USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1940 > Part 15
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In the classroom section of the new wing, provided new fur- niture for two rooms: three coats of Swan Treatment applied to the floors;
In the boiler room, installed two electric sump pumps
Pond School
Five exterior doors rebuilt
High School
In the original building, flashed and reroofed front portion of roof: took down, flashed, and rebuilt parapet wall: large ventilating stacks about 40% repointed, 60% rebuilt, and entirely waterproofed outside and inside:
In the auditorium, blanked semicircular windows, blanked skylights and rebuilt roof: installed flood lighting boxes in auditorium ceiling; provided new black shades in metal grooves to exclude light;
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In the boys' gymnasium, covered exposed steam pipes in locker room and stair wells; installed new shower fixtures, and made concrete bases for installation of new lockers and fixed benches in home-team locker room (Lockers and shower fixtures were provided from funds of W. H. S. A. A.) ;
Installation of ventilation shaft and fan on cafeteria roof; repaired and rehung all classroom swinging doors on first and second floors: rewired bell and telephone system in first wing; overhauled two of the large oil burners; transferred 18 electrical circuits from old attic to accessible location on third floor; new blackboards in Room 104; new furniture in Room 119
Legion Memorial Field
Graded, seeded, rolled-used approximately 850 yds. sub- soil, 60 yds. loam, 160 1bs. seed;
Furnished attendant for six months;
Provided new batter boards for running track; scraped sur- face and spread and rolled about 200 yds. cinders on the northerly straightaway
Vocational School
Fluorescent lighting installed in printing shop: installed complete ventilating unit in boys' toilets; new window shades throughout ; copper gutters across front of the building
W. P. A. Projects for 1940
A brief summary of W. P. A. projects, not included in the regular appropriation for maintenance, follows:
Painting
High School
Painted the auditorium, girls' gymnasium and toilets, girls' locker room, 2 corridors, and basement subway; walls and, ceiling of library; domestic science laboratory; and in the' cafeteria, patched plaster and painted kitchen ceilings, walls, and equipment, and washed, varnished, and waxed dining- room floor
Bicknell School
Painted auditorium, gymnasium, sewing room, manual train- ing room, basement corridors; patched plaster, painted and murescoed upper and lower corridors of original building, 3 toilets, showers, lobby, teachers' room, and principal's office
Lincoln School
Exterior completely repainted
Cost of Projects to Town $2,430.04
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Improvement of Grounds
Pratt School
High masonry wall with flight of stairs erected, playground enlarged, and parking area provided
Cost-$1,703.12
Bicknell School
Area provided for 7 tennis courts, skating rink, and baseball park, with the necessary drains and granite retaining walls. Bleachers were set up, chain link fence erected on rear and southerly boundaries, walks made, and trees planted
Cost-$7,865.67
Maintenance for 1941
The emphasis on production for defense is causing increas- ingly long delays on deliveries of materials needed for essential maintenance work. It will, therefore, be expedient to anticipate emergencies which may arise, and have on hand certain replace- ment parts essential to the operation of the schools.
We have six schools equipped with stokers. Certain replace- ment parts should be purchased and stored. There is one boiler at the High School and one at the Hunt School which will prob- ably need retubing this year. Tubes should be purchased and stored. These needs have been only partially included in the budget.
The heating plant at the James Humphrey School was installed in 1906. The 1941 budget should provide for a new boiler, with a stoker, and the replacement of the pipe radiation in eight class- rooms with modern radiators. (This item is not included in the 1941 estimates.)
Other major items which should be included in the 1941 maintenance program follow:
John Adams School
Install new gutters and conductor spouts
Abigail Adams School Repair univents in auditorium
Athens School Remodel heating system
Bicknell School Rebuild front steps
James Humphrey School
Replace stair treads and repair corridor floors Replace present open-blade knife switches in corridor Replace present wiring in boiler room
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Hunt School
Cap vent stack with copper Replace 25 pupils' chairs
Pratt School Repair chimney Reshingle outside of building
Edward B. Nevin School
Build new chimney Repair and re-lay three classroom floors Lay new manual training room floor
High School
Build and install waste paper incinerator
Repaint figures on face of tower clock
Improve operation of heating system in library
Complete replacement of electrical equipment on stage, in order to meet load requirements safely. (Service from the street to switchboard was done in 1940.)
