USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1944 > Part 14
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EDGAR J. MONGAN,
Principal
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REPORT OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
The enrollment in the Plymouth Junior High School on December 23, 1944 by grades, sex, and town of resi- dence was:
Plymouth Boys Girls
Plympton
Carver
Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys
Total Girls
Grade 9
87
64
2
4
5
8
94
76
170
Grade 8
90
62
6
7
0
0
96
69
165
Grade 7
99
97
0
11
0
0
99
108
207
JPA
25
14
25
14
39
Total
301
237
8
22
5
8
314
267
581
A year ago the total enrollment was 529. The increase in numbers this year is due to a larger seventh grade, an additional group of junior practical arts pupils, and the admission for the first time of the seventh and eighth grade pupils from Plympton.
A year ago the student body was divided into sixteen classes; this year there are eighteen. It is necessary to divide the special class group into two small divisions because of the nature of the work done with the mem- bers individually and because the law requires it. The three additional divisions made it necessary to return the conference room to its former use as a class room and to use the library as a class room the major part of the time. This school should have one more classroom avail- able.
There were six changes in the teaching force.
The three additional classes this year required three additional teachers, and three replacements were made. As the year advanced it became necessary to appoint a part-time teacher to relieve those in charge of the junior practical arts division from teaching certain groups in other divisions. We have been most fortunate to secure capable teachers to fill these positions. Our difficulty lies
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in the shortage of substitutes trained to do specialized work.
A noteworthy improvement has been in the cafeteria. Advantage has been taken in the allotment of govern- ment funds for the enrichment of children's school lunch- es making it now possible for a child to purchase a gen- erous, well-balanced meal for fifteen cents and a glass of milk for two cents. This special meal consists of two cunces of meat or other protein, potato, three-quarters cup of vegetables or fruit, and buttered bread. In this school alone nearly two hundred such dinners are con- sumed daily as compared with fifty or sixty formerly sold. Continued on the daily menu are a hot soup, a fresh salad, a choice of three kinds of sandwiches, a home- made dessert, ice cream, fruit juices, and fresh fruits in season. An earnest effort is being made to see that each child secures nourishing satisfying food at the time of day when it is needed most.
Advances have been made again this year in the fields of visual education and science. The graduating class of 1944 made the initial payment on a DeVry projector as a class gift, and the returns from school dances are financing a library of strip films which augment the work in many departments-social studies, shop mathematics, English, and Latin.
A Science Club, affiliated with the Science Clubs of America, has been formed for ninth grade pupils as an extra-curricular activity and is open, not only to students of science but to those whose curriculum does not in- clude this subject.
The usual wartime activities are being carried on. That the children are aware of the needs of others is shown in their generous response to calls for contributions. Sev- eral bags of clothing were sent to the Save-The-Children Federation, $206.81 was contributed to the Junior Red Cross, and 6166 Christmas seals purchased. The entire school co-operated with the Plymouth Garden Club in
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sending 20 bushel baskets filled with gifts and a sum of money for victrola records to the service men in the hos- pital at Camp Edwards. One class took charge of an entire ward. The foods classes sent cookies and sweets.
In December the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, "The Pirates of Penzance," was presented. Although primar- ily a feature of the music department, the activities in- volved in the operetta are broad in scope, reaching into many other departments, into every classroom, and into many homes. It was a truly co-operative project, excep- tionally well done.
The school is indebted to parents and friends who have contributed their services in many ways-the patroness- es at the dances, the group of women who prepared the Italian spaghetti supper for the graduating class in June, the speakers who have addressed the school assemblies and the patriotic organizations who presented awards to students at the graduation exercises. Within the school is a group of teachers working well together, interested in the progress and problems of children in their care and in the school as an organization for helping children to realize their possibilities and responsibilities.
In anticipating the requirements of the next school year it seems advisable to consider:
1. A reduction of departmentalization in the seventh grade.
2. The expansion of the guidance program.
3. The allotment of more time to science in grades seven and eight.
MARY M. DOLAN,
Principal.
