USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Agawam > Town of Agawam, Massachusetts annual report 1921-1925 > Part 26
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In other words, the curriculum of our public schools from the first grade throughout the high school course should be so shaped as to produce tangible results in the above mentioned ob- jectives.
In my first report, that of 1922, I' surveyed the Junior- Senior High School in the light of these objectives. In this re-
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port I propose to treat of the Elementary Schools in the same res- pect but with this exception, since some of the objectives are more adapted to secondary education I will take up those three which have special relation to the elementary schools. What, then, are the accomplishments of your elementary schools in the light of the three following objectives? (1) Health; (2) Command of the Fundamental Processes; (3) Worthy Use of Leisure Time.
2. Health.
By most educators health is considered the most essential of all of the seven objectives. Health has had, however, in the past a hard struggle to gain a foothold in the curriculum of the public schools of our country. At the present time it is mak- ing rapid headway. What is its status in Agawam? We will make this report from two points of view: (1) Health Super- vision ; (2) Health Instruction.
1. In the field of health supervision are found, in particu- lar, the duties of Dr. Corcoran, our school physician, and Mrs. M. L. Black, our school nurse. Their report is submitted at this point.
Report of the School Nurse and School Doctor from Janu- ary 1925 to January 1926:
Number of Schools Visited
8
Number of Visits to Schools
773
Number of Visits to Homes 770
Number of Pupils Inspected 5763
Number of Treatments 349
Number of Pupils taken to Oculist
20
Number of Pupils taken to T. B. Clinic
33
Number of Cases of Scarlet Fever
19
Number of Cases of Whooping Cough
28
Number of Cases of Measles
2
Number of Cases of Chicken Pox
33
Number of Cases of German Measles
185
Number of Cases of Mumps
1
Number of Cases of Pediculosis
20
Number of Tonsils and Adenoids
210
Number of Defective Teeth
328
Number of Glands
640
Number of Cardiac Cases
10
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Number of Orthopedic Cases 9 Number of Malnutrition Cases 4 Number of Cases of Goiter 8
My sincere appreciation to the parents, superintendent, prin- cipals, and teachers for their courtesy and co-operation.
Respectfully submitted,
MARY LOUISE BLACK.
The importance of health supervision is beyond dispute, and it would be a great benefit to our pupils if this supervision could be extended so as to protect, in more adequate manner, the teeth of the children.
2. Health instruction is a new factor in our curriculum. The aim of this teaching is: (a) to establish positive health habits in the every day necessities: eating and drinking; playing and exercising out of doors; resting and sleeping ; keeping clean ; caring for the special organs of the body, particularly teeth and eyes; and hygienic dressing; and (b) to give proper information in the field of nutrition on such topics as the use of milk and fresh. vegetables and fruits in the diet; leisureliness and regularity in eating meals; reduced consumption of sugar; and elimination of tea and coffee.
Each teacher in the Agawam public schools is supplied with an outline of study covering the above mentioned factors.
Some of the particular means of health instruction are as follows :
In the first six grades a series of Health Readers are used. The list includes such books as the following: Land of Health; The Most Wonderful House in the World; Everyday Health ; and, A Journey to Healthland.
Health is correlated with the art work-health posters are made by all of the pupils. The big topics of these posters are- care of teeth, drinking milk, and obtaining proper sleep.
The children in each grade are measured and weighed five times during the school year, that is, once every two months. Milk is provided in each building, and pupils who are under weight are urged to drink the milk. The interest of the pupils in this procedure is evidenced by the fact that most cases of under
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weight are eliminated during the school year.
With the help and co-operation of the Mothers' Club a lunch room has been established in the Agawam Center School. This will make it possible to serve hot soups and cocoa to the many pupils who are compelled to remain in the building during the noon hour.
It will readily be seen that all of this program aims to establish in the mind of the child a health consciousness. I can think of no three habits more important for the school to give to the child than these, namely, to drink milk every day; to brush the teeth regularly; and to be interested in the health, comfort, and welfare of his friends and neighbors. Agawam is aiming to establish such a condition.
