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 1880-1890 > Part 22
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are classes in two adjacent schools nearly fitted for the High School, they should be combined under the teacher who could give most time to preparing them for the exam- ination.
We were privileged during the spring term to receive a visit from Mr. Geo. H. Martin, one of the State Agents of the Board of Education. After spending some time in the several schools, observing them at their accustomed work, Mr. Martin met the teachers and superintendent and gave them most valuable criticism and counsel.
He spoke particularly of the work needed to produce good, intelligent reading in country schools. While it is true that much time is saved by improved methods in the first steps of this fundamental study, no " royal road " has yet been opened to the attainment of readiness and fluency in more advanced reading.
These essential requisites are gained only by persever- ance and a great amount of daily practice, and if time for this necessary practice could be purchased, like school sup- plies in general, we should be able to show better results.
Mr. Martin also attended the public exercises of the High School. His impressions of our schools can best be learned from his own words.
He says : -
The schools of West Bridgewater have made a marked improve- ment since my inspection in 1883. Two causes have contributed to this: careful supervision and the permanence of the teachers. One half the teachers were at work in the town on my previous visit. Taking the whole county, less than one fourth have con- tinued through this period. Four teachers have been acquiring skill with experience, and each year has enabled them to do more for the schools than they had done before.
Among the good points which I have noted, are the thoughful supply of illustrative apparatus and helps for teaching, especially for the primary work; the supply of reading books of a higher
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order, better adapted to form the taste and awaken a love for good reading; the opening of the eyes and minds of the children to nature, especially through the observation of native plants; the more interesting and stimulating methods used by the teachers in all their work; the evident effort to train the children to good habits of thinking; and, more important than all else, the aim to form good moral character.
Over against all this good work of the superintendent and teachers, stands the fact that some children who ought to be re- ceiving its benefits are not in school. By the last returns it ap- pears that the average attendance based on the average member- ship was far below that of the county (91%). This is a most serious evil, one for the whole town to consider and remedy. If we allow that ten per cent of the membership may be deducted for unavoidable absence, we still have left a considerable amount which is preventable. The town makes its appropriation for all the children. If eight or ten per cent of them are out of school, by so much the town fails to get an adequate return for its money. The man who is taxed to educate other people's children for the good of the community, has a right to insist that those children shall be in school. Every effort should be made to interest the children and their parents in a more advanced educa- tion. Now that the High School offers such admirable opportu- nity, under its enthusiastic and skilful teachers, the town ought to move toward the front rank as an educational centre.
I hope the time will come when, in West-Bridgewater as well as in other similar towns, the wasteful custom of maintaining many small schools poorly graded will be abandoned, and the children be carried to central schools where they can have all the advantages of good grading under the best conditions.
Reference has already been made in this report to the serious evil of non-attendance so forcibly presented by Mr. Martin. Under preventable absences, and which ought not to occur, should be classed most cases of deten- tion of children from school for labor, for attending places of amusement, for making and receiving visits, and all cases arising from indifference on the part of chil- dren and parents.
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With well-trained teachers thoroughly devoted to their calling (and such are at work in our schools) ; with school officials prompt, discreet, and impartial in the discharge of their duties ; and with the sympathy and co-operation of the citizens of our town, can we not make such substan- tial progress each year that the expectations of our educa- tional friends and well-wishers shall ultimately be realized ?
Respectfully submitted,
MARTHA K. CROSBY.
1889 90. REPORT OF THE AGENT FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
The money voted by the town for books and other school supplies has been expended as follows : -
To Harper & Bros., readers, spelling-blanks and copy books . $31 04
Ginn & Co., readers and geographies 39 17
The Thorp & Adams M'f'g Co., paper, pens, pencils, and other small supplies 36 10 William Ware & Co., readers, histories, and arithmetics . 9 80
Ivison, Blakeman & Co., physiologies 4 17
Prang Educational Co., drawing supplies . 4 70
Boston School Supply, small globes 3 53
J. B. Lippincott & Co., readers and sci- ence primers 6 50
Interstate Publishing Co., historical readers, 13 00
Postage .
1 99
Total ·
$150 00
Inventory of stock on hand Jan. 31, 1889 $17 25
Amount drawn from town treasury 150 00
$167 25
Inventory of new stock on hand Jan. 31,
1890
$20 53
Supplies furnished schools 146 72 .
$167 25
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INVENTORY OF SUPPLIES ONN HAND, JAN. 31, 1890.
5 readers
.
$1 17
3 arithmetics
88
104 dozen copy-books .
·
9 23
23 dozen spelling blanks
1 07
3} dozen composition books .
1 25
5 drawing-books .
