Town annual reports of the selectmen and overseers of the poor of the town of Harwich 1924, Part 5

Author: Harwich (Mass. : Town)
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 158


USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Harwich > Town annual reports of the selectmen and overseers of the poor of the town of Harwich 1924 > Part 5


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29


given a passing mark in stenography if doing steno- graphic work in a satisfactory manner for the employer, in typewriting, if doing satisfactory work in typewriting for the employer. In all other subjects which a pupil is taking at school, he when absent must make up the work as in English, that is, by oral recitation or examin- ation, or both, in a manner satisfactory to the principal.


* A diploma credit is a unit for satisfactory work in any subject having not less than three prepared reci- tations per week throughout one year.


30


HARWICH HIGH SCHOOL Program of Studies


The first column of figures indicates the number of reci- tations per week, the second the number of units in di- ploma credit. Twenty-four units are required for gradu- ation with not less than three in any one of the last four years.


SEVENTH YEAR


REQUIRED


P


C


ELECTIVE: Take Two


P


C


English


4


1


French


4


1


Arithmetic


4


1


Science


4


1


Geography ¿ yr.


4


Domestic Arts


4


2


History ¿ yr.


4


Manual Arts


4


Reading, Spelling, Penmanship


4


Music


2


Drawing


2


Physical Culture


2


1111


EIGHTH YEAR


REQUIRED


P


C


ELECTIVE: Take Two


P


C


English


4


1


French


4


1


Arithmetic


4


1


Latin


4


1


Geography } yr.


4


Science


4


1


History ¿ yr.


4


3


Domestic Arts


4


Reading, Spelling. Penmanship


4


2


1111


Manual Arts


4


Music


Drawing


Physical Culture


NOTE: The latter part of the period in grades seven and eignt should be devoted to the study of the next day's lesson under the personal direction of tle teacher.


31


NINTH YEAR


REQUIRED


P


C


ELECTIVE: Take Three


P


C


English, Spelling


5


1111


French


5


1


Music


2


Latin


5


1


Drawing


2


Algebra


5


1


Physical Culture


2


Science


5


1


Bookkeeping


5


1


Penmanship


Phys. Geog. ¿ yr.


5


Com. Geog. ¿ yr.


5


Ancient History


5


1


Domestic Arts


8


1


Manual Arts


8


1


TENTH YEAR


REQUIRED


P


C


ELECTIVE: Take Three


P


C


English, Spelling


5


1


French


5


1


Music


1


Latin


5


1


Physical Culture


2


1


Geometry


5


1


Bookkeeping


5


1


Science, P. ZB


5


1


Med. and Mod. Hist.


5


1


Domestic Arts


8


1


Manual Arts


8


Drawing


2


Harmony


1


1141


Penmanship


32


ELEVENTH YEAR


REQUIRED


P


C


ELECTIVE Take Three


P


C


English, Spelling Music


1


Latin


5


1


Physical Culture


2


Economics*


5


1


English History


5


1


Physics


6


1


Stenography


5


1


Book-keeping


5


1


Typewriting


5


Adv. Alg. andReview Math.


5


1


Arithmetic


5


1


Household Econ.


4


Manual Arts


4


Harmony


1


Drawing


2


111111 1


TWELFTH YEAR


REQUIRED


P


C


ELECTIVE


P


C


English, Spelling


5


French


5


1


Amer. History ¿ yr.


5


Latin


5


1


Civics } yr.


5


Chemistry


6


1


Music


1


Stenography


5


1


Physical Culture


2


Com. Law Żyr.


5


Business Cor. ¿ yr.


5


Typewriting


5


Accountancy


5


1


Solid Geom. ¿ yr.


5


Trigonometry ¿ yr.


5


Household Sanita- tion


4


Science


5


Drawing


2


Music App.


1


1111


5


111


French


5


1


* Alternating with American History and Civics in the Senior Year.


