USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of the officers and committees of the town of Scituate 1916-1918 > Part 7
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AMY F. FRYE,
Treasurer.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF SCITUATE
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31
1916
1
143
School Department
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Charles S. Short, term expires 1917.
Hamilton W. Welch, term expires 1918.
Joy K. Gannett, term expires 1919. Charles S. Short, Chairman. H. W. Welch, Secretary.
MEETINGS OF COMMITTEE First Friday in the month at 7.30 P.M.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
William E. Chaffin Telephone 118
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN T. Branch Alexander, M.D.
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS
John F. Turner
Elmer F. Burrows
TEACHERS
HIGH SCHOOL
Guy W. Vail, Principal, graduate of Colby, 1911.
Jennie E. Pierce, Commercial Department, graduate of Northfield Seminary.
Marion Stetson, English, graduate of Wellesley College.
M. Marguerite Coydevant, Languages, graduate of Boston University.
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School Department - Organization
JENKINS SCHOOL
Nellie L. Kelley, Principal, graduate of Gorham Normal School.
Marion Hammond, Grades 6 and 7, graduate of Bridgewater Normal School.
Josephine I. Barry, Grades 4 and 5, graduate of Scituate High School.
E. Gertrude Gardner, Grades 2 and 3, graduate of Scituate High School.
Anastasia McCarthy, Grade 1, graduate of Perry Kinder- garten Normal School.
HATHERLY SCHOOL
Maud E. Adlington, Principal, graduate of Simmons College. Helen Eustis, Grades 6 and 7, graduate of Framingham Normal School.
Josephine G. Ward, Grades 4 and 5, graduate of Quincy Training School and Hyannis Normal School.
Sara M. Kane, Grades 2 and 3.
Maud F. Damon, Grade 1, graduate of Miss Symonds' Training School.
HIGH STREET SCHOOL
Marie Ward, Grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Angie M. Faunce, Instructor in Music.
Samuel Warner, Instructor in Drawing.
Mrs. George Doherty, Substitute Teacher, graduate of Bos- ton Normal School.
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Report of School Committee
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Inhabitants of Scituate:
To present to you the many phases of school management would require more space than is allotted for our report. We have endeavored to give our personal attention to all school matters, dealing justly with all.
While we have been unable to agree with all citizens who have come to us with complaints regarding school affairs, we have, nevertheless, encouraged proper criticism, and have tried consistently to eliminate the cause of such com- plaints where we have felt action was justified.
Your Committee wish at this time to thank the citizens of Scituate for their magnificent response to our appeal for a new High School building. The agitation for a new build- ing did not originate with your present Committee, since we did nothing more than to define and energize the sug- gestions which have been made annually by successive com- mittees for a number of years, thus paving the way for the realization of their object, which is embodied in the building now under erection.
The corner stone of our new High School was laid Septem- ber 26, 1916, with fitting ceremonies, the scholars of all our schools taking part. The copper box which was placed in the stone contained the following articles:
Records of the meetings of the Building Committee.
New coins of the year 1916.
Copy of the Boston Globe.
Signatures of the five-hundred odd pupils now attending school in the Town.
Copy of the Woman's Suffragette Journal.
Business cards.
Your School Committee, in conjunction with the four additional members of the Building Committee, have spared no effort to give the Town the best. We feel that future
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developments will prove the wisdom of our action. With the completion of our new building, Scituate schools will be housed second to none in the state for a Town of our size.
The advisability of retaining teachers was forcibly illus- trated at our High School graduation exercises last June. For three years the class had been instructed by the same corps of teachers, and the result of their continuous work was manifest in the excellence of the program. Our gradu- ating class this year will have received its complete High School course of four years under the same teachers, and we cannot but feel that a better spirit must exist when a four years' acquaintance has existed between teachers and scholars.
But two changes were made in our teaching force last year, Miss Helen Eustis replacing Miss Webb as teacher of the sixth and seventh grades at the Hatherly School, and Miss Anastasia McCarthy succeeding Miss Mary E. Gillis in the first grade at the Jenkins School.
