USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1949 > Part 36
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MANOMET ENROLLMENT 1944 TO 1950 Grade groups enclosed in parentheses are taught by one teacher.
Grades
Year
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
1944
(11 14)
(13
11)
( 7 11)
67
1945
(16
13)
(16
11)
(11
9)
76
1946
(19
18)
(14
12)
( 9
15)
87
*12
1947
(19
14)
(22
18)
(14 11)
110
1948
(16
34)
(10
20)
(14 14)
108
*15
1949
(32
6)
(27
8)
(19 16)
123
*16
1950
( 6 28)
(15 20)
(14 21)
** 120
* Housed in small teachers' room.
* Nine additional pupils are being transported to Hedge School.
From the data above it is clear that a consistent growth has been taking place since 1944 in the number of school children in the southern part of the Town. It has been my privilege to confer from time to time with the able committee appointed at the last annual Town Meeting to investigate school building needs in Manomet. This Committee, consisting of Mr. Russell Anderson, Chair- man; Mrs. Louise Meyer, Secretary; Mr. Thomas Dutton; Mr. Albert Hayden; Mr. Lionel Moreau; Mr. Bryce Prin- dle; and Mr. Alton Valler, has made a most thorough study of the housing problem. I am pleased to give below an abbreviated summary of the committee's recommenda- tions:
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"That the Town appropriate a sum of $7,000 to apply to the purchase of approximately eight acres of land bordering on the northerly side of Strand Avenue in Manomet
"That the Town of Plymouth appropriate a sum of $243,000 to defray the estimated costs of design, construc- tion, and equipping of a new one-story school building on the above-mentioned site.
"That the building be of one-story, brick veneer, wood frame construction and to consist of 6 classrooms, general purpose room, cafeteria, and usual facilities incidental to a building of the type . . .
"It is the unanimous opinion of this committee that action should be taken on these recommendations at the current Town Meeting of March, 1951, and we have formulated an article to be inserted in the warrant incorporating the foregoing recommendations. In the event that favorable action is taken at this time, the purchase of the land, the preparation of final drawings and specifications, and other work incidental to prepara- tion for and acceptance of bids for construction should be expedited as rapidly as possible, and construction should be started as soon thereafter as possible."
It is to be hoped that the Town will see fit to take favorable action on the recommendations of this special committee which has taken a long-range view of the problem.
STAFF CHANGES
Our experience with staff changes in 1950 was about normal as to numbers involved. One of our teachers of long service in Plymouth schools, Miss Charlotte Lovering, retired in June having completed 37 years in grades 5 and 6 at the Cornish School. Her position was filled by the transfer of Mrs. Eleanor Testoni White from the Oak Street School. The position at Oak Street in
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turn was filled by the appointment of Miss Julia Kazantis of Fall River. Miss Kazantis graduated from Boston University in the class of 1950 and has taken additional work at the State Teachers' College in Fitchburg.
Miss Mary Connolly, teacher of Social Studies at the High School for several years past, resigned in the spring to accept an attractive opening in the Boston schools. This position was filled by the transfer of Joffrey Nunez from the Junior High faculty. Mr. Nunez' position in turn was filled by the appointment of Lewis Morton of Sand- wich Road, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and Boston University.
Mary Cingolani, teacher of English in the Junior High School for seven years, who was granted a year's leave for graduate study at DePaul University in Chicago, re- signed to accept an appointment in the Chicago schools. Miss Cingolani's place was filled by the appointment of William Gault of this town, who had been a substitute in this position during Miss Cingolani's absence.
The first member of our staff to join the armed forces was David E. Barlow, instructor in Science at the Junior High School. Mr. Barlow is a Lieutenant in the Army and now stationed at Fort Devens. His position was filled by the appointment of Harold Rogers of this town as a military substitute. Mr. Rogers was graduated from Plymouth High School in 1940 and Boston University in 1948. He has been teacher of Science in High Schools in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Guilford, Maine.
At the Hedge School, resignations were received at the close of the school year from Mrs. Renelta Moran, teacher of grade 6, who resigned because of home cares, and from Barbara Bell, teacher of grade 3, who resigned to be married. Mrs. Moran's position was filled by the appointment of Mrs. Mary Guidoboni, a graduate of Bridgewater State Teachers' College and formerly on the staff at Cold Spring and at Hedge. Miss Bell's position
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was filled by the appointment of Elinor Lenon of Swan- sea, a graduate of Bridgewater State Teachers' College, class of 1950. Mrs. Mary E. Henry, a graduate of Bridge- water State Teachers' College and formerly a teacher of grade 4 here, was reappointed to her position, which had been filled by Mrs. Catharine Cahalane on a substi- tute basis.
