USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1930 > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
Survey
*Weymouth Item Wisconsin library bulletin
Time
Woman's home companion *World tomorrow
World's work
EAST WEYMOUTH BRANCH
American boy
Ladies' home journal
American home
National geographic magazine
American magazine
Nature magazine
Atlantic monthly
Open road
Better homes and gardens
Pictorial review
Child life
Popular mechanics
Popular science
*Christian Science journal *Christian Science monitor *Christian Science sentinel
Radio digest
Current history
Review of reviews
Delineator
St. Nicholas
Education
Time
Etude
Travel
Field and stream
U. S. air service
Good housekeeping
World's work
NORTH WEYMOUTH BRANCH
American boy
National geographic magazine
American home
Nature magazine
American magazine
Open road
Atlantic monthly
Popular mechanics
Better homes and gardens
*Rotarian
Child life
St. Nicholas
*Christian leader
Current history Etude
Good House-keeping
Time Travel U. S. air service Woman's home companion
World's work
McCall's magazine *Gift
Weymouth Gazette and Trans- cript
Travel U. S. air service
Harper's magazine
Psychology
228
THE FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE TUFTS LIBARY FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31,1930
Salaries and Wages:
Librarian and assistants
7,206.95
Janitor
1,611.00
8,817.95
Books and Periodicals, etc. :
Library Book House
1,963.29
Personal Book Shop
771.41
DeWolfe & Fiske Co.
227.61
Herman Goldberger
171.89
Woman's Educational Union
140.31
Miscellaneous
662.05
3,936.56
Binding Books
678.30
Fuel
624.78
Light
366.25
Maintenance Building:
Godfred Rondeau, painting
478.05
Remington Rand Co., shelving
255.29
A. C. Thompson, awnings
130.00
Rhines Lumber Co.
98.42
Mclaughlin & Stevens
S3.00
John Lyons & Son
82.50
Ray O. Martin
77.38
Lloyd R. Mosher
63.10
J. T. Cazeault & Sons
61.00
Miscellaneous
168.46
1,497.20
Other Expenses:
Printing, tel., supplies, equipt., etc.
757.28
Transportation and delivery of books Insurance
18.69
Children's Room
362.25
1,218.11
18.277.37
229
North Weymouth Branch:
Librarians
684.61
Rent
735.00
Periodicals
375.11
Maintenance
41.02
Light
38.47
Sundries
71.30
1,945.51
East Weymouth Branch:
Librarian
775.00
Rent
1,112.50
Periodicals
286.22
Transportation of books
79.50
Maintenance
301.40
Light
68.98
Sundries
5.02
2,628.62
Total expended
22,851.50
Balance to treasury
5.22
Total
22,856.72
Appropriation, March 3, 1930
21,505.00
Income from other sources:
Tufts Fund - Books
125.00
Tufts Reading Room Fund
125.00
Joseph E. Trask Fund
616.72
Augustus J. Richards Fund
235.00
Susannah Hunt Stetson Fund
125.00
Tirrell Donation
50.00
Francis Flint Forsythe Fund
50.00
Charles Henry Pratt Trust Fund
25.00
Total
22,856.72
December 31, 1930
EMERSON R. DIZER Town Accountant
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ET-I
62
ABO
IN
MASSACHUSETTS
35
WEYMOUTH, MASS.
1930
232
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
WEYMOUTH SCHOOL COMMITTEE PRINCE H. TIRRELL, Chairman MRS. ARTHUR R. TAYLOR, Secretary
JOHN P. HUNT Term Expires April 1, 1931
99 Front Street, Weymouth Wey. 1889-M
J. HERBERT LIBBY, M. D. Term Expires April 1, 1931
707 Broad Street, East Weymouth Wey. 0216
EDWIN R. SAMPSON Term Expires April 1, 1932
19 Lincoln Street, North Weymouth Wey. 0434
MRS. ARTHUR R. TAYLOR Term Expires April 1, 1932
44 Tower Avenue, South Weymouth Wey. 1863-W
FRANCIS W. REA Term Expires April 1, 1933
706 Pleasant Street, East Weymouth Wey. 1198-M
PRINCE H. TIRRELL Term Expires April 1, 1933
167 Pleasant Street, South Weymouth Wey. 0662-W
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
PARKER T. PEARSON 590 North Street, East Weymouth Wey. 0520
Office Weymouth High School, East Weymouth, Wey. 1460
Office Hours: At High School. Daily 9:00 to 9:30 A. M. 3:30 to 4:30 P. M. HELEN G. TONRY, Secretary
79 Chard Street, East Weymouth.
SCHOOL CALENDAR 1930-1931
Fall Term: Opens September 3, Closes December 19
Winter Term: Opens December 29, Closes February 20, Opens March 2, Closes April 24.