3. SAFETY: Safety is the latest child in the curriculum of studies. Safety is in such a close relationship to health that it seems to be in place at this point in my report. In your schools the following progress has been made in the field of safety.
An outline of a course of study in safety has been placed in each grade and a particular phase of the subject is daily presented to the pupils. Safety Councils have been organized in some of the schools and Safety Traffic Squads in all of them. Each school is making, from day to day, a safety project book, in which the newspaper accounts of all accidents which have taken place in this vicinity are recorded. The causes and results of these accidents are discussed by the pupils and teachers. The purpose of this book is to bring home to the pupil the fact that there is such a problem as that of safety and that he him- self holds, in a large measure, the key to the solution of the problem.
4. Command of the Fundamental Processes.
What are the fundamental processes? For the purpose of this report they may be considered the language arts and arith- metic. Under the heading language arts may be listed : reading, both oral and silent; composition; writing; and spelling. These subjects are of prime importance because they form the founda- tion upon which a future training of the mind depends. If good habits in these subjects are ingrained in the mind of the pupil while the pupil is in the elementary school, his progress will not be impeded in the Junior-Senior High School. It is my conten- tion that specific care must be given by teachers in the matter of
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fundamentals. Deep seated habits are not formed by any super- ficial, half hearted, hastily performed acts on the part of pupils. With this thought in mind, through the able direction and help of Miss Moulton, a course of study was placed in the hands of each teacher in 1923. The aim of this course was to set up standards in these fundamentals, and to suggest to teachers some of the best methods to be used in habituating these fundamentals. At the same time, the most up to date text books were adopted for use in teaching those subjects. Some of the texts adopted were as follows: The Winston Basal Readers, The Lewis and Rowland Silent Readers, The Horne-Asbaugh Spelling Book, The Essential Language Habits, and The Pilot Arithmetics.
A professional library has been established in each of the elementary schools, and most of the books placed therein have to do with the teaching of the fundamentals-such standard books as: How to Teach Reading by Pennell and Cusack; The Teaching of Reading by Klapper; The Teaching of Arithmetic by Stone; and Teaching Number Fundamentals by Hillegas. Good text books and professional books will not avail much in teaching unless the teaching force is made up of teachers who have high standards in their subjects, and who desire above all to put those standards across in the school room. In my judgment Agawam has such a teaching force. I will treat of the teaching staff in another part of my report. I submit the following data as evidence that we are making progress in the matter of funda- mentals: Fourteen per cent of our pupils in the elementary schools failed of promotion for the year ending June, 1923; for the year ending June, 1924, this per cent was reduced to 11; for the year ending June, 1925 only 9.3% failed to make the grade.
PROMOTION TABLE JUNE, 1925
School
No. on Roll
No. Promoted
No
Retarded
% Retarded
Agawam Center
251
226
25
9.9
North Agawam
284
262
22
7.7
Feeding Hills
161
146
15
9.3
Springfield St.
288
260
28
9.7
South School
31
28
3
9.6
Suffield St.
22
17
5
22.7
West St.
27
26
1
3.7
For the year
1064
965
99
9.3
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Some comparisons may be drawn from the fact that the per cent of retardation in the New York City elementary schools for the year 1923 was 11; for the city of Plymouth, Mass., for the year 1924, 13.
The Agawam teaching force is working to reduce retarda- tion to its very lowest terms, primarily, for two reasons; namely, (a) a low per cent of retardation decreases the educational bill for the town; (b) it removes discouragement from the mind of the pupil.
I have conducted two general faculty meetings for all teachers, principals, and supervisors of the Town since the open- ing of the school year, and in addition thereto have held two building meetings in each section of the Town. At these meetings the basic principles of the learning process such as the laws of habit formation, the laws of memorizing, and the laws of think- ing have been discussed in particular as to their bearing upon the mastery of the fundamental processes. At the same time no little attention has been devoted to the idea of the teacher as a zealot- a missionary or crusader for the cause of the pupil. The central thought is that no pupil is given up as impossible. In other words, that no teacher will permit anything to prevent her from exhausting every effort at her command in habituating as many as possible of her pupils in the fundamental processes. At the present writing it is apparent that the good per cent of 9 1/3 will be lowered in the June promotions.
