USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > Town annual report of the officers of Dedham, Massachusetts, and the town records 1894 > Part 7
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THOMAS P. MURRAY, GEORGE W. WEATHERBEE, HENRY E. FRENCH, J. EVERETT SMITH, FERDINAND F. FAVOR,
Selectmen of Dedham.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF DEDHAM.
OF DEDE
A
PL
ANTATION
RATED 1636 *
ICONTEN
MENT
BEGUN 163
1893-94.
DEDHAM, MASS. : TRANSCRIPT STEAM JOB PRINT. 1894.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMITTEE.
Hon. FREDERICK D. ELY, Chairman.
Members.
CHARLES F. KIMBALL,
1891-94.
JOHN L. WAKEFIELD,
1891-94.
WILLIE W. BAKER,
1892-95.
JULIUS H. TUTTLE,
1892-95.
FREDERICK D. ELY,
1893-96.
MABELL S. C. PELTON,
1893-96.
.
RODERICK W. HINE, Secretary and Superintendent.
Committees.
Text Books and Course of Study-Mr. Kimball, Mr. Wakefield. Mr. Tuttle, Mrs. Pelton.
School Houses and Supplies-Mr. Baker, Mrs. Pelton, Mr. Kimball. Finance, Accounts and Claims-Mr. Tuttle, Mrs. Pelton, Judge Ely Music and Drawing-Mr. Wakefield, Mrs Pelton.
Truancy and Evening Schools-Judge Ely, Mr. Kimball.
Physical and Manual Training-Mr. Kimball, Mrs. Pelton. Sewing-Mrs. Pelton, Mr. Tuttle.
High School-Judge Ely, Mr. Wakefield, Mrs. Pelton, Mr. Tuttle.
Ames -Mr. Wakefield, Mr. Tuttle, Mrs. Pelton, Judge Ely.
Avery -Mr. Kimball, Mrs. Pelton.
Colburn -Mr. Baker, Mr. Kimball.
Oakdale -Mr. Kimball, Mrs. Pelton.
Quincy -Mr. Wakefield, Mr. Kimball.
Dexter -Mr. Tuttle, Mr. Wakefield.
Riverdale -Mr. Tuttle, Mr. Baker.
Endicott -Mr. Kimball, Mr. Tuttle.
Islington -Judge Ely, Mr. Baker.
Burgess -Mr. Baker, Mrs. Pelton.
Fisher -Mr. Wakefield, Mr. Baker.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
FOR THE YEAR ENDING JANUARY 31, 1894.
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Dedham :--
The School Committee have the honor to make the fol- lowing report for the year ending January 31, 1894.
According to its regulations, the committee met for or- ganization on the eleventh day of March, 1893. Frederick D. Ely was elected chairman, and Oscar S. Williams secretary. Later in the year Mr. Williams resigned the office of Super- intendent of Schools, his resignation to take effect Aug. 1. 1893. Mr. Roderick W. Hine was elected to that office and secretary of this Committe, and entered upon his duties Aug. 11, 1893. At the meeting of the Committee on March 11th, it appointed its several standing and local committees.
The Committee has held, during the year, sixteen meet- ings, and its sub-committees have held numerous meetings.
ELECTION OF SUPERINTENDENT AND TEACHERS.
Mr. Hine, who was elected Superintendent of Schools, as before stated, is a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1884. He has had extensive experience in school work, and possesses a thorough knowledge of it in all its branches. He has thus far performed the duties of his office with ex- ceptional skill and fidelity.
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The changes in the corps of teachers have been as fol- lows, viz :-
In June last, C. Belle Kenney, 3d Assistant in the High School, N. G. Kingsley, Principal, and Lucy A. Colburn of the 3d and 4th grades of the Oakdale School, Blanche I. George, Teacher of Drawing, and Annis G. Spencer, Teacher of Sloyd, resigned. The other teachers in the service of the town were re-elected at the June meeting of the Committee.
