USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1953 > Part 23
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Class
Employed
Further Education
Armed Service Unemployed
Misc.
Total
1952
50.7
39.1
7.1
0
3.1
100.0
1951
54.0
33.0
7.4
0
5.6
100.0
1950
50.2
32.9
11.4
0
5.5
100.0
1949
47.8
38.0
5.1
5.6
3.5
100.0
1948
55.3
32.1
6.3
2.4
3.9
100.0
5. AUDIO-VISUAL INSTRUCTION
The use of instructional materials at all levels has increased con- siderably during the past year as the tremendous potential of audio- visual media has become more apparent. There has been marked im- provement in the use of existing equipment, a more effective selection of materials, and much closer integration with the curriculum - all indica- tive of wholesome and encouraging educational growth.
Listed below are the major developments and activities of the audio- visual program:
1. All audio-visual materials used in the High School and Junior Manual Arts were operated by members of a small but very efficient high school audio-visual club of twenty-five boys. Two junior man- agers have been indispensable in their effective handling of all sched- uling details, training of new members, and over-all responsibility for the club's activities which also include inspecting, repairing, and servicing of all films and equipment used in Weymouth. Similar clubs are functioning at the South Junior High School and the Junior Annex.
2. The appointment this year of a part-time senior secretary has been of tremendous value in maintaining the audio-visual office, where an unusually large volume of clerical work is necessary. With two senior secretaries, the office has requested, catalogued, followed up, booked, recorded, reported, listed, described, kept accounts, and filed data pertaining to more than 2,000 films, filmstrips, exhibits, and other audio-visual materials used during 1953. This represents a material increase of over 600 items and a much greater pupil par- ticipation increase over 1952.
3. A Central Filmstrip Library of 600 titles developed jointly with Parent-Teacher Associations in 1951 has been expanded to 1,250 titles this year. With the aid of a fine, hard-working filmstrip committee. a completely revised catalogue has been prepared for every teacher in which all titles have been classified by principal subject area and grade level.
4. Weymouth was again selected as one of the cities and towns to participate in a joint Boston University-Army Air Forces research study on the production of more effective teaching films.
5. In-service training of teachers and coordinators has been con- ducted at all levels whenever the need has been indicated or re- quested.
6. Principals and/or audio-visual coordinators are functioning as classroom supervisors in the selection and use of instructional ma- terials in all buildings except the high school. Each building main-
285
tains its own file of basic information and has ready access to a com- plete audio-visual reference library in the audio-visual office.
7. Regular inter-school delivery service was instituted in September, 1953, on a Monday and Friday basis with outstanding results.
A most encouraging aspect of the past year has been the interest, knowledge, and enthusiasm of recent graduates of teacher-training in- stitutions in which audio-visual courses recently have been added as re- quired training. These teachers are increasingly alert to the audio-visual facilities available to their grades and subjects.
6. REMEDIAL READING
Probably nothing is more detrimental to pupil growth and person- ality adjustment than retardation as a result of a reading deficiency. The five remedial reading teachers now working successfully with the reading problems of children attribute many of these cases of retardation to ex- tensive absences in the early school years, auditory and visual handicaps, immaturity, and mental deficiency. In addition to these causes, there are environmental difficulties which include homes where one or both parents are non-English speaking, family friction, broken homes, and those fac- tors which disturb children emotionally.
It is gratifying to report improvement in those children who without extra individual help given by these remedial teachers would probably meet even greater retardation. Today, in a classroom of more than thirty pupils, it is not possible for the teacher to give sufficient individual help to those pupils who because of one or more of the previously mentioned reasons are not succeeding. Through a series of tests which assist in the diagnosis of difficulties, these children are aided toward a satisfying and successful school life.
Reading Clinic Enrolment
School
Boys
Girls
Total
Bicknell
40
17
57
Adams and Pratt
37
13
50
Washington and Humphrey
52
20
72
Hunt
34
9
43
Nevin
43
19
62
206
78
284
Of the total number, 72 per cent of those needing reading help are boys. This again bears out what observation and study over a long period of time have previously confirmed, namely, that boys in the lower age group are much less mature than girls and no doubt should enter school from three to six months later than girls in the same age group.
