USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1927 > Part 14
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HELEN M. HEFFERNAN, R.N.
REPORT OF DENTAL CLINIC
To the Board of Health, Arlington, Mass.
Gentlemen: I herewith submit the report of the work performed in the Dental Clinic during the year ending December 31,1927.
With the opening of the schools in September we made the customary examination of the teeth of all children of the 2nd grade in both the Parochial and Public Schools. Of the 567 children examined, 84% were found to have defective teeth. Parents were, as heretofore, notified by card.
245
BOARD OF HEALTH
While it has always been the policy to confine the work of the clinic principally upon children of the 2nd grade school age, the past year, through personal interviews with mothers and the co-operation of the Arlington Visiting Nursing Association, we have treated the teeth of thirty children of pre-school age. We cannot stress too strongly the importance of having the work done at this period of child life, and it is our earnest hope the coming years will see an ever increasing number of children of this age group attending the clinic.
The school authorities have co-operated with us in sending their quota on the days specified, and the attendance during the year has been satisfactory.
The following is a summary of the work performed:
§ Deciduous teeth 584
Extractions
Permanent teeth 92
Deciduous teeth. 826
Fillings
Permanent teeth
1,193
Deciduous teeth
179
Treatments
Permanent teeth
223
Prophylactic. 235
Total number of operations 3,322
Total number of sittings. 1,409
Total number of new patients.
268
Total number of cases dismissed
202
Respectfully submitted,
E. F. MACKAY, D.M.D
REPORT OF MILK INSPECTOR
To the Board of Health, Arlington, Mass.
Gentlemen: I herewith submit my annual report as In- spector of Milk for the year ending December 31, 1927:
Legislation of 1927 has increased the work of the milk inspection department by compelling the licensing of pasteuriza-
246
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
tion plants and ice cream manufactures. The regular work of taking samples for analysis and inspecting milk plants and dairies has been carried on as in the past and a supply of pure, safe milk was maintained during the shortage occasioned by the floods in Vermont and other New England States. A sum- mary of the year's work is appended :
Licenses Issued :
For sale of Milk from stores 172
For sale of Milk from vehicle. 42
For sale of Oleomargarine. 43
Total 257
Samples of Milk Analyzed :
Taken from vehicles on street 251
Taken from School. 10
Left at Laboratory. 4
Total 265
Temperature Tests :
From Vehicles on street 22
Inspections :
Dairies .
10
Milk Plants 48
Ice Cream Plants
6
Pasteurization Plants.
1
Total . 65
Respectfully submitted,
ALFRED W. LOMBARD, Inspector.
247
BOARD OF HEALTH
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF SLAUGHTERING
To the Board of Health, Arlington, Mass.
Gentlemen: I herewith submit my report as Inspector of Slaughtering for the year ending December 31, 1927:
Number of Calves slaughtered 3,076
Number condemned. 52
Number of Goats slaughtered 63
Number condemned. 0
Number of Sheep slaughtered
458
Number condemned. 0
Total. 3,649
One hundred and two inspections, requiring three hundred and sixty-three and one-half hours.
Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR TAYLOR, Inspector.
To the Board of Health, Arlington, Mass.
Gentlemen: I herewith submit my report as Inspector of Slaughtering for the year ending December 31, 1927 :
Number of Calves slaughtered 79
Number condemned 3
Total 82
Two inspections requiring seven hours.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM H. BRADLEY, Inspector.
248
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
REPORT OF AGENT AND CLERK
To the Board of Health.
Gentlemen: I herewith submit my report as Clerk and Agent of the Board for the year ending December 31, 1927:
PERMITS ISSUED
Burial or Removal Permits 274
To keep Cows .
19
To keep Ducks.
18
To keep Goats .
7
To keep Hens
305
To keep Swine .
7
To haul Offal through the Town
52
To empty Cesspools. 33
To construct Cesspools.
116
To bottle Non-Alcoholic Beverages.
