USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1862-1866 > Part 5
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At the opening of the school, the standard of scholarship for admission was low, ranking no higher than our present
72
grammar schools ; and the school was at once filled, num- bering the first year 213, with an average attendance of 162. Either by ele vating the requirements for admission, or by decrease of popular favor this number was grad- ually reduced to an average attendance of 77 in the year '54. Since that time the number has steadily gained. We believe it evinces an increase of public confidence, and in- dicates some of the results of the admirable administration of our efficient superintendent, that, although the standard for admission now is higher than ever before, the past year has shown the school full to overflowing, having an aggre- gate attendance of 230, with an average of 197.
The number applying for admission last May was 85. Impartiality in the examination was secured by substitut- ing numbers for the names of the applicants and by using printed questions. 70 on a scale of 100 was fixed as the minimum grade to be admitted. It is a satisfactory testimony to the general superiority of our public schools that with the best impartiality nearly all of those rejected came from private schools.
From Mr. Newton's Grammar School admitted 42, rejected 3.
" Mr. Hunt's 66
29 none.
other schools
8 5.
The number from Mr. Hunt's school was small because some had been promoted six months previously.
At the commencement of the year the committee and teachers after careful consideration revised the course of study. The Classical course was made to conform strictly to the requirements at Harvard College. The English course was made more systematic and complete. Paley's Theology and Butler's Analogy were omitted, and Smellie's Philosophy of natural history was introduced. Grammar and Arithmetic were stricken from the first year, requiring the Grammar schools to finish these studies. More time was assigned to History. The studies in Natural Science
73
were placed in proper succession,-natural philosophy, chemistry, physiology, botany, or zoology, physical geog, raphy ; and the course was so arranged that there should be constantly one study in natural science, one in mathemat- ics and one in English language and literature. Latin and French were made elective so that the purely English course would be complete in itself and entitle the scholar to the honors of graduation and a diploma. In the senior year provision was made for a Normal class in which should be given a comprehensive, review with reference to teach- ing, of Grammar, Arithmetic, Geography and map-drawing ; and for a Commercial class in arithmetic, book-keeping and the Constitution and organization of the National government. The schedule of studies as now pursued will be found appended to this report. The year's trial of this arrangement gives satisfactory proof that it is received with favor and promises excellent results. Close adherence to this order will greatly improve the previous lax methods and wide latitude in selection of studies. Systematic in- struction in vocal music twice a week has been recently commenced and promises well, Drawing also, with the principles of perspective, has been taught with success. It only remains to introduce the physical exercises which have found favor so largely of late, and the committee believe that the course of instruction in our High School will meet and fulfil the desire of the community.
Number in the English Course 104
Classical 28
Normal 13
Commercial 9
Irregular 29
Studying French 50
It is to be regretted that so small a proportion of those entering the school remain to complete the course. The number falls off each year and the graduating class is always
74
small. This is true however throughout the school system, from the primary schools upward, and is occasioned chiefly by outside causes beyond our reach or direct control. Yet we hope that increased interest in the studies, the stimulus of the medals, the honors of graduation, and the more practical and popular arrangement of the fourth year stud- ies may retain a larger number than hitherto. The past year's catalogue shows the following :
Ex-Seniors
-
8
Seniors
-
-
28
Juniors
-
39
Second year
.
-
43
First year -
-
-
77
Irregular -
-
-
34
229
Total,
The appendix will show some further statistics.
The number preparing for college is never large. The records show that for several years past there have been but three or four each year, nearly all of whom have gone to Yale have entered successfully, and during their course there have taken an extraordinary proportion of the prizes and honors, especially in composition, declamation and de- bate. From the class of '62, two went to Yale, one to Amherst and one to Harvard! The committee believe that the course as now arranged and the instruction now given will prepare for Harvard any boy with fair abilities and application. It is but justice to mention that the last class is the only one that has passed through the entire school course in charge of the present principal and that each member entered college successfully and without conditions.
