USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1901-1905 > Part 8
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The Board recommends an appropriation of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the ensuing year.
Respectfully submitted,
F. J. BARKER, M. D., Chairman, C. J. WILLIAMS, F. E. TASKER, M. D.
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Annual Reports
First Annual Report of the Tree Warden.
To the Citizens of Acton :
The duties of the Tree Warden during the past year have been comparatively light. Early in the year deputy wardens, in the persons of Mr. W. F. Stevens and Mr. Moses A. Reed, were appointed, and these appointments have proved highly satis- factory to the Warden, as they doubtless have to the community. The efforts of the Warden and his deputies have been chiefly con- fined to the preservation of desirable shade trees along the high- ways outside the limits of the villages, although several hearings have been held upon petitions for the removal of trees within those limits, and something has been done in the way of cutting or strengthening trees which had become a menace to travellers upon the highway or to adjacent property.
The trees upon the Common, those upon the roadside near Woodlawn Cemetery, and others in different parts of the town are much in need of judicious trimming, both for the sake of the trees and the travelling public.
I beg leave to suggest that an appropriation for this purpose might be wisely made, and in default of such an appropriation I venture to express the hope that the Board of Selectmen will be willing to allow the cost of this work from the funds at their dis- posal.
CHAS. J. WILLIAMS,
Tree Warden.
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Town of Acton
Report of the Trustees of Acton Memorial Library. 1901-1902.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
LUTHER CONANT, President, WILLIAM. D. TUTTLE,
MOSES TAYLOR, ADELBERT MEAD,
D. J. WETHERBEE, Secretary, DELETTE H. HALL,
HIRAM J. HAPGOOD, CHARLES J. WILLIAMS,
L. A. HESSELTON.
The Trustees of the Acton Memorial Library respectfully submit their twelfth annual report, with the report of the Librarian showing the operations of the Library for the past year ending March 1, 1902.
Appropriations of the Town for the purchase of books, $200 00
Income from Wm. A. Wild fund,
181 20
Unexpended balance of last year,
52 92
Received for fines 1901-1902,
33 25
$467 37
EXPENDITURES.
Paid for books and magazines,
$329 05
Balance in Treasurer's hands,
$138 32
The Board of Trustees recommend that the Town appropri- ate the usual sum of four hundred dollars for current expenses and the sum of two hundred dollars for the purchase of new books.
D. J. WETHERBEE,
Secretary.
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Annual Reports
The Librarian Herewith Presents the Twelfth Annual Report of the Library.
Accessions : Number of volumes in the Library March 12, 1901, 7,442; increase by purchase, 262; increase by gift, 52; increase by binding periodicals, 29; number of volumes in Lib- rary March 12, 1902, 7,785.
Circulation : Number of days the Library was open, 102; number of volumes circulated, 6,976; average daily circulation, 68; largest daily circulation, March 1, 187 ; smallest daily circulation, June 26, 20; amount received for fines, $16.75 ; amount received for sale of catalogues, $2.50.
Gifts of books have been received from the following sources : Finley Acker, 1 vol .; William E. Barton, 2 vols .; City of Boston, 1 vol. ; Luther Conant, 1 vol .; Mrs. Luther Conant, 1 vol. ; Miss Charlotte L. Conant, 1 vol .; Augustine B. Conant, 1 vol .; R. H. Dana, 1 vol. ; Deering Co., 1 vol .; Edward W. Emerson, 1 vol. ; Marshall Fields, 2 vols. ; Mrs. C. E. Guild, 1. vol. ; D. C. Heath, 1 vol .; Benjamin Ineson, 1 vol .; M. W. Longley, 1 vol .; F. E. Ormsby, 1 vol .; Sons of American Revolution, 1 vol .; Mr. Staples, 1 vol .; State, 14 vols .; Textile Publishing Co., 1 vol .; U. S. Government, 15 vol .; Warner & Swasey, 1 vol.
Periodicals in the reading room : Carsell's Magazine, Century, Chautauquan, Cosmopolitan, Country Life in America, Everybody's, Harper's Magazine, Harper's Weekly, Literary Digest, Masters in Art, McClure's, Munsey's, New England, Review of Reviews, Scientific American, Scribner's, St. Nicholas, World's Work, and Youth's Companion. Child's Hour, W. A. Wilde; Christian Work, publishers ; Our Paper, Reformatory.
The Librarian, through the courtesy of the Woman's Educa- tion Association, will exhibit a set of pictures of the New Eng- land Birds from March 26 to April 19. It is desired that all nature lovers and especially the school children will improve this opportunity, which, if sufficiently encouraged will be followed by other similar exhibitions.
