USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1913-1916 > Part 32
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The little book entitled "Good Books to Read" which was compiled by Miss Ingram of the English Department of the Wakefield High School and Miss Lee, librarian at the Beebe Library, will prove of great value to us in our work, particularly in the upper grades. The pupils by means of this list have access to books which are worth while. I am sure that as a result the library will have a larger circulation than ever before, at least by the school children.
We are now centering more attention upon spelling and arith- metic. Fewer words are given at a lesson, but these are learned. We are giving special attention to the. words in the writing
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vocabulary of the children. These should be thoroughly drilled before we take up words that they may use sometime, but cer- tainly do not at present and will not for several years to come.
In arithmetic we are giving a part of practically every lesson to review in the fundamentals, and to mental work in simple problems. Many different simple problems are worth more than one or two more evolved ones. We are beginning to see some results in increased accuracy. We have not tried much yet for speed.
High School
Our high school seems to be increasing faster than we antici- pated. Last year we found that by lengthening the school day by one period we could accommodate the enrollment. In June, 1914 we found that the numbers for the present school year would exceed our estimate and that we would need one more teacher than we had figured upon, and we could see that we would have more divisions than before. The incoming class appeared to be larger. The only ways to handle the situation seemed to be either to add a second period to the school day, which did not seem feasible; or to divide the sessions. The Committee decided upon the latter plan. Now we have the building in continuous use for the high school from 8.15 to 4.35. The three upper classes have their sessions from 8.15 to 12.57, and the first year class has its session from 12.15 to 4.35.
This plan apparently meets public approval fairly well for I heard practically no complaints from any quarter.
Mr. Sawyer, the sub-master, has charge of the freshmen during the afternoon sessions, relieving Mr. Howe from doing double work.
The demand for drawing is increasing and it is a question of only a short time before we shall need a teacher for full time. That time is indeed very close at hand. It is not at all im- possible that it will be next fall.
When we do secure a teacher for full time for drawing in the high school we shall have to make a re-adjustment of the work for the grades. Just at present we do not need the services of a teacher for a full week in the grades. Probably three days'
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time would cover the work necessary. We might secure a teacher for three days per week with some other town nearby which could use her service for two days per week.
I am satisfied that the high school is doing good work for the facilities which we have. Those students who go to higher institutions by certificate "make good" if they properly apply themselves. That our Commercial Department stands well is shown by the fact that practically all who finish the course satisfactorily, and desire work, secure it. I had a request by telephone for a candidate. We went over the list and found that all whom we could recommend had positions at that time. When I told the inquirer the situation, he said that he was sorry for he depends upon the Wakefield High School for young men to fill his positions.
We can get along for the time being with the present condi- tions at the high school, but we must bear in mind that with things as they are we cannot offer work in courses which we should have in our high school. We cannot have these courses until we have increased accommodations. They are necessary in a modern high school and are demanded by modern conditions.
While we are thinking of a new building to quarter the high school students, I suggest that the Committee give careful attention to the Junior high school plan or at least to differentia- tion of the work for the two upper grammar grades.
The junior high school would include the seventh and eighth grades and the first year of the high school. The senior high school would include the three upper classes of the present high school. This would leave six grades for the elementary schools. The junior high school would be of help in bridging the gap between the elementary schools and the high school. At present the gap between these two branches is really the largest in the school life of a child. It takes too long to get the pupil accus- tomed to the changed conditions. There is a waste of too much time. If we could make the transition less abrupt it alone would be worth while because of the time it would save. On the other hand, educators feel that children of from twelve to fourteen, at the beginning of the adolescent period, need different treatment from those who are younger. Some of
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the subjects now taught in the high school could be dropped down, but they would have to be taught in a different way by different methods.
Our grammar buildings are rapidly filling up as I have shown under another heading. This means that in the comparatively near future either additions or new buildings will be required. a new building plus the remodelling of the old would save addi- tions or new buildings in other quarters. I have shown that we already need some relief at the Lincoln School; the Franklin will soon need it, and in a few years the Greenwood, Warren and Hurd Schools will probably need it. By having the seventh and eighth grades attend a central junior high school, we could gain two or three rooms at the Lincoln School, two rooms at the Franklin, Greenwood and Warren Schools, and one at the Hurd School. I feel that we surely are going to need these if Wakefield continues to grow.
I recommend that you give special attention to the report of the high school principal in which he describes somewhat the work of the high school.
Attendance Officer
During the spring the Committee discussed the idea of having someone who could devote his whole time to looking after de- linquents in attendance.
Mr. H. A. Simonds who had served long and faithfully felt that he could not devote any more time, in fact could not devote any time after July 1, and therefore resigned. The Committee chose Mr. Albert Cate as his successor as attendance officer, with the understanding that he should devote all his time during school days to visiting homes and looking after children who are often either tardy or absent.
