USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1963 > Part 27
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9. HEALTH
The mental health and outlook of high school students in general changed for the better with the opening of the new building in January. The double sessions of the past few years had had an adverse effect on the mental health and the health habits of many high school students.
The new Health Suite has proven to be adequate to accommodate all of its various functions: (1) health appraisals, (2) counseling students and parents, (3) emergency services for accidents and sudden illnesses, (4) clinics for control of communicable diseases, and (5) vision and hearing acuity testing.
The Vocational School first aid room, an added feature in the new school, is well equipped. First aid cabinets were set up for every shop so that in case of accidents, teachers have supplies available.
The school nurses were hostesses at a joint meeting of the Southeastern District of Massachusetts Department of Public Health in February. Topics discussed were: role of school nurse, the handicapped child and the new State Department Pupil Health Record Card to be printed this year. The school nurses were able to attend In-Service Programs at Lakeville and Canton Hospital Schools, sponsored by Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
In May, Dr. Marjorie Young, Assistant Professor of Health Education, Harvard School of Public Health was guest speaker for the School Health Depart- ment at the Weymouth Teachers Association Convention. Dr. Young spoke on possible changes for the future in school health policies: (1) the value of annual vision and hearing tests, (2) the weighing and measuring of each pupil and (3) more thorough periodic physical examinations. Mrs. Alma Amaroso, Nurse
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Consultant, Massachusetts Division of American Cancer Society, met with the school nurses recently. "The Role of the School Nurse in the Control of Cancer" was discussed.
In March a survey was made on the request of the Board of Health in regard to Sabin Oral Vaccine. Nurses were able to reach new pupils in our schools and procure Type I and III serum for them. Type II Vaccine was given in May to all students, thus completing the series of Sabin Vaccine.
In May, pre-school registration was held for children who were to enter Grade I in September. The school nurses interviewed parents re- garding the health status of the child. Physical and mental growth develop- ment and nutrition are of value in helping the child secure the greatest pos- sible advantage from his educational opportunity. Parents were urged to have complete physical and dental defects corrected before the child entered school.
Clinics were held throughout the schools in October for prevention of diphtheria and tetanus for pupils of Grades I, VI and X. The program is sponsored by the Board of Health and the school nurses. The Heaf test for the discovery of tuberculosis was also given by the school nurses under the direction of the physicians from the Norfolk County Hospital. This test was given to Grades I, VII and XI. It has taken six weeks to complete this test throughout the Town.
The annual report of known physical defects reported to the State De- partment of Education and Public Health was sent in November. This past year 237 names are on the list. These pupils are able to attend school but are watched carefully by teachers and nurses.
In September, Mrs. Elsa Hamill, R.N., was appointed full time and was assigned to six elementary schools. The schedule of Mrs. Dorothy Curtin, R. N., now covers the East Junior High School, Educable Classes and the Vocational School.
10. HOME INSTRUCTION FOR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
This year from January to December, sixty-five children have been given home instruction, six more than last year. Of these, twelve were in senior high school, twenty were in junior high school, thirty-one were in the elementary schools and two were ungraded.
The disabilities of these children were: 4 nephritis, 2 rheumatoid arthritis, 7 mononucleosis, 2 poliomyelitis, 2 asthma, 4 Legg Perthes disease, 7 fractures, 5 rheumatic fever, 3 appendicitis, anemia hypo- thyroidism, bleeding ulcer, partial hand amputation, leg amputation, encephalitis, auto accident, gastric ulcer, orthopedic surgery, dislocated knee cap, spinal fusion, nervous breakdown, leukemia, malfunctioning esophagus, astrocytoma of right frontal lobe, congenital heart and St. Vitus dance.
One of the high points of the year came when one of our pupils, who had never attended regular school because of paralysis from poliomyelitis en- tered school and is still there carrying on a regular course of studies. Our
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work is rewarding when we are able to help the children keep up with their school work so that when they return to their classes, they are able to hold their own with their classmates.
The difficult part of this teaching comes when our program is crowded with seven or more pupils and we can only give four or even three days a week to each pupil. This is particularly hard in the junior and senior high school classes. Consequently, we are more than appreciative of all the help given to us by the classroom teachers.
