USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1906-1910 > Part 17
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Gifts of books have been received from the following sources : U. S. Government, 9 ; State of Massachusetts, 27 ; City of Boston, 4 ; John H. Edwards, Brooklyn, N. Y. 1 ; J. H. Howard, Marblehead, Mass., 1.
Periodicals subscribed for and in the reading-room, 22, viz : Monthly-American, Appleton's, Atlantic, Century, Cosmopolitan, Current Literature, Dilineator, Everybody's, Harper's, McClure's, Munsey's, National, New England, Re- view of Reviews, Scribner's, St. Nicholas, World's Work, World Today. Weekly-Harper's Weekly, Independent, Scientific American, Youth's Companion.
ARTHUR F. DAVIS, Librarian.
71ST ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND THE REPORT OF THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON
Massachusetts
FOR THE YEAR 1907-1908
RATEL
ONI
1735.
·
ACTON ..
HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS NEWS PUBLISHING COMPANY, PRINTERS
1908
SCHOOL CALENDAR.
Spring Term, 1908. High School.
Term begins March 23rd, closes June 19th ; 13 weeks.
Common Schools.
Term begins March 23rd, closes June 12th : 12 weeks.
Year 1908-1909. High School.
Fall term begins September 8th, closes November 25th ; 12 weeks.
*Winter term begins November 30th, closes March 19th ; 14 weeks.
Spring term begins March 22nd, closes June 18th ; 13 weeks.
Common Schools, 38 Weeks.
Fall term begins September 8th, closes November 25th ; 12 weeks.
*Winter term begins November 30th, closes March 19th ; 14 weeks.
Spring term begins March 22nd, closes June 11th ; 12 weeks. *Recess, December 18th to January 4th.
102
School Committee.
Charles J. Williams, chairman,
Samuel A. Christie, secretary,
Arthur F. Blanchard
Term expires 1908 Term expires 1909 Term expires 1910.
Superintendent of Schools.
Arthur B. Webber,
Residence, Littleton, Mass.
Truant Officers.
Moses A. Reed, Geo. C. Turner, Thomas Scanlon
1
103
STANDING RULES.
*Rule 1. Children under five years of age shall not be admitted 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 beginning 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 prop- erty in the care of the school committee except by their authorized agents.
*When the birthday of a child falls on or before the 15th day of the month it is reckoned as falling upon the first day of that month.
104
EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES-REVISED LAWS.
Chapter 43.
Section 11. 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 the committee may designate. No teacher of a public school shall receive payment for services for the two weeks preced- ing the close of any 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 school hours shall be open to the inspection of the school committee, the superintendent of schools, the truant officers and the secre- tary and agent of the board of education. 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 such 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 returning or, in the absence of such knowledge, until ten consecutive days of absence have been recorded ; but the foregoing provision for computing the average member- ship and the percentage of attendance shall not affect pro- ceedings against habitual truants, absentees or school offenders, or other persons, under the provisions of section one of chapter forty-four and sections three, four and five of chapter forty-six. A pupil who is not present during at least half of a session shall be marked and counted as absent for that session.
Chapter 44.
