USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1941-1945 > Part 26
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High School, Tel. 110 George Charter
Center School, Tel. 86 Harry E. Holt
South School, Tel. 445 Kenneth Harvey
West School, Tel. 105 Ernest G. Banks
Tentative Calendar for 1945
January 2-Schools open.
February 16-Schools close.
February 26-Schools open.
April 13-Schools close.
April 23-Schools open.
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May 30-Holiday (Memorial Day).
June 8-Elementary schools close.
June 15-High School Graduation.
June 22-High School closes.
School Year 1945 - 1946
September 5-High school opens.
September 10-Elementary schools open.
October 12-Holiday (Columbus Day).
October 26-Teachers' Convention.
November 12-Holiday (Monday after Armistice Day).
November 22 and 23-Thanksgiving Recess.
December 20-Schools close at noon.
1946
January 2-Schools open.
February 15-Schools close.
February 25-Schools open.
April 12-Schools close.
April 22-Schools open.
May 30 and 31-Holiday (Memorial Day).
June 7-Elementary schools close.
June 14-High School Graduation.
June 21-High school closes.
No School Signal-All schools all day
7:00 A. M., fire whistle in all precincts-2-2-2-2. 7 :00-8:00 A. M., radio announcements over WBZ and WEEI
STANDING RULES OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
1. Admission to School (as amended by vote of the school committee November 2, 1943).
Children shall not be admitted to the public schools unless they are 5 years, 9 months of age on or before Sep-
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tember 1. Ordinarily, entrance must come during the first two weeks of school. All children entering for the first time must present birth and vaccination certificates.
2. School Sessions
The total length of sessions shall be 51/4 hours in the elementary schools and 6 hours in the high school, with sufficient recesses. The doors of schools shall not be opened to pupils except by the principals, or persons delegated by the principals.
3. School Buses
All pupils living a mile or more away from the schools they atttend are entitled to bus transportation. Bus pupils must meet the bus schedule and, while on the bus, conduct themselves properly.
4. Excuses for Absence and Tardiness (as amended by vote of the school committee January, 1944)
Pupils are expected to attend school regularly except for illness. They must present a written excuse signed by parent or guardian stating a definite reason for each absence or tardiness.
5. Detention
Pupils may be detained after school in the afternoon not longer than 30 minutes in the elementary schools and for a longer period in the high school.
6. Contagious Diseases
State Laws: Chapter 71, Section 55; Chapter 76, Sec- tion 15:
"A child from a household where a person is ill with smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, or any other infectious or contagious disease, or from a household ex- posed to contagion from any such disease in another house- hold, shall not attend any public school during such illness or exposure until the teacher of the school has been fur- nished with a certificate from the local board of health,
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school physician, or from the attending physician, stating that danger of conveying such disease by such child has passed."
7. School Property
Pupils shall be held responsible for books loaned to them by the school authorities and shall not mar or injure any form of school property.
8. Fire Drill (as amended by vote of the school commit- tee January, 1944)
Fire Drills shall be held at least once a month in all schools.
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TEACHERS IN SERVICE As of January 1, 1945
Center School
Appt.
Graduate of
Home Address
*Ruth Johnson (Mrs.), Prin.
1935 Lesley School
Dardana Berry (Mrs.)
1943 Framingham Normal
Helga Archer (Mrs.)
1943 Fitchburg Normal
Stow
South School
Julia Mccarthy, Prin.
1906 Fitchburg Normal
South Acton
Florence Merriam
1927 Fitchburg Normal
South Acton
Carolyn Tuttle, B. S. E.
1940
Fitchburg State College
South Acton
West School
*Alice Feehan, B. S. E., Prin.
1938 Fitchburg State College
South Acton
Florence Rooney (Mrs.)
1944
Lesley School
North Acton
(substitute)
Carrie F. Wells (Mrs.)