2
Licenses Issued
To deal in Alcohols (fee) $1.00 45
To manufacture Ice Cream (fee) $1.00 7
To practice Manicuring and Massage (fee) $1.00 40
To collect Meat Trimmings (fee) $2.00
6
To maintain Milk Pasteurization Plant (fee) $10.00 1
To maintain Slaughterhouse (fee) $1.00
1
Undertakers (no fee) 11
Inspections
Food Establishments . 2,748
Other Inspections 309
Complaints
Investigated and adjusted . 295
Minor complaints adjusted 74
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Arlington:
Your School Committee, since its organization for the year at its meeting in March, 1927, has had a busy year. Arlington has this year a school system that, in point of enrolment, ranks twenty-fifth among the cities and towns of the State, with a body of students larger than that of 13 of the 39 cities of Massachusetts and second only among the towns to that of Brookline. Our system has grown so fast in recent years that our problems in respect of housing, of repairs, of equipment, and of administration have been demanding in increasing measure the time and service of the members of the committee. It is a pleasure to testify to the spirit of co-operation and of willingness to expend time and effort in the service of the schools that has been manifest both in the membership of the school committee and in our associates, the superintendent, the principals and the teachers. The members of the Finance Committee of Twenty-One have been uniformly considerate of our needs and helpful in their understanding of our task and in their manifest desire to co-operate with us.
Outside of the routine business of the year, the committee has been particularly concerned with two important points: the need for strict economy of administration and the necessity of checking up the efficiency of our plans for teaching. In a system that is growing as rapidly as ours, there is a double need for watchfulness over expenditure. That there has been a measure of success here is shown by the fact that the Arlington system, second in size in the list of the 24 cities and towns with a school population between 3,000 and 5,500, and fourth in per pupil cost in net average membership, is twelfth in percentage of increase in school expenditures in the last four years, although
249
250
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
its ratio of increase in school enrolment during the same period has been nearly double that of any town or city in this list. Your School Committee cannot be expected to run a rapidly en- larging system on a stationary budget, but it can and does check any natural tendencies to disproportionate increase in expense.
Our courses of study have also received a good deal of attention. The superintendent, in co-operation with a com- mittee of principals and teachers, has recommended changes. Our own sub-committee has had conferences with teachers and has under advisement at present recommendations coming from them that aim at better correlation of work between the Junior High and the High Schools, and at simplification and the elimination of non-essentials.
One of the several tests of the efficiency of a public school system is its success in preparing its pupils for entrance to higher schools. The citizens of Arlington will be interested to note that of the 175 members of the Arlington High School, class of 1927, 33 were admitted to colleges and normal school by certification, 17 by examination, and 7 by both. Only 3 graduates failed of admission to college and none of these three was recommended by the school for admission. The fact that 32% of this class are now attending higher institutions of learning would seem to show that this important part of the work of our schools is being well done by our teachers.
The public high school, however, cannot, like the private preparatory school, guarantee study, nor can it do its work without the co-operation of the parents. If the parents of our pupils will see to it that assignments are faithfully done at home, and that outside distractions are not permitted to pre- clude a reasonable amount of serious study, there will be little reason for questioning the effectiveness of our teaching. With- out such co-operation the committee will be forced to consider the desirability of providing, both in the High and the Junior High schools, a longer school day, with supervision of study by teachers.
251
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
During the year the committee had one change in member- ship. Mr. Albert H. Morris, after three years of faithful and valuable service, retired at the end of last year. His place was filled by the election of Mr. William M. Hatch.
Respectfully submitted,
A. H. RICE, Chairman.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
February, 1928.
To the School Committee and Other Arlington Citizens:
After five years of service to the Arlington School Depart- ment as its Superintendent, the task of preparation of this fifth annual report comes to me with mingled feeling of satis- faction and regret; satisfaction that the general organization and the business administration of so large and so rapidly growing a school department are in so nearly perfect running order; regret that so little time and attention could be salvaged from so many pressing duties to devote to the most important work of general supervision of the academic work of the schools.
SUPERVISION :
But few realize the great variety of duties that absorb the time and attention of a general Superintendent in a School Department in a community the size of Arlington. There is enough work to keep three men more than busy. One could give all his time to the two jobs of employment of teachers and supervision of education in academic subjects not covered by supervisors of special subjects and even then not have time to cover half that should be accomplished. Of the scores of items of general control, just those covering the registration adjust- ments of the opening weeks; the study, preparation, and proving of the budget; the requisitions and purchase of supplies; and the general repairs and maintenance problems, are enough to fully occupy a second man's attention. The daily miscellaneous questions and problems arising for consideration and the con- stant demands for attention by callers (parents, employees, applicants, and salespeople) are enough to take nearly all of a third person's time.
