USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1935 > Part 14
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12. Dedication of the memorial gates was held on Sunday, October Paper comment on the dedicatory exercises was as follows :
"Weymouth, Oct. 13 -- With impressive ceremonies yesterday afternoon the Legion Memorial Gateway at Legion Field, East Weymouth, was dedicated and present- ed to the school department. A Large number were pre- sent.
"Mrs. Leo Bickwell, president of the Wollaston Auxiliary, opened the exercises with an address of welcome and an explanation of the Post's enterprise. Mrs. B. Warren, chaplain of the Auxiliary, led a prayer which was followed by the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, led by Mr. Calderwood.
"Mrs. Bicknell in an address gave tribute to the Gold Star mothers, mentioning the 700 boys from Weymouth who answered their country's call, 22 of whom did not return. She commended the foresight of women of the Auxiliary in planning a memorial of this kind in 1925 and stressed especially the work and thought of Mrs. Laura Rand and of the late Mrs. Isabelle Easton.
"She mentioned the work of Mr. Calderwood in having a concert of school children in 1925 which netted $300, forming the nucleus of the fund which finally reached the amount necessary for the gates.
"The tablet was then unveiled by Mrs. Susan Mowry, Gold Star mother, assisted by Mrs. L. Rand. A tribute of a moment's silence was observed in memory of the veterans who answered the last call.
"Formal presentation followed to the Town of Wey- mouth through the school committee, which was represen- ted by Mrs. Arthur Taylor. She accepted and spoke at length of the appreciation of this gift by the school committee.
"Mrs. Bicknell then introduced the Rev. Joseph Rodney Newton, chaplain of the Post who spoke on the horrors of war and hopes for a peaceful world."
It is the intention to have tablets commemorating events of importance placed on the brick posts erected on the line of Middle Street. As soon as the retaining wall is completed at the end of the baseball grandstand and the ornamental wall finished, the field will be one of the best assets of the town, as well as one of the best-arranged fields in greater Boston.
157.
Last year, Mrs. Mary Fifield King of Milton presented a steel engraving, "The Marriage of Pocahontas," to the High School; and Miss Alice Lillian McGregor, a former member of the School Committee, presented a marine scene. These pictures have been hung in appropriate positions and make a valuable addition to the art collection of the building. This year, Mrs. King has present- ed a large picture, "Haddon Hall," which will be hung in the library. The picture should be an inspiration to the students who are interested in English history and particularly in the novel, "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall, " by Charles Major.
Pictures of merit and works of art will always be gladly re- ceived by the School Department.
In an article appearing in the Providence Journal of June 14, 1935, the following statement relative to the school department of that city was made by the Executive Director of the Providence Governmental Research Bureau:
. Buildings require maintenance, and it is generally accepted that about 2% of the value of the structure should be spent annually on repairs, upkeep, and general maintenance. The school buildings in Providence are valued at about $15,000,000.00, and 2% of this amount is $300,000.00 tt
A. fair valuation of all the school property in this town, buildings and grounds included, is $2,250,000.00. Two per cent of this amount would be $45,000.00. Any income-producing property that does not yield over 10%, (6% for interest and 4% for repairs and miscellaneous expenses ), is considered a poor investment. Heavy-duty property, such as factories and workshops, requires 4% or more for general repairs and upkeep. School buildings are heavy-duty property. They are subject to the elements from with- out and the constant wear and tear from within of a large group of pupils constantly in motion. School buildings must be kept in good repair and pleasing to the eye. It has been proven over and over again that children placed in attractive surroundings will respect those surroundings and preserve them intact, whereas an appearance of deterioration creates a desire to destroy. It would be possible to go back over a period of years and prove that as fast as old buildings which were marked, marred and defaced were replaced with new and proper ones, the new buildings have remained practically untouched.
Good school buildings and good schools are a distinct asset to the town. There have been many cases of parents who have been kind enough to state that they decided to move to this town be- cause the school conditions are superior. A real estate operator. in Boston has admitted that it was the common practice of his Wey- mouth agent to drive a prospective customer to the schools first, and then to the property for sale.