Install new ceilings in Superintendent's offices
Replace window shades in sixteen rooms
Finish replacement of sash cords and parting beads
Install permanent benches in main boys' locker room
Build concrete curbs and mount lockers permanently in visi- tors' locker room
Replace 25 secondary clocks
New desk irons in Room 214B
New desk irons to furnish permanent seating in Room 124 Replace present tablet arm chairs in Room 122 with per- manent seating : require chairs, pedestals, and desk irons Replace 100 pupils' chairs
Legion Field
Repair and maintain
All Schools
Long-range painting program Desk repairing and refinishing program Replacement of rotted light cords All miscellaneous minor repairs
The following items should be included in the maintenance work for 1941 if time and money are available:
Bicknell School Install variable speed fan control
Jefferson School Install new septic tank Change seating in Grades I and V
Washington School Change seating
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Pratt School New manual training room benches
Edward B. Nevin School
New manual training room benches
High School
Remodel and rearrange third floor for laboratory purposes Lay mastic floors and paint Superintendent's offices Close in upper part of clock tower
Miscellaneous
Install tackboard in several buildings
WV. P. A. Projects for 1941 Painting
Athens and Bicknell-Waterproofing exterior
Jefferson, Washington, and Hunt-Painting exterior
Pratt (new and old buildings) -Painting exterior and inte- rior
High-Waterproofing portion of exterior
Improvement of Grounds
Bicknell-Widen approach to building, additional walks, and facilities for parking bicycles
Washington-Recreation room in basement
Hunt-Granite retaining wall with stairs, additional drain- age, and better play area (already 5 % completed) Acoustical ceiling in gymnasium
Nevin-Driveways, walks, and complete grass area; play- ground on new lot; parking area in rear; fence and bet- ter drainage for entire grounds
High-Complete Girls' Athletic Field (already 25 % com- pleted)
Parking area near Vocational School; driveway from Middle Street to Vocational School and ornamental wall along Middle Street in front of War Memorial Acoustical ceiling in boys' gymnasium
Additional bleachers on Legion Memorial Field.
In concluding this report, I wish to express my appreciation to the School Committee and to the department personnel for their confidence, co-operation, and assistance.
I am also appreciative of the friendly reception extended to me in my contacts with town officials, department heads, student bodies, and all other citizens with whom I have associated.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES R. THIBADEAU, Superintendent of Schools. '
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COURSES OF STUDY Report of FLORA HAVILAND MCGRATH Director of Courses of Study
A school system which assists its pupils in acquiring a degree of perfection in the fundamental skills, which stimulates in them a desire for the acquisition and practice of good habits, and which instills an appreciation of democracy and the "American way of life," justifies its place in the community. These are the aims to which our efforts are directed.
To achieve objectives, many specific acts are necessary. A few of these are recorded herewith.
General Testing
In January 1940, permission was given to Dr. E. L. Thorn- dike of the Institute of Educational Research (Teachers' College. Columbia) to give to all sixth grade pupils in the Weymouth public schools a test requiring ability to compute, reason, read, and judge. Thus Weymouth became one of fifteen towns with a population range of twenty to twenty-five thousand where an attempt was made to measure the innate abilities and achievement within the same community and among other communities. The total number of sixth grade pupils tested in these towns was 4,391. All corrections and tabulations were made in the Division of Psychology conducted by Dr. Thorndike and the results .sent to us. The names of towns and individuals other than our own were anonymous.
A graph often gives a vivid and concise picture which no mul- tiplication of words can express. Following receipt of these test- ing results, a graph was made. After all scores were listed and comparisons made, the graph indicated only three towns notice- ably higher than Weymouth.
Arithmetic
Working on the premise already set forth by many leaders in the field of arithmetic, namely, that a high degree of accuracy in fundamentals is possible, the following plan was carried out in grade III:
Two tests were given, one made up of 100 primary addition facts; the other, of 100 subtraction facts. Sixteen third grades were given the 100 primary addition facts with the following results :
5 classes with median of 100 5
99
2 1 class
98
97
3 classes .
96
In the subtraction facts, 11 classes had a median of 90 or above.
