USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1919 > Part 8
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22 g'rm'nts $66
114
1068 loaves $160.20
Canning
22
10001/2 qts $500.25
Totals
62
$1,150.45
141
$2,657.22
. .
*
$245.87
Garden
0
0
*
*
3
*
*
1 23
Poultry
1
*Hardly large enough to warrant inclusion.
+Not yet enrolled for this year.
This project not started in Masachusetts before 1919-1920.
The High School class work must of necessity develop slowly. This year, for the first time, a full year course has been offered. The Freshman
54 72 g'rm'nts$216 1226 loaves$208.42 68 3369 qts $1684.50 +
65
107
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
course deals with general agriculture and has six pupils. Each of these pupils is required to do club work as a part of their course so that the two departments dovetail nicely. To the Sophomores work is given in botany and civic biology. Owing to the small number taking it as part of their agricultural course, they were combined with other pupils in the same subjects, making a total of 59 at the present time. Those taking it as part of their agricultural work are required to have a practical project besides class work. Next year it is hoped that a course in horticulture may be offered juniors.
The cooking class is the first of its kind and numbers 41 in four divis- ions. These pupils are all Freshmen. The pupils in this branch of the work are not required to become club members.
A resume of the more important achievements of the Club members (including High School class pupils) during the past year would not be out of place at this time.
Garden. Wakefield's demonstration team (Myrton Fuller and Ed- ward LeFave) won the county championship.
Three Wakefield boys (Edward Cocoran, Myrton Fuller and Edward LeFave) won the three places on the Massachusetts State vegetable judging team. One of these was unable to compete later. The reor- ganized team. won fourth place at the Eastern States contest at Spring- field.
An exhibit of vegetables from various members won first prize for towns at the New England States Fair.
A Wakefield girl, Myrtle Noble, won the championship of Middlesex County on home garden work. She also won a gold medal at the Eastern States Exposition for a display of parsnips.
Poultry. For the first time a poultry judging team was trained. This team comprised Edward McManamin, Ray Samuels and Eleanor Crabiel. They took sixth place in a competition between fifteen poultry teams from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, at the Boston Poultry Show. Ray Samuels took sixth individual place. Wakefield club mem- bers secured three first, one second, and one fourth on five exhibits.
At the Quannapowitt Poultry Association Show an individual judging competition open to Middlesex County was held. Philip Pasqualino, Ev- erett Bennett and Eleanor Crabiel took first, second and fifth places re- spectively. Six exhibits by Wakefield members took four firsts and two seconds.
Canning. At the exhibit held in the Town Hall in September, seven- ty-nine exhibits of five jars each were shown. A collection of ninety-six jars of vegetables from the Warren School club members took fourth prize at the New England States Fair.
A demonstration team, consisting of Agnes Lyons, Nellie Sheehan and Lillian Fisher was formed. At Malden, in competition for the county championship, they won third rank, and were presented with medals for their good work. Later they demonstrated at the town fair in Wilming- ton. At the exhibition in the Wakefield Town Hall they gave two demon- strations.
108
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Two banner clubs, that is, where every member finished her work, came through-Greenwood and Hurd. Nellie Sheehan was the town champion, putting up one hundred and five jars, writing a good story and being a member of the demonstration team, and having been a faithful worker for two or three years.
Four Thursdays six of the girls under the leadership of Miss Doris Nelson did commercial, canning work.
Home Economics. The town champion, Catherine Donegan, had a score of 96.5 per cent and was one of the first ten individuals in the county.
The School Garden Army is used as a training camp to fit boys and girls to become good club members. The work has now reached the point where practically only those who have made good in the Garden Army will be asked to join the garden clubs. This army work is carried on in the grammar schools only.
The numbers of those who finished their work in 1919 in the respec- tive schools are as follows: Warren 40, Prospect 26, Hurd 17, Montrose 16, Franklin 13, Lincoln 12, Hamilton 4, Woodville 2, total 130. Another year with paid direct supervision a total of at least 250 should be reached.
It is much to be hoped that the coming summer we may have a paid supervisor who will give nearly his or her whole time to this garden army work and thus, by co-operation, greatly assist the district volunteer com- mittees which have done such good service. The work has reached a magnitude where volunteer workers should not be expected to bear the whole burden.
