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 1906-1909 > Part 4
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An interesting experiment has been tried with some of the first grade pupils during the past term. Nursery
17
rhymes and jingles have been introduced as an aid in teaching the words required as a preparation for reading from the primer. The result was highly satisfactory, as the pupils made rapid progress, learning the given number of words in about one half the time usually required. The experiment, however, was not general enough to warrant any positive conclusions, yet seemed to indicate that in the hands of a skillful teacher the use of such rhymes would prove very helpful.
In my last report some space was given to consider- ing the Batavia plan of individual instruction. As far as conditions would permit, the plan has been tried in several of the schools with results that seem to warrant its con- tinuance.
In compliance with the recommendation and request of our music supervisor, a new system of music has been introduced into the schools. For further consideration of this subject you are referred to the special report of the supervisor, Miss Jones.
MEDICAL INSPECTION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
At the last session of the legislature a law was en- acted relative to the appointment of school physicians. The complete text of the law follows:
Acts and Resolves, 1906, Chapter 502.
An act relative to the Appointment of School Physi- cians.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
Section I. The school committee of every city and town in the Commonwealth shall appoint one or more school physicians, shall assign one to each public school within its city or town, and shall provide them with all proper facilities for the performance of their duties as prescribed in this act : provided, however, that in cities
18
wherein the board of health is already maintaining or shall hereafter maintain substantially such medical inspection as this act requires the board of health shall appoint and assign the school physician.
Section 2. Every school physician shall make a prompt examination and diagnosis of all children referred to him as hereinafter provided, and such further examination of teachers, janitors and school buildings as in his opinion the protection of the health of the pupils may require.
Section 3. The school committee shall cause to be referred to a school physician for examination and diagnosis every child returning to school without a certifi. cate from the board of health after absence on account of illness or from unknown cause; and every child in the schools under its jurisdiction who shows signs of being in ill health or of suffering from infectious or contagious disease, unless he is at once excluded from school by the teacher ; except that in the case of schools in remote and isolated situations the school committee may make such other arrangements as may best carry out the purposes of this act.
Section 4. The school committee shall cause notice of the disease or defects, if any, from which any child is found to be suffering to be sent to his parent or guardian. Whenever a child shows symptoms of smallpox, scarlet fever, measles, chickenpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria or influenza, tonsilitis, whooping cough, mumps, scabies, or trachoma, he shall be sent home immediately, or as soon as safe and proper conveyance can be found, and the board of health shall at once be notified.
Section 5. The school committee of every city and town shall cause every child in the public schools to be separately and carefully tested and examined at least once in every school year to ascertain whether he is suffering from defective sight or hearing or from any other disability or defect tending to prevent his receiving the full benefit
19
of his school work, or requiring a modification of the school work in order to prevent injury to the child or to secure the best educational results. The tests of sight and hearing shall be made by teachers. The committee shall cause notice of any defect or disability requiring treatment to be sent to the parent or guardian of the child, and shall require a physical record of each child to be kept in such form as the state board of education shall prescribe.
Section 6. The state board of health shall prescribe the directions for the tests of sight and hearing and the state board of education shall, after consultation with the state board of health, prescribe and furnish to school com- mittees suitable rules of instruction, test-cards, blanks, record books and other useful appliances for carrying out the purposes of this act, and shall provide for pupils in the normal schools instruction and practice in the best methods of testing the sight and hearing of children. The state board of education may expend during the year nine- teen hundred and six a sum not greater than fifteen hundred dollars, and annually thereafter a sum not greater than five hundred dollars for the purpose of supplying the material required by this act.
Section 7. The expense which a city or town may incur by virtue of the authority herein vested in the school committee or board of health, as the case may be, shall not exceed the amount appropriated for that purpose in cities by the city council and in towns by a town meeting. The appropriation shall precede any expenditure or any indebtedness which may be incurred under this act, and the sum appropriated shall be deemed a sufficient appropria- tion in the municipality where it is made. Such appro- priation need not specify to what section of the act it shall apply, and may be voted as a total appropriation to be applied in carrying out the purposes of the act.
Section 8. This act shall take effect on the first day of
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September, in the year nineteen hundred and six. (Ap- proved June 20, 1906.)
An examination of this law will show that it is intend- ed in no way to interfere with the prerogatives of the home. Its purpose is helpful and it imposes upon the parents of school children no obligation beyond that imposed by a better knowledge of their needs.
