USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1915 > Part 6
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priation 1914 .
629.77
Metropolitan Water, 1914 .
7,800.31
Totals expenditures 50,934.70
Statements of receipts and expenditures under the several appropriations follow:
Maintenance
Appropriation .
$ 25,800.00
Transfer, for fire insurance
156.93
Total available
25,956.93
Expended including Met. Water and unpaid bills
25,608.36
Unexpended balance
348.57
80
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Construction
Appropriation
$ 4,000.00
Expended .
3,218.42
Unexpended balance Construction work:
781.58
Eustis Avenue
6 inch pipe 305 feet
Greenwood Street
6 inch pipe 645 1/2 feet
Salem Street
6 inch pipe 48
feet
New Salem Street
6 inch pipe
9641/2 feet
Pine · Street
6 inch pipe
117
feet
Bancroft Avenue
6 inch pipe
240
feet
Spring Street
6 inch pipe
110
feet
Cyrus Street
6 inch pipe
194
feet
Merriam Street
6 inch pipe
249
feet
Morrison Road Ext'n
6 inch pipe
5271/2
feet
Walker Terrace
4 inch pipe
298
feet
Hillside Avenue
4 inch pipe
266
feet
Total
39641/2 feet
Meters
Balance of appropriation available .
$ 1,254.85
Expended
1,031.67
Unexpended balance
223.18
Commissioners' Salaries
Appropriation
$ 300.00
Expended, salaries to December 31,
1915
266.67
Unexpended balance
33.33
Services
Appropriation
$ 1,500.00 Expended .
$864.39
Credit by cash collected .
860.27
Net expenditures
4.12
Unexpended balance
1,495.88
.
REPORT OF WATER AND SEWERAGE · BOARD 81
New services added during year
48
Services relaid during year .
21
69
On private land
On public land
Total
New services
1394 ft.
1060 ft.
2454 ft.
Relaid services
385 ft.
363 ft.
748 ft.
Totals
1779 ft.
1423 ft.
3202 ft.
Hydrants
Number of hydrants Jan. 1, 1915
235
New hydrants added during the year
5
Present number of hydrants .
240
Location of New Hydrants
East side of Walker Terrace.
New Salem Street, opposite Grand Passway.
Greenwood Street, corner of Myrtle Avenue.
Greenwood Street, 620 feet west of Myrtle Avenue.
Morrison Road Extension, corner of Waldorf Circle.
Water Pumped During the Year
Gallons
January
16,862,056
February
16,249,366
March
16,579,198
April
16,204,657
May
17,905,240
June
19,604,184
July
18,649,842
August
19,342,962
September
18,965,518
October
19,432,076
November
17,939,502
December
18,364,238
Total
216,098,839
Greatest amount pumped in 1915, June 29 .
942,388
Greatest amount pumped in a week, June 24 to 30 .
4,909,624
82
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Average daily pumping · Average daily per head of estimated population .
592,052 47
Uncollected water bill, Street Dept .. $300.00
Uncollected services bills 75.87
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES A. DEAN, JAMES H. KIMBALL, HERVEY J. SKINNER,
Commissioners.
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Arthur H. Boardman, Ch'n, 56 Pleasant St., Mrs. Ida Farr Miller, Sec., 18 Lawrence St., J. Lowe McMahon, Treas., Prospect St., Mrs. Eva Gowing Ripley, 40 Emerson St., Edward E. Lee, Greenwood, Mass.
Dr. Charles E. Montague, 15 Richardson Ave.,
term expires 1917
1918
1916
1916
"
1918
1917
SUB-COMMITTEES
Dr. Montague
PUBLIC PROPERTY Mr. Lee
Mr. Boardman
Mr. McMahon
FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS Mr. Lee
Mr. Boardman
Mrs. Miller
TEACHERS AND SALARIES Mr. Lee
Dr. Montague
Mrs. Ripley
COURSES OF STUDY Mrs. Miller
Dr. Montague
Mr. Lee
TEXT BOOKS AND SUPPLIES 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, 471W. Residence, 195M.
