USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1958 > Part 27
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The purpose of the study is to locate the underlying causative factors that explain the maladjustment of the child. It must be remembered that all behavior is caused. The causes of the emotional disturbance must be removed before the habits and attitude of the child can change.
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Planned Treatment
On the basis of the diagnosis, a plan of treatment is formed. The counselor confers with the home to determine how the parents see and and feel about the problem and to discuss the kind of help that seems advisable. The school needs the steady support of the home if the child is to be helped. An individual treatment plan must be devised for each child. There are no "ready made" "quick to work" solutions. What will work with one child may not work with another. Some problems are more deeply seated than are others. To help in formulating a plan of treatment, the Weymouth schools have available the services of Mr. Saul Cooper, a clinical psychologist associated with the South Shore Child Guidance Clinic.
While treatment is in progress, the counselor keeps in touch with the teacher and the parents to determine whether or not desirable change is taking place. In some cases when the proposed treatment is ineffective there is a re-evaluation of the data and a new method is devised and tried. Some children are seen by the counselor once a week; others are seen more frequently. Children who have "school bell sickness" are seen daily until the time comes when they can get to school without further support. Some children are not treated directly in that the counselor deals with the home rather than the child, making suggestions which will enable the parents to give the child sufficient help to overcome his prob- lem.
When more specialized and professional attention is needed, the coun- selor assists the parents in attaining that help. Family priests, ministers, and physicians have been most cooperative. Agencies involved during the year include the Catholic Boys Guidance Center, the Protestant Social Service Bureau, Children's Medical Center, Boston Floating Hospital, Chil- dren's Aid Society, Children's Mission, Division of Child Guardianship, New England Home for Little Wanderers, Our Lady of the Way, Southard Guidance Clinic, Family Service, the Quincy Court and the South Shore Child Guidance Clinic.
During the year, ninety-seven children were seen by the counselor on scheduled visits. An attempt has been made to limit the monthly case load to twenty. To deal adequately with more than that number of children and parents is not possible. There is more than enough work for another full-time counselor. Thirty-nine cases were closed during the year. Some of these children were able to make sufficient adjustment to get along independently. For some children who were referred to agencies there was a change in home placement and school placement.
A considerable amount of time has been spent in the junior high school. A study of the records of the children seen at this level often reveals a pattern of frequent absence and habitual tardiness beginning in Grade I and continuing through the grades. There is evidence of a lack of interest in school work, carelessness in work, inattention, unreliability, inability to work independently, inability to get along with others. If it were possible for the counselor to spend full time in the lower grades and to keep in close touch with the youngsters beginning to show deviate be- havior, perhaps we would eliminate some of the problems that eventually reach junior high school. It is difficult to bring about changes in behavior that has existed for some time.
Working with the Court
Throughout the year, the counselor meets weekly with the court per- sonnel. At these meetings the probation officer, court psychologist, court
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social worker, court chaplain, and school adjustment counselor review the cases of those children who are to appear before the Judge of the Juvenile Court. For these reviews the counselor prepares a school report on the child involved - a report which includes school marks earned during the past two years, testing data, school attendance, some indication of the child's interests and activities, a record of school offenses, some comment of parental interest and co-operation, and a rating of personal qualities. A search is made by the group for the cause of the juvenile's delinquent act and recommendations are made for a plan of treatment. The court has not only the responsibility of adjusting the child, but the responsibility of protecting the child and proctecting society as well. The function of the court it to "get the truth from the child, to weigh the results of the investigation, to determine what his needs are, and to decide upon the treatment which will best subserve the interest of the child and society; it is not, primarily, to prove the child quilty or not guilty of the act charged."
During the court year, July 1, 1957 to June 30, 1958, there appeared before the Quincy Juvenile Court seventy-three children from Weymouth who had been apprehended by the police for participating in delinquent acts-children between the ages of twelve and seventeen, children from Grade IV-Grade XI. From July 1, 1958 to December 15, 1958 twenty- seven boys appeared before the court. The delinquent acts include larceny, breaking and entering, appropriating and using cars without authority, malicious damage to personal property, vandalism, drunkenness, carrying dangerous weapons, "bunking out," running away, and cruel treatment of animals. In addition to these cases heard before the court there was a greater number of informal hearings involving shop-lifing, lewd and lasciv- ous behavior, parent complaints of stubborn and wayward children, and school suspension for habitual school offenders.
