USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Southbridge > Town annual reports of the officers of Southbridge for the year ending 1947-1951 > Part 20
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Most notable of these changes is the introduction of the Inter-School program. In this course the boys receive their academic training from Mary E. Wells High School teachers and their vocational training from Cole Trade High School teachers.
The cooperative program of the commercial course went into effect during the past year with eighteen pupils taking part in the program. It is hoped that this particular program will again prove to be successful.
The guidance department of the school has changed dur- ing the past year. The guidance director is on a part-time basis only ; therefore, some of the' guidance work has been dele- gated to the 'Dean of Girls and the Veteran's Adviser.
A new innovation at the high school is the mid-morning milk period. This affords a ten-minute break between periods when pupils may purchase a bottle of milk and a doughnut.
The Mary E. Wells High School band was formed during the past year under the sponsorship of the local. Rotary Club and directed by Mr. Paul Sweet. . It is indeed gratifying to see a uniformed band made up of Southbridge pupils playing at
Sterrgios John Tanionos
*Joseph John Taraskiewicz *George Antonio Tetreault, Jr.
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
all home football games. I wish to express publicly my appre- ciation and thanks to the Southbridge Rotary Club for making this very worthwhile activity a reality.
There are several recommendations that I would like to make at this time :
1. That a new six-year high school be erected. Such a procedure would eliminate the overhead of two central plants, in that one principal, one set of janitors, and one faculty would take care of the education of the young people from the seventh grade through the twelfth grade. Such a system would help the adolescent child to make the transition from the lower grades into the upper grades easier and would allow depart- ment heads to correlate their work schedule in a more satis -- factory manner. Many of our leading educators of today are pointing out the fact that the Junior High School system is responsible for too much of a break in the continuous school growth of the child, and are recommending strongly the six- year high school plan.
2. That a library be started, and a teacher-librarian be appointed.
3. That lockers be installed to take care of pupils' personal belongings, coats, rubbers, etc.
4. That rooms be provided for sick pupils and larger nurse's quarters be installed.
5. That the Household Arts Department be renovated and modern equipment installed as soon as purchase of same is feasible.
6. That new seating equipment for the Assembly Hall be provided.
7. That a Director of Physical Education be appointed.
8. That a men's teachers' room be set up and proper fur- niture provided for the room.
9. That the high school principal's office be remodelled to allow for a central office, a private office for the Principal,
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
and an office for the Dean of Girls, with a private conference room.
I wish to express my appreciation to the townspeople for their continued efforts in behalf of the Mary E. Wells High School, and I extend my thanks to the School Department for their support.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES M. ROBERTSON, Principal Mary E. Wells High School
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE AND PLACEMENT
To the Superintendent of Schools :
In accordance with your request, I hereby submit my annual report. In contrast to my last report, which covered the period from September to January 31, 1948, this report will include all activities for the past twelve months.
Although since last September, this office has been placed on a part-time basis with the director assigned to other duties in addition to those of guidance and placement, we have tried to maintain the same services that were provided previously.
COUNSELING
The chief function of the guidance director is that of coun- seling students. With the seniors, he is largely concerned with assisting them to complete realistic educational and vocational plans for the future. This requires a systematic plan of inter- views so that all seniors can be given every opportunity and encouragement to recognize their own goals and take definite steps towards them. Among the under-classmen, the outstand- ing problems to be dealt with, besides those of formulating edu- cational and vocational choices, are in choosing courses and
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
gaining the maximum from their high school experiences. In this matter the teachers have been very helpful in not only counseling the students directly but in referring cases to the guidance office.
TESTING
As a means of obtaining information about pupils and diagnosing difficulties, a well-developed testing program has been administered. Mental ability tests are given to every pupil who lacks records of previous testing in the junior-high school grades and to all juniors and seniors who have not had a recent test in high school. In the line of achievement tests, the Iowa Educational Development Tests were given to all freshmen and juniors, the complete battery of Stanford Achievement Tests to most freshmen, and miscellaneous other tests to pupils needing special diagnosis. This year we intend to add the Cooperative Achievement Tests as a final examina- tion in several of the specific subject-matter fields. Aptitude tests are given chiefly to eighth grade students and to special high-school students requiring this information. Interest in- ventories are given in the freshmen and junior years of high school. All this information, derived from tests in the high school, in addition to that secured by the Supervisor of Elemen- tary Schools and recorded in the cumulative records, is of prime importance in counseling students throughout high school.