After careful consideration, the Committee decided to employ five teachers in the High School. The experiment of conducting this school with only four teachers was faith- fully tried for two years, and proved injurious to the best interests of the school. The experiment was contrary to the judgment of the writer of this report, as he stated in his re- port of last year. It is true that the work can be done with four teachers, but it can be much better done with five. With the present courses of study, and the one daily session of four and one half hours, five teachers have all the work that they can do well. With less than five teachers, some work must be done in that hurried manner which ought al- ways to be avoided. It must also be remembered that a teacher's work for the day is by no means finished when the school is dismissed. These teachers do much work after the close of the school each day. It is the aspiration of the Committee to make this and all other schools of the town better and stronger and more helpful to the pupils from year to year. In order to attain this result, it is the unanimous opinion of the Committee that five teachers are required in the High School. Accordingly, the Committee elected Marion J. Wendell 3d Assistant and Marion H. Lamson 4th Assistant in said school, and they entered upon their duties at the beginning of the school year in September last. Miss Wendell is a graduate of Boston University, and Miss Lam- son is a graduate of Smith College.
In the Colburn School M. Blanche Bonney having been transferred to the Ames School, Isabel E. Clark was elected
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to fill the vacancy. Miss Clark is a graduate of the Dedham High School and Boston Normal School. In the Ames. School Flora E. Billings resigned her position as teacher of the 4th Grade on Sept. 8, 1893, and Miss Bonney was trans- ferred as above stated.
In the Avery School Alice E. May resigned her position as teacher of the 5th Grade on October 13, 1893, and Kath- arine E. Lahey was elected to fill the vacancy. Miss Lahey is a graduate of the Bridgewater Normal School.
In the Oakdale School, E. Frank Southworth was elect- ed principal, and Dollie L. Wales was transferred from the Endicott School to fill the vacancies caused by resignations in June last. On September 18, 1893, Cora B. Wheeler re- signed her position as teacher of the 5th and 6th grades of this school, and Dolly L. Wales was thereupon transferred from the 3d and 4th grade, and D. Frances Campbell was elected to fill the vacancy caused by this transfer. Mr. Southworth is a graduate of the Bridgewater Normal School, and Miss Campbell is a graduate of the Normal School of Willimantic, Conn.
In the Riverdale School, Isabelle F. Winslow resigned November 30, 1893. This vacancy has not yet been filled, but Florence E. Abbott, who is a graduate of the Dedham High School, has been one year in the Bridgewater Normal School, and is a graduate of the Boston Kindergarten School, has had charge of this school.
In the Endicott School, Edna Hilton was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the transfer of Miss Wales to the Oakdale School. Miss Hilton has been an undergraduate. for two years in Boston University.
In the Union School, Winifred E. Bates resigned Sep- tember 1, 1893. This school was in charge of a temporary teacher when the school-house was burned September 18, 1893. Since that date the pupils of this school residing in Dedham have been transported to the Colburn School.
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In September last, Henry Orne Ryder was elected Teacher of Drawing. Mr. Ryder has been for a number of years, and is now, the teacher of drawing in Lassell Seminary. In September, Annie V. Comins was elected teacher in the branch of the elementary use of hand tools.
In the selection of these teachers the Committee have adhered to the views expressed in their report of last year. The High School teachers are graduates of leading colleges, and the teachers in the Grammar and Primary grades are in nearly every case graduates of Normal schools. These new teachers have proved to be strong, efficient teachers. Al- though nearly all the teachers who resigned left our schools to accept positions in schools of other cities and towns at in- creased salaries, in some cases at very largely increased sal- aries, the vacancies have been filled with equally good teachers in every respect. This has not been an easy task, but it has been done. How long the Committee can main- tain the present standard of ability and education in our corps of teachers, at the salaries now paid, is problematical. It becomes more and more difficult from year to year.
Of the four teachers who resigned during the Fall term, Miss Wheeler accepted a position with a much higher salary in Nashua, N. H .; Miss Billings and Miss May accepted positions in Cambridge, and Miss Winslow in New Bedford.
The maximum salary paid to teachers of all grades in Cambridge and New Bedford is $620. Such are the odds that confront your Committee. It is a trite saying, but a true one, that frequent changes of teachers are detrimental to the best interests of a school. Thrice detrimental are they if they occur after the beginning of the school year. The work is interrupted, and often the school must be placed for weeks in the hands of a substitute. And although new teachers equally good are secured, they will necessarily consume much valuable time in becoming acquainted with their new pupils, securing their confidence, and in other respects adapting themselves to their new surroundings.
