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 1945-1949 > Part 15
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Center
Math., Science Gr. 5, 6, 7
Katharine A. Rogers
Center
Grade 3
Evelyn M. Murphy
Center
Grade 2
Gertrude A. Pillsbury
Center
Grade 1
Theresa I. Miller
Sunset Avenue
Principal, Gr. 6 & 7
Mary E. Condon, B.S.
Sunset Avenue
Grades 4 & 5
Bridgewater Teachers
Jane B. Cass, B.S.
Sunset Avenue
Grades 2 & 3
Bridgewater Teachers
Patricia R. Froio
Sunset Avenue
Grade 1
Bridgewater Teachers
Elizabeth W. Nelson
Cochesett
Principal, Gr. 3, 4, & 5
Anne O'Keefe
Cochesett
Grades 1 & 2
Mary E. Nelson, B.S.
Jerusalem Principal, Gr. 1, 2, 3
Bridgewater Teachers
Abbie C. Brown
Matfield
Principal, Gr. 1, 2, & 3
Hyannis Teachers
Lois J. Snow
All
Supervisor of Music
Hyannis Teachers
Arthur B. Lord, Jr., A.B., Ed.M. All
Superintendent
Preparation Tufts, Harvard Bridgewater Teachers Boston College Framingham Teachers Colby, Boston University Chandler Secretarial Mass. State College Boston University Clark University
Tufts, B.U., Harvard
Bridgewater Teachers Bridgewater Teachers Bridgewater Teachers Bridgewater Teachers Bridgewater Teachers Bridgewater Teachers
Bridgewater Teachers Bridgewater Normal
139
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
1. Administration
1946 Expenditures 4831.88
1947 Budget 5267.00
2. Instruction
Salaries
44345.79
61150.00
Books & Supplies
3135.38
3400.00
3. Operation
Janitors
3171.45
. 3661.70
Fuel
1019.27
1700.00
Miscellaneous
1667.10
1500.00
4. High School Operation
1604.41
1850.00
5. Maintenance
877.19
1500.00
6. Auxiliary Agencies
Library
133.63
300.00
Health
1503.28
1725.00
Tuition
1145.80
1200.00
Transportation
3353.26
4000.00
Misc. Expense
215.45
150.00
Teachers Retirement
75.81
94.04
7. Vocational Education
1379.64
2570.00
Grand Total
68459.34
90067.74
Credit
23.00
Transfer
95.84
Appropriation 68340.50
Balance
68459.34
Spec. Warrant
Cleghorn Co.
4500.00
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Reimbursements:
Chapter 70, Part I
4770.00
Superintendent's Salary and Transportation
1288.89
State and City Ward Tuition
962.15
Total Reimbursements
7021.04
Total Expenditures
68459.34
Net Operation Cost to Town for 1946
61438.30
Household Arts:
Balance from 1945
247.43
Federal Grant-George-Dean Funds
60.78
Smith-Hughes Funds
33.20
Total
341.41
Expended
341.41
TO THE CITIZENS OF WEST BRIDGEWATER
GET ACQUAINTED
Once each year your School Committee has an opportunity to reach all parents and tax-payers through this report. We urge you to read all the School Department Reports and acquaint yourselves with details of operation as given by principals, also the current needs and recommendations of the Superintendent and Committee. We urge you to consult occasionally with the teacher or teachers directly concerned with training your own children.
SUPERINTENDENT
Our Superintendent Mr. Lord is beginning his second year of service with the West Bridgewater-Raynham Union. We find
141
him most cooperative and he is carrying out his duties efficiently under very trying conditions.
TEACHERS
Teacher replacements are still difficult because the demand greatly exceeds the supply. However, Mr. Lord has been able to engage good instructors for our schools. Recent salary increases should help this situation, but we still are in a highly competitive market in relation to towns around us.
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
All necessary repairs to school buildings have been made. Several exterior painting projects have been postponed for lack of quality ingredients. The Committee is watching repairs and maintenance needs carefully and all work will be completed as soon as practicable.
ATHLETIC PROGRAM
This very important part of our program is being continued and will be enlarged as fast as our present facilities will permit. The Committee intends to extend our physical training to in- clude organized and supervised play-ground activities in the grade schools. This will be, of course, when conditions make such action possible.
