USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Carver > Town annual reports of Carver 1952 > Part 4
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Transportation (Chap. 71, G. L., as amended) 15,023.12
Superintendent of Schools, Small Towns
1,300.55
Division of Child Guardianship
State Wards: Tuition 1,222.20
Transportation
366.66
City of Boston-Wards
Tuition
382.90
Transportation
114.87
Return Premium on Insurance
4.29
$28,555.38
ESTIMATES of School Aid and other reimbursements to be received in 1953, these estimates being furnished as required under Section 10, Chapter 643, Acts of 1948:
School Aid (Chap. 70, G. L., as amended)
$8,710.79*
Transportation (Chap. 71, G. L., as amended) 19,000.00
Superintendent of Schools, Small Towns 1,300.00
Other Anticipated Income:
Division of Child Guardianship
State Wards:
Tuition
1,390.00
Transportation
470.00
City of Boston, Wards Tuition
280.00
Transportation
85.00
Vocational Education: Tuition
283.73
Transportation
108.34
$31,627.86
*This figure subject to change if the Legislature revises the table of equalized valuations for the towns. Present figure set by Acts of 1945.
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Estimated Reimbursement on Account of
Schoolhouse Construction, (Chap. 645, Acts of 1948)
Due for 1951 $4,800.00
Due for 1952 4,800.00
Due in 1953
4,800.00
(The exact amount of this reimbursement cannot be quoted by figure until the Building Committee closes the account with the School Building Assistance Commis- sion.)
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the members of the School Committee:
I herewith submit the report of the school superintend- ent covering the work of the schools for the calendar year just closed. The several financial statements and reports from other persons with supervisory responsibilities are also submitted at this time.
General changes in the program are always important and should receive notice in the public record. Following the committee's decision to continue to keep the ninth grade at Plymouth and your request for a program of reorganization at the new school, I submitted such a plan to you which you approved and has been carried out.
The plan provided for the following changes in teach- ing assignments: to transfer Mrs. Hattie Griffith to the second grade vacancy created by the resignation of Mrs. Mabel Macomber in accordance with Mrs. Griffith's application for this position, to transfer Mrs. Constance Holmes to work in Domestic Arts and seventh grade sub- jects, to elect a teacher to take the fourth grade work left vacant through Mrs. Holmes' transfer, to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Costa's resignation with an election of another man to teach Science, Physical Education for Boys, General Shop and certain mathematics and to
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establish the position of the helping teacher in such a manner as to provide her services to as many pupils as possible with Mrs. Florence Gordon doing this work.
The other teaching assignments will be found in the teacher directory at the opening pages of the school report. I believe the policy of having a helping teacher who can give more individual attention to pupils in need of this special assistance has been highly beneficial and it has demonstrated in operation that there is a need for it. In practice the program has been superior to the plan of the year previous when one group remained with the helping teacher for the entire time. The present plan permits her time to be better spread where there is the greatest need. I recommend its continuance in the years to come.
The committee's interest in vocational education has led to a change in the opportunities open to Carver stu- dents in secondary education. We have always found the need for vocational opportunities, but the accessibility of this type of training has been limited, due chiefly to problems of transportation. When the vote was passed to open this type of school to Carver students we had five applicants for the New Bedford Vocational School and all were accepted for enrolment. In the matter of trans- portation, the call for bids was publicly advertised and seven bids were filed. The award of contract was made to Mrs. Sarah Holmes, who already was one of the local contractors for supplementary transportation, she being the lowest bidder who was a resident of the Town. The pupils going to New Bedford have the services of a fine piece of equipment and careful service to and from New Bedford daily. There is every reason to believe that there will be more demand for this type of training as future classes being graduated from the local school come to realize the value of the opportunity.