The community gardens naturally reached their maximum during war times. Last summer saw a marked decrease in their number, but there were still about twenty acres of them under cultivation. This number will, without doubt, continue to decrease until a fairly steady average is maintained.
Eleven different tracts of land were used. About one hundred and seventy-eight gardeners were on these tracts, which included 210 plots under cultivation. These plots were distributed as follows: Center 69, Woodville 54, Greenwood 37, North Ward 32, West Side (including North Avenue north of Albion Street) 18.
Although the financial side of the community garden work is not un- der the direction of the school committe, I feel that this is the proper place to report concerning it.
Plots not paid for 3
Plots to High School boys and to owners of
community garden property (no assess- ment) 4 Paid plots 203
210
Income from 203 plots
$675.25
Item, printing, etc $16.35
Preparing and staking gardens 405.05
Steel tape 4.50
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
109
Plans of several community gardens 11.20
Stakes and sawing of same 13.00
P. O. stamps and postals 13.30
Telegrams
.70
Rebates to be made
25.60
489.70
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1919
185.55
675.25 675.25
so far as possible this season for as many as desire it. The educational value of the project should be emphasized more and more as the work becomes stabilized. Too many thanks cannot be extended those land owners who have so generously donated their land for this purpose.
The value of the product raised on these gardens is a matter of common interest. This season fifty-one plots were reported by those us- ing them as raising $1,329.80 worth of produce, or an average of $26.07 per plot. If all the remaining plots averaged as well, the total produce was worth approximately $3,475.00. The average figure should increase from year to year as the gardeners learn more and more concerning the growing of their crops.
REPAIRS
Last summer we found it absolutely necessary to have more room at the high school and we bought a two-room portable building. We also had to secure three additional teachers for the High School and one extra for the Montrose School. As we had not provided for the building nor for the extra teachers we found we were going to be short of funds at the end of the year. Therefore, we did no repairing, except what was necessary for safety and for preserving the building. Our should have done last year.
, Two furnaces in the Greenwood School leaked gas. We tried to repair bills will be large this summer when we do the work that we remedy this during the Christmas vacation but found that we could not get the new parts needed. The temporary repair was not successful, and we shall have to install two new furnaces to replace these. We al- ready have bids out for new ones.
Some of the furnaces at the Warren School leak gas unless they are handled very carefully. Examination shows that practically all of these will have to be reset during the summer. There will be consider- able expense for this work.
All other repairs are of a minor nature but the total expense will be large.
EVENING SCHOOLS
Last year the enrollment in the regular evening schools dropped as the number of illiterate minors decreased with restricted immigration. Our total membership however increased because of a demand for in-
110
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
struction by illiterate adults and by those who knew some English but wanted to know more, and by others who wished to take out citizenship papers.
The work in the Italian Clubs has not only continued but increased. These clubs voted to furnish rooms, light and heat if the School De- partment would furnish the teachers. We now have three classes con- ducted in two clubs, while a third club has voted to fit up a room and ask for a teacher for next fall.
Many of the young men in these classes are preparing to take out citizenship papers as many of their friends have already done. Their in- terest is indicated by the fact that although many members of the classes work out of town yet the attendance in the evening is very good.
The Committee has accepted a law passed by the last legislature which provides State aid for Americanization work with adult aliens. By this law the Town will be reimbursed by one-half the cost of con- ducting these classes. The different reimbursements from the State do not apply directly to the finances of the Department, but are turned into the Town Treasury. The Town Meeting has to advance the money, but the Town receives a portion of it back from the State.
EVENING PRACTICAL ARTS
Last winter we had a small registration in the Evening Practical Art classes, due I presume to a re-action as a result of the armistice. This fall the membership has increased to about the normal. We found it necessary to add another teacher to the dressmaking classes and be- fore the end of the year we shall probably have to add another teacher to the millinery class. The work is similar to that outlined other years.
SEWING
Of course the point of view in sewing has changed since the War closed and perhaps the best way to give a report is to include a part of the report of the sewing teacher, as follows:
"The Junior Red Cross work was continued until the closing of school in June. To the sewing teacher, the past year has been an arduous but inspiring one. We learned that the desire to serve did not have to be created in the schools. Indeed the pupils seemed anxious to help in the Red Cross work.