Except in those cases where there is marked mental retardation, there has been a reading growth of from two to twenty months in one school year as a result of clinical aid. These children who show a gain of ap- proximately two years during one school year are those who have been retarded for reasons other than mental deficiency. In nearly every case there has been a pattern of improvement, clearly indicating the value of individual and small group teaching.
286
7. HANDWRITING
In the initial tests in handwriting administered in September 1952 to Grades 1-3, 19.7% of your pupils received a grade of "A" (Excellent) ; 17.5% received a grade of "B" (Good); and 62.8% were grades less than "B." In the tests administered in June 1953 to Grades 1-6, 87.5% of your pupils received a grade of "A" (Excellent) ; 7.9% were grades "B" (Good) ; and 4.6% scored less than "B." Handwriting certificates were awarded to 87% of your sixth grade pupils.
During the last year, we graded approximately 36,000 formal and ap- proximately 36,000 informal samples of handwriting. A formal test was administered monthly, and a report was sent to each teacher giving a careful diagnosis of the handwriting of each pupil in the room.
We furnished the following instructional materials: monthly teachers' outlines, pupil folder outlines, room motivation certificates, term and monthly envelopes, handedness tests, individual handwriting certificates for pupils who qualified, seals, etc.
Our representatives made special visits to each of the classrooms in the first six grades during the month of September for demonstration teaching; the month of January for diagnosis and motivation of the writing in everyday classroom activities; in May for another diagnosis of everyday writing, as well as a checkup on the rhythm and rate at which the writing was being accomplished; and in June to award the final stars and seals for the year. In each of these classroom visitations special at- tention was given to the matter of correct healthy posture and to the special problem of the left-handed writers.
8. HEALTH
As reports of past years are read chronologically, it is encouraging to realize that this department has made progress in the right direction. I am very grateful for the helpful understanding of those who have made this possible. This offsets the discouragement that nurses in this de- partment feel when many children who are entering our schools from other towns have remedial defects which should have been corrected long ago.
More resources for dental care for needy cases continues to be our greatest problem. The Lions Club have solved the problem of obtaining the services of eye specialists and glasses for children whose parents are financially unable to do this.
Following the recommendation by the State Department of Public Healthı a diptheria prevention clinic was held in the high school as well as in the elementary schools. This protection was offered to all pupils in grades 10, 11, 12. In the future it is planned to conduct this high school clinic for grade 10 only.
In September 1953, the Schools were asked to cooperate with the Civilian Defense of Weymouth in a blood typing program. The aim of this program was to reach every one in Weymouth over 12 years of age. The program was a great success and over 1,651 pupils were typed. The help of the business students in high school made it possible for the school clinics to run smoothly. Volunteer student secretaries gave their time to afternoon and evening clinics and pupils in the typewriting classes were allowed to work on notices which were sent out through the schools.
287
As in other years agencies outside of the school system have been of valuable help to this department and, in turn, we have tried to cooperate with them in every way. These agencies are as follows:
The Weymouth Board of Health
The Weymouth Lions Club
The Weymouth Rotary Club
Weymouth Family Service Society Mass. Child Guidance Clinic Mass. Crippled Children's Clinic The Salvation Army
Plans are being made so all school personnel may have chest X-rays to comply with the state requirement. This will be done by a mobile unit and will take place on April 8th.
With the increase in the school population, it is highly desirable to have Mrs. Evans, who is now working part time, made a full-time nurse if it is possible.
9. HOME INSTRUCTION FOR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
From January to December twenty-five children were members of this class; five for the whole year, ten for from two to four months, and ten for a month or less.
The disabilities represented were:
6 fractures
5 rheumatic fever
3 neurosis
2 kidney infection
1 of each: polio, cerebral palsy with impaired eyesight, arthritis, osteomyelitis, jaundice, operation on congenital hip, injured hip
2 muscular dystrophy, both are in wheel chairs now. One is going to a clinic where he may get help from a recently devised treatment.
Ten of the class of fourteen were promoted in June. Eight returned to school in September.
Two of the present class of eleven are scheduled to leave in January; one, a rheumatic fever victim, will go to the fourth grade of the Nevin School and one, with new glasses, will return to the sight-saving class in Quincy.
The progress made by these children is surprising and would not be possible if it were not for the whole-hearted cooperation of the parents. It is a great satisfaction to see the pupils able to take their place again with their classmates in spite of long absences caused by their physical disabilities.