VIOLA S. TUTTLE,
Librarian.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON, MASS.,
FOR THE YEAR 1901-1902
RAFI
INCO
-1735.
ACTON.
HUDSON, MASS. : THE E. F. WORCESTER PRESS. 1902.
School Committee 1901=1902.
Charles J. Williams, Chairman,
Term expires 1902 66 66 1903
Horace F. Tuttle, Secretary,
Frank R. Knowlton,
66
1904
Superintendent of Schools.
Herbert E. Richardson, Residence, Littleton, Mass.
Truant Officers.
James Kinsley, Moses A. Reed, C. G. Turner.
STANDING RULES.
RULE 1. Children under five years of age shall not be ad- mitted to the public schools.
RULE 2. Pupils shall be promoted from grade to grade and school to school according to merit. Thorough and satisfactory work will be required of pupils in a lower grade or school before entering a higher grade or school.
RULE 3. Children who have not previously attended any school shall be admitted to the public schools only at the begin- ning of the fall term.
RULE 4. Pupils will be held responsible for books loaned to them until such books shall have been returned to the teacher.
RULE 5. No repairs shall be made upon the public property in care of the School Committee except by their authorized . agents.
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Annual Reports
School Calendar, 1902=1903.
High School-40 Weeks.
Fall term begins September 2nd. Fall term ends Novem- ber 26th.
* Winter term begins December 1st. Winter term ends March 13th
Spring term begins March 23rd. Spring term ends June 19th.
Common Schools-37 Weeks.
Fall term begins September 2nd. Fall term ends Novem- ber 21st.
* Winter term begins December 1st. Winter term ends March 6th.
Spring term begins March 23rd. Spring term ends June 12th.
* Recess of one week, December 21st to 27th.
5
Town of Acton
EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES.
Chapter 496, of the Acts of 1898.
SECTION 11. No child who has not been duly vaccinated shall be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a certificate signed by a regular practising physician that such child is an unfit subject for vaccination. No child who is a mem- ber of a household in which a person is sick with smallpox, diph- theria, scarlet fever or measles, or of a household exposed to contagion from a household as aforesaid, shall attend any public school during such sickness or until the teacher of the school has been furnished with a certificate from the board of health of the town or city, or from the attending physician of such sick per- son, stating in a case of smallpox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, that a period of at least two weeks, and in a case of measles a period of at least three days, has elapsed since the recovery, removal or death of such person, and that danger of the conveying of such disease by such child has passed.
SEC. 12. Every child between seven and fourteen years of age shall attend some public day school in the town or city in which he resides during the entire time the public day schools are in session, subject to such exceptions as to children, places of attendance and schools as are provided for in sections three, seven, ten and eleven of this Act : provided, that the superinten- dent of schools, or, where there is no superintendent of schools, the school committee, or teachers acting under the authority of said superintendent of schools or school committee, may excuse cases of necessary absence ; and provided, further, that the at- tendance of a child upon a public day school shall not be required if such a child has attended for a like period of time a private day school approved by the school committee of such town or city in accordance with Section two of Chapter four hundred and ninety-eight of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and ninety- four, or if such child has been otherwise instructed for a like period of time in the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or has already acquired the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or if his physical or mental condition is such as to render such at- tendance inexpedient or impracticable. Every person having
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Annual Reports
under his control a child as described in this Section shall cause such child to attend school as required by this Section.
SEC. 31. Any person having under his control a child be- tween seven and fourteen years of age who fails for five day ses- sions or ten half-day sessions within any period of six months while under such control, to cause such child to attend school as required by Section twelve of this Act, the physical or mental condition of such child not being such as to render his attendance at school harmful or impracticable, upon complaint by a truant officer and conviction thereof, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than twenty dollars. Any person who induces or attempts to induce any child to absent himself unlawfully from school, or employs or harbors while school is in session any child absent unlawfully from school, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
SEC. 19. The several school teachers shall faithfully keep the registers of attendance daily, and make due return thereof to the school committee or to such person as such committee may designate. No teacher of a public school shall receive payment for services for the two weeks preceding the close of any single term until the register, properly filled up and completed, is so returned. All registers shall be kept at the schools, and at all times during the school hours shall be open to the inspection of the school committee, the superintendent of schools, the truant officers, and the secretary and agents of the state board of educa- tion. In reckoning the average membership and the percentage of attendance in the schools no pupil's name shall be omitted in counting the number of persons belonging to the school and the number of absences of such persons, until it is known that such pupil has withdrawn from the school without intention of return- ing, or, in the absence of such knowledge, until ten consecutive days of absence have been recorded ; but nothing in this pro- vision for computing the average membership and the percentage of attendance shall be construed to invalidate procedure against habitual truants, absentees or school offenders, or other persons, as provided in Sections twenty-four to twenty-six inclusive, and Section thirty-one of this Act. A pupil who is not present dur. ing at least half of a session shall be marked and counted as ab- sent for that session.