Although the chief aim in Junior Red Cross work was to help clothe the refugees care was taken to teach the making of these garments so that the educational value in the sewing process was acquired by the pupils-thus accuracy and neatness with.right habits of work were con- stantly kept in mind.
The regular outline was resumed in September. The specd lessons are an innovation of this year being given from time to time for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the girls by teaching them that quantity as well as quality is an aim in all work. They also learn that sewing is not merely a useful handicraft, but an art having its body of principles and rules according to which it must be taught to secure the
111
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
most practical as well as educational results.
The pupil's study of drawing and English are utilized with the in- struction in sewing. Drawing of various stitches and kinds of work with accurate written descriptions of various stitches tend not only to train the hand to develop sewing, but create habits of thinking and of ex- pressing ideas clearly.
In the first year the fundamental stitches are taught as a means by which the girls may construct a definite article and not as an end in itself. The following details are pursued such as the training of the body to assume and keep correct position, training of the fingers to handle properly the implements used, training of the eye to quick and accurate preception, and correct descriptions by giving oral and written specifications of the work done. When these essentials have been thoroughly mastered the work progresses to practical applications in making wearing apparel and articles of household use.
These preferable psychological impressions are developed through the training received in the sewing course, namely the training of taste, will, and judgment, so that decision, perseverance, promptness, thorough ness, and economy of material become habits of the pupils."
MANUAL TRAINING
I wish to call to your attention the work of the Manual Training department by submitting the following lists which show the most im- portant things which they have done besides regular routine projects.
Estimated
Quantity Nature of Work
Material
Labor
Market Value
150
Teachers' door cards
$1.00
$3.40
$4.75
200
Letter heads
1.80
.85
3.10
1,000
Letter heads
4.75
2.12
8.05
3,000
Seed lists
3.75
5.10
9.78
200
Letter heads
1.80
.85
3.10
350
Meeting announcements
1.70
1.70
350
Report slips
. .
1.27
1.27
850
Song sheets
.40
2.55
3.05
1,000
Letter heads
1.27
1,27
150
Unit course history cards
1.00
4.67
5.92
250
Meeting announcements
. .
1.27
1.27
250
Dismissal notices
. .
1.27
1.27
525
High School
Parent-Teachers
notices
.25
2.12
2.43
2,000
Office duplicate bill heads
1.00
2.97
4.22
500
Program of work slips
.35
1.70
2.13
350
Meeting announcements
.20
1.27
1.52
1,000
Letter heads
5.25
1.27
7.83
50
Postal cards
·
1.85
1.85
800
Requisition blanks
.25
1.27
1.58
. .
.85
.85
300
Attendance notices
. .
112
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
This work is too valuable to be abandoned and will be continued
50 Recipe cards
.08
1.27
1.37
1,000 Return envelopes
1.68
1.27
3.37
1,000 Report of supplementary exams. blanks
.25
3.40
3.71
300
Attendance notices
·
1.27
1.27
1,300
Schedule cards
3.75
4.25
8.93
100
Letter heads-H. School
.90
.85
1.97
50 Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
50
Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
50 Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
50
Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
50
Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
50
Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
50
Recipe cards
.08
.85
.95
350
Meeting announcements
. .
1.27
1.27
200
Postal cards
. .
1.27
1.27
5,000
Attendance slips
1.00
1.70
2.95
2,000
Notices of poor work
3.22
2.55
6.70
400
Meeting announcements
1.27
1.27
200
Programs
.10
2.12
2,24
350
Meeting announcements
1.27
1.27
100
Tickets for evening schools
.50
.85
1.47
500
Reference blanks
1.00
2.55
3.80
2,000
Absence blanks
2.90
4.25
7.87
50
Postal cards
.85
.85
200
Absent notices
·
.85
.85
250
Meeting announcements
1.27
1.27
200
Letter heads
1.80
1.70
3.95
1,000
Letter heads
3.75
2.12
6.80
125
Cards for state record of teachers
.25
1.50
1.58
25 Postals
.85
.85
300
Parent-Teachers' Ass. Tickets ...