High school transportation has continued to be a prob-
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lem with respect to discipline and control of pupils and drivers have had more or less continued annoyance from certain of the pupils. The majority of our pupils wish to conform and be cooperative; it is unfortunate that all have to be labelled as otherwise because of the few. Under the policies of the school committee as then consti- tuted, it became necessary for several to lose the privi- lege of transportation varying periods of time in an effort to exercise some control. As the problem continued to be a matter of some concern, new rules were drawn up by the committee after conference with pupils, parents and drivers. This report covers activities to November 18th when the vote of the committee placed transportation under the direct supervision of the school committee.
The transfer of contract from G. Roger Williams to Howard Anderson of his contract to transport school pupils took place during the summer months. Mr. Wil- liams had been a contractor for a number of years but his circumstances and the conditions seemed to warrant his selling the contract. The bus serving the South Carver route is now housed at North Carver; otherwise the pat- tern of service continues to be the same as before. The contracts have a period of one and a half years yet to operate, to June 30, 1954.
Certain changes in staff have taken place which should be entered into the record. Lawrence J. Costa, who had been in the employ of the Town for one year, resigned to accept a position in Bridgewater. With the program at the school under reorganization, the position to be filled became one of Science, Physical Education for Boys and General Shop. Qualified candidates were sought to fill the vacancy and several were interviewed by the com- mittee. The superintendent recommended and the com- mittee unanimously voted to elect Mr. George Drake to the position. Mr. Drake has had excellent training in his field and holds the A.B. degree from the University of
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Washington, and has commenced his work with us on a high level. We anticipate a strong department in the years ahead.
Mrs. Mabel Macomber resigned toward the close of the summer as she had been in rather poor health for some time and felt that in fairness to her pupils she should not try to continue on permanent employment. We miss Mrs. Macomber's cheerful efforts to do her part, her conscien- tious devotion to her teaching and her sincere concern for the progress of her pupils. We hope she may be able to spend those years remaining to her in some useful pursuit with children, where her interest has always been. Mrs. Macomber's position for the second grade was not filled by hiring of a new teacher as the reorganization plan covered grade two by transfer of a teacher from another department. A teacher new to Carver, Mrs. Virginia C. Smith of Middleboro was elected to take the fourth grade, which vacancy was created by transfer of Mrs. Holmes to other work in the school. Mrs. Smith is a trained teacher, has her degree from the Bridgewater Teachers' College and has had four years' experience teaching in Walpole, Mass. Mrs. Smith returns to teach- ing after a number of years' absence from the profession, and she is one of many such persons who have in recent years returned to the profession. Without such persons. the schools, particularly those in the more rural areas, would be unable to function for it is impossible to fill positions with new graduates from the teachers' colleges, due to the scarcity of graduates. Mrs. Eunice M. Sherman, who served as Supervisor of Music for a period of one year, found it necessary to resign her position, due to lack of time to adequately carry on her duties. Persons to fill such positions are scarce and after diligent search I recommended no action be taken until some later year, when a suitable candidate might be available. The need exists in the school for more coordination of the music program, but it seems the best we can do for the present.
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Practical Arts work, which had been under considera- tion in earlier years for Carver when adequate facilities should become available, became a reality this year and two courses have been offered to the residents in the fields of Decorated Ware and Braided Rugs. Support for such a program comes through a combination of funds awarded to the Town by the Department of Education, Vocational Division, known as George-Barden funds, and are of Federal origin, and expenditures from locally raised funds, of which 50% is later reimbursed. Reim- bursement follows at an interval of about a year and a quarter after the period closes. This type of work actually costs the Town very little and provides another way to offer interesting opportunities for those in the community other than the day students to realize some direct benefits of the new school building. Enrolment in these classes is open to any resident of the Town, man or woman, who is over sixteen years of age and not enrolled in any public day school. An advisory committee functions as a part of this program and its duties are just as the title of the committee indicates-to keep in touch with the program, to evaluate its usefulness and make suggestions concern- ing courses which will offer added opportunities for the residents of the Town. When the Advisory Committee has recommendations to make, the same are placed before the School Committee for consideration and action, as this committee, under law, retains control as the local Trustees for Vocational Education within the Town. The classes which seem most in demand in the state are as follows: Clothing (several different courses), Upholstery, Decorated Ware, Rugs (Braided and Hooked), Slip Covers, Metal Craft, Jewelry, Knitting, Wood Refinishing, Millinery, Pottery and Weaving. Certain of these courses require special equipment but we are always ready to investigate any requests for the courses and, if possible, arrange to have them presented if there is a sufficient enrolment (at least 12-not more than 20 in one class) .
