USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Dighton > Town annual report of the offices of the town of Dighton 1922 > Part 6
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Other laws of a similar nature, intended to increase the number of years a child must attend school, and to forbid certain work being done by children under 16, are to come up this year, and I urge you to keep in touch with them and to oppose, with all vigor, any action at this time.
THE HEALTH WORK.
I believe that the parents now realize the value of the work of the school nurse. It has passed the experimental stage and what has been done this past year needs no com- ment. We fully know what threatened epidemics have been stopped by the prompt attention of the school nurse. Clinics, costing the school department nothing, have been held in Berkley and Rehoboth and were planned for Dighton but they had to be postponed until spring because of several cases of measles and scarlet fever in town. The parents will see, as did the parents of the other towns of the district, what the health work is worth in the community. Miss
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ANNUAL REPORT
MacIntosh's report may be read with a great deal of satis- faction and a feeling that something real has been accom- plished this year.
THE OUTSIDE SCHOOLS.
I wish to say just a few words in behalf of the outside, or rural schools. At the Fish school, because of the large num- ber of pupils, we have been having two sessions. The primary grades attended in the morning and the grammar grades in the afternoon. The teacher was able to do far more with her pupils in that way and I heartily recommend that in the other outlying schools, the same plan be adopted. The best way to prepare our pupils for high school is to give them the best possible instruction in the grades. The rural schools present a problem not realized by those who are fortunate enough to have children in the larger schools. Our preparation can be bettered by centralizing, of course, but the best substitute for centralization is in giving the teacher every opportunity for real work with her pupils. If we divide the work into morning and afternoon sessions, as has been done at the Fish School, the teacher can con- centrate upon few grades. While the actual time given to each grade is no more than when all the children are present, the disicpline is far easier and the children happier in their work. Small boys and girls get very weary, sitting in the school room for three quarters of the day with only seat work to do. The larger ones feel the monotony of the work and many get to detest school for the simple reason that they can not use their time to advantage. All are far better off out in the air, or doing something worth while at home. They naturally turn to mischief making, sometimes unconscious of the fact that they are causing a disturbance, when they are through with or tired of their study. So, in justice to the pupils, I respectfully ask that the two session plan be adopted for all of the outlying schools.
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ANNUAL REPORT
STATISTICS.
Appended to this report are the regular tables of statistics. A careful study of them will show that the numbers are steadily increasing, expecially in the first six grades. Dighton is growing; let us keep pace with that growth by providing for our schools in a fair, justice-to-the-pupil manner, practicing economy where possible but not with the feeling that we must be miserly. Remember that a town is known by its educational system and we do not wish either extreme of false saving or extravagance.
I would recommend that the spare room at North Dighton be fitted with desks and seats in anticipation of possible use in the fall. Another recommendation is to continue the good work of caring for the outside school houses by con- stant attention to little repairs and painting. Few towns have buildings in such good condition as those of Dighton and this is the result of the wise policy of proper care.
In concluding this report, I wish to thank the members of the school committee for their generous support of my ad- ministration of the work, the teachers for their cooperation and the parents for their interest. €
Respectfully submitted,
WALTER K. PUTNEY.
Superintendent of Schools.
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ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
Mr. Walter K. Putney, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir :- I have the honor to submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1922.
Total number of school visits 487 ·
Total number of home calls 464
Home calls with physician 3
Home calls with Attendance officer 1
Pupils have been excluded from school for the appearance of measles, chicken pox, scabies, acute colds, scarlet fever, mumps, tuberculosis and pediculosis.
Several have been operated upon for adenoids, tonsils and membraneous nasal trouble. An encouraging number of defects have been remedied in this way and more en- couraging is the fact that several parents of their own voli- tion have taken their children to doctor or hospital for opera- tions to remedy such defects. Eye and ear troubles as well as those of the teeth have been cared for.
Two clinics were held in Berkley and one in Rehoboth. The Dighton clinics were postponed owing to epidemics of measles and scarlet fever. At these clinics more than 135 children were examined 23 were what are termed suspicious cases of tuberculosis, requiring treatment and follow-up work afterward. Among other ailments, causing illnesses for the childfen, were 61 cases of adenoids or tonsils, 3 curvature of the spine, 1 chest deformity and displacement of the heart and 1 elongated palate.
In Dighton, at the Flat Rock School, hot cocoa is to be served this winter and I would urge that other schools follow this example, as it sure to work out for the great advantage of pupils who bring their lunches.
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ANNUAL REPORT
1
I trust that the clinic work will be again carried on this coming year and that parents will not hesitate to bring in the children as recommended by me at times. This work is becoming recognized as one of the best possible ways in which to insure corrective measures to be carried out and the health of children restored.
Thanking you, the members of the school committees and the teachers for their kindly cooperation, I am,
Yours truly,
ALICE B. MACINTOSH, R. N.
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ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
Mr. Walter K. Putney, Supt. of Schools, Dighton, Mass.
Dear Sir :- In regard to my work in drawing in the Digh- ton Schools, I submit the following report.
