USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Oakham > Town annual reports of the officials of the town of Oakham, Massachusetts 1908 > Part 3
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Miss F. Especially in my large sixth grade, I can see results of my individual work in better recitations, a desire on the part of pupils to work out hard problems, and more accuracy in work.
Miss G. With children absent, backward, or mentally deficient, I have used the individual plan, and am convinced it is of great value, and intend to apply it more thoroughly in future.
Miss H. The most encouraging result of individual work is with a lazy boy, whose father and mother have both noticed his improvement with pleasure equalling mine. They say, "We are pleased with R.'s work; he studies at home now, he understands his work and is interested. We were beginning to feel discouraged about him."
Interest .- Conditions favorable to interest in school work and how to secure them, has been a leading topic for study this year. Asked about their personal study of the subject and its results, teachers say :
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Miss I. I am forcibly convinced that a fresh knowledge and a thorough preparation of the next day's lesson on the part of the teacher are an actual necessity in arousing a lasting interest in the class.
Miss J. I have seen over and over again that interest begets interest. I have tried to make my pupils see that what they were studying was valuable, and that I liked it, and wanted them to like it.
Miss K. The study of "The Greatest Word in Education" has been an inspiration to me. It has taught me to observe my children more closely, and to make their interests my interests.
Definite Gains in School Subjects .- I have urged upon teachers the necessity of making their efforts for improvement definite and clear, by selecting one subject at- a time for special attention. Here are some of the gains reported :
Miss L. I think the reading has improved since we began to read to someone, and the children delight in being asked to take charge of their class.
Miss M. I have tried to improve the spelling in my room this year. In order to secure better results, I was careful about the preparation of the lesson, and had it written correctly, and studied with my help. My efforts have been successful in many cases.
Miss N. The most improvement is shown in our history classes this year. Children are able to study and recite in a far more intelligible way than last year.
Miss O. We have had five-minute drills in arithmetic, each child work- ing on the same problems, and trying to perform the work neatly and accurately, and finish before the others. Fingers and brains have come to work more quickly and accurately.
Miss P. Results in geography are better than in previous years, due in part to the "study-recitation" with the lowest grades, and to a readi- ness of those older to seek information for themselves beyond the text- book.
I might go on through the alphabet, making extracts from the papers before me. Besides the topics already mentioned, these papers deal with the teachers' efforts in moral training, and specially with the means used for the development of patriotic feeling. Space forbids further quotation. I have illustrated how the results of the school enterprise are actually produced. It is by means of the intelligent, vigorous effort of the individual teacher in her own particular field. The super- intendent's suggestions, the instruction of the normal school
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and teachers' institute, the good things in professional periodi- cals and books, all must be translated into concrete practice by the teacher's personal effort, in order to become fruitful. The total of the gains made through the study and earnest effort of Miss A., Miss B., Mr. X., and Mr. Y., and all the rest of the teaching force, measures the progress of the year.
We have among our teachers all degrees of experience, from the teacher who, with no previous training, began a month ago in a district school, to the veteran of forty years in the school- room. Uniformity in results cannot be expected. But it is expected of every teacher worthy of the name that he or she shall "move steadily and unfalteringly along the infinite line of unrealized possibilities."
TOWN NOTES.
Holden .- , A loss in the number of pupils enrolled was reported last year, and a further loss has occurred this year. The closing of the mills at Jefferson makes another decrease probable.
The Springdale district received a new family with several children, and the school there was reopened in the spring term. Miss M. Alice Morong, of Gloucester, was engaged as teacher, and has remained through the year.
Nine other new teachers have been engaged since my last report, one school suffering two changes. The statistical table shows the names of those who have gone and of those who have come.
At Jefferson, the failure of a part of the heating plant made it necessary to close two of the schools three weeks before the end of the winter term. This time will be made up by opening those schools March 9, or three weeks before the regular time of opening the spring term.
The appearance of a few mild cases of scarlet fever caused the closing of the South and the Chaffin schools one week before the regular close of the winter term. Unless advised otherwise by the board of health, these schools will open one week before the regular opening of the spring term, or on March 23.
The ninth grade pupils, now numbering seventeen, are still gathered at the High School for instruction. The cost of car-
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fare for each day's attendance is allowed to pupils of this grade who live outside the Center district.
Including the ninth grade, the number of pupils now belong- ing at the High School is fifty-nine. Six were graduated in June last : Marjorie Ayers, Mae Fitman, Charlotte Mary Hol- den, Ida Frances Lobdell, John Thomas Daley and John Ed- ward King. Misses Ayers and Fitman and Mr. Daley are at their homes, Miss Lobdell is attending a business school, Mr. King is at a dental school, and Miss Holden is preparing for service as a trained nurse. Eight pupils are candidates for the diploma of the school in June next.