SCHOOL HOUSING
Citizens of this town have had before them the various re- ports of the local Building Committee on School housing needed to relieve our present cramped facilities. The School Committee recommends a six year Junior and Senior High School. As pre- viously stated this would relieve the crowding in the elementary schools by making possible the transfer of two grades to the
142
new building. See our Superintendent's report for further details on housing needs. We urge every parent and tax-payer to back your building committee to the fullest extent. The need is great and those of us working in direct contact with the schools certain- ly know from these contacts how important it is that some- thing be done soon.
As no doubt Mr. Lord will mention in his report, the en- tering classes are increasing very substantially each year. This makes for immediate crowding in the grades and it is surprising how soon these large classes of recent years will reach an already congested condition in our present high school.
In short, the children of this town are entitled to as good an education as those in any other community. The High School of today supplies the so-called higher education to 80% of our young men and women. That's why every effort should be made to give them all advantages and not penalize them through false economy to produce a low tax-rate.
Respectfully submitted,
FOR THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
SHERMAN H. PERKINS, Chairman
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ANNUAL REPORT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
· To the School Committee:
I' herein submit the report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year 1946. This is a report of progress of the Schools of West Bridgewater and a continuation of my report of last year in which I pointed out the trends which should be followed in the coming years. It is also calculated to re-emphasize the urgent new for new building and to explain in part the obstacles which the Town faces in trying to provide adequate housing for its school children.
TEACHERS
This year West Bridgewater lost many fine teachers who moved with their husbands out of Town, married, resigned be- cause of illness, or left for better paying positions in other towns, and for other reasons. Six of those who left accepted positions at much better salaries. The morale of the teachers almost with- out exception is very high in spite of the fact that most teachers this year were hurt by the steadily rising increase in the cost of living. The teachers who have left are as follows:
Name
School
Grade or Subject
W. Edward Kincaid
High
Sciences and Geometry Social Studies
Lucia S. Mason
High
Louise C. Ricciardello
High
Commercial and Phy. Ed.
Ellen F. Kett
Center
Principal-Math., Gr. 6 & 7 Social Studies, Gr. 6 & 7
E. Faye Postle
Center
Center
Helen C. Curtis Anne Newton
Center
Jean Nicoll
Center
Elsie Minardi
Sunset Avenue
Edna Merithew
Cochesett
Principal, Gr. 3, 4, & 5
Myrtle A. Ryan
Cochesett
Grade 5 Grades 3 & 4 Grade 2 Grades 1 & 2
Grades 1 & 2
144
We have been fortunate in securing the services of the fol- lowing teachers:
Name
School
Degree B. S.
Grade or Subject
Elizabeth A. Carbonara
High
Eng., Soc. St., Art, Phy. Ed. Gr. 8
Winthrop E. Jackson
High
A. B.
Social Studies
Katherine H. Johnson
High
Commercial & Phy. Ed.
Roger G. Viens
High
A. B.
Sciences & Geometry
Richard Farrell
Center
B. S.
Principal, Soc. St.,
Art, Gr. 5, 6, & 7 Grade 4
Geraldine Alfieri
Center
B. S.
Elizabeth Hallisey
Center
B. S.
Math., Gr. 5, 6, & 7
M. Evelyn Murphy
Center
Grade 2
Mary Condon
Sunset Avenue
B. S. Grades 4 & 5
Patricia Froio
Sunset Avenue
Grade 1
Elizabeth W. Nelson ·
Cochesett
Principal, Grades 3, 4, 5
Anne O'Keefe
Cochesett
Grades 1 & 2
It is generally conceded by educators and others who have made a thorough investigation of the situation that teachers have been very much underpaid for the service they are expected to render. Nation-wide recognition has been given to the belief that now we must not only adjust teachers' salaries to meet the cost of living, but we must also raise the level of pay within the profession if we are to be able to hire the type of person we want teaching in our class rooms. West Bridgewater has always paid salaries comparable to the salaries in neighboring towns. The in- creases authorized by the School Committee effective March 15, retroactive to January 1, 1947, may appear large in the total budget increase, but they simply make it possible for West Bridgewater to compete with neighboring towns in the hiring of teachers. Our maximum salary for Elementary School teachers is $2,100, and neighboring towns range from $2,000 to $2,250. The National Education Association and the State Commissioner of Education recommend a minimum salary of $2,400. A bill to be presented to the legislature this year establishes the minimum
145
salary at $1,800. In refering to new school plant later I shall ex- plain the probability of greatly increased State Aid for Education.
