USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1929 > Part 12
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SUB-COMMITTEES
Mr. Rogers
Public Property Mr. Allman
Mr. Sawyer
Finance and Accounts
Mr. Sawyer
Dr. O'Connell Mr. Allman
Teachers and Salaries
Mrs. Ripley
Mrs. Miller Dr. O'Connell
Courses of Study
Dr. O'Connell
Mrs. Ripley Mrs. Miller
Text Books and Supplies Mrs. Ripley Mr. Rogers
Mrs. Miller
Superintendent of Schools
Willard B. Atwell, 94 West Chestnut Street
Secretary to the Superintendent Pauline E. Meads, 240 Lowell Street
Office, High School Building. Hours: 8 to 12 and 1.30 to 5.
190
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Monday Evening, 7 to 8. Saturday, 8 to 12. On Wednesday and Friday the office is open until 5.30 P. M.
Office telephone 0122. Superintendent 0363. Secretary 0493-R.
Regular Meetings of the School Committee: Second and fourth Fridays of each month at 7.30 P. M. at Committee Rooms.
Report of the Public Schools
This report is compiled by the Superintendent of Schools from the dif- ferent reports submitted by the principals and heads of departments of the system.
Last year the Superintendent rendered a separate report to the School Committee of investigation and recommendations for a school building program. At the last Annual Town Meeting the town took the first step suggested; mainly, authorizing an addition to the Montrose School. A building committee was appointed and the construction is now well under way. An appropriation was also voted for a parcel of land for a part of the site for the intermediate school as recommended in the survey. The re- maining part of the proposed site should be purchased this year.
It is recommended that the Annual Town Meeting appoint a building committee for the new intermediate school with instructions to appoint an architect and procure plans and specifications for a bona fide bid, and an estimate of cost by an engineer. An appropriation to cover the cost of this work should be made. This committee should report at the next Annual Town Meeting when an appropriation for construction should be made. This appropriation should be based upon the estimates obtained by the Building Committee.
Last year we reported that three rooms at the Hamilton School were closed for regular school work. This year the other room was closed and the pupils who were registered there were transferred to the Warren School. Miss Elizabeth Gardner who had served for several years as Principal of the building was transferred to the Greenwood School, and Miss Lillian Shoff,
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
Total Enrollment
Average Membership
Average Attendance
3925 3825 3725 3625 3525 3425 3325 3225 3125 3025 2925
1
2825 2725
1
1
1
2625
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2425
.
2325
2225
2125
2025
191
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
.
2525
.
192
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
who had charge of the seventh grade, was assigned to a room as an assisting teacher, especially for the purpose of helping those pupils who, for various reasons, may have fallen back in their work.
Believing in the modern idea that the teachers should have a chance to assist in administering the schools the Superintendent appointed a com- mittee of principals and teachers to examine different text books in arith- metic with the object of recommending one for use in our schools. This committee did excellent work, spending much time, and giving careful consideration to the various points which make a book an acceptable text. They drew up a measuring scale by which each book was rated.
Their report and recommendations was submitted to the Superin- tendent and by him to the School Committee who voted to accept and adopt it.
In practically all of the larger grade schools club work of different kinds are carried on by the pupils as an auxiliary to the regular school work. These club meetings are voluntary and are held after school.hours. Some of the varied activities of this character are as follows:
Junior Safety Council
Under the direction of the Middlesex County Extension Service: 4-H Food Club 4-H Sewing Club Book Clubs Airplane Club
Nature Club Reed Club Dramatic Club Music Club
Miss Mary E. Kelly who was first elected in 1884 retired in November. Miss Kelly taught in the Hamilton School for many years and did earnest, faithful work. We extend to her our best wishes, and our appreciation for the work she has done for the many pupils who have passed through her rooms.
Miss Addie R. Crosman, who was first elected in 1899, retired at the end of the school year in June. Miss Crosman has taught in the West Ward School for several years, where she did earnest, conscientious work. We extend to her our best wishes, and our appreciation for the work she has done.
