USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1913-1916 > Part 31
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" swine 103
66
" fowl
1,800
" pairs of pigeons 2,500
Appropriations
Steel cabinet .
$141.50
Paid Globe company
112.00
Balance
$29.50
Amount available Jan. 1, 1914
$102.49
Jan., appropriation .
50.00
March, appropriation
650.00
Total
$802.49
Expended as follows:
Clerical work
Transfers
Printing street list
Printing and stationery
Collector's book
834.59
Salary of the board
1,300.00
Appropriation
802.49
Transferred from Miscel. Acct.
32.10
Total for this department
$834.59 $2,134.59
We have unpaid bills to the amount of 50.62
SAMUEL T. PARKER, Chairman, GEORGE H. STOWELL, Secretary, CHARLES A. CHENEY.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1914
SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR 1914-1915
Arthur H. Boardman, Ch'n, 56 Pleasant St.,term expires 1917 Mrs. Ida Farr Miller, Sec., 18 Lawrence St.,
1915 J. Lowe McMahon, Treas., Prospect St., 66 66 1916 Mrs. Eva Gowing Ripley, 40 Emerson St., 66 66 1916
Dr. Charles E. Montague, 15 Richardson Ave., 66 66 1917 Edward E. Lee, Greenwood, Mass. 66 66 1915
210
SUB-COMMITTEES
Public Property
Dr. Montague
Mr. Lee Mr. Boardman
Finance and Accounts
Mr. McMahon Mr. Lee Mr. Boardman
Teachers and Salaries
Mrs. Miller
Mr. Lee Dr. Montague
Courses of Study
Mrs. Ripley Mrs. Miller Dr. Montague
Text Books and Supplies
Mr. Lee Mrs. Ripley Mr. McMahon
Superintendent of Schools
Willard B. Atwell, 76 West Chestnut St.
Office Hours
Monday, 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 to 8.30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 4 to 5.30 p.m.
Office, Flanley Block.
Telephone, Office, 471-W. Residence, 195-M.
Clerk, Miss Gertrude V. Lofstrom. Hours, 8-12 and 1.30 to 5 on school days.
Regular Meetings of the School Committee
Second and fourth Fridays of each month at 8 p.m. at Com- mittee Rooms, Flanley Block.
211
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
The eighth grade system inaugurated last year has proved a satisfactory arrangement. Children now entering school at about six years of age will reach the High School at the same age as those who formerly entered at five and we believe will have as good a preparation for High School work.
Owing to the increase in population in the Lincoln District caused largely by the development of the property known as Factory Field, the Lincoln building will not have seats enough to accommodate the number of children who will attend next fall. It will be necessary to provide additional accommodations or have half day sessions for the lower grades.
At the Warren School there were so many pupils in the sixth and seventh grades that the Committee deemed it wise to open the vacant room, thus relieving the pressure in those grades. This involved very little additional expense.
Because of the large entering class at the High School, causing an additional number of periods, the Committee found it nec- essary to make a change in the schedule. The three upper classes now attend from 8.15 to 12.57 and the first year class from 12.15 to 4.33. Mr. Howe has charge of the morning session, and Mr. Sawyer, the sub-master, has supervision in the afternoon.
Summer School
Believing that there was a need for a Summer School, the Committee decided to try the experiment of conducting such a school for a term of six weeks. Sessions were held at the Lincoln and Greenwood buildings and were open to pupils of grades five to eight inclusive.
We employed three teachers for an enrollment of seventy-eight pupils. Forty-six pupils because of the work done in the summer school were enabled to enter their classes with conditions removed. The Committee feel so well satisfied with the results that they propose to continue the school during the coming summer.
212
Attendance Officer
Up to July of this year the attendance officer, owing to other duties, was able to give only a small portion of his time to the School Department. With the belief that the efficiency of the schools could be improved by a more regular attendance of pupils, the Committee decided to employ an attendance officer who could give all of his time during school days. We were very fortunate to secure the services of Mr. Albert D. Cate for this position.