1943
Fitchburg Normal
South Acton
High School
Richard B. Greenman, Prin. A. B., Ed. M
1935 Harvard University
South Acton
Walter W. Holt, Vice-Prin.
1928
Dartmouth College
East Acton
of S. H. S., B. S., M. A.
1943
Bridgewater State Coll.
West Acton
** Richard E. Bradford, Vice- Prin. of J. H. S., B. S. E. Lydia Abbott, A. B.
1942
Colby College
West Acton
Margaret Boornazian
1929
Burdett College
West Acton
Mary Emerson (Mrs.) B. S.
1943
New Hampshire Univ.
South Acton
Henry Hopkinson, L.L.B.
1930
Northeastern Law School West Acton
Ann Horrigan, A. B.
1944
Regis College
Marjorie Jones, B. S.
1931
Simmons College
Arlington South Acton
Barbara Kunhardt (Mrs.) B. S. 1943
Boston University
West Acton
Norma Leppanen, A. B.
1943 Colby College
West Acton
Frank Saulenas, B. S. E.
1944 Fitchburg State College
Beverly
Marion Towne, A. B.
1921
Smith College
Concord
Supervisors
Dorothy Beers, B. S. P. E.
1943 B. U. Sargent College
South Acton
Jeanne Toohey (Mrs.)
1943
Mass. School of Art
Maynard
Charles K. Yeremian
1941
Longy School of Music
Watertown
*Acting Principal
** Acting Vice-Principal
West Concord Acton
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Voters of Acton :
The School Committee herewith submits its report with that of the superintendent, which has been accepted by the Committee.
The Committee organized March 7 with one new mem- ber, Mrs. J. Henry Engman. Mr. Robert C. Hall resigned June 6 and the Committee was unanimous in its approval of Mr. H. Vaughn Allen to fill the vacancy.
The high school roof and parapet have been water- proofed by Chapman Waterproofing Company with a full ten-year guarantee.
The power metal-working machines have been installed in the high school.
Fluorescent lighting fixtures have been installed in some of the elementary classrooms and we are planning in our budget for the remaining rooms.
Our budget for 1945 necessarily calls for an increase. We are planning to meet the exact needs of each depart- ment of the budget.
The Committee plans to complete its efforts of the past few years to bring all textbooks up to date and hereafter keep them so.
We have revised the salary schedule, basing it on the state minimum of $1,200. These salaries are basic and do not include the present war allowance of $200.
Revised Salary Schedule for Teachers (Voted at the regular School Committee meeting on January 2, 1945).
Minimum
Maximum
Elementary-Women
$1200
$1700
Principals
1300
1800
High School-Women
1200
1700
Men
1400
1900
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Vice-principal of senior high school 2100
Superintendent of schools
and high school prin- cipal 3000 none set
Substitutes
$5 a day in all positions $2.50 for half a day
1. Starting salary to depend on training and ex- perience.
2. Annual increments of $100 as a rule.
3. Difference of $500 between minimum and maxi- mum.
4. Effective July 1, 1945, all teaching personnel shall take courses in education worth 6 hours of credit every 4 years, but not more than 3 hours will be credited in one year. The courses shall be in the subject matter field of the teacher, or in one related to it.
5. Teachers are allowed 5 days of sick-leave each school year.
Acton High School has a good scholastic rating. The Massachusetts Department of Education has certified it as a Class A school for 1944, and the New England College Admissions Board has extended the certifying privilege of the school to December 31, 1948. Students with a B aver- age or better in Acton may enter the following institutions without examinations: Amherst College, Bates College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Clark University, Colby College, Massachusetts State College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts College, Wesleyan Univer- sity, Williams College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The certifying privilege is awarded to high schools on the basis of the college work done by their graduates.
For the first time in Acton the Rensselaer Medal, offered by the Boston Alumni Association of Rensselaer Polytech-
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nic Institute, Troy, New York, will be awarded at graduation in 1945 to "the male graduate selected by the school author- ities as the most outstanding student in Mathematics and Science."