Last January the Woody diagnostic tests in fundamentals of arithmetic were given from the third through the eighth grades inclusive. These tests pointed to the weaknesses in the work of children and of classes, and served as a basis for remedial work during the rest of the year.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
In February the Sangren-Woody silent reading test was given to the fourth through the eighth grades. This test is composed of seven parts: word meaning, rate, fact material, total meaning, central thought, following directions and organization. The results of this test gave the teacher an unusually clear idea of the difficulties of herpupils, if there were any, in getting the thought from the printed page and has served as a guide to the planning of her silent reading since then.
The Haggerty reading test was given in grades two and three and has proved a wonderful help to the teachers of those grades.
Fifty-seven children were tested for entrance to the first grade last September. Of these, twenty-two were admitted. This is a slightly larger percentage than has been admitted for the last three years. These children are living up to the standard of work established by children who have been admitted in the last five years, and which we expect from all children who have passed these tests.
Group Intelligence tests were given as usual last fall to all pupils in the elementary grades. These tests show the relative ability of different classes throughout the town and predict the possible achievement of each class so that when achievement tests are given we shall know whether or not a class is doing its best work.
Reading is still receiving special attention for, on the pupil's ability to understand what he reads, depends his success in every school subject. Texts which stress work-type reading have been introduced and teachers are getting better and better results in this type of reading.
Many class rooms have small libraries which the children may use and thus broaden their reading. We need more of these libraries and more books for those which have been started.
SPECIAL CLASSES
The separating of the older and younger children at the Hamilton School makes more individual attention possible and has added to the happiness of the children.
Another class is needed at Franklin to take care of the first and second grade children needing individual help.
The High School Principal reports that enrollment in the High School at the beginning of the year was as follows:
1
194
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Boys
Girls
Total
Post Graduates
1
2
3
Seniors
82
95
177
Juniors
103
126
229
Sophomores
111
119
230
Freshmen
130
134
264
427
476
903
You will notice from this report that we have 43 pupils more this year than last year and that the increases are in the Senior and Junior classes. We had 138 in the Senior Class last year and 177 this year; also, 191 in the last year's Junior Class and 229 in this year's Junior Class. We fell off in the Sophomore and Freshmen Classes; 13 in the Sophomore Class and 19 in. the Freshmen Class. We are tremendously crowded. . The traffic problem is a very trying one. Our corridors are not very wide and we have only two: stairways-one at each end of the building. Inasmuch as we have not desks enough for all pupils many have to keep their books in their lockers and that congests the locker rooms at the close of nearly every class period; that adds to our traffic problems.
We have had no addition to the teaching force during the last two years, although we have had an increase of nearly 100 pupils. That has made it necessary to increase the size of the classes. We have many classes of over thirty-five pupils, most of them are 32 or 33. I believe that to get the best results, the classes should have twenty-five pupils. If we get our usual increase of forty to fifty pupils next fall, we shall need two extra teachers, as I cannot increase the size of the classes. I feel that it isn't fair to the pupils. I believe our work has suffered because of large classes and because the pupils not reciting have to study in rooms where classes are being conducted.
During the year we have had the following changes in our teaching staff : Miss Janet Height, teaching Algebra and Geometry; Miss Edna McClenahan, French; and Miss A. True Hardy, Commercial English.
We are a comprehensive high school and it may interest you to know that we have 153 pupils taking work in the Household Arts Department; that means 31% of the girls are taking cooking, sewing or millinery work. There are 159 boys taking woodwork or printing; that is 37% of all the boys in school. Also, 157 boys are taking Mechanical Drawing, and 132 girls are taking Freehand Drawing. It also may be of interest to know that about 40% of the school are taking College preparatory work and 40% Commercial and 20% take Industrial Arts and English courses.