11. SPEECH THERAPY
In May 1963 meetings were held with all elementary school teachers explaining the philosophy and goals of the speech therapy program for the 1963-1964 school year. Teacher referral forms were discussed and dis- tributed with an explanation of what constitutes a speech defective child and how to identify the various defects such as non-fluencies (stuttering), ar- ticulatory (sound substitutions, omissions, and distortions), voice quality (rate, volume, pitch), organic disorders (cerebral palsy, cleft palate, aphasia) and hearing problems.
In September 1963, utilizing the teacher referral sheets, 502 children in the seventeen elementary schools were tested for placement in the speech therapy program. Results of these initial evaluations revealed that 257 children required the services of the speech therapist and an additional 75 would benefit from speech help. The number of cases in each individual school, the severity of the defects, lack of previous therapy, and the ab- sence of a remedial reading program were taken into consideration in the selection of schools to be serviced by the speech therapist.
In eight elementary schools, 131 children are presently receiving speech therapy on a once-a-week basis. The children are seen either individually or in small groups. Under the direct supervision of the speech therapist and an instructor from the Boston University Department of Speech Pathology, two Boston University senior speech therapy students are conducting their clinical practice with 50 children in two additional schools. Children in speech therapy are being treated for defects including articulatory, stutter- ing, delayed speech development, voice quality, cleft palate speech, cere- bral palsy speech, impaired hearing with speech defect, lip reading, foreign accent, and impairment of language function (aphasia).
Letters were sent to the parents of the children in speech therapy ex- plaining the program and emphasizing that work in speech therapy would be considered beneficial for both the advanced and slow learner and is con- structed to make the child operate more efficiently in a world where the ability to communicate is becoming increasingly more important. Wherever possible the work is eventually combined with regular classroom assign- ments. Conferences with parents and teachers are arranged to facilitate understanding of the child's problem so that the speech therapy will progress more effectively.
12. DRIVER EDUCATION
The three driver education cars in use this year have standard trans- missions because of many requests by the students for this type of training.
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While insurance savings are substantial, especially in the case of the male driver, this is not the primary purpose of the program. Safety ed- ucation, motor vehicle laws and car operation and maintenance are stressed.
The dealers who co-operated in supplying the cars are: Clark & Taber, Inc., Cutler Auto Sales, Inc., Norfolk Motors, Inc., and Thorp Motors Company.
The enrollment has been high and it appears that only the seniors will be able to obtain their licenses through the program this year.
High School (including afternoons and Saturdays)
600 pupils enrolled 310 received licenses and certificates
Edward Ferguson and Richard Whitmore, Instructors
Vocational Technical High School
54 pupils enrolled 36 received licenses and certificates
Otto H. Mahn, Instructor
Summer School
46 classroom and license
8 driving
Edward Ferguson and Richard Whitmore, Instructors
13. SCHOOL LIBRARIES
At the end of 1962, the High School Library was moved to the new high school. During the summer of 1963, a new and larger area for library pur- poses was developed in what is now the High School Annex and East Junior High School. The result is that there are now five school libraries, one at the high school and one at each of the four junior high schools.
The only change in librarians is the addition of Mrs. Frances R. Looney in the new library. This facility has not yet opened to pupils but is nearly ready to do so. The delay has been due to the late completion and furnishing of the library and to the time needed to process enough books to make oper- ation feasible.
The librarians endeavor in several ways to provide the many resources needed for teaching and learning. They systematically build the collections of books, reference works, periodicals and pamphlet materials. They buy paperback books when demand is likely to be heavy, as with the Basic 250 Catalogue of Titles published in 1963 by the High School English Department. As often as possible, the latest editions of atlases, unabridged dictionaries and encyclopedias are obtained. Special collections of books useful in special projects such as research papers are provided as needed. Many magazines are available at all times; pamphlets and clippings are added regularly to the vertical files and include both commercial and free materials. Librarians
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attempt also to assist individual pupils who are looking for books for pleasure reading as well as for information.
Instruction in library skills goes on every year. At the high school, this involved seventy-eight sophomore, junior and senior classes in 1963. At the junior high schools, there is a regular schedule for class visits for li- brary lessons.