Clerk, Miss Gertrude V. Lofstrom. Hours, 8-12 and 1.30 to 5 on school days.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Second and fourth Fridays of each month at 8 p. m. at Committee Rooms, Flanley Block.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT
In our last report mention was made of the growth in population in the Lincoln School District. As anticipated in that report the in- crease in the number of pupils attending the Lincoln School necessi- tated putting the first grade upon half time, a part attending the morning session and the remainder the afternoon session. The same teacher, with an assistant, is in charge of both sessions.
The continued increase in population in this district will probably necessitate a division of the second grade the coming year, as well as the continued division of the first grade. The purchase of a two-room portable building would provide accommodations for all the grades at this school for full time. If this building is obtained it might be possible to transfer a few pupils from the Woodville District to the Lincoln School, thus relieving the crowded condition of the lower room at Woodville.
Most of the other grammar buildings are full and some action must soon be taken to relieve the situation.
A slight change has been made in the schedule at the High School, the three upper classes, attending from 8 to 12.32 and the first year class from 12.45 to 4.54. Some complaints have reached the committee regarding the lateness of the afternoon session, especially for girls living in the outlying sections of the town, but we feel that a shorten- ing of the session would seriously affect the efficiency of the school. This condition of double sessions must continue until a new high school building is erected.
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS
Since the erection of the Franklin School the grounds have been gradually filled by ashes and street cleanings. A considerable area was added to the grounds by these means, but it was a comparatively slow process and the committee had been watching for several years for a chance to fill in the land at a low cost. Advantage was taken of the opportunity offered by the building of the new block on the Rich- ardson land on Main street and eight hundred double loads of sand and gravel were purchased with which most of the low land has been made available for a playground. Considerable grading remains to be done.
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Thanks to the public spirit of the people in that district who contem- plate further improvements in the grounds and the purchase of suit- able equipment, the school will soon have a good play ground.
At Montrose concrete walks have been built on both sides of the building.
At the Hurd School gas lighting has been put in the corridors, one class room and teachers' room, thus providing a suitable place for gatherings of the Parents' Association in that district. Electric light- ing has been put in three of the rooms at the Warren School to im- prove the light on dark days.
In the typewriting room of the High School gas has been replaced by electric lights which give a very much needed improvement.
FIRE PROTECTION
All the doors in each building leading from the basement to a corridor have been covered with metal on the side toward the basement, and the glass in the doors and transoms has been replaced with wire- glass, and these doors are self-closing.
At the Woodville School the walls and ceilings under the stairs have been wire lathed and plastered.
At the Franklin School brick walls have been built about both basement stairways and standard self closing fire dours installed, thus the basement is shut off from the corridors and exits by these walls and fire doors.
At the Hamilton School the ceilings under the front corridor and stairways have been wire lathed and plastered.
At the Lincoln School the ceilings under all the corridors and stairways have been wire lathed and plastered, the partitions separ- ating the Manual Training room from the toilet and stairways have been bricked up, and a brick wall has been built between the book room and the main basement. The basement has been shut off from the corridors and exits by brick walls and self closing fire doors in the same way as at the Franklin School. The boiler room has been shut off in a similar way from the main basement, and the main basement has been divided from east to west by a brick wall in which there is but one opening and this is guarded by a self closing fire door. The gas in the Manual Training room and throughout the basement has been replaced by electricity. An outside exit has been built so that the pupils can go from the Manual Training room directly to the yard without passing through the basement.
Twelve additional fire extinguishers have been purchased for dis- tribution among the different buildings.
As a result of these improvements the buildings are now much bet- ter protected against fire. The committee propose to make other changes to improve further the conditions.
At the High School it is proposed to install a sprinkler system in the
85
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
basement and chemical laboratory with standpipes to the top floor with two outlets on each floor with fire hose. The building has been con- nected with the street water mains by a six inch pipe to take care of the sprinkler system.