7
Town of Acton
High School Course of Study.
FIRST YEAR.
CLASSICAL. Latin, 5. Eng. Gram. and Compo., 5. Algebra, 5. Greek and Roman Hist., 3.
ENGLISH. Com. Arith. and Bookkeeping, 3. Eng. Gram. and Compo., 5. Algebra, 5. Greek and Roman Hist., 3. Botany, 12, 3. Civil Government, 1/2, 3.
SECOND YEAR.
Latin, 5. Greek or German, 4. Eng. Lit. and Compo., 5. Geometry, 4.
Eng. Hist., 3. German, 4. Eng. Lit. and Compo., 5. Geometry, 4. Physical Geog., 12, 3. Geology, 1/2, 3.
THIRD YEAR.
Latin, 5. Greek or German, 4. French, 4. Eng., 5. * Physics or Chem., 3. Reviews.
Medieval and Mod. Hist., 3. Solid Geom. and Trig., 3. French or Ger., 4. Eng., 5. Physics or Chem., 3. Reviews.
FOURTH YEAR.
Latin, 5. Greeek or Ger., 4. French, 4. Eng., 5. * Chem. or Physics. Reviews. *Optional.
Astronomy, 1/2 . Political Economy, 1/2 . French or Ger. Eng., 5.
Chem. or Physics. Reviews.
A pupil must have at least seventeen prepared recitations a week. Pupils may take Latin together with subjects in the English Course, sufficient to complete the required number of hours.
8
Annual Reports
65th Annual Report of the School Committee.
To the Citizens of Acton :
Apart from the detailed report [of the Superintendent, this 65th report of your Committee may very well be a brief one. The schools are all in excellent condition and in the opinion of the Committee their condition is improved with each succeeding year.
It is, we think, matter for congratulation that in so small a town, and under all the circumstances so large a percentage of the teachers should have received that special training to fit them for their profession, which, in these later years has become so necessary a qualification for success in nearly every field of endeavor. Of the eleven teachers now in your service three are college graduates and seven graduates of normal schools.
The common school year has been lengthened to 37 weeks, the additional week being added to the winter term. It is hoped that next year these schools may be kept for 38 weeks and the March vacation reduced to a single week. For this purpose we ask an additional appropriation for common schools of $130.00.
The school buildings are in good condition, are well fitted and equipped for the work to be done in them and are all, for the first time in recent years, in the care of competent persons. During the summer the West school house was re-painted and papered and a heating plant was installed in the west wing, thus providing furnace heat for the whole building. The South school house should be painted and papered the coming summer.
In the report of this Committee for the year 1900 your attention was directed to the question of vaccination of public school pupils and to the fact that official action upon this subject might at any time become necessary. Early in August your
9
Town of Acton
Committee became convinced that the time for such action had arrived. Because of the great number of pupils in the schools, about 75 per cent of the membership who had never been vaccinated it was thought wise as well as expedient that the work of vaccination, should be done at the public expense and to this end the Board of Health were appealed to and their assist- ance asked. Our request was readily granted and the vaccina- tion was thoroughly and carefully done and the work completed early in September. In view of the conditions that have obtained all about us during the winter and which promise to continue; we think no one will question the advisability of the Committee's action. In the future all applicants for admission to the public schools will be required to produce the vaccination certificate provided for by the statutes.
At the annual meeting in April 1901 of the supervision district committee, the salary of the superintendent of schools was fixed at $1,600 an increase of $100 per annum of which latter sum 3-10, or $30, is chargable to this town. We therefore ask for an appropriation for salary of superintendent of $430. It will be remembered of this amount $375 is refunded by the State.
The very great increase in the sum received from the Massachusetts School Fund is due to transient conditions existing in the state treasury which will not obtain in the future. The appropriation for books and apparatus for the high school has been expended as follows: books, $39.70; apparatus, $7.87; total, $47.57 The sum of $375 has been received from the State on account of salary of superintendent of schools.
The report of the purchasing agent of the committee is appended.
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Annual Reports
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
ON ACCOUNT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1901-1902.
Receipts.
Appropriation for common schools, $3,670 00
" High school,
1,700 00
" school supplies,
475 00
" transportation of pupils,
1,030 00
66
" books, etc., for High school, 50 00
66
" salary of Supt. of Schools, 450 00
Received from Massachusetts School Fund, 817 44
dog licenses, 245 10
$8,437 54
Expenditures.
