USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1927 > Part 24
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EVENING SCHOOLS
An unusual condition exists in this town with reference to evening ciasses. Practically all of the children between the ages of fourteen and sixteen are in school. Those who reach the age of sixteen have generally completed two years of High School, and continue their courses in order to get their diplomas. For this reason there is very little demand for an Evening High School. The school census taken in October records no illiterate minor in town. We have conducted for a number of years a class in Amer- icanization. 'The attendance, however, has been small, as there are very few sufficiently young to benefit by this work. The chief demand has been along the line of Practical Arts for women. Last year there were two classes in dressmaking, one in millinery and one in cookery in the High School. These were well attended and very good work was turned out. Owing to the heavy building program being carried on in town, particularly that in connection with the High School, no evening work was offered this November. A few who asked to join classes in Quincy were given the oppor- tunity to do so. There is apparently a demand among the men for work connected with the industries, as we have approved for en- trance to the Evening Industrial School at Quincy during the fall months a large number for courses in drafting, machine work, auto mechanics, etc. With the excellent facilities which we now have in the industrial shop at the High School, it may be well to offer courses along these lines next year.
279
SCHOOL CENSUS (as of October 1, 1927)
BOYS
Ward 1
83
303
96
482
II
104
393
96
593
III
50
253
58
361
IV
37
173
42
259
V
59
170
37
266
Total
333
1292
329
1954
GIRLS
Ward 1
83
337
76
496
II
113
427
77
617
III
62
226
54
342
IV
48
212
26
286
V
30
154
52
236
Total
336
1356
285
1977
Grand Total
669
2648
614
3931
ATTENDANCE
Number of days of School
High School
186
Elementary
184
Per cent. of Attendance
High School
93.68
Elementary
93.72
Highest Attendance Record
Building-James Humphrey
96.81
Room-Jefferson, Grade 4
98.47
DISTRIBUTION OF ABOVE MINORS
Public Day Schools
474
2415
564
3453
Private Schools
72
219
32
323
Continuation School
14
14
Special Schools
3
3
Not enrolled in
any school
123
11
4
138
Grand Total
669
2648
614
3931
Fifteen children noted above as not in school, although more than seven years of age, are either crippled or under the doctor's care.
SCHOOL CENSUS TOTALS FOR FIVE YEARS
1923
3157
1924
3213
1925
3397
1926
3650
1927
3931
280
ENROLLMENT
1917
385
2263
2648
1918
357
2348
2705
57
1919
327
2404
2731
26
1920
338
2429
2767
36
1921
353
2614
2967
200
1922
453
2632
3085
118
1923
531
2688
3219
134
1924
550
2636
3186
** 33
1925
719
2515
3234
48
1926
795
2684
3479
245
June 30)
1927
845
2824
3669
280
Dec. 31)
1927
902
3123
4025
356
* * Ioss due to change in entrance age.
It may be noted that the school census taken in October fol- lows very closely the enrollment figures according to the registers for June. The accompanying graph makes a rather striking visual representation of the rapid increase in ur school popula- tion.
Record for Five Years
1923
91.12
1924
93.11
1925
93.69
1926
93.58
1927
94.21
In order to encourage better attendance in the schools, we are continuing the policy of publishing records in the papers, and are also sending charts to each room, showing the comparative standing of all the schools in town. This is having an effect upon the results attained in the different buildings, and is reflected in a higher percentage for the year. In 1926 we published in the re- port all the rooms making a record above 95. This year, owing to the length of the list, we are publishing only the rooms having a percentage of 96 or over.
Per cent.
Jefferson, Grade IV
98.47
Humphrey, Grade VIII (H. S. Portable)
98.01
Humphrey, Grade VI
97.48
Bicknell, Grade VII
97.34
Humphrey, Grade VIII
97.28
Jefferson, Grade III
97.17
Bicknell, Grade VI
97.14
Humphrey, Grade VIII
97.00
Bicknell, Grade VIII
96.84
Athens, Grade VIII
96.72
Humphrey, Grade VII
96.69
Bicknell, Grade V
96.68
Humphrey, Grade VI
96.64
Nevin, Grade VI-VII
96.60
Washington, Grade V
96.56
Hunt, Grade VIII
96.51
Athens, Grade VII
96.51
1
Bicknell, Grade IV
96.47
Humphrey, Grade VII
96.46
Humphrey, Grade VI
96.41
281
CHANGES IN THE TEACHING FORCE
In last year's report attention was called to the probable need of twelve new teachers. The number actually employed has been ten. If the new building at Pond Plain had been completed, the number would have been twelve, as stated. Of the ten extra teachers, four have been employed in the High School, and six in the grades. Ten of the new teachers in the elementary grades are graduates of our own High School, with further education obtained in the following institutions:
2 Boston University College of Liberal Arts
1 Bridgewater Normal School-four-year course
1 Bridgewater Normal School-three-year course
4 Bridgewater Normal School-two-year course
2 Keene Normal School-two-year course
There have been eight resignations during the year, and four appointments to temporary positions. The low salary schedule is compelling us to hire married women in some of the upper grades in order to have teachers of experience.