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Our Superintendent of Schools truly says - " Efficient teachers, able to profitably employ every moment of the time in school, are the most economical and should be retained."
CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS.
The condition of the schools is eminently satisfactory. They have made a notable advance in efficiency, and conse- quently in usefulness, during the last year. While they have for many years attained reasonably satisfactory results, and have not been justly subject to unfavorable criticism, they were, during a considerable period prior to the beginning of the school year of 1892, not progressive. The quality of school work was good, but it was stationary from year to year. This condition caused the Committee much anxious thought and discussion. They desired to report to the citi- zens of the town, not satisfaction alone, but progress, improvement, growth. How could this result be obtained ? The Committee found what they sought by bringing the mat- ter to the notice of the teachers, and in their earnest and hearty co-operation. This movement began when Mr. Wil- liams' failing health impaired his activity, but he did what he could with zeal and faithfulness.
His successor, Mr. Hine, took up the work, and has carried it on with the most gratifying skill and strength. Harmony of action, oneness of purpose, unflinching vigor of effort, have characterized the work of Superintendent and teachers. The Committee desire to put on record their ap- preciation of this good work. It is just and right also to give credit to the children of our schools for their co-opera- tion in this work. They have done hard and studious work, harder and more studious than heretofore. No complaint of misbehavior or unfaithfulness sufficiently serious to be brought to the attention of the Committee has arisen during the last year., Indeed, it is very pleasing in visiting our schools, to witness the good order that everywhere prevails,
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and the attention and quickness of thought manifested by the children in their recitations.
To the end that parents and citizens generally may realize what is being done by our teachers, the Committee- earnestly request them to make frequent visits to our schools. With the same end in view, it is the purpose of the Com- mittee to give, in May or June next, one or more exhibitions of actual school work, in Memorial Hall, before all the citi- zens who will be kind enough to be present. These exhibi- tions will not be of the kind ordinarily seen at the close of a school year, but will be recitations in Arithmetic, Geography, and other branches, conducted in the same manner as those daily had in the schools. The children who recite will not be a few exceptionally bright pupils, cautiously selected for the occasion, but will fairly represent all the. scholars in our schools.
THE AVERY SCHOOL-HOUSE.
The Committee will ask the town, at its next town-meet- ing, to erect a new school-house on the same location as that of the present Avery school-house. It needs no long state- ment to show that the building now occupied by the Avery school is unfit for use as a school-house. The rear part of this school-house was erected in the year 1844,-fifty years ago this year. It was designed for a two-room school-house .. In 1860-34 years ago-this part was moved farther from the street, and the transverse front was erected and annexed to it. The school committee in their report for 1861 say,- " The number of school-rooms thus added is four, so that there are now six fine rooms in the school-house." But in 34 years the school has increased in numbers so that now there are seven schools in a building designed for six. In order to provide for seven schools, a partition has been placed across one of these school-rooms, dividing it into two small, awkwardly-shaped rooms, in one of which 40 children are daily confined. The teacher in this room has recently been . obliged to retire for an indefinite period on account of im --
1
2
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paired health. A teacher a few years ago constantly suf- fered ill health while she taught in the other of these two rooms, but has enjoyed excellent health since she was trans- - ferred to another room. The ventilation in these rooms is exceedingly poor, if, in any proper sense of the word, there is any ventilation. The light is dim, giving everything a dingy appearance. Indeed, the whole building is gloomy and repelling. It affords no opportunity for the introduction. of proper sanitary arrangements without inordinate expense.
Four years ago this building was condemned by the School Committee, a majority of whose members were other men than those of the present School Committee. It was condemned by a committee of citizens appointed by the town meeting in 1890. It was condemned by the town in town --- meeting assembled in the same year. At that time a new school building would have been erected if differences of opinion as to a proper location had not arisen. Having these facts in mind, the Committee have made upon this building only such repairs as have been absolutely necessary, believing it to be the intention of the town to erect a new building for this school at an early day. For the same reason the Committee have not complied with an order of the State authorities relating to this school-house.