It will be observed that in accordance with section seven the provisions of the law are to a large extent made inoperative until such time as the town shall appropriate a sum of money to carry out the purposes of the act. Sec- tion five provides that every child shall be "separately and carefully tested and examined at least once in every school year to ascertain whether he is suffering from defective sight or hearing, etc.," and that "the tests of sight and hearing shall be made by teachers." These tests can be made without expense to the town and have already been made for this year, with the result that in some schools a large number were found defective in either sight or hear- ing, or both.
Before the present law was passed several towns and cities in Massachusetts had for a number of years volun- tarily employed school physicians, with results eminently satisfactory to all concerned. Of the need of medical inspection Secretary Martin of the State Board of Educa- tion says : "It has been shown with convincing force that thousands of school children are failing to make adequate use of school privileges because of physical infirmites of one sort or another." Furthermore, it has been shown conclusively by a mass of evidence easily accessible that diseases are disseminated throughout a community by means of the schools, because children sometimes attend school with light cases of measles, scarlet fever, or diphtheria, or return to school while in a condition to transmit such disease to others. Again, when a conta- gious disease breaks out in a school, parents naturally
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become very anxious and at times remove their children from school from fear of contagion. The presence of a physician who could at such times make frequent visits of inspection would do much to restore confidence and reduce to a minimum the possibility of the disease spreading, thus in some instances making it unnecessary to close the school. The saving to the town from this source alone would in a large measure offset the cost of inspection.
For these reasons then I recommend that the town appropriate the sum of seventy-five dollars to carry out the provisions of this law.
HOWARD HIGH SCHOOL.
Statistics compiled by the State Board of Education show that of the pupils enrolled in the public schools of Plymouth County eleven per cent attend the various high schools. In our own town the high school attendance averages only about seven or eight per cent. of the general enrolment. Again, as shown elsewhere in this report ,the average membership of the schools in town has increased more than forty-three per cent during the past ten years while the enrolment at the high school has remained prac- tically unchanged. To place its membership on an equality with the average for the county, the school should enroll thirty-five to forty members.
While numbers are not essential in conducting a suc- cessful high school, it is a matter for regret that so small a number of citizens see fit to give their children the benefit of a high school education. With the seven or eight teachers regularly employed, each one a specialist in her department, the school offers advantages for general and special training undreamed of by most of the smaller high schools of the state. It is still further a matter for regret that of those who enter the school so few continue through the four years and graduate.
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The school can and does fit pupils for colleges, normal schools and other higher institutions of learning. It is coming to be recognized more and more by thinking men and women that the boy or girl without a good education is seriously handicapped in the journey of life. Business men tell me that the demand for well-trained managers, clerks, and stenographers far exceeds the supply, while they experience no difficulty in filling positions with incompe- tent boys and girls, lacking good judgment and maturity of thought that come only from long experience or from educational advantages well improved. In the profession of teaching, likewise, there is a great and growing demand for good teachers that already exceeds the supply. The normal schools are calling for a larger number of the promising high school graduates to meet the demands made upon them in increasing numbers each year. For the person possessed of tact and good common sense, and who is willing to work as hard as he must to succeed in other callings, the life of a teacher possesses many attractions and advantages superior to those found in other pursuits. It is true that at present the attractions of a commercial life are drawing some of the most promising young men and women away from the teaching profession, but the effect of thus depleting the ranks is already being seen in a tendency toward increased pay for teachers.
These facts should be of interest to pupils and especi- ally to parents, who are urged to consider seriously the question of a high school education for their children and to encourage them to make the necessary effort to se- cure it.
I desire to call the attention of the trustees to that portion of my last year's report in which the introduction of a commercial course was recommended. Such a course would undoubtedly attract some of our grammar school graduates who, under the present arrangement, enter busi- ness schools too young, or drop out of school altogether.
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INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP.
The table given in Appendix B is intended to show the increase in the average membership of our schools during the past ten years. It will be seen that there has been a gain of 106 pupils or more than 43 1-2 per cent. Ten years ago the schools at the Centre had an average membership for the year of 68 pupils ; today the number is 138, a gain of 100 per cent. In spite of the fact that transportation to the Centre has been extended during this period of ten years, the outside schools, with the single exception of Matfield, have more than held their own. The school at Matfield with its six grades has an enrolment of thirty five pupils, while that in the East district has nearly doubled in size.