OCCUPATIONAL PLACEMENT
The occupational placement service is a very active func- tion of the guidance department. Its purpose is not only to help both employers and pupils meet employment needs, but also to give pupils valuable work experience. An average of 280 pupils are continually registered in our placement files and, at the present time, over 100 pupils are engaged in part- time work.
COUNSELING-EIGHTH GRADE PUPILS
In addition to the counseling of high-school students, last May I interviewed every eighth grade boy in the town in an effort to help them choose their curricula and plan their courses in high school and trade school. This was found to be an invalu-
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
able procedure not only in that it gave pupils assistance supple- menting that regularly given by the principals, but it also gave me an opportunity to become better acquainted with these pupils before they entered the high school.
Since September, Mrs. LeClair, the Dean of Girls, has been assigned two periods a day for her duties. This extra time has allowed her to do far more extensive counselling besides her weekly classes in orientation for the freshmen girls. At the pre- sent time she and I are engaged in formulating a course of study in mental hygiene for freshmen and sophomores which we shall submit to the School Committee for its approval.
In conclusion, I wish to thank all teachers and principals for their cooperation during the past year. For their willingness to assist in every possible way, I am deeply grateful.
Respectfully submitted,
ROBERT B. PHIPPS Director of Guidance and Placement
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
To the Superintendent of Schools :
I herewith submit the following report of my work for the year 1948.
The emphasis for improving the pupils' instruction this year has been determined by a felt need for better spelling and the ability to attack new words in reading, based upon the skill of phonetics. Therefore, stress has been placed on more and better teaching of phonics. Of equal importance was the need to train pupils in rapid and accurate arithmetic calcula- tions. A definite program of drills in phonics and arithmetic fundamentals is now in progress. Teachers' meetings and in-
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
dividual conferences have been directed toward this accom- plishment.
Because of the large number of teacher replacements due to the resignation of many teachers and the transfer of other teachers to different grades and buildings, an effort has been made to give greater assistance to these teachers, through ob- servations, conferences, and materials of instruction. The procedures followed are the same as in previous years.
The following is a brief summary of the various activities of this year, which have been somewhat curtailed by the elimination of any clerical help in the office, necessitating time spent in typing and recording test results and other routine matters.
TESTING
A larger proportion of time this year has been spent in the administering of individual tests. Ninety-eight individual mental capacity tests were given, varying in length from one- half hour to two hours; of these, forty-two were pre-school tests, and eighteen entire grades were tested, as well as two smaller groups of children. Thus a total of one hundred mental ability tests were given.
Another important area of testing is for achievement, namely those tests which help determine the grade placement of a child, and help in analyzing the entire school system to see whether the pupils measure up to the standards set through- out our nation for the various grade levels. The grades given these achievement tests are the first grade, the fifth, and eighth grades. Other grades were included when there was a special need for measurement. Fifty-five individual children, nineteen entire grades, and eight smaller groups of children make a total of eighty-two achievement tests administered. These tests consume anywhere from one half a day to two days' time. The correction, tabulation of results, analysis, and typing of results, and the final recording of them on the pupil's individual rec- ord card also consumes time.
CONFERENCES
One of the best in-service supervisory techniques is that of the individual conference. It has been used widely with teach-
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
ers here and with other co-workers. Some of these conferences are short and informal in nature; others are longer and more formal, depending upon the purpose and need. Twenty-seven small group conferences and three hundred eighty-five in- dividual conferences are itemized as follows: eleven with the Superintendent of Schools, one hundred and twenty-seven with the principals of the buildings, one hundred and eighty with the teachers, twenty with the Guidance Director, four with the school nurse, fourteen with parents, thirteen with representa- tives from the book companies, and sixteen with others.
