USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Mendon > Town annual reports of the officers of Mendon, Massachusetts 1889-1909 > Part 4
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The circulation by divisions was as follows: Agriculture, 21; Biography, 153; History, 193; Travel, 151; Educational, 61; Poetry, 28; Miscellaneous, 100; Novels, 2870; Periodicals, 294. The whole number of volumes belonging to the Library is 2689. 83 were added the past year, of which 63 were bought by the Town and 20 were presented; 13 other volumes, heretofore.
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stored, have been placed upon the shelves since the shelf-room was increased. Those given came from the following persons : Edward A. Mosely, 2; Hon. Henry B. Peirce, 9; Rev. C. A. Staples, 5; Hon. George F. Hoar, 4.
Harper's Magazine for 1888 was given by J. A. George, and several other pamphlets have come from different persons. $6.90 has been received for fines and cards. All books were returned on February 1, in obedience to the seventh rule in the catalogue, LENA WILLIAMS,
Librarian,
Mendon, February 3, 1890.
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Report of the Treasurer of the Trustees of the Taft Public Library for the year ending Feb. 1, 1890 :-
DR.
To cash received on eight orders of Selectmen, $359 76
of J. A. George for curtains, 50
66 Lena Williams, cards, fines, etc., 6 90
$367 16
CR.
Cash paid W. B. Clarke & Co., books, $ 75 60
66
J. A. George, book, 1 00
118 00
66
Julia Brigdale, labor,
75
William Henry, labor,
1 20
66
A. C. Chilson, stock and labor,
52 15
66
A. S. Pickering, labor,
16 76
66
Avery & Woodbury, paper,
3 86
Hixon Bros., furniture,
17 36
66
Clark Ellis & Sons, labor, etc.,
5 40
66
G. B. Williams, paper,
2 00
66 Berton Williams, labor,
4 75
A. W. Gaskill, sand,
2 00
Lena Williams, 8 mos, services as Librarian,
33 00
66
Lena Williams, expressage, etc.,
5 34
66 Charles R. Ellis, stock and labor,
3 00
Cash on hand,
44
$367 16
Respectfully submitted, HORACE C. ADAMS, Treasurer.
Mendon, Feb. 10, 1890.
Examined, found correct and with proper vouchers. G. B. WILLIAMS, JULIUS A. GEORGE, Auditors. Mendon, Feb. 10, 1890.
Mary E. Dudley, 4 mos. services as Librarian,
17 00
Weed Bros. & Lent, stock and labor,
H. J. Dearing, curtains, etc.,
7 55
REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND
SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOLS,
OF THE
TOWN OF MENDON,
FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR 1889-90.
MILFORD, MASS .: G. M. BILLINGS, PRINTER, GAZETTE OFFICE. 1890.
School Committee.
1889-1890. ORGANIZATION.
FRANK H. WOOD, Chairman,
Term expires 1891
EDWARD DIXON, Secretary, 1892
FREDERICK BATES,
1890
EDWARD DIXON, Superintending Committee.
TRUANT OFFICERS. WILLIAM W. NELSON, HENRY G. BATES, JOHN G. BARROWS.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
To the Citizens of the Town of Mendon :-
The following report of the School Committee is respectfully submitted. The Committee organized March 29, 1889, and as- signed the care of school property to the members as follows :- West and Albeeville, Frank H. Wood; South, Center and North, Edward Dixon ; East, Frederick Bates. The rooms at the Center have been papered and painted and the Primary- room stove has been exchanged for a more suitable one. The total expense was about seventy-five dollars. The South school- house has been painted, and the walls of the interior tinted. The interior of the East schoolhouse has been painted, and new cur- tains and two new settees added. A few minor repairs have been made in all the schoolhouses. The school year has been thirty weeks. Miss Mary E. Dudley, who had taught the Pri- mary school very successfully for seven consecutive years, felt obliged to resign at the end of last year because of ill health. The Committee consider themselves unfortunate indeed in losing her services. Two others, Mrs. J. G. Barrows and Miss Cora E. Gaskill, successful teachers, signified their intention of resigning their positions at the close of the last school year.