For common schools,
$4,225 20
High school,
1,707 36
school supplies,
469 45
transportation of pupils,
975 00
books, etc., for high school,
47 57
salary of Superintendent,
470 00
$7,894 58
Unexpended balance,
$542 96
Estimates for the Support of Schools FOR THE YEAR 1902-1903.
For common schools,
$3,800 00
High school,
1,700 00
school supplies,
475 00
transportation of pupils,
1,030 00
books, etc., for High school,
50 00
salary of Superintendent of schools,
480 00
$7,535 00
The School Committee of Acton,
By CHARLES J. WILLIAMS, Chairman.
11
Town of Acton
Superintendent's Report.
TO THE ACTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
Gentlemen-My second annual report is herewith respect- fully submitted.
The year has passed without large or striking incidents, but it has been a twelve month of earnest effort on the part of teachers and school officials to hold to the results of the past, and to acquire something more. I most gladly acknowledge the hearty co-operation of the Teachers and the School Committee in their endeavor, and for the success obtained.
In June nearly one-half of our corps of teachers resigned, but it is with pleasure that I commend the general earnestness and efficiency of the present corps. Schools are what they are because teachers are what they are-devoted, hard working, qualified, for " as is the teacher so is the school." Unfortunately, owing to the attractions of higher salaries elsewhere we fre- quently lose teachers just when their services have become most valuable to us.
Two facts enter into oft-repeated experience : First, frequent resignations, or refusals to return because higher salaries are offered elsewhere; second, our disadvantage in the search for de- sirable teachers because our salaries are low. No one can blame teachers for wishing to better themselves, but these stubborn facts make the task of maintaining a high standard by no means easy. You, gentlemen of the committee, I am glad to know appreciate these difficulties, and it is not possible to lessen to a degree the inducements for such frequent changes.
During the year we have lost some of our most experienced and valuable teachers :
Miss Katharine Sweeney from the West Intermediate to accept a position in her home city, Somerville; Miss Grace Trefrethen from the West Grammar to take a grammar principal- ship in Amesbury, and Miss Sara Small to enter a matrimonial
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Annual Reports
alliance. Miss Sadie Collier, a graduate of Farmington, Maine, Normal School, and a teacher of several years experience, was elected to the Center Grammar; Miss Grace Webber, Mt. Holyoke College, 1900, to the West Grammar ; and Miss Jean Cragin, Farmington Normal, to the West Intermediate.
In September Miss Gertrude Williams, a model teacher in the Farmington Normal was appointed to the South Grammar; Miss Edith Vinal, also a model teacher in the same school, to the South Intermediate ; and Miss Mary Adams, a New Hampshire State Normal graduate, with several years' teaching experience to the South Primary.
HIGH SCHOOL.
The High School, under the management of Mr. A. L. Faxon, has continued to do good work. In June Miss Bertha Merrill, the assistant teacher, resigned and Miss Katharine W. Hall of Allston, Mass., a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, was chosen as her successor. Miss Hall had done successful substi- tute work in the Holyoke High School while pursuing her col- lege course, and has proved herself to be a faithful, efficient instructor.
Slight changes have been made in the course of study. Those subjects in the classical course not required for admission to college have been eliminated and the general course has been materially strengthened and improved. Readers are referred to the Principal's fuller remarks concerning the same, as well as to several other points bearing upon the work, in all of which I most heartily concur.
Our High School is now in good 'and regular standing, ac- cording to the requirements of the colleges and of the state, and a close inspection of its methods and work by parents and patrons will lead"to a growing appreciation of its educational facilities.
Hoping that parents and patrons will come into closer sym- pathy with our schools by knowing some things now engaging much attention, the following paragraphs are written :
Reading .- In all our school work I believe that reading is of greatest importance. By reading is meant not only the ability to read, but the formation of a right habit in reading and a desire to read good books. To secure the desired results in this direc-
13
Town of Acton
tion a large supply of reading material is necessary. Years ago one book for each pupil was thought sufficient, but now every pupil reads several books in each grade, and many books are se- lections from the best English classics, and all have more or less merit.
We have during the past two years added quite largely to our reading lists in all grades. In this way pupils not only read a large amount of the best literature in school, thereby forming a taste for good reading, which in the higher grades is supple- mented by similar books taken from the public library, but are acquiring a valuable habit which will be of no small benefit all through life. The appreciation of good literature is showing it- self even among the younger pupils.