THRIFT
In the year 1908 a system of Penny Savings was started in the schools by the Monday Club, and was conducted by them for a period of four years. During this time about $5,000.00 was col- lected and deposited in the bank on folders furnished by the club. This system was inaccurate and inadequate, and brought a tre- mendous amount of labor upon those of the Monday Club who were interested in furthering it, and also upon the teachers who had en- tire charge of the collection of money and the keeping of accounts. In 1912 the Weymouth Savings Bank instituted regular collec- tions. the children in the different buildings bringing money on certain specified days. Under this system none of the work or responsibility comes upon the School Department. The teachers present the educational value of thrift, encourage the children to save their money, and remind them of the days. on which collec- tions will be taken. The system has been uniformly successful and has kept the confidence of the depositors as well as of the School Department.
Since 1912 the pupils have made deposits amounting to. $84,863.26, as follows:
1912
$1,950.58
1913
2,255.67
1914
2,820.63
1915
2,651.47
1916
3,096.82
1917
5,387.48
1918
3,738.32
1919
5,291.52
1920
7.583.54
1921
6,517.03
1922
6,569.33
1923
7,210.98
1924
6,379.86
1925
7,131.92
1926
8,594.80
1927
7,683.31
Total
$84,863.26
SCHOOL SAVINGS
Balance
Deposits
Transfers
Plus
Miinus
With-
drawals
Bank Books
Balance
No. of
Collections
Adams
$54.96
$97.63
$2.00
$3.27
$6.68
$80.00
$64.64
16
Athens
433.40
453.65
17.04
11.35
55.34
398.00
439.40
16
Bicknell
208.05
505.42
10.96
7.37
10.97
446.00
260.09
16
Jefferson
262.83
709.08
19.81
62.76
42.13
662.00
224.83
16
Franklin
184.71
499.22
54.49
56.95
33.26
463.00
185.21
16
Humphrey
519.24
1771.59
95.56
10.92
151.17
1684.53
539.77
17
Washington
359.27
519.56
44.75
73.65
46.15
436.00
367.78
16
Hunt
640.00
1386.76
24.35
7.83
127.74
1239.27
676.68
16
Pratt
187.07
492.44
32.62
30.94
18.17
449.00
214.02
16
Shaw
103.13
197.19
.25
.96
14.41
143.00
142.20
16
Nevin
464.47
791.06
4.08
1.50
54.61
721.00
482.50
15
Pond
1.37
1.87
High
147.99
259.71
4.07
43.58
274.46
93.73
10
Totals
3566.90
7683.31
309.98
267.50
604.21
6996.26
3692.22
cedure, of course, will be subject to the control of the bank officials.
ments to be conducted in exactly the same manner. This pro-
the Weymouth Savings Bank, collections, payments and invest-
run a Savings Department on the same principles as are used in
Savings Bank, offering an opportunity for the business students to
The bank is making plans to place in the High School a Junior
well over $100,000.00.
This amount, together with the sums deposited by the Monday Club, the accounts remaining on folders (all sums under $1.00 not credited on bank books), and interest accrued, carries the amount
282
1
283
HIGH SCHOOL
(Report of F. W. Hilton, Principal)
I wish to call the attention of the parents to a need for care- fully choosing the student's course of study at the time of entering High School. The wide variety of subjects offered gives abundant opportunity to select work that will be suited to the needs of the individual. Too many make a hasty choice and soon request per- mission to change to some other course. These changes are usually detrimental to the student as they do not allow him to begin a subject on an equal footing with his classmates. It is impossible to allow any great number of changes without disrup- ting the school program. I speak of this because so many, even after careful advice at the time of making their selection, come to school in the fall after two or three weeks' attendance and desire to shift to some other course.