What trend the incidence of delinquency will take in the future will depend upon many factors in the home, school and community. There is no simple or single answer to the problem. The child welfare approach with a strong emphasis on prevention, an increase in clinic personnel to accept more quickly these children for treatment, more school counselors at the elementary and junior high levels can hopefully offer the com- munity real support in preventing and controlling undesirable behavior.
6. AUDIO-VISUAL
The chief purpose of the Weymouth audio-visual program is to provide teachers with recently developed materials, techniques, and tools of edu- cation with which they may more effectively communicate with their pupils. These new tools may include many devices now available for regular classroom use which were totally unknown to the schools of just a few years ago.
Demands for audio-visual materials and services have broadened to such an extent that more than ever this year the department has func- tioned as an instructional materials center dispensing all manner of items from common pins and mercury (for elementary experiments following up television science programs) to a quarter-scale model cow complete with bell (for primary grade farm units). As better understanding of the potential effectiveness of the audio-visual media is gained, increasing emphasis is placed on securing specific, pin-pointed materials known to accomplish results better and faster.
The following are some of the activities of the audio-visual program to meet the increasing needs of the more than 400 teachers and 10,000 pupils in the Weymouth Public Schools:
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1. The long-range plan for the installation of darkening facilities in classrooms is nearing completion. By 1960 it is anticipated that all classrooms but a few in the present high school will have been equipped with adequate facilities for the use of any audio-visual tools required. This is an accomplishment of which Weymouth can be proud.
2. Central sound film and filmstrip libraries have been expanded to 200 and 2100 separate titles, respectively. In addition, Weymouth has continued to be selected as a permanent-loan repository for more than 140 outstanding sound films from industry. Expansion of these facilities has enabled the department to better meet the requirements of all good teaching: "The right material, at the right place, at the right time."
3. In-service training is conducted on a continuing basis both with school A-V co-ordinators, individuals, and groups of teachers as the need is indicated or requested. Nearly three hundred students were licensed to operate sound-projectors and other audio-visual tools during the year. In addition, the department has worked closely with the Tufts Library and the Weymouth Recreation Senior Citizens Club in a training and advisory capacity. Seven members of the latter group were trained by and received their projectionist licenses through the co-operation of the Weymouth High School Projection Club.
4. In this year educational television was introduced to the elementary school program, Grades 1 through 6, as another effective audio-visual tool. Teacher evaluations and critical suggestions were submitted to the television studio each week with surprisingly prompt results in the ensuing lessons. With their extremely well-developed lesson plans, these telecasts have been very favorably received on the whole and the future seems bright indeed. Parents have been especially impressed by educational television's current performance and promise. Above all, television has demonstrated that it may cure at least two common ills of education: the lack of master teachers and the lack of instructional materials.
5. Of primary importance to education in 1958 was the passage of the National Defense Education Act. A chief purpose of this act is the strengthening of mathematics, science, and foreign language instruction with considerable emphasis placed upon the expanded role of audio-visual instruction. To establish a State plan of immediate and long-range activity in connection with this act, the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education has created an Audio-Visual Advisory Committee to which the director was appointed.
The director is also chairman of a state-wide committee currently working with the Massachusetts School Building Assistance Commission in the formulation of school building standards commensurate with good teaching practices and audio-visual requirements.
These are some of the major activities and developments of the audio- visual department in its constant attempt to select the best, to help in its most effective utilization, and to establish workable guide-lines toward better learning for ALL.
7. HANDWRITING
I am pleased to report on the progress of our handwriting program in your schools. Our major objectives are:
1. To have each pupil achieve or surpass the norm for his grade in speed and quality in formal handwriting.
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2. To make good handwriting function in all related informal hand- writing activities such as spelling, arithmetic, English composi- tion, etc.
3. To develop concomitant virtues such as neatness, accuracy, atten- tion to details and an understanding and appreciation of what is inherent in good handwriting.