At the last annual town meeting the school committee was very wisely authorized to select and purchase a site for a new school house. The building constructed about five years ago at the Centre is already filled, and to relieve the crowded condition in the intermediate room, the sixth grade was restored to the North and East schools. Justice to the pupils demands that we should seek no further re- lief in this direction, for with our present curriculum no teacher should be asked to teach more than six grades. We should in fact strive rather to reduce the number of grades per teacher, that pupils in the outside schools may have advantages more nearly equal to those enjoyed by pupils at the Centre. The time is not far distant when additional accommodations must be provided if the school population continues to increase as rapidly as it has the past five years.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC.
To the Superintendent of Schools in the town of West Bridgewater :
It is unnecessary to give a lengthy report of the ex- cellent progress made in the music department of the West Bridgewater public schools during the past year.
In September all the schools were supplied with one of the best systems of music books and charts published. This has enabled me to make the outline of study more definite and comprehensive.
We now have music paper provided for written work, thereby saving valuable time. This is most important when we consider that our schools are filled as never be- fore and that the large classes can have but limited time for this important study.
In one of my recent reports I referred to the action of Harvard University in making music an accredited study for entrance examination, and this, together with the better understanding of the value of music study on the part of the general public has already resulted in giv- ing good music work in school a positive money value. Normal schools are desirous of giving better professional training in music, and grade schools must give better pre- paration for entrance to the normal schools.
In many cities and towns a normal school graduate who cannot teach music thoroughly and with economy of time, cannot obtain a position.
This will soon be the case in all towns, and the pupils who enter normal schools with the best music preparation will, other things being equal, obtain the best positions.
The call for good teachers is each year becoming greater and this fact is of interest to our young people.
The pupils at the Centre grammar school, under the leadership of Miss MacDonald, have shown a progressive spirit by "clubbing together" and hiring a piano for the
25
remainder of the year, and the investment is proving both profitable and enjoyable.
I wish some kind friends in town could assist the young people toward ownership of a piano. Few things would do more public good than this, giving, as it would, opportunity for the school children to hear some excellent instrumental music which is now unknown to them.
Respectfully submitted,
MILDRED S. JONES, Director of Public School Music. Boston, January, 1907.
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING.
To Mr. E. H. Grout, Superintendent of Schools of West Bridgewater, Mass.
The past year has seen the usual improvement in the pupil's work in drawing as they pass from grade to grade.
It was an unusually good winter for work in some re- spects, the open season causing fewer interruptions from weather than usual. As we had no new teachers, there was little loss of time from misdirected effort. In the East and the Cochesett Grammar schools,a decided increase in the number of pupils seemed formidable at first, but it did not affect unfavorably the quality of the teaching done there.
We have been trying to realize more distinctly the difference between making pretty things and endeavoring to do the exercise which have educational value and which really increase one's power, a little better than we have before. At the same time we wish to have these exercises as beautiful as possible.
So much thought has been given of late years to mak- ing subjects interesting to children, and drawing lends it ..
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self so easily to this practice, that teachers are in danger of planning lessons that the children like rather than those which are good for them. We have found many things which children can be taught about drawing, we have found many things which it interests them to draw; now we are choosing the exercises by which they learn most rapidly and we understand better what can reasonably be expected of them at different ages.
This has led us to drop from the regular work many exercises which we have formerly thought valuable, using them only as occasional aids to teaching the main points on which we concentrate most of our attention.
To illustrate, we will take model drawing or drawing from objects. We used to approach this subject by in- volved lessons on vanishing lines, the level of the eye and other matters belonging to scientific perspective. These were learned, but very rarely applied and the subsequent drawing of rectilinear objects was as poor as those made without this knowledge. We have come to see that the correct representation of a box depends more on good proportion than on the slight convergence which only trained eyes can perceive and therefore we make many more sketches for proportion, leaving the matter of con- vergence as a suggestion for the finish.
We have proved that the pupils make better drawings in this way and have time for more drill, drawing from a greater variety of objects.
Much attention has been given this year in the older grades to making booklets, studying the arrangement, spacing and printing of the pages as well as designing the cover. These were chosen for study because they involved the principles underlying all design and helped also to make the other written exercises in school more orderly. These booklets were connected with their history or language studies.