The idea of having a man do this work was not at all to subject parents to unnecessary annoyance, but to secure their helpful co- operation for better attendance. Mr. Cate has taken ahold very well indeed. I am sure the Committee made a wise choice. Many unnecessary absences have been eliminated and some cases of truancy have been uncovered. Take all in all I feel
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that the experiment has proven to be a success. It will be impossible to measure this success in dollars and cents, but it will show and has already shown a distinct gain in the morals of the schools. One principal reports:
"The present method of handling attendance matters through the office and the attendance officer is an unqualified success."
Another principal reports: "There has been an increased number of cases of illness causing a large number of unnecessary absences. There has been a decrease of the number of un- necessary absences and proves the assertion that an attendance officer can greatly diminish inexcusable absence. As time advances we should see still more improvement on this line."
Dental Clinics
Our school physician has examined the teeth, nose and throat of every child in the grades. The teachers have examined the sight and hearing. In cases of defects, notices have been sent home to the parents. Many give heed to the notice and take the matter up with their family physician or dentist. Many others do not, some because they cannot because of lack of funds.
Last fall I attended the dedication of the Forsythe Dental Clinic for children, and inspected the building with some of our local dentists. There children under sixteen may receive proper dental attention and treatment for adenoids and tonsils for a nominal fee of five cents.
I wish we might establish a dental clinic for the children of the public schools in Wakefield. I feel sure from talking with some of our dentists that we could depend upon their co-opera- tion. The cost would not be large. Practically the largest expense would be fitting up a room for examinations and fur- nishing blanks for indicating the trouble with the teeth. These blanks would be sent home with the suggestion that the parent consult with the family dentist about having the work done.
People are just beginning to recognize the relation of good teeth to good health. In many instances amazing results have been obtained by treating defective teeth. Not only has the health been much improved, but also disposition and scholar-
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ship. Some of the permanent teeth, for example the six-year molars which sometime come before the child is six years old, come earlier than people in general realize, and these are lost because of lack of proper attention.
Even later permanent teeth are lost because decay is not checked in time. The small cavity becomes a large one and even then no care is taken of the tooth. As soon as it begins to ache then it is extracted. By giving periodic attention these small cavities would be filled and further decay stopped.
A full set of sound teeth was nature's intention for us. The teeth are essential for thorough mastication of the food. This relieves other digestive organs from being overworked.
Card System
During the latter part of the fall we purchased cards for keeping records of the pupils throughout their school life. The cards are recommended by the Department of Superintendence of the National Educational Association and have the endorse- ment of the federal Commissioner of Education, and are becom- ing commonly used throughout the country. Inasmuch as each card has a full record of each child while he is in the schools, they will grow in value as time goes by. I expect that they will be in operation by the first of February. It takes some time to fill out the set, that is the initial filling out, and I have not hurried this as I have not wanted to unduly burden the teachers.
For sometime I have felt the need of an adequate record of the books belonging to the town. We have had no adequate inventory, and I have felt that we were not as economical as we should be in the purchase of new books. I mean by this that in all probably we were buying new books for one school when we had an over stock in another. Now we have a card catalogue of every book in use in town and any further waste of buying books has been eliminated. There has been no large amount wasted, but every little saved is worth while for the town.
The old safe, which was not the property of the town, but which was loaned to the Department by Mrs. Miller of the
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Committee, was not large enough to take care of the records which the State demands shall be kept in a fire proof compart- ment. During the past year the Committee purchased a new one at a very fair price. This is large enough to take care of all the records and such other material which the Committee felt should be kept in a fire proof place.
Use of School Buildings
During the past year the following buildings have been used for gatherings on various evenings: Montrose, Woodville, Franklin, Greenwood, Warren and High. The High School is used regularly for evening school work as well as for meetings of the debating clubs in connection with the high school. The Wakefield Improvement Association holds its meetings in this building.
The Greenwood Building has been used for the various meet- ings of the Parents' Association and also for the annual exhi- bition of the home gardens which was taken care of by the Association.
The North American Civic League for Immigrants held several meetings in the Franklin Building. The League gave lectures and talks in Italian and Polish, using slides in some instances ยท for illustration and for the educational value.
Sewing
As a report upon the sewing which is offered in the grades, I give the following extract from the report of the sewing teacher: "The co-relation of sewing and drawing, which was intro- duced the last year, has proved very satisfactory. The fact that the girls can draw their own designs for articles they sew stimulates confidence and added interest in the designing and making of useful articles for the home decoration as well as articles of clothing.
The outline has been further argumented to give pupils a wider choice of garments. Where as before the classes were limited to the making of one garment at a time, and now several are in operation simultaneously by different members of the
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class. The exposition of the method of making several articles is given in full detail to the classes thus imparting to the girls a knowledge of more articles, with greater economy of material and time."