At the Cornish School, Miss Audrey Lonergan was appointed to the staff in place of Mrs. Jeannette Holmes who had taught grades 1 and 2 during 1949-50 on a sub- stitute basis. Miss Lonergan is a graduate of the Lake Erie College for Women with post-graduate work at Bridgewater State Teachers' College.
The year 1950 was exceptional in that we lost three supervisors of special subjects. Miss Carolyn Parren who had served for seven years as Supervisor of Physical Education in the elementary grades resigned to accept a position in the Framingham High School. This vacancy was filled by the appointment of Miss Helen Whiting of this town. Miss Whiting was graduated from Bridge- water State Teachers' College in 1945 and since has been Supervisor of Physical Education in the schools of Bourne, Medfield, and Ludlow. The second supervisor to resign was Miss Elizabeth Crook who for two years has been Supervisor of Vocal Music. Miss Crook accepted a position on the faculty of the University of Delaware. The vacancy here was filled by the appointment of Miss Marietta Canan of Easton. Miss Canan was graduated from Boston University, College of Music, in 1934 and has served as Supervisor in Canton and Easton. She was music instructor in Watertown High School when appointed to the Plymouth position. Miss Elizabeth Egan, for 21/2 years Supervisor of Art in the elementary grades, resigned to accept a similar position in her home city of Quincy. The vacancy was filled by the appointment of Mr. Robert Andrews of Boston. Mr. Andrews was grad-
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uated from the Massachusetts School of Art in 1949. He did practice teaching in the elementary schools of Plym- outh and Cambridge and was serving as substitute teacher in the Scituate schools when appointed to this position.
Miss Theresa Gallerani of this town was appointed to the position of Clerk in the Superintendent's Office to take the place of Mrs. Barbara Gunther Holmes, who resigned because of home responsibilities. Miss Gallerani graduated from Plymouth High School in 1949 and from Burdett College in 1950.
PLYMOUTH EXPENDITURES FOR EDUCATION
Our annual budget for education has shown substantial increases within recent years. This increase is not as yet due to an increasing enrollment but rather to the pay- ment of higher salaries made necessary by increasing living costs and by the growing scarcity of qualified teachers as well as to increasing costs of all materials and services involved in the giving of instruction and the maintenance of school buildings. The present purchasing power of the dollar is 58.4¢ as compared with the average purchasing power of 100¢ during 1935-39.
The opening of the new elementary school in Septem- ber will necessarily add to our school costs; nevertheless, the indications are that Plymouth school expenditures for the coming school year, 1951-52, will remain well below the average cost of schools in the towns of our classification. The accompanying table shows that al- though in valuation of property to be taxed for the education of each child, Plymouth stood in the upper half of the towns listed, yet Plymouth was in the lower half of these towns in all three indices of school expenditures, namely: (1) the school tax per thousand of valuation in 1949; (2) the percent that the school tax was of the total
COMPARATIVE DATA ON SCHOOL EXPENDITURES-PLYMOUTH AND 22 MASS. TOWNS (11 Next Larger and 11 Next Smaller Having Elementary, Junior, and Senior High Schools) (As of November 30, 1950)
1949
1949-50 (School Year) Expenditure for
1950
1949-50 Equalized Valuation Per Pupil (1)
1949 (Fiscal Year) School Tax (2)
(Fiscal Year) Per Cent School Tax of Total Tax
-School Support Per Pupil
Wellesley
20847
Wellesley
$16547
Northbridge
$22.25
Agawam
53%
Norwood
$241.82
W. Spring.
20398
Swampscott
15987
Agawam
19.66
Northbridge
47
Winchester
230.70
Natick
19663
Barnstable
15800
Ludlow
19.65
Norwood
46
Swampscott
225.73
Winthrop
19494
Falmouth
15259
Shrewsbury
19.03
Amherst
43
Wellesley
224.77
Greenfield
17237
Winchester
15138
Amherst
18.07
Shrewsbury
42
w. Spring.
