USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1855 > Part 2
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year the school has been conducted by Susan Church. The school has sensibly improved.
Scholars.
Av. att.
Length of schools. Wages of teachers. 51 months. $17.
Summer,
45
35
Winter,
40
32
06
17.
The CENTRE PRIMARY SCHOOL has been conducted the entire year by Adeline Grinnell, assisted by Jane Grinnell. We should not know where to suggest an improvement in the management, judging from the neat and orderly appearance of the scholars, the good attention which they display in their recitations, the promptness with which questions are answered and the kindness shown by the teachers towards their pu- pils. We may safely pronounce this a model school of its kind, and we think too much praise cannot be awarded to Miss Grinnell for her indefatigable exer- tions in making it so. Among other pleasing features in the school may be mentioned the singing exercises, which are performed in a manner that would do credit to much older scholars, and which cannot fail to have a good effect upon the minds of the children. In con- sequence of the large number of children attending this school, the district should furnish Miss Grinnell with better accommodations. At present the children are very much crowded.
Scholars.
119
Av. att. 78
Length of schools.
Summer,
Winter,
110
80
54 months.
Wages of teachers. $18. & 12. 18. & 12.
The SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL, under the charge of Mrs. Bates, has improved in a satisfactory manner. The teacher seems to possess a better faculty for gov- erning this school than any person who has previously
15
taught here, and under her charge we have great con- fidence in the success of the school.
Scholars:
Av. att.
Length of schools: Wages of teachers.
Summer,
44
35.
54 months.
Winter, 34
28.
4} 66 $18.
18.
The NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL has been taught during the year by Harriet N. Hathaway, who has had con- siderable experience and always succeeded well. She has a large number of scholars to attend to, and in consequence, her duties are too arduous for one teach- er to perform. We trust that the future Committee will be able to allow her an assistant.
Scholars.
Av. att.
Length of schools.
Summer,
69
49.
5 months. 44
Wages of teachers. $22.
22.
DISTRICT No. 14.
The summer term of this school was taught by Me- lissa Durfee, who seemed to be well qualified to teach, but the scholars did not manifest so much interest in their studies as they should. John H. Weaver, who taught during the winter term, succeeded well and im- provement was made.
Scholars.
26
Av. att. 14.28 24.
43 months. 42
Wages of teachers. $16. 36.
DISTRICT No. 15.
The summer term was faithfully conducted by Re- becca C. Gammons, and with success. The scholars were orderly and paid proper attention to their studies. The winter term was under the charge of Edward F. Gardner. The school is in a promising condition.
Scholars.
Summer,
37
Av. att. 27.50
Length of schools: 5 months. 4 3-20 «
Wages of teachers. $17.50 37.00
Winter,
45
35.29
Length of schools.
Summer,
Winter,
35
48.
Winter,
62
16
DISTRICT No. 16.
The summer school was taught by Mercy D. Akin, and the winter term by Alexander Rankin. The or- der in the school was good and the teachers, we have rea- son to believe, have labored faithfully and with success.
Scholars.
Av. att.
Length of schools.
Summer,
36
29.57
5 months. 5
Wages of teachers. $17.
Winter,
59
38.08
32.
DISTRICT No. 17.
We have deemed it impracticable to establish a school in this district, there being but two families on the island. We have therefore appropriated the mon- ey towards the education of the children in some other district.
DISTRICT No. 19.
This school has been under the charge of Mary Hafford, assisted by Hannah R. Wing. We can con- firm the remarks of the former Committee in regard to the reputation of the teacher as a thorough disciplin- arian. The district has wisely built a recitation room for the Assistant, Miss Wing, which greatly facilitates the labors of the teachers. We think that the school is doing well.
Scholars.
Av. att. 42.50
Summer 51
Winter, 56
49.50
Length of schools. 5 months. 43
Wages of teachers. $22. & 12. 22. & 12.
Your Committee, in preparing this report, have deem- ed it their duty to point out existing evils and the causes that operate to produce them, rather than to present you the most favorable side. At the same time we congratulate ourselves upon the general success that has attended our efforts to improve the condition
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of the schools. It will be observed in our remarks concerning the state of the schools, that we have spoken favorably of the teachers, and we think that the evi- dence which they have given of faithfulness in their labors and competency to teach and govern, justifies us in doing so, but we do not wish the inference to be drawn from our remarks that we consider them perfect. Some of the teachers have conducted their schools in the most praiseworthy manner, while there are others in whom there is room yet for improvement. The ut- most good feeling has existed between the teachers and Committee during the year, and wherever or whenever we have suggested improvement we have met with ready action on the part of the teacher. Among the evils detrimental to the interests of the schools may be mentioned in the first place-A too frequent change of Teachers ! Now we know from what we observe in ' our own town that this cannot fail to detract from the success of the schools. In some schools where good and faithful teachers have been re-engaged from year to year, a high position, both in point of scholarship and discipline, has been attained, while in other schools which have suffered from a frequent change of teachers, some time must elapse before they can compare favora- bly with the former. Again, when new teachers are employed from term to term, a large portion of the time is occupied by the teacher in obtaining a knowl- edge of the wants and abilities of his scholars. New acquaintances are to be formed, and the sympathy existing between the scholars and their former teacher is found to be not easily transferred to an entire stran- ger. The parents, also, do not have the disposition to co-operate with a stranger, that they would with one who, upon trial, had proved himself faithful to his trust.
B2
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The chance of obtaining a good teacher will not allow of hasty action on the part of the district in selecting a new teacher to take the place of one who has been the means of placing the school in a progressive state. By good teachers, we mean those who not only pos- sess literary qualifications, but are also capable of measuring the capacities and necessities of their schol- ars, who can sympathise with the scholar and have a keen sense of the nature of youth and understands how to minister to it. The discharge of such teachers can- not fail to have a depressing effect upon the schools.