5. Education for Leisure Time.
In the elementary schools there are three fields in which an effort is being made to train all pupils to make a proper use of leisure time, namely, music, art, and literature. In a certain measure the activities of the pupils on the play grounds contribute also to this end. There are selected books of good literature in all of your grades which are supplemented somewhat by the read- ing lists in the three libraries of the Town. The teachers are en- deavoring, with some signs of success, to teach the importance of the habit of reading and its relation to the use of leisure time.
The supervisors of art and music have presented their reports. I place them here in this report as that material fits into the sub- ject at hand.
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-
Mr. Benjamin J. Phelps, Superintendent of Schools,
Dear Sir :
The report of the Music Department from September, 1925, to January, 1926, is as follows :
Grade Schools.
Throughout the grades the general course in music has been continued as in previous years. This course-The Weaver sys- tem-has for its purpose and aim (1st) to develop the child's in- dependence and ability in accurate singing through sight reading, (2nd) to provide a means of self expression and emotional devel- opment for each individual child through song singing, and (3rd) to stimulate and strengthen the child's appreciation and love of good music. Particular emphasis has been made to teach every child to appreciate music. This can be insured by teaching the child to use his voice correctly, to be a keen listener and an ac- curate performer. This work is admirably carried out by the teachers.
Grammar School Orchestras.
Orchestras have been formed at Agawam Center and North Agawam schools. Agawam Center orchestra played at a Mothers' Club Meeting. North Agawam orchestra has not made its public appearance yet but hopes to in the near future.
High School.
Girls' Glee Club-one period a week-is the only Senior High organization that the High School program affords. The Glee Club expects to put on an operetta sometime in April.
The orchestra-one period a week-does excellent work and the members are a great credit to Agawam High School.
A Junior High School Boys' Glee Club is now being formed. This will meet after school.
Public Activities.
Agawam Center presented an operetta at the Christmas Assembly under the direction of Miss Marjorie King. This was
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very successful and will be repeated January 19th. The High School orchestra will assist at this performance.
At the Christmas Party, North Agawam gave a program of Christmas carols, which were well received by a large audience.
Springfield Street program was unusually interesting at Christmas. A mother Goose play with the music under the di- rection of Miss Potter was charming and admirably worked. Songs sung by the classes from one to six contributed to this en- tertainment. Feeding Hills had a Community Tree. Part songs from memory sung by the entire school provided appropriate music for this entertainment.
High School.
A concert given November 13th by the members of the or- chestra assisted by soloists from the High School and a group from North Agawam was a success financially and otherwise.
The Girls' Glee Club, Junior High School boys, Orchestra, and members of the High School furnished the music at the Christmas assembly.
The orchestra provided music at the motion picture put on by the Athletic Association. They will assist the Girls' Glee Club at the operetta in April.
Recommendations.
A course of study in Music Appreciation throughout the grades-one that will not interfere with the regular music lesson. This course, along with a course in Music Appreciation in the High School should develop the physical, emotional and intellec- tual side of the child.
Girls desiring entrance into a normal school should have at least one year study of the rudiments of music-two periods a week.
Music appreciation in the High School-two periods a week. Boys' Glee Club-one period a week.
A Mixed Chorus-one period a week.
A course in harmony should be in every high school curricu- lum for those who are interested in music as a vocation and as a means of culture.
Respectfully submitted,
MARY A. GREENAN
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Mr. Benjamin J. Phelps, Superintendent of Schools,
Dear Sir :
I herewith present the annual report of the Art Department of the Agawam Public Schools for the year ending December, 1925.
The aim of the art study is to develop an appreciation of beauty in the inner consciousness which results in an outer ex- pression. One appreciates only that which he can understand, or that which he has felt or seen; therefore, art study should tend to train the child to be keenly aware of beauty with which he is sur- rounded, and sensitive to the ugliness which he may in time have the power to remove.