On April 20, 1938, The National Honor Society of Sec- ondary Schools granted Charter Number 2062 to the Acton High School Chapter. At graduation gold pins represent- ing membership in the Society are awarded the ranking fifteen per cent of the senior class.
Recommendations:
All walls of the high school need waterproofing. We recommend that one wall be done each year for the next four years and we include the north wall in our budget for 1945.
A fan ventilator in the second floor boys' toilet must be installed this year to meet state requirements.
Fluorescent lighting in the remaining elementary class- rooms.
Chain-link fence next to Route 27 at the Center School.
Necessary repairs of the heating system at the West School and curtain replacements in all schools.
The usual minor repairs and replacement of equipment.
There are several projects that should be considered in the near future:
Automatic heat in the high school.
Insulation under the high school roof.
Lighting in the high school.
Re-decorating of Blanchard Hall.
Painting high school inside and out.
The Committee requests that you appropriate the sum of $69,117.50 for 1945.
Respectfully submitted,
RICHARD A. LOWDEN,
Chairman.
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Comparison of Net Cost of Acton Schools
Received by Town Treasurer on account of schools:
1943 1944
Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
General School Fund, Part 1 (State aid on account of teachers' salaries)
$ 4,553.00
$ 4,820.00
Tuition and Transportation of State Wards (full)
1,222.01
1,214.45
Vocational Education (one- half)-Arthur A. Hansen
Trade School, Waltham
Co-op. Trade School,
Worcester Boys' Evening Trade School
137.78
39.06
City of Boston, tuition
of wards
184.68
150.89
Town of Boxboro, tuition
2,856.11
3,127.92
Town of Westford, tuition ..
335.09
334.31
Boston Typewriter Company
5 typewriters sold to U. S.
Treasury Dept. Procure- ment Program
190.00
Acton High School - Conant Library
8.71
Ind. Arts Shop
22.87
Total received
$ 9,478.67
$ 9,718.21
Appropriated
$58,000.00
$59,000.00
Spent from appropriation.
57,990.92
58,997.88
Received by town treasurer
9,478.67
9,718.21
Net cost
$48,512.25
$49,279.67
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Notes :
1. Receipts from the Massachusetts General School Fund, Part I, on account of teachers' salaries have increased steadily in the last three years.
1942 $4519
1943
4553
1944
4820
2. In 1944 the net cost of schools ($49,279.67) was 16% less than the appropriation ($59,000).
3. In comparing the school costs in 1943 and 1944, we find the increase in appropriation was $1,000, but the increase in net cost was only $767.42 because the receipts increased $239.54.
ACTON SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
1945 Budget, Revised at Joint Meeting with Finance Com- mittee, December 29, 1944
1944 Appropriated
1945
Proposed
General Office Ex-
pense
$ 500.00
$ 500.00
Salaries of teachers,
·· supervisors, princi- cipals and supt .. .
42,504.00
44,500.00
Mass. Teachers' Re-
tirement Board
(required by law
for teachers in service)
217.50
Textbooks
986.00
2,500.00
Stationery and Misc. supplies
1,200.00
1,400.00
Wages of janitors
4,440.00
5,520.00
Fuel
2,180.00
2,180.00
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Janitors'
Supplies. .
and power
....
1,200.00
1,400.00
Repairs and replace-
ments
600.00
4,500.00
Fluorescent
light-
ing in elem.
schools
$1,550.00
Waterproofing north
wall of H. S. . .
.
1,600.00
Usual general and
unforseen items 1,350.00
$4,500.00
Libraries
200.00
300.00
Health
300.00
300.00
Transportation
4,750.00
5,000.00
Sundries
140.00
100.00
Vocational education
100.00
Outlay
600.00
Center School
Fence
300.00
Ventilation
in
H.