Section 1. Every child between seven and fourteen years of age, and every child under sixteen years of age
105
who cannot read at sight and write legibly simple sentences in the English language, shall attend some public day school in the city or town 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 section three of chapter forty-two and sections three, five and six of this chapter. The super- intendent of schools or, if there is no superintendent of schools, the school committee, or teachers acting under au- thority of said superintendent or committee, may excuse cases of necessary absence. The attendance of a child upon a public day school shall not be required if he has attended for a like period of time a private day school approved by the school committee of such city or town in accordance with the provisions of the following section, or if he 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 if he has already acquired such branches of learn- ing, or if his physical or mental condition is such as to render such attendance inexpedient or impracticable. Every person having under his control a child as described in this section shall cause him to attend school as herein required ; and if he fails for five day sessions or ten half day sessions within any period of six months while under such control to cause such child, whose physical or mental condition is not such as to render his attendance at school harmful or im- practicable, so to attend school, he shall, upon complaint by a truant officer and conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty dollars. Whoever induces or at- tempts ·to induce a child to absent himself unlawfully from school or employs or harbors a child who, while school is in session, is absent unlawfully from school shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
Section 6. A child who has not been vaccinated shall not be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a certificate signed by a regular practising physician that he is not a fit subject for vaccination. A child who is a
106
member of a household in which a person is ill with small- pox, diphtheria, scarlet fever or measles, or of a household exposed to such contagion from another household as afore- said, shall not attend any public school during such illness or until the teacher of the school has been furnished with a certificate from the board of health of the city or town, or from the attending physician of such person, stating that in a case of smallpox, diphtheria or scarlet fever at least two weeks, and in a case of measles, at least three days, have elapsed since the recovery, removal or death of such person, and that danger of conveying such disease by such child has passed.
Section 3. Any child between seven and fourteen years of age who wilfully and habitually absents himself from school contrary to the provisions of section one of chapter forty-four shall be deemed to be an habitual truant, and, upon complaint of a truant officer and conviction thereof, may, if a boy, be committed to a county truant school for not more than two years, and, if a girl, to the state industrial school for girls, unless such child is placed on probation as provided in section seven of this chapter.
Section 4. A child between seven and sixteen years of age who may be found wandering about in the streets or public places of any city or town having no lawful occupa- tion, habitually not attending school, and growing up in idleness and ignorance, shall be deemed an habitual ab- sentee, and, upon complaint by a truant officer or any other person and conviction thereof, may, if a boy, be committed to a county truant school for not more than two years or to the Lyman school for boys, and, if a girl, to the state in- dustrial school for girls, unless such child is placed on pro- bation as provided in section seven.
Section 5. A child under fourteen years of age who persistently violates the reasonable regulations of the school which he attends, or otherwise persistently misbehaves there- in, so as to render himself a fit subject for expulsion there- from, shall be deemed to be an habitual school offender, and,
107
upon complaint by a truant officer and conviction thereof, may, if a boy, be committed to a county truant school for not more than two years or to the Lyman school for boys, and, if a girl, to the state industrial school for girls, unless such child is placed on probation as provided in section seven.
Section 13. Truant officers shall inquire into all cases arising under the provision of sections one and six of chapter forty-four and sections three, four and five of this chapter, and may make complaints and serve legal processes issued under the provisions of this chapter. They shall have the oversight of children placed on probation under the provisions of section seven. A truant officer may appre- hend and take to school, without a warrant, any truant or absentee found wandering about in the streets or public places thereof.
Chapter 106.
Section 28. No child under the age of fourteen years and no child who is over fourteen and under sixteen years of age who does not have a certificate as required by the following four sections certifying to the child's ability to read at sight and to write legibly simple sentences in the English language shall be employed in any factory, work- shop or mercantile establishment. No child under the age of fourteen years shall be employed at work performed for wages or other compensation, to whomsoever payable, during the hours when the public schools of the city or town in which he resides are in session, or be employed at work before six o'clock in the morning or after seven o'clock in the evening.
Section 2. No certificate as provided for by sections twenty-nine or thirty-two inclusive of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws shall be approved by any person for a minor under the age of sixteen years who intends to be employed in a factory, workshop or mercantile establish- ment, unless such person is satisfied that such minor is able
108
to read at sight and to write legibly simple sentences in the English language.
Section 31. An age or schooling certificate shall not be approved unless satisfactory evidence is furnished by a cer- tificate of birth or baptism of such minor, or by the register of birth of such minor with a city or town clerk, that such minor is of the age stated in the certificate, except that other evidence, under oath, may be accepted in case the superin- tendent or person authorized by the school committee, as provided in the preceding section, decides that neither the certificates of birth or baptism, nor the register of birth is available for the purpose.
ACTS OF 1906.
