USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Agawam > Town of Agawam, Massachusetts annual report 1926-1930 > Part 26
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SPECIAL CLASS IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Agawam took advanced ground when the School Committee made the Special Class in the Junior High School a full-fledged member of the junior high group. The boys and girls in this class have given excellent response to the confidence placed in them. and have proved that they, too, can make progress when placed in the right environment. To be able to go to the same school
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with brothers and sisters and fellow companions is a good stimulus to the members of this class.
THE AGRICULTURAL COURSE
We have at the present time four courses of study in our curricula ; namely, the College Preparatory, the General, the Commercial, and the Agricultural. The Agricultural Course has been established recently. This course was set up in response to the presence of a large group of boys who needed intensive work in subjects related to the farm, their major interest in life. As a result we find these boys carrying on successfully in the High School.
IMPROVED SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION
In accordance with the recommendations of my last report the School Committee has inaugurated in the town a new type of transportation during the past school year. The pupils of the elementary schools and first two grades of the Junior High School who live more than one and one-half miles from school are now receiving transportation for the entire school year. During the winter months, the elementary school children have the same advantages of transportation that have prevailed for the past few years. The benefits of this new type of transportation are quite significant and are as follows :
The children are removed from the highways-there has not been any complaints from passing motorists about the congested traffic on Main and Meadow Streets. As a safety measure, the new type of transportation has justified itself.
The attendance record of the elementary school and junior high school pupils has been improved. Never before in the history of the Town of Agawam has a percentage of 96% in attendance been registered for a period of one-half of a school year. Inasmuch as poor pupil attendance is costly, not only to the pupils but also to the town, any reasonable measure which operates to improve attendance is to be commended-transportation is such a measure.
This new transportation also provides for a better distribu- tion of the pupils to the various elementary schools. Many of the pupils in our special classes are transported from the borders of the town to the centers where these new rooms have been estab- lished. Formerly it was rather difficult and disconcerting to the
89
pupil to make his way from Shoemaker Lane to the North Agawam School. But now a first class bus stops at his door and takes him to his proper schoolroom, and after the school day is over the same school bus returns him to his home. In several grades of our schools, at the opening of the school year, there was an overflow enrollment. While this enrollment was too large for one teacher, it was not sufficiently large to demand the full services of two teachers. Since we are able this year, because of the bus service, to transfer pupils from over-pop- ulated school centers to those centers not so heavily burdened, we have effected a saving of approximately the services of two teachers. The places from which the overflow children are transported are Agawam Center and Springfield Street. The place to which these pupils are transported is North Agawam.
Our school children have been quite healthy during the past school year, and there is reason to believe that this improved transportation has contributed in a measure to health better- ment. Very few of our children now reach school drenched to the skin from head to foot. To sit in the schoolroom all day long clothed in damp habiliments lessens the resistance of the body and makes the system a more ready prey for disease germs.
In brief, the major benefits of school transportation in Agawam are as follows : Our highways are made safer for both pupils and autoists. Our pupils can be more evenly distributed to the various elementary schools, which makes it possible to give a reasonable teaching load to every teacher and thereby lessen the per pupil cost of instruction. Our per cent of attendance is raised and, in consequence thereof, our per cent of retardation is lowered; and the health of our pupils is improved. Good health and good attendance are important factors in figuring the costs of education.
IMPROVED HEALTH PROGRAM
The Board of Health of Agawam cooperating with the health department of the schools has inaugurated three most important health measures during the past two years; namely, the Toxin Anti-Toxin Clinic for diphtheria prevention; the Von Pirquet Test for the discovery of tuberculosis in its earliest stages ; and the Dental Clinic for the preservation and conservation of the teeth. The war is on in Agawam to oust these fatal germs from their secret abodes and hiding places or, if that is impossible, to so bury them in their favorite haunts with sound, healthy body
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tissues that they will never be able to start forth on their raids of destruction. The Town of Agawam is using intelligent meth- ods in this warfare, backed by the growing interest of an en- lightened citizenship. The results will be found not only to be of economic saving-for health is wealth-but also to be productive of happiness, for health is the balance wheel of contentment --- health is fundamental.
