USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1957 > Part 4
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Considerable time and effort has been given to keep and maintain a full staff of adequately trained and efficient teachers. During the past year much has been said about the national shortage of well trained teachers. We are more fortunate than many sections of the country, being close to Metropolitan Boston and have more applicants than in other sections of the state and nation. Nevertheless, many of these applicants have not the requirements we seek, and in some areas of work it is almost impossible to find a single applicant qualified for the position.
We have experienced a large turnover in our teaching staff. Too large to be left unnoticed. You will note that 46 teachers left our system during 1957. Various reasons for the large turnover such as better salaries, the ease in finding other positions, the high marriage rate and maternity leave are most evident.
Looking Forward - There are two recommendations I would like you to give serious consideration during the coming months to better serve our community.
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146TH ANNUAL REPORT
High School Summer Session - Our experience with a summer session for elementary students during the past few years has proven very much worthwhile. There are students at the secondary level who could easily benefit from an additional six weeks' work during the summer. We have, for example, 70 typewriters that are idle during the summer months. Would it not be profitable for students to increase their proficiency through addi- tional training and practice on these machines? Our science laboratories could be used for a course in lab research. These and other courses could be offered on the same basis as our present program with parents paying a minimum tuition charge thereby making it self supporting.
Community Junior College - We are all aware of the difficulty that many of our high school graduates are going to encounter during the com- ing years to obtain a college education. Present college facilities and planned future expansion will not provide the physical plants necessary to accommodate the many applicants graduating from our high schools who will seek entrance into college. In addition, many students will not be able to meet the increased cost of a campus type college education for four years.
I would recommend that immediate steps be taken by the Committee in arranging a meeting between representatives from Reading, Stoneham, Melrose and Wakefield to discuss the possibility of establishing a neighbor- hood Junior College. Courses could be offered in the late afternoon and evening in one of our high schools at the collegiate level.
Such a plan would make it possible for more of our young people to take college work. Students would be able to work during the day to help provide for their expenses while acquiring further education in the evening. This program could be the terminal point for some stduents while others could transfer their credits for entrance into a four year college or uni- versity.
We should emphasize from the beginning that any plan accepted should be self supporting. Students enrolled would pay the cost through a tuition plan.
FROM THE REPORTS OF THE STAFF MEMBERS
The Senior High School, Gerard G. Barry, Principal
The high school enrollment in September, 1957, was down slightly over last year. This was caused by the opening of the tenth grade of the new Lynnfield High School. It is interesting to note that most of the loss of potential tenth graders from Lynnfield was made up by an increase in the number of tenth graders coming from the Atwell Junior High School. This means that with the steady increase in school population our temporary respite caused by Lynnfield's new high school will be ended in a very short time. Some of our academic classes are still crowded.
This has been a year of great emphasis and attention on the fields of science and mathematics. We feel that we have been keeping pace with the leaders in these fields. Our enrollment in science classes is equivalent to sixty-six percent of our total enrollment, and our mathematics enroll- ment is equal to sixty-five percent of our school enrollment.
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Wakefield High School has always recognized and honored those stu- dents who have achieved success scholastically. Recently a Wakefield Chapter of the National Honor Society was founded. This fall, 26 seniors were inducted as charter members of this society. Some members of the junior class will be initiated in the spring.
Our local school scholarships and awards were again increased this year. Forty-one awards were made at graduation. We would like to see an increase in the value of some of these scholarships as college costs con- tinue to mount.
The Oracle, the 1957 classbook, was again a medalist in the Columbia Scholastic Press Contest.
The Wakefield Rotary Club has contributed a set of monographs to the library. Over fifty books on poetry have been donated and purchased through the generosity of the family and friends of the late Marion Lee. We express our sincere thanks to these benefactors.
The high school P.T.A. is now the high school Parent-Teacher-Student Association. By inviting the pupils of the school to become members of this association, we have revitalized the organization. The attendance at the first meeting this fall was over three hundred.
A third automobile has been added to the Driver Education Program. We have a record of over 95 percent in our license examination as a result of this program.
Our athletic program continues to be run efficiently notwithstanding outdoor space problems. We won our second Middlesex League Champion- ship in football this year. Unfortunately, we have had to curtail girls' ath- letics at the high school because of loss of outdoor facilities. We are greatly in need of outdoor space in order to present a balanced program.
Wakefield High School participated again in the American Field Serv- ice Program. At the close of her junior year, Judith Kelley was chosen to spend the summer in Finland as part of this program. This fall we wel- comed Miss Pirkko Junnila from Finland to spend her senior year in Wakefield High School.
