuable practical experience of the 'right kind is gained in this way.
During the summer I visited each boy at least once a week to check up his project work-sometimes visits were even more frequent.
· Some of the practical work that has been done by the class aside from the home project work is as follows:
1. Pruning and spraying a small peach orchard (35 trees).
2. Pruning twenty old apple trees.
3. Pruning fifteen old pear trees.
4. Pruning a mixed orchard about fifty trees.
5. Pruning about fifty grapevines.
6. Pruning raspberry and blackberry bushes.
7. Grafting apple and pear trees, inserting about twenty- five scions.
8. Making grafting wax to use in grafting.
9. Making kerosene emulsion to be used as a spray.
10. Box packing apples in the Boston bushel box.
11. Judging dairy cattle according to relative placing and by the use of the score card.
12. Each pupil has learned to tie at least five standard knots.
13. Splicing rope and making rope halters.
Observation trips have been taken to the following places :
1. The Brighton Stock Yards-To observe the cow sales.
2. The Brockton Fair-To observe the various types of pure breed animals and good specimens of vegetables.
3. The Oaks Farm, Cohasset, Mass .- To see some good
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Guernsey cattle and to observe the method under which cer- tified milk is produced.
4. To various places locally where pigs are kept, to see the characteristics of the various types and breeds.
During the year many samples of milk have been sent the department to be tested for butter fat to determine whether the milk was up to standard in this respect.
At the Weymouth Fair three of the boys exhibited veg- etables and two exhibited pigs; each exhibit took some prize, the total cash value amounting to $16.50.
The class work is made as seasonal as possible, i. e., prun- ing is studied at the time of year when it can be followed up with the practical work. Corn and vegetable judging in the fall when samples can be procured, and so on with other sub- jects.
There has been an increase of seventy-five per cent. in the enrollment of the class this year compared with last year.
MILLINERY COURSE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I have asked Miss Susan Avery who has charge of the newly introduced course in millinery in the High School to give in detail an outline of the work the pupils are receiving. As soon as this course is fully established we hope to offer it to the women of the town as an evening or afternoon course. Miss Avery reports as follows :
The course has a two-fold aim :
1. To teach the pupils how to judge and to select hats from the aesthetic standpoint of design.
2. To teach practical methods of remodelling, covering, making and trimming actual hats for themselves and possibly for others. From the viewpoint of design the following prin- ciples are considered :
a. Shape, size and line. The suitability of shape, style and trimming of hat to face and figure of the per- son who is to wear it.
b. Color. The becomingness of color to coloring and style of face and figure of wearer.
c. Good taste and economy. The selecting of tasteful
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economical materials. The study of harmony of hats and costumes.
The practical problems planned for the year are these :
a. Trimming. The making of bows, simple ribbon, fruit and flower ornaments.
b. Frame Covering. Winter materials. A buckram hat shape covered with silk or velvet and trimmed in ap- propriate style.
c. Stitches and Finishes. Study of stitches used in brim and crown coverings, edge finishes, trimming and lining.
d. Renovating Materials and Remodelling. Steam- ing velvet ribbon, altering old shapes.
e. Pattern Making. Drafting patterns of simple hat shapes (flat sailor, turban), making these from buck- ram and covering with practise material.
f. Frame Covering, Summer Materials. Methods of covering frame with straw. Making of a fabric hat based on simple wire frame.
The above problems are given during the year. The prac- tical work comes during September, October, November and December; the design and color study during January and February and the practical work in spring millinery is done during the remainder of the year.
The pupils buy their own working materials, hat shapes, trimmings and coverings. The school equipment consists of scissors, pliers, wire fasteners, electric iron, millinery press board and a few materials needed in practise work.
Each pupil electing the course is required to give two forty minute periods per week. The course is open to Junior and Senior girls only. At the present time there are 9 Senior girls and 21 Junior girls electing millinery. There is much interest and enthusiasm among the girls regarding the course.
