USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > West Bridgewater > Town annual reports of the selectmen, overseers of the poor, town clerk, and school committee of West Bridgewater for the year ending 1870-1879 > Part 10
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H. W. Leach, for setting up desks and seats, and other wood work, 12 50
H. W. Leach, for service as committee, as per contract, 19 65
I. Howard, for work, lumber, furniture, &c. as per contract, 18 73
I. Howard, for service as committee, as per contract, 25 50
Total expense, $1,619 68
EXPENSE OF REPAIRS ON EAST SCHOOL HOUSE, AS FOL-
LOWS :-
S. L. Ryder's bill for new floor and other repairs, wood work, &c., $125 12
E. F. Howard, bill for plastering and re- pairing chimney, 51 00
1. Copeland, bill for painting and glazing, 27 60
HI. G. Goodrich, bill for slating black-board, 13 80
W. H. Tobey, bill for repairing desks and scats, 25 00
I, Howard, bill for shingles, 23 75
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H. W. Leach, bill for setting up desks and seats in East and Old South houses, 9 00
E. Wheeler, bill for carting desks, seats, &c., 6 50
Total, $282 07
Respectfully submitted,
ISAAC HOWARD, ) Building
ELI WHEELER,
H. W. LEACH, Committee.
1
Board of School Committee
For One Year. W. H. JENNINGS,
PEREZ FIELDS,
For Two Years. MISS M. A. THAYER, CURTIS EDDY.
For Three Years G. M. PRATT, MRS. HENRY COPELAND.
W. H. JENNINGS, Chairman. M. A. THAYER, Secretary and Superintendent.
Sub Committees.
Centre and South Schools ) M. A. THAYER, S G. M. PRATT. Cochesett School,-W. H. JENNINGS, North and North Centre Schools, -MRS. COPELAND. Jerusalem School,-PEREZ FIELD, East School,-CURTIS EDDY.
Examination of Teachers
M. A. THAYER,
CURTIS EDDY,
MRS. COPELAND.
REPORT.
Annual Report of the School Committee of the Town of West Bridgewater, for the Year commencing March, 1875, and ending March, 1876.
In compliance with an established custom, your School Committee submit the following Report :-
The Committee believing that retrenchment should be the order of the day, and being desirous to manage the finances of the school department in as economical a manner as possible without injury to the schools, believe that the sum of $2,750 with the amount received from the State School Fund, and the dividend under the dog law, is amply sufficient if judiciously expended, to maintain the schools for thirty-two weeks.
We, therefore, respectfully recommend the town to appropriate $2,750 for the support of schools.
Our [school-houses are in good repair. But few minor repairs' will be necessary during the next year. Therefore we ask for an appropriation of one hundred dollars for repairs,
35
In accordance with an Act passed by the Legislature in 1874, your committee authorized the assessors to as- certain the names and ages of all persons belonging to the town, on the first day of May, 1875, between the ages of five and fifteen. They report the number of such persons as three hundred and fifty-six. Of this number fifteen, we presume, attend school in East Bridgewater.
At the close of the summer term the committee dis- continued the Centre Primary School.
We would recommend the town to retain possession of the house and lot for the present. The furniture has been removed to furnish, in part, the East and South school-houses.
The school-house erected last summer for the ac- commodation of scholars in the south part of the town, is highly appreciated by both parents and scholars, and gives, we believe, general satisfaction.
The committee take this opportunity to commend the teacher, Miss Mary Dewyer ; also the pupils, for the care they have taken of the house and furniture. The chairman of the school committee at a recent visit made a thorough examination of the building, and could not discover, inside or out, a mark or scratch on the premises. For a description of the building, and the cost of erect- ing the same, your Committee refer you to the Report of the Building Committee.
We congratulate the town that some of the citizens feel that they, as well as the teachers and Committee,
36
have something to do to make the schools a real success. We believe that more of the parents and friends of the scholars have visited the schools the present school-year, than for several years previous.
It has been said, that "If parents would have their children thoroughly educated, let them make the sacri- fice of spending an occasional hour in the school-room ; not officiously, but with the interest of a wise parent and good citizen."