252
253
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
·
With this condition making impossible any consistent at- tention to the work of education, it is with real gratitude that I look forward to the possibility of having an assistant who will care for the work of purchase, maintenance and allied problems.
Arlington School Department has a registration of over 5,400 pupils. Comparison with the thirty-four other school departments in Massachusetts with registration between 2,000 and 5,400, all smaller than the Arlington school system, shows that twenty-one of these departments have one or more as- sistants for the Superintendent of Schools, in addition to Principals, Supervisors of special subjects, or clerks. Sixteen have a man in charge of Repairs and Maintenance of School buildings, fourteen have a supervisor in charge of Primary or Elementary School work, and three have a man to take charge of purchase of supplies.
Comparison with a school department just twice as large as Arlington's shows five assistants for the Superintendent, one for purchase, one for maintenance, one for primary education, one for intermediate education, and an assistant superintendent to help with general control; six persons in a department twice the size of ours to do the work, all of which one man tries to cover here. It would appear that there should be two as- sistants provided. I would recommend one for purchase and maintenance, and another for primary education, putting us on a par with other departments near our size and making it possible for the Superintendent to give the maximum of his attention to the supervision of education above the third grade.
In contrast to the situation outlined in the field of general supervision, the supervision of special subjects is unusually well taken care of. The School Department is especially fortunate in having exceptionally capable supervisors of Attendance, Drawing, Household Arts, Mechanic Arts, Music, Penmanship, and Special Classes. Each is expert in his or her field and has the work so well in hand that the regular daily work is always worthy of inspection or exhibition.
Compared with such supervision, the supervision given to regular academic subjects is rather meagre. Were it not for
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
the good work of the principals in this respect the results of the regular subjects would suffer greatly in comparison with that of the special subjects.
It is to be hoped that arrangement can be made soon so that the same kind of supervision can be provided for regular subjects as is given to the special subjects.
BUILDING PROGRAM:
The erection of Junior High School East and the proposed addition to Junior High School West will relieve long-standing congestion in that department of the school system, and make it unnecessary for large groups of children to do their school work within a diminished school day and under other conditions which are not conducive to good results.
The addition to the Peirce School which will be proposed this spring is very much needed. The Peirce School is at present an eight room building with twelve classes. Next fall there will be fourteen classes and the portables will need to be moved to the Peirce School property to care for the overflow until the addition can be built.
The tabulation of High School and Junior High School registration over an extended period of years shows that the enrolment of the Junior High School is reflected three years later in the High School. In 1924 there were 800 students in Junior High School. In 1927 there were 800 in the High School. Last fall there were 1,200 students in the Junior High School. It is fair to suppose that in the fall of 1930 there will be 1,200 in the High School. This will require additional accommoda- tions in the High School, which is already filled to capacity. Either an addition to the building or an additional High School building is a necessity in 1930 or 1931.
In order to avoid a repetition in the High School by the same pupils who have sustained a loss of time and progress in the Junior High Schools because of a shortened school day resulting from division into morning and afternoon schools, it is planned to divide the large study rooms in the High School
.
255
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
by partitions, and to use the assembly room as a study room. This can be accomplished by using convertible furniture so designed that the room can be used in turn either as auditorium or as study room.
In the meantime an addition to the Junior High School Centre to provide a gymnasium for Junior High School pupils and better accommodations for the special classes now housed in the Kirby dwelling house should be erected.
When the above-mentioned buildings are completed, one is tempted to think that the situation can rest for a while, but past experience proves that in a rapidly growing town the over- crowding is no sooner relieved than overcrowding begins again. There is already evidence of the need of additional accom- modations to relieve the Cutter, the Russell and the Hardy Schools. The five years beyond 1930 will probably require an elementary school building in the Brattle Street section, an elementary school in the Mystic Street section, an addition to the Hardy School, or another school in that section, and a Junior High School on the recently acquired property at the head of Ronald Road.