After careful consideration, the Committee recommend that the new school-house be erected on the present school lot. This course seems to be the most economical, even if some expense must be incurred in properly preparing the lot for a new building. This lot is centrally located. It has one entrance in front and another in the rear. No other lot known to the Committee is in an easy walking distance for the children. The people residing in East Dedham, so far as the Committee can learn, prefer this lot.
The Committee make no recommendation concerning the material of which the new structure shall be built. Citi- zens of the best judgment are divided on this subject. Some prefer brick, others prefer wood. And it must be confessed"
12
that strong arguments can be presented in favor of each Let the town meeting determine it, and let us all cheerfully accept the result.
It has sometimes been suggested that, when a new school-liouse should be erected in this section of the town, the Quincy School should be consolidated with the Avery School. In the opinion of the Committee this should not be done. Each of these schools has a sufficient number of pupils to justify its existence. All the teachers have enough work to do. The children of the Quincy School are in the first four grades, and many of them too small to walk to the Avery School. Attempted consolidation would meet with just opposition from the residents of what may be called the. Quincy District. These schools are doing excellent work, and it seems to be unwise to disturb existing arrangements. The number of children attending the Quincy School is greater than the number attending any other school in town except the Ames School and the Avery School. The per- centage of attendance was greater in the Quincy School last year than that in any other except the Dexter School. This high and highly praiseworthy standard of attendance could not be maintained if the children were obliged to walk to the Avery School.
In attempting to learn something of the age, original design and history of the Avery school-house, the writer found, with the aid of Don Gleason Hill, Esq .. in the ar- chives of the Dedham Historical Society,-that repository of . so many valuable papers and documents relating to the town of Dedham,-the report of the Committee of the Mill Dis- triet, as it was then called, appointed to superintend the erec- tion of the school-house built in 1844. The report was written by the Chairman of the Committee, Ezra W. Taft, Esq. It is full of interest, giving a resume of the action taken by the School District, and in Mr. Taft's careful, business-like way, an itemized account of the cost of the new building. But it is referred to more especially here to make a brief quotation
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from the closing paragraph. Calling the minds of his neigh- bors to their duty to the public schools and the benefits to be derived from them, he says : "Let us be careful to get , good teachers, and then respect and encourage them. Let us bestow a fostering and watchful care upon our schools, and let us remember that the best treasure we can give our children is a good education." He underscores the words "respect " and " encourage " in the first sentence quoted. These are apt words. They are golden words. During a long life Mr. Taft was a leader in the town of Dedham. His judgment as a discreet, conservative and able man was. sought for and relied upon by the people on all occasions. The writer thought, as he read those words, what an impetus it would give to our schools if everybody would ponder and act upon them. Aye, respect and encourage the teachers. If they deserve censure, let them receive it according to their . deserving. But if they are worthy of praise, give them that according to their merit. Goethe says: "Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement after censure is as the sun after a shower."
It is estimated that the following appropriations will be' required for school purposes for the ensuing year :-
Salaries of teachers and superintendent, . $26,400 00
Care of school-houses, grounds and janitors' supplies, 2,750 00
Fuel,
2,300 00
Lighting,
100 00
School books and school supplies,
2,000 00
Furniture,
1,000 00
High School laboratory, . 300 00
General repairs and grading of school yards, 2,000 00
Elementary use of hand tools,
1,200 00
$38,050 00.
FREDERICK D. ELY,
Chairman of School Board.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
To the School Committee :-
In accordance with the usual custom, I herewith re- spectfully submit my first annual report, which is the Thirteenth Annual Report of the Superintendent of Schools of this town.
As your Superintendent entered on the duties of his office August 11th, any statement concerning the condition and progress of the schools must be brief, and, aside from the usual detail, be restricted to a mention of the lines along which special work has been attempted. It is too early to speak of results.
You have been considerate, and the kindness and courtesy I have experienced at your hands have been appreciated. I have been relieved of the clerical work of the office, and enabled to spend my time in the schools. This is essential to efficient supervision. Principals and teachers have cor- dially welcomed me, and done all in their power to make our common work successful. An especially pleasant experience has been the desire on the part of the Principal and teachers of the High School to be considered as belonging to the public school system, and their willingness to help the work in the lower schools.
