USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Southbridge > Town annual reports of the officers of Southbridge for the year ending 1913-1916 > Part 7
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Fair during the past few years. The cost of the ma- chine was $67.00. Talking machines were used in only a few schools two years ago, now they are in daily use in more than 400 cities. Special records are made for marching, calisthenics, folk dancing, national songs, readings from Shakespeare, etc. The time is doubtless comming when every school will have its talking ma- chine just as it now has its maps, globes and supple- mentary reading.
Some schools also are now using moving pictures to illustrate lessons especially in geography and history.
The dullest pupil can readily comprehend a lesson when it is made as vivid as real life. Such apparatus
is now in use in Fitchburg. Ten years from now it will doubtless be common in every large town.
Attention is called to the report of the special teachers.
Respectfully submitted,
F. E. CORBIN.
1
Drawing
MR. F. E. CORBIN, Supt. of Schools.
SIR :
This year is much the same as former years, with the exception of a few improvements. We study the fall leaves, sprays and fruits, during the autumn months. Design and object drawing occupy most of the time allotted to drawing in the winter, and the spring brings interesting subjects for nature study. Designs are made in all grades during the year, and the sixth grades - spend a good deal of time on their designs for trays, match safes and candle shades. These are applied to brass by the boys, and this work makes it evident to the pupils the importance of correct drawing and the practical use of design. Brass offers a convenient medium for the application of many varied forms. In the seventh grade we have one of the models of wood ornamented with a brass design. Object drawing seems to be the phase of the work most difficult for the children, and therefore, we are devoting more time to this subject this year. Its importance should not be overlooked, as no one can be capable of making much use of his knowledge of drawing without under- standing this branch of the work.
With the first warm days of spring, the children bring the earliest flowers to school and until school
187
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
close in June, there are always flowers in school rooms. These offer such interesting subjects for form and color studies, that the pupils never tire of them. As South- bridge is situated in climate favorable for both northern and many southern varieties of plants, the number of different specimens found is very great.
The manual training department, of which I have had the entire charge until this year, has been so improv- ed and enlarged that another teacher now has charge of the advanced classes. The upper grades devote more time than formerly to the work. The value of training the children to be skilful with their hands cannot be denied. We begin with the first grade in teaching the children paper folding and weaving. In the second and third grades the paper folding is made more difficult, and they make paper houses, horns, sleds, baskets, etc. This gives them some skill in handling material and they are ready for the work in the fourth grade. The girls begin their sewing course this year making mats and needle books. The boys also make mats and con- struct a basket of reeds and braided raffia. The girls in the fifth year make bags of cloth. It is in this grade that the wood sloyd is begun, and while the girls are sewing in the school room the boys are learning their first lessons in whittling and sawing. The objects constructed by the boys are neccessarily very simple, but they find them difficult as most of the pupils are unused to handling tools. The aprons made by the girls in the sixth grade, while the boys are busy with their wood and brass work, is a step in advance and a little more difficult than the fifth grade work. The baskets made by the girls in the seventh grade
188
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
show careful work. The sewing in this grade is a step further on, and through the ninth grade the girls sew while the boys are learning to be more skilful with their wood work. The ninth grade girls are making a dress this year under the competent direction of Miss Shepardson. The stencelling for a table cover made by the girls in the eighth grade was much better than similar work of the kind done last year.
That the work is of good character is shown by the many prizes we won at the Sturbridge Fair.
The high school boys are studying mechanical drawing with a little freehand work. The girls study freehand drawing and design. One of their designs is applied to leather and many made very pretty card cases.
Much credit for the good work done should be given to the grade teacher, whose kindly interest and assistance has been very helpful.
Respectfully submitted,
ANNA F. EAGER. '
Music
MR. F. E. CORBIN, Supt. of Schools.
SIR :
Music in the public schools is a serious factor in mental, physical and emotional development of the child, and is as important in character molding as any other subject in the school curriculum.
/
Little children, three, four and five years of age, can learn music faster and more accurately, and enjoy
189
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
the study more than at any later period, providing they have the right start. No expenditure in time, money and hard work in after life can make up for lost opportunities in childhood.
Therefore, it is all important that correct habits of tone-production be acquired during the first years in school, and that the head-tone which is so delightful in children's singing, shall be preserved.
It is of the greatest importance that the children sing in tune. Constant flatting the pitch results in the habit of wrong thinking of the scale tones. If the class does not stay to the pitch, the first and most important duty of the supervisor and teacher is to dis- cover and remove the cause of the difficulty.