Spring Term: Opens May 4, Closes June 18.
Holidays: Columbus Day, Armistice Day, Thanksgiving and the day following, New Year's, Good Friday and Pa- triots' Day.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL
2-2-2-2-2-2
At 7:30 A. M., No session in any school during the morning. At 8:00 A. M., No session in grades 1 to IV, inclusive, during the morning.
At 11:45 A. M., No session in grades 1 to IV, inclusive, during the afternoon.
At 12:45 P. M., No session in any grade during the afternoon1.
233
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held the first Tuesday of each month at the High School Building at 7:30 P. M.
ENTRANCE AGE
No child shall be admitted to school in September unless he has reached the age of five on or before the first day of April preceding. Children entering for the first time will be admitted only during the first two weeks of school.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES
A birth certificate is required for entrance to the first grade
VACCINATION
No child shall be allowed to enter the first grade without a certificate of successful vaccination.
Quotation from State Law, Chapter 76, Section 15: “ An unvaccinated child shall not be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a certificate like the physi- cian's certificate required by Section 183 of Chapter III."
EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES
No child between the ages of fourteen and sixteen shall be allowed to leave school until a signed promise of em- ployment card has been presented to the principal of the building in which he is attending school. Employment certificates are issued by Mr. Charles Y. Berry, at the Hunt School, Weymouth, every week day except Sat- urday, between the hours of nine and twelve.
234
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Weymouth :
During the past ten years average membership in the public schools has increased from 2607 for the year ending in June, 1920. to 4060 for the year ending in June, 1930. Of the former number 303 were assignable to the High School and of the latter number 969. On November 21, 1930, the actual membership in all the schools numbered 4401. Of this number 1098 could be assigned to the High and Vocational Schools. For the year 1910 average mem- bership for all the schools was 2170, and of this number the High School claimed 268.
Within the past twenty years, therefore, school attendance 'has practically doubled, and High School attendance has quadrupled. During all this time the Town has made adequate provision in the way of new or enlarged school buildings as they became needed. but at no time 'has any school building program been much more than sufficient to supply needs for the immediate future.
At present there are but four unused school rooms in town; two in the Lincoln School at Weymouth Landing, both of which will be needed in September, and two in the Athens School. The constantly increasing attendance at the High School will shortly require the taking up of Junior High School work at both the Hunt and Bick- nell Schools, which are designed and adapted for such purposes. but in order that this may be done room must be found elsewhere for numbers of children in the lower grades.
The next new school building should be located at or near Wey- mouth Heights, where the two rooms of the Adams School are in- sufficient for the considerable number of smaller children who live within a mile therefrom. Land is available near the Adams School for the erection of a new building, and we recommend that it be secured and a six-room building be placed thereon.
We also recommend that additional land be secured near the center of the town, in which neighborhood a school larger than the portable now being used will soon be needed.
With the erection of two school buildings in the above men- tioned localities there would then be but few elementary pupils living more than one mile from school, and these would mostly be resident in South Weymouth near the southern end of Union Street.
The several buildings were never in such good physical con- dition as now, and during the last few years a great deal of work in the improvement of grounds has been done. The kind of outside work done last summer and fall at the Hunt School is most suit- able for all school grounds, and it is hoped that more of a like kind may be done in the future. The absence of mud in the school yard directly leads to better conditions within the school building.
Lunch room facilities at the High School are inadequate for the very large proportion of the more than 1400 boys, girls and teachers who regularly use the same. It would be better, and safer,
235
if the entire lunch room could be located outside of the school building. Plans for a suitable lunch room have been developed by the school, and plans have also been made for the reconstruction in the old central portion of the High School of stairways from basement to third story of completely fireproof nature, with en- trances at side walk level.
School playgrounds, as distinguished from school yards, are every year becoming more important as the population increases and hack yards become smaller and fewer. It will be a matter of several years before we can expect to see completely finished and adequate playgrounds in all parts of town.