1928 BUDGET:
Though the total 1928 Budget for Support and Maintenance of the Schools might appear at first to be unusually large, an analysis shows that the increase over the 1927 appropriation is practically the same as the increase over 1926, that this in- crease is hardly more than would be expected in consideration of the rapid growth of the school population during the last five years, and that in comparison with the increases in school ex- penses for previous years the school administration is holding expenses to a reasonably low level.
In support of the above statements the following facts are presented :
1. The increase over the 1927 appropriation is only $948.00 greater than the increase over the 1926 appropriation.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
2. The enrolment increase during the last five years has been five times as great as during the five years immediately preceding.
3. The percentage of increase in the School Budget has been only one-half as great during the last five years as during the five years immediately preceding.
In other words, the increase in expenses has been slowed down to a walk in the last five years-forced to go ten times as slowly as in the previous years. Though several things help to bring about this result, the chief factor lies in the effort of the school administration to keep the business of the schools on an economical basis.
The increase in the School Budget is very largely accounted for by the additional teachers needed to care for the additional pupils and by the gradual increase in teachers' salaries, as shown in the following statements:
Number of pupils, October, 1922. 3,666
Number of pupils, October, 1927 5,420
Number of teachers, October, 1922
166
Number of teachers, October, 1927 226
Average teacher's salary, October, 1922 $1,507.53
Average teacher's salary, October, 1927
1,708.07
This increase in teachers' salaries is partly held in check by slightly increasing the average number of pupils per teacher, as shown by the fact that in 1922 there was an average of 22 students per teacher throughout the school department, but since that time the average number of students per teacher has been maintained at 24 or 25. It is amazing what economy can be effected by as slight an increase in the number of pupils per teacher as represented above. This alone has caused a saving of thirty thousand dollars per year for five years.
The Superintendent has made still further analytical study of the possibilities in economies for the future, and the School Committee has under consideration several recommendations which would effect continued and greater economies for 1929.
257
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Comparisons of the 355 towns and cities of the Common- wealth with respect to the two items which reflect the ability of any community to bear the expenses of its activities show the school expenditures in the Town of Arlington in a very eco- nomical light. These two items are the Valuation per pupil in public school attendance, and the Expenditures for School Support from Local Taxation per $1,000.00 Valuation. Though the rank of Arlington in the State List is well up in the highest third in Valuation per pupil (89th among 355 towns and cities) it is down almost to the lowest third (224th among the 355) in Expenditures for School Support from Local Taxation per $1,000.00 Valuation.
1927 IMPROVEMENTS:
1. A great impetus was given to the primary work last year by the encouragement of weekly visits to the classes by parents. Hundreds of parents of primary children regularly attended these weekly lessons and learned of the methods in practice in instruction of their children in the sub-primary, first and second grades.
2. A real improvement in the correlation of work of several subjects between the Junior High Schools and the High School is being effected by monthly conferences of the teachers of each subject in the secondary schools. These conferences are in charge of the High School department head of the subject.
3. A great improvement in the conditions under which the work of the Junior High School Special Class students had to work was brought about by adapting the Kirby House to their needs. An addition to the Junior High School Centre is needed to properly house these classes.
4. A new class has been organized for the purpose of read- justment for those students who, because of protracted absence from school or some other reason, do not fit in the regular school program. Already this class has proved its value in several worth-while adjustments.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
5. A reorganization of the Evening School in charge of the Assistant High School principal has resulted not only in doubling the registration, but in a general improvement in courses offered. It will soon be possible to place this school on an Evening High School basis with certification on comple- tion of the course prescribed.
6. A great improvement in school yards has been accom- plished in the building of the Junior High School West play- ground. This area has been changed from a place where it was dangerous to play to a field where sports can be carried on with safety.
FUTURE NEEDS:
Exclusive of building needs which are listed elsewhere in this report, there is need to provide for the following additions or improvements :
1. We need to employ a teacher to visit the homes of children who cannot attend school because of physical incapacity and instruct them so that they need not grow up illiterate. Such a teacher would teach the crippled, blind, deaf, epileptic, tubercular and cardiac regularly in their homes.
