USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1909-1912 > Part 54
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While the two highest grades in this school are comparatively small, the primary grades are all too large, and the rooms are overcrowded. One of the crying needs of this building is an un-
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graded room. The first grade will also have to be divided. These two things call for the use of more rooms than we have at hand.
There are two things feasible to alleviate the condition here : one is to use a room on the third floor as at present, and then se- cure a room elsewhere by the use of a portable building for exam- ple, or refit the old building. There are some serious objections to the present site of the old building. In the first place the cel- lar is not very deep, and is inclined to be filled with water. No school.building should be used with such a damp cellar as the old Franklin building has. The drains which were constructed to take care of the water apparently do not do so, and I doubt if any satisfactory arrangements can be made to take care of this condition because of the character of location.
If the School Committee should adopt an eight grade system, as is spokeu of elsewhere in this report, the Greenwood School would be taken care of probably for some few years to come, but I cannot see that a change in system will help matters at the Frank- lin School for any length of time, for, as I have stated above, there are actually more pupils than the normal seating capacity will care for; the section of the town which feeds the Franklin School is growing very rapidly, and lastly there are at present practically only eight grades in this building. Because of the crowded conditions at the Lincoln School a few ninth graders were transferred to the Franklin School, where we have a con- paratively small eighth grade.
A change in the system would help the Greenwood School, for there we have nine grades and only eight rooms available. By dropping the ninth grade and having eight grades for the Gram- mar School course, we would have enough rooms to take care of the children by giving each grade a room.
EIGHT GRADES
The entrance age limit has been raised during the past two years. A child now must be five years old by the April first next preceding the opening of a school year. By the time school
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opens, therefore, he will be about five and one-half years old, which is about six months older than was the case before the change was made. A child entering later than five is naturally more mature and better able to comprehend the work in hand in the school room, and, consequently, there should be fewer cases of retardation in the lower grades. I have found that many cases of non-promotion are due to the fact that children are immature and cannot thoroughly understand the work.
At present we have nine grades in our system. In the ninth grade latin is studied throughout the year, and algebra is taken for one-half of the year. Now, if the system should be changed, these two subjects would naturally fall upon the freshmen work in the High School. A part of the ninth grade is also spent in re- view. There are also some parts of the different subjects that might as well be omitted, for they are of little use, and are scarcely ever, if ever, called for. The pupil has enough other material to work with if the matter should ever be called up to study the matter out in a few minutes. . There is no particular benefit gained by loading down a child with a lot of useless ma- terial. This matter of changing has been discussed at our prin- cipals' meetings, and the principals are practically unanimous in preferring the change. A child under the proposed scheme would finish his school course at about the same age as at pres- ent, but he would spend one year less in the school-room. He would not enter as early, but he would be better fitted physically and mentally when he did enter, and would make as good prog- ress, if not better, through the grades. Again, a change would tend to lesson the congestion in some of our Grammar Schools. The Greenwood School would then have a room for each grade ; there would be an available room in the Lincoln School, which we shall probably need very soon; but the Franklin School, as explained elsewhere in this report, would receive no relief. We would have an extra room at the Warren School also for use.
We would receive no relief at all during the coming school year, for it will take at least a year to work out the reconstruction, but we would have some relief for the school year of 1914-15. If the town should see fit to erect a new High School building, the
1 with : of the orade 1
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cess of growth, and the schooling is one, therefore, among other factors. Let the child escape from us teachers a reasonable amount of time during those ycars, and I believe we should get just as good results at an earlier age."
HIGH SCHOOL
I commend to your consideration the report of the Principal of the High School, Mr. C. H. Howe, particularly to his exposition of suggested additions to the course of study which are needed to bring our High School up to a point where it will more nearly reach the requirements of to-day. The plea for an emergency room also needs careful consideration. At present there is abso- lutely no place to take care of students who are suddenly taken ill except in the corridors, cloak-room, or basement. Sometime ago a girl was taken ill in school and had to wait for some time in a cloak-room, with no chance to recline, but was compelled to sit in an uncomfortable chair while a conveyance was summoned to take her to her home. The room was filled with the outside wraps of students, and was not a fit place in which to keep a sick person.
A word along the line of efficiency of the school may be in order. About thirty-five per cent. of the graduates of 1912 en- tered higher schools of learning. This is a particularly large per- centage, and should be a source of gratification to the people. There were thirty-five graduates from the commercial department ; of these, twenty-seven, or seventy-seven per cent., secured posi- tions almost immediately. Of the others, five are at home, one is married, and one is acting as assistant clerk at the high school while taking extra work.
Some other interesting notes in regard to the High School will be found under the heading of "Need of a New High School Building."