Expenditures for maintenance and upkeep have been on an aver- age of about 1% of the value. Special appropriations and new school buildings constructed within ten years have helped to keep down the expense. The next few years, however, will see additional repairs. There are twenty boilers in the schools -- many of them large -- some small. The life of boiler tubing is not much greater than ten years. Replacing of it is expensive. Steam pipes begin to deteriorate in about ten years. There are also acres of tar and gravel roof with copper flashings; hundreds of faucets; miles of steam and water pipe; hundreds of flush bowls and lavatories, with moving parts which have to be replaced; and thousands of feet of floor space, which wear out in time from the constant traffic of the school children.
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The Washington School in East Weymouth is a case in point. The building was constructed in 1886. The lower floor has been renewed, but the upper floor is so worn that it will not hold the screws of the desks. The corridor floors in the High School, which were put down in 1924, are beginning to wear through, due to the constant passage of nearly sixteen hundred children.
The most pressing need at the present time is for extensive changes at the Pratt School. The primary section, which was built in 1907, never was intended to accommodate the number of children now present. The toilets are sufficient for less than half the number enrolled in the school. Every effort should be made to change this condition immediately. The center of the basement should be cleared out; the old boiler pit filled in; and back-to- back toilets installed, with windows at both ends admitting light and air. This room would permit of having the pupils enter from the yard or from the building, or make it possible to go directly from the basement to the upper floors. There is need of one more room for the upper grades in the new building. The seventh grade has forty-eight pupils, housed in a room built to seat thirty- five. The grade should be split and one section placed in the hall. It will be necessary, however, to install a stoker in order to heat the hall and keep the temperature of the entire building even. There is another possibility. One section of the basement in the old building can be converted into a classroom, but this will be more expensive than utilizing the hall and installing a stoker.
In December, the boys' playroom in the old building was con- verted into a manual training room for the twenty-six pupils en- rolled. New floors were laid and doors erected to shut off the room from the rest of the building. Years ago, a manual training room was equipped under the Pratt Fund for ten or twelve pupils, at that time there being no expectation that the enrollment of the school would increase to its present figure.
CHANGES IN THE TEACHING FORCE
RESIGNATIONS
1 High School
Gladys B. Allen Ruth E. Funk
Daniel L. O'Donnell, Effective Sept. 1, 1934 Pauline F. Swift
Helen R. Thompson
Ruth Tirrell, effective Sept. 1, 1934
Abigail Adams School
Thelma Salzgeber
Athens School
Mary A. Meuse Julia M. Robinson
Bicknell School
C. Eileen Burns
Clara L. Rogers Mary E. Tobin
Pratt School
Barbara Allen Ruth E. Henley
Dental Hygienist
Alice A. Conroy
Opportunity Class
Wallace T. Driscoll (as of June 20)
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LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Jefferson School
RETIRED
Washington School
Elizabeth G. Hyland
Helen L. Rockwood
APPOINTMENTS
High School
Harry Arlans on
Paul H. Bates
Frieda M. Bryant
Paul C. Cleaves
Walter C. Gutterson
Shaw School
Edward F. Tracy
Pond School
Myrtle E. Pray
Opportunity Class Wallace T. Driscoll (as of October 29)
Bicknell School
Isabel Tutty
TRANSFERS
High School
John T. Ghiorse Katherine M. Hale from Junior Annex VIII from Hunt VIII
Junior Annex
Russell T. Mazzola
from Washington Building Assistant
Abigail Adams School
Margaret Dingwall Miriam T. Hollis
from Athens III
from Pond V
Athens School
Pauline Cassese
from Shaw Building Assistant
Bicknell School
Alice E. Olson
from Athens V
James Humphrey School
Katherine C. Fogarty from Penmanship Super- visor
Jefferson School
Margaret L. Mitchell from James Humphrey III
Washington School
Norma R. Brown
from Edward B. Nevin I
Hunt School
Mary E. Lonergan from Pratt Building Assistant
Pratt School
A. Alberta Richmond from Shaw
Ruth J. Nolan from Center II
Edward B. Nevin School Ruth Thompson
from Hunt VI
Of the eighteen resignations listed above, ten of the teachers left to be married; three, to teach in other schools at higher salaries; three, to change to other lines of work; and two retired under the pension act.
Miss Helen L. Rockwood, who taught for forty-eight years in
160.