DENTAL INSPECTION
All the dentists in town have co-operated with the School Depart- ment in introducing dental inspection in the schools. The Depart- ment furnished two portable headrests and a few necessary instru- ments. An examination has been made in the first five grades and general advice given to the pupils.
The department has sent cards to the parents notifying them of cases in which their children's teeth need attention and recommend- ing that they consult their family dentist. Another examination will be made later.
The thanks of this department is extended to the dentists for their valuable services.
TEACHERS' SALARIES
The committee again express the hope that the town's financial condition will soon permit of a further increase in the maximum salar- ies of the teachers, and a schedule was submitted to the Finance Com- mittee showing what the increase in appropriations would be for three years if the maximum should be raised fifty dollars.
APPROPRIATIONS
We recommend the following appropriations:
Salaries
$69,207.00
Contingent
7,000.00
Supplies
3,700.00
Fuel
5,000.00
Evening School
1,100.00
Practical Arts
600.00
$86,607.00
The receipts are estimated to be $2500.00.
In the reports of the Superintendent and of the Principal of the High School, a detailed account is given of all the departments of the school system and we request a careful reading of their reports.
ARTHUR H. BOARDMAN IDA FARR MILLER J. LOWE McMAHON EVA GOWING RIPLEY DR. CHARLES E. MONTAGUE EDWARD E. LEE
86
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT
To the School Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen :- I hereby submit my fifth annual report as Superintendent of Schools for Wakefield, the same being the twenty-second in a series of such reports.
In this report I wish to call your attention to some things which we have done during the past year, bring some things before your attention for future consideration, and to recommend some things which would seem to be for the benefit of the schools in town.
I am happy to report that things have gone on with their accus- tomed smoothness in all departments. There has been a pleasing co- operation on the part of the principals and a ready response from the teachers. Only when these things are present can we have progress in our work.
In spite of the set back last winter caused by an outbreak of measles and whopping cough, our schools are in a flourishing condi- tion, and all the teachers are working with the idea of progress in mind.
CROWDED CONDITIONS
Last year I reported that some of the buildings were rapidly filling up and that it would be a matter of only a short time before we would have some difficult problems ahead of us. We expected then that we would not be able to accommodate the registration at the Lincoln School. Our fears were realized. This fall we found it necessary to give up the room which we had been using as an un- graded room. In this, we placed those children who were consider- ably over age for their grade, either because of lack of knowledge of· the English language or for other reasons. We found it very valu- able in that those pupils who were registered in the special class because of lack of ability to speak English were able to make much more rapid progress due to more individual attention. I wish we could have kept this room for we sadly need it. Even using this room for a regular grade we were not able to take care of all the children without dividing the first grade into two sections, one of which attends in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. While this is not wholly desirable it has taken care of the situation this year.
Next summer we shall have about fifty-five or sixty leave the 8th grade and about ninety enter the 1st grade. This will leave a net gain of about thirty pupils. What we shall do with them becomes a serious proposition. It looks now as though we shall need another room next fall to take care of the increase in attendance. There are two ways in which we may do this: we can divide the first two grades and have morning sessions for a section of each and afternoon sess- ions for the other section; or we might have a portable building with
87
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
two rooms to take care of the overflow. Of these two solutions I re- commend the latter as being better for the children although the former would cost less. In either event we shall need an extra teach- er. A new building, equipped, would probably cost about $3500. The portable building at the Franklin school cost about $1700, but we were able to use some old furniture. Now we have no old furniture available, of the size needed, so we would have to add to the price of the building itself the cost of complete new equipment.
The lower room at the Woodville school has more children than a teacher can readily handle. This fall we installed some extra chairs, making the seating capacity fifty-two. When we consider that the teacher has two grades and that by far the largest portion of the children are non-English speaking, we can realize the difficulty she has in handling the classes. It looks now as though next year conditions will be even worse. We have no available room near at hand to accommodate any transfers. If we should have a two-room portable building at the Lincoln School it might be possible to transfer a few children from the Woodville school taking those who live nearest the dividing line of the two districts. We could probably take away enough pupils to relieve the serious congestion at Woodville.
