USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1959 > Part 26
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To discover maladjustments in their earliest form and to help correct them as soon as possible is one of the responsibilities of the counselor. It is in the early school years that a program to prevent delinquency is most effective. It is a serious error to overlook or condone undesirable adjustment practices as they are developing, feeling that the child is too young to understand.
It is more difficult to eliminate poor social and emotional responses once they have been adopted as character traits than it is to prevent their adoption in the first place.
Our attention should be directed to the very young children-those who are in our primary grades. There is general agreement among in- vestigators that early habits are very resistant to change. Learning is a process that goes on from birth and the average child has learned thor- oughly a great many adjustment techniques long before he is old enough to come to school. The home is the first school and the parents are the first teachers. By the age of seven a child's personality is well-developed and the seeds of adjustment or maladjustment, delinquency or non-de- linquency, are already planted.
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It is hoped that in the not-too-distant future these primary grades can be given the full time and attention of a counselor who can work closely with the child, the teacher, and the home. In most cases the roots of personality disorders among adults can be traced to infancy and early childhood experiences. If children with signs of disturbance can be identified early and the adequate help can be given, much can be done to prevent greater problems at a later period.
Some cases of maladjustment can be handled through the cooperative efforts of the teacher, principal, school nurse and counselor. Others are so complex or deep seated that more professional help is necessary. In such situations the counselor discusses the problem with the child's parents, encourages them, and assists them in procuring the necessary service.
At the present time, most of the clinics are unable to accept all cases referred to them. There is a waiting period of from six months to two years. With such a situation facing us, it is more necessary than ever that the school provide an atmosphere of security and belongingness for the child with a problem, to accept him for what he is and respect his per- sonality so that he will feel secure and wanted and be better able to combat the many unfavorable influences with which he meets daily.
To help in such planning, the Weymouth Schools have the services of a clinical psychologist associated with the South Shore Guidance Clinic.
Family priests, ministers, and physicians have been most helpful in counseling the family of the child with a problem and in working with the school through the counselor. Agencies assisting the child and his family include the Catholic Boys' Guidance Center, the Protestant Social Service Bureau, the Children's Medical Center, Boston Floating Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Division of Child Guardianship, Division of the Blind, Family Service, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Child- ren, the Quincy Court, and the South Shore Child Guidance Center.
Although every request for help has been acknowledged, it has not been possible to accept every referral as a case to be dealt with until a satisfactory solution could be reached. It is hoped that in time there will be more counselors appointed so that each school or each area of town can be more adequately helped. If a counselor could give "on the spot" assistance to a child and his difficulty, and stay close to the problem for a period of time, much could be accomplished in the prevention of a more complex situation.
During the school year approximately one hundred children were seen by the counselor on scheduled visits. These children have not been "cured' of their difficulties, but they have been helped to make satisfactory ad- justment to the many conditions and situations of every day living.
One hundred and thirty-one home visits were made during which time the counselor attempted to help the parent or parents to better understand the child and his needs and to assist in providing for them. It is the love, affection, security, recognition, and understanding that is given to the child in the home that strengthens his moral fiber. There is no delinquency in the home where there is:
(1) supervision of the child by his mother
(2) discipline of the child by his father
(3) affection of mother for the child
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(4) affection of father for the child
(5) cohesiveness of the family group
Ten visits were made to guidance clinics, social agencies or special schools to procure the help that was felt necessary for individual children.
Thirty-five consultations were held with professional community workers who were in a position to assist in the care and treatment of a child. These workers were the clergy, physicians, lawyers, social workers, and clinic personnel who were involved with the particular child and his family.
Forty referrals were made by the counselor to other community agencies-psychological service, medical service, family service, court, clergy, and guidance clinics.
During the year, the counselor meets weekly with the court person- nel. At these conferences the probation officer, the social worker, court chaplain, clinical psychologist, and school adjustment counselor review the cases of those children who are to appear before the Judge of the Juvenile Court. For these sessions, 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 truancy or discipline offenses, some comment on parental interest and cooperation, a rating of personal qualities and character traits. 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.
During the court fiscal year, July 1, 1958 to June 30, 1959 there ap- peared before the Quincy Juvenile Court sixty-two juvenile defendants, ten of whom were recidivists, children between the ages of ten and seven- teen, children from Grade III to Grade XI. The delinquent acts include drunkenness, malicious damage, larceny, ringing in a false alarm, habitual school offenses, using a car without authority, breaking and entering, stubborn child behavior, shop lifting, and vandalism.