The health department will present in its report interesting data which will give in detail the status of our clinics to date. The following notes on the health of school children are pre- sented as a conclusion to the health topic :
Physical Defects of School Children-H. C. WOOD
Mental
1-2% Defective Vision 10-13%
Heart 1-2% Nose and Throat 30%
Tuberculosis 5-10% Defective Posture 30-40%
Malnourishment 20-30% Defective Teeth 50-98%
Kempf and Collins of the United States Public Health Service in A Study of 5,000 Children in Illinois made this conclusion :
The average number of physical defects decreases as the intelligence quotient increases. This tendency seems to be independent of race, language and other similar factors.
A statement published in the American Journal of Public Health was
Physical examination of over 14,000 retarded school children in Massachusetts demonstrates a positive as- sociation between the factors of physical defect and a lower level of intelligence.
A Study of 8,000 School Children in New York, by AYRES
This publication is one by the Russell Sage Founda- tion on the relation between physical defects and school attendance.
"While the normal child will complete eight grades in eight years, the average for those with defective teeth was 8.5 years ; with hypertrophied infected tonsils, 8.7; with infected adenoids, 9.1 years; with enlarged glands, 9.2 years."
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Mason and Howell, New York City, stated that
80% of all absences during the period from 1920 to 1925 was due to illness.
Bolt, of California, stated that, according to his study,
70% of all absences was due to illness.
Ayres, in the Russell Sage Foundation publication on Laggards in Schools, stated that
The cost of repeaters in 55 American cities amounted to approximately 15% of total school costs.
PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION
In my last report mention was made of the advisability of starting a Parent-Teacher Association for the Junior-Senior High School, and plans were outlined for the formation of such an association. The same plans were also presented to a group of interested parents, who visited the school during Education Week. At that time definite steps were taken to form such a Parent-Teacher Association. The first meeting of the association will be held in February of this school year. There are, more than ever before in the history of education, potent reasons why parents and teachers should give full cooperation in educational programs. The parents of Agawam boys and girls will gain benefits by visiting our classrooms and becoming acquainted with the teachers in charge of the same, and, correspondingly, the teachers also will be able to meet and solve their problems more efficiently by reason of the support and help of the parents. The home has gone out to the school-the school must take a more prominent place in the home.
There was a turnover of 22% in the Agawam teaching staff for the year of 1930. This was rather a large percentage in view of the fact that the past school year has been more or less a closed season on teachers.
The reasons for the changes are quite clear. The cause of matrimony claimed Miss Baker, Miss Mousley and Miss Gosse. The other teachers accepted positions in places where they re- ceived much larger salaries. Miss Jauch was elected to teach French in the Springfield schools. To the same city also went Miss Sutcliffe, Miss Connell and Miss Connors. Miss Hubbell
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is teaching art in the junior high grades of New Britain, Con- necticut. Miss Goodwin went to the primary department of the Quincy schools; Miss Dickinson to the second grade of the Longmeadow schools; Miss Spelman to the fifth grade of the Waltham schools; and Miss Irwin to the special class of the South Manchester, Connecticut, schools. All of these teachers had given from three to six years of high class service to Agawam, and in most cases had reached the maximum salary in their class. Owing to the fact that there is a surplus of teachers, an opportunity was afforded to pick new teachers from a large field of applicants. Such a condition made it possible for Agawam to secure teachers for these vacancies who offered splendid per- sonal qualifications along with high grade accomplishment in' their training and experience.
There is a most commendable spirit of cooperation in the entire teaching staff. The motto of the staff seems to be "Gladly will we learn and gladly will we teach." The desire to learn mani- fests itself in several ways-mention should be made of two. In the elementary schools, nearly every teacher at her own ex- pense purchased for her classroom use the most helpful set of books available-namely, "The Classroom Teacher," published by Columbia University. Also many of our teachers from all departments have taken the courses offered by various graduate schools of education in our vicinity, while other teachers have spent their vacations in summer schools. Their pleasure in teach- ing is manifested by the interest their pupils show in the work of the classroom, and by the cheerful spirit maintained by all concerned.