Edward B. Nevin School
L. Eyllen Hollis
from Junior Annex VIII
Robert E. Mitchell
the Weymouth schools, the last five of which were in the Edward B. Nevin School as assistant principal; and Miss Elizabeth G. Hyland, who taught for forty-four years in the primary grades at East Weymouth, retired in June. The retirement of both teachers was a personal loss, as they had been fellow workers for twenty- six years. Both were entirely devoted to their work and brought to it an unusually keen perception of the needs of the children.
There are eleven less teachers on the force at this time than there were a year ago. Teachers who were serving as building assistants at a minimum salary have been placed in regular posi- tions as vacancies occurred.
Harry Arlanson, who was appointed in December as coach for the athletic teams, was chosen by the Athletic Council earlier in the season to care for the boys in football practice, commencing his work early in August. Mr. Arlanson came very highly recom- mended from the school in which he had been teaching and coaching. He early showed a flair for getting the good will of the pupils and for interesting them in outdoor athletics. The progress of the football team was remarkable during the fall months, and its showing in games very creditable. At the close of the football season, during which period he was paid by the Athletic Council, he was elected to a teaching position, with the understanding that all outdoor athletics would be under his charge.
For a number of years, the football and baseball teams were confronted with a difficult financial problem. It was impossible to collect sufficient money on the field to run the teams, and for that reason most of the games had to be played away from home with a guarantee sufficient to cover expenses. Since the erec- tion of the fence last year, the prospects of the team are much more favorable, and with the larger crowds which successful teams will draw, there is every assurance that from now on the athletics of the High School will be on a more satisfactory basis.
HIGH SCHOOL (Report of Mr. F. W. Hilton, Principal)
In submitting my annual report, I wish to dwell more or less briefly on some of the objects that seem important and the factors necessary to a satisfactory school program.
As a return for the expenditure of public funds, the towns- people have the right to expect certain results; an efficient teaching staff, adequate textbooks and miscellaneous supplies, proper use of the buildings, including gymnasiums, auditoriums, and laboratories to fill the needs of the communities. There should' be a sufficient variety of courses offered to meet the needs of the student body, as well as a good standard of scholastic achievement and a certain facility and accuracy where machine work is taught.
Added to all this, the teachers should assist the home and church in guiding the children to a high standard of character, and honest and lofty ideals of community relationships. The pupil must be taught to assume responsibility and overcome adversity. Much can be done to interest him in local affairs and stimulate him to a high conscience and sense of responsibility in government. His physical and mental growth should be looked after in such a way that he may continue to develop even beyond the period of his school life. While we may fail in a few specific cases, I feel that the school authorities and the student body are making an
161.
honest effort toward these aims, and wish to express my hearty appreciation for their efforts.
The distribution of students in the school at the end of the first marking period is as follows :
Enrollment
Boys
Girls
Total
Freshmen
214
206
420
Sophomores
192
212
404
Juniors
124
196
320
Seniors
122
122
244
Postgraduates
3
12
15
Total
655
748
1403
By Courses
Fresh- men
Sopho- mores
Juniors
Seniors
Post- graduates
Total
Classical
121
96
90
71
7
385
Technical
35
34
26
21
2
118
Business
182
193
164
87
6
632
General
14
12
19
33
-
78
Agricultural
9
11
9
7
-
36
Practical Arts
15
14
12
5
-
46
Vocational
44
44
-
20
108
Total
420
404
320
244
15
1403
Sources of Freshmen
Abigail Adams
26
Bicknell
73
Junior Annex
90
Hunt
62
Pratt
26
Shaw
21
Edward B. Nevin
30
Pond
27
Other Schools
51
Repeaters
14
Total
420
Our school curriculum offers a very broad selection, much be- yond the scope of the usual school programs. It includes, besides the academic courses, a homemaking course, an agricultural course, and through the agency of our trade department, cabinetmaking, printing, and auto repair.
Very recently we have been able to order textbooks to bring our equipment up to a reasonable standard. This, I am sure, will be much appreciated, because many of our textbooks have been used from necessity longer than they should have been.
The teacher load continues rather higher than normal, but I believe that a high scholarship standard is being maintained. Our school continues to hold its regular certifying privilege, and I am glad to say that reports from those attending higher institu- tions of learning are for the most part favorable.