The playground directly appurtenant to the High School, Legion Memorial Field, may well be used during the coming year. The quarter mile cinder track, with a 220 yard straightaway, and the customary places provided for jumping, is ready for the opening of the outdoor season. The seeded area within the oval should be ready for football in the fall. The baseball field was laid out and graded last summer during an extremely dry season, completing work that had been started the year before. The only troublesome settlement that has occurred in the whole field can be noticed centering at or about the location of second base, where the ground has lost the crown originally given. A moderate amount of filling graded from a suitable crown, should remedy the defect. Other- wise, the drainage of the field is and has been functioning properly. It was hoped last year that tennis courts might then be built in the places allowed for same, but it was not possible under the conditions to do all the work tentatively laid out. We recommend that provision be made for suitable amount of work for the coming year.
The report of the Superintendent, and the supplementary re- ports of the several department heads will give further details of school progress and conditions.
Mr. Fred O. Stevens joins with this Committee insofar as the report pertains to the work on Legion Memorial Field.
A summary of expenditures for the past year and estimates for the coming year follows.
Expenditures
Estimates
1930
1931
Superintendent
$ 5,000.00
$ 5,000.00
Other General Salaries
2,103.50
2,150.00
Other General Expense
1,708.99
1,800.00
Teachers' Salaries
243,272.64
271,000.00
Text Books and Supplies
18,667.09
18,000.00
Tuition
983.96
1,500.00
Transportation
16,946.00
18,000.00
Support of Truants
104.29
250.00
Janitors
27,553.25
28,500.00
Fuel
12,284.89
13,000.00
Light
2,079.79
2,500.00.
.
236
Maintenance
34,165.35
35,000.00
Other Expense
1,308.02
1,500.00
Day Household Arts
4,206.28
5,000.00
Day Industrial Shoemaking
21,553.21
24.400.00
5,004.96
5,900.00
Evening Practical Arts
901.36
1,200.00
Total
397,843.58
434,700.00
PRINCE H. TIRRELL, Chairman ETHEL G. TAYLOR, Secretary (Mrs. Arthur R)
JOHN P. HUNT J. HERBERT LIBBEY, M. D.
FRANCIS W. REA
EDWIN R. SAMPSON
FRED O. STEVENS
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Members of the School Committee:
I take pleasure in presenting to you my twenty-second report, the forty-fifth in the series of annual reports of superintendents . of this town. Included are the reports of the principal of the High School and the head of the Vocational School, to which I call especial attention, also the reports of the special teachers and nurses, who have given a complete summary of their work for the year.
POPULATION
Census of 1930
20,799
Census of 1920
15,057
Increase in 10 years 5,742
SCHOOL CENSUS (as of October 1, 1930)
5 to 7 years
697
7 to 14 years
2,941
14 to 16 years
809
Total
4,447
(details elsewhere)
ENROLLMENT
(for school year ended June 19, 1930)
Total number enrolled
4,245
Average Daily Membership
4,061
Average Daily Attendance 3,836
94.46
Per cent. Attendance
Per cent. Attendance (State).
94.49 -
237
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Number of buildings
15
Number of classrooms
160
Number of halls
4
Number of gymnasiums
4
INSTRUCTORS
High School
53
Elementary grades
103
Opportunity classes
2
Special
12
Total
170
COST OF EDUCATION
Valuation
$45,304,861.00
Expenditures, 1930
397,843.38
Average cost per pupil
All schools, Weymouth
$5.85
All schools, State
100.66
Elementary, Weymouth
71.52
High School, Weymouth
129.71
SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS
A careful study of census and attendance figures for the last few years shows that we are making a steady and consistent growth in our school population. This has necessitated and will necessitate a corresponding increase in the number of school rooms. Since 1924 there have been built for replacement and new growth eighty-three classrooms, an average of nearly twelve a year. Eight of the rooms have been finished during the present year, twelve during the previous year, and thirty-one during 1928. Not- withstanding the extensive building program, we have no more than provided for the increase in the number of children. The four extra rooms that we now have will be needed soon in the districts where they are situated. These rooms do not provide for the crowd- ed conditions in the Weymouth Heights and Center Portable areas, both of which are in pressing need of better facilities.
The growth in all parts of the town is seriously taxing the school plant. Provisions should be made for needs as they arise. since there is no indication that the present growth will not con- tinue. We had actually attending school in November 4401 pupils. with a total enrollment of more than 4500 pupils since the opening of School in September. Even at the High School a serious condi tion will exist in the fall, owing to the fact that there is every prospect of an attendance of two hundred more pupils than the school now enrolls.
It would be wise for the town to erect buildings as they are needed and not to allow an accumulation of construction to burden the town in any one year. Either or both of the buildings mentioned should be constructed during the coming year. One building would simply take care of the regular increase. Two buildings would make it easier to provide for other sections as their needs may appear.