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In April, a problem-solving and fundamentals survey was made in grades VII and VIII. This was followed by a complete survey from grades III through VIII which based the testing on the requirements for the grade.
English
During May and June, testing in English was carried on from grades IV through VIII.
The English outline which has been in use for the past ten years is being revised by committees made up of teachers from the respective grades. The material for the first three grades which has already been received is unusually well planned and represents much careful research.
It is planned to have the project ready for use in September 1941.
Spelling and Writing
In October 1940, the spelling and writing survey was carried on in grades II through VIII. While the results were excellent in nearly every class, the outstanding record in grade II is worthy of special comment. Out of 355 pupils taking the spelling test. there were only 8 complete failures. On investigating these, it was found that 4 were pupils who had recently entered from other systems, and 4 those who had definite traits of retardation.
Science
The new science readers (the Scientific Living Series, published by The L. W. Singer Company) which were placed in many of the lower grades are stimulating interest and appreciation in the science field. It is hoped that the adoption will be completed in 1941.
An interesting unit in astronomy was conducted in April at the Hunt School by grades VII and VIII under the guidance of Mr. Edward Tracy. The final program was presented for Mr. Thibadeau and the seventh and eighth grade teachers.
Other Activities
Again this year, the pupils in the grades are having the benefit of a story hour once a week for the purpose of stimulating interest in good reading. The plan, which has been made possible by the Tufts Fund and the co-operation of the Trustees and Librarian of the Tufts Library, provides one program in each school. The work is carried on by Mr. and Mrs. John J. Cronan, professional story-tellers for the public libraries of Boston.
In observance of Good Book Week, the pupils of grades VII and VIII under the guidance of their teachers entered an essay contest conducted by Miss Rachel M. Bodine of the Children's
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Department of the Tufts Library. The subjects chosen were "My Favorite Illustrator," "My Favorite Author," and "Good Books, Good Friends." The first award was a copy of "Woodcraft" by Bernard S. Mason, and the second award, a copy of "Away at Sea" by Stephen W. Meader. The following pupils received awards and honorable mention :
First Award
Harlan Stone-Pratt School, Grade VII
Second Award
Milton Watts-Junior Annex, Grade VIII
Honorable Mention
Kurt Konrad-James Humphrey School, Grade VII Virginia Pearson -- Pond School, Grade VII Eloise Pike-Hunt School, Grade VII Martha Polson-Pond School, Grade VII
Lois Aberdeen-Bicknell School, Grade VIII Vesta Currier-Pond School, Grade VIII Charles Downing-Pratt School, Grade VIII Edward Dubois-Bicknell School, Grade VIII Edna Leonard-Edward B. Nevin School, Grade VIII Mary Miller-Hunt School, Grade VIII Ruth O'Neill-Edward B. Nevin School, Grade VIII
The senior class dramatic production, "Tovarich," by Jacques Deval, was presented on the evening of May 17. To those who worked with me in the usual highly co-operative manner, I wish to express my continued appreciation.
In Conclusion
In retrospect, the year has been one of harmony and co-opera- tion. For these I wish to express my appreciation to Mr. Thiba- deau, Superintendent of Schools, to the principals, and to the teachers.
HIGH SCHOOL
Report of MR. WALLACE L. WHITTLE. Principal
In submitting my annual report, I should like to call attention to the size of some of the classes. An average of twenty-five pupils per division is considered the maximum number with which to do efficient work. We have been able to keep to this size in some subjects but have had to increase the size far above this figure in others. Due to the fact that practically every room and every
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teacher is busy each period during the week, there is little chance of alleviating overcrowded conditions as they arise.
In the making of a program, the sizes of the divisions are determined in June. During the summer and early fall, transfer students, whose numbers or electives we cannot possibly antici- pate, enter the school. This year, for example, there were sixty- three students transferring from other towns to Weymouth. Most of these entered the freshman and sophomore classes, so that today some of our classes number as high as thirty-eight. With no elasti- city to our program, no relief can be given. Inasmuch as the State requires an average of not more than thirty pupils for a Class A high school, the condition is becoming increasingly serious.