Thus the school year opened with the loss of three experi- enced and successful teachers, and on the Committee devolved the unpleasant task of trying to find three candidates who would fill the vacancies. In this respect they were the most fortunate at the South school, Miss Thayer proving herself a faithful and competent teacher. She resigned at the end of the spring term to accept a better position in Blackstone. Miss Bessie Wilcox taught the school the remainder of the year. At the East the teacher resigned at the end of the seventh week, and Mr. Lyman Cook was engaged for the position. The change was a good one. At the Primary it was thought advisable to secure another teacher in the fall term, and again for the winter term. As the Primary was in rather a demoralized condition at the end of the fall term, Miss Hamant's task of bringing the school under proper discipline was a hard one. Miss Etta M. Hood was engaged for the winter term at Albeeville. The condition of the Grammar school at the end of last year called for a change of teachers. From about thirty applicants Miss Briggs was elected. She had charge of the school for the year. As usual, the High school principal resigned at the end of the year, the Committee being unable to prevail upon Mr. Wendel Williams, who taught the
-
4
school so acceptably last year, to take the position again this year. From about twenty candidates Mr. F. L. Pattee, a graduate of Dartmouth, was selected. He has proved himself a competent and popular teacher. The scholars of the West district were again transported to Albeeville, at a cost of $150 for the year.
Edward Dixon was elected Treasurer of the Committee, and ap- pointed School-book Agent for the year. " He was also appointed Supervisor of Schools. The Committee ask that the town settle in a definite way the question of school supervision. If it instructs the Committee to appoint a Superintendent, an appropriation should be made for his salary, for if this is not done there is no limit to what the Committee may pay a Superintendent. That the schools must be superintended is not one of choice on the part of the town, but one of compulsion on the part of the state. The town has the choice of methods. The Committee know that it will be exceedingly difficult to secure the services of a suitable person for the customary salary, consequently if the town appro- priates a sum no larger than is usually paid we must be satisfied with what we can get for the money.
TREASURER'S REPORT.
DR.
To nine town orders,
$2,660 00
CR.
TEACHERS' WAGES AND TRANSPORTATION.
Wendel Williams (old bill),
$ 90 00
Berton Williams 66
10 40
Mary A. Barrows 66
72 00
Annie W. Gaskill
8 00
F. L. Pattee,
285 00
Geneva M. Briggs,
260 00
Alice M. Smith,
70 00
Josie W. Bates,
77 00
Mariette M. Hamant,
240 00
Etta M. Hood,
63 00
Ada C. Taft,
230 00
Ella F. Thayer,
60 00
Bessie W. Wilcox,
108 00
Flora E. Crooks,
50 40
Lyman Cook,
161 00
Frank H. Wood, for transportation of scholars, 150 00
FUEL AND CARE OF ROOMS.
W. W. Nelson, care of fire, (old bill), $ 5 00
66 66 (1889-90), 11 00
Alfred T. Dixon, 66
66 10 00
66 preparing wood and kindlings, 4 00
5
Bessie W. Wilcox, care of fire, $ 2 00
Ella F. Thayer, 1 50
Samuel Warner, 66
4 00
Ann Quigley, cleaning schoolrooms, 4 00
Kate Foley,
66
2 00
F. H. Wood, cash paid, cleaning schoolrooms, 3 25
66 fuel, 10 10
A. A. Taft, fuel, 7 00
J. G. Barrows, fuel, 6 00
Frederick Bates, fuel, care of fire (1888-89), 11 35
Harry Dixon, sweeping schoolrooms (1889.90), 6 00
Field Bros., coal, 20 26
W. E. Dixon, care of fire (old bill), 1 75
Western Pub. House, chart (astronomical), $12 50 F. M. Ambrose, 2 Wor. unabridged dict's., 15 00
66 2 Language charts, 10 00
Boston School Supply Co., charts (arith.), 5 20
$42 70
INCIDENTALS.