4. To achieve these objectives with a minimum expenditure in time, effort, and materials.
5. To develop a writing consciousness on the part of teachers as well as children; to provide the necessary instructional and motiva- tional materials and inform the teachers of the methods and techniques to be used in order to make the handwriting program effective. A study of the handwriting scores made by your students indicates the measure of success that has been attained.
During the last school year, we graded 48,690 formal test papers for your students. Of these, we found 90 per cent excellent, 7.6 per cent good, 2.4 per cent fair, and no poor papers. This excellent record testifies to the interest and co-operation of your teachers.
During the course of the year, we graded approximately 48,690 informal papers for your students. Our purpose in grading these informal papers was to motivate good handwriting in related handwriting activities. In addition to our consultant services, we furnished the pupils and teachers with the following handwriting material: teacher outlines and folders, pupil folders, motivation graphs, individual certificates to pupils who qualified, diagnostic charts, handedness tests, envelopes, seals, etc.
8. HEALTH
In April, 1958, a new program for tuberculosis case-finding was initiated in Weymouth as in other cities and towns of Norfolk County. This was a co-operative program, and was sponsored and conducted by the Norfolk County Hospital in co-operation with the Norfolk County Tuberculosis and Health Association. The school nurses arranged the program with the schools and parents. It was decided to give an intradermal (Mantoux) test to all pupils in Grades I and XI. Figures on these tests are in the activity report. All pupils whose tests proved positive were X-rayed at Norfolk County Hospital, as well as all adult members of their household and all other children in the household were given the skin test and X-rayed if positive.
Unfortunately, it is impossible because of lack of funds and personnel to continue the testing of the elementary grades, but the same program was repeated for Grade XI pupils in the high school and vocational school in November, 1958.
In September the Diphtheria "Booster" clinic was conducted in Grades I, VI and X in all schools in Weymouth. This clinic is sponsored by the Board of Health. Each year both parents and pupils show increased in- terest in these clinics, which proves that this is one form of community health education.
School nurses were present at all schools during pre-school registration. Nine hundred and twenty-three parents were interviewed, and they gave the children's health histories. Each parent was urged to take his child to the family physician and dentist for a thorough check-up before the child entered the first grade. All were given forms for the family physician to fill out following this examination.
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The adjustment counselor and the school nurses continue to work together closely. The health or physical condition of the child is found in many cases to be the underlying cause for the referral of a pupil to the adjustment counselor.
Dental caries continues, as it has for years, to be the greatest school health problem. This emphasizes the need for health education in all grades. The teaching of personal hygiene, with emphasis on dental care and health, would help to change this condition for the better after a few years. The school dental clinic, valuable as it is, cannot fill this need.
Mrs. Dorothy Curtin, an additional school nurse, was appointed in September. The recommended pupil load for a school nurse is 1,200 pupils. With the Weymouth school population of 10,395, it is easy to figure that there should be at least eight nurses and a full-time administrator for a good school health program. With the high school having two sessions during the coming school year, two nurses for the high school alone are needed, plus a secretary. With all other nurses carrying a pupil load of 2,000 pupils, it is very evident that another nurse is needed in the element- ary schools.
9. HOME INSTRUCTION FOR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Thirty-four children were members of the Home Class for this year, thirteen less than last year. Mrs. Whittles, the assistant teacher, worked from January to May and from November 12 through December. Sixteen are in the class at present-one hospitalized. Seventeen children returned to school, one moved away. Five of the twelve in the class in June were promoted, two more conditioned, two were incomplete and three not pro- moted.
There were five pupils who were in the class from 8 to 10 months, ten from 4 to 6 months, four from 2 to 4 months, eight who had less than two months were either new members or were continuing in the class from 1957, the remaining seven pupils from 3 to 7 weeks.
The disabilities represented were: 8 accidents: 3 leg fractures, 2 arm and leg fractures, 1 back injury, 1 concussion and facial bone injury, 1 leg cast, 8 operations: 2 polio-backbone fusion, 1 polio-hip, 1 piloni- dal sinus (diabetes), 1 appendix, 2 hip, 1 knee, 5 rheumatic fever; 2 kid- ney trouble; 3 disturbed; 2 polio (3 more in the operation group); 1 each - heart, epilepsy, muscular distrophy, mononucliosis, leg amputation.