Chapter 499.
An Act Relative to the Illegal Employment of Minors and to the Duties of Truant Officers.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows :
Section 1. Whoever employs a minor under the age of sixteen years, and whoever procures or, having under his control a minor under such age, permits such minor to be employed in violation of the provisions of sections twenty- eight or twenty-nine of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws, as amended by chapter two hundred and sixty-seven of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and five, shall for each offence be punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment ; and whoever continues to employ a minor in violation of the provisions of either of said sections as so amended, after being notified thereof by a truant officer or by an inspector of factories and public buildings, shall for every day there- after while such employment continues be punished by a
109
fine of not less than twenty nor more than one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than six months.
Section 2. Inspectors of factories and public buildings shall visit all factories, workshops and mercantile establish- ments within their respective districts, and ascertain whether any minors are employed therein contrary to the provisions of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws and amendments thereof or additions thereto, or contrary to the provisions of this act, and shall enter complaint against whomever is found to have violated any of said provisions. Any inspector of factories and public buildings who know- ingly and wilfully violates any provision of this section may be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
Section 3. A truant officer may apprehend and take to school, without a warrant, any minor under the age of six- teen years who is employed in any factory, workshop or mer- cantile establishment in violation of the provisions of sec- tions twenty-eight or twenty-nine of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws, and of any amendments there- of or additions thereto, and such truant officer shall forth- with report to the police, district or municipal court or trial justice within whose judicial district the illegal employ- ment occurs, the evidence in his possession relating to the illegal employment of any child so apprehended, and shall make complaint against whomever the court or trial justice may direct. Any truant officer who knowingly and wilfully violates any provision of this section may be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars for each offence.
Section 4. Inspectors of factories and public buildings, and truant officers may require that the age and schooling certificates and lists of minors who are employed in factories, workshops or mercantile establishments shall be produced for their inspection. A failure to produce to an inspector of factories and public buildings or to a truant officer an age and schooling certificate or list required by law shall be prima facie evidence of the illegal employment of any person whose age and schooling certificate is not produced or whose
110
name is not so listed. A corporation or other employer or any agent or officer thereof, who retains an age and school- ing certificate in violation of the provisions of said certifi- cate shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.
Section 5. Police, district and municipal courts and trial justices shall have jurisdiction of offences arising under the provisons of this act. A summons or warrant issued by any such court or justice may be served, at the discretion of the court or magistrate, by an inspector of factories and public buildings, or by a truant officer, or by any officer qualified to serve criminal process.
Section 6. Section thirty-three of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws, and all other acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed. (Approved June 20, 1906.)
BIRTHS REGISTERED IN 1903.
No.
Date
Name of Chlid
Name of Parents
1
January
2 |
Helen Beatrice Searles
Sandford S. and Annie H. (Hayward) John and Mary (Tobin)
2
January
3 |
Annie Josephine Cahill
Albert M. and Luella (Herrick)
4
January
29 Judith Alwild Lee
John and Kristine (Kolseth)
5
February 17
Wilbur Lloyd Loomer
George D. and Retta W. (Berry)
7
March 3
- Ruth Helena Davis
8
March
21 Jennie Louise Tuttle
9 10
April
7
Walter David Thompson
11
May
7
- Ralph Isaac Smith
12
May
10
Henry Wilson Evans
14
June
29
Percival Winslow Wood
15
July
13 Carleton Warren Gallant
16
July
15
Frank Eugene Porter
17
July
20 Agnes Gertrude Coughlin