We have made but little attempt to do anything
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which could properly be called crafts work, notwithstand- ing the large amount of attention paid to it in many prom- inent cities and towns of Massachusetts. I believe thoroughly that crafts work has great educational value, but I cannot feel that we should gain by adding it to the subjects already in the curriculum. We do, however, work out the designs planned when they can be constructed of paper or pasteboard, or very simply in other material.
The successful accomplishment of my work is due in a large measure to the faithfulness of the regular teachers.
Last October the schools were closed for a day that teachers might attend a convention at Brockton. One of the speakers there had for his theme the desirability of raising teachers' salaries. Another spoke on the ways in which teachers could spend, well and profitably, the mar- gin of time left from their work which they may call their own. The first speaker was received with the usual hand clapping, but the latter was given tremendous applause. It seemed to me to indicate that the teaching profession is not so inoculated with the mercenary spirit as all things American are sometimes accused of being.
With congratulations to the committee, superinten- dent and teachers for another harmonious year of work.
Respectfully submitted, LILLIAN NEWMAN, Supervisor of Drawing.
CONCLUSION.
In concluding this report I desire to thank the teachers for their hearty co-operation and faithful service, and to express to the members of the Committee my appreciation of their continued support.
Respectfully submitted, EDGAR HOMER GROUT.
Superintendent of Schools.
West Bridgewater, Mass., Jan. 21, 1907.
APPENDIX A.
LIST OF TEACHERS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR, 1906.
SCHOOLS
TEACHERS
When First Appointed
WHERE EDUCATED
Center Grammar
Rose L. MacDonald
1890
Bridgewater Normal School
( Grace E. Downing
1902
Fitchburg Normal School
Center Sub-Grammar
Mildred Packard, assistant
1905
Bridgewater Normal School
Ella L. Dickerman
1905
Quincy Training School
Center Primary
Mildred Packard, assistant
1905
Bridgewater Normal School
Cochesett Grammar
Emma A. Morrow
1892
Castine, Maine Normal School
Cochesett Primary
Ethel F. Whitney
1905
Bridgewater Normal School
Matfield
Mary A. Dewyer
1874
Bridgewater Normal School Salem Normal School
East
Edith A. Lavalette
1902
South
Annie E. Hennessy
1903
Middleboro Training School
North
Bessie C. Fuller
1903
Hyannis Normal School
Jerusalem
Edith M. Randall
190I
Quincy Training School
Music
Mildred S. Jones
1901
N. E. Conservatory of Music
Drawing
Lillian Newman
Mass. Normal Art School
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APPENDIX B.
AVERAGE MEMBERSHIP FOR TEN YEARS.
SCHOOLS.
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
Nov. 1906
Center Grammar
ยง 38
5I
52
58
62 }
32
29
28
30
35
38
Center Sub. Grammar
32
38
41
46
56
57
Center Primary
30
3 1
30
34
38
47
39
45
52
4.5
43
Cochesett Grammar
31
28
25
18
22
21
22
I5
20
25
28
Cochesett Primary
16
22
23
27
26
32
31
33
42
35
36
Jerusalem
22
20
I4
18
18
1 5
14
20
18
18
26
Matfield
44
41
41
43
44
38
41
34
31
26
35
East
19
20
20
I 5
20
19
20
21
26
28
34
North
24
26
26
25
25
20
24
22
2I
20
25
South
18
23
26
25
20
24
21
22
21
25
26
242
262
257
263
275
280
279
281
307
313
348
1
29
30
APPENDIX C.
HOWARD HIGH SCHOOL.
GRADUATING EXERCISES OF THE CLASS OF 1906. June fifteenth, at eight o'clock. "Respice Metam."
Chorus-"Morning Invitation" G. A. Veazie, Jr. The School.
Prayer- Rev. Dudley H. Ferrell.
Story-"The Princess Felicitas" Stella Ellen Turner. Piano Solo-"Arrangement from Der Freischutz" J. Leybach Grace Mary Bearce.
Essay-"A Modern Magician"
Arthur Edward Ryder.
Chorus-"The Yeoman's Wedding Song"
Prince Poniatowski
The School.
Poem-"A Ballad of the Class of 1906"
Evelyn Louise Ryder.
Presentation of Diplomas-
Hon. Isaac N. Nutter.