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ATTENDANCE REPORT FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE PRESENT SCHOOL YEAR September 2-December 23, 1930
Total Mem- bership
Average Mem- bership
Average Daily At- tendance
Per cent At- tendance
Tardi- ness
High School
Senior High III
59
57.35
55.10
96.08
42
Senior High II
69
68.69
66.58
96.93
39
Senior High I
89
85.75
82.42
96.12
45
Junior High III
117
113.65
109.50
96.35
54
Junior High VIII-5 33
32.10
30.95
96.51
8
Junior High VIII-4 25
24.93
24.22
97.15
0
Junior High VIII-3
32
30.99
29.81
96.16
2
Junior High VIII-2
34
33.84
32.87
97.13
10
Junior High VIII-1
35
33.99
33.16
97.56
6
Junior High VII-4
41
39.11
37.60
96.14
5
Junior High VII-3
41
39.26
37.97
96.71
5
Junior High VII-2
40
39.03
38.04
97.46
0
Junior High VII-1
41
39.69
38.49
96.98
7
Junior High
Spec. Class
20
19.36
18.52
95.66
0
North Agawam School
Grade VI
38
37.55
36.84
98.11
0
Grades V-VI
35
34.05
33.45
98.24
9
Grade V
40
37.99
37.73
99.28
5
Grade IV
37
35.84
35.25
98.35
4
Grades III-IV
37
33.85
32.08
94.78
1
Grades II-III
38
34.89
33.95
97.31
3
Grade II
43
40.66
39.73
97.71
4
Grade I
31
29.11
28.27
97.11
10
Grade I
31
28.86
28.12
97.43
5
Special Class
18
16.20
15.57
96.11
4
Agawam Center School
Grade VI
51
50.47
47.95
95.01
23
Grade V
41
37.83
36.76
97.15
8
Grades IV-V
33
29.93
28.91
96.59
5
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ATTENDANCE REPORT-(Continued)
Total Mem- bership
Average Mom- bership
Average Daily At- tendance
Per cent At- tendance
Tardi- ness
Grade IV
45
39.57
38.29
96.76
27
Grade III
45
43.42
41.30
95.10
20
Grade II
41
37.01
35.61
96.00
10
Grade I
40
38.41
36.39
94.74
33
Springfield St. School
Grade VI
41
38.40
37.17
96.78
6
Grade V
44
40.28
39.04
96.93
13
Grade IV
41
38.74
37.53
96.88
9
Grades III-IV
37
34.13
32.85
96.25
4
Grade III
34
32.07
31.20
97.29
5
Grade II
42
40.94
39.61
96.75
16
Grade II
11
10.94
10.49
95.89
5
Grade I
41
39.60
37.41
94.47
19
Feeding Hills School
Grade VI
23
22.75
21.87
95.94
4
Grades IV-V
43
42.09
40.43
96.06
27
Grades II-III
40
38.08
35.90
94.26
8
Grade I
22
21.33
20.08
94.10
30
South School
Grades I-II-III
35
34.50
32.73
94.86
11
Suffield St. School
Grades I-II-III
22
21.06
20.15
95.68
23
West St. School
Grades I-II-III-IV
27
24.67
23.53
95.38
6
Total Membership for Town
1823
Average Membership for Town
1742.96
Average Daily Attendance for Town 1681.42
Per cent Attendance for Town
96.47
Tardiness for Town
580
Total Membership January 1, 1930
1733
Increase over last year
90
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There is an increase of 90 pupils in our enrollment this year. This increase has been taken care of without increasing the number of teachers. The explanation of this situation is as fol- lows: The burden of the surplus pupils fell upon the seventh grade of the Junior High and resulted in an increased load for the seventh grade teachers. Our present system of transporta- tion brought about a more even distribution of pupils in the elementary schools and thereby several overcrowded classrooms were relieved.
Our attendance for the first four months reached a percentage of 96.47. This most desirable condition has been brought to pass by two factors ; namely, good health and good transportation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In my last report some space was given to a statement in reference to the school building program for the next few years. The elimination of the rural schools by consolidating them with the larger elementary schools was touched upon. The time is near at hand when the South School should be discontinued. To dis- continue this school without building elsewhere would mean part- time education for at least two grades at Agawam Center. In view of this fact, I recommend that the Committee make a survey. of the school building needs of the Agawam section of our town, so that in 1932 possibly a definite building program can be pre- sented for the consideration of our citizens.
This report, written about the improvements which you as a Committee have sponsored, bears witness to the high regard in which you hold the important trust that the citizens of Agawam have placed in you.