S. Boys'
room
300.00
$600.00
$59,000.00
$69,117.50
Special Articles :
Machines $1,500.00
Lighting
1,500.00
H. S. roof
1,500.00
Retirement
277.88
4,777.88
$63,777.88
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Paid for Support for Year Ending December 31, 1944
Superintendent, Salary $ 2,000.08
Office and Traveling Expenses 609.62
Total General Control
$ 2,609.70
Expenses of Instruction
Supervisors' Salaries, Art, Music, Physical Education
$ 4,059.00
High School Principal's Salary 1,333.28
High School Teachers' Salaries
20,977.10
Elementary Principals' Salaries 5,047.50
Elementary Teachers' Salaries
8,757.50
$40,174.38
High School Textbooks
$ 391.17
Elementary Textbooks
814.93
High School Stationery and Supplies
1,019.44
Elementary Stationery and Supplies
466.38
$ 2,691.92
High School Operating Expenses
Janitor
$ 2,023.27
Fuel
333.20
Miscellaneous
1,131.79
$ 3,488.26
Elementary Operating Expenses
Janitors
$ 2,440.00
Fuel
1,032.50
Miscellaneous
488.97
$ 3,961.47
Total Operating Expenses
$ 7,449.73
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High School Maintenance and Repairs $ 434.81
Elementary Maintenance and Repairs 420.16
Total Maintenance and Repairs $ 854.97
Auxiliary Agencies
Health, High
$ 127.14
Health, Elementary
125.00
Libraries, High 103.61
Transportation
4,750.00
Vocational Education
18.70
Miscellaneous Expenses, High
91.75
Miscellaneous Expenses, Elementary
.88
$ 5,271.08
Total Expended
$58,997.78
Unexpended Balance
2.22
Appropriation
$59,000.00
Special Appropriations
Teachers' Retirement Board (assessments due for those in military service) $ 234.67
Chapman Waterproofing Company, high school roof 1,490.00
325.00
Lynch and Woodward, high school grates . . R. M. Prentiss & Son, elementary light fixtures 159.80
Brodhead-Garrett Company Grinder $ 66.00
Milling Machine and Shaper 955.30
Lathe, Motor, Accessories 446.06
1,467.36
John Howard, Assistant to Custodian
71.28
$ 3,748.11
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Report of the Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee of Acton, Massachusetts Ladies and Gentlemen :
This is my fourth annual report, which covers the year ending December 31, 1944.
Teachers
Since January 1, 1944, the following teachers have re- signed to take other teaching positions :
Miss Henrietta Schmidt-Junior High School subjects. Mr. Wilbert H. Hayes-Industrial Arts.
Miss M. Grace Callanan-Principal of West School. Mrs. Ethel M. Bailey-Grades 5 and 6, West School. The following teachers were appointed :
Miss Ann Horrigan-Junior High School subjects.
Mr. Frank A. Saulenas-Industrial Arts.
Mrs. Ethel M. Bailey-Grades 5 and 6 in West School. Miss Alice Feehan-Acting Principal of West School.
Budget
Your attention is called to the net cost of our schools rather than to the amount appropriated. In 1944 the ap- propriation was $59,000, but the net cost was only $49,- 279.67. The amount received by the town in 1944 on ac- count of schools was $9,718.21, about 16% of the appropri- ation. The receipts are listed earlier in this report under "Comparison of Net Cost of Acton Schools."
The committee has prepared a single inclusive budget for all school expenses, as recommended in "Massachusetts Public School Administration," a pamphlet issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education interpreting the general school laws. The amount requested is $69,117.50, which gives a true picture of the total needed for schools in 1945.
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School Plant
Heating problems in the elementary schools continue to be an expense, and in the high school a number of exten- sive repairs and replacements must be expected in the near future, as listed in the school committee report.
Three Special Articles Voted in 1944
All four new machines for the shop have arrived: grinder, metal lathe, milling machine, and shaper. Some wiring remains to be done. The high school roof was water- proofed in June, and fluorescent lighting, as specified by a school architect and a lighting specialist, has been installed in four of the nine elementary classrooms. Those who have seen the effect of these modern fixtures are impressed with the improvement.