Evening Practical Art Classes
Evening classes on sewing and millinery have been continued throughout the year. In response to a demand the Committee authorized the organization of a class for instruction in cooking, which has been held in a kitchen in a home. We feel that the work is carried on in a very satisfactory manner, for state agents spent an evening taking flashlight pictures of the various opera- tions of the class. The pictures will be used as a part of the Massachusetts State Educational Exhibit at the Panama Exposition.
School Savings Banks
The School Savings Banks at the Greenwood, Lincoln and Franklin Schools are proving their worth by teaching the children the habit of saving. There are 854 depositors at the three schools and 437 have opened accounts in the Wakefield Savings Bank since the introduction of the system. In the opinion of the Committee, thrift is a very important factor in contributing to the prosperity of a community or of an individual, and we believe if the children are encouraged to be regular depositors in the school banks, they will become better citizens. It is the intention of the Committee to start, as soon as advisable, banks in other schools.
Use of School Buildings
The school buildings have continued to be used during the year by the Civic Associations that were mentioned in our last report. The Franklin School Hall has also been used for lectures under the joint auspices of the North American Civic League
213
for Immigrants and the School Committee. The League held separate meetings for both Italians and Poles and furnished speakers who addressed the audiences in their native tongue. The purpose of these lectures was to teach new comers to our shores to love and respect the laws and customs of our country and instruct them how to become citizens of the United States. The people evidently appreciated what was being done for them as large numbers attended all the meetings.
Teachers' Salaries
Late in the year the Committee received a petition from the grade teachers for an increase in the maximum salary.
At the town meeting of March, 1912, the town voted an additional appropriation for the School Department for the purpose of increasing the maximum in the salaries of the grade teachers from $550 to $650. The Committee, in April, 1912, voted to adopt the recommendation expressed by the vote of the town meeting and raised the maximum salary to $650.
The Committee hope that the finances of the town will soon warrant a further increase in the maximum salaries of all the teachers.
Miscellaneous
Ever since military drill has been required in the High School the town has furnished all the necessary equipment except all uniforms and the swords and belts for the commissioned officers. Feeling that the commissioned officers should not be put to additional expense for their equipment, the Committee voted to furnish the swords and belts.
A fire proof safe has been purchased for the Superintendent's office for the preservation of school records, in accordance with State requirements.
Retirements
In 1913 the General Court of the Commonwealth passed an act to establish a Retirement System for Public School Teachers which went into effect July 1, 1914.
214
Two teachers retired this year under this act, Miss L. Josephine Mansfield and Mr. George F. Wilson.
Miss Mansfield was first elected in 1875 and has proved a capable and faithful teacher. We are sorry to have her leave our teaching force.
Mr. Wilson has taught music in Wakefield since 1876, and was well liked by teachers and pupils. The Committee are sorry to lose his services.
Appropriations
We recommend the following appropriations:
Salaries
$66,513.00
Contingent
6,000.00
Supplies 3,700.00
Fuel 5,000.00
Evening School 1,100.00
Practical Arts
600.00
Total
$82,913.00
The foregoing touches briefly upon some of the important matters pertaining to the schools. The reports of the Superin- tendent and of the Principal of the High School give a much more complete and comprehensive account of the different departments of the school system.
We strongly urge all who are interested in the schools to care- fully read these reports.
ARTHUR H. BOARDMAN,
MRS. IDA FARR MILLER, J. LOWE McMAHON, MRS. EVA GOWING RIPLEY, DR. CHARLES E. MONTAGUE, EDWARD E. LEE.
215
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Introduction
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Please permit me to give my fourth annual report to you for the school system of Wakefield. This is the twenty-first in a series of such reports :
I shall mention some things which have been accomplished during the past year, and I shall suggest some things which I feel are worthy of your consideration.
Conditions in the Buildings
The different grammar school buildings are rapidly filling up and are nearing the limit of their capacity. Of all the different buildings the Hamilton School will probably be the most com- fortable with regard to the number of pupils. Here there will be no crowding in any room.