224.77
Lexington
17098
Norwood
14762
Norwood
17.45
Winthrop
41
Marblehead
213.80
Norwood
16693
Greenfield
14353
Bridgewater
17.38
Bridgewater
40
Amherst
212.70
Needham
16262
Andover
13356
Winthrop
17.16
Needham
38
Lexington
210.71
Winchester
15567
Marblehead
12041
Natick
16.31
Winchester
38
Barnstable
207.85
Reading
13819
Plymouth
11858 Lexington
15.69
Andover
38
Andover
199.90
Marblehead
13711
W. Spring.
11256
Marblehead
15.50
Marblehead
37
Ludlow
198.86
Plymouth
13652 Needham
10762
Reading
14.99
Ludlow
37
Falmouth
193.72
Stoneham
13208 Lexington
10571
Stoneham
14.35
Natick
36
Winthrop
188.42
Andover
12261 Amherst
9978
Needham
14.25
Greenfield
36
Stoneham
187.67
Swampscott
11537
Ludlow
9365
Andover
14.09
Lexington
36
Greenfield
187.63
Amherst
10850
Winthrop
9109
Swampscott
14.07
W. Spring.
35
Needham
187.36
Barnstable
10397
Stoneham
9107
Winchester
13.85
Reading
35
Plymouth
186.77
Shrewsbury
10392
Reading
8212
Greenfield
13.76
Plymouth
35
Shrewsbury
184.74
Northbridge
10328
Northbridge
8147
W. Spring.
13.52
Swampscott
34
Reading
178.01
Agawam
10189
Natick
7497
Plymouth
13.14
Barnstable
34
Northbridge
171.10
Bridgewater
9513
Shrewsbury
7144
Wellesley
11.34
Wellesley
31
Agawam
170.43
Ludlow
8629
Agawam
6854
Falmouth
10.84
Stoneham
31
Natick
163.56
Falmouth
8497
Bridgewater
6453
Barnstable
10.29
Falmouth
27
Bridgewater
135.53
Median
13652
$10762
$14.99
37%
$193.72
Average
13926
$11241
$15.51
38%
$196.81
Pop
(1) Valuation established by State for five-year period, 1946-1950.
(2) Local tax per $1,000 for school support (not including outlay).
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tax in 1949; and (3) the expenditure per pupil for the school year, 1949-50.
When compared also with the average school expendi- tures for the State as a whole, Plymouth's school costs are noticeably lower as shown in the following table.
Expenditure Per Pupil in Average Membership, 1949-50
Elementary
Junior High
Senior High
State
$172.52
$215.17
$276.61
Plymouth
163.35
187.90
221.45
In considering the amount of the Plymouth school budget for any year, it should be borne in mind that there are certain offsetting receipts in substantial amounts. For example, in the fiscal year, 1950, Plymouth received (1) from the State, $53,521.57, (2) from tuition of non-resident pupils, $21,249.08, and (3) from miscel- laneous sources, $1,289.74, making a total of $76,060.39. These receipts approximated $3.00 on our tax rate and reduced our gross expenditures in 1950 from $442,822.44 to a net of $366,762.04.
FOUR NEW STATE LAWS AFFECTING LOCAL SCHOOL ACCOUNTS
The General Court of 1950 enacted several laws affect- ing state aid and our local accounting procedures.
Chapter 658 requires that each town where funds are received and expended by the public schools in connection with athletic games and exercises shall establish an athletic fund. All receipts from admissions, dues, and other sources including the town appropriation for the aforesaid purposes are turned into this fund held in custody by the Town Treasurer. All expenditures from the fund must have the approval of the School Commit- tee. Any balance at the close of the fiscal year remains in the fund for further use and is not merged with the Excess and Deficiency Fund of the Town.
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Chapter 417 of 1950 accomplishes the same purposes in the management of public school lunches. This law requires that a so-called "revolving fund" be set up for the operation of such lunches and that the fund be ad- ministered in the same way as the athletic fund referred to above. It so happens that cash on hand and intake of the Plymouth school lunches-elementary and high- are such as to make it unnecessary this year for the Town to appropriate funds in support of either. For a state- ment of receipts and expenditures, see the report of the Town Accountant.
Chapter 622 of 1950 requires that towns and cities pay necessary transportation expenses of day pupils in voca- tional schools. The State reimburses to the local com- munity half of such expenditures.