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REPORT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
.
One of the concerns of the elementary schools during the past year has been the development of a program in the social studies that will foster better social understand- ings, attitudes, and conduct. With this in mind, curric- ulum guides for geography and history are being com- pleted. The most significant change in the program is that geography will receive a greater emphasis. It is believed that, by providing a more adequate geographic training, the elementary school pupils will acquire a better knowledge of the world of today and a more sat- isfactory background for the study of history.
Health education has been strenghtened by the intro- duction of improved text books in this field.
This year's war activities include purchase of War Savings Stamps and Bonds, donations to the Junior Red Cross and South Hanson Summer Camp, a collection of milk weed floss to be used in the making of life jackets, and a collection of clothing for children of countries devastated by war.
Respectfully submitted,
ELOUISE E. CASHIN, HELEN S. MANCHESTER, FRANKLYN O. WHITE, WILLIAM I. WHITNEY,
Principals.
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REPORTS OF SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS
Music -- Beatrice Hunt, Supervisor
The work of this section of the Music Department from December through June, 1944, was in the capable hands of Miss Marion K. LaFountain, who substituted for the school year 1943-1944 while the supervisor was on leave of absence. Supervision of the work done in grades 1-6 and classroom work in Junior High School were carried on as usual. Several spring concerts by the various glee clubs, and numerous appearances by the Senior High Girls' Octet testified to the quality of the work among these groups.
Since the opening of school this past September, all glee club groups have again become active and have contributed often to the musical life of their respective schools and the community.
The Junior High School presented Gilbert and Sulli- van's "Pirates of Penzance" on December 6 and 7 to capacity audiences both nights. The social and cultural benefits derived by all those who participated in this pro- duction, in addition to the muscial inspiration received, made of the operetta an undertaking well worth the time and effort spent on it. It is an experience that will bear fruit in the years ahead.
The High School Girls' Glee Club and Ensemble have contributed their talents to several assemblies, notable among which was the very moving Christmas assembly presented to both Junior and Senior High Schools, under the direction of Mrs. Raymond.
The Plymouth Rotary Club was entertained by a group of boys from Junior High School and the Girls' Ensemble at their regular Christmas meeting on December 18. Not only did these students get much pleasure from singing
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for the Rotarians, but they also enjoyed tremendously the experience of singing with the men.
The Girls' Ensemble travelled to Camp Edwards on De- cember 22, to take Christmas cheer to our wounded men in the various wards at the camp hospital. It was a most valuable experience for the girls, as well as an enjoyable one for the boys who heard the Ensemble.
Members of the High School Glee Club and Ensemble took part in the annual Christmas party at the Town In- firmary on December 24.
It is most gratifying to watch the progress of our young boys and girls from their early muscial experiences in the grades up through Junior and Senior High music groups -to see them gain in general musical knowledge and in the ability to make of their music a real social instrument for self-improvement and for service to others. It is to be hoped that an enlargement of the music staff will some day make it possible to offer our students in Junior and Senior High a more enriched music program than is now possible, a program more in keeping with the general educational standards of both schools.
Instrumental Music-Mrs. Amelia Vincent, Supervisor
The Senior High School band took part in five school occasions and in three public occasions. A number of its members assisted the Coast Guard and the Legion Band from time to time during the year. The Junior High School band functioned at four school occasions and at one meeting of the Woman's Club.
The combined Junior-Senior High School orchestra played at numerous school assemblies and at several public occasions including the annual education meeting of the Woman's Club. The Junior orchestra also made its contribution during the year.
Elementary school ensembles functioned at the Hedge, Cornish, Mount Pleasant, and Manomet Schools.
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A demonstration program of the Junior-Senior High groups was given on March 22 for the benefit of the public and a similar demonstration was presented by the elementary schools on May 17.
Drawing-Supervisors:
Mrs. Margaret Brown and Hazel Bates.