The success in the singing of intervals or skips, depends upon the ability to think (sing silently) the scale tones. The singing of the scale correctly must become automatic.
The aim of our Normal course of music in the public schools is to develop in the pupil an intelligent appre- ciation and enjoyment of good music, a musical and expressive voice, the ability to read music at sight, and the power of musical interpretation.
When necessary, individual attention is given, voices are-tried at the beginning of each year, parts assigned in proper order, and in each grade, we aim to place all selections in the correct pitch and range. No elaborate scheme of voice culture is desirable or neces- sary, but beginning with the cultivation of the head- tone through the descending scale, with the addition of the simple vital principles of breath control, proper
190
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
direction of tone, pure quality, and distinct enuncia- tion, we try to guide the pupil into the habit of cor- rect singing.
Wè notice a constant development of the pupils -physical, resulting from deep breathing-intellectual, involved in a systematic study of the subject, and the development of character which comes from constant familiarity with good music.
Last April the members of the high school pre- sented a very successful musical program, which was very thoroughly enjoyed, and was a financial success as well. This winter we are preparing another musi- cal, which we trust will exceed our efforts of last year. The music at the graduating exercises was of a high order, and the pupils received many well deserved compliments.
The help and co-operation of our superintendent and teachers have enabled us to proceed slowly but surely, and we feel greatly encouraged when we con- template the possibilities of the future.
Respectfully submitted,
KATHARINE CAREY SMITH.
Evening Schools
MR. F. E. CORBIN, Supt. of Schools.
DEAR SIR :
After a successful term of 78 sessions-39 for boys and 39 for girls-the public evening schools closed for the year of 1912 on December 10th.
Owing to the purchase of the Morris street school- house by the Southern New England R. R., the ses- sions for pupils in the center and at the eastern end of the town were held in the two upper rooms of the Mechanic street school. Electric lights were installed so that these rooms were well lighted, heated and ven- tilated, and made very good, quiet and comfortable quarters.
For the Globe Village contingent the two upstairs rooms of the old River street school were utilized as usual, and while not so new and fresh-looking as the Mechanic street rooms, were nevertheless well lighted and made very comfortable. 'The most objectionable feature of this location was the annoyance frequently caused by the noisy demonstrations given in the vicin- ity by the young hoodlum element.
The school at both ends of the town opened September 9th and continued six nights a week.
In the two schools was an enrollment of 139 boys
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
and 103 girls, most of them between the ages of 16 and 21 years.
The different nationalities represented were Alban- ians, Polanders, French-Canadians, Greeks, Bulgar- ians, Roumanians, Italians, Turks, Russians and Swedes; and in the advanced classes were English, Irish, Americans, Swedes and Italians.
For the great majority the studies were necessarily of an elementary character, consisting principally of reading, writing, simple arithmetic and the study of the English language.
Most of the pupils, however, went to work with a will, and before the end of the term much decided and encouraging progress had been made.
The descipline maintained throughout was very good indeed, most of the pupils showing marked respect to their teachers, and appearing to realize and appreciate that the latter were conscientiously working for their benefit.
When it is taken into consideration that the pupils all work regularly throughout the day in the various mills and workshops in town, the attendance at the evening schools sessions was very good indeed, that of the boys ranging from 86 to 88 per cent.
In the advanced classes there was an average attend- ance of about 20 to 25 pupils most of whom made satisfactory progress; many of them taking up their studies where they had left off in the day schools. Eighth and 9th grade work was taken up and even some of the more advanced studies ofhigh school curric- ulum.
193
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
It has always appeared to the writer that the splen- did advantages for study and mental improvement offered, absolutely free, in these advanced classes were not fully understood or appreciated by our young men and women, or the excellent opportunities thus offered would surely be more widely taken advantage of.
The action of the committee taken at their meet- ing on Dec. 3, in voting "To grant certificates to pupils of the evening schools, who complete work equivalent to that of the ninth grade, said certificate to be signed by the chairman of the board, the superin- tendent and the principal of the school," will tend to increase the respect of the pupils for the work done in the evening schools, and be an incentive to others to attain this certificate. In accordance with the vote of the committee, certificates were granted to Joseph Francis Tetrault, John Thomas Ryan and Mary Georgianna Smythe. The pupil holding such a certif- icate is entitled to enter the high school without exami- nation.
Respectfully submitted,
E. I. KNOWLES, Principal.
1
Physicians' Reports
MR. F. E. CORBIN, Supt. of schools.