10. AGRICULTURE
The opening of school in September 1952 showed a total enrolment of 38 students divided according to classes as follows:
Seniors
7
Sophomores 11
Juniors
6
Freshmen 14
288
The 38 students may be geographically divided as follows:
South Weymouth
10
Holbrook
1
East Weymouth
8
Hanson
1
Weymouth
8
Quincy
1
North Weymouth
3
Randolph
1
Hingham
3
Rockland
1
Hanover
1
The following table will show the amount of labor and the value re- ceived for work done the past year, 1952-1953:
Hours of Labor
Value Received
Boys Reporting
Total
Average per boy
Total
Average per. boy
36*
43,220
1,200
$25,410.59
$705.84
The 36 boys mentioned above (*) worked on 11 farms on agricultural enterprises in Weymouth, 8 in Vermont, 4 in Hingham, 3 in Bridgewater, 2 in Harvard and Boston, one in each of the following: Holbrook, Braintree, Norwell, Abington, Randolph, and Hanover, which represented 11 dairy farms, 11 greenhouses, 3 poultry farms, 2 dairy and poultry farms, 2 dairy goat farms, 2 landscaping and one of each of the following: piggery, farm machinery and equipment, poultry and garden farm, milk plant and wool house.
11. DRIVER EDUCATION
The value of Weymouth's Driver Education Program has become very realistic with the advent of the 1954 automobile insurance law which al- lows all who have completed the program successfully a fifteen per cent reduction in their insurance rates. Certificates for nearly seven hundred former and present students have been procured from the Registry of Motor Vehicles for this purpose.
Weymouth was again commended by Registrar of Motor Vehicles Ru- dolph S. King for its contribution to the winning of the National Safety Award for Massachusetts in 1952.
A brief summary of the activities of the program follows:
1. Miles of behind-the-wheel instruction 4,500
2. Pupils enrolled in driver education classes 211
3. Pupils certified for driver training and/or licensing 140
(High School-120, Vocational School-20)
4. Licenses issued at school 116
(High School-75; Vocational School-41)
5. Amount of instructional time devoted to driver education:
a. Mr. Swan - 15 periods per week (average of one period per week after school in addition)
b. Mr. Mahn - 10 periods per week
In view of the new automobile insurance and the inability to enroll in the present program more than one-half of the students who become eligible for driver education each year, it appears certain that an addi- tional driver training car and more instructional time will be needed in 1954.
289
12. SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Weymouth High School Library
What the School Library provides:
1. The possibility of reaching every young person
2. Books at varying reading levels to provide for individual dif- ferences
3. A larger range of choices than is possible with classroom li- braries
4. Guidance in reading by professionally trained people
5. Reference materials for all school subjects
6. Materials for vocational selection
7. Leisure time direction and accompanying activities
8. A setting for individual and group intellectual effort, differing from classroom experiences and more nearly corresponding to the adult approach to problems
9. Opportunity for browsing and getting acquainted with many types of books and materials
10. Books and materials which stimulate and broaden interests
11. Opportunity for individuals of differing capacities to meet on common ground in preparing for class work
12. A place to exchange experience in books
13. A central place to disperse materials
14. A place where evidence may be weighed and evaluated
STATISTICS
Circulation : Non-fiction 5,413 Fiction 5,831 Total: 11,244
Gain over 1951-1952 of: 1,206
Number of books added: 200
Total number of books: 5,096
Fines collected $100.42
Materials Used in the Library
Books, pamphlets, magazines, Reader's Guide; an index to magazine articles; picture file, reference books
Exhibits from the Children's Museum are delivered and returned by Mr. Paul Cleaves, Director of the Audio-Visual Aids Department. Topics of the exhibits: Mexico, Geology of the Boston Basin, Eskimos, Beauty in Shells, Minerals in New England, Barter to Money, Fire- Heat-Light Ages Ago, Egypt, Communication, Modern Fabrics, An- cient Rome and Greece, Middle Ages, Shoe Industry, Early America
Assistants
Priscilla Drysdale, Secretary, Maxine Martin, Theresa DeMoranville, Roberta Pannier, Constance Le Gasse, Rose Bates, Sally Washburn, Edna Horton, Beverly Alden. These girls must have a "C" average or better for their marks. They work in the library before and after school, at noon and during study periods.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Colored slides of Paris were shown by Miss Ernestine Canning, Head of the Language Department, to two French classes.