The Boys' Glee Club is very active and doing very acceptable work. The Girls' Glee Club lost its leader when Miss Armstrong left us and Mr. Jones has taken charge. The orchestra is doing better work this year than
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
usual. When we realize that the work of the Glee Clubs and orchestra is done after school hours, I believe much credit is due their leaders. The pupils must believe they are getting something worth while or they wouldn't stay and work.
The Hi-Y Club collected a great many toys at Christmas time for Mrs. Boynton; and the Inter Nos Club gave several dinners away during Thanks- giving time.
The Masque Club gave its fourth annual production of three one-act plays last April. Miss Gertrude Hicks raised the dramatics of our school to a very high plane. The proceeds of the plays were used to buy dinners for our theatricals.
We have various clubs in the school so that all pupils have a chance to belong to one or more. This year the various English classes have formed clubs, for instance, one class is taking up Journalism as its club work. One is forming a Johnsonian Club to develop the art of conversation.
In athletics we won the championship, of the Middlesex Basketball League. We did fairly well in baseball and football. We did not win many games in football, but we had a very large squad of boys playing all the season and I feel sure we shall see the results of their work next season.
Of the 131 pupils who graduated last June, 43 went to higher schools of learning. For the type of school that we have, I consider it a large number.
The School Physician states that the year 1929 has been remarkably free from contagious diseases with no general epidemic and with unusual freedom of measles.
The complete physical examination of the pupils in the first and fifth grades and the first year high school has been made as usual with the fol- lowing results. Defects sufficiently marked to warrant a notice to the parents aggregated 590, of which 184 were teeth, 230 nose and throat, 88 underweight by ten percent or more, 11 heart lesions and 77 miscellaneous. In the latter are included all kinds of minor remedial defects such as skin lesions, in- flamed eyelids, neglect of personal cleanliness, enlarged glands; also lack of vaccination. No definite cases of tuberculosis are now in school, though there are several under suspicion. The State in its ten year anti-tuberculosis program examines pupils known to be exposed and, in general, suspicious cases. In addition the school nurse has taken several to the North Reading Sanitarium for examination and X-ray.
The usual examination of the remaining school population resulted in 1,113 notices of defects, of which about two thirds were defective teeth and large proportion of the others nose and throat lesions. No notices were sent on defects of temporary teeth unless there was immediate danger to health.
196
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Literature on the prevention of diphtheria by immunization was sent to all parents of all pupils in the first three grades with a blank for them to sign requesting that it be done. The response was fair and more than four hun- dred pupils were given the usual three injections of taxin-antitoxin. Miss Russell, the Board of Health Nurse, assisted in this work. These pupils are soon to be tested and those not immune given further injections. The reason for limiting it to the first three grades is that the danger is greatest in the youngest and a considerable proportion of children over nine years old have acquired immunity. A continuation of this program will soon produce a fair proportion of immunes and probably lessen the incidence of the disease.
The following is an excerpt from the report of the principal of the Even- ing School:
The organization of evening school is similar to that of previous years. There are three departments, namely: Practical Arts, Commercial, and Americanization. The Practical Arts Department consists of seven classes, four in dressmaking, two in cooking and one in millinery. The Commercial Department is divided into four groups. The Americanization Department has one class in English and one in Citizenship. There is also the advanced grammar class with which the illiterate minor group has been combined. There are very few who come under the illiterate minor ruling.
There are one hundred twenty enrolled in the Practical Arts classes and the undiminished enthusiasm indicates that the courses offered in this de- partment are meeting the needs of the community.
The Americanization Department maintains about the same enrollment that it has had the past three years. This department turns out between twenty and thirty citizens each year.
The Commercial Department will require some reorganization to meet the needs of those attending. Among the students this year is a group which is seeking high school credit. There are three law school students, two seek- ing to enter a nurses' training institution, four preparing to enter preparatory schools and one from Northeastern University seeking credit for completion of their High School requirements. In order to meet the needs of such a group, and indications are that we shall have an increasing number of such students, re-organization should be made insofar as the demand warrants and economic administration will permit. To this end I suggest that at the beginning of another school year a definite course for first year of high school be established and added to each year until work of this grade is established for the full four grades. Such a move would require the extension of evening school for this division of the work. It would also demand the establishment of very definite requirements for entrance and examination for credit in completed courses.