Henry W. Brown, repairs, $ 1 25
Frederick Bates, repairs and supplies, 23 13
W. W. Nelson, use of well,
66 9 45
Fred Cole, labor, 2 25
A. G. Chilson, labor, 83 47
W. E. Dixon, labor and taking census, 4 00
H. A. Aldrich, postage, 4 00
12 10
E. L. Smith, use of well,
7 00
C. H. Albee, use of well, (1888-89),
3 00
A. T. Dixon, labor,
5 00
F. H. French, clock,
5 50
F. E. Stevens, use of carriage,
1 50
T. E. Curran, supplies,
1 25
Ella F. Thayer, supplies,
62
I. O. Rhodes, supplies,
2 23
Ellis & Sons, supplies, 66 stove, 25 00
6 11
Frank H. Wood, supplies,
1 10
Edward Dixon, services treasurer of School
Committee, (1888-89);
10 00
Fare to Boston (twice), 4 00
Services as school-book agent, 30 00
Supervision to Jan. 1, 1890, 50 00
Paid for supplies and labor, 1 35
Boston School Supply Co., 39 64
F. M. Ambrose, 2 00
D. Appleton, 2 71
$2,044 01
·
A. P. Scribner, express,
66 labor,
2 75
6
Ginn & Co., Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co.,
$ 12 12 20 04
$372 57
SUMMARY.
Teachers' wages,
$1,934 80
Fuel and care of rooms,
109 21
Apparatus from school fund,
42 70
Incidentals,
372 57
Text-books and supplies,
152 17
Cash paid town treasurer,
48 55
$2,660 00
EDWARD DIXON, Treasurer.
SCHOOL BOOK AGENT'S REPORT.
DR.
To books and supplies purchased :-
Boston School Supply Co.,
$53 40
Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co.,
66 14
F. M. Ambrose,
19 77
D. Appleton,
12 86
$152 17
To books and supplies on hand,
24 31
$176 48
CR.
By books and supplies furnished :-
High school,
37 00
Grammar school,
35 08
Primary school,
30 02
North school,
17 06
South school,
10 10
East school,
10 04
Albeeville school,
8 16
$147 46
Books and supplies on hand,
29 02
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES ON HAND.
16 White's Elementary Arithmetics, $6 72
5 Eggleston's U. S. Histories, 5 25
4 Lippincott's First Readers, 67
2 Davis' First Readers, teacher's edition, 70
2
pupil's 66 50
$176 48
12 Eclectic Primers,
$ 1 25
20 66 First Readers,
3 00
12
Second 66
3 00
11 66 Third
3 85
5 66 Fourth
2 10
12
66 Drawing books,
1 00
1 Package blotters,
50
4 Slates,
20
4 Doz. Lead Pencils,
$29 02 EDWARD DIXON, Agent.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
RESOURCES.
Town appropriation, $1,600 00
205 04
Income from dog tax,
141 13
Due for out-of-town scholars,
24 00
$1,970 17
EXPENDITURES.
Teachers' wages, fuel and care of rooms, $1863 61
Apparatus from school fund,
42 70
Teachers' wages unpaid,
75 00
Bill for care of fire unpaid,
3 00
$1984 31
Old bills (above last year's estimate), 14 15
$1,970 16
Amount unexpended, one cent.
28
Income from state school fund,
SUPERVISOR'S REPORT.
As the Committee were unable to unite with the School Com- mittees of other towns in employing a District Superintendent of Schools, and as the town voted that the School Committee should not appoint a Superintendent of Schools for the town, the task of supervision has, this year, fallen upon the Committee. Supervis- ion being compulsory, it finally resulted that the Secretary of the Board, much against his desires, assumed the duties of Supervisor. Although the time at his disposal is very limited, he has given almost all of it to this work. He feels that he has, at least, given as much time to supervision as the salary pays for.