The resignation of Miss Gillis, after a term of fourteen years' service in our schools, calls for special notice. Miss Gillis' resignation was accepted with deep regret, and the Board expressed to her their appreciation of her faithful and efficient services in the following letter, which was ordered spread on the records:
SCITUATE CENTRE, MASS., November 16, 1916.
MISS MARY E. GILLIS,
Greenbush, Mass.
Dear Miss Gillis :
I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of resignation dated October 31, 1916, and do so with great regret, not only as a mem- ber of the School Board, but as a citizen of the Town of Scituate.
At a meeting of this Board held Friday, November 3, there being no alternative, it was voted to accept your resignation to take effect on the date which you ask for, namely, November 17.
The Secretary was also instructed to convey to you on behalf of this Committee and Mr. Chaffin, Superintendent, an expression of their appreciation for your faithful and efficient services during the entire period of your connection with our schools. To this the Committee adds their sincere wishes for your future success and happiness in your new sphere.
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Report of School Committee
The Boards feel that they but voice a common sentiment that the Town has suffered a distinct loss by the resignation of one who has so ably served it in a field which calls for peculiar ability. There is no doubt that you possess to a high degree this ability to discipline and train young children during this important formative period of school. Many children have carried through their school life a marked aversion to their studies, due no doubt to the lack of intelligent guidance on the part of the teacher at. the start.
While you have been in charge of Grade 1 the Committee has had no fear of the future attitude of those pupils who have had the good fortune to receive their first impression of school life: under your influence.
Very sincerely yours, (Signed) HAMILTON W. WELCH, Secretary.
The installation of outdoor gymnasium apparatus at both the Hatherly and Jenkins Schools' playgrounds marks a dis- tinct advance in the school work of our Town. The appa- ratus has furnished the opportunity of substituting recrea- tion in the form of healthful exercises in place of the desul- tory and ofttimes misdirected play which so often obtains where nothing is provided but an area of open land.
Several swings have been installed at the Hatherly School for the girls, and it is hoped to duplicate these at the Jenkins School during the coming year.
The Jenkins and Hatherly School buildings were thor- oughly renovated during the summer vacation, a coat of spar varnish being applied to all woodwork, including the desks.
At the Jenkins School, in addition, the walls in the hall and classrooms were tinted light brown to harmonize with the natural wood finish. Besides other general repairs to both schools, a new furnace was installed at the Jenkins School, so that the buildings at the completion of the work were in excellent order. A pleasing feature at the Jenkins School was the name of the school appropriately painted on a sanded background of blue, which can be easily read from the street.
The general appearance of the approach to this school
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Report of School Committee
was further improved by the removal of the dying poplar trees in the school yard, and the trimming of the hedges on the street ends.
The higher cost of grain, horses and other items entering into the transportation work has necessarily increased the cost of transportation, and an opportunity to contract for a barge route no longer offers the attraction to the towns- people that it formerly did.
Three of the transportation contractors, Charles W. Harris, Henry T. Cole and Albert Brown, have resigned their routes. In the resulting change the routes were shifted somewhat and are now taken care of in accordance with the following schedule:
Name
Caleb W. Prouty,
Route Centre to Hatherly School.
Mrs. Bessie W. Prouty,
Greenbush to Jenkins School.
W. W. Waterman,
2d Cliff to Jenkins School.
Arthur F. Sylvester,
Pinchin Hill to Hatherly School.
Eugene Brown,
Conihasset to Hatherly School.
Scituate Trans. Co.,
Beach to Hatherly School.
G. W. Damon,
Beechwood to Hatherly School.
Your Committee deemed it prudent to insure our trans- portation contractors and the Town jointly against accidents to the children while riding on the barges.
The conduct on the part of some of the scholars while traveling on the barges to and from school has been a source of some annoyance, and it has been necessary to take steps which would bring home to the children the fact that they are under the jurisdiction of the school authorities while traveling on the barges to the same extent that they are in the schoolroom, and misdemeanors at such times would be dealt with accordingly. The Committee feels that with proper attention to this point the barges will be kept free from objectionable conduct in the future.