The teachers at the High School are the same as for several years, and are serving with growing efficiency.
The school physicians report as follows regarding their work :
The teachers of the six schools in my district have referred to me nine- teen cases. In one school two cases of scabies were isolated, and the books and papers used by the children fumigated or destroyed. All other cases in the school at all suspicious were examined by me.
In connection with the recent appearance of scarlet fever in town, I examined six cases more or less suspicious, and gave them all a clean bill of health. The remaining cases examined were for colds, tonsilitis, ade- noids, and one or two other mild diseases.
F. F. CARR, M.D.
I have made four visits to the North Woods school and two to the Jefferson schools. Itch and head-lice were the principal afflictions for which I have been called. Willing co-operation by the parents has brought about prompt relief except in one room, where re-contamination of pupils' scalps has repeatedly occurred, due, it seems, to lack of such co- operation by one family.
FRANK H. WASHBURN, M.D.
Rutland .- The number of pupils enrolled since Sept. 1 and the average attendance for the year show a small decrease as compared with last year. The closing of the mills at West Rutland accounts for the loss.
The teacher of the Center grammar school and of the North Rutland school resigned in June. Miss Beulah Higgins was transferred from the primary to the grammar room at the Center, and Miss Marion Kelliher was transferred to the Cen- ter primary from West Rutland. Miss Nellie K. Bishop was engaged for the North Rutland school, and Miss Joanna Kil-
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main for the West Rutland school, both being graduates of the Framingham Normal School. Miss Kilmain accepted another position at Christmas time, and Miss Alice E. Buck was secured for the place.
Mr. W. S. Dunn accepted a re-election as principal of the High School for his third year, at an increased salary, but resigned early in the year to accept a much better salary else- where. Mr. George S. Boyden, of Worcester, a graduate of Harvard College, with two years' experience, was secured for the position, and served very acceptably for three months, when a flattering offer from Westport, Conn., took him away. Mr. John V. Jewett, of Worcester, a graduate of Dartmouth College, was engaged, and at the time of writing is still with us and doing good work.
The number of pupils in the High School is twenty-nine, the same as last year. Six were graduated in June last : James Edward O'Connor, Henry Robert Smith, Charlotte Helena Drury, Helen Augusta Hadley, Elsie Fuller, and Winnie Ger- trude Rich.
Mr. Smith is at the school this year completing his prepara- tion for the Worcester Institute of Technology. At least two others of the class expect to enter a higher insitution later.
Two young ladies are candidates for graduation in June next.
The school physician's report is not at hand. He has been called on for service several times during the year.
Paxton .- The membership of the schools increased over last year, but the per cent. of attendance is much lower. I shall report to the committee later what I can ascertain as to the responsibility for the irregular attendance.
Miss Sarah T. Britton, teacher of the primary room, resigned to accept a better position soon after the opening of the fall term. Miss Ethel G. Tolman, her successor, served for less than three months. After a month, during which the school was closed two weeks, and a substitute served two weeks, Miss Anna Finnerty of Clinton, a graduate of Fitchburg Normal School, was secured and is now in charge. Miss Jennie R. Burnham, the principal for five years, was given leave of ab-
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sence for the winter, and Miss Agnes W. Welche was secured as a substitute. Miss Burnham will return March 30.
The members of the ninth grade of last year entered a Wor- cester High School in the fall with creditable standing. The present ninth grade numbers seven.
All the schools were closed one week before the regular Christmas vacation on account of the appearance of a case of diphtheria. Fortunately, the disease spread no further. The town has no school physician.
Oakham .- As usual, Oakham surpasses all the other towns in regularity of attendance. This seems to be mainly due to the greater interest in the matter by both pupils and parents. The Coldbrook school is again first in the Union in per cent of attendance.
Mrs. Èffie T. Swindell succeeded Mrs. Minnie G. Woodis at the South school in the spring term, and continues the good work previously done there by Mrs. Woodis. No other changes in teachers occurred.
Mr. Stephen Rich was employed during the fall term as supervisor of music. The work is now being continued by the teachers without special supervision.
The town has a school physician, but his office is five miles away. Fortunately, there has been no demand for his ser- vices.
The citizen who is liberal in support of the school enterprise, the capable and efficient school official, and the army of earnest teachers who have the immediate care of our children, are doing a service to the country as patriotic as any ever per- formed on warship or battlefield. Nothing is more vital to the welfare of the nation than the education of its citizens. The foregoing pages have told you some of the aims and accom- plishments in our little part of the mighty task.
My thanks are due to my colleagues in the schools for their loyal co-operation, and to the members of the School Commit- tees for their continued support.
Respectfully submitted,
HERBERT J. JONES.
Holden, Mass., March 7, 1908.
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