USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Southbridge > Town annual reports of the officers of Southbridge for the year ending 1947-1951 > Part 30
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Marjorie F. Campbell, B.S.Ed .; 1933; Departmental English, Literature, Spelling; Bridgewater T. C. (a), Simmons, Colum- bia, Harvard, B. U. (c).
Bertha E. Foley; 1912; Grade 2; Worcester T. C., University Extension Courses.
Ellwood S. Jenness, B.S .; 1948; Grade 5 Departmental Mu- sic; Bridgewater T. C. (a), Boston University (c).
Myrtle B. Jodrey; 1944; Departmental Math. Grades 6, 7, 8, Science Grade 6, Math. Grade 5, Art Grades 6, 7, 8; Fitchburg T. C., University Extension Courses.
Cathryn E. Maxwell; 1945; Grade 1; Lowell T. C.
Bridie F. McSweeney, B.S.Ed .; 1945; Grade 4; Willimantic T. C. (a).
Julia C. Morrill; 1914; Grade 3; St. Joseph's Normal, Uni- versity Extension Courses.
Ann I. Richardson, B.Ed .; 1948; Grade 3; Plymouth T. C. (a).
Marie E. Serleto; 1949; Grade 1; Lesley College, Hyannis T. C.
Marcy Street School
Constance M. L'Ecuyer, B.S.Ed .; M.A .; 1940; Principal, Eng- lish; Fitchburg T. C. (a), Boston University (b), Boston Nursery School, Wellesley College Kindergarten, Worcester T. C., Co- lumbia University, Extension Courses (c), Hyannis T. C. (c).
Camella Dintini, B.S.Ed .; 1940; Grade 4; Worcester T. C. (a), Clark (c), Harvard (c), University Extension Courses (c).
Alice Wixted Dion; 1926; Grade 5; North Adams T. C., Hy- annis T. C., Boston University, Extension Courses.
Charlotte M. Henderson, B.A. in Ed .; 1944; Grade 2; Keene T. C. (a).
Ruth Huson; 1945; Grade 3; Maine State Normal, Hyannis T. C., Boston University, Gorham T. C., Worcester T. C.
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Malcolm Nash, B.S.Ed .; 1948, Departmental Reading, Grade 6, Science Grades 6, 7, 8, Coach; Bridgewater T. C. (a), Boston University (c).
Eva Salviuolo, B.S.Ed .; 1943; Grade 1; Worcester T. C.
Celestine C. Sweet; 1932; Departmental Social Studies, Mu- sic Grades 6, 7, 8, and Literature Grade 7; Our Lady of the Elms College, Hyannis T. C., Worcester T. C., Boston University, Ex- tension Courses.
Bertha L. Wallace; 1922; Departmental Mathematics Grade 6, 7, 8, Literature, Art Grade 8; Hyannis T. C., Boston Uni- versity Extension Courses.
Mechanic Street School
R. Joseph Racine; 1944; Principal; Assumption College (a), Boston University (b), Clark University (c), Springfield Col- lege (c), Northeastern U. (c), Oxford University (c) Harvard University (c).
A. Kathleen Eddy, B.E .; 1949; Kindergarten; New Britain T. C. (a).
Marjorie H. Grape; 1949; Kindergarten; Wheelock, Hyannis Normal, Northfield Seminary, Babson Institute.
Claire A. Kirk; 1949; Grade 2; Bridgewater Normal.
River Street School
Laurenda A. Boyer; 1926; Principal in charge of Grades 1 and 2, in charge of maintenance at River Street School; Boston. University, Worcester T. C., University Extension Courses.
Francis A. Beaudette, B.S .; 1948; Industrial Arts, Mathe- matics, Science, Physical Education; Fitchburg T. C. (a).
Freda A. Bisbee; 1947; Grades 1 and 2; Lesley College, Bos- ton Teachers College, Worcester T. C.
Clara M. Reed *; 1918; Social Studies, Crafts, Sewing, Music; Westfield T. C., Worcester Girls' Trade, University Extension, Boston University, Harvard Extension, Worcester T. C.
Evangeline R. Towse, B.S.Ed .; 1948; Social Studies, Read- ing, English, Spelling, Crafts, Domestic Science; Boston Uni- versity (a); Salem T. C., Hyannis T. C., University Extension, Boston University (c).
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West Street School
Laurenda A. Boyer; 1926; Principal, Remedial Reading; Boston University, Worcester T. C., University Extension Courses.
Corinne E. Beaudreau; 1924; Grade 1; University Extension Courses.