The French and Spanish Clubs held their combined Christmas Party in the Library.
290
Open House with the entire High School and Vocational Schools in May
Reception to the members of the Sports Panel-this was an assembly program that had as a theme the United Nations.
Improvements
New heating system which keeps the room at an even tempera- ture - this makes it possible to keep plants in the library and make the room more attractive.
South Junior High Library
Number of books in the library
1,484
Fiction
537
Non-fiction 947
Books borrowed from Tufts Library 360
Magazine subscriptions 31
Total circulation
11,122
A reading program was carried on in both seventh and eighth grades. Pupils gave book reports on the books they read and at the close of the term forty-two State Certificates were awarded.
On April 30th the members of the Library Staff entertained their mothers at a Library Tea. At this time the girls demonstrated the work they do on the staff.
Book Week was observed November 15th to the 21st. The exhibit of new books was planned around the theme "Reading is Fun." The libra- rian and several of the members of the staff reviewed a number of the new books during activity period. The results from these reviews were gratifying and eventuated in immediate requests for the new books, as well as the old ones.
13. EVENING SCHOOLS
Our Evening School program had another fine year in 1953. Interest among adults continued to be high, and regular attendance was the rule. As a result, very few on the waiting lists were able to enter the classes.
This year there were exhibitions in both schools: the one at South Junior High School coming on March 23, and the one at Weymouth High School on March 24. In both cases, there were several hundred visitors who found much to admire in the many articles which were arranged in very attractive displays. Style shows by members of the Clothing classes highlighted both exhibitions.
Registration for the classes starting in October took place the evening of Tuesday, September 22, 1953 at Weymouth High School. A total of 644 people registered then, with 28 more being accepted later. As a re- sult of the large registration for Clothing, the School Committee decided to add another class to the program already planned, making a total of six Clothing classes.
People who had been on the waiting list were placed first, provided they had registered again this year. A drawing, conducted in the pres- ence of several witnesses, was made to decide who would be admitted to over-registered classes and who would be placed on the waiting list. Such lists, totalling 168, were established in Wood Working, Wood Refinishing,
291
Clothing and Tray Painting. It is planned to start classes in the new facilities at Bicknell Junior High School in October, 1954, which will re- duce these waiting lists to a minimum.
Assignments to classes for 1953-1954 season are as follows:
WEYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
Fabric Painting 27, Food 22, Rug Hooking 49, Tray Painting 28, Wood- working 21, Wood Refinishing 19, Clothing 90, Office Machines 18, Short- hand 28, Typewriting 58; Total 360
SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Fabric Painting 18, Rug Hooking 31, Tray Painting 31, Woodworking 16, Wood Refinishing 20, Clothing 44; Total 160
EVENING VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
Carpentry Related Apprentice 16, Diversified Related Apprentice 18
It is very evident that our evening classes are meeting real needs in adult education. Many skills are being developed and much joy is being found in creating beautiful, useful objects.
The School Building Program
With the completion of the Pond School addition, the Johnson School addition and the Central Junior High School, all now under construction, and also the elementary school off Ralph Talbot Street, the plans for which were authorized at the Special Town Meeting held on November 9, 1953, the original school building program recommended by Dr. William K. Wilson in his comprehensive and far-seeing report submitted to the town in January 1948 will have been accomplished. Dr. Wilson's recom- mendations have been followed very closely. The only material change from the Wilson plan was in North Weymouth where he proposed the erection of a new North Junior High School. Instead, the Bicknell School was added to and altered to convert it into a Junior High plant and a new school, the Elden H. Johnson, was built to take the place of the Bicknell as an elementary school.