PUPIL DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSFERS
An analysis of the School Membership, a part of this report, will show one of the problems which confronts the School Committee.
The problem is how to distribute pupils in Town to the best advantage. This year we have moved grades four and five from Jerusalem to the Center School. This involved the transfer of only 9 children, but the move reduced from five to three classes the teacher at Jerusalem teaches now. Multiple grades under one teacher are undesirable because the time a teacher can de- vote to a pupil is restricted. Modern school systems have en- tirely eliminated this undesirable practice, but new housing has usually been necessary. If it were possible to consolidate grades in the outlying districts, we could begin to reduce multiple grades, but the three schools at the Center, Sunset Avenue, and Cochesett are already at capacity, and it would be undesirable to move Primary pupils to buildings where they would have to take cold lunches.
One of the worst situations exists at Center School in grades 1 and 2. For the third year these two grades of about 60 pupils are meeting in one room with a teacher instructing each grade. At present we have a canvas partition between the two grades. It is my belief that the State Department of Public Safety will not allow continued use of this room as now operated. Our prob- lem is now to find housing outside of the present school plant to relieve this room. Any temporary solution will not be desir- able. Some classes at the High School building are now meeting in the Assembly hall because of lack of room elsewhere. Until the parents of children in our schools actively demand something better these deplorable situations will continue to exist. An ad-
146
dition to existing structures is to perpetrate on the Town a con- tinuance of the action which causes present inadequacies through- out our Town services. Until parents become thoroughly aroused to the necessity of new housing and actively insist on action through Town Meeting to provide for our needs, those who op- pose spending money for schools and place other needs ahead of adequate housing for our children will succeed in blocking expenditures for school houses.
TEXT BOOKS
The program of the last three years to provide new and better text books has been slowed down this year and will be next year because of radically increased prices of books. The present estimate of increased cost is 50% as is the case with school supplies. In view of the heavy increases in the school budget this year it is not the plan to increase the text book bud- get as much as 50%, and, therefor, the number of books we shall be able to replace will be somewhat smaller.
TESTING PROGRAM AND GUIDANCE
Last year we began a comprehensive program for the test- ing of the mental ability and achievement by subject of all pupils. With the data we secured from these tests, we now have 'a fairly complete picture of the strength and weakness of our educational offering. Generally speaking, West Bridgewater pu- pils show proficiency in English and in the Social Studies, and a severe weakness in arithmetic and computation. This is true from grades 4 through 12. The mental level of pupils in the schools is average in comparison with children throughout the country. As a result of these findings I secured from the State Department of Education a recently prepared instructional man- ual for teachers of arithmetic which has not yet been printed by the Department, but which I have had mimeographed and put into the hands of every teacher of arithmetic. I then secured the
147
help of Miss Stone of Salem Teachers' College who came to West Bridgewater to help teachers in the improvement of the teaching of arithmetic. Furthermore, we have increased the in- structional supplies for the teaching of arithmetic. It is our hope and belief that there will be marked improvement in the achieve- ment of pupils in this vitally important subject field.
Last Spring I asked that the eighth grade achievement test in arithmetic be given to the members of the graduating class and asked that a remedial class be organized to improve the Senior's understanding of simple arithmetic. Apparently it was impossible to organize the course last Spring, but such a class will be organized in the coming year.
The testing program will be conducted annually not only because it provides a scientific basis for the administrative re- direction of emphasis of teaching, but also because it provides every teacher with essential information about her individual pupils which makes possible more skillful educational guidance.