Believing that "the best is none too good for the children," the following are used in carrying out the course :
Grade I .- Cooke's "Nature Myths," Grimm's "Fairy Tales," "Hiawatha Primer," Kingsley's "Greek Heroes," Stickney's "Fairy Tales," Scudder's "Folk Stories and Fables," Andersen's "Fairy Tales," Æsop's "Fables," "Fables and Rhymes," "Step- ping Stones to Literature," No. 1; "Lights to Literature," No. 1 ; Cyr's Primer, Cyr's First Reader.
GRADE II .- " Seven Little Sisters," "Story of Ulysses," "Story of Lincoln," "Story of Washington," "Story of the Pil- grims," "Story of Robert Fulton," "In Mythland," Baldwin's " Fairy Stories and Fables," "Little Folks of Other Lands," Riverside Primer, Heart of Oak, Book 1, Lights to Literature, Book 2, "Stories for Children," Cyr's Second Reader, Cooke's "Nature Myths," ÆEsop's "Fables."
GRADE III .- " Stories Mother Nature Told Her Children," " Robinson Crusoe," " Each and All," "Seven Little Sisters," Andrews; Stories of "Marquette and Joliet," "Story of La Salle," "Story of Lincoln," "Around the World," Book 1, Ander- sen's Stories, Stepping Stones to Literature, Vol. 2, Longfellow's " Challenge of Thor," "The Daffodils," Wordsworth; "Story of the Amber Beads," " Verse and Prose."
GRADE IV .- "Ten Boys," Andrews; "Stories from the Iliad," " Legends of Norseland," Pratt ; " Stories of Norse Myth- ology," Litchfield ; "Independence Bell," Whittier's " York- town," "Song of Marion's Men," Bryant; "Nathan Hale,"
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Annual Reports
Finch ; "Feats on the Fiord," Martineau; "Stories from the Odyssey," Heart of Oak, Vols. 2 and 3, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," "Through the Looking Glass."
GRADE V .- "American Indians," Starr; "American History Stories," Pratt; Eggleston's " First Book in American History,'' Hawthorne's " Wonder Book," "Story of Roland," " Talisman," "Hiawatha," "Selections from Miles Standish," "Selections from Lady of the Lake," Longfellow's "Skeleton in. Armor," " Ivanhoe," "Sir Galahad," Tennyson; "The Children's Cru- sade," Longfellow ; "Tales of Chivalry," " Boston Tea Party."
GRADE VI .- " Pizarro," "Cortes and Montazuma," Stories of American History, "Story of Siegfried," " Twice Told Tales,', " Knickerbocker's History of New York," " Grandfather's Chair," " Hiawatha," "Miles Standish," "Landing of the Pilgrims," "The North Sea," " Rip Van Winkle," "Sleepy Hollow," " Cul- prit Fay," " Little Nell."
GRADE VII .- " Evangeline," "The War of Independence," Fiske; Cooper's "Pilot," Cooper's "Spy," Thackeray's " Vir- ginians," "The Green Mountain Boys," "Paul Revere's Ride," " The Death of the Old Year," Tennyson; "The Revenge," Ten- nyson ; Longfellow's "Elizabeth," "Tales of the White Hills," Burke's "Conciliation with the Colonies," Franklin's "Auto- biography," "Birds, Bees and Sharp Eyes," American Classics.
GRADE VIII .- Lowell's Garrison and Wendell Phillips, Lowell's "Bigelow Papers," "The Peasant and the Prince," Martineau; Lincoln's " First Inaugural," Lincoln's " Gettysburg Speech," Lincoln's "Second Inaugural," "Tales of the Grand- father," "The Building of the Ship," "Under the Old Elm," " Old Ironsides," "Angels of Buena Vista," "Sheridan's Ride," "Nuremburg," Longfellow ; " Webster's Reply to Hayne."
GRADE IX .- Lowell's " Glance Behind the Curtain," " Big- elow Papers," "Lincoln-Douglass Debate," "Harold the Last of the Saxons," "Merchant of Venice," "Sir Roger de Coverly Papers," " Gulliver's Travels," " Wendell Phillips' Orations," "Greene's English History," "Montgomery's English History," "Speeches on the Stamp Act," by Fox, Chatham, Cavendish, Barre, Lowell's "Commemoration Ode," " Rhœcus," " Garrison and Wendell Phillips," Emerson's "Concord Hymn," Scott's
15
Town of Acton
"Talisman," "Vision of Sir Launfal," "One Horse Shay," " Ode on the Death of Wellington," " Barbara Fritchie," " Sheridan's Ride," Shelley's " Cloud,' "Two Great Retreats."
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