For a detailed report of the condition of the schools, your Committee refer you to the Report of the efficient and faithful Superintendent, Miss Mary A. Thayer.
The expenses of the several schools for the year are as follows :-
CENTRE SCHOOL.
Wages of teacher, for thirty-two weeks,
$354 00 1
Wages of teacher of Primary School, for ten
weeks, 90 00
Fuel and preparing the same. 9 00
C'are of house and fires,
41 25
Repairs,
6 95
$501 20
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COCHESETT SCHOOL.
Wages of Grammar teacher for thirty-two weeks, $332 00
Wages of Primary teacher for thirty-two weeks, 288 00
Fuel for both schools, 52 00
Care of house and fires, 9 00
Repairs and incidentals, 175 83
$856 83
SOUTH SCHOOL.
Wages of teacher for thirty-two weeks,
$298 00
Wages of Primary teacher, for twenty-two weeks, 198 00
Care of house and fire, 5 00
Fuel and preparing the same,
58 62
Repairs on Primary School,
66 98
Books purchased for indigent scholars,
4 90
$631 50
JERUSALEM SCHOOL.
Wages of teacher for thirty-two weeks,
$288 00
Repairs, 54 60
Fuel, and preparing the same, and care of house and fires, 21 75
$364 35
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EAST SCHOOL.
1
Wages of teacher for thirty-two weeks,
310 00
Care of house and fires, 5 00
Fuel, and preparing the same,
42 87
Repairs and incidentals,
24 30
Repairs by Building Committee,
282 07
$664 24
NORTH SCHOOL.
Wages of teacher for thirty-two weeks,
$288 00
Fuel, and preparing the same,
15 00
Care of house and fire,
5 00
Repairs,
4 15
$312 15
.
NORTH CENTRE SCHOOL.
Wages of teacher for thirty-two weeks,
· $288 00
Fuel, and preparing the same,
24 00
Care of house and fire,
5 00
Repairs,
1 89
$318 89
Paid to the School Committee of East Bridgewater, for fifteen shcolars at- tending school in said town, $145 43
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Total cost of Schools, $3,172 92
Appropriation of 1875,
$3,000 00
From State School Fund, for 1875,
273 39
Dividend under dog law for 1875, Balance of appropriation,
178 18
1,483 50
$4,935 07
3,172 92
Balance unexpended,
$1,762 15
Appropriation of 1875 for repairs,
500 00
Balance of former appropriation, as reported March 1, 1875, 172:50
$672 50
Paid for repairs,
621 67
$50 83
By particular request the Committee have had an article inserted in the Warrant, for the Annual Town Meeting, "To see if the town will instruct the School Committee to employ a Superintendent of schools for the ensuing year.
W. H. JENNINGS, MISS M. A. THAYER,
PEREZ FIELDS,
MRS. HENRY COPELAND,
G. MOREY PRATT, CURTIS EDDY,
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
West Bridgewater, March 1, 1876.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
The first subject naturally presenting itself in a report of the condition of the schools, at the close of the year, is the attendance, since upon this depends the accom- plishment of thorough work. The average attendance for this year will not differ materially from that given in the report of last year, as the causes affecting it remain the same. The highest attendance for one term is 93 per cent. during the Summer term of the Cochesett Grammar School. The lowest 72 per cent. during the Fall term at Jerusalem. In sections where there are no large manu- facturing interests and consequent elements of a transie .: t population, the public interest in schools is to be estimat- ed more by the attendance than by the monetary appro- priations for support of the schools. The maintenance of good schools requires. something more solid than money. It requires individual appreciation of schools as a moral force in the community, and a popular recognition that the schools are the conserving centre of future prosperity. It is very casy to say, that everybody can't be expected to have an interest in schools,-everybody is obliged to
41
have an interest in life or risk its forfeit, and social life has as frail a tenure as individual life. There must be a genuine individual interest or we shall have poor schools, half alive schools, with an attendance equally lamentable and disgraceful. It is not enough to vote an appropri- ation and appoint a Committee to see that teachers are se- cured and paid ; the duty of any townspeople does not end here ; there is a duty of supporting and upholding these schools, and teachers and the committee, to their highest standard. There is a force of public sentiment that must exist, based on a rational judgment of what schools ought to be; and for want of this the schools in our town suffer. There is no lack of criticism, but vital community interest is lacking. The schools are given over to the Committee and teachers, as organizations apart from the concerns of life, to be ignored so long as they run smoothly. This may be true of all public insti- tutions, but it is more damaging to schools, because their work is of a nature which to be successful, demands dis- criminating encouragement and help.