2. We need to organize industrial classes in the High School, or the beginning of a Trade School. Already we expend enough money for tuition to trade schools in other cities and for sup- plies and teachers in our own manual arts departments to go a good way toward the maintenance of a small trade school.
3. We need to provide large study rooms or convertible desks in the auditoriums of the secondary schools so that it would be possible to concentrate the "spare period" teachers in the study rooms for the purpose of directed study.
4. We need provision by which children may progress at different speeds according to their ability and ambition instead of the lock step of annual promotion with the consequent un- desirable repetition of grade for the slow or lazy pupil and the
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
equally undesirable double promotion for the keen and am- bitious student.
5. We need the same kind of improvement at the Locke and Peirce school play yards as was provided at the Junior High School West yard last year.
In concluding this report, I wish to thank the teachers and other employees of the School Department for their constant helpfulness. Their devotion, loyalty, and spirit of co-operation are manifest at all times and are, I believe, quite unexcelled by any school department.
I wish also to state that it is a privilege to work for a Committee such as Arlington is so fortunate to have in charge of its schools. A Committee always transacting its business with dignity and efficiency, it gives full measure of service, support, co-operation, and kindly criticism, all of which is deeply appre- ciated by the Superintendent of Schools.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) CHESTER A. MOODY, Superintendent of Schools.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The following tabulations of membership and attendance are a part of the Annual School Report, as required by vote of the Town:
ATTENDANCE STATISTICS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1926-1927
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
GRADES
Enrolled
for Year
Average
Membership
Average
Daily
Attendance
Per cent of Attendance
High School
X-XI-XII.
342
767.1
726.5
94.7
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, CENTER
IX
82
88.5
83.7
94.5
VIII.
146
152.5
145.8
95.6
VII.
128
127.6
121.4
95.1
Industrial
47
36.7
32.3
88.0
403
405.3
383.2
94.5
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, PARMENTER
IX
81
66.9
64.6
96.5
VIII
113
103.1
99.
96.
VII.
112
100.1
95.3
95.2
306
270.1
258.9
95.9
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, WEST
IX
140
134.4
130.9
97.4
VIII.
175
172.8
165.6
95.9
VII.
19
200.4
193.8
96.7
512
507.6
490.3
96.6
CROSBY SCHOOL:
Edith J. Mitchell.
VI
25
24.9
23.8
95.6
Hazel G. Beckett.
VI
34
32.1
30.9
96.3
Bessie Ryder
V
39
37.8
35.8
94.7
Mary E. Burns.
V.
38
37.8
36.3
95.9
Mary G. McCusker
IV
26
23.9
22.9
96.1
Helen I. Knowles.
IV
35
30.9
28.9
93.3
Isabel L. Rae
IV
36
35.5
33.4
94.
Mary M. Farley
III
34
33.3
31.3
94.1
Sara M. Henderson
III
34
31.4
30.2
96.2
Gertrude L. Toomey
II
41
36.8
33.4
90.9
Marion B. Johnson
II
38
36.5
34.4
94.4
Marion L. Smith
I
38
36.9
33.
89.6
Annie W. Cobb
I
35
32.8
30.3
92.1
Mildred M. Lougee.
I
32
32.8
30.
91.3
Catherine E. Cody.
Sub-primary .
51
22.6
20.8
92.2
Catherine E. Cody ..
Sub-primary .
20.5
19.
92.8
Josephine M. Goldsmith
Special.
24
15.2
14.4
94.7
560
521.7
488.8
93.7
261
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ATTENDANCE STATISTICS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1926-1927
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
GRADES
Enrolled
for Year
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
Per cent of Attendance
CUTTER SCHOOL:
Mae F. Merrill.
VI
31
28.2
27.2
96.3
Francese S. Curtis
VI
27
27.7
27.2
98.1
Alice G. W. Daniels .
VI
28
28.6
27.5
96.
Hazel B. Hurd
V.
32
34.5
32.8
94.9
Edna M. Smith
V.
37
33.9
31.9
93.9
Margaret D. Coombs .
IV-V
37
30.7
29.2
95.1
Dorothy McPeck.
IV
36
34.1
32.6
95.6
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