Soon after its organization the school, by a gift of $750, from Hon. S. Salisbury, by the proceeds of a course of lectures by the principal, Mr. Smith, amounting to $600, and by liberal appropriations of its founders, was endowed
75
with books, maps, globes and philosophical apparatus, ad- mirable for the time, then estimated as worth in all $1800. The report for 1847 says, "owing to the very great liberal- ity of one of our worthy citizens and the untiring zeal and industry of the principal of the school, such a philosophi- cal apparatus as cannot probably be found in any other school town in Massachusetts, and if not in Massachusetts, then not in the United States, may be seen on the shelves of the library room of the Walnut St. school house in Worcester. It is believed there is not a more commodious, neat and comfortable school house or a more complete philosophical apparatus possessed by any town in the country."
It is sad that this generous enthusiasm, accompanying the early enterprise and making it the pride and honor of the town, should have been suffered to die away and be so largely displaced by barren criticism and complaint. It is impossible to repeat the boast of former years to-day. The progress of eighteen years has left Worcester far behind many smaller cities in the endowment of her High School. Yet a small annual appropriation for library and apparatus, and the fostering care of private liberality, following the generous example given at the start, would have kept our school in the front rank in all the apparatus and ap- pointments that furnish facilities for culture,
A visit to any first class High School of neighboring cities shames our neglect. How can the finest results be expected unless the best tools are furnished ? Our school should have ample supply of Encyclopedias and the best books of reference in every department of its study. It should have upon its walls photographs of classical scenes and architecture and works of art that should familiariz the pupils with renowned places and objects of beauty. Raised maps of the world and its chief divisions should keep before the eye and imprint upon the memory a pic- ture of the contour of the earth's surface as no ordinary
76
study of geography can. Models of machinery should inspire new zest and furnish point and application to math- ematical and scientific study. In short, our present mr des of instruction, addressed almost exclusively to the car, neglect its companion, the eye. We use but half the op- portunity nature affords. Book teaching is made doubly interesting and impressive when accompanied by picture and object teaching. Why shall we not gladly accept every avenue nature opens and through ear and eye together pour information to the intellect and stimulus to the spirit. In vain do we find fault and demand the highest while we fail to furnish the proper facilities. The generous gift of the medal fund has given in its own way perceptible stim- ulus to study. In no better way could a similar private munificence serve the interests of education in our city than by meeting this remaining need in our High School.
The scholars have done what little they could to remedy the deficiency. By the proceeds of a Christmas [ festival and a summer excursion to Newport they have created a fund of $300 which has been expended in chemicals, pho- tographs, books and other conveniences. They have thus generously added to the library many valuable volumes, among which may be found Grote's Greece, Gibbon's Rome, Hume's England, Bancroft's and Hildreth's histories of the United States, Grant White's edition of Shakspeare, Pres- cott's and Irving's works, and Barnard's fine works on ed- ucation.
They have also shown a commendable zeal and enterprise in editing and publishing their school paper, the Thesaurus, at a cost of $100 per annum, and by its successful sale making it self-sustaining.
The High School building, a good one for its day, is already outgrown by the progress of the city. Its seats are filled and its small recitation rooms overcrowded and inconvenient. Experience also has shown that many dis- advantages attend the seating of one hundred scholars in a
77
single room. Noise and interruption are thus multiplied and each disturbance affects one hundred scholars. The difficulty to any teacher of exercising close supervision over so many renders the highest discipline impracticable. Our school also lacks fit and convenient retiring or dressing room for either sex. No suitable place is given the girls for private adjustment of their apparel. Even the decent accommodations for cleanliness furnished by a second rate hotel are wanting. The influence of surroundings is scarcely to be measured. One of the first means toward securing refinement in habits and manners is to place one amid the elegancies that suggest and demand it. Especially strong is this influence upon the young. Well says an old school report, "The festering corruption and contagion of vile thoughts which have caused many parents to tremble for their children have often had their cause in false econ- omy in school house arrangements."