On the domestic side, we participated in the annual student-exchange program of the Massachusetts Department of Education. We sent a group of students to spend a day as guests of Salem High School and welcomed the Salem representatives in return.
We have been following the program offered by the Ford Foundation for television in the humanities. We have had a representative at all of the meetings of the greater Boston group. We expect pilot programs to be available in the spring. This material is being provided for the junior year in English.
We would like to expand our remedial reading program. The class of 1957 gave the school a tachistoscope as its gift. This is a machine which has been used to great advantage to improve accuracy and scope of percep- tion as well as to reduce perception time. At present, one of our regular teachers is released from a class to promote the remedial reading work.
There has been a spectacular increase both in interest and in numbers in the choral music program. The new director of music has made this his
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146TH ANNUAL REPORT
prime objective for the year. We hope that we may soon have a choral program equal to those of other high schools of our size. We have made an excellent start.
During the next several years the number of students attempting to enter college is going to increase greatly. The colleges are not expanding to meet this flood. Therefore the high school pupil must be better pre- pared to meet the competition. We in Wakefield are trying to do our part. We need good instructional materials, adequate space and the best teach- ers. It is our responsibility to see that our pupils are educated to meet changing conditions.
Guidance, Maurice J. Dwyer, Director
This year, we have pursued with renewed energy our program of advis- ing students in the selection of curricula and subjects of study for the next academic year. There is no question that intelligent choices carefully made in the light of each individual's abilities and purposes prevent much failure and loss of time and avoid a great deal of frustration and discouragement. Our experience with Sophomore classes strongly suggests that much more guidance of an individualized nature at the Junior High School level would prove most valuable in avoiding unwise choices, misplacement in courses and subsequent failure and loss of time.
Two of the class advisors having an additional period at their disposal beginning in September have been able to conduct more personal counsel- ing interviews with their class members. This is a step in the right direc- tion for the very essence of the whole guidance process centers in the per- sonal interview.
During the summer, I continued the study of achievement in sequential courses. The accumulating evidence argues strongly for the establishment of a minimum prerequisite grade in excess of the passing grade for per- mitting students to continue in the more advanced course in the sequence. This seems advisable particularly in the college preparatory curriculum.
The Sophomore advisor has continued to meet with homeroom groups to analyze and to consider solutions for common problems. In this con- nection, a start has been made in acquiring a library of instructional films dealing with proper study techniques. This will make a valuable contri- bution to the solution of an ever present problem for all serious students. Miss Upham's discussion groups for Sophomores dealing with manners, good grooming, social behavior, and problems of dating continue to make their valuable contribution to the better social adjustment of these young people.
The matter of choice of college or other advanced school assumes greater importance with each succeeding year. We are assisting in this through personal interviews and the provision of information about schools and scholarships and the maintenance of up-to-date reference sources. We are trying to educate those who contemplate further education to begin their search for a suitable school earlier in their high school period.
VOCATIONAL
The stimulation of the student to think about and plan for a suitable vocational objective is a central objective in our personal interviews. Our resources of vocational information were greatly enriched by the generous
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
gift of the Wakefield Rotary Club of the complete set of Research Institute Occupational Monographs. - This includes detailed, objective, authentic studies of over two hundred different occupations.
The valuable series of Occupational Conferences arranged through the cooperation of Mr. Roland Darling, Occupational Specialist of North- eastern University has continued this year.
As a result of this series, an interested student can obtain information about fifteen different occupational fields from people actively engaged in them in the course of his high school years.
MEASUREMENT
Our new measurement program is now of age. We are placing the major emphasis in this on the Sophomore Class. In this way, we receive information at a time when it can be more useful in assisting students to make important choices or to formulate solutions for problems. Each of the Sophomores has been given a scholastic aptitude test and a reading comprehension test. Each also will have five tests of the Differential Apti- tude Battery measuring verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning, numerical reasoning, mechanical reasoning, and space relations ability. These will provide reasonably complete information about each student's academic abilities and give direction to vocational thinking. The Juniors in the Col- lege Preparatory Course are given a scholastic aptitude test and a reading comprehension test at the latter part of their Junior Year. This infor- mation is helpful to them in formulating college choices and is welcomed as well by college admissions officials.
Follow-Up Study - Class of 1957 (Based on information received from 96% of the class.)
Those proceeding to further education :
Senior College
65
Teachers' College
5
Junior College 7
Nursing School
6
Business School
11
Technical Institute
9
Vocational School
10
Preparatory School
7
Post Graduate
3
124
50.0%
Those gaining employment:
Office Jobs
Insurance
28
Banks
5
N. E. Telephone (includes operators)
13
Other 10
56
22.6%
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146TH ANNUAL REPORT
Trade and Service Jobs
15
Industrial and Technical Jobs
16
31
12.5%
Armed Services
26
10.5%
Married
2
At Home
1
The Junior High School, Wilbur F. Stanton, Principal
With two full years behind us it is important that we evaluate our progress thus far. While the opportunities for educational growth have been presented to our youngsters let us see to what extent they have availed themselves of these advantages.