33 Physical Culture


Some attention is being given to the play activities of our children. We have provided a little material for these activities. We need to do more. The time is at hand when we should insist upon a more purposeful direction of the play activities of the children while at school. Good health and good physique concern the school as much as.any other consideration, yet they have been and still are neglected to our sorrow. If we con- serve the health of the children we may expect them to do better school work.


Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM FISHER SIMS, Superintendent of Schools.


Harwich, Mass., January 6, 1925.


Report of High School Principal


Attendance


Regularity in attendance is an ideal sought for universally. Perfection is seldom attainable. With an average attendance during the fall term of over ninety- five percent I can report a far more satisfactory con- dition than existed last year. While this is about the same as the state yearly average, it is a record unsur- passed in this school for fifteen years.


Scholarship


The scholastic Honor Roll contains the names of those pupils who receive on their report cards marks of "A" or "B" in studies and conduct. In the terms just completed there has been a greater general inter- est in school work. This condition, coupled with better attendance, has made for fewer deficiencies and a higher average scholarship. The persent Honor Roll includes thirteen names, a commendable number for a school of this size.


Curriculum


I would like to call your attention to the fact that during the past twelve years only about one in ten graduates of this school has entered college, while about one in four has been admitted to normal school. These proportions are likely to continue, and should be


35


considered in any discussion of change in curriculum. Where over half of our graduates do not continue their education, and a very much larger proportion if non- gaduates are included, it would be advisable to deter- mine whether or not the present courses might be profitably improved, perhaps by domestic science, per- haps manual training, perhaps a commercial course. One or more of these subjects is offered to pupils in all the other towns of this county with one exception, and most schools like ours find it a decided advantage to offer something of a vocational nature to those who do not desire a strictly academic course.


Respectfully submitted,


FLAVEL M. GIFFORD,


Principal


Report of Supervisor of Music


Monotones


The usual task of working with the monotones in the lowest grades was the one which confronted me when I visited Harwich schools for the first time last February. At once it also came to my attention that we need more work in the fundamentals of music in the lower grades, so we are trying to do more individual work to give the younger children an earlier training in preparation for the music period in the upper grades.


Music Fundamentals


Lazy mental habits and lack of interest and poor chorus singing is the inevitable result of a too prolonged indulgence in rote singing in the lower grades. When a child acquires mental power through carefully plan- ned lessons in music and becomes efficient enough to read music as he would read a story he discovers gen- uine pleasure in doing his part with the others during a music period. And, still more, good High School music is assured.


High School Music


The quality of work done by the High School chorus is improving perceptibly. There are good voices and good spirit with which to work, and our music


37


periods are becoming more and more satisfactory. We have a small mixed Glee Club which practices every other week, and we hope to improve to a better de- gree as time continues.


My work in Harwich is very pleasant because all teachers and principals, the superintendent, and the committee assist me so generously.


Respectfully submitted,


MABELLE B. DUMONT,


Supervisor of Music. December 31, 1924.


Report of School Physicians


Harwich, January 8, 1925.


To the School Committee of the Town of Harwich: Gentlemen :


The Harwich School Committee in 1905 put into oper- ation a form of medical and school inspection being one of the pioneer towns in the Commonwealth to introduce this work.


The School Physician's work naturally divides itself into two divisions. First-The prompt detection and isolation of contageous diseases. Second-The investi- gation and correction of those conditions which improve and protect the health of the school children, such as care of eyes, teeth, etc.


We take a considerable pleasure in presenting this report of the condition of the health of the schools of the town because of the exceptional freedom from any epidemic.


There is an improvement in the general nutrition in the lower grades and cleanliness is also a marked feature.


The usual hunt for pediculi was rewarded by an almost unbelieveable absence of cases, only a very few children having any evidence of being affected.


A few cases of scabies and conjunctivitis yielded to proper treatment and a few days at home.


39


We feel that Harwich is to be congratulated in . having the services of so good a school Nurse. The follow up of the cases being especially well done.


Beyond a doubt the best public work in existence is the protecting of children's health in the public schools. If it is worth the government's while to educate the children it is most certainly worth while to protect the health which alone can make the education useful and beneficial to the public later on. The tax payer is be- ginning to realize that it is much more profitable to pay for prevention of disease than to care for hopeless wrecks in later years. It is in this great and important work that we urge the cooperation of parents and those most interested to push vigorously the intelligent pro- tection of children at school.