Art principles are applicable in every phase of daily life from the architecture of our houses and public buildings; the decoration and furnishing of our homes; and the clothes which we wear; to the arrangement, printing, and illustrating of papers, magazines and books.
The art work is correlated with history, hygiene, reading, English, geography, and nature study. In the first five grades health posters in correlation with reading and art are in a near state of completion, and the Junior High classes have made sev- eral alphabets in preparation for more advanced posters on health. Thanksgiving booklets were made in the fourth grades during November and woodwork was introduced in the fifth grades. Cigar boxes and yard sticks were brought from home, with coping saws, birds were cut from the boxes and mounted on the sticks. Red, blue, yellow and black paint was then applied and the birds flew home to be placed on the family Christmas trees-then ready for duty in the garden next spring. Other Christmas work in- cluded baskets, candy boxes, handkerchief cases and Christmas cards. The High School class made some very interesting lino- leum block printed cards. Time is limited in this class to fifty minutes weekly and it is only with effort and outside work that the class is able to make any showing. Posters for the Senior Play were executed outside of school.
I should, therefore, recommend that more time be allowed for high school drawing, making it possible for every pupil de- siring to take drawing to do so. Some of the work done by the supervisor in the lower grades could be accomplished by the room teacher, in that way allowing more time for the seventh,
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eighth, and ninth grades, and the High School. This is necessary to raise the standard of art work in the upper grades and the High School.
I wish to thank Mr. Phelps and all the teachers for their hearty co-operation.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN BEMIS
In the schools of Agawam more time is devoted to music and art supervision than is given in most towns and cities. Each class in the four elementary schools is visited by the supervisors once a week. This is double the amount of attention usually given to those subjects in the elementary schools. Your three rural schools are visited by the supervisors once in two weeks.
The growth of the Junior-Senior High School has made it imperative that more time be given to music and art supervision in that school.
6. High School.
An exhaustive study was made last year into the question of retardation among high school pupils. At that time it was found that most cases of retardation could be traced to the following causes : poor attendance; too many outside activities; and lack of home study. Retardation will be reduced to the minimum point when pupils are brought, if possible, to give heed to the above mentioned causes. The per cent of retardation in the Junior- Senior High School for the year 1924 was 712; for the year, 1925, 7. These are not high per cents and on the whole indicate that work in the high school is commendable.
I am submitting two tables-one to show what per cent of the high school pupils persist in attendance, the other to show that the high school has brought a diploma to more boys and girls than was ever possible under the former policy of transport- ing the high school pupils to the Springfield and West Springfield High Schools.
The present senior class numbering 25 had an enrollment of 49 in September, 1922. This means that 51.02% of the class entering in 1922 have persisted through the four years. The status of the class through the four years is as follows:
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Enrollment, 1922, 49-100%; 1923, 40-81.67% ; 1924, 28-57.20%; 1925, 25-51.02%.
A similar investigation made in Amherst, according to the School Report of 1924, is given below. In addition, there is presented the results of a recent survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Education based on two million high school students of our country.
Amherst
Agawam
U. S.
First year
100%
100%
100%
Second year
78.50
81.67
74.50
Third year
50.00
57.20
55.30
Fourth year
+0.80
51.02
39.60
By way of explanation we find that 40.80% of the freshman class in the Amherst High School remained in the high school four years. And that 51.02% of the Agawam High School class of 1925 persisted for the four years. The average for our country at large was 39.60%.
There are many local situations in any town or city which must be taken into consideration in drawing conclusions as to the validity of statistics on persistency of high school pupils. In view of the above tables, however, the assertion that the pupils of the Agawam High School persist to a high degree is justifiable.
Two classes have graduated from the Agawam High School, that of 1924 numbering 26 pupils, and that of 1925 numbering 27. In all there are 53 pupils who have received the high school diploma. Previous to 1924 Agawam pupils were attending the three high schools in Springfield and the West Springfield High School. The following table will show the number of Agawam graduates from the above schools for the years 1922 and 1923. These years are selected because they are the nearest in point of time to the date when Agawam established a high school, and, therefore, probably afford the fairest basis of comparison.