In recording the statistics of the year I find that the total enrollment goes slightly over 900. This is less than we had esti- mated but gives us an increase over the previous year, and fills our school practically to capacity. The students from the fresh- man class are recorded from the following sources:
Athens
14
15
29
Bicknell
12
16
28
Humphrey
20
50
70
Nevin
10
19
29
Pratt
1
7
8
Shaw
4
11
15
Hunt
27
17
4.1
Other schools
27
32
59
115
167
282
The distribution of students among the various courses, shown in the following table, gives a clear idea howstudents and parents wish to turn for an education.
Classical
25
52
17
34
12
31
6
37
60 92
154
Technical
35
0
22
0
19
0 36
16
0 64
108
263
General
23
4
18
0
8 0
2
8
6 57
12
Practical Arts 0
22
0
12
11
0 3
7 1
0 18 30 17
0
Printing
5
0
8 5
0 0
9 7
0 0
0
Shoemaking
17
0
17
0
Auto Repairing 16
0
16
0
Post Graduates
2
3
166
167
116 120
85
80
48
115
417
Grand total
485 902
0
Business
27
89
37
74
29
15
5
0
9
0
1
0
1
Carpentry
13
0
52
Agriculture
Roughly speaking, 8% of the students take a general course. The numbers that prepare for college or business are about equally divided, 34% college and 41% business. The remainder incline toward some practical line of education, either in the form of household arts, agriculture or trade. These latter groups amount to about 17%. Quite a large proportion of those who who take college preparator and business subjects do not expect to use them for any more than a general education and this
-
284
may be partially true even for those who take the trade courses. While we specialize to some extent in the High School, we find it best to require a considerable quantity of general education so that a certain amount of English, History, Mathematics and Science is a requisite of every course.
The quality of work accomplished in our college preparatory and business lines has been quite generally approved for many years past. The number of our graduates who attend higher institutions is at a good standard. From last year's graduates seventeen have entered college, nine have entered normal schools, and seven have entered other schools of higher education. The fact that our students are attending such representative colleges as Harvard, Yale and Wellesley should give assurance that pupils are able to prepare for any college at Weymouth High School. We can hardly refrain from advising those that are planning to attend college that the responsibility is as much their own as. it is the schools, and no one has a right to expect success without faithful effort during his four years of preparation.
The work in the business department has been very much improved by the introduction of a well equipped room for office practice. Students are taught the use of various types of office machines essential to modern business methods. The equipment. includes :
2 Burroughs Calculators
2 Comptometers
6 Monroe Calculators 1 Victor Adding Machine
1 Ediphone
5 Typewriters
1 Mimeograph
1 Mimeoscope
1 Multigraph
1 Filing Cabinet
Since opening this room in September, the following work has been completed:
25,097 copies taken on the Mimeograph a-186 stencils cut on typewriter
b-29 stencils cut on mimecscope 921 copies made on the typewriter
in addition to extensive instruction in the use of calculating machines, Ediphone machines and filing methods.
The Vocational School has added Automobile Repairs to its list of trades, and also shoemaking, making a total of four dif- ferent courses in vocational training. The building itself is a product of the carpentry department and is a real credit. The print shop has also achieved very noticeable success and the vol- ume and quality of work produced has received very favorable comment from the State Department of Vocational Edcuation. The shoemaking department has the advantage of training its students in practical work at the Stetson Shoe Company's model plant, where the boys work alternate weeks. The course has been in operation somewhat less than a year and is running on a slightly different basis than the other departments which give half time daily to practical work.
285
AGRICULTURE
(Report of Hilmer S. Nelson, Director of Weymouth Branch of the Norfolk County Agricultural School)
December 31st brought to a close a very successful year of school accomplishments for this department. Several innovations are well under way and much thought is being focused on their progress. The total enrollment, including 20 students, is made up as follows:
Seniors 4 Juniors 1 Sophomores 9 Freshmen 5 Special 1
It is well understood by the student enrolling in the Agri- cultural Course that he must carry a home project, or if this is. impossible, provide for some means of securing other supervised agricultural wok. In other words, he must do some productive work during the year along agricultural lines in order to secure credit for accomplishments. The State sets an arbitrary figure at 1400 hours per year. The project is so important that home supervision is absolutely essential. Self-activity is the only method of learning.