Respectfully,


JOHN P. NICKERSON, M.D., H. D. HANDY, M.D.,


School Physicians.


Report of School Nurse


I am pleased to report no serious epidemic among our children. We have had a few cases of chicken-pox, measles, pink-eye and scabies.


During the summer several children had their ton- sils removed, but there are still more who need attention. Two eye clinics at Hyannis were attended and several children had their eyes tested and glasses adjusted. The children's teeth show a little more care, showing the parents are realizing more and more the need of the dentist, but there is still room for improvement.


Taking the schools as a whole we have few children who are more than 10 per cent. underweight. The homes are visited and advice given in regard to nourishment. Children are urged to bring milk with their lunches.


Schools have been visited weekly and total number of home visits 157.


Respectfully submitted,


MARIA PUTNAM, R. N.


January 6, 1925.


School Nurse.


41


SCHOOL CENSUS, APRIL 1, 1924


Boys Girls Totals


Persons in town between 5 and 7 years 10 18 28


Persons in town between 7 and 14 years


99 101 200


Persons in town between 14 and 16 years 15 23 38 Illiterates between 16 and 21 years


none reported


124 142 266


ATTENDANCE DATA, JUNE, 1924


Number State wards attending


17


Number resident pupils enrolled


300


Total enrollment


317


Aggregate attendance


46,973


Average daily attendance


273


Average membership


297


Percentage of attendance


92


Number of days in session, High


186


Number of days in session, Elementary


169


..


42


ENROLLMENT BY GRADES DECEMBER, 1924


SCHOOL


GRADE


BOYS


GIRLS


TOTALS


High


XII


5


1


6


XI


7


6


13


X


0


11


11


IX


9


17


26-56


Grammar


VIII


11


14


25


VII


8


7


15 -- 40


Intermediate


VI


5


6


11


V


5


5


10


IV


12


6


18-39


Primary


III


10


5


15


II


7


6


13


I


14


14


28-56


Port Grammar.


VI


5


4


9


V


7


8


15


IV


1


1


2-26


Port Primary.


III


6


8


14


II


4


5


9


I


10


7


17-40


North Grammar.


VIII


3


2


5


VI1


3


2


5


VI


0


2


2


V


3


5


8


IV


4


3


-27


North Primary


III


5


1


6


II


3


3


6


I


8


5


13-25


West


VI


1


5


6


V


1


2


3


II


4


2


6


I


1


2


3-18


Grand Totals


162


165


327


-


CORPS OF TEACHERS, JANUARY, 1925.


NAME


SCHOOL


PREPARATION.


DATE OF APPOINT- MENT.


SALARY


HOME ADDRESS


Flavel M. Gifford


Prin. High


Mass. Ag. College


April, 1923


$2100


Harwich


Natalie Norris


Asst. High


Wellesley College


June, 1924


1200


Hyannis


43


Lillian J. Anderson


Asst. High


Radcliffe College


June, 1924


1200


Medford


Hillary M. LeClaire


Grammar


Lincoln Academy


Dec. 1919


1350


Harwich


Allie C. Crowell


Intermediate


Salem Normal


April, 1923


1125


W. Dennis


Ethalene B. Nickerson


Primary


Johnson, Vt. Normal


July, 1921


1125


S. Dennis


Gladys F. Lovejoy


Primary


Hyannis Normal


June, 1924


1000


Barnstable


Flossie H. Chase


Port Gram.


Hyannis Normal


Nov. 1917


1050


Harwichport


Cora E. Doane


Port Prim.


Hyannis Normal


May, 1923


950


Harwichport


Mary C. Eldredge


West


Hyannis Normal


June, 1924


1000


Pleasant Lake


Mary A. Sylvia


No. Gram.


Harwich High


Willimantic Summer


Sept. 1920


1050


Harwich


Katherine A. Moriarty Mabelle B. Dumont


No. Prim.