238
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Those who are at all familiar with school conditions throughout the state will realize that during the last few months there has been much discussion over the question of employing inexperienced teachers in the towns in which they live, and also over the question of employing married women.
It may be well at this time to make a statement of the policy that has been followed in this town for many years. We have tried to be fair in our dealings with the local candidates and have hired practically all who have presented satisfactory credentials. We have always held that those who have done good work in our schools and who have been graduated from normal schools or col- leges with creditable rank should receive due consideration and should be placed whenever possible in positions suited to their aptitudes and education. Though this has been the policy of the school department it has not been nor should it be the fixed rule to employ all who desire positions. A diploma is not the only thing that a successful teacher needs. Health, disposition, appearance, energy. tact, courtesy, common sense, all have their weight, and some of these are of more importance for the well being of the child and the comfort of his parents than is the mere educational quallication.
The kind of vacancy also should be considered. It would be manifestly unfair both to the school and to the teacher to assign a candidate of inexperience to a difficult school. The majority of the teachers who are selected have trained during their normal course in our schools. Thus we have a chance to judge of their ability. In addition they are placed on probation for a period of three years, during which time they must prove their ability to teach, their power to discipline, and must show that they have interest enough in their work to improve themselves professionally.
There is one point, however, which the public is apt to for- get, namely, that the individual teacher is of far less importance than the thirty-five or forty children under her charge. If she does not show teaching ability, she should be advised to change her occupation. The pupils are more entitled to their natural right of having a strong teacher than a teacher is entitled to secure and hold a position for which she is not qualified.
As to married women :- During the war and in the period di- rectly following there was a great shortage of teachers. In our town married women were in many instances urged to help in order to keep the schools running properly. I believe that these women who have served the town long and faithfully, and who were hired because of our need, should receive the same fair consideration that has always been accorded to other employees of the department. We have, however, restricted the employment of married women and placed them on the basis of temporary teachers, in all cases with a smaller salary than the regular teacher receives, the majority of them being placed in the upper grades in which there is still a shortage of good material. Every year vacancies which occur within the period from September to June are filled with temporary teachers in order that those who will be graduated in June may have a better chance of securing a position.
239
CHANGES IN THE TEACHING FORCE
RESIGNATIONS High School
Alice L. Gay, Clerk John Griffin
Beatrice Ingalls
Bernice I. Purinton
Caroline E. Rogers
Athens School
James Humphrey School
Mary C. Fallon
Junior Annex
Dorothy V. Auger
Miriam H. Stearns
Hunt School
Helene G. Dumaine
E. Gladys Price
Edward B. Nevin School
Pond School
Alice M. Daly Frances Lowrey
LEAVE OF ABSENCE High School
Ernestine R. Canning
APPOINTMENTS
High School
Velma Abbott, Clerk
John K. Delahunt
Fred L. Kennedy
Herberta Stockwell
Pauline F. Swift -
Martha Vining
Helen M. Walker
Alice White
Vocational School Athens School Bicknell School
Daniel E. Bryan
Julia M. Robinson
Alma M. Roche
Elizabeth G. Stratton
James Humphrey School Junior Annex
Margaret L. Mitchell
Elwood L. Denham
Doris M. Partridge
Washington School
Esther M. Rydgren
Hunt School
Center Portable Edward B. Nevin School Pond School
Madeline L. Cote Marie K. Ghiorse Genevieve A. Perkins Margaret S. Wise
Alene E. Clifford Ruth E. Funk
Marjorie A. Torrey
Grace J. Gay
240
7
RETURNED FROM LEAVE OF ABSENCE
High School Helen E. Mayer
TRANSFERS
Ruth Thompson Center Portable to Hunt
Ruth Tirrell
Washington to High
Ruth E. Mayo
Athens to Bicknell
Marjorie Maynard
Athens to Bicknell
Charlotte F. Murphy
Athens to Bicknell
Last year four teachers resigned and two retired. This year we have lost thirteen. Of this number eight resigned to be mar- ried, and the others secured positions elsewhere.
Of the appointees, eight are college graduates, ten are nor- mal school graduates, one has four years of special training, one is a registered nurse. and one trade trained.
Eight new positions have been opened during the year. In addition to the six teachers employed to cover the increase in the number of children, a coach was hired to supervise outdoor acti- vities, both in the High School and elementary grades, and a regis- tered nurse to teach part time in the Day Household Arts course, the balance of her time being devoted to the welfare of the four- teen hundred children in the High School and Junior Annex.