Last fall we had to open an extra room at the Warren School because the sixth and seventh grades had more pupils than they could accommodate. The only additional expense really was in the janitor service. Miss Warren's assistant was placed in charge of the room. For the sake of economy we used some old seats and desks which had been stored in the basement at the Lincoln School. It would have been much better could the town have purchased new and up to date equipment. I feel that the situation in the Warren School is taken care of for the next few years without any serious crowding.
We shall have to transfer some of the pupils from the Prospect Street School to some other building. As this district adjoins the Hamilton District, and as we have plenty of room at the Hamilton School, we can make these transfers without any hardships to any of the pupils. With such rearrangements the West Side will be adequately taken care of for at least during the coming year.
.
216
In all probability we shall not have to make any changes in either the Hurd or Montrose Districts.
The Greenwood School will probably take care of the children in that section of the town for the next few years, unless we get a large increase in the population. No room at present has all the seats taken. The children from new residents will prob- ably be scattered throughout the different grades, without causing any serious congestion in any one place.
Judging from the present enrollment at the Woodville School, we shall have to take some steps to relieve the situation there next year. Now, the only chance for transfers from this district is either to the Franklin or the Lincoln. These buildings are already full. Now, practically every seat is taken at Wood- ville.
The Franklin School is practically full, with the exception of the eighth grade room, and next year even here there will prob- ably be only seven or eight empty seats. All this filling up is in spite of the portable building which the Committee put into use in September, 1913.
At the Lincoln School wefind things in a very serious condition. Last year we had about eighty pupils enter the first grade. Next year we may expect as many and probably more,due to the building upon Factory Field. We shall graduate about forty- five in June. Thus we may expect an increase of about forty pupils. This will bring us to a situation where we shall probably have about thirty-five or forty more pupils than we have seats, notwithstanding the fact that some of the rooms have fifty-four seats.
Some measures must be taken to relieve the situation. There are four ways, only two of which seem practicable:
1. Some pupils of the lower grades might be transferred to the Hamilton School, but this would mean that we should have to compel many little tots to cross the railroad tracks near the upper station. I do not believe that this is advisable.
2. Some pupils of the seventh or eighth grades might be transferred to the Hamilton School. But upon looking over the list of the pupils and their residences, I do not find enough who live near this district to make this at all advisable.
217
3. The town might buy a portable building with one or two rooms to be placed near the Lincoln Building.
4. The first or the first two grades might go upon half time, that is, one-half of class or classes would go in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. This plan is entirely feasible.
Of these possibilities I feel that the third solution is the best if the town feels that it can bear the expense of buying a portable building. This would not cost any where near as much as an addition to the building. It would mean an outlay of about $3,000 or $3,200, for a two-room building, or about $1,800 for one room. If the town feels that it can not bear this expense the only feasible alternative is to put the lower grades upon the half time until such time as the town can furnish increased accommodations.
The crowded conditions of the buildings would have been much worse if the Committee had not changed the elementary course from nine to eight grades. Additions of some kind.would have been necessary in at least three buildings because of the divisions of the classes. As it is an addition has been saved at Green- wood and until now one has been saved in the Lincoln District. Another addition would have been necessary at the Franklin School. In fact I feel that the Committee has saved or post- poned a large outlay of money by the change.
Course of Study
When the Committee changed the course in the elementary schools from nine to eight grades the old course of study became practically useless. It therefore became necessary to draw up an entirely new one, instead of trying to revamp the old.
The teachers are represented in this work by the principals who are assisting by attending conferences and making both suggestions and criticisms. We find that it takes a long time to draw up a course in even one study.
We have completed a course in history and have presented it to the sub-committee for their approval. The course in geography is now practically ready for this sub-committee.
218
We hope by the end of the year to have a complete course ready for introduction.
Summer School
Last summer we ran a summer school as an experiment. Only those pupils from grades five to eight, inclusive, who had failed or were conditioned in their work were admitted. The session lasted six weeks. From the results I feel that we should have summer sessions regularly as a part of our system.
The expense was $186.00 including the salaries of teachers and janitors.