Rust Kindergarten


Sept., 1913


1050


Harwich


Music


N. E. Conservatory


Feb., 1924


750


W. Chatham


.


44


BROOKS MEDAL WINNERS


Helene S. Cahoon, High School, grade X Wilhelmina Doane, Center Grammar, grade VIII Harriett E. Crosby, Intermediate, grade V Sidney Brooks Moody, Jr., Center Primary, grade I Dorothy C. Eldredge, Port Grammar, grade VIII Miriam Frances Baker, Port Primary, grade IV Osa Farham, West, grade V


Rose Pena, North Grammar, grade VII


Alyrio P. Nunes, North Primary, grade III


45


HARWICH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION EXCHANGE HALL, HARWICH Wednesday, June 18, 1924 At 8 p. m.


Program


1 Invocation Rev. L. V. Farnsworth


2 "O'er the Hills Away," (Old English Melody)


Boys' Glee Club


3 Greeting, Class Poem Dorothy F. Eldredge


4 Class History Lawrence F. Nickerson


5 Essay "Practical Aviation" Norman P. Wixon


6 "Winter Dreams,"Protheroe Girls' Glee Club


7 Class Will Virginia D. Small


8 Essay, "Former Cape Cod Industries" John G. Rose


9 Class Prophecy Stella M. Ellis


10 "When Dawning Springtime," E. di Capua Boys' Glee Club


11 Valedictory, Essay Alta B. Chase


46


12 Award of Diplomas


William F. Sims Superintendent of Schools


13 "Olav Trygvason," Grieg


School Chorus


14 Benediction


Rev. B. F. Lindsay


CLASS ROLL


* Alta Blachford Chase *Dorothy Flavia Eldredge


Stella May Ellis Lawrence Francis Nickerson


John Gideon Rose Virginia Dustin Small


Norman Parker Wixon


* With highest credit.


Class Motto-En Avant Class Colors-White and Gold Class Flower-Jacqueminot Rose


Report of Investigating School Committee


For the Annual Town Meeting, February, 1925.


A new importance is attaching to the cause of edu- cation. A new realization of its urgent necessity is taking hold of the Nation. A new comprehension that the problem is only beginning to be solved is upon the people. A new determination to meet the requirements of the situation is every where apparent. The economic and moral waste of ignorance will little longer be toler- ated. This awakening is one of the most significant developments of the times. It indicates that our nation- al spirit is reasserting itself. It is a most reassuring evi- dence that the country is recovering from the natural exhaustion of the war and that it is rising to a new life and starting on a new course. It is intent, as never before, upon listening to the word of the teacher, whether it comes from the platform, the schoolhouse, or the pul- pit .- President Calvin Coolidge.


'SSVW - MOIMVYH


-


49


At a meeting of the Committee held Tuesday, Decem- ber 23, 1924, it was voted that the Secretary have the following report printed and placed in the hands of the voters before the annual Town Meeting in February, 1925.


Charles D. Holmes, Secretary.


Report of Investigating School Committee


To the Citizens of the Town of Harwich:


Your committee appointed to investigate the con- ditions prevailing in our schools and to make suggestions for the improvement thereof beg leave to submit the following report.


In our endeavor to fulfill the duties for which we. were appointed we have held many regular and special meetings during the past year. We have given serious consideration to the physical conditions of our schools and have also inquired into their organization for carry- ing on the work of instruction. That there is urgent need for improvement in both of these matters none will deny.


As to the physical conditions we find that without exception all our school buildings are decidedly out of date, improperly heated, poorly ventilated and inade- quately lighted. The sanitary conditions likewise are far from being commendable for any progressive com- munity.


As to the organization of the schools for the purpose of instruction we find that too many grades are given to each teacher. The most efficient school systems of this


50


Commonwealth give only one grade to a teacher while in our schools some teachers have as many as six grades. We do not see how any teacher under such conditions can do as efficient work as the present day demands. We commend our School Committee for the slight im- provement that has been made this year in the organiza- tion of our schools, but this little improvement is very far from the desired goal and has been secured at a substan- tial increase in the cost of transportation of our pupils.