63
5 half-reams paper
2 05
Miscellaneous.
Crayons, pens, pencils, erasers, pen-holders, and ink 4 25
$20 53
The average number of pupils enrolled in the schools is 254; the cost of supplies provided by the town has been $146.72 or 57.8 cents per scholar.
The inventory of supplies on hand does not include a number of partly worn text-books (mostly readers with a few histories and physiologies), that are kept by the agent to be placed in the different schools when needed.
By this arrangement it is possible to furnish a greater variety of books, and at less expense, than would be the case if all the schools should be supplied with like books at one time.
An imperative reason for keeping but a small stock of books in the various school-rooms is the lack of conven- iences for storage.
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Most of our school buildings were erected before the passage of the free text-book law, and are destitute of closets for the safe-keeping of school supplies.
The prospective needs of our schools for the next year call for the usual appropriation for supplies by the town.
Respectfully submitted,
MARTHA K. CROSBY.
REPORT OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
For the year ended Dec. 31, 1889, the additions to the library comprise 113 volumes, making the total number now on the shelves, 3,437.
The circulation of books of the several classes has been as follows, viz. : -
Agriculture .
42
Art
23
Biography
197
Fiction
2,710
General Literature
246
History
178
Humorous Works
80
Juvenile Works
1,077
Magazines
1,033
Poetry
112
Works of Reference
34
Religion and Theology .
11
Science
141
Travels
177
Public Documents
2
Total
. 6,063
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COST OF MAINTAINING THE LIBRARY.
RECEIPTS.
Balance from last year . $4 09
Town Treasurer . 341 57
Mrs. M. K. Crosby, press-board .
50
C. R. Packard, book .
5 40
S. Hamlet, books · ·
2 68
Fines and sales of cards and cata-
logues
15 75
$369 99
EXPENDITURES.
Paid Estes & Lauriat, for books . $173 08
Balch Brothers, Century Dic-
tionary .
20 00
Houghton, Mifflin & Co.,
books .
16 50
Librarian's salary .
103 36
" Book Buyer"
1 00
Magazines ·
40 68
Stepladder .
1 25
" Marvels of the West"
3 75
Lamp . ·
3 95
Oil, express, postage, etc.
6 42
.
$369 99
Respectfully submitted for Library Trustees,
CHAS. R. PACKARD.
TOWN MEETING.
PLYMOUTH, SS.
To any Constable of the Town of West Bridgewater, in the County of Plymouth, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said town, qualified to vote at elections and in town affairs, to assemble at the Town Hall, in said town, on Monday, the tenth day of March, at one o'clock in the afternoon, then and there to act on the following articles, viz. : -
ARTICLE 1. - To choose a moderator to preside in said meeting.
ART. 2. - To hear the annual reports of town officers and committees, and act thereon.
ART. 3. - To choose all necessary town officers.
ART. 4. - To bring in their votes, "Yes " or "No," on the following question : "Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town ?"
ART. 5. - To act on the list of jurors as reported by the selectmen.
ART. 6. - To see if the town will vote to adopt the provision of the statute in relation to the election of road commissioners.
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ART. 7. - To raise such sums of money as may be necessary to defray the town charges for the ensuing year, and make appropriation of the same.
ART. 8. - To see if the town will raise one hundred dollars for public lectures.
ART. 9. - To see if the town will authorize the treas- urer to borrow money, in anticipation of taxes, to pay charges against the town.
ART. 10. - To take such action as the town sees fit with regard to requiring the County Commissioners to establish a County Truant School in accordance with the provisions of law.
ART. 11. - To see if the town will authorize the School Committee to elect a superintendent of schools.
ART. 12. - To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of fifty dollars for memorial services on Memorial Day. (By request. )
ART. 13. - To determine the manner of collecting the taxes the ensuing year.
ART. 14. - To see if the town will furnish their con- stables with the necessary equipments. (By request.)
ART. 15. - To see what action the town will take upon the claim for damages alleged to have been sustained by D. R. Simmons by the change in the grade of Crescent Street. (By request.)
ART. 16. - To see what action the town will take in reference to building a new almshouse. (By request.)
ART. 17. - To see what action the town will take in reference to building a new Town Hall. (By request.)
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ART. 18. - To transact any business that may legally come before the meeting.
And you are directed to serve this warrant, according to the vote of said town, seven days at least before the time appointed for said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the clerk of said town, at or before the time appointed for the meeting aforesaid.
Given under our hands, at said West Bridgewater, this twenty-first day of February, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety.
JOSEPH A. SHORES, HORACE W. HOWARD, CHARLES T. WILLIAMS, Selectmen of West Bridgewater.
4732 21010
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3 1611 00143 0849
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