Special emphasis was placed on good lettering, figure drawing, and use of color to give pupils the background needed to produce such projects as two stage sets for the Junior High School operetta, "The Pirates of Penzance."
High School graduation decorations for June 1944 illus- trated the theme "Science in War and Peace." The use of figures in two murals, on representing, "The Modern Chemist" and the other "The Alchemist" were combined with secondary murals showing the different continents and large decorative lettering of the class motto.
The latest High School achievements have been the making of ten life-sized painted figures and backgrounds for "The Nativity" scenery for the Junior and Senior High School Christmas assemblies. This stage set will be for permanent use at Christmas. Large Della Robbia Madonna plaques were painted for Christmas decora- tions at the hospital at Camp Edwards. Several poster contests were conducted, including Victory Garden Pos- ters, Motion Picture Posters entitled, "Movies Part in the War Effort"; Sixth War Loan War Bond Posters, for stim- ulation of sales in Plymouth High School; and a Rotary Club contest for the best design for a Road Sign.
We have endeavored as far as possible to educate the pupil in art and drawing and also to make art play its part in the school and community life and the war effort.
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The elementary grades show a definite gain in:
I. Habit Formation
a. Working freely at all times
b. Working orderly
c. Working neatly
II. Attitudes
a. Willingness to try new things
b. Awareness that lessons learned in the art period are useful in other lessons
c. Desire to improve and grow
III. Abilities
a. To express ideas graphically so others can un- derstand
b. To express ideas 3-dimensionally
c. To make simple, rythmic borders
The work in the intermediate grades has been corre- lated with other subjects and much fine work done at the request of the Junior Red Cross.
The Junior High School program has been based on the needs of the Junior Red Cross, for whom the students have made: posters, place-mats, place-cards, napkins, menu-covers, nut-cups, favors, and masks. I believe this correlation is a splendid means of motivating the work. It gives much opportunity to teach how to work in groups harmoniously and speedily while giving the students a sense of being helpful to others.
Physical Education
A. Junior-Senior High School Girls - Mrs. Beatrice Garvin, Supervisor
Achievement and interest have progressed very rapidly in the girls' gym since the schedule was revised to include two periods of physical education a week. This is espe- cially evident in the Senior High school work this year. The ninth grade is also reporting twice a week, and will enter the High School well trained in skills and funda- mentals.
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Participation in a demonstration at Memorial Hall in May helped to interest the parents and friends of the girls in their gymnastic activities. All numbers were taken directly from the lesson plans, and volunteers from the seven class groups demonstrated their skills in march- ing, calisthenics, apparatus, tumbling, dancing, and var- ious games.
This year a number of the girls who were formerly excused from the program are reporting with their class- es. They assist in scoring and participate in activities when it seems wise that they should do so.
Last spring Miss Parren introduced archery as a new sport, which with the usual Badminton was a very satis- factory solution to the problem of having small groups find new interests in after-school sports. Both volley-ball in class and Badminton after school are used as co-ed activities, joining the interests of the boys' and girls' de- partments.
The numbers reporting for sports is larger than in the past few years, and this is especially true in the Junior High group. The ninth grade will have a very interested hockey and basketball unit joining the High School squads next year, and the eighth grade girls are learning to play basketball.
B. Junior-Senior High School Boys-Louis Rudolph, Supervisor.
The aim of the physical education program is to con- dition the boys to meet the wartime service demands of strength, endurance, stamina, co-ordination, and agility.
Through the physical education classes, the intra-mural program, and inter-scholastic athletics, the boys develop their physical capacities to meet the current day de- mands.
Physical education classes include mass games, calis- thenics, touch football, heavy apparatus work, wrestling,
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boxing, rope climbing, softball, and track events. On the high school level emphasis has been on rugged and vigor- ous activities. On the junior high level the stress has been on teaching the fundamental skills and rules of the popular sports.
Three basket ball leagues were conducted last winter, one in each of the junior high grades. A junior high baseball league was run off with much enthusiasm in the spring.
Co-ed volley ball and Badminton games have proved very successful.