DEAR SIR:
The following schools were assigned to me for inspection : The High, Main, Mechanic, School, Elm. Sandersdale and Lebanion Hill schools.
Number examined
445
Incomplete vaccination.
122
Decayed teeth.
228
Tonsils enlarged
41
Much enlarged
92
Nasal catarrh 134
Defective vision 64
Nasal obstruction
31
Defective hearing
12
Head lice
6
Goitre.
1
Cornealulcer
1
Infantile paralysis
2
Eye fatigue
9
Squint 3
Headache 1
I have found the buildings and grounds kept in clean and orderly condition.
The parents have been notified of the defects, and in many cases they have consulted with their family physician in order to remedy the same.
Respectfully submitted,
C. A. TETRAULT, School physician. :
195
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MR. F. E. CORRIN, Supt. of Schools.
DEAR SIR:
I hereby sumbit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1912.
Acting upon your wishes for a medical inspection of pupils at the Marcy, River and Dennison schools, I made such examination with the following result:
Number of pupils examined
372
Incomplete vaccination
70
Enlarged tonsils
23
Decayed teeth 226
Eyes defective 37
Adenoids 3
Defective hearing 6
Head lice. 4
During the year I have given 76 certificates to children to go back to school, they had been out of school sick, for two days or more.
I have made 77 examinations of children who wished to leave school and go to work with the result that in two cases I refused such certificate, as one was suffering from tuberculosis, and the other from anaemia.
I have made several visits to the different school buildings and have always found them neat and clean, for which the janitors should be complimented. Dur- ing the year my work was made more easy by the assistance which all the teachers rendered.
It is very gratifying to know that many of the parents who have been notified of defects have at once consulted with their family physicians. with reference to correcting the same.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE WEBSTER, School Physician.
Appendix
School Laws in Brief
1. All children between 7 and 14, unless, sick feeble-minded, at an approved private school, or other- wise instructed in branches required by law, to the satisfaction of the School Committee, must attend the public schools during the entire time of each school year. Penalty to parents or guardians for failure in attendance, for five days' sessions within any period of six months, $20 .- Revised Laws Chap. 44, Sect. 1.
2. No child under 14 shall be employed "in any factory, workshop, or mercantile establishment." "No such child shall be employed in any work performed for wages or other compensation" during the hours when the public schools are in session, nor before six o'clock in the morning, nor after seven in the evening. -Chap. 106, Sect. 28.
3. No child under 16 shall be employed in any factory, workshop or mercantile establishment without a certificate from the Superintendent of Schools. He must present an employment ticket from the person who wishes to employ him, on applying for a certificate, the father, if living, and a resident, must sign the certificate of age; if not, the mother; if neither, the guardian .- Chap. 106, Sects. 29, 30, 31, 32.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
4. Children between fourteen and sixteen must either attend school or be regularly employed .- Chap. 46, Sect. 4.
5. Whenever a child is absent from school for the whole or a part of a session, a written excuse stating cause of absence, and signed by a parent or guardian, must be presented by the pupil on his return to school. -Chap. 44, Sect. 1.
6. Children must be vaccinated before attending school, but a certificate from a regular physician say- ing a child is an unfit subject for vaccination, allows attendance.
No child can attend school from a household in which there is a case of smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever or measles, or from a household exposed to a contagion from a household as aforesaid. Two weeks after the death, removal or recovery of the patient in a case of the first three mentioned, or three days after in a case of measles, the child may return, on presenta- tion of a certificate from the attending physician or from the Board of Health .- Chap. 14, Sect. 6.
7. The last regular session prior to Memorial Day, or a portion thereof, shall be devoted to exercises of a patriotic nature .- Chap. 42, Sect. 20.
8. A United States flag, not less than four feet in length, shall be displayed on the schoolhouse grounds or building every school day, when the weather will permit, and on the inside of the school- house on other school days .- Chap. 42, Sect. 50.
Every child between seven and fourteen years of ago, and every child under sixteen years of age, who
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
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 at- tendance and schools as are provided for in section three of chapter forty-two, and section three, five and six of this chapter. 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 days' sessions, or ten half-day sessions within any period of six months, while under such con- trol, to cause such child whose physical or mental con- dition is not such as to render his attendance at school harmful or impracticable, so to attend school, he shall, upon complaint of a truant officer and conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty dollars. Whoever induces, or attempts to induce a child to absent himself unlawfullly from school, or em- ploys 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.