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It is sometimes possible to organize special courses cen- tered around other interests not listed here. In the coming months, residents who have interest in any of the suggested fields should make this known to the super- intendent, who serves as Director of the school, or to a member of the Advisory Committee.
All of the teachers have been serving on various com- mittees of teachers in the school union for the purpose of revising and enlarging the course of study material, or in developing new primary report cards or in the field of textbook selection. These meetings fall on out-of- school hours but they are very helpful in exchange of ideas, in coordinating the school program for better in- struction and in encouraging teachers to work out means of meeting common problems of the classroom. Major portions of the results of this committee work will be coming before the committee for approval during the year 1953. During the coming year we expect to install the Kittle Penmanship program which the committee has already approved, subject to available funds, and text- book committees are studying arithmetic and spelling materials for the purpose of recommending new text- books in these fields. The committee vote of December 1 to remove the Rugg Social Studies material from the classrooms was carried out immediately and the commit- tee organization set up to study history texts so as to make a reasonably immediate recommendation for mate- rials to take the place of books removed. The report of this committee is expected for mid-February, 1953.
We have continued in the effort to make the school plant as useful as possible to the pupils and we are trying to extend the opportunities to all. The lunch program continues to remain at a high level, both in patronage and efficiency and it has been adjudged one of the most effective in this region. There is yet a need for further work on the grounds, particularly in respect to walks,
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drives and parking areas. The janitors, when time and weather conditions permit, have proceeded with clearing additional area of the playground and equipment which had been bought for erection at the grounds of the other schools before the new school was started has been put up and is in use. If no other means are available, we shall continue to open up additional areas as time permits but such a plan results in slow progress where it is carried on as a spare-time job. Equipment for the locker rooms is needed to make these rooms useful and additional tools and new benches are needed for the shop program to function properly and efficiently.
We in the schools are conscious of our obligation to present as fine a program as possible to the pupils and we devote our efforts solely to this aim. We are always ready to listen to constructive suggestions as to how we may do the work better and we look forward to the time when we can say that Carver has a model elementary school program for not only do the pupils benefit from such a program but the Town as well grows in strength and unity.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE R. AUSTIN, Superintendent of Schools, Union No. 40.
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REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE CARVER CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
To the Superintendent of Schools:
Any accounting of the school activities appearing in the annual town report is complicated by the fact that the school year runs from September to June while the period covered in this publication runs from January through September. Therefore, this report deals with the closing end of one school year and the opening half of another.
During the month of April a series of intelligence and achievement tests were given to all pupils in the school. With the results of these tests we can compare the ability or capacity of the pupil to do the school work with his actual accomplishment. Many parents have availed them- selves of the opportunity to discuss the results of these tests with the teachers and with me.
The pupils of the school took part in two community drives: the March of Dimes under the chairmanship of Mrs. Fred A. Parent, and the Poppy Sale sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary under the direction of Mrs. Arnold Telfer.
From funds made available by the Julian Southworth Post of the American Legion, a Bicycle Safety Campaign was conducted at the school under the supervision of Chief of Police, A. Tremaine Smith. 206 bicycles were registered.
The visual aids program was much enriched by the presentation of two moving picture screens by the PTA. One screen was installed on the stage of the auditorium, the other in the library.
The Kiwanis Club of Middleboro annually sponsors an essay contest open to the children of Middleboro. In 1952
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the schools of Carver and Lakeville were included. Stan- ley Miller was awarded second prize for an essay entitled, "Old Glory, Our Symbol of Democracy."
The Boston trip of the graduating class consisted of a visit to the new Science Museum, dinner at the Bruns- wick Hotel, and a matinee at the Schubert Theater. Half of the expenses of this trip are paid from earnings of the magazine drive.