Eva A. Casavant, B.S., M.A .; 1933; Departmental Social Studies, Music Grades 6, 7, 8; Worcester T. C. (a), Clark Univer- sity (b).
Everett H. Holmes, A.B .; 1945; Departmental English, Lit- erature, Spelling Grades 6, 7, 8, Coach; Colby College (a), Bos- ton University (c), Harvard (c), University Extension Courses.
Edith M. Randall; 1920; Grade 2; University Extension Courses.
Emily Roberts, B.S.Ed .; 1944; Grade 4; Worcester T. C., Hyannis T. C. (a), Clark University (c), University of N. H. (c).
Ruth Sampson; 1930; Grade 5; Westfield T. C., University Extension Courses.
Dorothy M. Sheriffs; 1945; Grade 3; Westfield T. C.
Elinor H. Small, A.B .; 1945; Departmental Mathematics, Science, Grades 6, 7, 8, Art Grades 6, 7; Brown University (a), University Extension Courses.
Janitors
Name
App't.
School West Street School
Frederick P. Alger
1947
Philias Caron
1945
Mary E. Wells High School Cole Trade High School
John B. Craite
1946
Valmore Favreau 1947
Armand Gaumond 1942
Mary E. Wells High School Mechanic Street School Charlton Street School
Theophile Leduc
1943
Rodolph L'Homme
1935
Marcy Street School
Joseph Moore
1941
Eastford Road School
Eugene Tetreault
1949
River Street School
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REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF MARY E. WELLS HIGH SCHOOL
To the Superintendent of Schools:
In accordance with your request, my thirteenth annual re- port as Principal of the Mary E. Wells High School is hereby submitted.
The enrollment for the year 1949-1950 is divided as follows: Seniors-99, Juniors-104, Sophomores-122, Freshmen-139, Veterans and Specials working for diplomas-3, Post-Gradu- ates-2, making a total of 469 pupils.
PROGRAM OF STUDIES
Diplomas are granted upon completion of three different courses; namely: Academic, Commercial and Social Arts.
One hundred and eighteen pupils were graduated on June 22, 1949, and their names and courses completed by them are in- cluded in this report, for the information of interested citizens.
Class of 1949-Academic
*Phyllis Ina Agard
*Marjorie Sybil Anderson
*Mary Elizabeth Bachand Stuart Leroy Barr
*Norma Winifred Beck
*Alden Holden Bennett
*Richard Kent Blair Mary Irene Boudreau
*Pauline Ann Bouvier
*Russell Ovide Briere
*Ruth Ardell Butterworth Philias Caron, Jr.
*William Joseph Coderre
*Robert Byron Craig Nancy Joan Deignan
*Vincent Eustachio DelVecchio Jane Louise Demers Leo Edward Desaulniers
*Harry Donald Desrosiers
*Ann Marie Flynn
*Jacqueline Gaucher
*Roberta Ethel Gibb
* Arlene Joyce Goodwin
*Joan Miriam Hill Sally Ann Jackson
*Donald Raymond Julian
*Warren Emerson Kingsbury
*Nancy Anne Knight
*Robert Philbert LaFleche
*Florence Marie LaReau
*Nita Noella LaRochelle Roland John Lavallee, Jr.
*Ernest Emile LeBoeuf Vivianne Lucille Lippe Jacqueline Lewis Lucier Ralph Joseph Marcelli
*Josephine Ann Mckinstry
*Pauline Exena Metras
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*Irene Montigny
*Anthony Robert Orsini
*Steve Charles Pappas
*Alice Helen Paulhus
ĮNorman Leo Paulhus
*Prudence Pauline Peloquin
*Beverly Doris Prahm
*Shirley Lois Prahm
*Marilynne Dorothy Sheriffs
*Marcia Chilson Small
*Norman Richard St. Martin
*Pauline Lucille St. Onge Lucy Ann Suprenant Norman Adelard Tetreault
*Lucille Jeanne Trudeau
*David Lindzay Varnam
*Cynthia Jane Wescott
Commercial
*Caroline Helen Allard
*Phyllis Mary Ann Badorek
*Roger William Beaudry
*Yvette Rita Boudreau Helen Victoria Checka
*Aphrodite Helen Costa
*Edward William Dziura
*Robert Ellis Freeland
*Pauline Anita Gregoire Maureen Joy Heaton
*Phyllis Winifred Horne
*Constance Edna Jacob Carolyn Sybil Lawrence
*Edward Jeffery Leduc
*Pauline Elise Martin
*Joyce Wilmar O'Claire
*Dorothy Theresa Osowski
*Claire Phyllis Peloquin
*Margaret Ann Prince Barbara Merle Richards
¡Milton Edward Ross
*Sally Camilla Rymarz
*Barbara Mary Saint Martin
*Florence Nancy Swiatek
*Barbara Evelyn Swirbliss
*Emily Theodoss
* Regina Helen Travinski
*Jeanne Yvonne Tremblay
*Nancy Louise Tremblay Stephen Thomas Ziu
Social Arts
Olympia Apostola Theodore Peter Athanas Emilio John Bartoli
Donato David Bernadone
Donald Edward Boiteau Barbara Irene Boksa James Willard Brackett Albert Rudolph Brouillette Henry Bushe
Flora Barclay Caves Gordon Edward Chamberlin
*Robert Stephen Cuikay Richard Edgar Desmarais James DiFederico
Laurence Everett Harwood Donald Walter Johnson
Edward John Kornasky George Bedford Lawrence
Priscilla Jeannette LeBlanc
*Robert Edwin Lundstrom
*William Genereux Lusignan Dora Marko
Ralph Victor Miller, Jr.