All the schools, with the exception of the Centre, have retained their respective teachers throughout the year, which has made the school work more systematic and more steadily progressive. The progress of the schools at the Centre his been returdel by the con- solidation of the Primary with the Grammar School at the commencement of the Fall term. The Committee were fortunate in retaining Miss. Mary L. Lincoln, of
42
Hingham, the former teacher of the Grammar School, for the first term after the change. Her previous successful connection with the school rendered the unavoidable com- plications of the unavoidable complications of the occa- sion somewhat simplified. The actual work done by the school during this term was much beyond the expectations of the Committee in consideration of the difficulties ex- isting. Miss Lincoln's knowledge of the character of a portion of the school, together with her energy and faith- fulness, combined to give success from scanty material. The Committee heard of her decision not to retain the school with great regret, believing she was eminently qualified to carry out the classification and organization which must be a work of time and of discrimination on the part of the teacher, and forbearance on the part of the parents.
In the first year's work of two schools united in one, there can be comparatively little progress of individual classes. Adjustment in classification must precede other efforts. The change affecting the Centre, for the time so unfavorably, shows better results in the South, where good accommodations promise to bring these schools to a flour- ishing condition.
We wish especially to refer to the marked improvement noticeable in the Primary Division at the close of its sec- ond term. The younger children had suffered most in the crowded condition of the school before its separation. At the opening of the school in the Fall term, the pupils averaged far below other children of their ages, in the
43
first rudiments of Reading, and all that pertained to Pri- mary instruction. The teacher is to be congratulated that the advancement in every direction has been greater in degree than that of any other school in town.
TEXT BOOKS.
During the year, Primary Writing Books with copies for tracing, have been introduced in all the schools where there are young children. They serve the double purpose of relieving the enforced idleness of little children by a pleasant diversion, and of giving them really good prac- tice in the use of the pencil.
Monroe's Practical Speller has been substituted in place of Tower's Progressive Speller, as embracing a larger proportion of words in ordinary use, and words of prac- tical significance. Any book which will lead children to associate sense with sound has a real advantage over oth- ers of an opposite character.
By vote of the Committee it was left discretionary with the Superintendent to substitute Hagar's Elementary Arithmetic and Hagar's Primary in place of Eaton's Intel- lectual and Eaton's Primary. The books were to be in- troduced as classes were ready for them, without expense to the town ; and as the prices of the two publications vary but little, the change will not involve additional out- lay from the parents. The superiority of these books over Eaton's lies principally in their systematic arrange- ment. The series is carefully graded, and is especially to
44
be commended in the practical nature of its exercises, and its clear concise statement of facts. Eventually we hope to introduce the entire scrics, and by this gradual substi- tution, whenever a class is ready for a new book, no extra outlay is made and gocd books take the place of poor. So far as may be, it is desirable to have text books that are aids and not hindrances in the acquisition of knowl- . cdge. The desired result in the study of Arithmetic is not that scholars shall become adepts in repeating elabo- rate explanations of complicated examples that exist no- where outside the covers of the book. The end to be at- tained is self-reliant work in such combinations of nun- bers as life will present. To gain this, what shall we teach in Arithmetic ? To add, substract, multiply and di- vide accurately and rapidly, a knowledge of keeping leg- ible accounts, making out bills, writing receipts and notes, finding interest on notes, and in this connection, such a knowledge of fractions as will be of practical value. But as text books are arranged, it depends on the discrimina- tion of the teacher whether pupils get the kernel or the husk. Last year we protested against the system of so- called explanation which smothered ideas in words; we are still forced to call the attention of teachers to the fact that nothing is wanted in our schools merely because it sounds well. The simplest statement in the fewest words, of how and why work is done, is all an explanation should aim to compass. Every superfluous word tends to weak- en the pupils' grasp of the thought. Mental exercises
45
from Walton's Charts, varied by exercises in numbers given by the teachers, are of great value, and of more real use, than half the book work ; and yet there is an unwil- lingness to follow up these exercises, from a feeling on the part of the teachers, that the result is not commensurate with the effort, inasmuch as there is little to show for the work; and another reason sometimes given is, that the children are not interested. But in the schools, where these exercises have been given regularly, and with a con- viction of their value on the part of the teachers, the chil- dren have never failed to sustain an active interest.