In the upper grades it has been my intention to give the pupils work that will be very practical and of value to them, such as designing book covers, posters, and lettering, to- gether with color study, nature and object work. Later in the year we shall take up more of the same work and free hand perspective.
In the seventh and eighth grades, if the necessary supplies are to obtained, I should like to put in a few problems in Arts and Crafts.
The primary grades are doing work in paper cutting and construction, and a limited amount of color problems, de- sign, lettering and nature drawings. This work, whenever possible, I have tried to correlate with their daily lessons.
In all of the schools, the pupils and teachers are interest- ed in the work and the lessons show marked improvement over those of last year.
Drawings are exhibited from time to time in the schools and in the library. If the parents and friends of the children will inspect this work, I believe the interest would be in- creased. Drawing for children in the public schools is most valuable since it developes their imagination, their habits of observation, their accuracy and skilfullness in handwork and their appreciation of the things beautiful around them.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you, the members of the committee and the teachers for their helpful and hearty cooperation.
Yours respectfully, MERCIE V. NICHOLS,
Supervisor of Drawing.
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ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
To the Supt. of Schools and School Committee of Dighton :
I herewith submit my first report as supervisor of music in your town.
The schedule of your supervisor admits of one visit every week to all of the schools. Through public school music, we aim to educate the many, not the few. A well balanced course in school music can not fail to form in the minds of pupils, habits of alertness, concentration, imagination and discrimination. Music should not be considered a frill or an outside subject, but should be placed on the same basis as any other school subject. This has already been done in many towns and I surely feel that Dighton is one of those towns. Massachusetts ranks third in music supervision in the United States.
Through the purchase of proper books, we have been en- abled to introduce a good system of music in the schools. The method now used adapts the material to the child in- stead of adapting the child to the material. The method is divided into three periods, namely, the sensory, associa- tive and adolescent. The first extends through the first three grades. In this period, rote songs are used and all syllable work is taken from the song and taught by phrase to the children. The imagination and imitation have a large part in the work at this time.
The associative period extends through the next three grades and it is at this period that the musical mentality of the child is at its height. Therefore, all of the work is sight reading and technical. The adolescent period is similar to the sensory and embraces the upper grades. Here we find pupils who do not wish to sing at times, because of just reasons and they must be encouraged. Part songs are used and much done to create an interest.
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ANNUAL REPORT
With this method, where there are victrolas in the schools, I am introducing a course in music appreciation, in which the child not only learns to listen but listens to learn.
The cooperation of the teachers in assisting me to present this method, is greatly appreciated.'
Respectfully submitted, MAY H. HANLEY,
Supervisor of Music of Dighton.
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ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF ATTENDANCE OFFICER
Dighton, Mass., Jan. 1, 1923.
To the School Committee, Dighton, Mass.
Gentlemen :- I herewith submit my report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1922. During the year I have made 296 visits to ascertain the causes of non-attendance of children at school. As usual in most cases the parent was at fault rather than the child. Epidemics of diseases peculiar to childhood have caused the attendance record to be the low- est for several years.
The labor and health legislation recently enacted have added much to the duties of the office. I thank all connected with the schools for their earnest and hearty co-operation.
Respectfully,
HOWARD C. BRIGGS,
Attendance Officer.
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ANNUAL REPORT
HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS
Taunton.
Seniors-Esther Atkins, Avis Hathaway, Elliott Hathaway. Juniors-Fred Borden, Henry Burt, Allan .Chisholm, Osman Crotty, Beatrice Gilbert, Roy Hathaway, Charles Schmidt, Hattie Smith, Gwendolyn Sprague, George Watts. Sophomores-Helen Atkins, Persis Barlow, Lucy Bowen, Alice Glynn, Charles Goff, Elizabeth Goodell, Alice Grinnell, Frances Morrissey, Thomas Sherman.
Freshman-Marion Andrews, Lois Blinn, Norman Bradley, Carlton Brown, Ruth Brown, Ella Cash, Isabel Chisholm, Antone Dupont, Joseph Gracia, Florence Grinnell, Lawrence Horton, Malcom Horton, Elizabeth Kay, Richard Littleton, Kenneth Manchester, Anna Mattos, William McCarty, Harold Meacock, Mildred Phillips, Alfred Putney, Elmer Rose, Kather- ine Sherman, Charlotte Simmons, Frank Sousa, Marjorie Stead, Dorothy Tinkham, Austin Wheeler.
Totals, Seniors, 3, Juniors, 10, Sophomores, 9, Freshmen 27.
Fall River.
Seniors-Louise Eddy, Paul Lassen.
Juniors-Gertrude Palmer.
Sophomores-Dorothy Blinn, Isabel Blinn, Rose Borges, Amelia Dutra, Robert Earle, Linda Gord- on, Eunice Rose.
Totals, Seniors, 2-Juniors, 1-Sophomores,7.
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ANNUAL REPORT
LIST OF TEACHERS
For Year Ending June 2, 1922.
