USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1942 > Part 21
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WAR FITNESS PROGRAM
We all recognize the fact that we are faced with the greatest emergency of all time. Success can come only if each citizen lives and acts as if the outcome depended on him alone. Sacrificial effort on the part of each and every one of us is absolutely essential. It will involve service in the armed forces for most young men, and work in industry and agriculture for many young women. Our military lead- ers state that physical education programs in our high schools must be stepped up to cover much of the physical fitness programı now being carried on in our camps and training centers. Large numbers of the young men inducted into the service, although they have no serious physical de- fects, are not sufficiently developed in skills, strength, en- durance and coordination so that the training program has been retarded for several months until such time as the re- cruits may be built up physically.
In view of these findings, the government has recom-
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mended a Physical Fitness Program for all young men and women of school age who may be called upon to play some part in this war effort. Our own physical education teachers attended a three-day "Physical Fitness Institute" held at Boston University under the auspices of the government representatives. This program demands vigorous partici- pation over a longer period of time. Intensive exercises and drills are being used to harden the individual and bring all muscles into play. This program, highly essential now, is desirable any time and our physical instructors are mak- ing changes and adjustments to allow sufficient participa- tion on the part of all of our youngsters. This war con- ditioning program, recommended mainly for high school pupils, is applicable to the younger pupils of the junior high and elementary schools, in a modified form. We are handicapped, however, in our junior high school program as we have but one gymnasium which is entirely suitable- at the Junior High School East. The gymnasium at the Junior High School West is small and the dressing and shower facilities are only fair. This space must also be used at times for assembly purposes. The Junior High School Center has no gymnasium other than a basement room, smaller than a classroom and with no shower facilities.
Nevertheless, despite these inadequate facilities this health program is bound to be beneficial. It promises to achieve the objective of an improved physical fitness for the participants, inducing strength, endurance, stamina and bodily coordination. This is something to develop and ex- pand in our curriculum, and to perpetuate beyond the war years.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE
1. The Organization of the Department.
"The department was very fortunate in having as- signed to it in September a room which was divided into two sections. One section is used as a combined reference and waiting room and the second, an administration and
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counseling room. This change of room provided space for bulletin boards-an important medium for displaying edu- cational and vocational information. The new room has also provided adequate space for files containing cumulative pupil records, occupational information plus school and col- lege catalogs. The room is also large enough to provide rea- sonable space for simultaneous conferences by several . counselors.
II. "Specific Activities of the Department.
A. To assist pupils in the junior and senior high schools to obtain the kind of experience that will help them attain their highest and fullest develop- ment;
B. To assist pupils to recognize their limitations and potentialities, develop their abilities to the fullest possible extent, and utilize this knowledge and de- velopment in planning their school and post-school careers ;
C. To make available to parents, teachers, principals, and other school personnel, information which they may use to assist students toward the goals named above.
"In attempting to carry out the foregoing, specific ac- tivities have been planned which will provide, insofar as personnel will allow, adequate coverage of the department aims. They are as follows :
1. Curriculum adjustments.
2. Subject failure counseling.
3. Senior counseling.
a. College problems.
b. Placement problems.
c. Armed Services problems.
4. Junior counseling.
a. College selection and course selection.
b. Preliminary vocational choice.
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5. Testing program.
a. Individuals as result of problem cases.
b. Groups
Junior High-Grade 9.
High School-Grade 12, Special subject groups.
6. Special vocational information.
a. Opportunities in the Armed Services.
7. College scholarships-publications and assistance in securing the same.
8. Stimulation of the better pupils.
9. Testing and recommending pupils for trade schools.
10. High school and junior high school pupil programs for 1943-44.
11. Research on courses.
a. Changes to meet present and future needs.
b. Basic requirements for advanced units of cer- tain subjects.
12. Failures of 1941-42. Review for present status.
13. Outside speakers on educational and vocational topics.
14. Occupational and educational files
a. Bibliographies.
b. Subject matter file.
c. Catalog files.
15. Junior high school guidance
a. Meetings with Guidance Chairmen.
b. Meetings with Principals.
16. Personality adjustments.
17. Selling Guidance to students and faculty.
18. Placement.
19. Graduate follow-up.
III. Department Accomplishments for the period Septem- ber-December, 1942.
"During the first several weeks of school, the Depart- ment was busy making curriculum adjustments for high school pupils. This work assists the school administration as well as the pupils and is a means of reducing the amount of time necessary in completing pupil schedules at the be-
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4
ginning of the year. Throughout the year pupils with fail- ing or near failing grades are counseled by the department. When necessary, a pupil is called for frequent conferences and a definite follow-up system of checking class work is set in motion. As a result, adjustments have been made in pupil progress to allow pupils to take work best fitted to their individual capacities.