Special Articles in 1945
1. Unpaid Bill under Special Appropriation in 1944 for Fluorescent Lighting in the Elementary Schools-$77.80.
To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $77.80 to pay the balance due on the installation of fluores- cent lighting in the elementary schools.
2. Election of School Building Committee at Town Meeting in 1945-$500.
To see if the town will vote to elect by the town meet- ing a School Building Committee of three, working with the School Committee and the Superintendent, to survey the elementary school needs of the town, secure plans, and dis- cover the cost of a central 8-grade elementary school, in- cluding sub-primary department, and the cost of three new 8-grade elementary schools, including sub-primary de- partment, one in each precinct; and to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $500.00 for the use of the School Building Committee, and instruct it to report to the town at the next annual or a special town meeting.
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
The teachers, some of the textbooks, and the methods found in our elementary schools are to be commended, but the expense of operating three old buildings and the two grades in a room require our attention in the near future. The elementary principals' reports indicate how much is be- ing accomplished under difficulties, but improved housing of our first eight grades will make possible a healthier en- vironment and much more efficient training.
Principals' Reports
Center School:
The Center School opened in September with the same staff of teachers: Mrs. Archer in Grades 1 and 2, Mrs. Johnson in Grades 3 and 4, and Mrs. Berry in Grades 5 and 6. The total enrollment was 89. Because the rooms are small, crowded conditions prevail. The average number of pupils bringing lunches is 65. Again, due to the lack of space, each teacher must have her own pupils in her room every day for lunch. The average number of children buy- ing milk is 28. The importance of good teeth, health and work habits is being stressed in all the grades.
Milkweed pods were gathered in the fall and defense stamps are being sold regularly. A Christmas program was held for the parents. At the close of the program a "White Elephant Sale" was held in the teachers' room. The pro- ceeds, amounting to $11, will be used toward the purchase of an Estey portable organ for the school. The Acton Center Woman's Club generously started the fund by donat- ing $10. New fluorescent lights have been installed in Mrs. Berry's room and a snow fence has been placed in front of the building along Main Street. This has proved most helpful and has done a great deal to keep the children out of the street.
· I respectfully submit for consideration the following recommendations :
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1. A better heating system so that all the rooms can be more uniformly heated.
2. More adequate playground equipment.
3. Several new desks and chairs.
4. New shades for Grades 1 and 2 and 5 and 6.
5. Better toilet facilities.
An effort is being made by all of us to try to make the boys and girls who are under our care good citizens.
We appreciate the fine spirit of co-operation and help- fulness given us by the parents. We are especially grate- ful to Mr. Arthur F. Davis, librarian and artist, for his beautiful landscape of a scene near the school. He gave this oil painting, measuring 36 x 40 inches, to the Center School and it is to be hung in the primary room.
Ruth Johnson, Acting Principal.
South Acton School:
The South Acton School opened September 11, 1944, with an enrollment of 86 pupils. The present enrollment is 90. The same staff of teachers is employed : Miss Merriam in Grades 1 and 2 has 36 pupils, Miss McCarthy in Grades 3 and 4 has 28 pupils, and Miss Tuttle in Grades 5 and 6 has 26 pupils. The average number of children bringing lunches at noon is 45. Fire drills are held monthly. Over 50 bottles of milk have been sold daily since October 23. Miss Merriam and Miss McCarthy were able to attend the three-day conference for Elementary Teachers at Bridge- water State Teachers' College in June. Teachers try to emphasize the importance of clean physical habits and clean talk, consideration for the rights of others, respect for constituted authority, and regard for civic responsibility.