Respectfully submitted,
B. J. PHELPS, Superintendent of Schools.
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL NURSE
January, 1930, to January, 1931
Number of Schools visited 8
Number of Visits to Schools 708
Number of Visits to Homes 266
Number of Treatments in Schools : First aid, Impetigo, Slight wounds, Burns, etc 1614
Number of Pupils inspected : Heads for Pediculosis,
Temperature taken, Skin, Teeth, Throats, etc 5644
27
Number of Pupils taken to Oculist and Physician . Number of Pupils taken to Shrine Hospital for advice and repair of braces 2
Number of Pupils taken to Dentist
10
Number of cases of Scarlet Fever
7
Number of cases of Diphtheria
1
Number of cases of Whooping Cough
5
Number of cases of Chicken Pox 5
27 children had Tonsils and Adenoids removed.
58 children were vaccinated in July, and 75 were vac- cinated in October.
10 children were taken to Camp Keepwell.
Pupils in North Agawam, Agawam Center, Feeding Hills, Springfield Street, Suffield, West and South Streets, were measured twice and weighed five times.
3 pupils were taken to Westfield Sanatorium for X-ray. All were negative.
Dr. Chamberlin's Physical Examination revealed-
Number of cases of Tonsils and Adenoids 429
Number of cases of Defective Teeth 629
Number of cases of Glands 17
Number of Orthopedic cases 8
97
Number of cases of Slight Goiter 7
In January 1930, examinations for tuberculosis were made by the State Clinic, with the following results : 1640 1484
Population of School Children .
Total Number of Children given the Tuberculin Test .
Total Number of Adults given the Tuberculin Test 18 Percentage tested of the number of children in school .. 90%
Total Number who Reacted to Test- Children 288
Adults 10
Total 298
Number of Children referred for examination on X-Ray evidence
65
Total Number of Children Examined (Contacts and Non- Contacts )
65
Total Number of Contacts Examined (Reported Cases Only )
7
Number of cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Found .. 1
Number of cases of Hilum Tuberculosis Found 5
Number of cases Classified as Suspects
24
Percentage of hilum cases among the children showing positive tuberculin test 2%
Percentage of hilum cases among the children tested 3-10 of 1% . Percentage of suspicious cases among the children show- ing positive tuberculin test 8% 2% 7%
Percentage of suspicious cases among the children tested Total Number of cases of Malnutrition Observed . (This figure does not include the cases found among the children showing positive tuberculosis and those classified as Suspects. )
Percentage of Malnutrition of the number of children examined 11%
The only positive case of pulmonary tuberculosis found has been under the constant supervision of the family physician, good home care, X-rays, etc., and has returned to High School in good condition.
In March a Senior High School girl contracted smallpox. Dr. Anderson of the State Department of Health with the school nurse interviewed every possible contact, but the carrier was never traced. A complete survey of pupils was made for vaccination scar-93% were vaccinated.
Report of the Schick Test in Agawam for 1930, administered by Dr. Chamberlin :
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No. Tested
Agawam Center School
Suffield Street School
121
South School High School
60
North Agawam School
138
Springfield Street School
159
Feeding Hills School
and West Street School
85
Total 563
The following list shows the results for all school children tested under High School, and the pre-school :
Total Schicks found negative Pseudo
235
46.7%
208
41.3%
Total number protected
443
88.0%
Total Schicks found positive
34
6.7%
Combined
26
5.1%
Total number partially and wholly unprotected 60 11.8%
A Dental Clinic has been started in Agawam. The idea was first started by the Women's Club, and the Town voted to buy equipment for it. Other clubs have also voted some money to aid in the good work. The following list shows what has already been accomplished in this Clinic :
Number of Children examined
144
Work done : Extractions
14
Permanent fillings
16
Temporary fillings 17
My sincere appreciation to the Parents, Superintendent, Principals, and Teachers for their unfailing courtesy and co- operation.
Respectfully submitted,
MARY LOUISE BLACK.
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REPORT OF THE JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
MR. BENJAMIN J. PHELPS, Superintendent of Schools, Agawam, Mass.
DEAR MR. PHELPS :
A recent edition of The Agarvam Mirror included an editorial with the heading "Championship School." The title seemed well chosen since the following facts were set forth: Last year our orchestra was placed first in its class in Massachusetts and given second place in the New England contest ; two years back our commercial department won the Spelling Championship of the Connecticut Valley and last year the Massachusetts Novice as well as the Amateur Champion Typewriting titles; The Agawam Mirror has won high honor ratings in the National Scholastic Press Association for the last five years; our basket ball teams have won the Twin State Championship for the last four years and have twice captured honors at the State College Tournaments ; the football championship was won in 1929 and the baseball championship was won last year. Our present basket ball team is well on its way to another Twin State Championship, having lost none of its league games and but one outside game. These extraordinary accomplishments have been re-enforced by a generally high plane of scholastic, artistic, and vocational work throughout the entire school. Naturally we are not immune to all of the maladjustments of adolescence, but, for the most part, we seem to have our quota of esprit de corps. I feel that even more than in preceding years members of the faculty have made a concerted effort to identify their subject matter with the broader concept of educational aims.