On the whole, the schools are not in as prosperous a condi- tion as they should be, but perhaps they are as good as the town ought to expect under existing conditions. There are fourteen more scholars of school age this year than last.
ATTENDANCE.
One of the evils the schools have to contend with is irregu- lar attendance. Many parents seem to think that a half-day's or a day's absence, occasionally, will not make much difference to the scholar or the school, but it is not so. The prosperity of the school depends, in a great degree, upon the attendance of every scholar every day.
The state authorities have recognized this fact in the law making attendance at school compulsory for twenty weeks in the year. The law means that all children between eight and four- teen years of age, (health permitting,) shall attend school six hours a day for twenty weeks; that for twenty weeks, every school day a scholar is not in school six hours, the law is broken ; that for every such offence the parent or guardian is liable to a fine of twenty dollars or less. The law should be respected. To cause a child to be irregular in attendance and then blame the teacher for the bad results that follow such irregular- ity is very unjust. Parents should make every effort to have their children in school every day; and when they fail to do so, the truant officers should know why they are not there.
ROLL OF HONOR.
NAMES OF SCHOLARS NEITHER ABSENT NOR TARDY.
One Term.
HIGH SCHOOL .- Nancy C. Wood, Laura Warner, William
1
.
9
Southwick, Annie Aldrich, Cora Taft, Abigail Taft, Alfred T. Dixon, Lewis Wood.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL .- Morton Holbrook, Ernest Tucker, John Tucker, Ernest Metcalf, Mason Kinsley, Walter Towne, Clarence Moores, Nettie Nutter, Grace Nutter.
PRIMARY SCHOOL .- Bessie Cook, Mary Kelley, Sabray Moores, Minnie Wood, Etta Stinson, Mabel I. Wheeler, Sarah L. Staples, Bertha P. Metcalf, Jerry Driscoll, Nathan F. Towne, Oliver Moores, William Driscoll, Edward Driscoll.
NORTH SCHOOL .- Dwight Davenport, Fred Davenport, Er- nest Davenport, John Grady.
SOUTH SCHOOL .- Ida M. Barrows, Bennie Barrows, Charles Daniels, Leon Daniels.
EAST SCHOOL -Jennie Tingley, Bertha Horton, Ellen Tay- lor, Charles Cook, Waldo Rockwood, Willie Rockwood, Norman Cook.
ALBEEVILLE SCHOOL .- William Aldrich, Mary L. Wood, Laura Cunningham, Mary Hoard, William Broughey.
Two Terms.
GRAMMAR .- Arthur Pond, Everett Darling, Harry Dixon, Florence Snow.
PRIMARY .- Jessie Wheeler.
NORTH .- Ida Darling, Ora Davenport, Richard Odlum.
SOUTH .- John Daniels.
EAST .- Bertha Sprague, Cora Mungur.
ALBEEVILLE .- Estine Taft, Theresa Moore.
One Year.
PRIMARY .- Norman Wheeler.
NORTH .- Rosie Quigley.
ALBEEVILLE .- Hattie Aibee.
Two Years.
NORTHI .- Willie Mahaney.
SCHOOLHOUSES.
For the past few years there has been a steady improvement in the condition of our schoolhouses and their surroundings, so that compared with what they were several years ago there is much to be thankful for; but they are yet far from being satisfac- tory. Many alterations and repairs are yet needed to put them in even fair condition, and undoubtedly some of them would have been made this year, but the Committee thought it best not to put the town to much expense until the buildings had been visit- ed by the state inspector of public building .. The out-buildings and the ventilation of schoolrooms should receive the immediate
10
attention of the Committee. All the schoolhouses except the North have no other means of ventilation than by opening doors or windows. This method is always dangerous to employ because it is apt to subject scholars to draughts, and thus endangers their health. The only building that approaches a moderir school- house is the North. Here a new chimney should be built, a new fence put up, the yard improved; and the well, at present useless, should, if possible, be put into condition for use. The Center schoolrooms and surroundings, all things considered, are in the worst condition of any. But as the state inspector has recently visited this building, the town will probably have its condition fully made known through another channel. The yard should be divided and properly fenced to separate the sexes at recess. To make the division at all equal the yard must be enlarged on the north side. It should also be fenced off from the road. The scholars should feel that the schoolyard is especially for their use. When a schoolyard extends to the street, and there is no fence between, the boundary is so indefinite that scholars cannot be expected to recognize it. So long as the schoolhouses empty themselves into the highway, we must expect to find scholars at all times of the day traveling the public streets.