The teaching of physically handicapped children presents many seemingly unsurmountable problems, but the fact is that children can learn their lessons flat on their backs as well as sitting in seats in school. These pupils in casts, braces, wheelchairs, crutches and bed rests have done their best with the help of their teacher and their parents to keep up with their classmates in school, and they have been rewarded by re- turning to school without losing a grade.
10. DRIVER EDUCATION
The driver education program has shown a continued growth as the school population has increased. Pupils and parents alike have come to regard this training as well worth while. Statistics show that the students who have completed the program have a very favorable record as far as accidents are concerned. This has resulted in a considerable financial reward due to the smaller premiums for carrying insurance on the car.
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This program is divided into two parts. The first, driver education, consists of twenty hours of classroom instruction. Among other things this includes a close study of the rules and regulations as set down by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, discussions as to the various causes of traffic accidents, attitude training, insurance, related motion pictures, etc. This part of the course can be easily scheduled and thus can be made available to nearly all those who apply for it.
The second part of the course is on-the-road training. Here we have trouble in finding sufficient time with our present facilities in taking care of all those who pass satisfactorily the driver-education phase of the work. After school and holiday training has done considerable in alleviating this condition.
A brief summary of the activities of the driver-education program in both the high and vocational schools follows:
1. Students enrolled in driver-education classes-475.
2. Students eligible for road training from 1956-1957-207.
3. Licenses issued at school (number of students certified in both phases of the work)-298.
4. Number of qualified students who were not licensed because of scheduling difficulties or lack of instructional time-280.
5. Number of seniors ready for on-the-road training for the school year 1958-1959-240.
6. Number of juniors ready for on-the-road training for the school year 1958-1959-40.
7. Number of students enrolled in driver-education classes for 1958- 1959-550.
11. AGRICULTURE
The opening of school in September 1957 showed a total enrollment of 30 students. These students according to classes were divided as follows:
Seniors 5
Juniors 10
Sophomores
15
The above students may be geographically located as follows:
South Weymouth 8
Weymouth 8
East Weymouth 4 Hingham 5
Quincy 2
Abington 3
The above 30 boys worked on 11 farm or agriculture enterprises in Vermont, 5 in Hingham, 3 in Weymouth, 3 in Abington, 2 in Quincy, and 1 each in Bass River (Mass.), Falmouth, Walpole, Hanover, Brockton, and Holbrook, representing 14 dairy farms, 8 landscape services, 2 in the care of horses, 2 in cookery (hospital and summer hotel), 1 sweet corn project, 1 market garden, 1 general farm, and 1 greenhouse.
12. SCHOOL LIBRARIES
The most notable development in our school libraries in 1958 was the changes in personnel in three out of four libraries. Miss Mary L. Gloster, librarian at the High School since 1946, left at the end of March for a
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librarian's position at Bridgewater State Teachers' College. Miss Elizabeth Tautges was librarian for about two months, leaving late in May. In Sep- tember, Mr. Charles W. Adams was transferred to the High School from Central Junior High School, and Mrs. Ruth M. Connors from South Junior High School to Central Junior High School. At South Junior, Miss Jean- nette P. Tovet is the substitute librarian. At Bicknell Junior, Mrs. Mignon E. Pray continues to serve as librarian.
As time goes on, teachers and librarians are working more and more closely together. The interest of teachers in the libraries and their col- lections has much to do with the value of the libraries to our boys and girls. Efforts are being made to integrate library instruction with class- room teaching. Instruction in the use of the library and a special reading program is provided for all students in Grade VII, where each division spends one period a week in the library. By means of this program, pupils are taught to use a reference library effectively.
Library Clubs assist in the operation of all libraries. They give inter- ested students an opportunity to broaden their experience in the stimu- lating atmosphere of the library and acquaint them with some of its inner workings. This experience, along with visits to larger libraries, may well set some to thinking of careers in library work.
The High School Library continues to serve as a center for displays from the Children's Museum and the French Embassy. All libraries are in use for meetings of school activities and clubs, as well as such adult groups as the P. T. A. Council and the Weymouth Teachers' Association.