Richard Brown Morse Walter Joseph Pontbriand® Donald Roy Provost
*Richard Xavier Richer
*George Rutcho Ian Soutar William Devlin Spinney
Robert Hamilton Stewart Louis Harry Theodoss Warren Ralph Thompson
*General average of 80% or above for four years.
+Veterans of World War II.
¿Veterans having an average of 80% or above.
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The Commercial Cooperative program was dropped from the curriculum during the past year. Changing economic condi- tions were responsible for the elimination of this program.
The Inter-School program is being revised at the present time. All boys taking a vocational or trade course in this pro- gram will be eligible for all high school athletic teams.
The Guidance Department has been restored to a full-time basis with a Dean of Girls and with a Veterans' Adviser aiding the Director of Guidance in his program.
Two new courses were added during the year; namely, a Human Relations course under the direction of the Dean of Girls, and a Health and Safety program under the direction of Mr. Lewis Kyrios. The Health and Safety program is described in detail in Mr. Kyrios' report on Health and Safety.
The Human Relations course endeavors to prepare high school freshmen for healthful growth in living and adjusting to others. Through a series of planned discussions and assign- ments, it fosters a sound understanding of how to meet personal and behavior problems and thus leads the student to a better insight into his own actions and into personality development generally.
A third new course is contemplated in the near future to meet the new State law which requires the teaching of local and State government.
The Mary E. Wells High School Band has continued to function under the sponsorship of the local Rotary Club and has performed at many special occasions both in and out of town. The band is very ably directed by Mr. Paul Sweet.
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 adoles- cent child to make the transition from the lower grades into the upper easier and would allow department heads to correlate their work schedule in a more satisfactory manner. Many of our leading educators of today are pointing out the fact that the Junior High School sys- tem is responsible for too much of a break in the con- tinuous school growth of the child, and are recommend- ing strongly the six-year high school plan.
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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 course in Driver Education be set up under the supervision of the State Department of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Safety.
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 Princi- pal, 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 FACULTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS IN MARY E. WELLS HIGH SCHOOL
To the Superintendent of Schools:
Immediately after the opening of school, the sports pro- gram of the Athletic Association gets under way.
The football and cross-country schedules run concurrently through the fall season. However, the football season lasts about twelve weeks, finishing on Thanksgiving Day, whereas the cross-country season is usually terminated on Armistice Day.
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During the winter season, which runs officially from De- cember 15th to March 15th, there are three distinct groups en- gaged in basketball. These groups are known as (1) the boys' Varsity group, from which the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams are chosen, the latter team playing the preliminary game to main attraction; (2) the girls' Varsity with its companion, the Junior Varsity, and finally (3) the Freshman group, which furnishes players for its competing teams, Varsity and Junior Varsity. The Freshmen also engage in a number of contests in the Twi-State League. Six schools are represented in this league, ten games being played.
During the spring season, there are two baseball groups, Varsity and Junior Varsity; a track and field group, and also a girls' softball group.
These activities have run their course by early June and, at this time, all activity ceases until the September opening of another school year.
Respectfully submitted, HARRY J. McMAHON, Faculty Director of Athletics.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE AND PLACEMENT
To the Superintendent of Schools:
In accordance with your request, the annual report of the activities of the guidance department is hereby respectfully submitted. This report covers the thirteen-week period from September 23 to December 31, 1949.