It is my thought that, with the increased interest in voca- tional training shown among our pupils, more of them should be accommodated in regular trade courses, thus relieving the crowded conditions in the main building. Outside of our Voca- tional School courses, there is little of actual practical experience that we may offer, other than in our business and home economics group. The college courses are determined by the college entrance requirements, and in our general course we can offer mainly cul- tural subjects with bookkeeping and possibly typewriting. It is my opinion that trade work of some kind should be made avail- able, part time, to those who do not wish to specialize as in the regular trade courses.
We hope to make our home economics course available to more girls by adding two alternate courses to it. Such a change would not add to the cost of the course, but would allow girls to take the regular four-year home economics course, or at the end of two years make electives in business or college work. The latter change could be arranged so as to prepare girls for the nursing profession or study in dietetics. In the business alternative. the girls would have two years of the homemaking course in addi- tion to two years of definite business training. We feel that such a change would be of great benefit to all concerned, provided such an arrangement can be made.
We are also contemplating a revision of our grading system, inasmuch as many inequalities exist. which we feel should be remedied. Such a revision would not mean a change in former policies, except in the symbol used to express the pupils' marks: neither will it affect standards in any way. It is generally accepted that numerical averages do not do justice to all pupils and would vary somewhat among different teachers. A grade expressed in letters answers the same purpose and is, in reality, much fairer to the pupils.
Our N. Y. A. aid from the government has continued as usual. This allows thirty pupils to receive as much as $6.00 per month during the school year.
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Scholarship awards in June were as follows:
Weymouth Teachers' Association-John Andersson, Eileen Johnson, Edith Rowell
Weymouth High School Alumni Association - Alfred Thompson, Charlotte Macleod
Alice W. Dwyer Scholarship- Josephine Keblis
Frederick W. Hilton Scholarship-Robert Coleman
The Monday Club of Weymouth-Ruth Gillis, Virginia Wallace
Sons of Italy and Daughters of Italy-Lea Tacconelli The Weymouth Catholic Club-Dorothy Condrick Weymouth High School Art Department-Nancy Fielding
The records of the various athletic teams follow :
Won
Lost
Football
10
0
Track
6
0
Cross Country
4 3
(State Meet-Weymouth 8th)
Basketball
9
10
Wrestling
7
1
Baseball
7
4
Tennis
0
7
The track team also placed second in the South Shore Track and Field Championships at Weymouth, and first at the Abington District Meet. The football team was outstanding, winning the so-called "Class C Championship" of the State. Through the generosity of the townspeople, the squad was given a trip to Washington, which was greatly appreciated by the boys.
The distribution of the time available for the use of our two gymnasiums is somewhat of a problem. The gymnasiums are used by classes from 8:45 to 2:15; and by the basketball, wres- tling, track, and Vocational School basketball teams, in addition to the girls' sports teams, the Junior Annex, and the Adams-Wash- ington School basketball teams, from 2:15 to 5:30. We now have a request from the Humphrey-Jefferson School basketball team. If all of these teams are to be accommodated, the time allotted to each must be limited, and the results of their inter- school contests must necessarily suffer. We naturally wish to keep the standard of play of all our teams at its present high level, but find it increasingly difficult to find enough time for each of them to practice.
The band has functioned at all football games and has been well received. The orchestra and glee clubs and the other various extracurricular activities are carrying on as usual.
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Our Camera Club this year chose as a project the taking of moving pictures of the football games. This work was exceedingly well done, and was of great educational value to them. The pic- tures were also used each week by the football coach as a means of showing the team its mistakes and improving its play. The results made this project a much worthwhile undertaking.
In closing, I should like to thank all members of the School Department for their sincere co-operation in making this a very pleasant and successful year. To the pupils, I should like to say that our relations on the whole have been most cordial, and I wish to thank them for their helpful attitude.
WEYMOUTH VOCATIONAL SCHOOL Report of MR. FRANCIS E. WHIPPLE, Director
For the second year in succession every facility of the school has been used to capacity. The number of boys applying for admis- sion was larger than ever. In fact, more boys asked to enter than were actually enrolled in the school a year before, and ninety boys who wanted to pursue a trade course could not be accommodated.
In view of our policy of providing public education of the type desired by the children and their parents, it is obvious that an exten- sion of the facilities for teaching the skilled trades is most urgently needed in Weymouth. The question is in what direction should these extensions be made. Should the capacity of the present courses be increased to absorb all who wish to enroll? Or should the offer- ings of the school be diversified to include many trades with moder- ate-sized groups enrolled in each?