There are many parents who have commented on the rapid "growing up" their youngsters have shown socially. This is a nebulous thing to measure; but, observing the mature attitudes and actions of most of our youngsters, their Social Development seems evident to us.
Traditionally, schools have been evaluated in terms of scholastic ac- complishment, and therefore we shall concentrate in this area. What has happened, in terms of the 3 r's particularly, when we consider the effect of two years on our entering or initial groups of students (our present 9th grade).
Let us consider the more than 300 students who started with us as seventh graders in September 1955. Our beginning as a new Junior High School.
Evidence in the form of results from national tests indicates that we have fewer youngsters below grade level at the beginning of the 8th grade and even less at the beginning of this year.
While the students at the lower levels apparently are profiting from the individualized instruction there is also definite improvement at grade level and above grade level.
IMPLICATIONS
(1) It is obvious from available figures that by individualizing instruc- tion that it is possible for each youngster to achieve a maximum of success.
(2) Exceptionally bright students are challenged and continue to "grow" educationally even though their beginning ability measured as much as 3 and 4 grades above the normal level of work which would be presented to "average" grade level students.
(3) Youngsters whose work indicated below grade level of accom- plishment showed steady growth under this type of program. It is doubt- ful this would have been possible if arbitrary grade level work had been presented.
(4) The general level of achievement of most students in the group exceeded the normal yearly accomplishment of students working under average conditions.
(5) All were challenged in terms of their individual abilities.
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CONCLUSIONS
(1) Checks have indicated that the average growth per student per year has been 1.4 or an average of nearly a year and a half growth for each year of training.
(2) There are more students at the end of the second year who are above grade levels in either field of English, (Reading) or Mathematics.
(3) With another year of junior high school training in this program an even greater percentage of students should have met the required min- imum levels and the general levels should be considerably above average.
(4) Individualizing instruction has proven itself as a necessary device for the stimulation of our more capable youngsters as well as those with lesser abilities.
Report of The Elementary Consultant, Miss Ethelyn M. Cowperthwaite
We are happy to report that before Russia's Sputnik I and Sputnik II, the schools were developing a curriculum guide in the field of elementary science. We have purchased a new science series and each classroom is beautifully equipped; immediately the teachers saw the need for more con- tinuity of program, so we established a science committee, consisting of one teacher representative from each grade level plus the five elementary prin- cipals. After a series of twelve meetings the junior and senior high school science departments joined with the elementary planning committee and helped in the evaluation of goals, objectives, activities and of outcomes. One afternoon workshop was held with Dr. John G. Read, of Boston Uni- versity. As advised, a field trip was planned to study further the resources of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We are pleased to report that the teachers are enthusiastic about long-range planning and that all levels of instruction are working together.
We conducted an orientation workshop for all new personnel in Sep- tember. We planned for a two day program whereby we could acquaint our new teachers with the administration and the objectives of our school department. The second day they met with the principals and consultant and were taken to their classrooms for further planning. As the year has progressed, we have held informal meetings to discuss problems that have arisen.
This year we administered California Mental Maturity Tests to all children in grades one and three. Stanford Binet Tests have been given to each child that needed further screening. In May each child was ad- ministered a Stanford Achievement Test, which proved that our curric- ulum was quite sufficient according to New England and National Norms.
In the study of the emotionally disturbed child we feel the need for a closer contact with the home. After careful observation and study the school doctor, nurse, consultant, parents and teacher held a conference for further diagnosis. In many instances we were able to find the real source of trouble and are happy to say that the children have adjusted and are carrying on the classroom work in a very normal manner.
The town wide appreciation of our monthly exhibit has made us feel that sincere interest is shown in the work of the individual classes.
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146TH ANNUAL REPORT
At present we are meeting and planning for a program for the gifted and exceptional child. The towns north of Boston are determining an I. Q. and will initiate some experimental groups. Our town is doing a great deal of enrichment at present but we intend to accelerate our program even more.
I have met with all the first grade mothers at informal teas. This year many mothers attended. In many of our schools, 100% attendance was evident.
Greenwood School, Eliot B. Leonard, Principal
The largest class in the history of the Greenwood School entered the first grade in September, 64 boys and 49 girls, for a total of 113. All indi- cations point toward somewhat smaller first grade enrollments for the next two years, however. Six grades of this size in the Greenwood building would give us an enrollment approaching 700, and would present adminis- trative and instructional problems that probably could not be solved to the satisfaction of the community with the present building facilities.