The marking systems of schools and teachers have always
100
received a great deal of criticism, some of which has been valid and some entirely untenable. Naturally each teacher has a slightly different criterion upon which she bases her grades, and as a result two English teachers, for example, will rarely agree in their estimations of a particular composition. Such a dis- crepancy, however, is expected and not really serious. The ob- jectionable variances are due to a lack of understanding of marks and their meanings. Chief offenders are those who have a program of achievement in their minds which is beyond the general attainment, or below the level of the class. Truly in- dicative marks are made on a comparative basis within the class itself and in accordance with the general average of school marks. My computation shows that in our Grades 9, 10, 11, 12 the median is 76.51% with a standard deviation of 9.48. Accord- ing to these figures, then, and in consideration of the normal curve of frequency distribution, about 38% of the class should receive a C+ ; 24% B or B+; 7% A or A+ ; 24% C or C- and 7% unsatisfactory. By computing the median mark and devia- tion for each teacher it has been possible to make comparisons with the standard figures, and thereby make constructive sugges- tions to teachers who show an abnormal irregularity in their marking. The following tabulation shows a normal marking situation for the school.
TEACHER
B
1930 Senior High 76.25
A 73.5
B 79.2
C 73
D 75.2
E 75.8
F 77.6
G 80.3
73.6
I 78.7
Average
Standard
Deviation
9.49
8.6
7.7
7.7
12.1
9.7
14
6.2
11.9 5.7
NOTE-The standard deviation refers to the dispersion or scattering of the class.
H
Last year the Otis Classification Test was administered to the entire seventh grade and this year we substituted the Public School Achievement Test. Both tests proved to be of consider- able value in assisting in the sectional grouping and also in ex- posing predominating weaknesses in the major subjects. While there has been decided retrenchment recently in the use and ap- plication of intelligence tests, the achievement form of objective test seems to possess lasting merit in serving a distinct utilitarian purpose. As to the advantages of homogeneous grouping in our junior grades the following ones are apparent : more rapid
101
progress in the subjects ; a greater stimulus for individual effort ; better opportunity to develop a feeling of confidence in students of slow development. The chief difficulty is, of course, in ad- justing technique and subject matter to the different groups. The classes in the upper four grades have remained largely heterogeneous in organization, but the contract type of assign- ment used by several of the teachers has enabled them to utilize the advantages of graded work to a considerable degree.
In addition to the need for re-enforcement in the Household Arts Department as suggested in my last report, there is now a condition in the English Department which should be acknowl- edged and remedied. While the English situation in this school has been kept well in hand by efficient teaching, it, nevertheless; remains a difficult problem as it does in most of our high schools. A recent investigation exposes the following facts : English class enrollment is 25% above the enrollment of other subjects; English costs less per pupil than any other subject-(actual cost about $7.00) ; ten hours of theme correcting weekly is the psycho- logical maximum per teacher, while our teachers would need twenty-five hours now to correct their papers properly; the ideal number for each English teacher to meet daily would be seventy students-but, regardless of this low number, the cost per pupil would still be less than in vocational and technical sub- jects. Our teachers are meeting around one hundred and twenty- five students per day, which necessitates eliminating much of the careful correcting of papers and conference assignments which are so valuable if followed out by remedial assignments. Further- more, another school year will bring increased enrollment to the upper grades. Therefore, in consideration of all ramifica- tions, it seems that another English teacher will be indispensable for the coming school year. I am not an advocate for increasing the emphasis on the grammarian's jargon, but I am of the opinion that students should have more drill and practice in writing, reading and speaking effective English.
We are hopeful that we may soon have a non-climbable wire fence to protect all of our athletic field. During the football season, especially, it is most inconvenient to handle the spec- tators advantageously. With fence protection it would be pos- sible to augment greatly the revenue from our athletic contests. Although few schools have been able to do it, we desire to con- tinue our practice of not levying an athletic tax on the student body but rather to finance our athletic program entirely on gate
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