The project year ended October 15, 1927, with 17 students either carrying a home project or woking out on a farm or other supervised agricutural work. Our annual productivity summary discloses many interesting facts:
1. For Home Project Ownership, we find 14 projects divided as follows: 11 poultry. 2 garden and 1 dairy. The 11 poultry projects totalled 561 birds with an average of 51 to the flock; the 2 gardens cover about 1-10 of an acre, and the 1 dairy project 1 Jersey-Holstein heifer. The breeds of poultry were divided: Rhode Island Reds 497.7, White Plymouth Rocks, 31.1, Barred Plymouth Rocks 17.7, and Jersey Black Giants 15.2.
2. For Other Supervised Agricultural Work, we find 16 students busily engaged-4 on dairy farms 1 in a dairy manu- facturing plant, 1 on a turkey farm, and the balance of 10 on general farms and neighborhood problems.
The earnings and profits from the first group were as follows: Gross Receipts $1970.02 Gross Expenditures 884.11
Net Earnings $1085.91
while from the second group for a total of 11,624.75 hours the earnings were $2670.15.
The above figures do not bring to light the many interesting and surprising facts that have confronted the instructor on his visitations. To see the vast amount of practical experience that is secured is most encouraging; and in the end, what is book knowledge worth without its practical applications as carried through each student's project or under the watchful eye of the farm foreman. The results seem to instill a deep sense of satisfaction. A vocational agriculture means a working agriculture. We learn to do by doing. That is the real meaning of a vocation.
286
It is one of the duties of the agricultural instructor to pay weekly visits to the home and project of each student and check up on the student's work, because a close correlation must exist between the classroom and the project. With a total of some thee hundred visits of all kinds, a distance of over 2,450 miles or more was covered.
During the fiscal year, the following fairs were attended:
1. 1927 High School Day at the Massachusetts Agricultural College-April 30 to May 1.
2. Eastern States Exposition at Springfield-Sept 19. One of our seniors won a silver medal on the high judging of Jerseys, 3. New England Fair at Worcester-Sept 30.
4. Brockton Fair at Brockton-October 4. One of cur sophomores won a $60.00 scholarship in vegetable judging.
Although we did not win as consistently as in 1926, we feel that the experience gained is valuable. Numerically listed below are several items of interest which are of a miscellaneous sort.
1. Two Norfolk County champions were among our students; one, in vegetable gardening, and the other in poultry. Several students have won prizes with their poultry at the various local egg laying contests, and also at the various poultry shows.
2. The Agricultural News Column, as published weekly in the Weymouth Item and the Quincy Patriot Ledger, has expanded wonderfully. One of our seniors is editor, and all articles are the efforts of the students, and another source of productive work. We extend words of appreciation to the editors of these two papers for their splendid co-operation.
3. The Weymouth Agricultural Club, connected with the Department and in co-operation with the County 4 -- H Clubs, has been functioning weekly with a number of varied programs, including agricultural debates, talks by prominent men of the community and State, illustrated lectures, both stereopticon and motion pictures, and many other interesting features.
We hope the time will come when we can enlarge our agri -- cultural facilities to accommodate a greater number of students and give to these students more of the practical side of farming which is now lacking.
A word of appreciation should be given to our Superinten- dent, Mr. Parker T. Pearson, and to our Principal, Mr. Fred W. Hilton, for their splendid spirit and co-operation in backing up this Department.
ELEMENTARY SUPERVISOR
(Report of Myra G. Keep, Supervisor of Elementary Grades)
The teachers of Weymouth continue in the joys of service, for the greatest work in the world is to direct the active mind of childhood into right channels of thought, to form correct motives which lead to honest lives, to implant germs of industry and purity, and to aid the child in his efforts to attain his ideal of greatness and usefulness.
Extensive experimentation on the teaching of spelling brought universal interest in the subject. A public spelling contest di- rected by Big Brother, of the WEEI Broadcasting Station, was held at the High School. The James Humphrey School received first honors, and the Adams School second. It might be interesting
287
to note that the yearly spelling graph shows a rise from a mean of 64% to 90%.
The geography course for the teachers was continued from last year. Mr. Sinnott, of the Bridgewater State Normal School, demonstrated "Social Geography." The course was terminated with a stereopticon lecture, given by Superintendent P. T. Pear- son on "The Romance of Geography," and an exhibit of materials, obtainable at little or no cost, to motivate and stimulate the geography lessons.