Our inquiry into the cost of the transportation of our pupils leads us to the conclusion that it is fully as high as it would be if our schools were consolidated and yet it brings very little of the benefits that result from consolidation.


Such then are our findings, woeful and undesirable physical conditions and inefficient and inadequate organ- ization of the forces of instruction.


In seeking a remedy for these two very sad condi- tions, we have considered not only the problem of better schools but also the best welfare of our town as a whole. Our suggestions for improvement, therefore, are made in the belief that the best welfare of the town as a whole will be very greatly enhanced by what we have to suggest. We believe that our suggestions if carried out by the town will greatly enhance the value of all property in the town. We believe that you, our fellow-citizens, will feel better satisfied with our town as a more desirable place to have your homes and to rear your children. We believe that summer residents, in consequence of the better schools that will follow, will come earlier and stay longer with us. We believe that on account of the fine climate,


51


excellent roads and better schools a very desirable class of citizens will seek to establish permanent homes with us.


In addition to the benefits enumerated above our suggestion has these two supreme advantages, first, it is easily within our means, and second, it permits of an unimpeachable school organization.


Before deciding to recommend to you a central school building we carefully considered the desirability of remodeling our present school buildings. We found that the cost would be so large as to equal a very con- siderable part of the cost of a new central structure and that while it might improve to some extent the present undesirable physical conditions, we readily saw that it would not permit of any improvement in school organi- zation. We, therefore, abandoned further consideration along this line and decided that any considerable outlay on our present buildings would be a useless and uncalled for expenditure of public funds.


We next directed our attention in detail to the kind of structure needed to house our pupils in a healthy, economic and efficient manner. We present as a part of this report plans for such a structure. The building will be very compact. It will contain no waste space. It will be economical to operate. It will be readily adaptable to our particular conditions and to such an organization of our schools as will provide the most efficient instruc- tion. Useless ornamentation for its own sake has been discarded. Frills and fads in education have been rigidly pruned away. We have sought to make provision only for such phases and forms of education as are in accord- ance with long tried educational practice in our Common-


52


wealth, that meet with statute requirements, that consider carefully the needs of our children and that satisfy the desires of the parents.


Now as to the cost of such a building as we believe is needed. Knowing the cost of like construction and equipment in Massachusetts, we are recommending an appropriation of $94,000.00 for land, building and equip- ment.


We also recommend that this amount be divided into ten equal yearly instalments and that the first be paid from the 1925 tax levy and that the other instalments be cared for by serial bonds. We also recommend that the bonds as far as possible be taken up as rapidly as possible with the proceeds from our present school real estate.


By this plan the average taxation cost would be less than $3.00 per thousand dollars.


Is it fair to our children to deprive them of the bene- fits of a better education than they are now getting, especially when that better education can be had so easily ?


Respectfully submitted, For the Committee,


By Charles D. Holmes, Secretary.


53


DOMESTIC SCIENCE


ROOM


DALLA


Att keert


AIR XCON


KITCHEN


TURL STORAGE


TOILET


.. R


TIILCT


CIALI


......


LAY


STIME


-


TOOLS


OFFICE


DOYS TOILET


GIRLS TOILET


MINUEL TRAINING


SHOWCR 3


11


PLAN OP DASEMENT SCALE 4.1.0


WHITEA TAIWANNICE LIPPERFIELD , ARCHITECT.


, HAMILTON PLACE, BOSTON, MAIS.


L


LUNCH ROOM


... ₦


BOYS SHOWERS


54


-


CLASS ROOM


....


-


CLASS ROOM


Nooy


0.56


5 TACE


A


4


RECITATION


ROOM


AJJEHOLY HALL JO.0 X 40-0


1


-


COMMITTEE L .....


116.0


PLAN OF FIRST FLOOR SCALE /4-1.0


WALTER TROWONINGA LITTLEFIELD , ARCHITECT


9 HAMILTON PLACE DOSTON, MAIS


55


CLASS ROOM


3 ... . ....