Chorus-"The Old Guard" The School. Paul Rodney
Benedition ---
Rev. C. A. Henderson.
Highest honors awarded to Arthur E. Ryder. Certificate for Smith College granted to Evelyn L. Ryder.
Design on cover of program drawn by A. E. Ryder.
ANNUAL REPORT
of the Town Officers of
West Bridgewater
G EV
ATER
B
DOMI -I-WEST
MASS
16 6
1822. - +-
PULPIT ROCK
CORPORATED
FEB. 16
1907
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Town Officers and Committees
OF
WEST BRIDGEWATER
FOR :THE
Year Ending December 31, 1907.
BRIDGEWATER, MASS. ARTHUR H. WILLIS, PRINTER, 1908
TOWN OFFICERS FOR 1907.
TOWN CLERK. Ellery C. Fisher.
SELECTMEN, ASSESSORS, AND OVERSEERS OF POOR. George F. Logue, Orvis F. Kinney, Edwin H. Lothrop.
TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR. Frank L. Howard.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Term expires
1910
Seba H. Marshall,
66
1910
William E. Fay,
66
66
1909
Clinton P. Howard,
66
1908
Anna S. LeLacheur,
66
1908
TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Elizabeth Kingman,
Term expires
1910
L. Augustus Tower,
1910
Charlotte A. Williams,
66
66
1909
Ellis S. LeLacheur,
66
1909
Edith F. Howard,
66
1908
Charles R. Packard,
66
66
1908
CONSTABLES.
Henry O. Davenport,
William L. Woodworth,
William T. McAnaugh, Joseph C. Howard,
Presson West.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, Frank L. Howard.
Martha K. Crosby,
66
1909
L. Augustus Tower,
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FIRE WARDENS.
Edwin H. Thayer, Cyrus E. Alger,
Charles H. Doyle, Walter E. Packard,
George H. Stone. FIELD DRIVERS.
Clinton P. Howard, Elmer E. Howard,
Fred J. Vosmus, Presson West,
Charles E. Leonard.
SURVEYORS OF LUMBER, WOOD, AND BARK. Cyrus E. Alger, Edwin H. Thayer,
Clinton P. Howard, Algernon S. Lyon.
ROAD COMMISSIONER. William F. Ryder.
FENCE VIEWERS.
Charles H. Mann,
Frank L. Howard,
Clinton P. Howard.
TREE WARDEN. Octave Belmore.
POUND KEEPER. Warden at Town Farm.
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS.
Christopher Reed, Arthur C. Peckham, Charles W. Dorgan.
AUDITOR. George P. Presby. PUBLIC WEIGHERS.
Cyrus E. Alger, George S. Drake,
James H. Alger, C. Henry Taylor.
INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS. H. Eugene Weston.
TOWN PHYSICIAN. Ellis S. LeLacheur, M. D.
REPORT OF ASSESSORS.
APPROPRIATIONS.
For Highways and Sidewalks,
$3,000 00
Support of Poor,
2,000 00
Town Officers,
1,000 00
Incidentals,
600 00
Street Lights,
5 00
Soldiers' Relief,
500 00
Public Lectures,
100 00
Tree Warden,
100 00
Memorial Day,
100 00
Moderator,
10 00
Old Cemetery, Matfield St.,
25 00
Town Lots, Pine Hill Cemtery,
25 00
Curbing around Soldiers' Monument,
300 00
Cape Cod Memorial Monument,
45 00
Treasurer and Collector,
300 00
Support of Schools,
4,800 00
Text Books and Supplies,
250 00
Conveyance of Pupils,
600 00
Superintendent of Schools,
250 00
Incidentals and Furnishings,
200 00
General Repairs,
175 00
Repairs at Matfield School,
150 00
Medical Inspection,
50 00
School Lot,
475 00
$15,060 00
6
ASSESSMENT ON PROPERTY.
State Tax,
$ 1,360 00
County Tax,
1,410 40 119 71
State Highway Tax,
Town Grant,
15,060 00 353 46
Overlayings,
$18,303 57
Corporation, National Bank and Street Railway Tax, 1,000 00
Total assessment,
$17,303 57
Subsequent assessment, $15 39
Old Colony Street Co. Excise Tax,
838 75
TABLE OF AGGREGATES.
Number of residents assessed on property, 482
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