It will be a glad day for the school when the city sha l feel able to devote the present building to a Grammar School, already greatly needed, and build a new house adequate to its wants and arranged as recent improvements in school architecture have shown desirable. For the present, however, much advantage to the discipline and prosperity of the school would be secured by the addition and alterations now proposed by the building committee.
11
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SUB-COMMITTEES APPOINTED BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF WORCESTER FOR THE YEAR 1863.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
ON SCHOOL HOUSES :-
Messrs. Bemis, T. K. Earle, Woodworth, Clark, and Magennis. ON BOOKS AND APPARATUS :-
Messrs. Shippen, A. Firth, Daniels, J. Firth, and Goddard. ON EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS :-
Superintendent, ex-officio, Shippen, Power, Williams, and Allen. ON FINANCE :- Mayor, Superintendent, Edward Earle, Barker, and Newton. ON CONFERENCE :-
Mayor, Superintendent, Daniels, Lamb, and Hamilton.
VISITING COMMITTEES.
CLASSICAL AND ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL.
.
Principal. WALNUT STREET, Ilarris R. Greene,
Committee.
Messrs. Shippen, Power. Bemis, T. K. Earle, and Williams.
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS,-HIGHER GRADE.
Principals.
Committees. Messrs. Bemis, Goddard and Hamilton.
THOMAS STREET, James H. Newton,
SYCAMORE STREET,
Addison A. Hunt,
Ed. Earle, Lamb, and Daniels.
Miss E. Manly,
T. Earle, T. K. Earle, and Rice.
SALEM STREET,
Miss M. A. Willard,
Newton, Allen, and Clark.
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS,-LOWER GRADE.
THOMAS STREET,
Principals. Miss E. M. Hawes, Miss O. A. George, Miss C. A. George,
Committees. Messrs. Power and J. Firth.
Newton and Shippen.
SYCAMORE STREET,
Woodworth and Gale.
PLEASANT STREET,
Miss H. M. Walker,
.. Williams and Lamb.
ASH STREET,
.
Miss A. E. Ayres,
Magennis and Hamilton.
NEW WORCESTER,
Miss E. E. Crane,
Power and Newton.
SALEM STREET,
Miss H. Whitney,
66 A. Firth and Baldwin.
SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
Committees.
THOMAS STREET,
Principals. Mrs. E. II. Coe,
Messrs. Holmes and J. Firth.
SUMMER STREET,
Miss S. B. Lamb,
Daniels and Baldwin.
Miss T. S. Nichols,
T. K. Earle and J. Firth.
79
MAIN STREET,
Miss K. A. Meade,
66
T. Earle and Gates.
PLEASANT STREET, Miss C. Hewitt,
66 Lamb and Allen.
66 Miss H. A. Greene,
Edward Earle and Clark.
SYCAMORE STREET, 66
Miss H. E. Lamb,
16 Barker and Magennis.
SALEM STREET,
Miss R. Barnard,
Bemis and T. Earle.
ASH STREET,
Miss C. N. Follett,
Woodworth and Clark.
PROVIDENCE STREET, Miss M. S. Maynard,
60 Barker and Woodworth.
NEW WORCESTER,
Miss M. M. Lawton,
Newton and Power.
VOCAL MUSIC.
Teachers.
HIGH AND GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, Amos Whiting, SECONDARY Mrs. Wm. Sumner.
Committee. S Messrs. Power, Shippen and Allen.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
Principals.
Committees.
THOMAS STREET,
Miss R. A. Merrill,
Messrs. Rice and Gale,
SUMMER STREET,
Miss E. G. Chenery.
T. K. Earle and Goddard.
MAIN STREET,
Miss S. J. Newton,
J. Firth and Lamb.
PLEASANT STREET,
Miss L. A. Wilmarth,
Williams and Barker.