Chapter 703 of 1950 provides for a 50% reimbursement to towns and cities for establishing salary differentials for teachers of retarded children up to the limit of $500 per teacher. This special reimbursement is conditioned upon the teacher having special training for this type of instruction and holding therefor a state certificate. Plymouth has four such classes. The salary differential thus established is necessary not because this specialized type of teaching is more difficult than that of other teachers but rather as an added incentive for teachers to enter this field in larger numbers and to make the necessary special preparation for it.
STANDING OF PUPILS IN THE TOOL SUBJECTS
In May the annual testing program of our Plymouth elementary pupils on their achievement in the tool sub- jects was administered by the several school principals. The Metropolitan tests Form T were used.
In terms of general results the 252 first-grade pupils showed an average standing of grade 2, 1 month in reading.
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The 197 second-grade pupils showed an average of grade 3 in reading and grade 3, 2 months in number work. In spelling they showed an average standing of grade 3, 4 months.
The 193 third-grade pupils showed an average standing in the several subjects of grade 4, 2 months.
The standing of the middle grade pupils was also gratifying and ranged from 5 months above standard in the fourth grade to 8 months above standard in the sixth.
The responsibility of the elementary schools in the development of young children is of course far broader than that of helping them to master the three R's. The mastery of the tool subjects, however, is essential to further learning on the higher grade levels as well as to success in after school life. The foregoing results on the standardized tests offer some concrete evidence of the sincere and effective work being done by our elementary teachers and principals.
I invite your attention to the following reports of Principals, Department Heads, and Supervisors for fur- ther information as to more detailed accomplishments of the schools and as to various needs regarded as neces- sary to be met as we go forward with improvements in our educational program.
I wish again to indicate to you the satisfaction that comes to me in working with the Plymouth School Com- mittee in the joint effort to have each year make its rightful contribution to an improved program of educa- tional opportunities for Plymouth children and youth.
Respectfully submitted,
BURR F. JONES,
Superintendent of Schools.
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REPORT OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
With the nation once again on an emergency footing and threatened by war, a report of this nature takes on added significance, and, because of the circumstances, contains implications which in normal times would not be present. The dislocations occasioned by the last war in personnel, in materials, in equipment, instruments, and general supplies will probably be manifest again in some form. Plans for the future must, therefore, be suf- ficiently flexible to allow for such exigencies when and if they arise, and must be sufficiently rigid to support the fundamental activities of a sound and realistic educa- tional program. The brief report which follows if read in the light of our present curricula and other school services (dental and medical clinics, guidance), gives point to the above sentence.
On the recommendation of the Department of Educa- tion the material on Health Education developed by the Commissioner's committee in their survey and study during the last few years has been incorporated in our courses in Physical Education, in Biology, in Household Arts, in Problems of Democracy. This, as can readily be seen, is a piecemeal approach and of limited usefulness. Health should be a separate and independent course taught by the Physical Education staff, but until we have a gymnasium of the size of our present one for the high school alone with an adequate staff to carry out a fully developed program, we shall have to depend upon make- shifts and improvisations.
The work of the school nurse, Miss Hilda Swett, in carrying out her responsibilities merits especial praise.
The athletic program, too, largely supported out of pupil resources, is a matter for decent pride as comparison
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with other schools and their athletic budgets and pro- grams will disclose.
During the past year the work of organizing and pre- senting a course on "Atomic Energy and Its Implications" has been completed. The material is now in such form that it can be included as a unit in whatever major course seems desirable, and since the one course besides English required of all students is American History, Atomic Energy has been placed there. This does to a degree handicap American History for already state law has required that a special unit in local history be included. As a consequence the original content of the American History course must either be cut, or compressed and accelerated, since the new units take from 3 to 4 weeks for development in class.
One of the most obvious responsibilities of the school in an academic sense is to see to it that its qualified graduates get into college. Last year's candidates were successful in this, though in some cases where the schools had an exceptionally heavy enrollment some of our pupils had to go to a college other than their first choice. Throughout the year we maintained the usual after- school classes in college entrance subjects in order that all candidates might have every opportunity we could provide for thorough preparation. Of course, it should always be borne in mind that a student from a general high school such as ours will always have difficulty in entering college and staying in college unless he has been able to maintain honor grades pretty consistently throughout his high school career.