Irregular Attendance is also an evil of no small mag- nitude, and we cannot too strongly impress upon the minds of the parents, the necessity and importance of their taking some action to remedy the same. Former School Committees, in their reports, have spoken of this evil as one of the most perplexing difficulties to be encountered, and one of the greatest obstacles lying in the way of the perfect success of the schools, judg- ing from our short experience of one year, we know this to be true. A school may have a teacher every way competent to fulfil the duties assigned him ; schol- ars bright, active and intelligent, but if there be not a regular attendance of the scholars, the school cannot attain a high standard, either in scholarship or disci- pline. We think that the parents do not seriously consider the injury done to the child who has acquired the habit of being absent from school. The time of childhood is too valuable to be wasted and mis-spent in this manner; and in addition to the injury done to the absentee by being retarded in his studies and in- difference of manner when at school, the whole school is effected more or less by the same cause. The teach- ers and School Committee can of course do something
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towards arresting this evil, but the remedy lies mainly with the parents or guardian of the children, whom, we trust, during the coming year, will manifest more interest in the schools, and endeavor to establish reg- ularity of attendance.
A want of co-operation on the part of the parent with the teacher, has also a depressing effect on the school. It seems as if most parents imagine that when their children are able to go to school, any further action on their part towards the education of the child is unnec- essary. This is a great mistake, it is the parent's duty to assist the child at home, to see that the child is at school in good season, and in numerous other ways en- deavor to facilitate the labors of the teacher. Every good teacher deserves the cordial support and encour- agement of the parents. Where this is the case, new life is infused in the school, and the teacher's labors are thus rendered more effective. We have been pleased to observe the interest manifested by some of the pa- rents, who are honorable exceptions to the above, and the good results are seen in the proficiency shown by their children
From time to time the subject of employing a Super- intendent for the Public Schools, has been agitated by some of our citizens, but yet no action has been taken in the matter. The former school Committees, in their Reports, have given their opinions favorably to the es- tablishment of such a person for this town, one whose sole business it shall be to look after the interest of the Public Schools. The principle objection raised, is, that the town would be subjected to extra expense in con- sequence. But it seem to us from our experience, that the advantages to the educational interests of the town, would more than compensate for extra outlày. It is
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observable to every reflecting mind, that no business will succeed well, unless there is some efficient and ac- tive man at the head to manage the same, and we see no reason why the same argument may not hold good concerning the success of the educational interests of the town. We think a movement like this would con- tribute as much as any other towards diminishing, if not eradicating some of the evils which we have pre- viously mentioned. There will be twenty-four Public Schools during the coming year, and all demanding more or less attention. The School Committee, chosen as they generally are, from men who are interested in business of some kind, will hardly be able to give them all that attention which one would who has time and opportunity to do so.
TEXT BOOKS.
Believing a too frequent change in school books det- rimental to the interests of the schools, we have guard- ed against introducing any new books except in some schools, where new reading books were very much needed, we have seen fit to introduce Sargent's Reader. Swan's Readers, which have been in use during eight to ten years, in nearly all our schools, are now in rather a dilapidated condition, and as many new reading books will probably have to be purchased the coming year, we would suggest to our successors the propriety of in- troducing into all the Districts, wherever new reading books may be needed, Sargent's Reader. After an ex- amination of the same, we think we may safely pro- nounce it the best adapted to the minds of the scholars. They are furnished by the publishers on fair terms, the old books being taken in part pay for the new. The above suggestion properly carried out, we think will
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be the means of establishing a greater uniformity in the reading books in use in the different schools. At present there may be found in the same schools, two different editions of Swan's Readers, and in other schools Worcester's Readers are used, thus subjecting the scholars to an extra expense, who may move from one district into another. Writing Books of the Dunton- ian system we have also introduced, believing them to be the best calculated to awaken an interest in the minds of the scholars in regard to this particular branch. The rest of the books in use by the schools, are the same that were in use during the previous year. We notice in some of the schools that the books are not properly taken care of, the covers torn off, leaves torn out, and other mutilations which we think no good scholar would be guilty of. To the teachers, and parents especially, must we look for a remedy to this evil.
There was appropriated by the town for the support of the schools for the year, $7,500.00
Appropriation from State School Fund, 247.09
Unexpended from last year, 8.15
$7,755.60
The apportionment has been made according to the wants of the different Districts, and we believe the money has generally been expended economically. We think full as large, if not a larger appropriation will be needed for the coming year, as provision will have to be made for the new school in District No. 18.
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The money has been appropriated to the Districts as follows :
No. of District.
No. of Scholars.
Apportionment.
1
43.
$260.00 2.
44 260.00
52 265.00 3.
235.00 4
30.
29. 240.00 5.
6
40. 260.00
7
50 265.00
50. 265.00 8.
9.
27
230.00
10.
55.
265.00
64 400.00 11.
439. 2,020.00 12 & 13.
14.
30. 240.00
34
253.00
15.
45
264.00
16.
17
7
48.60
60
335.00
19.
High School
1,650,00
1,099
$7,755.60
The supervision of the different Districts were as- signed to the members of the Committee as follows:
To James Burt,
Nos.
1,
2,
6,
8,
" Martin L. Eldridge, " 3, 4,
5,
7,
" Frederick Jenney, 9, 14,
15,
16,
17.
.. Job Almy, and
10,
11,
12 & 13,
19.
Job C. Tripp,
All of which is respectfully submitted:
JOB C. TRIPP, JOB ALMY, FREDERICK JENNEY, MARTIN L. ELDRIDGE, JAMES BURT.
School
Committee.
FAIRHAVEN, March 31st, 1856.
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