Students are able to visit the libraries before school, during study per- iods when no classes are there, and after school. One of the current prob- lems at the high school is the fact that many students who would like to visit the library during school hours have full schedules without study periods. In the junior high schools, there is a considerable use of the libraries by students for reference work and study.
Each librarian is assisted in many ways by students who give two or three or more periods each week to work in the library. Library Clubs pro- vide an opportunity for these students to meet each other and students from other schools on special occasions. A group of them from three junior high schools attended the Boston Herald Book Fair in November, where they heard Isaac Asimov, a leading writer of science books for young people, and en- joyed the large exhibit of books.
In September the school librarians attended the New England Library Association Fall Conference at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Statistics for 1963:
Number Discarded Added of Books 1963
1963
Total Circulation
Weymouth High
7,108
420
2,434
7,921
Bicknell Junior High
3,842
-
320
11,847
Central Junior High
5,917
102
309
17,546
South Junior High
5,730
190
436
16,692
East Junior High
749
749
-
14. EVENING SCHOOLS
The popularity of our evening classes for adults held up well in 1963, but teacher problems reduced the number actually assigned to classes. Some 956 adults were placed in classes, while 73 others who wanted either Shorthand or Typewriting were disappointed because no teachers could be found. In ad- dition, about 192 more of the registration of 1221 had to be placed on waiting lists in Beginning Clothing, Advanced Clothing, Copper Tooling, Woodwork, Drawing and Painting, and Upholstery. It is our belief that the new rates of pay for evening school teachers, recently voted by the School Committee, will enable us to locate teachers for all wanted subjects.
At the close of each season, class members exhibit their products for the benefit of friends and anyone interested. The 1963 exhibits came on April 1 at South Junior High School and on April 2 at the old High School. They were well attended, especially the style shows.
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A new course this year in Modern American Literature is a beginning toward our goal of more educational and cultural offerings.
Enrollments by subjects are as follows:
State-aided courses
Non-state-aided courses
Cake Decorating
112
American History 17
Beginning Clothing 92
Drawing and Painting 91
Advanced Clothing
91
Modern American Literature 32
Copper Tooling
49
Woodworking
47
Decorative Art
47
Bookkeeping
30
Fabric Painting
15
Office Machines
30
Furniture Refinishing
47
Typewriting
61
Rug Braiding
107
Rug Hooking
57
Upholstery
31
648
Mr. Francis X. Kelly continues as Principal of the classes at the High, Bicknell Junior High and Central Junior High Schools, and Mr. Thomas E. Lambe continues as Principal of the classes at South Junior High School.
The Evening Vocational Program includes four Trade Extension courses, namely, Offset Printing, Ignition, Apprentice Carpentry and Electronics. Mr. Ray G. Parker is the Director of these classes.
15. SUMMER SCHOOL
This was the fifth year that the Weymouth Public Schools have operated a summer session and much of the success of the 1963 session must be credited to the director of the first four sessions, Mr. Walter Gutterson. His experience and co-operation in setting up this year's program was in- valuable.
Summary of Enrollment, 1959-1963
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
From the elementary grades
84
85
From junior high schools
86
140
151
209
250
From senior high schools
194
154
134
116
179
Post high school
5
1
5
Totals
285
295
285
409
519
Part of the increase of 41 students at the junior high level and of 63 at the senior high level may be attributed to a course previewing algebra and to the course in driver education, neither of which had been offered in 1962. Of the 519 enrolled, only two were from non-resident families, 407 took just one subject, while 112 took two subjects, making a total number in all classes of 631. It may be of interest to divide this number into three groups, those attending summer school for:
Enrichment (personal typing, mathematics, science laboratory, driver education) 187
Preview of a course to be taken in the next school year (algebra) 25
308
408
Remedial work in various subjects 419 631
This is the first year we have had a class especially set up for the pur- pose of previewing a course. It is hoped that more opportunities of this kind can be made available in the summer session. Although two enrichment classes in mathematics were offered, only one of these classes (for grades 9 & 10) had enough enroll so that it could be held.