December 19, 1917, on the occasion of our Christmas sale of cards, calendars, fancy leather and stencilled articles de- signed and made by the freehand drawing classes, an exhibi- tion of hats made and trimmed by the girls was held. This exhibit evoked much praise and commendation from those who attended.
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Although we have very little space in which to conduct our classes the work seems very satisfactory. 'Next year we hope more space may be given us.
SEWING, COOKERY AND LUNCH COUNTER.
Miss H. Mildred Cowan reports as follows concerning the work of her departments :
Last January an extension of time was granted to Sewing and Domestic Science classes in the High school and with the opening of schools in September, sewing was also extended into the seventh grades in addition to the eighth and ninth grades. This three-year course now ought to make a girl fairly proficient in all kinds of plain sewing and able to make many simple garments. It will no doubt greatly benefit the girl who is unable to continue with a high school education.
In the James Humphrey School, where the classes are large, an additional sewing machine is needed. A small sum toward the purchase of one has already been obtained from the proceeds of a sale of aprons and useful articles made by the eighth and ninth grade girls.
This year the number of sewing periods for high school pupils has been increased from two to four each week, with an additional period for correlated work in drawing and de- sign. Less home work is required than heretofore, the re- sult being better uniformity in class work and more opportu- nity for supervision by the teacher.
The Senior and Junior Domestic Science' classes have five and six periods respectively per week instead of two as for- merly. This amount of time now affords opportunity for text-book study and recitation, practical cookery, and simple experiments in food chemistry. All food is prepared in fam- ily quantities and utilized on the lunch counter.
When Sewing and Domestic Science are offered merely as electives in the High School a girl may choose either subject first, because she may like that sort of work, second, because
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the other girl, who is her friend, chooses the subject, and third, for no other reason than as a means toward an end of acquiring a certain number of credits for graduation and a high school diploma. To be of real and definite value then, these subjects should be offered not as electives but as part of a Household or Practical Arts course. Such a course should include not only related subjects as drawing and de- sign, millinery, and science but certain cultural and academic subjects as well. To conduct such a course an extra teacher might be required, and certainly more room, for at present dressmaking, drawing, and millinery pupils all meet at one time in one room with different teachers.
The Sewing and Domestic Science equipment is now being used practically to its capacity limit, since with the opening of evening school it became necessary, on account of the large registration, to run an afternoon sewing class two days a week. This certainly would seem to indicate a general in- terest in these subjects throughout the town, and moreover, it means that the High School is rendering good service to the community.
One of the most vital factors in our High School is, no doubt, the lunch counter. Its aim is to supply a maximum amount of wholesome and nutritious food at a minimum price and profit. More effective service has been rendered the pupils since September by extending the recess time to one hour, then dividing the time into three periods of twenty min- utes each, with a different relay of pupils each period. Every relay thereby has a twenty-minute recess and a forty-minute study period. The steam table and urn, installed last spring, make it possible to keep foods hot over this extended time. The daily luncheon served includes cocoa @ 3c, two or more kinds of sandwiches @ 3c or 4c, hot soup with cracker 5c, or some hot dish as baked beans, creamed fish, various scalloped dishes, etc. 5c, puddings or desserts @ 3c, cookies @ 1c, and candies and ice cream at current store prices. A pupil may obtain therefore a substantial lunch for twelve or fifteen cents. Student help only is employed for counter service, dishwashing, etc., and paid at the rate of twenty cents per hour.
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HOME PROJECTS.
Report of Sarah E. Brassil, special teacher of Gardening :
We are carrying on our work in Weymouth according to plans which Massachusetts Agricultural College and the United States Department of Agriculture co-operate in for- mulating. These plans, modified to meet local requirements, are in use in all parts of the United States. By adopting and adapting them we become a part of the national system.
We began last year with gardens only. We have added canning according to the one period cold pack method, pig raising and poultry raising. The number of gardens has about doubled. They vary in size from a four foot square to a four acre plot. There were eighty members in the can- ning clubs. One hundred and thirty pigs were raised by school boys and girls. There are twenty-four poultry club mem- bers now at work in the winter egg laying contest.