VISITS TO BUILDINGS
Most of the conferences with principals and teachers and, of course, all of the classroom observations took place in the va- rious schools. They were visited on an average of once a week and oftener when there was a need. The following information bears this out: West Street School was visited thirty-five times, Charlton Street School Forty-nine times, Eastford Road School, forty-one times, Marcy Street School fifty-two times and River Street School twenty-nine times. In these schools, seventy-seven in- formal observations were made, and ninety-nine formal observa- tions at which times written notes were taken and used first as a basis for a conference with the teacher observed, and with her Principal, and later used as a report to the Superintendent.
MEETINGS
During the year, sixteen teachers' meetings were held; four meetings of administrators were attended; eight meetings out of town were attended, and four demonstration classes were taught.
There has been a steady and very definite improvement in the quality of instruction, in the materials used, and in the achievement standards of the pupils, which now measure up to, or excell the national norms for the various grades. Our first grades are exceptional in their attainments. The parents and teachers of Southbridge can well be proud of their elemen- tary schools.
Respectfully submitted,
MARJORIE H. NICHOLS, Supervisor Elementary Schools
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF COLE TRADE HIGH SCHOOL
To the Superintendent of Schools :
I herewith submit my annual report for your consideration and approval.
MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS
Coop. Day Total
In school at end of year (Dec. 1948)
47
144
191
Graduated
23
14
37
Certificated
7
7
Entering Industry trained for
1
5
6
Entering other occupations
1
37
38
Entering armed service
3
6
9
Unfit for trade subjects
4
4
Returned to Grammar or High School
8
8
Left because of illness
4
4
Left town
1
4
5
Transferred to Coop. School
28
28
Transferred to Day School
5
5
Total membership for the year 1948
81
261
342
Enrolled during year
31
118
149
GRADUATES COOPERATIVE DIPLOMAS
CABINET COURSE
Courtland James Martel
William John Kochanowski
Hector Arthur Martel
Joseph Anthony Sokolowski Emil Edward Maly
Norman Albert Proulx
DRAFTING COURSE
Ludwig Edward Czyzewski
Edward Swierzbin
ELECTRIC COURSE
Robert Ovide Bousquet
William Leon Keily
FACTORY MAINTENANCE
Charles Peter Drazba
Gerald Richard Lippe
Alexander Lawrence Miller
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
MACHINE COURSE
Alfred Joseph Albetski
Walter Peter Bomba
Lincoln Grant Chatterton
John Joseph Chmielewicz Stanislaw Joseph Cuikay
Ronald Patrick Houle Lawrence Arthur Libby Walter Richard Piechota Richard Armand Reopel Theodore Joseph Ziemski
David Pansar Peterson
PRINTING COURSE
Carl Arthur Austin
Francis Bernard Fitzgibbons
SHEET METAL COURSE
Joseph Felix Paquin
George Walter Weiss
VOCATIONAL HIGH DIPLOMAS
AUTOMOBILE COURSE
Norman Joseph Demers
DRAFTING COURSE
Roger Gerard Briere
Norman Alfred Lapointe
Leon Omer Poulin
John Andrew Ryan
Joseph Elmer Tkacik, Jr. Chester Raymond Milas Harold Vasil Bicki Leonel Syriac
VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL DIPLOMAS
DRAFTING COURSE
Guy Clayton Cudworth
Robert Elwood Clark
Robert Edward Dargie
Louis Joseph Decataldi
George Alfred Beaudry Roland Armond Phaneuf
EVENING SCHOOL PROGRAM
Courses
Instructor No. Enrolled 17
Cabinetmaking I
Frank P. Skinyon
Cabinetmaking II
William C. Nickerson
12
Drafting
George H. Braman
21
Electrical
Francis Couture 18
Machine
Leo J. Grenier 13
Applied Mathematics
Lawrence Swenson
14
Plumbing
Antonio Blanchet 18
Furniture Refinishing
Harold Andrews
12
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
VETERANS TRAINING ACTIVITIES UNDER G. I. BILL 346 and 16
The flexibility of the trade training programs offered vet- erans has proven advantageous to their welfare. Thirty more veterans are among the graduates this year. They have all been placed in lucrative jobs with security and good promise of advancement.