Statistics:
School
Number of books
Added 1958
Borrowed from Tufts Library
Total Circulation
Weymouth High
5907
221
9,160
Bicknell Junior
2467
393
300
15,607
Central Junior
3349
425
225
13,015
South Junior
4254
420
283
13,093
13. EVENING SCHOOLS
Adult education is becoming increasingly important in many parts of the country. In Weymouth, in keeping with this trend, we have had a surprisingly large growth this year in our evening schools. Our total reg- istration was 957, a gain of more than 22% over the 779 in 1957. Our classes meet once a week for three hours except for Commercial classes, which meets for two hours. Most classes run for twenty weeks, but Cake Decorating lasts only ten weeks.
Subjects offered this year are very much the same as last year. Fabric Painting is being offered again. Rug Braiding and Oil Painting are grow- ing in popularity. We have waiting lists in Beginning Clothing, Cake Decorating, Furniture Refinishing, Oil Painting, Typewriting, Upholstery and Woodworking.
The annual exhibition of the work done in practical arts and wood- working classes at the High, Bicknell Junior High and Central Junior High Schools was held at the High School Cafeteria on April 1. At South Ju- nior High, the exhibit took place in the gymnasium on March 31. Many friends of participants and people interested in the program came to see the beautiful and useful articles produced by our adult classes. Style shows featured the exhibitions in both schools.
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Registration for classes starting in October came the evening of Thurs- day, September 11, 1958, at Weymouth High School. About 800 appeared and registered in a one and one-half hour period that evening, with 157 others registering later, mostly by telephone.
Assignments to classes are as follows:
WEYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
Course
Tuesday
Instructor
Beginning Clothing
27
Mrs. Alice M. Cullen
Cake Decorating -
two 1/2-year classes
36
Miss Louise E. Watts
Decorative Art
18
Mrs. Clara M. Taylor
Beginning Rug Braiding
16
Mrs. Helen Jordan
Beginning Rug Hooking
30
Mrs. Leona M. Cook
Woodworking
26
Mr. Wallace T. Driscoll
Beginning Typewriting
40
Mrs. Helen P. Collins
Beginning Shorthand
18
Mrs. Irene K. Jackmauh
Beginning Office Machines
26
Miss Olive E. Hackett
Adult Civic Education
6
Mrs. Edna L. Gloster
Thursday
Advanced Clothing
25
Mrs. Alice M. Cullen
Cake Decorating -
36
Miss Louise E. Watts
two 1/2-year classes
18
Mrs. Clara M. Taylor
Decorative Art
23
Mrs. Marjorie Margeson
Fabric Painting
27
Mr. Wallace T. Driscoll
Furniture Refinishing
16
Mrs. Anna M. Emond
Beginning Rug Braiding
18
Mrs. Kav A. Hall
Advanced Typewriting
35
Mrs. Helen P. Collins
Advanced Shorthand
28
Mrs. Irene K. Jackmauh
Advanced Office Machines
26
Miss Olive E. Hackett
Adult Civic Education
6
Mrs. Edna L. Gloster
BICKNELL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Beginning Clothing
Tuesday 24 Mrs. Marion R. Rideout
Advanced Clothing
Thursday 24 Mrs. Marion R. Rideout
CENTRAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Beginning Clothing
25 Mrs. Anne Concannon
Beginning Upholstery
16 Mr. Vincent G. Houten
Thursday
Advanced Clothing
23 Mrs. Anne Concannon
Advanced Upholstery
17 Mr. Vincent G. Houten
SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Beginning Clothing
24
Mrs. Christine M. Gardner
Beginning Oil Painting
16 Mr. Philip S. Dolan
Woodworking
24
Mr. Albert B. Noyes
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Advanced Rug Braiding
Thursday
Advanced Clothing
25
Mrs. Christine M. Gardner
Decorative Art
16 Mrs. Alice B. Shields
Furniture Refinishing
24 Mr. Albert B. Noyes
Advanced Oil Painting
16 Mr. Philip S. Dolan
Rug Hooking
25
Mrs. Frances L. Clifford
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