I think the answer is clear. While there is great interest in certain trades, like automobile repair and sheet metal work, these departments are large enough with relation to the size of Weymouth and the number of job openings. We should, by all means, diver- sify our courses to include as many general basic fields of employ - ment as possible. In past reports I have tried to look into the future and plan the direction in which our expansion should go. Reference to previous reports will show that courses like machine work, welding, wood and metal finishing, airplane ground work, baking, plumbing, and shoemaking have been recommended.
Considering employment conditions as they are today, these courses still appear to be highly desirable. In fact, some of them are so urgently needed in defense work that the Federal government has devoted millions of dollars to carrying on twenty-four-hour-a- day training programs to teach them.
For Weymouth, we should, now, go ahead on an expansion program which includes as many courses as possible.
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The following table shows exactly how many boys applied for the various courses :
Applying at the regular time in the spring
Applying after September 1
Total Number Boys Number Applicants Admitted
Auto Repair
40
21
61
37
Cabinetmaking
26
8
34
20
Printing
15
9
24
16
Sheet Metal
66*
10*
76
32
Totals
147
48
195
105
*An indeterminate number of applicants for sheet metal work were turned away orally because of the already large demand. No record of this num- ber is available. Seats and programs are planned for those who enroll in the spring. Late comers in September found most places filled.
The total enrollment figures up to December 20 are shown in the following table:
I
II
III
P. G.
Total
Auto Repair
37
18
12
2
69
Cabinetmaking
20
9
5
34
Printing
16
16
13
45
Sheet Metal
32
20
11
63
Totals
105
63
41
2
211
Of the 105 freshmen, three were admitted on a special basis without having completed the eighth grade: 58 came from the eighth grade: 25 from the ninth grade; 14 from the tenth grade: one from the eleventh grade; one from the twelfth grade; and one was a high school graduate. Two were repeaters from last year.
It is very interesting to note that 42 boys came from high school grades. Of course, some of these boys changed their goals after they had been in high school for a year or two, but the majority of them could have given more thought to their plans for the future when completing the eighth grade. Every one of these boys transferred from the secondary grades has had to start again in the ninth grade.
There was a decrease in the number of non-residents from 67 in 1939 to 47 in 1940. The greater part of this remaining number were boys enrolled in previous years. These pupils are admitted under a special provision of the law, and their tuition is paid to Weymouth by their home towns. In the sheet metal department, no new non-residents were admitted, all places having been taken by Weymouth pupils. In July, after the Weymouth applicants were accommodated, as many non-residents were admitted as our facili- ties permitted. In every case, Weymouth boys were given preference, and no eligible Weymouth boy was denied admittance to a trade course who applied before the close of school in June.
The question is occasionally raised as to the cost of operating these trade courses. On the face of town appropriations, it appears that these trade courses are expensive when compared with the cost of the regular academic schools. This is a fact on the basis of gross
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expenditures. However, we are concerned with the net cost to the local taxpayer, arrived at by deducting items which are paid directly to the Town Treasury and are not available for school purposes. Considering the value of the work done in the school which is con- verted to the general use of the school department, the cost is ex- tremely small. Every desk, cabinet, table, waste basket, barrel, locker, gutter, piece of printing, and so on, which we make is some- thing that the town does not have to buy from its maintenance and supply accounts. The figures are tabulated for your information.
Expenditures, September 1, 1939 to August 31, 1940:
$32,681.29
Town of Weymouth
Federal, George-Deen Fund
$5,552.13
Federal, Smith-Hughes Fund
923.09
6,475.22
Total Expenditures
Credits to Town of Weymouth :
Reimbursement from Commonwealth (estimated claim)
$11,225.93
Tuition from other towns
5,552.13
Smith-Hughes Fund
923.09
Sale of work, products, and supplies
1,037.83
Total Credits
$26,476.55
Net cost to town
$12,679.96
Cost per pupil in average membership (179.9)
70.48
Value of material charged to the Voca-
tional School and converted to general
school department use
Value of product created in the Voca-
tional School shops and converted to
general school department use (in-
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