"We have attempted to provide boys with the latest available information regarding opportunities in the Armed Services, as well as other war-time activities. Definite pub- licity has been given to college scholarships that are avail- able and the advertising of them by the department will be continued throughout the year. In this way it is hoped that a few qualified students who lack necessary funds will be able to take advantage of further education. We are keeping abreast of both State and Federal recommendations for war-time courses and will, when the need arises, recom- mend to the Administration changes in the various cur- ricula.
"A Junior High School course of study, which was pre- pared under Mr. Roens' supervision, was mimeographed this fall. Each of the guidance teachers in the junior high schools, as well as the Principals, received a copy of it. A meeting has been held and future ones are scheduled to discuss with the junior high school guidance chairmen the use of the Course of Study. It is hoped by frequent con- sultations that the best possible procedures for guidance in the Arlington junior high schools will be made available to teachers and administrators. Due recognition will be given to necessary individual differences among junior high school groups. Group testing will be done in grade nine of the junior high schools in January and for college prepara- tory grade twelve pupils in the high school. Special aptitude tests will be given early in the spring to assist pupils in curriculum selections.
"The department has co-operated with the administra- tive officials of the school system and with various faculty members through several media. Some of these procedures are testing pupils and making recommendations to teach- ers, interviewing pupils who appear to be in the wrong curriculum, counseling with students who are not well ad- justed in the classroom, calling the attention of teachers to any physical handicap such as hearing or vision that a
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pupil may have, and calling in parents for conferences rela- tive to pupil work.
"Since September, placement for both under-graduates and graduates has become a definite problem. We believe that at present the department, representing the School System, should co-operate, insofar as it is possible, with business in finding employees. In addition, your Director believes that the right type of co-operation with employers during this trying period will create good will and should result in job calls for Arlington High School pupils and graduates during the coming years when workers may be more plentiful than at present. The calls for graduates have exceeded the applicants. The department has co-operated with such agencies as the United States Post Office Depart- ment by securing part-time employees for the Christmas season, and with the Town of Arlington in securing a group of approximately one hundred boys for emergency snow shoveling. Volunteer workers have also been secured for the Arlington Rationing Board. At the writing of this re- port the number of placements made by the Department from September through December is estimated at between 300 and 350. In a recent survey, it was found that about 600 pupils in the high school are regularly employed and that approximately 380 are working a part of at least six days.
"At the present time two special projects are in the developmental stage. One project will, through a series of displays, point out to students the value of maintaining an acceptable school record. This is necessary as many of our present pupils are taking an attitude that inasmuch as jobs are easy to get or that military service is "just around the corner" their high school records are not of primary im- portance. A second project is also being planned which will demonstrate to pupils where they may best serve in the all- out war program.
"The department is accumulating material to be used as a teachers' reference library in the field of guidance. It is honed that this reference material will aid faculty mem- bers in obtaining an increased knowledge of the guidance function. We are also preparing folders for pupil use. The topics to be covered are: How To Study, Occupational Sur- vey Procedures, Facts About Getting And Keeping A Job.
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These booklets will be available for pupil use within a rea- sonable time."
HOUSEHOLD ARTS DEPARTMENT
Cooperation with the war effort is very evident in the report of the Director of the Household Arts Department. Adjustments to the course of study provide the girls of our junior and senior high schools with much valuable in- struction which is not only of great value during the present emergency but will be in the distant future. More detailed information as to the progress being made is taken from the report of the director which follows.
"Our chief aim has been to adapt our Home Economics program to meet some of the war problems which are fac- ing our homes. We encourage saving, discourage needless buying, and teach our girls to go without some things to which they have become accustomed, and to substitute such commodities and materials as are available.
"We are teaching the students to plan, prepare, and serve simple, low cost, family meals, stressing the following points :
1. Selection of food for health.
2. Economy as well as nutritional value.
3. Use of available substitutes.
4. Contribution to Civilian War Effort.
"In the Clothing classes we have emphasized care of clothing, remodeling and renovating, and have many times made changes in our regular course to permit the girls to make the garment needed at a specific time. We are finding it necessary to use many substitute materials which make the constructive processes more difficult. This past school year the girls in the Senior High School made eighty chil- dren's woolen dresses for the Junior Red Cross. The Di- rector of the Junior Red Cross asked permission to send a few of these dresses to Washington Red Cross Headquarters as examples of beautiful workmanship. We are starting an- other consignment of Red Cross garments."