REORGANIZATION
One of the primary functions of an administrator is that of organization. In view of this, the first major activity of this department concerned itself with the problem of reorganization. Old files were reorganized and new files were set up. Files of Oc- cupational Information were developed in accordance with a usable filing scheme and placed in a file cabinet. "Career" book- shelves were organized and now provide students with the means of obtaining information pertaining to specific careers and careers in general. A "Vocations" library has been estab- lished, and here the students may obtain for home use such books as pertain to topics concerning the selection of and meth- ods of discovering opportunities in vocations, the ways and
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means of finding a job, the methods of adequate adjustment, and descriptions of specific vocations. In addition, a profession- al library in guidance has been developed for the use of teach- ers. An inventory of the test library was taken and copies of tests were filed according to their nature and use. Also, speci- men copies, manuals, and scoring keys have been placed in a locked file cabinet. At present, all remaining files are being or- ganized in a nationally accepted filing system. All copies of col- lege catalogues and bulletins and scholarship information of the leading professional and non-professional post-secondary schools have been requested and filed, and our name placed on current mailing lists for future issues.
The guidance room has been separated into two distinct areas: one a workshop where all the sources of information and study stations are concentrated, and the other an office sec- tion where interviews are held, and other work by the person- nel concerned accomplished. As soon as the proposed partitions are constructed, the room will be physically divided, thus af- fording the privacy which is essential for effective individual counseling.
The final step in organization was the publication of the Aims, Objectives, and Specific Functions of the Guidance Pro- gram in the Mary E. Wells High School. This was a necessary tool which would give direction to the program. After proper approval by the Superintendent of Schools, copies were distrib- uted to all of the pupils in the high school, members of the School Committee, teachers, and administrators. It is hoped that, in the near future, when the efforts of this department are further coordinated with the Cole Trade High School and the elementary schools, that a more inclusive set of objectives will be developed.
SELF-APPRAISAL
A major and primary aspect of a well-developed guidance program concerns itself with the methods of providing each pu- pil with the means of self-appraisal. This implies the develop- ment and use of adequate records. In this respect, a cumula- tive record folder is kept on file for each student. While these records meet this need quite adequately, it is, nevertheless, felt that they are more administrative in nature than guidance-type. It is hoped that a specific guidance-type record will be devel- oped eventually from each individual's cumulative folder and kept on file in the director's office.
TESTING
Also included in this phase of guidance is testing. The scope of this program is designed to include the measurement
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of individual mental abilities or scholastic aptitude which gives a fair estimate of the inherent limits of ability of the pupil to do school work. Tests of achievement constitute another part of the testing program. These tests may be separated into sub- ject achievement tests and achievement batteries. The former are designed to measure the individual achievement in a partic- ular subject-matter course and to compare this performance with that of an unselected national group. It is planned to ad- minister several tests of this type to high school pupils in the early spring particularly for scholarship purposes, but also for individual diagnosis. Tests of the latter type tend to evaluate the individual's total performance with respect to a national norm and indicate a grade level of achievement for each indi- vidual subject tested. It is a well-known, but not highly publi- cized fact, that there is a considerable amount of over-lapping of abilities among the grades. An exceptionally good student in one grade may easily be capable of and actually achieving at a higher level than a poor pupil who is two grades beyond him in placement. A test of this type helps to establish this fact and aids the teacher to meet individual pupil needs. Tests of specific aptitude tend to predict how well a pupil will do in a particular field, if given the opportunity to do so, and thereby serve as an essential counseling tool. These tests prove invalu- able as effective screening devices and will be administered whenever transfers from one course to another are requested.
In the thirteen-week period, the entire class of 137 freshmen has been tested with the Iowa Tests of Educational Develop- ment, the results of which have been interpreted individually to the pupils and copies of the profile of results along with explana- tions of interpretation sent home to the parents. A statistical analysis of the results of these tests shows a significant differ- ence in the pattern of educational background for each of the six sources of high school freshmen. The freshman class has also been tested with respect to scholastic aptitude, but these tests have not yet been returned from the scorer. Special tests such as tests of nursing aptitude, mechanical aptitude, and in- terests have been given to selected students as aids in counsel- ing. Since this department is immediately concerned with the effective screening of pupils with special reference to transfers from one program to another, or one school to another, a total of twenty-nine boys distributed from the Manual Arts Class, River Street, West Street, Marcy Street, St. Mary's, Notre Dame, Cole Trade High, and out-of-town schools have been tested with respect to mechanical aptitude, academic achieve- ment, and mental ability, and recommendations made accord- ingly for entrance or denial of entrance to the various pro- grams requested. The criteria upon which selection for en- trance to the various programs is based as follows:
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Manual Arts
Mechanical Aptitude, upper 50% nationally; Academic Achievement, Grade 4 to Grade 6.5; Mental Ability, within 3.0 years of normal mental age.