DRAWING.
.The past year efforts have been made to introduce Drawing in the Cochesett Grammar School, North Centre, Centre, South and Jerusalem. The East School was fair- ly started in 1874. The progress in some cases has not been as gratifying as might be desired ; chiefly from lack of firmness in persevering in thorough instruction of elemen- tary principles, and systematic adherence to some definite course. Children will soon weary of combinations of straight lines unless the teacher insists upon a degree of accuracy which inspires the belief that the work is really worth doing well, and the conviction that to make the line right is real work. Praising bad lines, and allowing work half done to pass as well done takes away all stimulus. Scholars are quick to conclude that if poor work can pass for good, the best is not worth trying for. This is one
46
prominent reason why the Drawing, in some instances, is hardly creditable, when the time spent on it should show different results. Another reason lies in the fact that, with certain exceptions, it has been more individual than general. Scholars have taken their books and worked according to their own ideas and tastes, with no especial guidance. In schools like ours, for any real success this is a mistake. Work must be intelligent; it must be sys- tematic ; it must be under the constant supervision of the teacher ; and finally, it must be class work. The East School, the only school where such a system has been rig- idly adhered to, shows a steady progress. There are few schools in town that have less time for exercises of this kind, and in this school the time devoted to drawing has never exceeded ten minutes every alternate day, giving three recitations one week and two the next. The school is divided into two classes, and every scholar draws ex- cept the members of the Primer class. The general method is this :-
The class take places at the board drawing in concert under the teachers direction. The work done on the board is reproduced in books before the next recitation at the board, and with the same system of simultaneous work and instruction from the teacher. The younger class, fifteen in number, with ages ranging from six to eleven years, have no books, but use the board and slates exclusively. For copies, the teacher makes use of de- signs, from Bartholomew's series, the class having
47
blank drawing books. Work at the board we believe to be essential ; it gives greater freedom of movement and trains the eye to correct estimates of less limited spaces than are given in designs from books. Combining prac- tice from the board and in the books counteracts the faults which may arise from exclusive work in either di- rection.
READING.
What is the aim of recitations in Reading? The aim- less method in which these recitations are too often conducted forces a question whose answer might awaken sufficient thought to make them of greater value than they now are. Why is Reading taught in schools? Is it to familiarize the eye with words upon the printed page, so that in adult years the tongue may not stumble in readingthe newspaper? Yes and no-but more no than yes, since this familiarity with words is entirely second- ary to that identification of words with ideas which makes the study of Reading the fundamental study in all schools. So long as the Reading classes are heard with the aim to teach children to pronounce words, irrespective of ideas. the true work to be done is left untouched. What does this word-calling amount to? So little by comparison with what should be done, that sometimes it seems worse than nothing, because by its senseless repetition it blunts mental activity. Reading ought to be the leading study · to help children in the use of their own thought, and through that to help them to come into the intelligent
48
assimilation of the thought of others. Much of the bad scholarship in schools rises requiring that which is utterly beyond the capacity of children. Why should good les- sons in Geography be expected, when whole sentences are as unintelligible to the pupils as Greek? These poor Geography lessons, and bad Spelling lessons date as far back as the Primer and Second Reader, when the teacher was content to let her scholars repeat the words, and made no effort to call out the ideas which gave those words life. Here was the beginning, and bad beginnings of this sort never make good endings; they are bad all the way through. At the outset words and ideas must be associated. Every new word in the reading lesson must mean something. AA teacher can work for this end and secure it. It is not quick work ; to superficial judg- ment it is not showy; it does not tako the classes over many "pieces," but it does take them far .- it takes them far all the days of their life. But teachers with a will to work thoroughly, find classes forced on them that have skimmed over book after book, classes painfully glib of tongue and painfully deficient in understanding. Here is where the hardest work for the teacher lies. Little chil dren are receptive, and easily led ; children of larger growth, with their mental powers dulled by false methods of instruction, are hard to interest and skeptical to the last degree that anything in a Reading lesson can be studied. In these cases teachers must seize upon the most attractive words for study ; words that can be made
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interesting to the class. No recitation ought to pass without starting a train of thought and fixing an idea which certain words shall express. This in time will lose its uncertain character and become definite work. Dic- tionary definitions are dry as dust, and were best let alone, unless teachers can breathe the breath of life into them.