We found it necessary to make a few transfers from the Pros- pect school particularly to relieve grades three and four. I do not see how conditions are going to be any better there next year.
The Warren school takes the children above the fourth grade in the Prospect District and above the fifth grade in the Hamilton. Tak- ing these, together with the regular registrations in the Warren District, we find the upper grades well filled. One room has grades three and four together. We found it necessary to transfer several children from this room to the Hamilton school. At that time we hoped the transfers would be for this year only, but as time goes on I do not see much chance for putting the children back next fall.
The capacity of the other buildings is not unduly taxed, al- though practically all are well filled.
The town should be looking forward to increased accommoda- tions in the near future.
HIGH SCHOOL
I have said in previous reports that the high school has more students then we can take care of in a single session. Last year the freshman class had to meet in the afternoon. Then we found it pos- sible to have a short overlapping with the time for the three upper classes, but this year it did not seem at all feasible. Consequently we had to change the school hours for each section. This scheme is neither desirable nor worthy of commendation other than being a means of accommodation.
Some of the students who attend the morning session have to
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
leave home almost before daylight during the short days. Some of those who attend the afternoon session do not get home until about six o'clock. During the winter months all go home after sunset. Not only this, but the first year's class has to work in artificial light during the latter part of the day. I am not opposed to a two session plan in the high school, but I am not in favor of such hours as we have at present.
I believe a long school day for high school students is desirable and I hope that the time will come soon when we may have it. I believe high school students should attend school all day. This would mean more intensive work by the students, more thoroughness in their studies and perhaps it would give a chance for physical training. Laboratory periods also would be longer and of more value. Study periods would be supervised, and good habits of study developed. Then practically all the work, except the reading for reference and outside reading in literature, would be done during school hours.
Because of the increase in the enrollment we shall need another teacher next fall. Last fall we found it necessary to add an extra teacher to the commerical department because of the growth of the department.
Because of the large number of elections of drawing we found it necessary to engage a teacher for full time. Miss Amy L. Butter- field has ably served the town as supervisor of drawing in the grades besides giving a part of her time to the high school. She chose to take up full time in high school leaving the position of supervision to be filled by the election of another teacher.
For a report, more in detail, of the high school I refer you to the report of the principal.
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
The present school course is really divided into two parts, the elementary school with grades, and the secondary or high school. Many people think of the elementary school as made up of three dis- tinct groups: primary, intermediate and grammar. These three divisions however constitute one branch of our public schools. The present system is divided according to what is comonly known as the eight-four plan, meaning a pupil gives eight years to the elementary schools and four years to the high.
There is a wide gap between the elementary and high schools. In fact, I am not sure but what this is the worst gap a child meets in his whole educational career. It is certain that the read- justment necessary for high school life is a severe tax upon many children. In the grades they have only one teacher with whom to become familiar. Someone divides the day for them and indicates to them to a large extent what and when they shall study. There is no
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
passing in the corridors except at recess. When they get into high school all this is changed, and it is made worse by the present crowded conditions in our high school, for the day for each is really shortened because of our morning and afternoon sessions. The three upper classes have only four and one-half hours, and the first year class, four and one-fourth hours. There is little time for study during school time, consequently the students have to study a great deal at home, while, heretofore, he has not done very much at home. Again the student recites to several teachers instead of to one, and instead of remaining in one room all day he has to pass to different rooms for different recitations. Each individual thus is given more freedom, which at first some are disposed to abuse. The lessons are entirely different and each may "get" his lesson when he chooses instead of all study the same one at the same time. Again the method of teaching in the high school is usually different from that of the elementary due to the fact that practically all of the high school teachers are college trained, and colleges have begun only recently to take up teacher teaching. Practically all of the teachers in the grades are normal trained. This change in method of teaching adds to the con- fusion.