The school committee shall cause notice of the disease or defects, if any, from which any child is found to be suffering to be sent to his parent or guar- dian. Whenever a child shows symptoms of smallpox, scarlet fever, measles, chickenpox, tuberculosis, diph- theria, or influenza, tonsilitis, whooping cough, mumps, scabies or trachoma, he shall be sent home immediate- ly, or as soon as safe and proper convenance can be found, and the Board of Health shall at once be noti- fied. - Chap. 502, Sect. 4.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Calendar For 1913
Winter term, twelve weeks, begins Monday, Jan- uary 6; ends Friday, March 28.
Spring term, twelve weeks, begins Monday, April 7; ends Friday, June 27.
Fall term, sixteen weeks, begins Tuesday, Septem- ber 2; ends Friday, December 19.
HOLIDAYS.
Every Saturday ; Washington's Birthday ; Patriot's Day; Memorial Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Thanksgiving and the day following.
Patriotic exercises will be held in all the rooms the afternoon preceding Memorial Day.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Class of 1912 Southbridge High School Thursday Evening, June 20 ESSE QUAM VIDERI
PROGRAM
MARCH. "Pride of the Army." BLANCHARD'S ORCHESTRA REV. CHARLES R. TENNEY
PRAYER.
SALUTATORY AND ESSAY. "American Playgrounds."
IRENE VERONICA GOUGH
ESSAY. "Good Reading."
CORA CELESTE GATINEAU
ORATION. "Edison's Contribution to Modern Times." FRANCIS HARTLEY
CHORUS. ( from "The Tales of Hoffman." Offenbach SCHOOL
ESSAY. "The Panama Canal."
FLORENCE ELIZABETH CODERRE
ESSAY. "Women as Wage Earners." WINIFRED COLLINS
ESSAY. "Cruelty to Dumb Animals." HEPHZIBAH VERNON HOPKINS
ORATION. "Progress of the United States in 1911."
SELECTION. "Lustpiel." BLANCHARD'S ORCHESTRA
ESSAY* "The Value of a College Education for Women." LILLIAN GIRARD ESSAY. "Developments in the Art of Photography."
ESSAY. "The Pure Food Law and Its Accomplishments."
ORATION* "The Honest Man."
MARIE ANTOINETTE DELAGE FRANCIS STUART SWETT FRANCIS STUART SWETT
SONG. "Look Down, Dear Eyes."
CHORUS. "Rest." Arranged from Rubenstein's "Melody in F." THE SCHOOL
ESSAY. "The Growth of the Newspaper." HELEN KAY BRIGHTMAN
ORATION. "Effects of Machinery on Manual Labor."
LEON ANATOLE CARON ESSAY* AND VALEDICTORY. "Why Women Want to Vote."
ANNA JOSEPHINE CODERRE
CHORUS. "Soldiers' Chorus." From Gounod's "Faust." THE SCHOOL PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS,
BY CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
BENEDICTION. MARCH. "Bombasto." *Excused
BLANCHARD'S ORCHESTRA
" "Toward the Shores Pellestrina,"
HENRY MICHAEL DELEHANTY
KATHLEEN SUSAN COZZENS
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
LIBRARY COMMITTEE
1
Library Committee
-
Wm. C. Flood,
Henry J. Tetrault,
J. A. Whittaker,
. Term expires 1913 Term expires 1913 Term expires 1913
Theophile Houle,
Term expires 1914 Term expires 1914
Isidore Leblanc,
J. J. Delehanty,
. Term expires 1914 Term expires 1915
William F. Hefner,
. Term expires 1915
Origene J. Paquette. F. E. Corbin,
· Term expires 1915
LIBRARIAN Ella E. Miersch.
ASSISTANT Mabel W. Plimpton.
JANITOR John W. Coggans.
LIBRARY HOURS Week days, except Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day and Christ- mas, 10 to 12 a. m., 2 to 5.30; 6.30 to 9 p. m.
Financial Statement
RECEIPTS.
Balance to credit of account
Jan. 1, 1912,
$155 58
Dog fund from 1911, 753 77
Appropriation, 2,150 00
Received from the Librarian for
fines, cards, etc., 159 85
$3,219 20
EXPENDITURES.