Seventy-eight pupils attended. Of those forty-six did such work that they were promoted or had their conditions removed. Five went into the next higher grade who would not have been able to do so if they had not taken this extra work. While the town paid out $186, this was not a total loss, as it would cost about $150 to give these five repeaters an extra year. We can- not estimate in dollars and cents the value of the results with the others. These would have been laggards and would have required extra time from the teacher and would also have slowed up the work of the whole class or division. By attending the summer school and catching up on the weak subjects they saved wear and tear of the other members of their classes.
In the near future, I feel that we should admit those pupils who are able to do more than is required by their regular grade, but who cannot quite do the work of the next higher grade. The extra work which might be done during the summer might and probably would fit them to get along with a double pro- motion. Overage pupils also should be encouraged to do this extra work to give them a chance to catch up with their grade. Many overage children are not up with their grade through no fault of their own, but through illness, frequent moving from school to school or because of some circumstance over which they have no control.
Much is being done at the present time for those pupils who are slow or sub-normal. The super-normal should begin to receive their share of attention.
219
Home Gardens
The only school in which we have tried Home Gardening very extensively is at Greenwood. There the experiment has been rather fully tried out and it is found not only entirely feasible but very profitable in many ways.
We owe the Greenwood Parents' Association a great deal of credit for their valuable assistance. They have helped in the distribution of the seeds, in looking after the gardens during the summer, and in arranging for exhibits in the fall. They even furnished prizes for stimulating interest.
Wakefield is strictly a suburban town and as such should do a great deal more with home gardens than we now do. All the other schools besides the Greenwood did something with this line of work but not near enough. I feel that we should lay special stress upon this during the coming season. It is impossi- ble to do the work thoroughly by means of the school alone. We must enlist outside help. If the finances of the town would warrant it I should suggest hiring some competent person to go around and give individual advice and assistance, and also to inspect the gardens from time to time.
In the West where they are doing a great deal of this kind of work, they have the school garden as well as the home garden. In some places in Massachusetts they are doing the same thing. Where there is no room about a school building for a garden they secure a plot of land and divide it into small sections and each pupil works one of these sections under supervision.
Massachusetts is the pioneer state in agricultural high schools. Some of these schools have a man who travels around from home to home giving advice and instruction. The boys have to keep a cash account and a record of all the time they put into the work. They charge up rental of the land, hire for teams for plowing. They have to do personally all other labor. They charge for this also at a given rate. Two boys who took up this kind of work cleaned up something like $600 for their work last year.
Our community does not warrant such work as outlined above, but we should put more energy into the home gardens.
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Nearly all the homes in Wakefield have land enough for a small truck garden and this land should be developed.
Such work does several things: it develops and utilizes the land, which in some instances is not used at all; it brings the child into direct contact with nature and clean growing things; it places responsibility upon the child and helps develop self- reliance; and is a source of monetary profit.
Last year some of the pupils at the Greenwood School not only furnished all the vegetables for the family table, but were able to sell some of the different kinds, and to store up for winter use still other kinds. What they did others can do and ought to do. Many pupils in the Greenwood School exhibited products from their gardens at the Greenwood Parents' Asso- ciation exhibit.
The Quannapowitt Fair had two departments for showing the results of the home garden work. One was under a school heading and the other was open to all youths under eighteen years of age. The schools received $12.50 prize money from the Fair Association. The total amount that came to the pupils of Wakefield from the youths department was $72.90.
Besides the prizes above mentioned were others given by the Wakefield Improvement Association, and ribbons and buttons from the State Department of Agriculture through the Agri- cultural College at Amherst. Professor Morton informs me that we may plan upon receiving ribbons and buttons for our garden work during the coming season.
Organized Play
The value of organized play during the recess period has been receiving more and more attention throughout the country. We have been taking it up in two of our schools, the Franklin and Greenwood, but more thoroughly at the latter. Here again the Greenwood Parent's Association has taken hold and has helped not only by moral support but by financial aid. They hired an instructor to look over the ground, and advise the teachers. We have found the teachers of both schools ready to try out the scheme and the success is due to the loyalty
221
of the teachers and their desire to work for the common good. One principal reports that the results are very noticeable. Among these he mentions, fair play, team-work, willingness to abide by the decision of the umpire without wrangling, and a distinct gain in better discipline in and about the school.