Most of these defendants were submitted to an evaluation done by the Court Clinic, the Youth Service Board, or in a diagnotic group set- ting. The results of the evaluation determined to a degree the final dis- position of the case. The function of the court is to decide upon the treatment that will best serve the child and society.
The School Adjustment Program is still very young. This is its third year in Weymouth. It is not yet possible to evaluate its effectiveness, but it is hoped that with strong emphasis on prevention, early identifica- tion, referral, and treatment, additional school counselors, professional assistance from those involved in research, that much can be done to preserve the child with a social or emotional problem from the worsening conditions which lead to delinquency.
6. AUDIO-VISUAL
The audio-visual program of the Weymouth Public Schools provides teachers with recently developed materials, techniques, and tools of educa- tion with which they may more effectively communicate with their pupils. These new tools include many devices now available for regular classroom use which were totally unknown to the schools of just a few years ago.
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Sparked by the National Defense Education Act of 1958, Title III in particular, the audio-visual program gained much additional momentum during the past year. This Act, the "Killian Report," and numerous other proclamations of national scope-all of which strongly urge the greater use of television, films, tape recordings, and other audio-visual teaching and learning aids to achieve improved instruction-have combined with a better understanding of the potential effectiveness of audio-visual media to greatly increase the demands for materials, equipment, and services of the department.
The audio-visual center continues to perform duties normally asso- ciated with an instructional materials center in nearly all respects. Ser- vices have been broadened to meet requests for all manner of realia re- quired for effective teaching that hitherto were considered unavailable.
The following are some of the activities of the audio-visual program to meet the increasing needs of the more than 450 teachers and 10,500 pupils in the Weymouth Public Schools:
1. The long-range plan for the installation of darkening facilities in classrooms is nearing completion. By next year 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 221 and 2440 separate titles, respectively. In addition, Weymouth has continued to be selected as a permanent-loan repository for more than 160 outstanding sound films from industry. Also available to all teachers are 250 study records and 75 pre-recorded tapes.
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. the Weymouth Recreation Senior Citizens Club, and other outside groups. in a training and advisory capacity.
4. Educational television was continued for the second year in grades 1 through 6 with an expanded program as follows: Physical Science, Grade 6; Natural Science, Grade 5; Parions Francais, French for Grade 4, Reading and Story Telling, Grades 3 and 4; and Folk Music and Dance, Grade 2. Effectiveness of the program is maintained by regular sub- mission of teacher evaluations and critical suggestions to the television studio with surprisingly prompt results in the ensuing lessons. Improved quality of both the T-V lesson and the detailed lesson plans supplied each teacher have assured a bright future for this powerful educational medium if it is properly used. Parents are offered an opportunity to observe, study, and work with their children in each televised area since all programs thus far are "open"-channel and available to all who may wish to use them.
5. Elementary French via television was introduced this year to all fourth grades. This program utilizes most effectively the combined facili- ties available only through the medium of television: (1) master teacher; (2) unlimited resource material; (3) teach'er-training and planning facilities via T-V; (4) the inherent fascination of television itself; and (5) in this particular study, knowledge of the language as it is first learned, by listening and speaking only.
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6. Educational television at the high school level was instituted last spring as a pilot program in the humanities. Sponsored by the Ford Foundation, this program was designed to furnish an entirely new concept in the teaching of Junior English. College Entrance Board Examinations were revised for inclusion of this material. Three Weymouth teachers participated in the required training sessions and used the course with their classes. Evaluations submitted were unanimous in their praise of this tremendous effort. The sudden, unexpected withdrawal of Ford Found- ation support of this project forced cancellation of the program for the current school year. This was a grave loss to Junior English and it is hoped that some other sponsor may come forward to complete the project. The original pilot program is scheduled for use again early in 1960. Double sessions at the high school have prevented class participation not only in this program but also in two additional programs which started this fall.
7. The Weymouth High School became one of the first in Massa- chusetts to acquire a full thirty-position language laboratory in which an entire class could take full advantage of the aural-oral method of lan- guage instruction.
Utilizing individual handsets and microphones, and seated in sound- proofed booths, students may listen to tape recordings and compare their own responses, recite directly to the teacher without interfering with others, record their responses on tape for testing, comparison with the original or critical analysis, may recite in unison with several or all of their classmates without confusion or disturbance to other rooms, etc.
Using a 30-position console, teachers may work with individual students at any time without interfering with others, set up different tape recordings to meet the individual needs of students and send them to different groups simultaneously, test with or without the student's knowledge, use a variety of sources for the new language including different dialects and native speakers, free themselves for greater individual attention, etc.