1.50
.. 85
2.72
200
Transfer cards
.60
1.27 ·
2.02
$49.29
93.41
154.99
BOOKBINDING
478 volumes of school books rebound:
Approximate cost of material $23.90
Market value of rebinding 191.20
Woodwork of practical nature for the schools:
Jumping standards for Montrose School.
Five first-aid cabinets.
Flat-iron repaired-Lincoln School.
50 pairs knitting needles, 24x1/4.
Table for press.
. .
-
9.78
4,000
No school signals
3.75
5.10
-
.
113
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Chair repaired-Lincoln School.
Drawer repaired-Lincoln School.
Outside door repaired-Lincoln School, Man. Tr. rm.
Picture reframed-Lincoln School.
Two window boxes-Franklin School.
Window ventilator.
Large book rack-Warren School.
Piano pedal sticks repaired-Lincoln School.
Bicycle rack-Lincoln School.
Map repaired-Lincoln School.
Drawer repaired-Lincoln School.
Christmas tree standards-Lincoln School.
Bulletin board-High School.
Shelves made for book closet-Lincoln School.
SCHOOL SAVINGS BANKS
Greenwood
Lincoln
Franklin
Total 670
Active Accounts
220
171
279
Amount of deposits
$611.78
494.97
770.55
1,877.30
Number of deposits
1,483
1,590
4,031
7,104
Withdrawals
37
59
107
199
Amount of withdrawals
$18.91
154.00
46.82
219.73
Amount trans. to pupils' ac-
counts in Savings Bank ..... $576.10
327.11
627.00
1,530.21
Balance in custody of Principal .. $154.30
96.73
251.03
No. of Savings B'nk B'ks issued 52
18
205
275
I wish to call your attention to the good work of the School Phy- sician and the school Nurse. The value of their work will be apparent from a perusal of the report.
Part of the nurse's report is as follows:
"I assisted the school doctor in examining teeth and throats. The number of notices sent out seems to be decreasing each year. I find that the pupils in the sixth ,and seventh grades are the ones who take the least care of their teeth. I am in hopes "A Child's Book of the Teeth" which was added to the course of study for grades three and four will be of great benefit and will help us in this problem of caring for the teeth.
The number of children with defective sight has been one of the problems this year. In the Franklin District I found it necessary to to call on many mothers in regard to giving proper attention to the eyes. This I find needs more follow up work than I have been able to give. For a period of two weeks I visited the homes, and out of eight cases of children with very poor sight seven had glasses. Within three weeks all, had treatment from a Specialist.
During the summer vacation a great many children who had notices sent home in regard to defective tonsils and adenoids had them operated on. A large number was also revacinated.
When school started in September the School Physician informed me we did not have one case of contagion in town. This did not last
114
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
long I am sorry to say. In October a few cases of Scarlet Fever were reported in the Greenwood section. These cases were very light and it was necessary to visit the school every day. I found four children at different times desquamating. These children had been out of school only a day or two, had returned, and after a period of ten or twelve days were desquamating. The School Physician was notified and in each case the child sent home, the parents notified and the family physician called. I also found children attending school with an eruption of the body which proved to be scabies.
I have been able to have children treated at the Eye and Ear Infirmary through Miss Ridgeway, an agent of the State Commission of the Blind. She placed one child in a school in Lynn, another who had conjunctive cataracts was operated on, is now wearing glasses and is greatly improved. The third with a severe muscular trouble is wearing glasses and is to be operated on in January.
The District Nurse Association, Junior Red Cross and St. Elizabeth Guild have been very helpful this winter as there was great need of clothing and shoes among the school children."
The report of the School Physician will be found in another place. and should command your attention.
COURSE OF STUDY
With the new high school building apparently within sight we ought to make a complete survey of the course of study both for the high school and for the grades. The completion of the new high school will make it possible to introduce still further the junior high school which we have started in a small way as with the present accommodations it is physically impossible to do very much with it ..
A committee of teachers for each of the major subjects has been appointed to work up an entirely new course of study. They will probably be ready to render at least a partial report by the end of the present school year.