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SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
MANUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT
The Director of the Manual Arts Department, in his annual report, presents several adjustments in this cur- riculum which are in keeping with current educational trends.
"Manual Arts seeks to promote an appreciation of the importance of tools and machines in modern society. It lays the foundation for an understanding of the problems in- volved in industrial production; and, at the same time, ex- tends the pupil's ability to become a competent judge of the quality of industrial products. Manual Arts education does not emphasize the specialized skills of a single trade; but, rather, provides exploratory experiences in several types of industrial skills.
"As a result of Manual Arts experiences the pupil should know how to be able to: (1) more judiciously choose an occupation; (2) form an opinion of his ability and in- terest in constructive activities ; (3) develop an interesting and wholesome hobby; (4) more wisely choose and pur- chase industrial products; (5) better understand the work done by men who serve society through the application of manual skills.
"The study of skills and technical knowledge involved in the Manual Arts is a field rich in natural correlations with other school subjects. At one point the industrial arts draw upon the principles of design. At another, they em- ploy the discoveries of science and provide applications of the principles of mathematics and technology; and in so doing, they reflect the economic system under which we live. In addition to the encouragement of constructive abil- ity, instruction in the Manual Arts offers unusual oppor- tunities for the motivation of the study of design, drafting, physical sciences, mathematics, and social studies.
"Work in the Manual Arts will, of course, in later years take on the nature of vocational training for those who have the necessary intelligence and aptitude. The need of vocational work is illustrated quite dramatically at the present time in our war production program. The need for a vocational school in Arlington was never greater than at present.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
"During the calendar year drawing to a close, much of the Manual Arts work has been in the form of defense activities. In the junior high schools, the general shops de- veloped an all out program for the United States Navy in the construction of model airplanes. At the Senior High School many of the large type bombers were built. Last June one hundred and fifty three model airplanes were shipped to the Naval Base at Squantum, after undergoing a rigid examination. At the present time, we are ready to ship approximately one hundred more. These models are used by the United States Navy for training in range find- ing and identification.
"In the general shop at the Senior High School, the Arlington Defense Committee kept the pupils and teachers busy in constructing three long collapsible tables for the mobile canteen; and for the medical unit, four first aid chests, thirty-two stretchers, and one hundred full length splints.
"Our school shops can be of great help in the war effort, by giving a greater number of pupils an acquaintance with tools and their use. A desirable course would be one to meet the current need for inspectors in industry, and to con- tribute toward the general education of pupils, who will gain their livelihood by industrial pursuits. Such a course should contain a study of micrometers, calipers and gauges, the reading of blueprints and charts, shop termin- ology and shop mathematics. There has been a gradual in- crease in the pupils electing mechanical drawing during the past four years. An increasing number of new projects has been introduced pertaining to the airplane, which is prov- ing very helpful at the present time. Increased facilities in this work are of paramount importance."
THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL
This system was made available by vote of the citizens at the last Town Meeting. Installation was begun as soon as the school closed in June and was completed early in September. We were exceedingly fortunate in obtaining the necessary equipment as most of these items are no longer available. The broadcasting device is located in the prin-
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SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
cipal's outer office. It is a two-way system and a conversa- tion may be carried on between any teacher and the office. Each room in the building is equipped with a loud speaker. Any room, series of rooms, or the entire building may be hooked in. The main unit also contains a radio and any pro- gram deemed educational may be broadcast to any number of classrooms or to the entire student body and faculty. This system is used extensively; it is very clear and dis- tinct, tends to unify the school, and serves a long felt need.
REPORT OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
"The war has created new problems for the school. First, there has been in the pupils the inspiration of an attitude of sane participation, of constructive thinking, and of sincere patriotism. Frequently the school population has answered the call to buy war savings stamps, to collect scrap iron and paper, to spread information about the rationing programs, or to join the Junior Red Cross. Our latest contribution at this writing is the collection of money for the Arlington War Memorial. In our Navy records is inscribed the record of the school children of the Com- monwealth of Massachusetts in presenting an electric or- gan, a combination victrola and records to the U.S.S. Mas- sachusetts. Thus, the school tries to encourage real patriot- ism. At the same time, the school must face the unpleasant side of war. Air raid precautions with proper training and drills have demanded changes in organization. Our pupils are being educated to be prepared for such an emergency through clear thinking, orderliness, and strict obedience. Each school building has been surveyed for zones of safety. Into these zones pupils are sent. Regular rehearsals are held. Because of the great differences between buildings, each school has had to set up a plan peculiar to that build- ing.