I hope we shall be able to extend organized play throughout the schools in the town.
The organized play which we have tried has covered only that out of doors. We intend to use different games for use in doors when the weather is too inclement. The windows will be thrown open for flushing out the air within the rooms. No mechanical ventilation is equal to pure out of doors air and sunshine. By opening the windows a few times each day we will help out the systems of ventilation. Not only will we help make the air better in each room, but we will make the recess of more value to the children than it would be by merely sitting around or standing talking in groups.
School Savings Banks
Two years ago the Committee voted to establish school Savings Banks and began in the Greenwood School. This was later extended to cover the Lincoln and Franklin Schools. Appended below is a report of amounts handled in each school showing among other things the amounts transferred to the credit of the different pupils.
From a review of the report it seems that the children are saving for the sake of saving, and not saving for some particular thing as seemed to be the case with the stamp saving system.
The effect of business depression is plainly shown from the report of the principal of one of the buildings. He reports as follows: "Only about half of the pupils who deposited regularly last year have made deposits this year. As soon as school opened this year (September) pupils began to withdraw accounts. Frequently more has been paid out during a week than was received. While from January 1 to January 1, I have taken out eighty-five pupils' bank books but three of these have been taken out since September."
222
The results of the school savings banks are in direct ratio of the interest manifested by principals and teachers. It seems to me that inculcating the spirit and idea of thrift and economy is as much a part of the school work as giving instruction in the contents of text books. I hope to see the school savings banks extended until we find one in every school in town.
I find some of the pupils are now depositing some of their money directly at the Savings Bank. They are becoming real bankers.
It seems to me that we might use the scheme not only for teaching thrift, but for giving actual experience to members of the commercial department of the high school. I see no reason why students from the department of the high school could not take charge of the deposits on banking days under the directions of the principals. One day each week is used as banking day. On this given day a number of students might go to the different schools and there receive experience in regular banking work of an elementary kind. The total time con- sumed would probably be not much more than one period of the high school.
Summary for 1914
Greenwood
Lincoln
Franklin
Totals
Enrollment,
290
536
337
1163
No. of accounts,
260
303
291
854
No. of deposits
1811
2146
2184
6141
Amount of deposits
$539.39
$556.66
$568.38 $1664.43
No. of withdrawals
34
113
173
320
Amount of withdrawals
$18.58
$121.97
$152.63
$293.18
Amounts transferred to
pupil's account
$509.00
$448.00
$364.00 $1321.00
Balance in custody of Trustee
$101.46
$56.91
$51.75
$210.12
Average weekly deposits
14.57
14.27
14.21
43.05
No. of pupils to whom Savings books issued
53
53
85
191
No. of active depositors
213
269
176
658
223
Summary for Two Years Since Introduction
Greenwood
Franklin
Totals
Jan. 1, 1913
to Dec. 31, 1914
Lincoln Oct 14, 1913 to Dec. 31, 1914
Nov. 1, 1913
to Dec. 31, 1914
No. of accounts
260
303
291
854
No. of deposits
3824
3235
3361
10410
Amount of deposits
$1166.81
$791.77
$802.27 $2760.85
No. of withdrawals
72
149
209
430
Amount of withdrawals
$54.67
$148.85
$197.27
$400.79
Amounts transferred to
pupils' accounts
$1010.68
$571.00
$437.00
$2018.68
No. of pupils to whom
Sav. Books issued
193
111
133
437
No. active deposits
213
269
176
658
The Three R's
With all the other work we are doing we are not neglecting the three R's. In fact they are receiving more attention than before.
After giving a thorough drill in the mechanics of reading in the first three grades, we are introducing the children to good literature. We are doing this by means of supplementary readers. At the same time we are teaching them to read for information by using as a part of the work in reading books dealing with biography, geography, history and science. It takes time to develop these lines, but I am sure that we are making good progress.
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