In August we lost through death one of our valua- ble teachers, Miss Elizabeth S. Hall, of the fourth grade of the Hunt School, Weymouth. Miss Hall joined our teaching force from Contoocook, New Hampshire, twenty years ago. She was a Wey- mouth resident but had secured her initial exper- ience elsewhere. Although in failing health for a number of years, and even though in weakened physical condition, she performed her duties cour- ageously and well. Her loss will be keenly felt by the community and her associates.
ENTRANCE AGE
A number of years ago a vote was taken by the Committee to allow only those children to enter school who became five years of age on or before the first of April in any given year. Since the vote of the Committee was taken, there has been no deviation from this rule. Every September, however, a large number of parents request that their children, who may be from one day to several months under age, be allowed to enter school, not realiz- ing that it is impossible to make exceptions.
A recent report issued by the State Department of Education shows that in a majority of the cities and towns of the Common- wealth entrance age for children is higher than in Weymouth. The following figures may be of interest as showing the require- . ment in other cities and towns:
241
No set age
2
5 yrs. 5 mos.
25
4 yrs. 8 mos.
1
5 yrs. 6 mos.
102
4 yrs. 9 mos.
1
5 yrs. 7 mos.
6
4 yrs. 10 mos.
4 5 yrs. 8 mos. 109
4 yrs. 11 mos.
6 yrs. 9 mos.
18
5 yr's
40 5 yrs. 91/2 mos.
1
5 yrs. 1 mos.
1 5 yrs. 10 mos.
4
5 yrs. 2 mos.
8 5 yrs. 11 mos.
2
5 yrs. 3 mos.
1
6 yrs
17
5 yrs. 4 mos
7
The median line for admission in the state is five years and six months.
EVENING PRACTICAL ARTS CLASSES
For several years past, the evening classes have included only dressmaking and cookery. Two dressmaking groups in North Weymouth meet one night a week for a three-hour session and one dressmaking and one cookery group meet two nights a week at the high school for a two-hour session. There has been some discussion among those in the high school, especially in the cookery group, as to the advisability of using a three-hour session to replace the two-hour session plan. Inasmuch as there was some difference of opinion, it seems best to continue the original plan, at least for the remainder of the present year.
The classes have maintained an average membership of 69.7 and an average per cent. of attendance of 83.8. Fifty-nine members completed their courses. It might be here mentioned that the group attending the two-hour sessions had a somewhat higher average of attendance than those having the three-hour session.
The following statistics show the values involved:
DRESSMAKING
Total cost of material
$913.87
Total value of the product
$2890.50
Average cost per pupil for material
$18.46
Average value of product
$58.39
COOKERY
Total cost of material
$177.33
Total value of product
$443.33
Average cost per pupil for material
$8.78
Average value of product
$21.95
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
In last year's report need was mentioned of improving the appearance around our school buildings. This need still exists. In addition to the grading which has already been done, much more must be undertaken. We have never used macadam on the school grounds, but this would be desirable at the Washington, the Jefferson, the Athens, and possibly at the Nevin School, on the surface of the playground area. The Bicknell, which has just been completed. needs extensive grading. Part of this can be taken care of from the balance of the building appropriation. The
242
area which is now used for skating purposes and which is proving unsatisfactory owing to the fact that the ground is of gravelly and .. porous nature, could be turned into tennis courts. If the surface of these courts were constructed of asphalt cork, which is now rec- ommended for this purpose, the whole area would then be usable . both in summer and winter. With such a treatment of the field the problem of flooding would be easier.
1930 REPAIRS
Athens School:
Refinished teachers' l'oom damaged by fire Exterior and interior of
building painted
Fan and boiler rooms changed
New electric fixtures
New shades in part of building
Exterior and part of interior painted
Extensive grading Cement sidewalks
Cement curbs
Drain pipes
Old building entirely weatherstripped and partially fitted with metal ceil- ings and metal walls.
Edward B. Nevin School: High School:
Windows partially weather stripped
Physical and chemical laboratories en- tirely reorganized, new cabinets and laboratory desks (constructed in vc- ' cational shop) installed.
New wardrobes for sixteen rooms in old building Outside grading and landscaping Interior painted
REPAIRS RECOMMENDED FOR 1931
Athens School: Jefferson School: Washington School: Hunt School:
Pratt School:
Macadam surface for yard Macadam surface for yard Macadam surface for yard Grading completed
Basement in new wing divided for lunches, manual training and sew- ing. The two rooms now used for lunches and for sewing must be used early in the year for classroom, purposes.
Lincoln piped with steam from Hunt- School and interior repairs
Either have the exterior of o'd build -- ing refinished or have the base- ments made modern
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.