The increased cost of paper, books, supplies and fuel has been noticeable this year and we have advised all teachers to instruct scholars to avoid needless waste of material.
We wish at this time to thank our Superintendent, prin-
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Report of School Committee
cipals, teachers and janitors for their loyal support and hearty co-operation with us to make our schools the best.
We feel that with our entrance into the new High School building, a marked improvement will be possible with the modern appliances available.
Included in our report this year is a condensed financial statement as follows:
Receipts
Town appropriation.
$21,750 00
County appropriation (dog tax)
376 65
Telephone reimbursements:
C. S. Short .
6 97
H. W. Welch.
10 00
William E. Chaffin
7 78
High School .
2 39
Jenkins School .
6 15
Hatherly School .
63
Allyn & Bacon (books returned)
4 80
$22,165
Expenditures
Teachers' salaries.
$10,691 75
Superintendent.
633 33
Music Instructor .
195 00
Drawing Instructor
452 00
Janitors' salaries
1,579 96
Books and supplies
1,833 66
Fuel .
407 70
Transportation
4,167 40
Administration expenses
521 94
Maintenance of buildings and grounds
1,356 66
School Physician .
75 00
School Committee's salaries
250 00
$22,164 40
Unexpended balance .
$0 97
Respectfully submitted, (Signed) CHARLES S. SHORT, JOY K. GANNETT, HAMILTON W. WELCH, School Committee.
December 31, 1916.
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Report of School Superintendent
REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
To the School Committee:
In accordance with your requirements I herewith submit my eighth annual report of the schools of Scituate.
For the school year ending in June, 1916, it cost $46.64 to give a year's schooling to each pupil in the average mem- bership of the schools of Scituate. The average cost for the state was $41.68; for Duxbury, the average was $46.14; for Pembroke, $51.81; and for Cohasset, $67.41.
Fifteen years ago the average cost per pupil for Scituate was $29.66 and for the state, $27.87. Although the rate of increase in cost for schooling in Scituate has but little more than kept pace with the increase for the state, the increase in valuation of taxable property has been approximately twice that of the state. Fifteen years ago Scituate was taxed $3.72 per $1,000 of valuation for school purposes. For the school year ending in June, 1916, the tax was $3.64. Fifteen years ago the average state tax for school purposes was $3.91 and $4.64 for the school year ending in June, 1916. It will be seen from the above that the school tax rate for Scituate is less than it was fifteen years ago, while the aver- age for the state during the same time has increased over 18 per cent. The cost per pupil in the state has increased 37 per cent in the last ten years.
It is to be remembered that it is still costing Scituate more per pupil than the average for the state to educate its children and with the tendency ever towards increasing expense for schools it is well for school officers to watch all phases of the school problem to reduce expense wherever it can be done without detriment to the schools.
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
The amount spent this year for books and supplies has been unusually large. This is due to the fact that condi-
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Report of School Superintendent
tions created by the war have caused a sharp advance in the price of paper and other supplies, and last spring, realiz- ing that prices were going much higher, a sufficient stock of paper was purchased to last well into 1917. This has re- sulted in quite a saving to the Town, as these supplies would now cost about twice what they did when purchased.
HIGH STREET SCHOOL
At present it seems that the school at High Street could be discontinued without detriment to the pupils. The total enrollment of this school is now but seven pupils. The average membership for the year will probably be between six and seven pupils. The cost of the school, including teacher's salary, fuel, upkeep and janitor's services, will be between $650 and $700. This means that it is costing ap- proximately $100 per pupil to maintain this school. If the pupils were transported to the Hatherly School, one pupil would be added to the first-grade room, making a total of 24: one would be added to the next room, making a total of 38 for that room; five pupils would be added to the room containing grades four and five, making a total of 47 pupils in that room, which is 6 less than the present number of pupils in the corresponding room at the Jenkins School. As no new barge route would be necessary, the added cost for transporta- tion would be slight. Also, were the High Street pupils trans- ported to the Hatherly School they would have the added stimulus of competition with numbers of pupils of the same age in both study and play. This would make a broader and better school environment for these pupils. The distance for transportation from this school is not great.