The object of all school work is to furnish the best pos- sible education to the children, to employ to advantage the time spent in school. With this end in view, studies should be introduced, courses arranged, and teachers employed, keeping in mind the large number who leave school at the age of fourteen, and the still larger number who complete their education in the grammar schools: There is no time
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for experiments, but approved methods, already adopted in the best schools, must be introduced. Only efficient teachers should be employed or retained, for the school is what the teacher makes it, and the harm done by an incompetent teacher cannot be repaired.
Promotions-The following rules for the ranking and promotion of pupils were adopted by the Board in Sep- tember :
1. Ranking of pupils in the several studies and deport- ment shall be indicated by the terms - Excellent, Good, Passable, Unsatisfactory, Poor, and Very Poor.
2. Teachers shall make an estimate of the standing in scholarship of each pupil under their charge, based on daily rank and written tests.
3. The average standing shall be determined by teach- er's estimate, and examinations given by Superintendent. Pupils whose average standing in all studies does not fall below passable, and whose average standing in any one study is not below poor, shall be promoted. Attention, application and good conduct will count in favor of promotion.
4. The Superintendent, in consultation with the prin- cipals and teachers, shall have authority to make promotions at any time.
5. Teachers shall send to the parent or guardian of every pupil, each half term, a statement of the standing of -each pupil. These reports are to be returned to the teacher, after being signed.
It is intended, under the present rules, that the proper education and the interests of the pupils shall be considered in making promotions. Those who do their best work will be promoted, unless a review is necessary for a fair com- prehension of the studies of the next grade, while the true test of teaching will not be the ability to cram for examina- tions but the power to awaken in children a love for study
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and for school, to lead the stupidest child to make the most of his time and advantages.
In accordance with Rule 4, about forty individual pro- motions have been made with satisfactory results. All rooms. are divided into two or more classes, and scholars will be advanced from class to class and grade to grade, as their ability and strength will permit.
Arithmetic. Special attention has been given to arith- metic, and early in the year an outline of work was adopted, which will be found in the appendix to this report. The following are the most important changes :- The amount of abstract number work in the primary grades is much dimin- ished. Oral work in fractions is begun in the first year and continued through the course, followed by written work in the more advanced grades. Percentage is introduced in the fourth year, together with simple examples in profit and loss- and interest. Rapid work in the combinations, problems, and the practical applications of the study, are a part of the daily lesson. Useless arithmetic, and juggling with figures, are entirely omitted. As a result of this method of in- struction, pupils of the sixth grade should be able to perform the greater part of the examples in percentage and fractions that are encountered in the common affairs of life, while those who are obliged to leave school before reaching the seventh grade will not be absolutely ignorant of the most important and practical part of the study. Some classes have already accomplished the year's work, and in all grades there has been great improvement in rapidity, accuracy, and ability to perform simple practical problems.
Reading. The best methods of teaching reading have been discussed in the grade meetings during the present term. Under proper instruction and with careful drill in phonics, the difficulty of calling the words, the mechanical part of read- ing, can be mastered after two, or, at the most, three years in school. when the child is eight or nine years of age. From that time the efforts of the teacher should be directed to se-
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curing intelligent oral reading, and the power to get the thought of a printed page.
Many of the primary teachers have abandoned the read- ing matter found in the primers and first readers. They have found that children can be interested in history stories, the lives of Longfellow and Whittier, and their simpler poems, nature works, and experiments in science. Such topics awaken intelligence, give us intelligent readers, and have formed the basis of the reading and language work of the first and second grades. Taught in this manner, the pupils at. the end of the third year in school will not, it is true, know by heart one, two, or three readers, but they will be able to read understandingly Little Folks of other Lands, Seven Little Sisters, Each and All, Brooks and Brook Basins, Eggleston's First American History, and Montgomery's Beginner's History. They can begin to read and study literature.
Literature. Hawthorne's Wonder Book and Tangle- wood Tales, Irving's Sketch Book, Scott's Ivanhoe, and Lady of the Lake, the poems of Whittier and Longfellow, have been read and studied for the past year, and the recent adoption by the Committee of the Riverside Literature Series provides the material necessary for the study of literature in the grammar grades.
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