Many educators today believe that children over twelve years of age need a different kind of teaching from those younger, and they think that the schools do not take this enough into consideration, in the usual curricula and classes. They are recommending more and more that the division of school life be changed from the eight-four plan to a six-six or six-three-three plan, or at least that the work of the last two years in the grammar school should be differentiated. As I study the situation, I believe that the six-three-three plan is the one that will come into more general use. The six-three-three plan means that a pupil attends the elementary school for six years. These schools for the small children are located in the different dis- tricts in such a way that the little folks will be near their homes and will not have long walks. The high school life is six years, with three years given to the junior and three to the senior sections, and is in buildings centrally located. It is already rapidly spreading through the West, and is being taken up in the East by many cities and towns. It seems to me that this more nearly meets our modern demands than any other scheme we have at hand. The Boston Latin school has really had this plan for years and the city is now extending it to other schools. I commend the idea to the Committee for serious con- sideration.
Would a junior high school be of any benefit to the town as far as accommodations are concerned? The scheme presupposes one or more central schools to take care of grades VII-IX and a senior high school to take care of grades X to XII. If we could take the seventh and eigth grades out of the grammar schools we would have several rooms available for future growth. We would have the following
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
numbers of rooms released in each building: Hurd 1, Lincoln 3, Warren 3, Franklin 2, Greenwood 2. This would not give any per- manent relief in the Lincoln District for if we could put such a scheme into operation next fall we would probably need two of the three rooms immediately.
It might be possible to have another room at Greenwood to take care of grades I-IX or the entire elementary school and the junior high school. No child from Greenwood then would have to come up town until the second year of his high school career. I am inclined to think that such a scheme would be very acceptable to the residents of that section for it would mean that they would have another year to attend school in Greenwood without the long walk or car ride to the centre.
The amount of room given at the other buildings by taking out the seventh and eighth grades would be sufficient to take care of the dis- tricts for several years to come.
All this would require the erection of a new building, which must come soon anyway. This new building might be for either the junior or senior section and used in connection with the old building. In building we should provide extra room for future growth. We might place all the high school students and a part of the eighth grade in the new building, and the rest of the eighth and seventh grades in the old or present high school building. As our numbers increase the eighth grade would gradually be forced out of the new building and then the freshman class in turn would follow. At such a time another new building would be needed. This additional new building would take care of the junior high school students but the necessity for this build- ing would be postponed for a few years.
I believe such a program would be for the best educational in- terest of the town although it probably might not be the least ex- pensive, financially. If we are to keep pace with the times we must provide more and better facilities for the upper grades, and I be- lieve such a scheme as I have outlined above would do this.
FIRE PROTECTION
During the last part of the year the Committee did something towards making the buildings more secure from fires. No building is more nearly fireproof than is the the inside work. Brick walls may protect the outside, but they do not insure the safety of the interior except from a fire that may originate from without the building. Statistics show that something like eighty per cent or more of fires in school buildings originate in the basement. This being so, outside brick walls afford scant protection to the average school house, especially if it is more than a few years old.
None of our buildings have a fireproof interior, although we have
91
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
six brick buildings. Taking these things into consideration the Com- mittee felt that for the safety of the school children something should be done that would give them more protection in case of fire. Before beginning this work the Committee called upon the State Inspector of Public Buildings for this district for advice and suggestions.
Every school in town has well executed fire drills. Each has more then one signal to indicate the different exits which the pupils shall use depending upon the supposed location of the fire. The larg- est buildings are emptied within two minutes.
HOME GARDENS
We have no available space around any of our school buildings for garden work, so whatever we do along this line has to be home garden projects. I believe that we should give this more serious at- tention than we have heretofore done. Nearly all of our schools have done something with home gardens, but we should do a great deal more. To this end I shall soon call a meeting of the principals, lay out plans for the coming season, and try to interest a far larger portion of the pupils in raising garden truck. To make the work more effective, there should be some way of inspecting the gardens during the summer and some way of giving advice to the children when the teachers are away for the long vacation. I believe this is a good line for the Parent-Teachers' Association to take up, and I would earnestly urge them to make this a part of their activities.
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