I have heard some comments on the extremely high cost per pupil in the High School. Some estimates have gone even to $100 per pupil. According to the records of the School Com- mittee the average cost per pupil of average membership for moneys actually spent during the school year of 1911-1912 was $45.09.
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COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT
1912
1911
Number of graduates in June
35
26
Number at home
.
5
4
Married .
.
.
1
0
Number visiting
.
1
1
Post graduates
0
1
Number waiting for a vacancy .
0
1
Number attending higher institutions .
.
2
1
Number holding commercial positions
.
26
16
.
NEED OF A NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
The conditions in the high school will be more aggravated next year than ever, although the total enrollment in the school this fall is about fifteen less than we had figured. We opened the term with a two session plan, but we found that we could shift back to the old plan of a single session. The double session was not fully satisfactory either to pupils, parents or school authori- ties. In spite of this I do not see how it is possible to avoid a double session for the next school year ; that is, the upper classes will probably meet in the morning and the freshmen class will meet in the afternoon. There are two reasons for this. In the first place we have been offering French, German and Chemistry only four periods per week, and we feel that we should offer these at least five times per week, to meet the requirements of the New England College Entrance Board, and the School Committee has so voted. This will mean the addition of about fourteen extra recitations and an additional teacher. Now we have absolutely no place for another teacher without using a coat room, and of course that is out of the question, as we do not have sufficient room now for wraps. There are twenty-two vacant periods of which five are due to music and drill and nine to Room 4, which is still unsatisfactory as a recitation room for a class of any siza, although an attempt was made last summer to remedy the defect of ventilation.
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Last June 128 graduated from the ninth grades. Of the 128 promoted one moved away from town, 121 entered high school, and the other six went to work ; that is about 95 per cent of those who finished the grammar school course entered high school. The pr sent senior class numbers 67 and the present ninth grade has 172 in December. Not all of these will finish the course, but the number who will drop out will be small. Even if we make a liberal allowance for this, and the percentage of those who enter high school from the graduating class is lowered to eighty-five, which is an extremely low estimate for Wakefield, we shall then have between 135 and 140, as the principal part of the freshman class. Besides those who enter from the grammar schools we shall have some freshmen who have failed to pass, and also those who move into town and therefore enter from other schools; adding these, who will number approximately fifteen, we shall have a freshman class next fall of from 150-155. If all of the seniors graduate and about 145 enter, the membership is bound to increase ; but not by the difference between 135 and 67, for there will be a few from the other classes who will leave school.
Now the additional recitations needed for the extra periods per week for the French, German and Chemistry, and the increase in the membership will make a double session necessary, the increase in the number of recitations alone will be enough to do this.
The mortality in all high schools is much larger than it should be. There has been much printed by the press trying to make out that the high school is a total failure. Anyone reading the comments of men who have been in school work for years, and who have followed up their graduates will find this statement entirely false. No one affirms that the high school is doing all it. should do for the boys and girls of Wakefield. The course of study should be revised, and new subjects should be added. Among the changes or additions suggested are the following : Drawing should be given four times per week for those who are headed towards technical schools of different kinds ; Spanish might be a valuable asset, particularly to those in the commercial course ; Domestic Art should be added for those girls particularly
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who do not intend to enter college or higher institutions ; and manual training for the boy. I call your attention to that part. of Principal Howe's report, which deals with these last two sub- jects.
While about 35 per cent of the senior class of 1912 entered higher institutions of learning, and about 80 per cent of the com. mercial class secured positions, something should be offered which would appeal to the others. Some subjects are distasteful to the students and appear to them to have no direct bearing upon any- thing which they intend to do after leaving school. I do not advocate giving up all cultural for the vocational, but I do believe in a judicious mixing of the two. We cannot give any above mentioned courses with the present conditions in the high school for we have absolutely no facilities for them.
As I have mentioned under another heading in this report, at least three of the lar e grammar schools are over crowded, one school having single sessions for the first and second grades. Something must be done to relieve these conditions. It would be a very expensive proposition to build additions to these three buildings. A new high school building seems to be the most economical thing for the town. We need a new building at present, and one will have to be built in the near future. If one is built soon the old building would be used to take care of the grammar grades and thus relieve the town of the expense of building additions to the grammar schools for a few years at the least. A new high school building would solve the problems that we have in the administration of our high school affairs and would leave the old building available for a new grammar school. By changing from nine to eight grades in addition, it appears to me that the proble n of housing the pupils of the town will be ade- quately provided for, with the exception of the Franklin school , and large expenses put off for some time.