We say little of preparatory drill for distinct enuncia- tion, as in the Report of last year we dwelt somewhat at length on the subject. Teachers are expected to follow Prof. Monroe's suggestions with reference to elocutionary practice, and spelling by sound. But in connection with this we urge culture of thought which gives language its legitimate use.
WRITTEN EXERCISES.
The most commendable feature in the tests of the past year, is that the percentage has not risen. This may seem equivocal commendation, but it is genuine for this reason ; the questions have been less of the text book nature than before, wider in range, and hence, more con- ducive to individual thought. The last test exercises of the Winter term were given by the Superintendent in review of the work of the term in Arithmetic, Geography, Grammar and History. The returns have not yet been received, which is to be regreted as the questions were of a nature to determine the ability of the scholars to apply in a practical way what they had studied. In most in-
50
stances there has been advancement in this direction ; but teachers cannot work too sedulously to get their scholars out of the ruts to which the routine of school work is dangerously liable. The test questions ought to be a means to this end, and made out with a view of supply- ing the deficiences of the text book. The improvement in writing and spelling in the later test exercises has been marked. When the questions were first introduced, it was impossible to secure much beyond legible answers ; but as pupils acquired facility in expressing their ideas on paper, the teachers were requested to gradually raise the standard of criticism; and in the tests for the last term especial attention has been given to neat and dis- tinct writing, to spelling, use of capitals and punctuation. The teachers in all the schools have exercised care in these particulars with varying degrees of exactness. In many instances the exercises have been written in books, which on some accounts are preferable to loose papers, being less troublesome for teachers to overlook, and offer- ing a greater incentive to careful work on the part of the pupils. It has been suggested that so much hasty writ- ing was an injury to the penmanship of the scholars. In the majority of cases we do not find this to be the fact, and eventually, as teachers can give more attention to this feature in the tests, the writing will be improved by them. Writing, to gain skill in the formation of the letters still has its place in the schools, and receives its proper share of time. The Superintendent would recom-
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mend that no books of higher grade than No. 4 be used in the town, as the higher grades invariably defeat the end to be secured. The following is the average percent- age for the entire year of the test exercises in the differ- ent schools together with the number of pupils taking the exercises.
Cochesett Grammar, pupils taking tests 22,
percentage,
.94 1-2
East School, pupils taking tests 14, percentage, .91 1-6
Jerusalem, 66 66 11, 66 85
North School, "
5,
80
North Centre, " 66
66 5,
66 76 1-2
South School, "
66 66 10,
66 76 3-8
Centre School,“ 66
66 15,
66
76
The teachers have been active in their efforts to carry out the aim of the Superintendent to bring the schools into more systematic organization and to promote more prac- tical methods of instruction, as well as to raise the standard of general school work. The past year has shown a decided improvement in some of these essentials. The difficulties under which the teachers labor in many instances are fully appreciated, and at least in one respec ought to. be removed before the opening of another term The deficiency of school apparatus is a great obstacle in the way of successfully teaching certain important branches. The wall maps in four of our schools bear the inscription, "Entered according to act of Congress
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in the year 1849." Whether these are the original prints or a revised edition, is not easy to determine ; but there is a strong probability that these are the original publications as their introduction dates as far back as 1853. In addition to wall maps, sets of weights a measures are needed for illustration in teaching Arithme- tic. It is mistaken economy to withhold these things. In most instances teachers would gladly avail themselves of such aids, and turn them to good account. On behalf of the teachers as well as the scholars, we would suggest that the proportion of money received from the State School Fund which is intended for the purchase of books of reference, maps and apparatus, be expended for this purpose by the Committee.
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