The South schoolhouse needs immediate attention. In this room are found the old-fashioned board seats, uncomfortable, unsightly. As it seems necessary there should be a school here, the scholars should cease to be made martyrs of.
The East schoolhouse needs renovating. The room is cer- tainly too small for good work, there is no place provided for scholars to hang up their clothes, and no woodshed. The Albee- ville schoolhouse and surroundings are in fair condition, still there are many things that might be done to improve thiem.
CARE OF ROOMS.
"The duties in the way of housekeeping which devolve upon janitors and teachers are of the utmost importance educationally." Certainly in a town like ours the teachers should be able, in an emergency, to build a fire, and be possessed of the requisite skill to run one successfully through the day, especially when she can always have the willing assistance of the scholars. She should have interest enough in the welfare of her school to see that the room is ventilated before each session is begun, and at both re- cesses ; that the floor is kept clean, and the room dusted at least once a day. In fact, the School Committee look to the teachers to keep their rooms in as good condition for work as the appliances at their command will permit. Teachers have made no com- plaint to the School Committee that janitors have neglected their work, but there have been times when they ought to.
Educational critics say that School Committees, as a rule, employ for janitors either old men or boys, and neither class can do the work properly. So far as we are concerned, the work of
11
janitor is usually performed by a boy, poorly paid, and as a con- sequence, we do not have the highest order of work. As no rea- sonable person would expect the town to pay a mnan to devote his whole time to the care of two or three schoolhouses, and as the work ought to be done by somebody, we must of necessity depend upon our teachers for part of it. It is the teacher's especial priv- ilege to control, so far as possible, the temperature of the room during school hours, and the School Committee would no more wish the janitors to encroach upon this privilege than they would to have the janitor enter the room and take charge of a recita- tion.
Janitors, after they have attended to their morning duties in the schoolroom, should lock the door, allowing no scholars to remain in the room. The teachers should see that they do so, as they and not the janitors are held responsible for damage done to school property by the scholars. To say "such damage was done before school or at noon" does not relieve the teachers of the re- sponsibility. The town provides the building to be used for school purposes. It is not incumbent upon the town to furnish a room for a play-ground an hour before school begins, or for a dining-room at noon. If scholars have the use of the rooms at such times, it should be on condition of good behavior. This is the least appreciation they can show for the privilege. When at such times scholars break windows for fun, make footballs of six- dollar globes and use for drums forty-dollar stoves, it is time to initiate a reform, even at the expense of old customs.
Whenever school property is damaged, the teachers should forthwith report such damage to the Committee, together with, if possible, the names of those committing it. For many reasons teachers should reach the schoolhouse earlier than they have been accustomed to.
SESSIONS.
In all schools except the High, the sessions are from 9 A. M. to 12 M., and from 1. P. M. to -4 P. M., with two recesses of fifteen minutes each, unless changed by direction of the School Commit- tee. When a teacher changes the time of the sessions without such direction she assumes the duties of the Committee. Of course this closing the school occasionally to suit her convenience is recognized by the teachers as a privilege their predecessors have enjoyed many years. They have no thought of doing wrong. They regard it as a long-established custom. Neverthe- less it is a custom that should not prevail.
Teachers should aim to be prompt in opening and closing school. Scholars should know school will begin promptly at a certain time. They should know also that, providing they are not detained after hours for punishment, they will be let out ex- actly on time. When a teacher is sick, or for some other reason cannot teach her school, she should immediately notify the mem-
12
ber of the School Committee having charge of that school. It might happen that he would rather put in a substitute teacher than have the school closed.