General Vocational
Mechanical Aptitude, upper 65% nationally; Academic Achievement, Grade 7 to Grade 9; Mental Ability, within 2 years of normal mental age.
Cole Trade High
Mechanical Aptitude, upper 75% nationally; Academic Achievement, Grade 10 to Grade 12; Mental Ability, within 1.5 years of normal mental age.
It is planned that in the spring the testing program will be further extended to include special testing in the upper levels of high school, and extensive testing in the upper levels of grammar school with particular emphasis on the correlation of these test results with other data in assisting the pupil to- ward wise course selection.
PROVIDING INFORMATIONAL SERVICES
Another essential element of the guidance program has to do with the accumulation and dissemination of both occupation- al and educational information, and provisions for orientation activities. In addition to the provisions described in paragraph #1 of this report, an effort has been made to provide a series of informational talks, movies, and field trips. In this regard, the department has to date sponsored talks and movies to interested juniors and seniors on such topics as: "The United States Coast Guard Academy," "The Naval R. O. T. C. Scholarships," "The Offerings of Nasson College," "The Place and Functions of Business Schools"-including a specific description of the Salter School, and an added talk on the Fisher School. Also, a group of ten girls in the senior class visited the Fisher School as guests of President Sanford Fisher. More talks, movies, and trips are planned for the coming year. In fact, three talks are already planned for January, as are five field trips and speakers for a "career day."
COUNSELING
The core of a worth-while guidance program finds itself in the type of counseling services it provides, including both group-counseling techniques and individual interviews. At present, we, in the guidance department, find ourselves handi- capped in this work in two respects: the lack of adequate coun-
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seling time and the present limited facilities which enable us to secure privacy only by restricting the use of the room during the period of the interview .. However, with the construction of the private cubicles being an imminent reality and with con- sideration for more counseling time for the Dean of Girls who, at present, can devote but eight periods per week to guidance, the department hopes to have provided each student in the high school with the opportunity for at least one interview by the end of the school year, and each eighth grader with at least one group discussion, supplemented by individual interviews, if possible, concerning the selection of major courses of study and individual subjects for the coming year.
A record of each interview is kept, and at present the aver- age counseling load ranges between 35 and 40 pupils per week. This number includes many repeaters. The interviews range from five minutes to one hour depending upon the nature and severity of the problem. The nature of the counseling can be divided into three main types: (1) diagnosis, (2) therapy, and (3) referral. The severeness ranges all the way from no problem, but mere seeking of information or registration for employ- ment, to extremely involved problems with psychological devia- tion implications requiring immediate professional attention. These latter are referred to the school nurse for further refer- ral to the proper agencies concerned. However, the majority of the present counseling interviews are concerned with pupil failures, change of programs, and educational and vocational planning.
COORDINATION AND USE OF REFERRAL SOURCES
A fourth major area of guidance services develops from the coordination with and use of referral sources. It is within the scope of this function that the guidance department con- cerns itself with placement. With respect to full-time place- ment, outside of making personal contacts with prospective em- ployers, attending open meetings of the Personnel Director's Association, and the placement of two 1949 graduates, not much has been accomplished. However, with respect to part-time em- ployment, a complete up-to-date registration file is maintained. At present, 116 high school pupils are actively employed in part- time positions, while 196 are registered for such employment. Efforts are continually being made to find employment for the currently unemployed. A good source of employment during the "Christmas Rush Season" has always been the local stores. However, this year, due to unforseen circumstances, it was pos- sible to place only fourteen students, in addition to the current- ly employed, for the Christmas Season.
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In keeping with this phase of guidance, an effort is being made to coordinate the efforts of this department with those of the teachers, administrators, and members of other departments who may contribute to or receive benefit from the services pro- vided by the guidance department. During the past three months, the main emphasis on coordination has been with the Cole Trade High School, Industrial Arts, and Manual Arts Programs because it was felt to be an immediate necessity in view of the proposed program of the new Trade High School Director. With the coming of the new year, it is planned to re- activate the Guidance Council organized by the Superintendent in May, 1948, on which will be represented all of the schools and departments in the system in an effort to coordinate and integrate the particular activities of each department with the other and make for the better future total development of the individual pupil.
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