Early in the fall the school engaged in the project of gathering milk weed pods, the floss to be used for lining life jackets. This project was very successful as twenty- two bags of pods were collected. We are also selling War
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Savings Stamps. The Junior Red Cross enrollment was 87%. While the amount of money represented in the last two projects is satisfactory - even generous - the enroll- ment in each should be higher. We hope to increase the percentage buying War Savings Stamps before the end of the school year.
An Estey Organ purchased with the cash donations from the Music Fund and the Acton Parent-Teacher As- sociation, has proved most useful in the music work. The pupils and teachers extend their thanks for the financial aid which made this instrument available. Four pupils are receiving instruction on other instruments from the music supervisor.
The new lighting in our school rooms is a great im- provement on the old and is much appreciated by pupils and teachers. I respectfully submit for consideration the following recommendations: that the desks in the lunch room be mounted on strapping to allow moving about so that the room may be used for assembly; that this same room be used as a first grade room, through the employ- ment of a fourth teacher; and that a bicycle rack be built at the rear of the building.
Julia L. McCarthy,
Principal.
West School:
At the time of this writing the enrollment in the West School is 86 pupils. There are three teachers in the building : Mrs. Wells in Grades 1 and 2, Miss Feehan in Grades 3 and 4, and Mrs. Rooney in Grades 5 and 6. There is great need for one more teacher in our building. We feel that if the first grade could be by itself, there would in time be less need for a teacher of remedial work.
I feel that the spirit of the teachers and pupils in the West School is, and has been, very fine, as may be seen in the success of every project undertaken. A good example
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of this is an operetta, which was held last school term. It was highly successful dramatically and financially, the net profit being $40. Because our operetta was such a finan- cial success, we were able to purchase a small Estey organ, which is now being used as a teaching aid in our music classes.
Up to this date our stamp sales total $364.10. During the month of November our percentage was 94%. Our goal is set for 100%. With the present enthusiasm of the pupils I am sure we will attain it.
We reached the 100% mark in our contributions to the Junior Red Cross.
Our pupils co-operated wholeheartedly during the milkweed floss drive, the results being a total of eight bags.
In regard to the book situation in my building, let me say this: Mr. Greenman is well aware of the fact that we are badly in need of supplementary readers. I know that the purchase of them is uppermost in his mind at the present time. Mrs. Wells has no reading material to use outside of her basic reader. My supplementary readers and those in Grades 5 and 6 date back to the early nineteen hundreds, the results being that we have maintained high standards in the Binet Achievement Tests only because the teachers have devoted many hours, outside of school time, prepar- ing work to make up for the lack of textbooks. Much has been done in the past three years to supply us with new books. We appreciate the efforts of our superintendent "nd school committee, but there is a great deal more to be done.
The teachers in the West School are now striving to make the building more attractive and more comfortable. The walls and woodwork have not been painted for ten years or more. New bulletin boards have been installed but never painted; therefore, they were drab looking. With the help of two of our boys we have accomplished the fol- lowing :
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Bulletin boards in Grades 1 and 2, 3 and 4 have been given two coats of paint. We have enough paint to finish the boards in Grades 5 and 6.
Four window ventilating boards were made of old table leaves and painted. These were much needed.
Four lunchroom tables were painted.
One sand table has been painted. Two others are to be done.
One steam radiator has been painted with alumi- num paint, and others are to be done.
We have taken scraps of materials which were left when our bulletin boards were installed, and used them to make the unattractive corners both useful and pleasant in appearance.
Indirect lighting has been installed in Miss Fee- han's room.
Mr. Banks sanded and varnished the desks in Miss Feehan's room. He also removed the paint from one of the blackboards making it usable. The walls above the woodwork were washed in Miss Feehan's room and Mrs. Rooney's room. Mrs. Wells' room is badly in need of washing and paint. The desks in two rooms need sanding and varnishing.
A movable blackboard and new maps have been purchased for Grades 5 and 6. They are very valuable teaching aids.
Mrs. Wells attended the Bridgewater Conference held last July and was awarded a certificate of attend- ance for credit.
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