The attendance throughout the school has been very good. There is a group however which comes each year for a few nights and stops. Organi-
197
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE,
zation of classes is made on the basis of their attendance and when they drop out reorganization must take place. To eliminate this condition, a nominal charge could be made which would be returned on satisfactory attendance.
I believe such a procedure would eliminate those who come out of curiosity and would benefit those who mean business.
The following is the report of the Supervisor of Physical Education:
Classes in the High School are conducted by Miss Bent and Mr. Shel- lenberger. The work consists of Swedish and Danish gymnastics, Dancing, Apparatus, Calisthenics, Relay Races and regular games. At the end of the indoor season Miss Bent supervised a Gym Exhibition given by the girls of all classes which did credit to the school. This exhibition represented consider- able time and preparation on the part of both Miss Bent and her girls; but we believe it was time well spent, for it created considerable interest among the girls, and also was very entertaining and instructive for the spectators.
During the fall and spring special effort is made to get as many into games as it is possible to handle. These activities consist of track and field, tennis, baseball, and field hockey, for girls. Touch football, soccer, baseball, and track for boys. Many boys have elected to take gym rather than the usual drill for their elective.
Much has been said both for and against the football team during the past year from the standpoint of victories and losses. There is no need of my going over the season in detail but I do want to say that Coach Healey started with a large squad and kept them all busy during the season. I believe that the boys were taught the correct fundamentals of football. He taught them to play hard but fair, and last but not least, they were taught to play the game as gentlemen. The outlook for the future is bright; from a squad of nearly sixty boys nearly forty remain and most of these are of the lower classes. There are also several likely candidates coming in from the eighth grades. It seems that we have not gone back far enough in our building process, and I would suggest that we conduct a Freshman Squad, which, I believe, would prove a feeder for the Varsity Squad. I believe that experience is best gained from actual competition and this would give an opportunity to at least twenty boys to gain it.
We have been very fortunate to get together seemingly the right com- bination of boys in basketball. At least the combination proved a winner. These boys won the Middlesex League Cup for the year by winning eight games and dropping two. The prospects for this year are fair. The reason we have had such material is that we have spent a great deal of time on boys in the grades and boys in High School Class teams. Basketball is fast be- coming a popular sport in Boston and we had about a hundred and eighty boys playing last year. This number represents both grades and the High
198
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
School. Inter-class games are played during the regular season and the interest is growing yearly. Boys seem to find themselves as to their ability for there is not so much at stake and the competition is not so finished. We have found some likely candidates among these boys who really thought that they weren't good enough to try out for the other team.
Baseball has been disappointing to us in some ways. We seemed to have had some good boys but they just couldn't come through at the right time. Whether it was nervousness or lack of experience we have but to guess; but it seemed that, with the boys playing on different occasions as they some- times did, we deserved a better fate. However, we were pleased to have four of our team picked on the All Mystic Valley Team to play against the All Suburban Team which was won by the former.
Last year we did not have many meets with other schools but spent our time in Inter-Class competition and as a result we had many more boys working and more gaining experience. This winter we hope by the aid of indoor track to re-establish ourselves in this sport.
The number of girls actually engaged in some form of athletic competition is considerably larger than any previous year. The reason for this being that the girls are members of class teams who play a series of games among them- selves, and finish the season by playing the four class teams of other schools. Of course we do not see the same finished product as we might expect to see if we were to devote our time to six girls but we feel that the girls derive the many benefits which athletics have to offer them but at the same time, the strain which is sure to come with one championship team is eliminated. The following figures represent the actual number of girls who were members of some class team during the past year :
Basketball
121
Baseball
103
Track and Field
98
Field Hockey
119
Through the co-operation of the regular grade teachers the lessons have been put across 100%, the regular teacher has become more and more in- terested in the physical side of the child's life and their enthusiasm in turn is exhibited by the children. All lessons are carefully selected, well demon- strated and properly supervised. Every lesson has an objective to be at- tained and the children have been working to that goal, which we feel means a strong healthy body with a good brain. Miss Blaikie is again working as instructor in the grade schools and eighth grade girls. Miss Comee, a stu- dent of Physical Education, is doing her practice teaching under the super- vision of Miss Blaikie and takes charge of the Greenwood Eighth grade girls in regular class work, together with all after school games for girls of this grade. We have already made plans for another part-time teacher in train- ing for the coming year.