18
July
29 | Marion Frazier Spinney
19
August
3 | Gladys Marie Kinney
20
August
4 | Patrick Joseph Laws
John H. and Nellie M. (Fifield) Charles E. and Nellie S. (Rice) Joseph and Minnie (Jones) Ralph E. and Bertha May (Snyder) William C. and Annie J. (Brennan) Dexter L. and Margaret S. (Frazier) Joseph M. and Charlottie A. (Baker) Isaac D. and Delia (Baker)
111
April 28
Margaret Amanda McAllister
Luke H. and Hattie Lee (Miles) David G. and Bessie E. (Carle) George O. and Mary V. (McIntyre) John D. and Louisa (Frasher) Joseph W. and Mary Alice (Knights)
13
June
3 | Russell Fifield Buckley
Frank H. and Bessie May (Harris)
6 February 23
Winslow Harris Tuttle
Alfred W. and Lizzie M. (Morse)
3 January 27
Frederick Lyman Bosworth
21 August August 31 22 23 24 25 26 27 October 3 28 29 October 12 30 31 32 33 December 10 34 35 December 28
15 | Pauline Augusta Jones
1 Hazel Clementine Beach
Edith Naomi Schnair
September 4 September 12 George Lewis Ziegler September 18 October 2 William Edgar G. Skinner Mary Ellen Hearon Elizabeth Agnes Manion
October 6 Helen Annie Lawson
Genavee Elizabeth Coughlin
October 13 Thomas Walter Byron October 18 Harlan Emery Tuttle November 21 Frances Elizabeth Eneguess John Lester Fletcher
December 12 Raymond Edwin Johnson Muriel Vilette Miner
36 December 28
Sele Sood
Frank and Hortense (Champagne) Albert R. and Flora A. (Frazier) Charles H. and Leah (Squires) August G. and Olive M. (Clough) Edgar G. and Emma (Gregory) Thomas and Ellen (Mahoney) Thomas J. and Charlotte E. (Duggan) John R. and Almaritta I. (Harvey) John F. and Mary T. (Waldron) James F. and Bridget E. (Delaney) Horace F. and Carrie E. (Taylor) Michael and Mary (Sullivan) Lester N. and Alma A. (Fountain) Albion A. and Linnea H. (Jungbeck) Ernest B. and Martha F. (Davis) Morris and Katie (Singer)
112
113
SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
To the Citizens of Acton:
The year just closing has been a somewhat eventful one in the annals of your schools.
Early in the year we were notified by the inspectors of public buildings of the State police that the hall at South Acton, which, for several years, has served for the accommo- dation of the Grammar School, could no longer be used for that purpose and must be vacated at the end of the spring term. The number of children in the grades at South Acton imperitively demanded the establishment of another school there. Thus we were confronted with the problem of pro- viding accommodations for two grades, schools with every room in the school building occupied and no other building suitable for the purpose procurable. The Town was there- fore appealed to and at its meeting June 4th, it was pointed out to you that if the High School, which occupied the two upper rooms in the school building, could be provided for elsewhere the problem would be solved and the graded schools could be gathered under the roof originally designed to shelter them. After a long and very thorough discussion of the subject the Town voted unanimously to delegate all its authority in the matter to the School Committee. Your Committee did not ask for this authority, did not desire it and most unwillingly accepted the trust imposed upon them.
Howeover, something must be done and someone must do it. If the Town would act only through its agent, then the circumstances signified that those agents should act and
114
act as seemed to them wisest and for the best interests of the schools and therefore of the Town. Four possible methods of action presented themselves for consideration.
1st. The High School might be left in possession of the upper rooms of the school building at South Acton, a portion of the children in the upper grades there be sent to West Acton where there was a vacant room and the condi- tion of over crowding which had obtained at South Acton for years be allowed to continue for an indefinite period during which this condition would become steadily worse.
The urgent needs of the graded schools at South Acton determined us against the adoption of this plan.
2nd. The forty or fifty pupils of the High School might be placed in the single vacant room at West Acton, under two teachers where pupils and teachers alike should work under the greatest possible disadvantages. Doubt- less such an arrangement would be entirely satisfactory to the State Board of Education and would receive its'cordial approval both from an educational and legal standpoint ; it did not, however, commend itself to your Committee.
3rd. An addition to the schoolhouse at South Acton of sufficient size to furnish the needed room for both the High and the graded schools might be built.