CLASS ROOM a ... . ....


.... ....


4


P


A


1


.


.


T


CLASS ACOM 110.11.6


BALCONY


COMMERCIAL


........


TTH WRITING


. ......


PLAN OF SECOND FLOOR A CALE 4-1.0


........


INDEX


Town Officers. 3


Selectmen's Report .


5


Tax Abatements


5


State and County Tax


5


State Macadam Roads


5


Anticipation of Revenue


6


Outside Poor


6


Almshouse


7


Poor of Other Cities and Towns


7


Miscellaneous


7


Town Officers


9


Election Officers


10


Schools and Transportation


11


State Aid


11


Insurance


11


Board of Health


12


Inspector of Animals


12


Repairs Public Buildings 12


Fire Warden


13


Exchange 14


Suppression of Crime


14


Interest 15


Hearings


15


Treasurer's Bond 16


Fish Wardens


16


Second District Court 17


Moderator


17


Chase Library 17


Harwichport Library


18


Sealer of Weights and Measures


18


Milk Inspector


18


Wire Inspector


19


Ambulance


19


Electric Street Lights


19


Culvert at Pleasant Lake 20


Town Pump Trust Fund 20


Barnstable County Sanitarium


20


Town Dump


20


Assessors' Map


21


Hearse House Building


21


School Medal


21


Farm Bureau


21


Visiting Nurse


22


Adding Machine


22


Allen's Harbor


22


School Investigating Committee


22


Soldiers' Memorial


22


Herring Brook


23


Cemetery Trust Funds 23


24


Bridges


24


Snow 24


South County Road 24


Crane Shepard Road 25


Brewster-Harwich Road 25


General Repairs on Roads, Chap. 81 25


Gypsy and Brown Tail Moth 26


Fences and Railings


Settlement with Town Treasurer 27 Assets and Liabilities 27


Assessors' Report 28


Abatements for 1923 29


Abatements for 1924 31 Brooks Medal Fund 33


Auditors' Statement. 34


Tax Collector's Report 35


Tax Collector's Report, 1923 36


Tax Collector's Report, 1924 36


1922 Tax Account 37


Report of Overseers' of Poor 38


Almshouse 38


Outside Poor 39


Poor of Other Cities and Towns 41


Summary of Poor Account 41.


Report of Superintendent of Streets. 42


No. 3 Section, Removing Trees after storm. . 42


No. 2 Section, Removing Trees after storm. . 43


No. 1 Section, Removing Trees after storm. . 44 45


Burning Dump


Fences and Railings


46


Bridges 47


Crane Shepard Road 47


General Repairs, Chap. 81 48


South County Road 48


Report of Park Commissioners 50


Brooks Library Account 51


Librarian's Account 52


Report of Trustees Caleb Chase Fund 53


Report of Treasurer 55


Cemetery Trust Funds 57


Benj. D. Eldridge Town Pump Trust Fund 59


Report of Town Clerk. 60


Report of Annual Town Meeting, Feb. 4


60


Report of Annual Town Meeting, Feb. 5 62


Report of Special Town Meeting, Oct. 17


69


Births


71


Marriages


73


Deaths 75


Town Meeting Warrant 77


Report of School Committee


Calendar


2


Teachers' Salaries 5


Supervisor of Music


6


Superintendent's Salary


6


Health


6


Janitors


6


Transportation


7 7 8


Office


9


Books and Supplies


10


Agriculture


11


Recapitulation 11


Estimates for 1925


12


Superintendent's Report


14


Perfect Attendance Record


15


Faithful Attendance Record


16


Fuel


Repairs and Incidentals


Table of Comparative Finances 26 Course of Study, Harwich High School 28


Program of Studies 30


Report of High School Principal . 34


Report of Supervisor of Music. 36


Report of School Physicians 38


Report of School Nurse 40


School Census


41


Attendance Data 41


Enrollment by Grades


42


Corps of Teachers 43


Brooks Medal Winners


44


Harwich High School Graduation 45


Report of Investigating School Committee


47





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