Grade
North Grammar Building
Marie L. Cash, principal 7-8 Melancy C. White, 5-6
Josephine M. Welsh, 4
North Primary Building
Harrie S. Camp, Principal, 1
Ruth Crowley, 2
Mrs. Florence M. Reed, 3
South School,
Robert H. Hiatt, Principal, 8
Lena M. Walmsley, 7
Helen H. Lane, 5-6
Mrs. Edith V. Goff, 3-4
Mrs. Cora H. Robinson, 2-3
Emily E. Taylor, 1
Brick,
Myrtle L. Lewis, 1-8
Broad Cove,
Mary Q. McLear, 1-6
Fish,
Mrs. Vivian B. Wilde, 1-8
Flat Rock,
Mary G. Sullivan, 1-8
Segreganset,
Cora Dinsmore, 1-7
Williams,
Helen H. Richardson, 1-8
Changes Made in Fall River, 1922
North Gram., Principal, John C. Bennett; South Gram., Principal, Helen H. Lane; South Gram., B. Hope Butler; South Int. A, Mrs. Marjorie K. Walker; Brick, Helen M. Hanson; Broad Cove, Harriet J. Lyons; Fish, Dorothy E. Perkins; Williams, Theodora Carmichael.
Supervisor of Drawing, Mercie V. Nichols. Supervisor of Music, Sept. 1921-June, 1922, Merle Tribou; Sept., 1922, May H. Hanley.
TABLE A ATTENDANCE STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 2, 1922.
En- rolled Boys
Girls
Total
5-7
7-14
14-16
Over 16
Total Memb.
Average Memb.
Average Attend.
Percent. of Att.
North Grammar
22
18
40
0
22
15
3
41
35.2
31.4
89.1
No. Intermediate A
22
16
38
0
38
0
0
41
32.1
29.2
82.0
No. Intermediate B
11
8
19
0
19
0
0
20
19.2
17.7
92.2
North Primary A
18
14
32
0
31
1
0
34
32.6
30.7
93.7
North Primary B
20
10
30
3
27
0
0
31
28.8
27.2
95.4
North Primary C
24
12
36
21
15
0
0
36
31.2
29.1
93.1
South Grammar A
13
8
21
0
19
2
0
21
18.1
15.9
88.2
South Grammar B
8
10
18
0
15
3
0
19
15.7
14.2
89.9
So. Intermediate A
18
22
40
0
33
7
0
41
37.2
34.3
91.5
So. Intermediate B
17
21
38
0
37
1
0
39
36.1
31.8
88.4
South Primary A
13
14
27
0
27
0
0
28
24.3
20.6
84.7
South Primary B
9
13
22
9
13
0
0
24
20.8
18.3
88.2
Brick
16
15
31
12
18
1
0
34
28.4
26.2
91.1
Broad Cove
19
14
33
3
30
0
0
34
33.0
29.6
89.8
Fish
23
20
43
4
36
3
0
46
42.0
34.5
82.4
Flat Rock
18
12
30
2
28
0
0
35
28.2
32.3
87.6
Segreganset
12
10
22
2
19
1
0
22
21.3
20.2
92.1
Williams
18
8
26
0
23
3
0
28
25.7
23.5
91.2
Totals
301
245
546
56
450
37
3
574
514.0
462. 6
90.0
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ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE B AGES AND GRADES FOR YEAR ENDING JUNE 2, 1922.
AGES.
Grades
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10-11 11-12
12-13
13-14
14-15
15-16
16-17
Totals
I
45
40
8
5
1
99
II
1
35
34
7
6
83
III
1
1
89
IV
4
18
29
10
8
28
2
73
V
3
19
28
11
4
1
66
VI
1
3
21
13
13
7
2
1
61
VII
4
12
18
7
2
1
44
VIII
1
3
18
15
13
7
2
59
Totals
46
75
75
62
72
81
64
53
30
11
5
574
.
29
28
13
15
2
ANNUAL REPORT
21
22
TABLE C
NUMBER OF PUPILS BY GRADES FOR FALL TERM, 1922.
GRADES.
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
Totals
North Grammar Bldg.
25
18
13
17
12
85
North Primary Bldg.
31
34
30
21
21
20
13
14
152
So. Grammar Bldg. Brick
9
6
7
5
2
4
1
34
-
38
Broad Cove
10
10
7
7
4
10
6
7
5
9
2
3
4
46
Fish
5
5
9
4
6
Flat Rock
8
6
3
1
2
3
4
27
Segreganset
4
1
3
7
2
.
1
7
2
27
Williams
103
88
84
75
64
43
45
36
538
ANNUAL REPORT
95
26
20
18
-
4
33
23
ANNUAL REPORT
FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31, 1923.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriated at March Meeting,
$38,000 00
Miscellaneous receipts
4,070 40
Total,
$42,070 40
EXPENDITURES.
Supt. and Law enforcement,
$1,600 50
Teachers,
17,830 64
Books,
1,550 00
Supplies,
1,770 45
Janitors,
2,087 00
Fuel,
1,438 00
Repairs,
4,350 91
Health,
1,127 68
Transportation,
1,994 83
Tuition,
6,422 40
Contingent,
139 24
Total,
$40,311 65
Unpaid bills,
$1,550 00
Balance Jan. 1, 1923,
208 75
$42,070 40
Respectfully,
SARA C. HAMILTON,
Secretary.
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