The following new buildings and additions make up this extensive building program:
School
Size
Begun
Occupied
1. Abigail Adams addition
6 rooms
April 1949
Feb. 1950
2. Pratt addition
4 rooms
April 1949
Feb. 1950
3. South Junior High School
600 pupils
April 1950
Sept. 1951
4. Elden H. Johnson School
12 rooms
Nov. 1950
Nov. 1951
5. Homestead School
9 rooms
Oct. 1951
Jan. 1953
6. James Humphrey addition
6 rooms
April 1952
May 1953
7. Edward B. Nevin addition
6 rooms
July 1952
May 1953
8. Bicknell addition
8 rooms
Nov. 1952
Sept. 1953
9. Pond addition
5 rooms
June 1953
May 1954*
10. Elden H. Johnson addition
7 rooms
Nov. 1953
Sept. 1954*
11. Central Junior High School
1,000 pupils
Nov. 1953
Sept. 1955*
12. Ralph Talbot Street School
12 rooms
August 1954*
Sept. 1955*
Probable dates
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Dr. Wilson recommended that the construction of these new buildings and additions be carried out from 1948 to 1955. He recommended the provision of 59 elementary classrooms and three junior high schools with a total pupil capacity of 2,000. The building program listed above will provide 67 elementary classrooms and three junior high schools with a pupil capacity of 2,200 plus. We are also continuing to use 10 classrooms which Dr. Wilson recommended closing, viz., the two-room John Adams School, the four-room Center portable school, and the old four-room frame-construction portion of the Pratt School. In addition, the as- sembly hall on the second floor of the Athens School was partitioned into two classrooms in 1949, a basement classroom in the Jefferson School was occupied in 1949 and three basement classrooms in the Hunt School in 1948, and these rooms are all still in use.
Bids for the construction of the new twelve-room Academy Avenue School will be opened on February 11th and an appropriation for its erec- tion will be requested at the Annual Town Meeting in March. This building was not included in the original Wilson program but was recom- mended by Dr. Wilson in a restudy and supplementary report submitted to the School Committee in January 1953. In this 1953 report, Dr. Wilson also recommended the Johnson School addition now under construction and the Ralph Talbot Street School for which funds for plans and speci- fications were appropriated at the November Town Meeting. The last two projects are included in the original program above as approximately the equivalent buildings were recommended in 1948.
The opening of the Academy Avenue school in 1955 will permit the closing of the five room Jefferson School erected in 1889. If this closing occurs, it will be the first replacement of old classrooms by the building program.
The School Committee's present plans also provides for the construc- tion of the following new buildings: (1) a twelve-room elementary build- ing to be completed in September 1956 to replace the seven-room Wash- ington School erected in 1888, (2) a twelve-room elementary school to be completed in September 1957 to replace the five-room Shaw School erec- ted in 1900, (3) a Vocational School shop and classroom building to sup- plement the present Vocational School buildings to be ready for occu- pancy in 1957.
It is estimated that the enrolments in the Washington and Shaw districts will be well above the capacities of these buildings by the dates noted above, and inasmuch as these old frame buildings with their very small and inadequate grounds do not permit additions, the only alterna- tive is the erection of new buildings on new sites with sufficient space to provide adequate playgrounds. The site for the new Shaw School has been selected on Stetson Shoe Company land a few hundred feet west of the present school. An article for the purchase of this land is in the warrant for the March Town Meeting. A site for the new Washington School should be selected and acquired in 1954.
The present capacity of the Vocational School, including five high school classrooms used for academic and related classes, is 250 pupils. It is assumed that the present percentage of boys of high school age will continue to elect vocational courses. If this proves to be the case, as the high school enrolment grows the vocational registration will exceed the capacity of the school. Furthermore, it will be essential that the high school rooms now used by vocational classes be made available to care for the growing high school enrolment. The new vocational building or addition will be the first needed addition to the high school plant.
293
A chart prepared for the information of the Appropriation Com- mittee estimates that the annual cost of principal and interest on school bonds for this extensive building program of sixteen projects will be as follows:
Year
Principal and Interest
State Reimbursements
Net Cost to Town
1949
$ 40,863.
$ 40,863.
1950
45,687.
$ 10,032.
35,655.
1951
125,368.
10,032.
115,336.
1952
164,662.
19,246.
145,416.
1953
240,109.
89,816.
150,293.
1954
434,442.
82,550.
351,892.
1955
514,219 .*
107,800 .*
406,419 .*
1956
541,744.
138,500.
403,244.
1957
588,607.
138,000.
450,607.
1958
575,032.
162,800.
412,232.
1959
531,557.
146,300.
385,257.
1960
523,707.
136,300.
387,407.
1961
515,857.
136,300.
379,557.
1962
506,007.
136,300.
369,707.
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