Board members of the Greenwood Parent-Teacher Association have shown considerable interest in the forthcoming Educational TV program and it is probable that the PTA will be of considerable assistance in help- ing to equip the school with the three TV sets necessary to completely cover any one grade when the programs begin on a regular schedule.
The program of class-work exhibits, extended to various store windows has been continued, with considerable interest being shown by the adult community.
Occasionally, perhaps a half dozen times a year, we find a child in the elementary grades who has a problem of a personal nature which adversely affects his school work. Sometimes the problem is manifested by a change in his behavior pattern, either in complete withdrawal into introspection, or sometimes by actions which are manifested as disciplinary problems, un- usual when his past conduct record is examined. When such a situation arises it is our endeavor to discover the cause of the mental disturbance in order to enable the child to develop scholastically and socially to the maxi- mum in a desirable direction. Sometimes the principal is successful in such cases. At other times the Elementary Consultant is called in, and with her capacity for great understanding of such problems we have felt. quite successful in some cases. However, the proper person, properly trained, with full time to devote to this type of problem in all the schools could do a great deal of good in the system. It would be a fine thing if such a per- son could be added to the school staff.
Woodville-Franklin Schools, George Weldon, Principal
The Woodville School presented a bright and fresh appearance this fall with the interior entirely repainted. In addition, hot-topping in the rear of the school provided the children with an outdoor basketball court which is used for many types of games. The construction of the Little League field on the school grounds adjacent to the building has given the children an additional area in which to participate in organized sports during school hours.
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
The sixth grade has had an opportunity to engage in many activities through a student government. A spirited election campaign was carried on with speeches, meetings, and poster construction all of which were in- tegrated into the instructional program in language, social studies, and art. This grade raises its own funds to finance field trips, class parties, and other activities.
Three sixth grades are now housed in the Franklin School, one being the class transported by bus from the Hurd School. The presence of three sixth grades has provided an excellent opportunity for intramural sports activity.
The school provides an excellent central location for the two special classes. In addition, the trainable class has been relocated at this school. This class is held in a room readily accessible to exits and special toilet facilities have been provided. The progress of these lovable children has been a source of inspiration to the entire faculty.
Assemblies and plays have had an important part in classroom instruc- tion. The Friday morning musical assemblies for the lower grades have been continued giving the children an additional opportunity to sing for fun.
The exterior woodwork of the school has been painted and the filled and hot-topped area continues to be enlarged, giving the additional play space.
Hurd-Lincoln Schools, Richard F. Smith, Principal
This past year continued stress was placed upon penmanship and general neatness of written work, and the use of ink in the upper grades. We firmly believe that careful and accurate work habits need to be thor- oughly established in the elementary grades. Children experience a sense of satisfaction and pride in their work when it is well done, which leads to a respect for scholarship and craftsmanship in adult life. Our civiliza- tion is singularly weak in these respects.
The Lincoln School had a most successful science exhibit in the spring, and the Hurd School many fine assemblies. These activities were well-at- tended by the parents, and were highly educational and beneficial to the pupils, especially to those needing additional experiences of a personality development nature.
The coming school year will see continued improvement in science teaching and learning - a program begun last year. Also, greater em- phasis will be placed on the keeping of better notebooks in the upper grades. This is a vital part of their preparation for the Junior High School Program.
Dolbeare-Montrose Schools, William D. Healey, Principal
At both schools special emphasis has been placed on the parent-teacher relationships and the important part played by them in the educational guidance of children.
Parts of the curriculum such as Reading, Arithmetic, and Social Studies were explained to parents at Parent-Teacher Association Meetings.
Parents were told about the philosophy and aims of each, the activities engaged in to accomplish these aims, and also how the teacher evaluated
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146TH ANNUAL REPORT
the work. Parents also were told what diagnostic and remedial action was taken in order to aid those youngsters who were experiencing learning dif- ficulties.
The teachers and students have overcome the inconveniences caused by the building of additions on both schools. These additions will neces- sitate redistricting in September.
Walton-Warren-West Ward Schools, Robert C. Murray, Principal
The sudden and untimely death of Principal Jules I. Philie tragically marked this past school year. Mr. Philie's passing terminated seventeen years' of service in the Wakefield schools as a supervising principal, and his loss was keenly felt by the pupils in the schools and their parents.
Mr. Philie's interest in others, his perception, and counsel gained him the highest respect from all with whom he worked. His enthusiasm, devo- tion and dedication to the profession brought recognition from outside the Wakefield schools and he was honored with the presidency of the Middle- sex Teachers' Association.
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