Every good teacher is interested in her individual pupils. Hers is a tremendous task: to reach them all effectively and to keep them all employed at worthwhile activities so that they may learn to use skill and knowledge. Modern creative and self-teaching seatwork, as well as Silent Readers, Study Readers and Thought Test Readers, were added to her store of supplies in order to assist her.
Since the beginning of school in September two subjects, liter- ature and history, have received special attention. The first draft of a new Course of Study in English has been assembled by a com- mittee of teachers. The key note is to stimulate greater apprecia- tion of stories and poems. The children are finding the poems in the new Huber-Bruner-Curry "Poem Book" most fascinating. A State University Extension class in English Literature was or- ganized, having one hundred and seven members. Professor Matthew J. Copithorne, of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, the instructor, has brought much pleasure, interest, and information with his lectures and readings.
An experiment in teaching more American history in the fourth grades has thus far proven that all children are lovers of adven- ture, and are especially ardent and loyal citizens of their own his- toric town, Weymouth.
There were ten new, inexperienced teachers who entered the school system this fall. Their results are the fruits of earnest en- deavors and hearty co-operation.
The whole standard and amount of instruction has been raised so as to thoroughly complete the essentials of the elementary sub- jects, preparing the children for the advanced work of the Junior High system.
"Full high above all else,
Should be, in all who guide our youth,
A power for mighty loving."
DRAWING
(Report of Evelyn Silvester, Supervisor of Drawing)
During the year the drawing work in the grades has been car- ried along the same lines as usual.
When the new regular courses of study are fully organized and the Junior High an established fact, then we shall reorganize the drawing courses, developing them wherever possible along lines correlating occasionally with the major subjects.
We have had the pleasure of being able to give teacher stu- dents from the Massachusetts School of Art, Boston, some oppor- tunities for practical experience in teaching, planning lessons, and learning the needs of general supervising. This, we hope, has been of as much interest and value to the students as it has been for us. Our teachers should be thanked for their aid in making these
288
young people welcome and to Mr. Pearson should be extended the thanks of the students for allowing them to experiment here. Miss Emily Zerbe, of Palmer, was here from January through March, and Miss Adelaide McDonald, of Palmer, from April to June. Miss Zerbe is now teaching most successfully at the Westfield State Normal School, Westfield, Massachusetts. Miss Hazel Neitzold, of North Hampton, has been with us from September through Decem- ber. These young people have commented on the marked harmony and lack of friction here, as compared with other places where they have been placed.
Plans have been made for a lecture on the subject of "Art in the Life of the Japanese" at an early date in January, by Mr. Shosaku Fukamizu, of Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Fukamizu is a university student in this country, having taken courses at Columbia. He will talk to the eighth grade students in North and East Weymouth, and possibly in the spring to those of South Weymouth. As Japan is one of the countries studied by the eighth grade pupils, this should be of interest from a geographic as well as an artistic standpoint.
The crowded program for visiting all rooms on the necessary two-week schedule is, of course, well known. All will be benefited greatly when some relief has been brought about eventually.
At a recent conference of Massachusetts art teachers, Mr. Wright, of the State Board of Education, said that the earliest edu- cation dealt principally with the subject matter, the child grasping much or little, as he was capable. Then people awoke to the need of well-trained teachers, and that brought about the Normal or Training Schools. Next, the need of better materials brought about more and better text books and supplies, and larger equipment. But last, and most important, the focus of educational endeavor is upon the needs of the child, individual and collective. If we hold to this present focus with our better teachers and better equipment, and make better use of them for the benefit of the child, we may be able to teach the child how to use his increasing number of leisure hours to benefit him and his community. The need of proper employment for leisure time is the one and only way in which to stem the national crime wave which seems to sweep so much before it.
Our art work is one way to help give the child a pleasant, peaceful spare time filler. It is cultural, and we need more culture. The crafts are particularly adapted for fascinating hobbies, and we all wish we could do more along that line.
MUSIC
(Report of James W. Calderwood, Supervisor of Music)
By far the most important event of the school year in the music department has been the formation of a boys' band. For some months several of the pupils had been practicing on various instruments, furnished for the most part by the Weymouth Rotary Club. A few weeks before graduation last June the players, thir- teen in number, were assembled for rehearsal, thus forming the nucleus of a brass band. In September rehearsals were resumed, and on December 14th the organization played before the Rotary Club of the town. The same program was repeated the next day before the High School pupils and teachers in the assembly hall. Thus Weymouth for the first time in its history could lay claim to having a boys' band at the High School. The results obtained up to the present time are most gratifying. More boys are applying
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