Manual Training
The following excerpts from the reports of the manual train- ing teacher give a proper idea of what we are trying to do in this department.
The pupils of our seventh and eighth grades are working much more independently. The direct work from the blue prints has caused each boy to do a certain amount of independent thinking and reasoning.
Information regarding dimension is given there. Little time is thus wasted, the efforts of the instructor being given over to more individual instruction.
We are trying to do as much of the larger and more practical work as is consistent with the proper development of the boys. Realizing that this kind of work pushed through factory style, every boy doing a small part and not understanding its relation to the whole, is not of much educational value; we have planned to give each practical project to a group of boys and let them work it out and carry it through themselves.
Below is a partial list of repair work and other work of a practical nature done for the school during the past year.
Window boards for plants in Lincoln School rooms,
Refinishing of chairs for Lincoln School,
Two step ladders for Manual Training room, Montessori frames for Miss Richardson,
Repairing of picture frames, Lincoln School,
Sand table for first grade room,
Bulletin boards,
Repair work in Manual Training room,
Refinishing of tables for Lincoln School, Shelves for various rooms,
Re-constructing of table for 2d grade room.
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The following are in the course of construction:
Two pair of jumping standards for the Lincoln and Greenwood Schools,
Frame burlap bulletin for Lincoln School rooms,
Chart holders for Franklin School,
Desk top for Franklin School,
Three sand tables.
The boys are encouraged to bring their ideas to school and if practical to work them out.
One boy designed and made a very satisfactory window ventilator, that so pleased his neighbors that he has had orders for more. Some of the boys are working on a wireless apparatus."
Music
The work in music is going on very well. Mr. C. Albert Jones who succeeded Mr. George F. Wilson as supervisor has taken up the work so well that we noticed very little confusion at the time of the change. Mr. Jones reports that he is giving more attention to individual singing and to developing good qualities of tone.
In regard to music in the High School, perhaps you may be interested in the following which is a part of Mr. Jones' report:
"As to the High School, I have found conditions a little awkward to handle this year, caused by the congestion. Divid- ing the second year pupils into three divisions is rather hard, for it means we have a different set of singers every three weeks. It is evident nicer results could be had in chorus work if I could have the same class of singers every time.
To create if possible more enthusiasm among the boys I have had, lately, singing periods with them alone. The result so far has been of immense value.
No glee club has yet been formed, but I propose to make a selection of singers for this purpose, providing I can find a way to try voices."
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Teachers' Salaries
About two years ago the town voted an extra amount of money so the Committee could raise the salaries of the teachers of the elementary schools. In the following January, the Committee voted an increase for the high school teachers. The maximum now for the grades is $650, and for the high school, $800. The salaries although increased are not yet as high as they should be.
Wakefield is handicapped by being so near Boston and having metropolitan standards to keep, but also having a large school population in proportion to the total number of inhabitants, with a not particularly large amount of valuation.
The grade teachers have recently presented a petition for a further increase in the maximum salary. I hope the finances of the town will soon be in such condition that this petition may be granted, and an increase given not only to the grade teachers, but also to the high school teachers.
Evening School
Our work in the Evening Schools has progressed along about the same lines as last year.
The evening school proper is smaller than last year, due probably to the strike last spring and the poor condition of business during the fall. A large proportion of the registration is made up of illiterate minors between sixteen and twenty-one, We have needed two less teachers this fall than for last year.
I have had some calls for an evening high school. We should be looking ahead to the time when we can grant the desires of those who for various reasons left school before finishing the work of the high school and now wish to pick it up again. Classes in some subjects would readily fill up, particularly classes for English, Typewriting and Stenography.
Sewing and Millinery
The work in the sewing and millinery departments is practic- ally the same as we have been doing. A slight change has been
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made in the administration. All the work is now given in unit courses, and pupils may enroll for any unit that they choose. As a matter of fact the young women seem to remain for the work throughout the season. Only those leave who feel that they have to because of poor health, removal from town or overwork.
According to estimates reported to the State, the value of the work done during year, December 1, 1913 to November 30, 1914 was as follows:
Sewing
31 undergarments . average value $1.25
27 shirtwaists . average value 1.50
58 dresses . . average value 6.50
or an estimated value for all of about $500.
Millinery
. average value $4.50 51 hats
The net cost of this department is not as high as the appropria- tion might indicate, for the State re-imburses the town for one- half of the cost, minus amount paid for new equipment or permanent improvements, and less tuitions received or receivable.
Cooking
A cooking class has been opened with a registration of fifteen. To make this more serviceable, we have secured the use of a kitchen in a home together with the use of the range and dishes. The students seem to be enthusiastic about the work.