SYCAMORE STREET,
Miss S. W. Clements, Miss M. J. Mack, Miss M. Hobbs,
Baldwin and Shippen.
FRONT STREET,
.
Miss K. Hobbs,
Clark and Newton,
TEMPLE STREET,
Miss 11. Hathaway,
Hamilton and Magennis.
SUB PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
THOMAS STREET, SUMMER STREET, MAIN STREET,
PLEASANT STREET, SYCAMORE STREET,
Miss E. P. Palmer, Miss M. A. Smith,
Allen and A. Firth.
ASH STREET, 66
FRONT STREET,
66
Miss A. Pratt Miss C. M. Draper,
Clark and Goddard.
EAST WORCESTER,
Miss C. I. Putnam, Miss L. A- Perry. Miss M. E. Lovell.
Woodworth and Power.
6. Gates and Holmes.
Allen and Gale.
PROVIDENCE STREET, Miss E. L. Pond,
Goddard and Magennis.
NEW WORCESTER
Miss L. Pratt,
Bemis and T. K. Earle
ADULT SCHOOLS.
Principa's.
YOUNG MEN'S SCHOOL, Thomas Wheelock, EVENING SCHOOL. Thomas Wheelock,
Committees. Messrs. Edward Earle and Gale.
Williams and Holmes.
Bemis and Gates.
6. Daniels and Barker,
Magennis and Woodworth.
Miss H. M. Shattuck,
A. Firth and T. Earle,
Miss II. A. Bigelow,
Allen and T. Earle. Woodworth and J. Firth.
Principals. Miss S. L. Phillips, Miss M. A. Slater,
Miss S. S. Bannister, Miss II. N. Perry,
Shippen and 1'. Earle.
ASH STREET,
Newton and Woodworth.
SALEM STREET,
Miss C. R. Clements,
Baldwin and Rice.
Committees. Messrs. Power, Barker, and Magennis. .6 Magennis, Power, and Rice.
80
SUBURBAN SCHOOLS.
TATNUCK,
Principals. Miss S. A. Henshaw,
Miss A. C. Smith,
Visiting Committees. Messrs. T. K. Earle and Barker, VALLEY FALLS, Messrs. Lamb and Clark, LEESVILLE,
Prudential Committees. E F. Chamberlain
J. W. Lamson.
Miss A. H. Barnes,
Messrs. J. Firth and Allen, SOUTH WORCESTER,
John F. Boice,
Miss E. Whitney,
Messrs. Goddard and Hamilton, Ebenezer Cox.
QUINSIGAMOND,
Miss A. D. Burdon,
Messrs. Gale and Woodworth, D. H. Perry.
BLITHEWOOD,
Miss D. Rowland Messrs. Hamilton and T. K. Earle, Charles Wesson. POND,
Miss M. A. Pratt, Messrs. Gates and Power, Henry Prentice.
ADAMS SQUARE.
Miss C. F .. Ayres,
Messrs. Shippen and T. K. Earle, G. A. Barnard.
BURNCOAT PLAIN.
Miss H. N. Chase,
Messrs. Lamb and Rice, NORTHVILLE.
Willard P. Knight.
Miss C. E. Barnard,
Messrs. Edw. Earle and Daniels, Samuel Warren.
NORTH POND.
Miss S. M. Hastings,
Messrs. J. Firth and Williams, G. P. Rogers.
Miss K. G. Crane,
CHAMBERLAIN. Messrs. Baldwin and Clark, G. A. Chamberlain,
D. WALDO LINCOLN, MAYOR, Ex-officio President of the Board. J. D. E. JONES. SUPT.
81
THE HIGH SCHOOL MEDAL FUND.