Ella E. Miersch, librarian, salary and sundry expenses, $413 46
Edith M. Peck, substitute
librarian, salary and sundry expenses, 417 66
Mabel W. Plimpton, salary as assistant, 407 38
Ruth Beecher, services in library,
55 70
Helene Laycock, services in library, 6 90
John Coggans, services as jani- tor, 103 30
Webster & Southbridge Gas & Electric Co. light, 129 13
H. P. Oldham, rent for extra rooms, 56 25
205
REPORT OF LIBRARY COMMITTEE
E. C. Ellis, coal,
$108 00
Southbridge Press, printing,
102 00
Peter Coggans, cleaning books,
16 70
Southbridge Electrical Contract- ing Co., rewiring library,
151 54
Library bureau, supplies,
21 60
Gaylord Bros., supplies,
9 59
Library Art Club, subscription,
6 00
American Decorating Co., dec- orating for firemen's mus- ter, 6 00
Universal Binder Co., binder,
1 00
Stone & Forsythe, paper,
5 00
H. W. Wilson, cards,
5 00
Gabree Bros., brooms, thermos bottles, etc., 3 50
F. J. Barnard, mending tissue, 2 00
Johanna Bouvier, cleaning,
4 90
C. B. Dolge, dustalaher, 4 38
H. Griffin & Son, art vellum,
1 00
R. T. Reed, repairing clock,
2 00
G. N. Crane, repairs,
5 50
A. Farland, painting and win- dow glass,
39 73
Felix Cadorette, cleaning,
3 95
$2,089,17
BOOK ACCOUNT.
E. F. Dakin, books, $288 35
E. F. Dakin, newspaper and periodical subscriptions, 183 75
H. R. Huntting, books, 122 85
206
REPORT OF LIBRARY COMMITTEE
Michelson Bros., binding, 122 45
J. Terquem & Cie., books, 60 87
Caroline L. Himebough, books, 8 22
Fitzgerald Book Co., books,
10 00
A. L. A. Publishing Board, books
5 05
D. Van Nostrand, books,
5 20
Playground Association of Am- erica, book, 70
E. J. Copp, book, 2 50
D. Appleton & Co., book, 3 50
American School of Correspond- ence, books, 2 80
Union Library Association,
books, 7 60
Massachusetts Historical Asso- ciation, books, 3 00
Alexandre Belisle, book,
3 00
A. E. Marquis, books, 4 75
Penn Publishing Co., book,
40
T. S. Rorke, book, 1 00
A.L. Hyde, Quinebaug leaflets, 6 60
Ritenow & Lindsay, books, 2 00
H. W. Wilson Co., books, 19 33
Librairie Beauchemin, books,
7 75
D. C. Heath, books, 1 37
David Farquhar, binding,
37 82
American Sports Publishing Co., 2 25
C. E. Lauriat, books, 7 25
Total amount received for library, Amount expended, expense account, $2,089 17
$920 41 $3,219 20
207
REPORT OF LIBRARY COMMITTEE
Amount expended, book account, $920 41 .
$3,009 58
Balance to credit of account
Jan. 1, 1913,
$209 62
Mynott Fund
RECEIPTS.
Balance to credit of account
Jan. 1, 1912, $928 94
Interest on fund to Jan. 1, 1913, 66 04
$994 98
EXPENDITURES.
E.F. Dakin, periodical subscrip- tion, $4 40
Balance to credit of account
$990 58 Jan. 1, 1913,
Librarian's Report
The circulation of books from the Public library during 1912, numbered 38,971, an increase of 2.8% over the number of books circulated during the cor- responding eleven months, which comprised the fiscal year of 1911. In most of the classes of non-fiction there has been an increase in circulation, but the per- centage of books circulated in the various classes has remained about the same. 554 volumes have been added to the library during the year. The library now
208
REPORT OF LIBRARY COMMITTEE
contains 23,588 volumes. 276 volumes have been newly bound or rebound during the year.
A supplement to the fiction list was printed in the Spring, containing all of the fiction purchased by the library from 1904-1912, and can be obtained at the library free of charge by those who own the 1900 fiction catalogue. The price of the complete fiction catalogue is 10 cents.
The electric wiring of the library was declared dangerous by the New England fire insurance associa- tion, the entire library was therefore rewired.
The library will in the future be opened on all holi- days, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
During the six months leave of absence of the librarian, Miss Peck, a graduate of Pratt Institute library school, filled the office of substitute-librarian most satisfactorily.
The library rooms and stairways were painted and calcimined in October, a much needed improvement.
Exhibitions of the following sets of pictures from the Library art club have been held from time to time, Old English prints ; Historic dress ; Old English masters ; Venice; South America; Indians of the West; Madonna in art; Mythology; Japan; Old Hollandish interiors; Corot; Historic Virginia; French classic art; Medici family. These exhibitions offer an excellent opportun- ity of getting acquainted with the best and most famous in the world of art.
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