INSTRUCTION-TEACHING
As a result of the testing program, an analysis of the text book used and the allocation of time to subjects in the various schools, and the recognition by high school teachers of a wide range of learning in pupils from different schools, it becomes apparent that there is too little correlation and integration in the instructional program within the school system. In part, this problem is being met by introducing a similar text book in all of the schools, but major improvement will come as a result of a study which the superintendent has asked the teachers to make for the purpose of integrating their teaching. Teacher commit- tees are being appointed to investigate the offerings in a given subject from grades 1 through grade 12, so that there may be continued pupil progress from grade 1 to grade 12, whether the pupil begins his work at Matfield or Center School. As a result
148
of this study we shall be able to fill in the gaps which now exist in the program and eliminate the waste of unnecessary duplica- tion at different grade levels.
INSTRUCTIONAL-PROGRAM
ELEMENTARY
In the elementary schools we have a reasonably good sub- ject offering, but eventually greater emphasis must be given to such fields as: science, health and safety, and art. At the pres- ent time instruction in these fields is incidental and is not planned for schools throughout the system because teachers or text books are not available and will not be until we can replace text books in the basic subjects which are inadequately supplied.
HIGH SCHOOL
A major overhauling of the high school instructional pro- gram appeared essential last year in order that the program should be modern and comparable to the offering in progressive high schools throughout the state. As a result, Mr. Lindell and I last year began the reorganization of the program and this Fall with out competent staff of teachers, it has been possible to introduce most of the desired changes. For detailed information concerning these changes I refer you to Mr. Lindell's report which follows.
The major reorganization in the High School is in the ad- dition of the Activity period which makes possible within the school day the Club period to provide for pupils' social growth, the remedial period which provides an opportunity for teachers to give intensive individual attention to pupils who need it, the guidance period which gives every teacher the opportunity to work with pupils individually in helping them to adjust to the educational program and home study, and direction and help in selecting and preparing for a Vocation.
It is my belief that a definite part of the offering in the high
149
school program is the attention our boys and girls get through both competitive and non-competitive play and physical con- ditioning. Health stands as the number one cardinal objective of education, and competitive athletics does much more than provide an interesting afternoon or evening for spectators. The winning of basketball or football games is of minor significance in terms of the objective of the sport. Rather, the opportunity which competitive play presents for training in sportsmanship and fair play, cooperative endeavor, and the development of a unity within the schools with the consequent boost of pupils' morale-these things are of prime importance.
As is emphasized in the Harvard Committee Report, "Gen- eral Education in a Free Society," American society since 1900 has experienced a minor revolution in our way of living, in eco- nomics, and in political philosophy. Schools are required to train pupils for living in their own generation and this change in our society has forced upon the high schools a change in their pro- grams. This plus the fact that since 1900, membership in high schools has increased 90%, while only 10% to 20% go on to college has meant that a major responsibility of the high school is for those children who do not continue their education. Among the school's major tasks are Vocational direction if not prepara- tion, training for citizenship, and training for successful living in our complex modern society. There has naturally, therefore, been a slackening emphasis on purely an academic training for this 90% and increased attention to Vocational training and guidance in social and economic consciousness. The change in the program offering effective this year brings the West Bridge- water High School rather well into line with this thinking. How- ever, until we can expand the offering in Household Arts for girls and in General Shop for boys, we shall be far from meeting the ideal. Because of lack of facilities and adequate housing, we shall not be able to improve our offering in these fields for the
150
time being. Greater space for both activities and standard, safe, power machinery for the shop are required.
SCHOOL MILK
This year it has been possible to secure the assistance of the State and Federal governments in providing milk at low cost for the children in all the schools in West Bridgewater. The State and Federal governments are interested in improving the gen- eral health of school children and make available .02 for every bottle of milk which is sold in the schools. As a result of this ad- dition, the sale of milk in the schools has doubled, and in one school here where no milk was sold there is now a large sale.
MAINTENANCE
As has been true during the war years, this year too has been a difficult period in which to carry on the work of repairing of school buildings and grounds. The cost of material and labor and the inferior quality of paint have acted to retard major outlay for maintenance. However, it became necessary to replace the burned out furnace at the Center school, and because of scarcity of material and labor it took seven months to complete this work. Because of absolute necessity the sash and trim at schools in Jerusalem and Matfield were painted. We have also erected a steel fence around the school lot at Cochesett. Part of the equip- ment for swings on our playgrounds has been purchased, and the swings will be erected in the coming year.
I present here the reports of the Principals and Supervisors.