The various student organizations continue to function pro-
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perly. Among these, I might comment favorably on our high school band, which appeared for the first time in uniform at the Hingham- Weymouth football game on Thanksgiving Day, and did valiant work. We feel that our athletic activities are now in a more healthy condition than in the past several years. Local townspeople have shown a growing interest, and this in turn has stimulated the school interest to a high degree. Our football team for the first time in several years, under the efficient coaching of Mr. Arlanson, assisted by Mr. Foskett and Mr. Valicenti, has succeeded in win- ning a fair percentage of their schedule and has made a very creditable showing in all the games.
The outlook for other sports is quite favorable. The members of the faculty are co-operating with the men teachers of the lower grades to bring out athletic ability and give it some training before high school age. Teams are being developed in the various sports in the seventh and eighth grades throughout the town.
We believe that our athletic plant is one of the most prac- tical in the state, and it might be a revelation to any of the townspeople who believe that our facilities are not fully utilized, to visit the athletic field on a pleasant afternoon in the fall or spring, or to walk into our gymnasiums any time during the school day.
We have had our usual physical examinations, and wish to thank our school physicians for their participation. In addition to the usual bodily ailments, our attention was especially direct- ed toward poor posture among a large number of girls. This has met with a ready response on the part of the gymnasium instructors, and a special checkup has been started, with corrective exercises to assist in the elimination of this defect.
I feel that the townspeople may take considerable pride in our buildings, grounds, and general school equipment, as well as in the quality and achievements of the young people who comprise its student body.
In closing, allow me to give credit to the donors and winners of the following awards :
Monday Club Weymouth Teachers' Association
Weymouth Teachers' Association
Weymouth Teachers' Association Weymouth High School Alumni Association Weymouth High School Alumni Association Alice W. Dwyer Scholarship
Medal for Meritorious Progress Washington and Franklin Medal
Elizabeth Groht Marjorie. Bentley Rose Leonard Bruce Ward Elizabeth Groht John Ghublikian Fostine Blanchard Donald Foskett Charles Tibbs
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
(Report of Mr. Francis E. Whipple, Jr., Director)
It has been increasingly apparent from the inquiries of parents and prospective students that there is a demand for a wider range of trades than this school offers. In the near future, plans should be made looking toward the establishment of one or more additional courses to meet this need. Three possible courses have been recom- mended : bookbinding, in connection with printing; painting and wood finishing, in connection with cabinetmaking; and sheet metal work. Any of these departments could be established at small expense for equipment and with considerable profit.
163.
The employment situation is very much brighter than it has been for some years past. Of the eight graduates of the Print- ing department, all have been placed in the industry; of the ten Auto Repair graduates, seven found employment in the trade. The woodworking industry is still very quiet, however, and only one out of six entered that trade, although four are working.
Last September, the Automobile Repair department moved into new and much larger quarters. The new building has helped great- ly in improving the morale of the students and has made it possi- ble to do much better work with them. The enrollment at the pre- sent time is fifty per cent larger than it was in the old quarters, and many more boys than the teachers can handle have been attract- ed to the department. Because it has been impossible to provide the additional equipment made necessary by the increased number of students, the instruction has been handicapped greatly. This year, funds should be provided to install several large items of equip- ment and furnish an adequate supply of hand tools for each boy. Replacement of many worn small- tools has now become a necessity. The department has continued to teach a wide range of automobile repair jobs touching practically every part of the car. The type of car offered us has been high grade. The department strives to do a quality of work which is thoroughly acceptable to the owner of the car.
A branch of training much in demand among garages is body and fender repairing. Some instruction in this line has been started, but until spray painting can be done, the work is done under difficulties. A separate course in this line could be established with considerable success.
In the Cabinetmaking department the work has been carried along on the same lines as in the past. Many items of equipment for different school departments have been built. They particular- ly include a blueprint cabinet, a paper truck and drying rack, a botany display case, a china closet, and tables of various kinds. The boys have built this year a total of 175 pupils' desks to equip new rooms and to replace those worn out through many years of use. Some of the desks were for the high school and some for the elementary grades .
The instruction in the Printing department has been greatly modernized by the addition of a Model 8 Linotype machine. This machine was not purchased by the town, but by the High School "Reflector," which has always had to buy a considerable amount of linotype composition to publish its magazine. It was felt that by putting the money which would otherwise be spent for composition into a machine, in a short time it would pay for itself and then the cost of printing the paper would be materially reduced. It goes without saying that the machine is a very valuable instruc- tional device and helps very much in bringing our course of in- struction up to the level of industry's practices.