TEACHERS' SALARIES
Last spring the Teachers' Association presented a petition to the Committee to have their salaries increased. The School Committee recommended an increase of $50.00 for each grade
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teacher to take effect in September, 1912. The Town Finance Committee recommended that an increase of $50.00 be granted to take effect April 1, 1912, and a further increase of $50.00 to take effect January 1, 1913. The town voted to grant the recommenda- tion of the Finance Committee and appropriated an additional sum to the amount already voted for the School Department sufficient to take care of the increase for 1912. The School Com- mitt e was very willing to adopt the expression of the town meet- ing and has voted the increases. By voting these increases the Committes has raised the maximum salary for grade teachers to $650, and has made no distinction of eighth and ninth grade teachers.
This vote as an expression of the desire of the town did not effect the principals, special teachers, nor high school teachers. Of the three male principals in the grammar schools one receives $1200, one $1100, and one $1000. All these men are married and have families to support. It seems to me that the arguments put forth by the grade teachers hold equally true for the principals and high school teachers, and that in all justice to them, they should also receive an increase in salary. The arguments on the. cost of living and other things need not be entered into here. ·Other towns surrounding us have raised the salaries of all their teachers, and when we compare our maximum salary for high school of only $750, we see that it is too small. I feel that the salaries of the principals, high school teachers, and special teachers should be increased.
During the summer the janitors petitioned for an increase in their salaries. As there was not enough money available the Committee did not see their way clear to grant the petition at that time, but they did vote an increase to take effect January 1, 1918.
SPECIAL TEACHERS
In my last annual report I spoke of special work by special teachers. We tried this particularly in the Lincoln School with very satisfactory results. Several pupils who would not have been promoted were enabled to catch up with their classes. Some
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foreigners who were not illiterate as far as their own language was concerned, but who knew none or very little English were taught the language quicker than would be possible in a regular grade- room, and therefore were able to forge ahead more rapidly. One boy went from the first to the fifth grade within a year. It would be of decided benefit to the school system if we might have some arrangement like this for all the large buildings.
Under the heading of Crowded Conditions I have spoken of the value of ungraded rooms. What I said about the value of such a room for the Franklin School holds true for all of the larger buildings. If we had such rooms for all the grammar schools we would have fewer children who are not promoted, and we would also have a chance to take care of some who through ability might be able to overtake a grade ahead. Again, in such a room we could take care of the mentally deficient and sub- normal children. Here they could be given those things which they could do and would make more progress. The other chil- dren in the grades would be able to forge ahead faster because they would not be held back by the very slow pupils. The pub- lic school system, as a rule, is not elastic enough to take care of all kinds of children. Too many times they are all put into a grade, the wheel of time is given a twirl for one year, and then some expect that every child will come out exactly as well fit and qualified as every other. We should do something to make our system more elastic, and I feel that, by having an ungraded room, and a teacher to go about for individual help, we would take a long step forward.
NEED OF BETTER MANUAL TRAINING QUARTERS
At the present time our manual training work is carried on in the basement of the Lincoln School. This room is not suitable for this work, for in the first place the only means of ventilating the room is by the door and window boards, and consequently in cold weather there is practically no ventilation. The method of heating is also inadequate, with the result that often in cold weather it is practically impossible to do much work. The light- ing is not good, for the windows are small, near the ground, and covered with wire netting as a protection to the glass. At pres-
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ent we have no better available place, in fact no other place that could be used. A new High School building would solve this problem, for one of the rooms in the present High School build- ing could be altered to fit our needs nicely and at comparatively low cost.
PRINCIPALS' CONFERENCES
We have continued the monthly conferences with the principals which we inaugurated last year. I have found them to be of great value to me as well as to the teachers. As a result of these meetings our work is becoming more unified, as the same general scheme is running through each building. The chance to exchange ideas and compare notes is working much to the ad- vantage of our school system I find the assistance of the prin- cipals of value in preparing new blanks or changing old to better suit our immediate needs, and I also find their advice valuable along the ordinary lines of school work. I feel that it is well worth the while to continne with these monthly conferences.
SUMMER SCHOOL
In a school system of between 2000 and 2500 pupils there are always some who for various reasons fall or stumble by the way- side. There are others, who with extra work, might well get ahead faster than their class-mates. There should be some way provided for these classes of children. One thing that would help, for it always has where tried, is a summer session. This would take care of those who fail in one subject or more in both the high and elementary schools, and would save time for these children. Those pupils who are promoted on trial would have a chance to catch up and remove any conditions. In such sessi ns more individual asisting would be given than is possible during the regular school year, for the enrollment of the classes would not be large. A single session each day would be sufficient, and the expense of maintaining this summer school would not be large ; and last, but not least, our large and valuable school plant would not be idle all summer during the long vacation.