In other respects also the academic work done by the school seems to be up to standard. Our graduates have found employment in shops, stores, and offices here in town, in Brockton and nearby towns, and in Boston. They are at work in mills and factories, in industry and com- merce. Many are attending business or other vocational
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or technical schools. Except for some glaring misfits they all appear to give promise of being successful.
Within the school one of our pupils, a sophomore, dis- tinguished herself by winning the first prize in our annual Science Fair and then going on to win First Honors at the Massachusetts Science Fair held in Boston. Another of our prize winners here took a Second Honor award at the Boston show. Of course, it would not be fair to argue from this that these cases are indicative of the level of scholastic achievement in the school, but it is quite proper to point out that a pupil of ability who cares to make the effort can gain distinction not only in this school but in competition with the best pupils in the State.
It should be noted here too that one of these pupils has appeared by invitation before the Science Depart- ment and pupils of one of the large high schools in the northern part of this State to demonstrate and explain her project, and to give information about organizing and conducting a Science Fair as well as competing in one. The reports from the authorities of that school have been highly laudatory. Other schools have written to request the outlines of our course in Atomic Energy.
Back during the war a testing program under the direc- tion of the Boston University Testing Service was insti- tuted in this school to serve as the basis for a guidance program. Of the high schools in this State that originally took this service all still continue with it except for two or three-and the service is now used by so many schools in Massachusetts that Boston University can offer it to no new school unless one of the present takers gives it up. This is an indication of the regard in which it is held in educational circles generally. That we are unable to make greater use of it is due to the fact that those members of the present staff who have had training in guidance, especially counselling, cannot be released from classroom
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responsibilities unless new teachers are hired to take up the slack. The other alternative is to employ new teachers specifically for guidance work.
For the past several years while Miss Crook was Director of Music, the distribution of classes in the organ- izing of the school made it a practical impossibility to set aside time to give music to all pupils in the school. This year the opportunity presented itself and we now have a class that meets once a week for 20 minutes. The pupils are enjoying the singing; in fact, they are enthusiastic about it. We are fortunate to have Miss Canan, also a fine teacher, to take Miss Crook's place.
The future from a schoolman's point of view looks anything but bright. Boys instead of being able to plan for college, or job-training or employment, will for the most part have to plan on some kind of military service; girls will find it necessary to fill the vacancies in business and industry occasioned by this, and will probably be urged by the Government to enter colleges in order to qualify for the professions as a supply of trained brains will have to be maintained. One result of this will be the probable disappearance of our present college admis- sions problem, which is a melancholy consolation at best. About the only comfort that can be drawn from this prospect lies in the fact that the boys and girls them- selves are aware of their obligations and responsibilities and should prove equal to them. The school will try to do the same.
Respectfully submitted,
EDGAR J. MONGAN, Principal.
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REPORT OF THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Achievements of 1950
Further development of the Boston University testing program with expanded use of the test results.
Development in this school of one section of the new outline for teaching of Health in grades seven, eight, and nine published by the Massachusetts Department of Education and now in operation throughout the State.
Completion of payments for the new motion picture projector.
Continued success with instrumental music climaxed by a fine band concert and drum major drill in May.
Reduction in the price of the main dish served in the Junior-Senior High School Cafeteria. This is approx- imately a $25,000 business, self-supporting, staffed by three workers-the manager, one full-time assistant, and one part-time assistant.
Continuation of afternoon program for pupils who need or desire help.
Many good assemblies, participation in "Corn Planting," publication of school paper, and other accomplishments routine in nature.
Recommendations for 1951
Modernization of the foods laboratory.
Interior painting- classrooms, teachers' room, halls, and stairways.
Expansion of the vocal music program with the help of the supervisor.
The purchase of towels so that the showers may be used as part of the physical education program for boys.
Respectfully submitted,
MARY M. DOLAN, Principal.
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REPORT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
In addition to the usual accomplishments of the ele- mentary schools during 1950, the following improvements are to be noted:
1. Introduction of new arithmetic texts in grades three and four.
2. Further extension of the language and music texts adopted in 1949.
3. Strip film projector for the Mt. Pleasant School purchased by the Parent-Teacher Association.
4. Enlargement of film strip libraries made possible by pupil earnings and Parent-Teacher Association contributions.
5. Formation of a Parent-Teacher Association at the Manomet School.
6. Extensive redecorating of the Cornish, Burton, and Oak Street Schools.
7. Purchase of playground equipment by the Hedge School, made possible by money earned by pupils.
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