199
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
After school games for both girls and boys of the grammar schools have brought forth many children. An Inter-School Track Meet was held at the High School in May and every event was closely contested. Six schools were represented. A Three-Year Cup was donated by the Rotary Club which was won by the Warren School. This created a lot of interest in the sport and should also train future candidates for High School Teams. Another meet was run between the eighth grade of Lafayette combined with the eighth grade of Greenwood competing with the High School Freshmen Class Team. About five points was the margin of a Freshmen win.
The regular Grammar School Baseball League was conducted as usual and many boys participated. It seems too bad that boys of this age cannot have a little more supervision because this is the age where many habits are formed and most of all sportsmanship should be taught. The Principals are not able to attend these games and I would like to have some older person take charge of the instruction and officiating of these games.
Touch football was introduced in the eighth grade and we could not find ample space to keep all of the boys busy who wanted to play. The pur- pose of this game was to give the boys some fundamental knowledge of football but the actual tackling and physical contact was eliminated because of lack of equipment.
Basketball for boys was conducted at the High School on Saturday mornings and about 60 boys played. It seems that with a minimum expense the assembly halls of many schools could be put to a far greater use as super- vised play rooms for the winter months and rainy days than to be used just for general assembly or entertainment. Much could be accomplished if these were available for this work. A small room was made into a play room in the Lafayette School which is being used by the boys. Girls use the Y. M. C. A. for class room work and after school games.
The Attendance Officer reports the following cases of :
Sickness
75
Truancy
76
Tardy
26
Kept out by parents or guardians
46
Lack of shoes and clothes
15
Found on street and taken to school
11
Found in homes and taken to school
8
Found on street and taken home
7
Misdemeanors on school grounds
9
Holding warrant for good behavior Suspensions
3
Home Employment Certificates
2
Factories and Stores visited
6
Pupils left school
16
3
200
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Placed in State School 1
Left school to go to work 9
General disobedience 4
Investigated and found them moved
17
Schools visited frequently
I have made 34 calls at the homes of pupils in the evening, and have talked with the parents regarding their children on several things with good results.
ESTIMATED RECEIPTS
Amount based on number of teachers employed, their training
and salary
$25,031.90
State Wards
2,378.55
Practical Arts
713.82
Americanization
545.11
Smith Hughes
130.26
Tuitions:
Lynnfield
13,873.20
City of Boston
936.59
Stoneham
696.90
Saugus
1,254.42
Individuals
746.40
$46,307.15
APPROPRIATION FOR 1930
The School Committee is asking for $312,800.00 for next year, divided substantially as follows:
Salaries
$263,210.00
Books and Supplies
12,700.00
Fuel
14,000.00
Contingent
17,900.00
Travel outside of State
100.00
Evening School
4,100.00
Transportation
789.00
Total
$312,799.00
We wish to call attention to the fact that there is a considerable amount that enters the Town Treasury through the School Department. Last year we estimated the receipts as $43,136.62, while this year we estimate them as $46,307.15, or a gain of $3,170.53. Our request for the appropriation for
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REPORT OF RECREATION COMMITTEE
schools has increased $8,100, but considering the receipts, the net increase is, in round figures, only $4,900.
We also call attention to the fact that while the total appropriation asked for is $312,800, if we take into consideration the amount of the re- ceipts, the net amount that will come out of the tax levy is prac- tically $266,500.00.
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