School
Year
Agawam Graduates
Central High
1922
0
Technical High
1922
0
Commercial High
1922
0
West Springfield High
1922
13
Total 13
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Central High 1923 1 Technical High 1923
2
Commercial High
1923
3
West Springfield High
1923
4 Total 10
These tables show that for the two years 1922-1923 Agawam high school pupils in the above mentioned schools received 23 diplomas. The conclusion to be drawn from the above data is obvious-briefly stated it is this-since the founding of the Aga- wam High School in 1922, 130% more Agawam boys and girls are completing a four year high school course. This desirable situation is due to two causes (1) the greater personal care and attention given to the pupils by the teachers; (2) the increased pride of Agawam boys and girls in their town.
In leaving this subject recognition should be given to the fact that a diploma from the Agawam High School carries with it all the rights, privileges, and powers that a diploma received from any of the aforesaid high schools possesses. The substantia- tion of that statement can be found in the various dean's offices of our New England colleges and normal schools, where a con- siderable number of our 53 graduates are registered. At the present writing not a single Agawam high school graduate has failed to "carry on" successfully in the higher institutions. This is a rare distinction; an ideal for future graduates to strive for.
The worth of the high school diploma is measured also by the success of our graduates in commercial pursuits and other fields of activity.
7. Curriculum.
More than ever before educators are endeavoring to revise the curriculum of the public schools. This attitude is due to the fact that so-called experiments, fads, and fancies which have been tried out over long periods of time have now either won a per- manent place in the curriculum or have been discarded, hence, the necessity of curriculum revision.
During the present school year the faculty of the Agawam Junior-Senior High School, under the direction of the superin- tendent, are revising the curriculum of that school. These teach- ers have accepted the Seven Fundamental Objectives named at the beginning of this report as a foundation on which to build the curriculum. Conferences are held monthly in regard to the progress of the revision. The new curriculum will be operative at the opening of schools in September, 1926.
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8. A Change in the School Organization Recommended.
The Agawam schools are now organized on the 7-2-4 plan, which, being interpreted means that there are seven grades in the Elementary School, two grades in the Junior High School, and four grades in the Senior High School. We have, then, in Aga- wam, thirteen grades in our school system, whereas, in most places only twelve grades prevail. I am inclined to favor the twelve grade plan of organization providing there are proper reservations. The arguments in favor of twelve grades, briefly stated, are as follows:
1. Our federal school system is organized and rated upon the basis of twelve grades, or, in other words, twelve grades pre- vail almost unanimously in the United States. This means that all curricula and records in the Government Bureau at Washing- ton are made out and filed on the basis of twelve grades.
2. The prevailing school organization in Massachusetts is the twelve grade unit. The only exception to this organization is the thirteen grade system found in 18 out of the 355 towns of the state. To such a degree has the thirteen grade organization been set aside that all state curricula, records, bulletins, etc., are tabu- lated on the basis of the twelve grade unit.
3. There are no curricula built on the thirteen grade basis, on the contrary, all curricula are written on the basis of twelve grades. This means that sixth grade work in Portland, Ore., is the same as sixth grade work in Portland, Me.
4. A large number of pupils from schools organized on the basis of twelve grades are now moving into Agawam. Our school organization should be the same as the other towns of the state in order that there should be the least possible confusion when new pupils register with us. On the other hand, when our pupils go to other towns they, as a rule, must enter a twelve grade system of schools.
5. A twelve grade system keeps a larger number of pupils in school, especially in the high school. If graduation time is not too remote in the lives of the pupils, more pupils will remain for that occasion.
6. A twelve grade school does not penalize the bright pupils. Pupils who take thirteen years to do the work they are capable of doing in twelve years are not helped especially by that experience.
7. A twelve grade system is not an experiment but it is the long established policy of our federal and state systems of educa- tion.
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As a matter of fact, for the last four years we have made the practice of promoting the brightest pupils from the eighth grade to the tenth grade, thereby giving them the benefit of a twelve grade organization, but the average pupil has not had this prefer- ence.
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