TEACHERS.
James Russell Lowell says: "We cannot have ideal teachers in our public schools for the price we pay or in the number we require." For most of our teachers, Mendon is a "stopping place" until they can better themselves. They are looking con- tinually towards some other town that pays higher wages and has a longer school year, consequently they are, in a certain sense, dissatisfied with their positions and lack proper interest in their work. Teachers are plentiful enough and can always be engaged for the wages we pay, but some of them are dear at any price. The frequent changes in our teaching force, in most cases unavoid- ably necessary, are bad for our schools. How this state of things is to be remedied is a difficult problem. Many of our citizens think higher wages will speedily solve it. That is not so in all cases. I have met teachers in Boston several times and tried hard to have them come to Mendon to teach ; but as soon as they learned the town is three miles from a railway station, they wouldn't entertain the proposition for a moment, although the wages were satisfactory.
METHODS.
A. W. Edson, in the last state report, says : "One would sup- pose, after all that has been said or written of late in favor of topical teaching, that the hand-to-mouth style of questioning and answering would be done away with by this time ; but such is not the case." This hand-to-mouth way of conducting recitations is the one that prevails in our schools. The text-book is king and the schools are its slaves. It almost absolutely governs all the questions and answers. Independent thought is lost sight of almost completely. "To repeat the words correctly seems to be everything ; to understand the meaning nothing." Children can- not be taught to think by learning page after page of disconnected facts. Such work simply exercises the memory in a bad way and substitutes for good, solid school work a glittering sham. The proper training of the mind is of infinitely more consequence in school than is the gaining of a knowledge of facts. The num- ber of pages a scholar has "been over" in a term is of little conse- quence compared with the knowledge he has acquired and his method of acquiring it. The notion that "getting through" a book implies a positive amount of knowledge gained, or training received, is a fallacious one. We should have better work done in our schools. The most urgent need of reform in methods of teaching lies in the Primary grades. In the district schools the
13
teachers find work enough to do in the upper classes, work more congenial to their tastes. The Primary classes, being of less con- sequence (?) and not needed to show off the school, are wofully neglected. In the Centre, where an attempt is made to have graded schools, the Primary is overburdened. There is too much for one teacher to do. She has the same number of grades to teach that towns around us have from two to four teachers for. There is need of an Intermediate school at the Center. No sen- sible person would claim that, with all the advantages our chil- dren enjoy, one teacher ought to do as much in thirty weeks as can be done for children of other towns by two or three teachers in thirty-six to forty weeks. Teachers claim that the conditions are such that good teaching in these grades ought not to be ex- pected, yet they do not advance a sufficient excuse for all the poor work done in these classes. In the district schools, the teachers cannot afford to neglect the Primary classes. If either grade is to be neglected, by all means let it be the Grammar, for if the scholars are properly taught in the Primary classes, they will know how to do almost all the work required without much direction from the teacher, because they will have formed good habits of study. It is no easy task to effect a change in methods. Teachers, unless they are constantly on their guard, and contin- ually trying to improve their minds and their methods of teach- ing, soon fall into ruts. A prominent educator says : "It takes ten years to get a new idea under way in our public schools." Scholars under the prevailing superficial methods of instruction have formed bad habits of thought. Before good work can be done these must be broken up and good habits of thought substi- tuted. But when will it be done? The old way is easier. There is much more "snap" to it. The scholars are so much better satis- fied with themselves in giving their parrot-like exercises, and their parents are better pleased to hear prompt answers. And when scholars who have "gone through" our schools come to min- gle with the world, where they have every opportunity of practi- cally applying the knowledge they have gained in school, they discover with chagrin that they have forgotten almost all they knew. They have neither knowledge, nor the habits of acquir- ing it. Methods of teaching that do not make scholars think are valueless.
HOW SHALL OUR SCHOOLS BE IMPROVED ?
1. By making the schoolhouses and surroundings more attrac- tive, and providing proper accommodations for the scholars.
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