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
An excellent handwriting product is not achieved by accident. Instead, it is the result of painstaking teaching on the part of devoted classroom teachers working under intelligent supervision with adequate instructional and motivational materials.
An examination of the results obtained in handwriting for the school year ending in June 1959, shows that an excellent handwriting product has been forthcoming in your schools indicating that the materials have been adequate, the work of the teachers highly satisfactory and that the motivation and instruction, materials, and consistent diagnosis has been effective. Our major objective, naturally, is to teach technical handwriting to a point where the student has attained or surpassed the national norm in speed and quality. There are other objectives, however, of almost equal importance such as to help the pupil appreciate and enjoy good handwriting and at the same time to have him acquire good work habits that will insure neatness, accuracy, and attention to details.
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At the end of the last school term we found that 89.5% of the grades given to students in a formal handwriting test were A (excellent); 7.5% were graded B (good); and only 3% were graded C or fair. During the school year we graded the handwriting of approximately 65,000 spelling, arithmetic, and English papers. In addition to this, we graded a formal test paper for each child each month for the items of neatness, letter forms, size, alignment, spacing, slant, ending strokes, and line quality. During the year we supplied new instructional and motivational materials for the pupils and teachers along with the necessary instruction in the use of these materials.
8. HEALTH
In April the first school-to-home telephone method of instructing a home-bound pupil was tried in Weymouth in co-operation with the Cen- tral Junior High School. The Weymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce generously sponsored this program. It is difficult to evaluate this experi- ment since there are many considerations. It does not take the place of the home teacher, but merely supplements her teaching and gives the handicapped pupil a sense of keeping in contact with his classmates and the classroom teacher. Mr. Martin and the teachers were most cooperative and willing to work with this new method to help a home-bound child.
In June, Mrs. Audrey A. Butler, who has tested the vision of all pupils for the past three years, resigned. Parents and teachers have appreciated the splendid work she accomplished during this period. In September, Mrs. Irene M. O'Neil was appointed to do this testing and was certified by the State Department of Public Health, which has a training program for all testers. Since the High School is now on double sessions, a part- time nurse was needed, and Mrs. Jean N. Baker was appointed.
In October the annual Diphtheria Clinic was held and pupils in Grades 1, 6, and 10 were given reinforcing doses of double antigen, which keeps up their immunity against Diphtheria and Tetanus.
If a pupil has been absent from school for five consecutive days because of illness, it still is necessary to obtain a certificate from either a family or school physician before he is readmitted.
No Tuberculosis case-finding program was followed during the year of 1959 since one was held in November, 1958, and one is scheduled for January, 1960. Although a little more than a year will elapse between the clinics, nevertheless during each school year, September to June, every eleventh grade pupil is tested if parents request this service.
The School Health Department works closely with the Home Instructor of Physically Handicapped Children. When a child is reported as being physically handicapped and unable to attend school, a case history is taken from the parents and the attending physician is notified that a visiting teacher is available if the child's condition is such that he will be benefited by this program. Upon our receiving the physician's certificate and the approval of the State Department of Education, the teacher is notified. She instructs the pupil until he is able to return to school, and then the School Nurse is notified. Thus the child is carefully watched until he is able to carry a full, normal program.
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
In my opinion there is a great need for the Weymouth Public Schools to offer a formal, planned course in Health Education in grades one through twelve.
It is a physical impossibility to keep records such as should be kept with the present set-up in the Health Department without more help of a secretarial kind. Nurses are professionally trained and do not have secre- tarial training.
If Mrs. Baker worked full time it would allow me to make more home visits and to get into the schools to help with various health problems.
9. HOME INSTRUCTION FOR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Fifty-six children (thirty-three boys and twenty-three girls) were given home instruction from January through December, twenty-two more than last year. Nine were from Weymouth, ten from North Weymouth, twenty- three from East Weymouth, thirteen from South Weymouth, and one from Hull who was in the South Shore Hospital.
Mrs. Inez A. Kohler retired from her teaching position in June. There are now two full-time home instruction teachers, Mrs. Grace M. Whittles and Mrs. Lenora M. Shortlidge.
The disabilities represented were: 8 rheumatic fever, 8 leg fractures, 7 virus pneumonia, 5 spinal fusion, 4 nephritis, 3 rheumatoid arthritis, 2 emotionally disturbed, 2 cardiac, 2 gastric ulcer, and 1 each: pyelitis, hip operation (poliomyelitis), ankle operation (poliomyelitis), poliomyelitis, eczema, bilateral uveitis, hepatitis, muscular dystrophy, congenital coxa- vera post operative, osteogenesis imperfecta, cystic fibrosis, appendectomy, mononucleosis, congenital bladder constriction, and ankle operation (osteo- myelitis).