This would require an investment of several thousand dollars and would, in all probability, permanently locate the High School in South Acton and in a place where it ought not to be in, in the same building and upon the same grounds. with the graded schools.
The last consideration together with the fact that the Town had on several occasions, during a period extending over ten or a dozen years, decisively refused to take any action looking to the permanent establishment of the High School in South Acton determined the rejection of this plan.
4th. The High School pupils might be sent to the High School of a neighboring town. This plan, which insured suitable instruction, which involved no expenditures save for tuition and transportation, and which left the Town
115
free to recall these pupils to a home of their own here when- ever it should be minded to do so, was adopted and arrange- ments made for their reception in the Concord High School.
Later, in deference to the opinion of the Town Counsel, the plan was so far modified that the first year class was provided for in the vacant room at West Acton, while the three upper classes were received in Concord. Now comes the attorney-general of the Commonwealth with an opinion that this arrangement is not lawful.
Early in January we received a letter from the State Board of Education enclosing a copy of the opinion of the attorney-general and both this letter and the opinion are here printed for your information.
January 10, 1908.
Mr. Samuel A. Christie, Secretary, School Committee, South Acton, Mass.
My Dear Sir : I enclose a copy of an opinion recently given to me by the Attorney-General regarding the statutory requirements for high schools. It would appear from this opinion that the Town of Acton, having 548 families, is not complying with the requirements of section 2, Chapter 42 of the Revised Laws.
Very Truly Yours,
Signed'
GEO. H. MARTIN,
Secretary.
(Copy)
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Office of the Attorney-General.
Boston, December 13, 1907.
George H. Martin, Esq., Secretary, State Board of Education. Dear Sir : Your letter of December 11th states that
116
the State Board of Education desires my opinion upon cer- tain questions relating to the maintenance of high schools. by towns containing five hundred families or householders, as provided in Revised Laws, chapter 42, section 2.
You inquire specifically :
1. Is a town having more than five hundred families which provides only for instruction in the studies belonging to the first year of a high school course, and sends all of its pupils to another town for the remaining three years of the course main- taining such a high school as the law requires ?
2. If the answer to this question is in the. affirmative, may the school committee decide what part of the course shall be maintained at home or has the town a voice in the matter ?
The statute in question is as follows :
"Every city any every town containing, ac- cording to the latest census, state or national, five hundred families or householders, shall, and any other town may, maintain a high school, adequately equipped, which shall be kept by a principal and. such assistants as may be needed, of competent ability and good morals, who shall give instruction in such subjects designated in the preceding section as the school committee consider expedient to be taught in the high school, and in such additional subjects as may be required for the general pur- pose of training and culture, as well as for the pur- pose of preparing pupils for admission to state normal schools, technical schools and colleges .. One or more courses of study, at least four years. in length, shall be maintained in each such high school and it shall be kept open for the benefit of all the inhabitants of the city or town for at least forty weeks, exclusive of vacations, in each year. A town may cause instruction to be given in a.
117
portion only of the foregoing requirements if it makes adequate provision for instruction in the others in the high school of another city or town."
I am of opinion that it was the purpose of the statute that the high schools therein provided for should furnish to such pupils as desire them complete courses of study in the several subjects designated in section 1 of said chapter, and in such additional subjects as may be required for the general purpose of training and culture, as well as for the purpose of preparing pupils for admission to state normal schools, technical schools and colleges. That such is the effect of the statute is clearly shown by the requirement that "one or more courses of study, at least four years in length, shall be maintained in each such high school," a requirement which obviously could not be fulfilled if a high school established in any such town provided only for instruction in the first year of the so-called high school course, thereafter sending pupils elsewhere for the re- mainder of such course. The provision to which you refer, that a town may cause instruction to be given in a portion only of the foregoing requirements, must, in my opinion, be construed to mean that complete courses in certain of the subjects required may be omitted, such pupils as desire instruction therein being sent elsewhere at the expense of the town to receive it.
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