The drivers of conveyances have been instructed to report all cases of wrong conduct to the principals of the schools, and any pupil guilty of misconduct will be required to walk until the tendency to disorder is corrected.
The drivers should be prompt to report any case of mis- conduct, as it is of vital importance that all pupils entitled to ride have the privilege of doing so without being subjected to annoyance or obliged to listen to profane or improper language.
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Report of School Superintendent .
GRAMMAR SCHOOL YEAR SHORTENED
It will be observed from the school calendar that the grammar school year has been shortened by one week, the spring term closing June 15 instead of 22, when the High School closes. Numbers of parents have wished the schools to close a week earlier in June; others have wanted them to begin a week later in the fall. It was decided to close the grammar schools a week earlier in June, as it was felt that the week in June would average hotter than the week in September and by beginning the school year earlier we would have more chance to make up for lost time in case of epidemic disease.
AGE OF ENTRANCE TO FIRST GRADE
In the past there has been a misunderstanding on the part of some about the age of entrance to the primary schools. Some towns have fixed the age of entrance at six years; others at five years six months; and some at five years. The age of entrance to the first grade with us has been fixed at five years. It is difficult for pupils commenc- ing at this age to do the work of our first grade and it is felt that if error has been made it is in making the age limit too young rather than the reverse. Teachers have, therefore, been instructed to admit no pupil to the first grade who is not at least five years of age on the date set as indicated by the school calendar for the opening of schools in the fall.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
In order that all in the School Department may under- stand their duties and obligations and to avoid future mis- understandings, a code of rules and regulations has recently been prepared and should be in print by the time this report is issued.
ATTENDANCE
The roll of honor, comprising the names of pupils who have been neither absent nor tardy for one or more terms, is a thing fast passing from present-day school reports.
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Report of School Superintendent
The reason generally given for this is that it affects but few pupils.
For the past year 101 names out of an average member- ship of 462 occur on the roll of perfect attendance. It is certain that many try for perfect attendance who fail on account of sickness or other unavoidable cause. With us, then, it seems that more than a few are influenced by the roll of honor. While teachers, attendance officers and others labor with those who are lowest on the attendance lists, the honor list is still retained in the belief that it is as wise to commend the good attendance as to censure the bad.
COURSE OF STUDY
During the year attention has been given to make the work at the Jenkins and Hatherly Schools more uni- form. At present the work of these schools is practically the same in all essential points of the course of studies.
The State Board of Education has for a considerable period of time been preparing courses of studies for the common schools. Ten committees, composed of superin- tendents of schools, assisted by normal school teachers, have been employed in this work. Most of these courses are now at hand and have been placed in the hands of our teachers. These courses have already been adopted in some towns and, with such changes as are necessary to adapt them to our textbooks and our teaching force, might serve us well.
Manual and vocational work have been discussed in previous reports. At present, state conditions regarding these subjects are much the same as when last reported.
Some towns are becoming dissatisfied with results in these subjects. The following is from the report of the superin- tendent of schools of a town of about eight thousand popu- lation :
"Considering the standards we are trying to reach in other things and how little manual training is functioning in the child's life, I unhesitatingly say that we cannot afford it and that in its present state it does little good. . .
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Report of School Superintendent
Sewing is to a large extent subject to the same conditions as manual training."
However, manual and vocational work are a necessary and important part of a modern education. The time will come, and that 'probably before many years, when this work will be well organized in Massachusetts schools.
With us, pupils wishing a vocational education might well avail themselves of the following law: "Chapter 471, Acts of 1911, Sec. 7. 1. Any resident of any city or town in Massachusetts which does not maintain an approved independent industrial, agricultural or household arts school, offering the type of training which he desires, may make application for admission to such a school maintained by another city or town. ... 3. Cities and towns that have paid claims for tuition in approved local or district independent vocational schools shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth, as provided in this Act, to the extent of one-half the sums expended by such cities and towns in payment of such claims."