The personnel of the summer school consisted of the director, a secre- tary and 16 faculty members, all of whom teach regularly in the Weymouth schools. This year for the first time, in co-operation with Suffolk Univer- sity, we opened our summer school for teacher training, and six of our teach- ers had a trainee to supervise. Besides getting opportunities to conduct the class, these trainees also helped to give the students more individual atten- tion.
The general opinion seemed to be that this program was helpful to the supervising teacher as well as to the apprentice teacher and should be con- tinued. I am aware of two criticisms of this trainee program: (1) In one or two cases the trainee was allowed to conduct the class too frequently so that some parents felt their children had been denied the services of an expert teacher. (2) In some instances the trainee lacked a deep enough background in certain phases of the material which was being covered. If this program is continued another year, more supervision of the way in which it is handled in the various classes will be necessary. Also, we shall have to ask Suffolk University not to send us people whose knowledge of the subject matter is weak.
The large size of some classes points to the desirability of a greater number of teachers on the faculty or a limit on the number who are accept- ed for enrollment.
THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM
With the completion of the old high school remodeling and renovation job in September, Weymouth's extensive postwar school building program is finished. Since 1949, when the additions to the Adams and Pratt Schools were started, Weymouth has built eleven new schools (8 elementary, 2 junior high, and 1 high and vocational school), two additions to new elementary schools and eight additions to older buildings, including the addition to the Bicknell School to convert it into a junior high school. These twenty-one projects have cost approximately $15, 230, 000 excluding interest cost. School bond issues have totaled $13, 348, 000. The amount of state reimbursement which the Town will receive over a thirty-two year period, 1950 through 1981, to defray a portion of the cost will total over $5, 000, 000.
The Building Committee responsible for the alterations and renovations to the old high school to convert it into the East Junior High School and High School Annex did a highly commendable job with the limited funds available. Very little work was done in the north wing built in 1927 and it is hoped in the next year or so that the boys' shower and locker rooms can be renovated and the classrooms painted from regular school maintenance funds provided in the annual budgets.
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For the past two or three years, the Planning Board has been conducting a study of the future capital outlay needs of the Town including a survey and recommendations to meet school building needs. Their final report will be printed and distributed to Town Meeting Members and other citizens before the Annual Town Meeting. Preliminary copies of the consultants' projection of future school enrollments and the amount of school construction recom- mended have been available for some time.
If the recommendations contained in the preliminary report are not changed in the final report, they propose the immediate construction of 36 elementary classrooms to replace 33 classrooms in old buildings which they recommend should be adandoned for school purposes as soon as their replacements are available. The schools to be closed are: Shaw (5 rooms), Jefferson (5 rooms), Washington (6 rooms), John Adams (2 rooms), Athens (11 rooms) and the old original frame Pratt School (4 rooms). These would be replaced by six-room additions each to the Humphrey, Pingree, Pratt and Talbot Schools and a new 12-room building in North Weymouth.
The School Committee has considered these proposals and they have unanimously agreed that they have no intention of proposing any new con- struction in the next few years unless increased enrollments demand it. We now have 219 elementary classrooms including the Hunt School base- ment classrooms. At an average of 30 pupils per classroom, the 219 class- rooms have a total capacity of 6, 570; at an average of 28 pupils the capacity would be 6, 130 pupils. On the basis of the Edwards & Kelcey prediction of enrollment this capacity of 6, 130 pupils would not be exceeded until 1970.
The 219 elementary classrooms do not include the five-room Shaw School at Nash's Corner which was closed in March of 1958 when the new Nash School opened and then was re-opened from September 1960 to June 1963 to temporarily house 7th grade pupils until the opening of the East Junior High School. On January 7, 1964 the School Committee voted to ab- andon this five-room frame schoolhouse erected in 1900, because the enroll- ment projection indicated no need for these classrooms in the next four or five years.
The six southernmost elementary schools with 85 classrooms have a reserve capacity for about 250 more pupils; the eleven northernmost schools with 134 classrooms have a reserve capacity for about 150 more pupils. Because the potential for future growth is probably greater in South Weymouth than in the northern half of the Town, this larger excess in the south could' well be in proportion to future growth. If the Edwards and Kelcey predictions prove to be approximately correct and if the greater growth occurs in South Weymouth, no elementary construction would be needed until about 1970.