Last June, the "Reflector" Year Book was completely revised and an entirely new format adopted. Many complimentary reports have been received on it, and a similar plan will be followed for the next year book. This year, the magazine was awarded first prize in an annual competition among school papers.
After the opening of school in the fall, a pamphlet discrib- ing the different jobs in the printing industry for which we train our students, and having photographs of all this year's graduates with a short sketch of their activities and experience, was pre- pared. This was sent to a selected list of printers in this vicinity and in Boston. Through this agency and by personal con-
164.
tacts on the part of the instructor, all of this year's class were placed in the industry, and jobs were found for some from previous classes.
Because the teachers in the Automobile department were load- ed beyond the limit allowed by the State Department of Education, and because no additional equipment or teachers were available to take care of more boys, the enrollment in this department was held to the same number as last year. The Cabinetmaking enrollment is slightly less than last year. The Printing enrollment is small- er because of the elimination of some problem boys who were taken into this department last year to see whether or not they could be helped by our type of work. It frequently happens that a boy can be entirely remolded and given an entirely new outlook on life and school by our type of work, but unless he brings with him an adequate general educational background, failures are apt to be very high. It is emphatically not, as many people seem to believe, exiomatic that a boy who dislikes the regular school curriculum will be a success at a trade such as this school offers. He must have sufficient mental ability to carry the work, plus a liking for manual work.
The enrollment figures as of December 20 are shown in detail in the accompanying table :
I
II
III
Total
Automobile Repair
32
27
12
71
Cabinetmaking
9
6
4
19
Printing
9
11
4
24
Total
50
44
20
114
The freshman class includes twelve boys who have attended high school anywhere from two weeks. to two years before coming to this school. Twenty boys throughout the school are not residents of Weymouth and come from Braintree, Quincy., Hingham, Rockland, Whitman, and Hanover daily.
May I express at this time my appreciation for the confidence and the splendid support and co-operation which has been freely given during the past year by all with whom I have come in contact.
AGRICULTURE
(Report of Mr. Hilmer S. Nelson, Agricultural Instructor in charge of the Weymouth Branch of the Norfolk County Agricultural School)
Adapting ourselves to present and possible future economic conditions, and digesting what we have harvested from the past crop of experiences, we must govern our success largely by what we do. In order to be successful agriculturally, one has to ad- just himself to an ever-changing course of events and be ready to meet any and every emergency with a spirit of co-operation. We find that the government has a finger in the agricultural "meat pie", and it is up to the farmer to do his part in order to receive his share, whether it is the gravy or a piece of beef. We must still maintain that the future holds much for the smaller farmer, with the large land owner gradually dividing his properties so that more people may gain sustenance from the earth.
With the help of my assistant, Mr. John B. Farrar, the past school year has been a most happy and successful one. There has been a slight increase in enrollment over last year, which is in-
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1
dicative of a slow, healty growth. The opening of school on September 9, 1935 showed an enrollment of thirty-seven, divid- ed according to classes as follows :
Seniors 7 Sophomores 12
Juniors 9
Freshmen 9
During the past eleven years, there have been only two slight decreases in enrollment : in 1928 and 1931
1925
17
1930
24
1926
18
1931
21
1927
20
1932
26
1928
19
1933
29
1929
24
1934
35
1935
37
The project year ended on October 15, 1935, with twenty-nine students reporting either home ownership projects or supervised farm practice, or both. The six students from whom no reports were received, and who consequently did not fulfill the require- ments of the department, were advised to change their course, and so did not report at the opening of school. Of these twenty-nine students, twenty-six had thirty-three home ownership projects, divided as follows: Twenty-six poultry, one calf, and six gar- den. The poultry projects totalled 1214 birds, consisting of Rhode Island Reds, White Plymouth Rocks, Barred Plymouth Rocks, and a few Red-Rock hybrids. The calf project consisted of three pure bred Guernsey heifer calves and one pure bred Guernsey bull calf. The garden projects totalled about 10,000 square feet, de- voted entirely to home garden crops. The actual receipts from these thirty-three projects were $3,668.82; the actual expenses, excluding the students' own labor, $1,833.91; leaving an actual profit of $1,834.91. The home ownership project is one of the best mediums whereby one "learns to do by doing," as it gives the individual responsibility, foresight, character, and courage. As is said, "Give a boy responsibility and you give him the tool of success .
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