These veterans were adjusted in our programs with varying education, background and experience. They were also ad- mitted at any time convenient to them. Some are married and have established homes. Many are employed afternoons and evenings. They respect and value greatly what the citizens of Southbridge have done for them in providing the opportuni- ties this school affords. They are distinctly gratified and this education and training will pay back to society, by their serv- ices, many times the amount of investment made on them.
Twelve veterans are in training under Bill 16 and ninety- four under Bill 346. Twenty-nine veterans are registered as special students who are taking short courses of one and two years. These students get sufficient experience to enter the "other on-the-job training programs," which is sponsored by the State Department of Education. The supervision of the program is a responsibility of this school. One hundred and thirteen veterans are registered with one hundred and two business establishments. Thirty-four completed their train- ing during the year. Apprentice training is another activity largely employed by veterans who look to this school for 150 hours a year of instruction in mathematics, science and draw- ing, which particularly relates to their trade. Wherein this school cannot supply instruction it must find facilities in other trade schools which can supply the needs.
CHANGE IN TRAINING FACILITIES
I wish to give public recognition to the persistent and un- tiring efforts of the Cole Trade High Advisory Committee in justifying the abandonment of the Mechanic Street School and the re-establishment of the Vocational Academic, related and shop classes in the Mary E. Wells High building. For a per- manent record I list the names of this committee who have promoted this project since 1945:
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
Charles E. Hart, Chairman
Hector P. LeClair, Secretary
John I. Morris
Arthur E. Proulx Adolph Prahm Lawrence K. Foote
Joseph Phaneuf
Stephen Simonelli
Oswald Laliberte
Barker Schofield
Antonio Blanchet
Robert Eves
Arthur Tieri
Edgar Tremblay
Clifford Mongeon
Along with the change in location of the vocational training classes, the project was further realized by the exten- sion of the vocational curriculum to freshmen and sophomores of Mary E. Wells High and designated as the Inter-School Vocational High program.
Further developments of the project are also of consid- erable importance. An Industrial Arts and a Manual Arts program was established last March. The former is a com- pulsory program of shop activities for the 7th and 8th grade boys who attend four hours a week. The latter is a program for boys in remedial classes who attend shop classes every aft- ernoon each week. There is good evidence to justify the in- stitution of these programs in line with the purpose so well stated by Mr. Bourgeois in his 1947 report: "It will become necessary to reinstate the Industrial Arts program in grades seven and eight, thereby giving our pupils an earlier insight on the significance of the various occupations and help them answer more wisely life's calling." The approval of this project by the School Committee is also justly deserving.
This and other changes necessitated outstanding projects for several trade departments of the school. The most note- worthy were :
1. Dismantling the shower room in the Mary E. Wells building and installing machinery for the Ma- chine shop.
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
2. Installing machinery for the Woodworking and General Metal Industrial Arts shops in the Mary E. Wells building.
3. Painting and Decorating the corridors and Di- rector's office in the Cole Trade High building, the domestic science room, lunch room, and ma- chine shop in the Mary E. Wells building; the three rooms to be used for the kindergarten classes at the Mechanic Street School.
4. Building dugouts and other appurtenances at Dresser Field; repairing steps at River Street School and general renovations at Mechanic Street School.
5. Installation of emergency lighting in all schools; installation of lighting and power in newly created shops ; renovation of lighting facilities at Mechanic Street School.
For these extensive and worthy services I hereby give due credit to Mr. Emery Lavallee, Mr. Frank Skinyon, Mr. Harold Andrews, Mr. Francis Couture, Mr. William Nickerson, Mr. William Paul, Mr. Leo Grenier and Mr. Mario Pellegrini.
WAR SURPLUS EQUIPMENT
A quantity of hand tools were received from the State Department of Education valued at $350. The cost to the town was $41.
Mr. George Kerivan resigned as instructor of Physics and Physical Education.
RECOGNITION BY AWARDS
Emil Maly was awarded a trophy by the Cole Trade Alumni for being the most outstanding student of the gradu- ating class.