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SCHOOL SAVINGS BANKS
For some time a system of stamp saving has been in vogue in the schools of Wakefield. The number using the system of course varies with the different schools, probably influenced by the interest the principal and teachers take in the scheme. Deposits have run as high as $40 per week, but lately they have dwindled down to about $12 per week. There are some things in favor of the stamp system but there are other things against it. If a card is lost, the owner of the card has no chance to recover the value expressed by the stamps on the card. The stamps are received at the Savings Bank as deposits, and a bank book is issued for the same, but not enough pupils are tak- ing advantage of this part of the scheme.
It has seemed wise to try out the School Savings Bank idea. This is authorized by Chapter 211 of the Acts of 1911 of the State of Massachusetts under the heading "An Act to Authorize Savings Banks to receive Deposits from School Children, " a part which reads as follows : "In order to encourage saving among the children in the schools of this Commonwealth, the corpora- tion may, with the written consent of and under regulations approved by the commissioner and, in the case of public schools by the commissioner and the School Committee in the city or town in which the school is situated, arrange for the collec- tion of savings from the school children by the principal or teachers of such schools or by collectors. All moneys so col- lected shall be entered on an individual deposit card, furnished by the corporation, but the total collections received by the cor- poration from any one principal or teacher may be entered in the name of such principal or teacher as trustee. When, however, the amount deposited by any one pupil and credited on the deposit card equals the minimum amount upon which interest is allowed, the corporation shall issue a pass-book to such pupil. and thereafter, when the amount deposited by the pupil and credited on the deposit card equals the sum of one dollar, it shall be transferred to the deposit book by the corporation. The principal, teacher or person authorized by the corporation to make collections from the school children shall be deemed to
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be the agent of the corporation, and the corporation shall be lia- ble to the pupil for all deposits made with such principal, teacher or other person and entered upon the deposit card, the same as if the deposit were made by the pupil directly with the corporation." In the above quotation the word "corporation" refers to a sav- ings bank.
The scheme will be tried out in the Greenwood School first, and if it proves better than the stamp savings it will undoubtedly be used throughout the town. 1 think one can see the salient features and good points of the savings bank idea in contrast with the stamp savings without more detailed explanation.
PARENTS' ASSOCIATIONS
The only Parents' Association which is in a flourishing condi- tion is the Greenwood Association. There has been one con- nected with the Lincoln School and one with the Hurd School, but they have apparently died out. Principal Vardon makes the following report on the Greenwood Association : "The Green- wood Parents' Association" is continuing to be a very live body and an important factor in local school matters.
Too much praise cannot be given to the members for their aid on many occasions. Without them the exhibition of last Sep- tember would have been an impossibility. This body arranged the exhibits. provided judges and printing, and took all the vast detail out of the hands of the teachers. All must admit that the exhibition was a success.
In addition to the above the association is more or less respon- sible for the following events :
January, 1912, Reception to Superintendent and teachers.
April, 1912, Talk by Miss Mary Ronan, Revere, on "Home Gardens."
May, 10, 1912, Illustrated lecture by E. H. Forbush, State Ornithologist of Massachusetts, on "What the Birds Do for Us ; What We can Do for the Birds."
June 5, Garden talk and illustrated lecture, "Yellowstone Park." .
Nov. 15, 1912, Illustrated talk, by Miss Isabel Flint, on "Scandinavia."
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HOME GARDENS
The Greenwood School is the only one in the town which is doing anything especially along the lines of home gardens. To give an idea of what the principal is doing I shall give an excerp from his report : "The home garden movement showed no sign of decrease last season. About one hundred and twenty pur- chased seeds and fifty more obtained those presented by the gov- ernment. There was a decided improvement in the gardens, and an increase in the number who carried the work to a successful issue. Fifty-eight gardens were worthy of photographs and forty-eight of the views were converted into lantern slides for use at the exhibition." This exhibition was given early in the fall, and was entirely commendable.
It may be of interest to the people of Wakefield, and particu- larly of the Greenwood section, to know that the School Garden Association, with headquarters in Boston, bought several photo- graphs of the home gardens of Greenwood pupils. Three of these were published in a pamphlet issued this fall by this Asso- ciation. A picture of the garden of Stanley and Catherine Good- win, Kendrick Road, is used as the decoration of the front page. The other two pictures used are of the gardens of Leon Blanchard, Harrison Avenue, on page 2, and Ada Dadley, Forest Street, on page 8.
FINANCIAL RECORDS
We have made a change in the manner of keeping our financial records. Formerly they were kept under 'six headings ; viz., general or salaries, contingent, supplies, fuel, evening school, and receipts. We still have to keep a ledger with these headings to correspond with the appropriations by the town, but we have added a journal-ledger, which enables us to see at a glance under what departments the school appropriations are being spent. This form is recommended and used by the statistical department of the National Commission of Education at Washington and by the State Board of Education of Massachusetts. A summary of the expenses of the school department, drawn from the journal- ledger, is given under appendix D.
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