One boy died in June of muscular dystrophy after being in the home class for seven years and one boy transferred to the State Hospital School in Canton. Of the twenty-five children in the class in June, twenty were promoted, one conditioned, one died, and three remained in the home class.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to help these children in their school work so that they could return to their classes and schoolmates without losing a grade. The regular school work they do while physically handicapped also has a fine effect on their morale.
10. DRIVER EDUCATION
The Driver Education Program continues to be very popular as an elective course at Weymouth High School. It is quite generally agreed by public safety officials that there is need for such training in the public schools. Parents and pupils are also enthusiastic over the program. They are well aware of the fact that statistics show that such supervised train- ing tends to reduce accidents, and that this fact leads to a substantial re- duction in insurance rates.
The program is divided into two parts. The first, driver education, consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction. Among other things, this
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includes a close study of the rules and regulations as laid down by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, discussions as to the causes of various types of accidents, attitude training with examples of good and bad attitudes as found in automobile driving, insurance policies, car maintenance, etc. These discussions are supplemented by appropriate motion pictures and film strips. The second part of the course is on-the-road training in the dual-control car.
The classroom instruction presents no real difficulties. We are able to accommodate most of the students who apply by fitting his program into one of the classes that meet at different times during the week. The on-the-road training part of the program is our real problem. Cars are not available early enough in the school year, with the result that a con- siderable part of the year's work is lost as far as on-the-road training is concerned. Even with cars available when school opened in September, we would be hard pressed to take care of all students who wished to avail themselves of this opportunity.
It would seem that the whole method of securing dual-control cars should be reviewed in the light of our experience during the past two years.
During the school year 1958-1959 a total of 430 licenses were issued to students attending Weymouth High School. This includes the 29 students who attended summer school. A considerable part of this total can be attributed to the work done after regular school hours by two of the Driver Training instructors.
A brief statistical review follows:
1. Students enrolled in Driver Education Classes 1958-1959 - 530
2. Students eligible for road training from 1957-1958 - 270
3. Licenses issued through Weymouth High School, including the Summer Session during July and August 1959 - 430
4. Number of qualified students who were not given on-the-road training during the year due to lack of time and facilities - 245
5. Total number enrolled for 1959-1960 - 453
11. AGRICULTURE
The opening of school in September 1958 showed a total enrollment of 35 students. These students, according to classes, were divided as fol- lows: Seniors 11, Juniors 13, and Sophomores 11.
The students may be geographically located as follows: South Wey- mouth 10, Weymouth 6, East Weymouth 3, North Weymouth 2, Hingham 7, Abington 4, Norwell 1, Rockland 1, and Quincy 1.
Thirty-one boys reported summer agricultural projects (four left or did not finish the school year) as follows: Vermont 9, Hingham 10, East Weymouth 2, South Weymouth 2, Weymouth 2, Norwell 1, Dennisport 1, Lexington 1, Charlestown 1, and Walpole 1. These projects represent: 14 dairy farms, 4 general landscape, 2 preparation of food, and one in each of the following: general farm and estate maintenance, dairy farm and greenhouse, nursery, landscape and care of horses, greenskeeper (golf nurse), landscape and sales, milk plant, market garden, tree work, and landscape, greenhouse and tree work.
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12. SCHOOL LIBRARIES
The school libraries in our four secondary schools served pupils and teachers well in 1959. The High School library was affected adversely by the double sessions which began in September, suffering a considerable loss in circulation.
Use of the High School library by juniors and seniors for information and study during the morning session is better than before. The caliber of work being done appears to have improved. Sophomores, on the after- noon session, are not doing much serious study in the library, but are tak- ing out books for assigned reading.
One of the problems librarians have is the loss of books from the shelves, a matter not easy of detection. At the High School, a complete book-by-book inventory was taken in June and showed 393 books missing since the last inventory 13 years ago. This loss is considered small for such a period.
A weekly news letter has been sent to the High School teachers since the beginning of the 1959-60 school year. It includes an annotated list of the new books prepared for circulation during the previous week, a list of periodicals received with partial contents noted, and a list of pamphlets received entered by subject. The books on each list are on display in the library for a week prior to the distribution of the news letter in which they are included. Judging by the number of requests for books and periodicals, the news letter is proving itself to be worthwhile.
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