The last recommendation of the Planning Board report is as follows: "Sometime within the next five years, two new school sites should be acquired in the South Weymouth section. These sites will be needed for the construction of 30 elementary classrooms, which will be needed between 1975 and 1980. " This may well be the case and if births and new dwelling permits indicate this rate of growth in South Weymouth, sites should be procured well ahead of the time when the new schools will be needed.
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The first recommendation of the report proposes the immediate construc- tion of a 500-pupil capacity addition to the new high school. The wisdom of this action versus the erection of a second high school in South Weymouth on the site taken in 1960 was discussed at length in last year's annual report. My recommendation at that time was, in brief, that the decision in regard to future high school construction could be delayed until the late 1960s as it should be based on the most reliable prediction of future high school enroll- ments. The present limited high school site will permit the building of only a small addition. If future high school enrollments equal the Edwards and Kelcey predictions, a second high school will be needed some time in the 1970s.
It would appear at this writing that in 1968 or perhaps a year earlier the School Committee should initiate and sponsor a thoroughgoing survey of future school building needs.
TEACHERS AND THEIR SALARIES
The Teachers' Association in November presented to the School Committee a salary schedule proposal which would have increased minimum salaries $200 at the bachelor's level, $300 at the master's level and $400 at the mas- ter's level plus 30 semester hours. It proposed six $250 increments (all 12 increments are now $200) and a $250 increase at the super-maximums (after 20 years' service). This request would have upped maximum salaries $500, $600 and $700 and super-maximum salaries $550, $650 and $750. The increases for teachers would have varied in $50 jumps from $200 for 102 teachers to $750 for 16 teachers. The cost of the proposal would have been $218, 150 for a full school year and $72, 717 in 1964 for one-third of a year. The teachers termed this a reasonable request and in the light of what many communities are paying their teachers today they were correct.
The teachers' representatives stated that they were primarily interested in raising the maximum salaries that long-time career teachers could ex- pect to attain and, also, in making Weymouth's maximum salaries more near- ly comparable with the 69 cities and towns in the State who presently have higher maximums than Weymouth.
The School Committee after long deliberation decided that it was essen- tial to attempt to keep our relative position for minimum salaries in order to be in a competitive position to recruit well prepared, competent teachers who rank well up in their college classes. They also realized that if our comparative position at the top of the schedule falls too far below other com- munities in the metropolitan area, we are liable to lose capable experienced teachers. They therefore voted to increase the bachelor's level $200 at all steps (306 teachers) and to increase the differential for the master's degree from $300 to $400 (163 teachers) and to increase the differential for the 30 Hours Beyond level from $300 to $400 (44 teachers). This action results in a $300 increase for teachers at the master's level and in a $400 increase for teachers at the 30 Hours Beyond level, and will cost $42, 233 in 1964 and $126, 699 for a full school year. (see new schedule on page 433)
We hear complaints about the continued increase in the salaries of Wey- mouth teachers, but statistics show that our salaries are not high. Among 60 suburban cities and towns encircling Boston, our bachelor's maximum
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stands 45th from the top or 15th from the bottom. Among the 50 cities and towns in the state with populations of 20, 000 to 100, 000, Weymouth ranked 16th in median salaries in October 1961 but dropped to 20th in rank in October 1962 and to 26th in rank in 1963.
Among our immediate neighbors the newly adopted schedules place Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Randolph, Brockton, Hingham and Hull all higher than Weymouth. Many of the smaller communities on the South Shore are virtually at our level or only slightly lower. Ten or more years ago our com- parative position in the area was far better. For example, we have always been higher than Brockton and Holbrook, Brockton's new bachelor's schedule is $5, 200 to $7, 550; Holbrook's $5, 000 to $7, 500. New master's maximums for September 1964 are as follows: Braintree $8, 600, Duxbury $8, 500, Sharon $8, 400, Stoughton $8, 250, Hingham, Milton $8, 200, Brockton, Cohasset, Hull, Quincy $8, 000, Randolph $7, 900, Weymouth $7, 800, Holbrook $7, 600, Abington $7, 500 and Rockland $7, 300.
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