Scituate now has two pupils availing themselves of this law by attending a vocational school in Boston.
I would recommend that home industrial work be en- couraged by the School Department. The following is from my report of 1913: "I would suggest a plan that has been tried in various places in the West, notably in Oregon, with reported success. It is to give school credit for a specific amount of household, farm or other work regularly done at home and certified to by the parent, such work to count towards a diploma in place of some of the regular school work which may be dropped. At present many motor-minded children drop out of school or remain with little profit to themselves or credit to the school. For these pupils regular work required in the home would at least have a tendency to form valuable habits and dignify home work."
In the Boston School Report for 1915 is the following: "An effort is made to encourage the girls who perform various definite tasks at home. One girl may take charge of
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Report of School Superintendent
the bedrooms; another of the Saturday cleaning and cook- ing; another looks after the dishwashing each day. A task book is kept by each girl, showing the work which she is doing, and the parents sign this book each month. There are great possibilities in this close alliance of the home with the school and we are crediting all the girls in school for the duties performed in the home as a legitimate part of the work of this department.".
The following is taken from the School Report of the Town of Braintree for the year 1915: "In many places the fullest recognition of home work of a definite nature has brought about a splendid co-operation between the home and the school. A number of our students have work at home that encroaches somewhat upon the time of the school. Recog- nition of this work should be made a part of our school policy."
It would seem that this co-operation of the school with the home is coming to receive endorsement in Massachusetts.
Our work for the year has been similar to that of past years. We have been continuously striving to lessen the amount of wasted effort and lost motion referred to in the following: "That educational results are meagre in propor- tion to the cost of the public schools is the claim of educators as well as laymen. The highest educational officer in the state recently said that the education of children from eleven to eighteen years of age is extremely costly and woe- fully inefficient. S. A. Courtis, an expert in measuring educational results, asserts that the numerous educational surveys all reveal the inefficiency of our present educational practice. He claims that wasted effort and lost motion run as high as seventy per cent."
DISCIPLINE
We are also continuously working for improved standards of discipline. It has been said that children at present are not so respectful and courteous to their elders as children used to be and that their home training or lack of training is responsible for this condition. The highest function of a
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Report of School Superintendent
school system is to so train and guide the pupils that they will be loyal, respectful and courteous. In this the parents can be of great help by sustaining and co-operating with the teachers.
THE HIGH SCHOOL
At present there are 93 pupils in the High School; 19 are to be graduated in June; 39 pupils are to be graduated from the grammar schools, making a possible fall enrollment at the High School of 113 pupils. Doubtless the actual enroll- ment will be some less than this, but it will probably be large enough to remind us that the new building arrived none too soon. I believe the building itself will be a strong incentive to better deportment and higher scholarship.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM E. CHAFFIN, Superintendent of Schools.
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Report of High School
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
MR. W. E. CHAFFIN,
Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir: In reporting the progress at the High School during the past year, I wish to state that the usual courses have been given, including drills in public speaking and spelling.
In June 19 were graduated from . the High School. I have no hesitancy in saying that this was one of the very best graduation exercises ever given by the school. They were in honor of the greatest of all English poets, William Shakespeare, and were especially appropriate at that time.
The presentation of a bust of this noted poet by the senior class was a gift particularly fitting and will be a source of inspiration to all who enter the new High School.
At the opening of school in September, there were 95 en- rolled by classes as follows: 19 seniors, 26 juniors, 19 sopho- mores and 31 freshmen. In October, the enrollment reached the century mark, the largest attendance, to my knowledge, in the history of the school.
It seemed advisable not to publish the school paper this year because of the increased expense.
The citizens of the Town, and especially those who have pupils who will enter the High School, should be very grate- ful to the School Committee for working so ardently to secure the appropriation for the erection of a new building, - one that will not only be a credit to the community, but will also meet the educational needs of pupils of the High School for many years. In the new High School building there will be a separate room for each class, a physical laboratory adequate for both physics and chemistry, a commercial department, consisting of a bookkeeping and a typewriting
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