In November, 1859, Hon. A. H. Bullock, mayor of the city, made a donation of ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS as a per- manent fund, the annual income of which should be appro- priated, under the direction of the school committee, for the encouragement of merit in scholarship and deportment in both sexes, in the high school of Worcester. The city council, in accepting the gift, and in accordance with the preferences of the donor, gave to it the name of the High School Medal Fund. The school committee, desirous of using the fund to encourage worthy ambition for honorable distinction, founded upon good character and good schol- arship, took the subject into thoughtful consideration, and on the 2d of November, at a full meeting of the board, adopted the following resolve, which is submitted as a part of these regulations.
HOW APPROPRIATED.
Resolved, That the income of the fund of one thousand dollars, which has been placed at the disposal of the board by the munificent liberality of the Hon. A. H. Bullock, mayor of the city of Worces- ter, be annually appropriated to the purchase of twenty silver medals, of uniform size, appearance and value, for distribution as prizes among the scholars of the high school, and that at the end of each school year on the last day thereof, these prizes shall be publicly awarded as fol- lows :
CLASSES OF MEDALS.
Four medals for excellence in Deportment,-under which term shall be included good morals, good manners, industry and assiduity, reg-
82
ularity, punctuality, and every description of honorable and merito- rious conduct.
Four medals for excellence in Classical Studies.
Four medals for excellence in Mathematics.
Four medals for excellence in English Studies,-which shall be deemed to include all branches taught in the school, except those for which the other prizes are especially offered.
And one medal for excellence in cach of the following branches: composition, declamation, reading and French.
WHO MAY COMPETE FOR THE MEDALS.
All who shall have been members of the school during the entire year, with the exception only of temporary absences, for sufficient excuses, shall be candidates for medals, each in the studies which he or she has pursued ; but only one medal shall be awarded to any scholar in a year, and no one shall receive a medal, who has, during the year, been guilty of any serious misconduct or gross violation of the rules of the school.
When the merits of any scholar shall have been such, that he or she would be entitled to a prize in more than one department, that fact shall be publicly announced, and the medal shall be awarded for excellence in all the branches in which it has been deserved.
ELECTION OF A BOARD OF JUDGES.
The school commi tee, at the commencement of each school year, shall elect five gentlemen, none of whom shall be members of that board, to act as judges in the award of the foregoing prizes; who shall be governed in their decision by the marks of the scholars for recitation and deportment during the year, by their appearance and proficiency at the school examinations, and such other modes of as- certaining their comparative merits as they may think fit to employ.
BULLOCK MEDALS.
The Bullock Medals were first awarded at the annual examination in 1860.
83
The names of the medal scholars for each year are here appended.
1860.
Caroline A. Ballord,
Emma L. Metcalf.
Fannie E. Mills,
Henry H. Chamberlain,
Fannie W. Cummings,
William H. Drury,
John F. Dryden,
Maria S. Eaton,
Hattie A. Smith,
Helen A. Wilder,
Job Williams, Joanna C. Woodbury.
1861.
Caroline Barnard,
Isabella A. Chase,
Fannie W. Cummings,
Minna S. Fitch,
Mary E. Greene,
Loise P. Grosvenor, Charles S. Hall,
Mary A. Harrington,
Henry P. Holmes, Claudius M. Jones,
Mary G. B. Wheeler, Miriam B. Whiton, Joanna C. Woodbury, George D. Woodbury.
Anna E. Aldrich, Caroline Barnard, Isabella A. Chase, Fanny H. Coe,
F. R. Firth, Mary E. Farley,
Eliza F. Forbes, Lizzie E. Goodwin,
Charles S. Hall,
Esther M. Harrington,
1862.
M. Louise Jenks, Preston D. Jones, Mary A. Metcalf, Emma S. Morse, John W. Partridge, Julie A. Rockwood, Lillian Sanderson,
Dexter Tiffany, Mary F. Wentworth, Mary G. B. Wheeler.