The school year of 1951-52 closed with an enrollment of 265. The first graduation to be held in the new building took place on Thursday evening, June 20th. The invoca- tion and benediction were given by Rev. Edmund Croke of Our Lady of Lourdes. The American Legion essay award was presented to Peter Shaw by Commander John Thomson. A list of graduates follows:
Bernard Joseph Andrews a Shirley Ann Kallio a
Marilyn Suoma Ausman a Barbara Ann Maki a
Robert Harold Ballard
b Stanley Roy Miller a
Julia Mary Barros
a Richard John Monteiro b
Ruth Elaine Braley
a
Leonard Wilson Roby a
Richard Ray Coy
b Jerome Richard Santos
a
Jack Ferreira C Peter Bruce Shaw a
Daphne Eudora Fletcher a Julia Irene Silva a
Patricia Rita Fontes a Mary Ann Silva a
Shannon Brooks Fountain a Natalie Veronica Silva
a
Margaret Yvonne Hacking
a Mary Ann Spinola
a
Paul Harry Jennings
a Carolyn Frances Story
a
Charles Windiel Johnson
a Elizabeth Ellen Tubman a
George Robert Johnson a Jack William Wainio
a
Sandra Ward a
a-Enrolled in Plymouth
b-New Bedford Vocational School
c-Not in school
Schools opened in September with an enrollment of 283, an increase of 18 over the closing figure. The grade membership ranges from 27 to 40, with that of the average grade being 35. As of last year some grades have reached an awkward size, too many pupils for one teacher, and
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too few to require the services of two teachers. To insure effective instruction, two of the larger grades have been divided among two teachers. To relieve the crowded situation in the lower grades, Mrs. Gordon has been assigned to do remedial work with groups of pupils from Grades 2 through Grade 5. The work here is largely concerned with reading.
I am well pleased with the work being done by the older pupils in the Practical Arts classes as I am with the interest shown in this work by the pupils. For the two upper grades, three periods a week are devoted to these courses, for Grade 6, two periods weekly are sched- uled. More equipment is needed for the boys' shop.
Our sports program has been conducted under the very capable direction of Mr. George Drake. The schedule for the year includes tag football, basketball and baseball. These are to be played with teams from the schools of Lakeville, Rochester and Middleboro. To date Carver has won all games played.
Mrs. Hattie Griffith is the director of the Junior Red Cross. She reports that "Junior Red Cross activities in our school have included the sending of overseas boxes to children in Korea, the giving of a quilt to St. Luke's Hospital in Middleboro, scrapbooks to a children's hos- pital, funny books to the Camp Edwards Hospital, and toys, mittens, and filled stockings and clothes to twenty- three Carver children at Christmas. Thirty-five dollars was collected and given to the Polio Fund. Weekly col- lections in each room, assisted by occasional gifts from outsiders, make these projects possible."
From the annual magazine drive we earned a profit of $202.06 from subscriptions totaling $732.20.
The school lunch program is now in its second year of operation. The results are most pleasing. The expected decline in high pupil participation did not materialize.
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In fact, the percentage of pupils availing themselves of the hot lunch has increased since my last report to you. From September through December of 1952 we have had an average daily attendance of 265 pupils; for that same period, 254 lunches have been served daily. This means that 96% of the pupils attending school are served by the school lunch program. This fact alone gives ample evi- dence of the excellent work being carried on under the direction of Mrs. Eveline McClure with the help of Mrs. Irene Williams and Mrs. Beatrice Raymond. Our appre- ciation is given to the American Legion Auxiliary and to the Lakenham Grange for financial aid to the program.
An accounting follows:
Balance on hand
$285.36
Income from pupil lunches
8,521.90
Income from teacher lunches
533.40
Income from Commonwealth of Mass.