"Yet educational progress has not been neglected. A new outline for Science was prepared to be tested through usage and re-tested if necessary. This program was in an- ticipation of the Federal emphasis on Science and Mathe- matics in the secondary schools. Guidance periods have been provided in each school to aid individual punils in planning careers appropriate to individual needs and abil-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
ities. Report cards were studied and revised under the super- vision of our new Superintendent. At this time we are plan- ning to make a careful study of the physical education pro- gram in terms of physical fitness, as suggested by Federal authorities, and shall meet with our Superintendent to create a practical program that will insure healthy citizens. At the same time, we are not forgetting the problem of academic education and are creating definite plans to im- prove the standard of penmanship. The selection of a new spelling text for grades seven and eight, and a new social studies text for grade nine makes imperative a revision of the course of study in these fields."
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Courses of Study
"Special committees, the set-up of which was ex- plained in my report for last year, have given serious at- tention to the betterment of the curriculum. It is obvious that no course of study can remain static and continuously effective, especially during these rapidly changing times.
"The course of study in Safety was placed in the hands of the teachers last September and is being used with sat- isfaction. A definite effort was made to build a course which would strengthen the teachers' efforts toward more effective teaching of desired safety attitudes and habits. Every at- tempt was made to give individual children an opportunity to guide themselves to the fullest extent within the realm of safety and courteous conduct. The aim of the course is to direct attention to the problems of safety on the high- way, in the school, in the home, and in all the activities of modern life. It includes a supplement on Air Raids which emphasizes the carrying out of instruction through drills. The procedure for presenting the material will vary ac- cording to the teacher and the grade in which it is used.
"A splendid beginning was made in the revision of the course of study in English and will be continued during the next school year. The unit on Spelling has been completed and will soon be mimeographed and ready for distribution.
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SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Spelling Textbooks
"The spelling books in the elementary grades were in poor condition due to constant wear for several years. For this reason, and because a better aid in the teaching of spelling was desired, a committee was appointed which made a thorough study of recent spelling texts. A series · was selected which we believe was developed to make sys- tematic provision for individual writing needs and is con- sistent with the philosophy of modern education. The teach- ers of the first and second grades are using the manual of the series in order to give a background for the new method and to give systematic instruction where there is need for it. The third and fourth grades have already been supplied with the new books, and we hope the fifth and sixth grades will have the texts in the near future.
Social Studies
"War and coming reconstruction call for changes in Social Studies programs. We must be cognizant of our grave responsibility in instructing tomorrow's citizens that they may acquire an understanding and appreciation of the underlying principles of democracy. Social Studies teachers and administrators must together plan a program which will clarify the issues and conduct of the war, and prepare for the making of a just and lasting peace.
Reading
"It has been said, 'If the school gives the child nothing but the ability to read, it has fulfilled its chief task, for the key to books is the open sesame to the door of opporunity.' For several years stress has been placed on the improve- ment of reading. The intensive reading program is being continued with added enthusiasm and efficiency. Last May standardized reading tests were given to the pupils of each grade. From the findings of these tests, teachers gave as much remedial help as possible before the close of the school year. In September the test results were passed on, with other personal records of the pupils, to the succeeding grade. The results furnished information by which the teacher could group her class according to reading ability. These diagnostic measures also give the teacher a picture of the strength and weakness of individual members of her
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
group and enables her to apply remedial measures wherever needed. As pupils in the lower groups show sufficient progress in reading ability, they are placed in a more ad- vanced group. If education is to be provided for all chil- dren, the instructional program must meet the needs of the widely varying abilities among the children.
First Grade Entrants
"As in other phases of a child's development, perform- ance cannot be impelled before the child has reached the level of development at which he is ready to read. Follow- ing my recommendation in last year's report, the testing in grade one was done early in September. A group intelli- gence test was administered by the principals to small groups and an individual test was given by the supervisor to pupils who, in the teacher's judgment, seemed immature. Children who made low scores or who appeared to be in- accurately measured by the above testing program, were given an additional individual intelligence test by Dr. Lin- coln. There was high correlation between the results of the local testing and the results of the Stanford-Binet examin- ation by Dr. Lincoln. In case the mental maturity of a child indicated that he would be unable to have successful achievement in his beginning school work, the supervisor advised the parents to withdraw the child from school until the next school year. Several parents accepted the recom- mendation, and we feel confident that with the greater maturity of these children will come more security and a happier school experience.
Library Activities
"The use of the school libraries is steadily increasing and great effort has been made to encourage more outside reading for information and enjoyment. Through the generous interest of Mrs. Spofford and her assistants, many pupils derived benefit and pleasure from visits to Robbins Librarv. East Branch, and Dallin Branch. during National Book Week. Mrs. Montague's story period is a highlight of these visits.
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