Edward L. Barnard,
Sara A. Moore, Amelia Nixon,
Mary F. Sargent, Abbie C. Smith,
Mary E. Estabrook,
Mary T. Magennis,
Julia M. Martin,
Albert E. Lamb,
Frances M. Lincoln, Alma Morse, Emma S. Morse,
Henry B. O'Reilly,
Frederick S. Pratt,
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REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON BULLOCK PRIZE MEDALS,-1862.
The committee of citizens appointed to award the Bul- lock Prize Medals have attended to their duty and report as follows :
In the departments of declamation and reading they have held a public oral examination; in. the departments of composition and drawing they have carefully inspected the specimens submitted to them. In all the other departments they have instituted private written examinations, under their own exclusive direction.
In these examinations the pupils were allowed two hours for each set of questions, and not allowed to consult books or leave the room, during that time. The questions were not previously submitted to even the teachers, though necessarily based upon their general reports of the ground passed over by the several classes. The answers of the pupils in each department were collected by the committee when finished, and examined and marked without the co-operation of the teachers. The marks thus given were compared with the annual av- erage of each pupil in that department, as ascertained from the school registers ; and a mean between these two gave the exact standing of each pupil in each department. All this was done without the knowl- edge on the part of the committee of the name of any pupil with whom they were dealing; every paper being marked with a number only, and the list of names corresponding to these numbers not being given to the committee till after the awards were all made.
It is believed that this method is as thorough and accurate as any which can be adopted. No oral examination can possibly bear equally on all, and to award the prizes without examination would make these a mere reflex of the opinions of the teachers. But every good teacher welcomes a thorough written examination, made by competent persons from outside; it sums up the year's attainments of the scholars, dis- tinguishes those who have learned superficially from those who have learned thoroughly, and reminds the pupils that they are answerable to the community as well as to their instructors. It even tends to correct the limitations of the teachers themselves, by suggesting standards other than their own.
The committee have to report with pleasure a most cordial interest
85
in the examination, on the part of ail concerned. In every depart. ment, the papers were received with eagerness, and in almost every one, they were answered with labor and care. If there was any ex- ception, it was in the few departments where several incongruous classes have to be reached by one set of questions,-as in history and English literature,-and where some of the classes found to their dis- appointment that the questions went beyond the range of their studies.
It is not the function of this committee to criticise the school, but only to compare the scholars. It is not however improper to say that the school appeared favorably. There seems a very healthy tone of thought and feeling, a high standard of honor and integrity, and a cordial relation between teachers and pupils. The range of acquire- ments in the institution is certainly not so great as in some high schools ; but whether this advantage is not gained by a grievous standard of over-work in other places, is a different question. The hours of labor in this school are reasonable; no small merit, now that the evils of excessive labor are so manifest in our educational system. The great point is, that what is learned should be learned well; and in this re- spect, though the result of our examination has not been triumphant, it has not been discreditable.
In one department, however, it is safe to venture on more decided commendation. The prize compositions were certainly very creditable, in thought, expression and even mechanical execution-for as writing is not taught in the school, it was an agreeable surprise to the com- mittee to find it generally so good. The best compositions indicated careful and elaborate preparation ; and there were some, evidently by juvenile pupils and probably written without a hope of the prize, which gave much promise for the future. And in the judgment of the only member of the committee who has served two years, the comparison with last year's compositions is so remarkbly favorable, that the prize medal for 1862, in this department, is an honor at least twenty-five per cent. greater than the same prize for 1861.
Having mentioned the most favorable aspect of the examinations of this year, the committee may perhaps venture to speak of one less favorable; namely, the exhibition of declamation. In almost all school declamation, there is a tendency towards one of two extremes ; towards either the wooden style or the exaggerated style. In this school there is very little of the wooden. The speakers generally
86
eame forward easily, stood well on their feet, and used their arms and voices freely. The tendency was all the other way, to an excess of the dramatic, and the committee have felt bound to mark by their award their appreciation of a simple, earnest, dignified, easy mode of utterance as a thing superior to any style which, however good in other respects, bears any taint of exaggeration.
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