Along with the Girls Physical Education Department the boys put on a gym demonstration at Memorial Hall last May. The purpose was to acquaint the parents with the varied activities afforded in the physical education or gym classes. The boys program consisted of tumbling, boxing, wrestling, a commando run, spring board jump- ing, co-ed volley ball, and sports tableaux.
Interest in fooball hit a new high when half the boys in the sophomore class reported for practice this fall. Sixty boys composed the football squad at the start of the season as compared with thirty-five last year.
Some interset in track has been shown and a small group represented the school at the Weymouth Inter- scholastics.
The basket ball team climaxed a successful season by winning the Brockton Y.M.C.A. Tournament.
C. Elementary Program-Carolyn Parren, Supervisor.
This year added emphasis to corrective postural activi- ties is being given. I am now in a better position to con- duct such a program because of added knowledge of the children, of the nurse's and doctors' reports and methods, and because of the awareness by children and teachers of what I am trying to do, mainly: help boys and girls
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to have straight, healthy bodies well able to play and work efficiently.
Formal exercises are given to the classes. When teach- ' ers or I notice children who need special attention be- cause of postural defects, I try to give these pupils added attention. Such attention may be merely an explanation as to why a special exercise should be practiced and may include reasons why boys and girls find themselves re- laxing into poor positions. Other pupils need and receive special supervision when doing postural work.
I am continuing the group games. The folk dances that are more easily executed with a minimum of practice are sources of enjoyment for the pupils.
In the first three grades wherever indoor space allows, I am able to conduct rhythmic activities placing emphasis on coordinate abilities such as skipping, sliding, gallop- ing, walking and running, to music.
In all play activity the teachers and I stress group co- operation as a requisite for healthful enjoyment, as well as the importance of coordinated skill in execution.
May I add that, contrary to some beliefs, I find most pupils wish to stand and walk well when they realize how much it means to them now and will mean in the future. When given the key to good posture they seem to enjoy the program. However, the cooperation of par- ents and teachers is necessary to keep them thinking along these lines. Pupils are growing and for that rea- son there is special need of posture supervision and help.
Pottery Vocational School-Katharine Alden, Instructor
The Plymouth Pottery School has continued for its eighth year with the usual enrollments. The evening classes are proving to be the most popular. The Pottery Guild has become almost inactive due to war time occu- pations but most of the members are eagerly anticipating the day they can return to their former activities here.
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Handicraft Classes-Mrs. Louise Chrimes, Instructor.
The Plymouth Handicraft Group is now in its second term and has an enrollment of thirty. This group meets at the Sparrow House and has shown much enthusiasm under the leadership of Mrs. Louise Chrimes of Boston. Additional Evening Classes have been organized for bus- iness women under the tutelage of two of the class mem- bers.
Summer School
The summer school this year served a total of 105 pupils for a period of six weeks beginning July 3 and ending August 11. The grades included were three to eight, the pupils being given an opportunity to improve their com- mand of the fundamental subjects. Standardized tests were given at the close of the session and the results showed a substantial advancement on the part of many of the pupils. Of 33 pupils in grades three, four, and five, who were given the test in reading, 10 showed a gain of more than one year since the preceding May, 15 of more than one-half year. Comparable gains were made in arithmetic. The percentage of attendance was 91.4. On the whole the evidence is that the summer school is a wise investment both from the standpoint of the pupils' welfare and from the standpoint of school economy. The teachers who deserve much credit for the fine work done were: Mrs. Jean Patenaude, grades six and eight; M. Louise Peterson, grade seven; and Helen F. Perrier, grades three, four, and five.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Considering the pressure of the war we feel that the health of the pupils for the most part has been very good. As in previous years the most prevalent of the contagious diseases has been scarlet fever. For the current year, January to January, the number is above the average for Plymouth. The approximate number for the past year has been eighty six. We personally feel that this disease is being spread by carriers. We have no definite proof of this except that it appears to begin within ten days to two weeks after the school year opens in September and cases appear sporadically throughout the school year with practically no cases occurring in the summer months. No test has yet been devised to pick up possible carriers, but as reported before, enlarged or diseased tonsils may play an important part in the spread of this disease. Other diseases have been fairly well controlled although during the early months of the year there appeared a mild outbreak of chicken pox and measles with approxi- mately forty-two cases of the former and forty-seven of the latter during that period.