January 3, 1947
Mr. Arthur B. Lord, Jr. Superintendent of Schools
West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
As Principal of Howard High School, I have the honor to submit my annual report, covering the year of 1946.
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The sudden and unexpected end of World War II plunged all educational institutions into a period of rapid adjustment from a wartime to a peacetime basis. Our own adjustments be- gan immediately following the war's end, and they have con- tinued through the last year. Some of these changes were men- tioned in my report of last year.
The most significant developments have come within the area of the school's curriculum, both in educational philosophy and its adaptation to the subject offerings.
A careful and exhaustive study of the best present and pro- posed program of studies for junior and senior high schools was made. Within the scope of this survey was included a recent re- port of a state-wide committee sponsored by the State Depart- ment of Education. The recommendations of this committee, representing some of the best educational thinking in this field, was heavily drawn upon in formulating our final draft of a six- year program of study designed to meet the needs of the junior- senior high school pupils in West Bridgewater. In September, this program became effective with a number of modifications made necessary by the limitations imposed by the five-grade high school organization, the buildings facilities, and the insuf- ficient teacher personnel.
The changes in subject offerings were important, but neither radical or extensive. They include opportunities for shop and household arts through the five grades, the location of plane geometry in. grade 10, and location of second year algebra in grade 11 instead of grade 12, and the substitution of sociology and economics for problems of democracy in grade 12.
In the mimeographed program of study there is listed for each pupil a period labeled "activity." This term refers to a per- iod in the daily schedule in which various types of activities are conducted. Among the activities now included or planned are assemblies, class activities, remedial work, guidance and clubs.
152
It has long been recognized that there exists many educa- tional values other than those derived from subject matter alone. It has also been long recognized that to make possible the maxi- mum of opportunity and educational value much, if not all, of the so called extra-curriculum activities should find an approp- riate place in the regular hours of the school.
An excellent illustration in point is the development of club programs in secondary schools. For many years, most clubs were active only outside of regular school hours. With the coming of the junior high school over forty years ago, the club program soon received new emphasis and encouragement. Designed pri- marily for exploratory and pupil development purposes, clubs found regular places in the junior high school schedule. Although clubs have been included in the senior high school for some time, it is a comparatively recent development to have the entire pro- gram viewed with such educational merit that no progressive secondary school can long justify its exclusion from the regular class schedule. In addition to producing a more natural and less formal environment for learning and democratic living, the club offers broad opportunities, not possible in the regular formal classes, for the training, development, and extension of the pu- pils' individual needs and interests.
In the process of organizing the club program in Howard High School, a list of seventeen faculty sponsored clubs were submitted to the pupils for them to select their first, second and third choices. From a tabulation of this information nine clubs were selected to start our program. The nine clubs now in full operation are: automobile safety, boys' cooking, camera, dramat- ics, music, nature, operators, pep and pre-flight. At the present time, these clubs meet in active programs once a week, and on the whole the general reactions of everyone seems to be defin- itely favorable.
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Guidance, including personal, educational and vocational work, is a must for all modern schools. Although recognized as an important function of the secondary school, locally, the growth and development of a sound guidance program has been hampered by the lack of trained personnel, heavy teaching sched- ules, inadequate facilities, and the lack of sufficient time in the regular schedule. The newly organized activity period provides an opportunity to lay the foundation for an adequate guidance program. Plans for such a program are sufficiently well formu- lated to anticipate its functioning very soon. Provisions are being made for the recording of pertinent information about each pu- pil, testing, individual counselling, group guidance classes, and follow-up work. Our greatest handicaps will be the lack of suffi- cient trained personnel, funds, facilities, and time for individual counselling.
Many educators believe class periods greater in length than the traditional 45 minutes provide better learning situations than the shorter period. Among the benefits advanced is the opportunity made available for study under the direct super- vision of the subject teacher. During the greater part of the period, the usual classroom learning activities take place. After the outside-of-class assignment has been given, however, the pupils remain in the room for work on their assignments. At this time, the subject teacher observes the pupils at work, corrects faulty study habits, gives additional instruction whenever nec- essary, and engages in other activities that improve the indiv- idual's learning process. The emphasis is definitely upon the im- provement in learning and not upon the elimination or the re- duction of homework. Preliminary surveys reveal an over-all learning situation of great promise.
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