The State thinks so highly of the work done that the Depart- ment of Education sent out men to take pictures of the different operations of a lesson. These pictures will form a conspicuous part of the Massachusetts exhibit at the Panama exhibition.
The State pays one-half the cost of the department under the same conditions as for sewing and millinery.
Women over seventeen years of age are admitted to the sewing, millinery and cooking classes, except girls attending day school.
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Changes in Teachers
We were very fortunate during the past year in the number of changes in our corps of teachers. One teacher resigned from the High School, five from the grades and two took advant- age of the Retirement Act for Public School Teachers which became operative July 1, 1914.
Retirements
Miss L. Josephine Mansfield who has served the town so long and faithfully resigned in July to take advantage of a pension and annuity from the State. Miss Mansfield was first elected in 1875. Even though her service has covered a long period of years, Miss Mansfield has remained young in her attitude towards the school and her pupils. While she felt it was best to be relieved from active duty, we were very sorry to have her leave our staff.
Mr. George F. Wilson was first elected to teach music in the schools of Wakefield in 1876, and has served continuously with the exception of a year's leave of absence for illness, up to the present year. He endeared himself to those who studied under him by his earnestness and enthusiasm for his subject. Under him the study of music became a pleasure for the pupils.
For the past several years, Mr. Wilson has given two days per week to Wakefield and three days per week to Beverly.
Last July, Mr. Wilson asked to be retired and was granted a pension and annuity by the State. We were sorry to lose his services.
Resignations
Miss Fannie M. Clement resigned from the High School to accept a position in the schools of New York City at a salary more than double what she received here.
Miss J. Elsie Macdonald resigned to accept a position in Somerville.
Miss Florence G. Kelley resigned her position from the Hurd School to take up a different kind of school work.
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Miss Bernice Batchelder resigned from the Lincoln School to accept a position in Malden.
Miss Bertha Lawton resigned in December to be married.
New Teachers Elected
High School
Mr. R. D. Arnold from Plymouth, N. H., to succeed Miss Clement.
Mr. Fred H. Harvey from Plymouth, N. H., as an additional in the Commercial Department.
Grades
Miss Ruth Hickey from Cranston, R. I. to Woodville 1-2.
Miss Dorothy Murray from Sudbury, Mass. to Hurd 3-4. Miss Glennah M. Shepard from Lincoln, Mass. to Lincoln 3. Miss Mary L. Geary from Burrillville, R. I. to Greenwood 5. Miss Anna Hurley from Peterboro, N. H. to Woodville 3-4-5.
Transfers
Miss Ethalene Barnard from Greenwood 5 to Lincoln 1.
Conclusion
My work in Wakefield has been very pleasant. I feel that the schools have made progress at least along some lines. This has been made possible only by co-operation by all concerned. The teachers as a whole and the principals have been very loyal. The principals particularly has been very helpful by their timely suggestions and support. I appreciate, fully, the spirit of the Committee as they have given me their sympathetic support.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLARD B. ATWELL,
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HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Mr. W. B. Atuell,
Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir. - I beg leave to submit my twentieth annual report and the twenty-second in the series of High School Principals' Reports.
Number of Pupils
This year has been marked by an unexpected increase in the number of pupils. The school is larger by twenty-five pupils, than the estimate of a year ago made it. It is difficult to esti- mate with any degree of accuracy how many pupils will be in attendance at any given time. The actual attendance is as likely to over-run (as this year) as it is to fall short of any estimate that may be made.
Below is the membership of the school by classes.
Boys
Girls
Total
Graduate pupils
1
1
Fourth Year pupils
33
50
83
Third Year pupils
37
48
85
Second Year pupils
60
87
147
First Year pupils
89
70
159
Total
220
255
475
The largest previous record was that of last year, namely 437. How has the increased number been accommodated?
When the time came to make the daily schedule for this year, it was found impossible to arrange to accommodate the entire school in the building at one time, even though the six hour day of last year were to be continued. The only course left open was the adoption of a two-session day, one session for one portion of the school and the other for the remaining portion. Under this arrangement the pupils of the Senior, Junior and Second Year classes attend school from 8.15 a.m. to 12.57 p.m., under the immediate charge of the principal, and those of the
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First Year class from 12.15 to 4.30 o'clock, under the care of the sub-master. The school building is thus occupied by pupils from quarter past eight in the morning until half past four in the afternoon. Another year, from present appearances, it will be necessary to prolong the day until five o'clock, as is done temporarily in some of the neighboring schools, for example Chelsea, while full accommodations are being prepared. The present arrangement of sessions is somewhat awkward and can be justified only as an emergency measure. Under it, a con- siderable amount of confusion has arisen. New problems, due solely to the two-session day, have come up, requiring for their solution, time and attention which must necessarily be taken from the regular school work. Together with the requirements of the evening school, the arrangement has complicated the work of the janitor.
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