Ronald Houle was awarded a trophy by the Cole Trade Alumni for being the most outstanding athlete of the Gradu- ating Class. These awards were made by Mr. Rosaire La- fleche, President of the Alumni Association.
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
The cooperative Machine Department under the instruc- tion of Mr. Nels Johnson was awarded a nine-year safety com- mendation for not having a lost-time accident during this period. The award was presented by Mr. George Wells, Presi- dent of the American Optical Company.
OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT
Twenty-nine machine tools were declared obsolete and turned over to the Selectmen for disposal.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. A conference was held with the Advisory Committee regarding the replacement of machine equipment. It was recommended to the School Committee that an evaluation of present equipment be made and a plan devised to replace periodically such equipment when it becomes obsolete for school use.
2. I recommend that the Federal funds known as "Smith- Hughes" be used to further Vocational Education for which it is annually received by the Town Treasurer.
Respectfully submitted,
C. H. MORRELL, Director, Cole Trade High School
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
To the Superintendent of Schools :
Our function of supervision and guidance in matters per- taining to the health of our school children was carried out through the medium of two main activities, viz. (a) annual physical examinations, and (b) daily inspection of children, having been absent on account of illness, before their readmis- sion to school.
A total of 1,209 physical examinations were performed in the course of the past year, disclosing a grand total of 405 physical defects. Of these defects, 288 were deemed of suffi- cient moment to call for the immediate attention of the parents, who were accordingly sent special notices, urging prompt medi- cal consultation. The remaining 177 defects noted were of a lesser nature, requiring only observation for the present or, in some instances, individual guidance which was stressed at the time of the examination. Postural defects-not due to organic disturbance-as well as neglected oral hygiene were pointed out to the individual pupil, where required, by means of illus- trative charts and pamphlets as well as personal instruction ; the importance of good posture for the child's health, appearance and efficiency was particularly stressed. Oral hygiene with the necessity for regular and frequent brushing of teeth was also given a very prominent part in our individual instructions.
As in the past, one hour daily on school days (8 A.M .- 9 A.M.) was set aside at our office for the purpose of inspect- ing those children who had been absent for three days or more on account of illness and of issuing, where warranted, a certi- ficate of health for the child's return to school. It is felt that thereby the health of the children already in school is safe- guarded to some extent from the possibility of severe con- tagious disease being carried into schools. Needless to men- tion that certificates of health issued by the private physician in attendance on specific cases are considered to fulfill our object.
Whereas, in the past, no concerted effort had been at- tempted to obtain a statistical record of the various illnesses
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TOWN OF SOUTHBRIDGE
causing our children to be absent from school, this year a spe- cial certificate form was devised which should prove of value in computing not only the number of absences through sickness but the nature of the illnesses responsible for such absence. This form bears the name of the child returning to school after illness, his school and grade, as well as the reason-where possible of determination-for his absence, and the date of his return to school. These certificates are to be received by the individual teachers and turned in to the respective principals, who in turn will forward them to the school nurse's office on the last Friday of each month, and there the information will be tabu- lated. Through this means it is anticipated that trends in ill- ness in the various schools and at various seasons may be de- termined, and that by timely practical suggestions to pupils, parents, or teachers, some factors contributing to illness and increased absence from school may be eliminated.
Periodic sanitary inspection of the school buildings was done and hygienic conditions were found to be of a general high order. By way of suggestion to the School Committee for consideration in any plans entertained for the future expansion of our school buildings, we would at this time point out the need for special quarters for the use of the School Health De- partment. Provision of such quarters with proper light, quiet, and privacy is needed not only for more accurate work on the part of the physician, but also for the educational value it would afford the children by the atmosphere provided.
This is our opportunity to extend our expression of deep appreciation to all the personnel of the School Department for the sympathetic cooperation and generous collaboration of all, which has added to the pleasure of our work and contributed in no small measure to the maintenance of a high standard of health in the schools of Southbridge. The cooperation of the medical profession in the town as well as that of all health agencies has been of decided assistance in whatever success we may have had.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM E. LANGEVIN, M.D. School Physician.
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ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT
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