4,277.72
Other Income
38.19
$13,656.57
Wages
$3,325.90
Food
8,783.87
Freight and Express
92.19
Equipment and Supplies
1,121.08
Service
303.71
Balance on hand
29.82
$13,656.57
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you and the School Committee for the help which has contributed much to the school program.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY M. SHAW,
Principal.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF ART
Mr. George R. Austin Superintendent of Schools, Union No. 40 Middleboro, Massachusetts
Dear Mr. Austin:
In compliance with your request, I herewith submit my annual report of the Art Department, in the schools of Carver, Massachusetts.
Art is not for a few privileged devotees, nor should it be a timeless culture for its own sake, but the activities should be an integrated part of the community, a service to men living a common life, a means of attaining com- munity goals. The design of a modern art education pro- gram must be related wholly to community living. This concept of art and of education may be likened to the wealth of the Indies in the Spanish proverb, "He who would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him."
Grades one and two completed their work in a very satisfactory manner, through the media of color, figures, and representation. Holiday events were depicted by group construction of murals, and by individual drawings.
Generally, six-year-olds do crude work, but many pupils in this class have been taught at home to do simple drawing and a variety of handwork which enables them to more easily grasp the problems of Art which arise in school.
The modern era presents a wealth of materials at mod- erate cost, which are available to the family of average means. This commercial interest in artistic trends has fostered an impetus and progress to art education.
The State Extension Courses are a valuable stimuli in promoting "artistic consciousness" among the youngsters
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who absorb more than we dream, from their parents' interests and enthusiasm.
Seven-year-olds-Grade two-are quite well advanced. Although some immature children find second grade projects difficult all are eager to learn, and they are most cooperative in fine effort. Advanced members of the class like to draw objects and people, "more real" to use their own words. They are interested in detail.
"Every child has a spark of originality. If that spark is kept aglow, it will develop into creativeness unless it is discouraged or ridiculed."
Grade three is a large class, but a very interesting one. They accomplish excellent results. This is the first grade to begin correlation of Art with another subject. Life in Home and Community, Story of Foods, People of Other Lands, Indian Life, and Holiday work have been repre- sented by murals, sand tables, large posters, and construc- tion. Color study was included in all the projects. This work is correlated with Reading.
Grades four, five and six correlate Art with Social Studies. In grade four, the majority of pupils can draw quite easily. Many questions are asked; children are alert when depicting life of people in other lands, and an interest in the evaluation of their work is manifested.
Social Studies cover a variety of projects; Ships and Trade in the ages before Columbus, Explorers, Primitive New England, Iroquois Life, Dutch Settlements in New York.
Pupils were very enthusiastic in making pictures of foreign lands. Norway, The Netherlands, Arctic Regions, Desert Life, Japan, and The Congo Lands were studied, then illustrated and painted on murals, posters, maps and panels.
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Grade five correlated Art with a study of America- emphasizing and representing the states, products, nat- ural resources, beautiful scenes, state seals and flags. The rendering of these varied activities makes both Art and the subject matter more graphic and vivid. It has proven to be a great aid to the pupils in retaining facts. The Chinese proverb truthfully states: "One picture is worth a thousand words."
Grade six also correlates with Social Studies. This work included Primitive Life, Industries, Arts and People of Egypt, Italy, China, The Netherlands, Medieval Times and South America.
The pupils in grades four, five and six vary greatly in their ability to draw; the majority need help in illustrat- ing figures in various poses, in action and at rest. Figures are drawn on the board for the class to study, and to check proportions.
Art becomes a vital factor in the enriching of the broad educational program, cooperating with school, home and community. It will intensify the learning process and ultimately function in real life situations.
Since September, seventh and eighth grade girls have been working on several interesting Handcraft projects. Ceramics has been introduced. Clay is moulded or rolled out thinly making small trays. These are fired in an oven at 1800 degrees, then glazed and fired again. Attractively designed pins have also been made.
Bracelets of aluminum have been designed, etched and shaped - ready - for - wear. Pins and findings have been assembled. Paper plates have been enhanced by colored designs of paper. All members of the class are enthusi- astic workers.
Boys of seventh and eighth grade have been learning the fundamentals of Drafting. Different lines and their
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