STANDARD TESTS
I recommend that the Committee set aside a small portion of the funds for the purpose of using each year standard tests whereby we may measure the work of our schools with others throughout the country. We should use these to find our shortcomings as compared with others, and to give encouragement for the good work that the teachers do. At various times we have tried these tests for reading and spelling with very satisfactory results which showed that in these subjects we do slightly better than average set.
SALARIES
Wages have increased very considerably during the last few years, but the salary for the teachers has gone up very slowly and very little. Teachers were poorly paid before all these increases and now are far behind, in fact, the salaried person is the one who has suffered most on
115
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
the financial end. The enrollment in the normal school has fallen off alarmingly and there is a decided shortage of teachers throughout the country. In some places schools are closed because of the inability to find anyone competent to handle them. The safety of our country lies in the education of the youth and we cannot afford to have any of the schools closed, nor can we afford to lower the standard of the teachers. We ought to command the best men and women for these positions, but we never will until we give a remuneration at least better than that paid to the unskilled.
Last fall one of the students at the High School indicated an in- tention to leave school. When the teacher argued in favor of finishing the high school work first she was asked why, when the wages to be paid then were more than she was receiving.
A girl graduated from the general course last June and then spent a short time in a business school. She has accepted a position at $75 per month with the promise of an increase to $90 within three months. In other words this young girl without a bit of experience, with practically nothing but a high school education began her work at an annual salary equal to the maximum paid our grade teachers. These two instances are enough to show why there is a shortage of teachers.
It is for the safety of the school, the children, and the country that I urge the Town to grant the increase or $400 which the Committee has asked. This would raise the maxium for the grades to $1300, or $25 per week for the year, which at the present does not seem exorbitant and which is only about $3.00 per week more than is paid a crossing tender on the railroad. I realize that the increase means a higher tax rate, but the Town must decide whether to increase this or lower the standard of the school by engaging incompetent and poorly trained, or untrained teachers. The surrounding Towns are raising the teachers salaries, and Wakefield will have to do the same if we want to be able to get good teachers to replace those who for various reasons leave our corps.
RECEIPTS OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR 1919
The Legislature of 1919 passed a law setting off approximately $4,000, 000 from the Income Tax to reimburse towns and cities in part for salaries paid to the teachers. Section 3, Chapter 363, Acts of 1919 makes the following provisions:
"Section 3. For each person employed for full time service for the entire school year as teacher, supervisor, principal, assistant superinten- dent or superintendent of schools, the city or town shall be reimbursed as follows:
(1) Two hundred dollars for every such person who has received as salary not less than eight hundred and fifty dollars and who is a grad- uate, of an approved normal school or college and had had at least two years' teaching experience or who possesses preparation and teaching experience accepted in lieu thereof.
(2) One hundred and fifty dollars for every such person, not in- cluded in the foregoing classification, who has received as salary not less
116
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
than seven hundred and fifty dollars and (a) who has satisfactorily completed one year of professional training in an approved normal school or teachers' training school, and has had at least three years of teaching experience; or (b) is a graduate of an approved normal school or college, and has had at least one year of teaching experience; or (c) who possesses preparation and teaching experience accepted in lieu of either of the foregoing requirements in this paragraph.
(3) One hundred dollars for every such person, not included in either paragraphs (1) or (2), who has received as salary not less than six hundred and fifty dollars.
Section 4. For each teacher, supervisor, principal, assistant super- intendent or superintendent of schools, employed for less than full time service for the school year, the city or town shall be reimbursed suclı a fractional part of the corresponding reimbursement for full time service provided for in section three of this act as that service bore to full time service; provided, however ,that the person for whom the reimburse- ment is claimed shall have met the corresponding requirements of cer- tification, if any, specified in section three, and shall have received as salary an amount not less than that fraction of the corresponding salary for full time service specified in section three. * * *"> The receipts of the Town for the Department were as follows: Aid for salaries from State. $15,730.35
State Wards
663.75
City Wards 342.00
Industrial Arts
627.79
Practical Arts
57.00
Other Tuitions
2,060.74
$19,481.63
CHANGES IN TEACHING FORCE
The following changes in the teaching force have taken place this year:
RESIGNATIONS HIGH SCHOOL
George Dickey, sub-master to Principal of Fairhaven High School.
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