We are now using the new Massachusetts Vision Test which apparently is a definite improvement over previous methods. One eye doctor reported that in his estimation more cases of farsightedness and muscle imbalance are being detected than ever before.
We still have the problem of transporting the children to and from clinics and it is hoped that some arrange- ment may be made to use the Red Cross Motor Corps for this purpose because in many clinics it is essential that a parent accompany the child. If we have a group of four to six children to be examined our own car is far too small to accommodate both children and parents. Some pupils thus must wait a more opportune time for needed clinical service.
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The number of girls in the Junior and Senior High School seeking excuses from physical education has been higher than average. This tendency should be checked. Some of the pupils excused have been found repeatedly at dances. Some walk to and from school without diffi- culty. Some girls excused from gym have been seen to exercise violently as cheer leaders. All girls should dress for gym. Those for whom the more exacting exercises are too rigorous should be given light exercises. The types which could be used for these are almost unlimited. Psychologically it would be better to require that they present themselves for physical education work. It has been found in other localities where this is done that many of the pupils eventually take part in gymnastic work voluntarily. It has been suggested that no one be excused for the next year or two in order that the plan be given a trial. The time element is important in this work for the period is forty-four minutes. Actually, how- ever, there is only twenty four minutes spent in exercise. The remainder of the time is spent in undressing, show- ers, and dressing. If possible more time should be given to allow for these extras.
Diphtheria immunization and Dick testing for scarlet fever were again carried out. As in the previous year approximately 47% of those tested were Dick positive. In general those who were negative in earlier tests were still negative and those who were positive in earlier tests were still positive except in some cases where a strepto- coccic infection or scarlet fever had intervened which re- sulted in a negative test. In one case, however, a positive test was obtained in a pupil who had had scarlet fever two weeks previously.
We have much appreciated the splendid work and co- operation of Miss Parren who, aside from her regular duties has labored unceasingly with posture problems in the lower grades. Beginning posture work in these lower grades is one of the best ways of laying the foundation
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for a future posture consciousness in the adolescent period.
In October the state speech therapist Miss Beatrice Smith visited Plymouth with a view to starting work on children with speech impediments. We have had this idea in mind for some years and at last our efforts have been rewarded. The work is being carried on by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Service for Crippled Children. The clinic is held once a month at Brockton where Miss Smith will do the corrective work.
Audiometer tests for defective hearing have been done especially for new pupils, and a check-up made on defec- tives, those who have had scarlet fever recently, and some of the elementary pupils.
We still feel as in years past that the success of our program depends upon cooperation between the schools and the homes. It is hoped that through reading this report, parents will become more conscious of their part in this all important program of health in our schools.
STATISTICS
Physical examinations 2537
Inspections by school physicians 427
Pupils readmitted by school physicians 473
Pupils readmitted by family physician 184
Pupils readmitted to school after having a contagious disease 168
Inspections by school nurse in schools
688
Home visits by nurse 310
Pupils excluded by nurse 161
Pupils taken to hospitals and clinics out of town 96
Pupils weighed and measured 1940
Pupils given first-aid treatment in schools 152
FRANK J. ABATE, JR., M.D., MEDORA V. EASTWOOD, M.D., School Physicians.
HILDA SWETT,
School Nurse.
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REPORT OF ORAL HYGIENE DEPARTMENT AND DENTAL CLINIC
An important aim of our dental program is the preven- tion of the early loss of teeth-baby and permanent. We urge all children to make regular and frequent visits to the dentist.
Classes in the elementary schools in which half or more of the pupils had all dental defects corrected as of June 1944:
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