Through the kindness of the Weymouth Agricultural and Industrial Society we were able to make an adequate display of our work. A sixty by eighty tent was given up to the children and was filled to overflowing. The space given us in the new hog pens was also filled. The display won favor- able comment from state authorities and, for the first time, earned and received the full amount of the appropriation of- fered by the state for children's work. We exhibited pota- toes and pigs at Brockton, ranking among the winners in both cases. To this the Weymouth Trust Company added $25.00 in prizes for pigs bought through them.
One canning club girl put up one hundred thirty-six quarts of food, one put up eighty-seven quarts, several put up over fifty and forty-nine members put up twenty-four or more. There were between twelve and fifteen hundred quarts of food conserved for winter use through their ef- forts. Our pigs dressed from eighty to two hundred five pounds. At the lowest estimate the club raised ten thousand pounds of pork. The gardens helped out the family table during the growing season and gave some material to store for winter.
All this means not only that the children have done well but that the work itself meets a present need, and that help,
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encouragement and co-operation have been freely given. To all who have so given, the knowledge that they have fur- thered the plans of the nation will mean more than formal thanks.
The work is now supervised through ten months. It is in operation in some branch throughout the year. Also, by dropping the supervision ,at the close of the grammar course, help is withheld from those who by reason of practice and maturity might be our best workers. I offer these two sug- gestions at this time because the part the children must play in our present conditions will be an increasingly important one. They are needed now, and they will be the ones to meet the problem of reconstruction. Our part is to pre- pare them.
MANUAL TRAINING.
Report of Alice L. Tucker, Supervisor of Manual Training :
From January until June the work was confined to the eighth and ninth grades in all of the schools except the Pratt, where it begins in the sixth grade.
The regular eighth grade work consisted of learning to make and read simple working drawings, to know some of the common woods, and the fundamental principles of wood- working, as well as using the different tools correctly in mak- ing articles which were useful either to the boy himself or in his home.
If a boy gets the right start and learns accuracy and care- fulness the first year, he is sure to be a successful and en- thusiastic worker as he advances.
In the ninth grade each boy was obliged to make either a tool rack or a kitchen rack, which reviewed most of the ex- ercises he had had the preceding year. Then, if he showed skill, he was allowed to branch out and make some piece of furniture of his own choosing. These articles included library tables, telephone stands, bookcases, music cabinets, chairs, tabourets, costumers, blacking stands, desk sets, sew- ing screens, book supports, folding tables, clock cases, mahog- any tea wagons, etc. Many of these pieces would do credit
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to high school pupils and the boys showed much interest and perseverance.
In addition to the regular work the boys at the James Humphrey finished the two hundred articles for which they had taken orders, and besides buying the twenty planes, they bought a mitre clamp and a glue pot with the profits. They also made a table which is in the teacher's room in that build- ing, as well as finishing over some furniture which had been damaged in the fire.
The Athens boys by a voluntary tax raised nearly enough to buy a mitre clamp for their school.
The ninth grade boys at the Bates made four cabinet maker's clamps on which they won first prize at the Wey- mouth Fair.
In the Hunt and Humphrey nearly every boy who grad- uated from the ninth grade made his own diploma frame.
In September Manual Training was given to the seventh grades also, and with three years' work we expect to turn out some extra fine pieces.
Cane seating has been put in several of the schools where there was a demand for it and some of the boys have earned considerable money by working on chairs at home.
PENNY SAVINGS.
I wish to call the attention of the committee to the rather remarkable showing of the pupils of several of the buildings in the penny savings department. The amount of money saved this year was nearly double that of last, the total be- ing $5,387.48, an average of over $2.00 per pupil in the pub- lic schools. The Jefferson School made the best showing of any building, with a deposit of $725.06, an average of about $4.75 per pupil. The Athens School made the largest de- posit for any single building, with a total of $1,308.41. Ward III made the best showing of any ward in the town, deposit- ing $1409.65, an average of $3.47 per pupil. A table is ap- pended below giving the results in all the schools.
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