USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > Town of Eastham Annual Report 1923-1931 > Part 20
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LOAN FUND
Our teachers are raising a loan fund for the purpose of assisting those pupils who may not be able to otherwise secure their instruments. A commendable start has been made and no pupil who really desires to learn to play some musical instrument need be denied the opportunity.
"THE R. C. A. EDUCATIONAL HOUR"
On Friday mornings from eleven to twelve o'clock Mr. Walter Damrosch of New York with a symphony orchestra broadcasts a very instructive program of classical music for the benefit of the pupils in our schools. An opportunity is thus provided for our pupils to learn to appreciate classi- cal music. The explanations of the instruments by Mr. Damrosch and his analysis of the various selections played are both interesting and instructive. A list of questions prepared by Mr. Damrosch is given to the pupils. After the broadcasts the pupils turn in their answers.
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Through the courtesy of some of the radio dealers we are able to give the pupils the benefit of this R. C. A. Educa- tional Hour. Probably no such opportunity has ever be- fore in the history of the world been presented to school children. The benefit to be obtained is ample justification for the purchase of a radio for the schools. We are getting this broadcast in all the schools where we have electric lights.
HIGH SCHOOL SPELLING CONTEST
The fourth annual high school spelling contest was held in Orleans on the evening of the first Monday in last JJune. A program of the contest is printed elsewhere in this report. The contest was won by Susie Estelle Eldredge of the Class of 1928 of the Chatham High school. The Chatham High school now has permanent possession of the spelling trophy that was donated by the Educational Department of the Orleans Woman's Club.
The Chatham Woman's Club has donated another trophy to be competed for in the future by the high schools of Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans.
At the contest held last June gold keys donated by the Women's Club of Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans were won by Susie Estelle Eldredge, C. H. S. '28, Grace E. Gill, O. H. S. '29, and Wilhelmina Doane, H. H. S. '28.
An innovation was made at the last contest of having each contestant spell all the words given out until he miss- ed a word, whereupon he dropped out of the contest. This method proved highly successful as the winner of the con- test was the one who had spelled all the words given out. We shall continue this method at the next contest which
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will be held on the first Monday evening in June, 1929, at the Exchange Hall in Harwich.
The following words were missed in the contest last June : vying, achievement, description, feasible, exonerate, antedate, eccentric.
NEW METHOD OF AWARD
In the past that school has been deemed the winner whose pupil remained longest in the contest. Hence with one very good speller a school could easily win the contest. To make the contest less individual and more of a school con- test the award will be made on the basis of points won by each school. There are nine contestants. The first one who drops out of the contest will score one point for his school. The second, two points. The ninth and last, nine points. If two or more pupils leave the contest on misspelling the same word the number of points to be scored will be divided equally between them. For example, if the sixth word to be misspelled is missed by three pupils each of the pupils so missing will score seven points for his school. If two pupils missed the seventh word to be misspelled each would score seven and one half points for his school. The total number of points to be scored is forty-five. The school having the largest number of these will be the winner of the contest.
TEACHERS' INSTITUTE
On September 17, 1928, the State Department of Educa- tion held a teachers' institute in the Chatham School for all the towns on Cape Cod below Barnstable. The day was en- joyed by all and many of the teachers thought they were greatly benefitted by the excellent program that was pre- sented. This is the second state institute for our teachers within the last five years. On another page we print the
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program for the records, and also that those of our citizens who are interested may know something of the character of these institutes.
MUSIC
Vocal music in our schools under the direction of Mrs. Mabelle B. Dumont for the past four and a half years has been greatly improved. This improvement is noticeable in the facility with which the different grades read music. No- tation, rhythm, tone, and expression are at a higher level. The operettas that have been given in the last year or two show a degree of accomplishment not hitherto attained. The explanation for this situation is found in the employ- ment of a competent, well-trained, and experienced super- visor ; the frequent lessons given by the expert, and the res- ponse and co-operation of the regular teachers and pupils.
DRAWING
Likewise, the work in Drawing for similar reasons shows improvement. Greater improvement will be observ- ed when our supervisors have more experience and their term of service becomes longer than one year.
GENERAL
By means of the standardized tests previously men- tioned we are finding that our schools are coming more and more to the generally accepted standard for the various grades. While improvement is being made along academic lines there is still need for some other activities such as may be found in the better school systems of the Common- wealth. I refer to physical education, domestic science, manual training, and visual education.
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The development of Cape Cod is closely allied with the improvement of its public schools. Permanent residents seeking comfortable homes and a delightful climate will come to us more and more as they discover that we have a good system of public schools. Summer residents will come to us earlier and remain with us longer to enjoy our beauti- ful autumns when they find that grade for grade our schools compare favorably with those in their home localities. Is it not worth striving for?
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM FISHER SIMS,
Superintendent of Schools.
January 10, 1929
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Principal's Report
A fine school spirit and its attendant good work has been very evident during the past year. Good health has been especially stressed, and having been comparatively free from contagious diseases, attendance has been well above the average.
A reader based upon the children's school experiences has been made by Grade I. An Eskimo reader is now being made by them, and is to be followed by a Dutch reader. Such work embraces music, drawing, reading, language, local geography, and history. Miss Keith recommends that intelligence tests be taken by children who are just a little under school age so that they may enter school a year ear- lier by passing this test.
Picture study has been very successfully used with the language work of the Intermediate room. Good stories have been written and illustrated with small pictures taken from the Primary Educator. The Junior Audubon Bird Club of this room, as well as the Grammar room, which held its meetings once each month, has been keenly enjoyed and very instructive.
The geography picture project work in the upper grades is being enthusiastically undertaken by every pupil. We wish to thank the public for its contributions of maga- zines, especially for the National Geographic, and we trust that others having old magazines of any kind accumulating at home will send them along to us at school.
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Before the close of the year we hope to start some sort of elementary orchestration work. We have a little more than $100 in the bank as our Musical Loan Fund, and we hope to keep adding to this fund as well as to receive some help from the town.
The piano installed last spring is proving a wonderful help in our school music. At no time in my memory has so much interest been taken in the music periods as is shown this year. We will welcome any visitors, and can assure them of a particularly pleasant visit on any Wednesday afternoon.
Respectfully submitted,
OTTO E. NICKERSON,
Principal.
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Report of Music Supervisor
I submit herewith a brief report of the work done in music for 1928.
As in the past, classes in music in the graded school have met daily with the grade teacher and once a week with the supervisor, during which time the fundamentals of music have been emphasized, together with the teaching of suitable songs. In some of the grades, writing music as well as reading it has been stressed. Songs taught during the fall months were used at entertainments given by the grades at Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. . These all proved very enjoyable to the audiences. Another feature on each program was the selections by the rhythmic orches- tra consisting of grades I and II. This orchestra work, for the benefit of familiarizing the children with rhythm, and also lessons in folk dancing, are stressed in the lower grades.
Grades VI, VII, and VIII make up a very fine Junior chorus. Here we have an opportunity for part-singing, al- so. Besides chorus work, this group has been studying the instruments of the symphony orchestra, learning to identify the different instruments when heard on the victrola, and at the same time becoming familiar with some of the best- known selections of famous composers, these being used to illustrate the various instruments.
During November a musical concert was given in Ex- change Hall, Harwich, by Director Samuel Griffiths of New Bedford and an orchestra of youthful players, who kindly
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offered their services to assist this district in starting a loan fund for the purchasing of instruments to be used by our school children. The concert proved to be a great success and the sight of other children playing so skillfully served to stimulate the interest of our own boys and girls. Plans are now under way to begin instrumental classes as soon as possible and it is hoped that in the near future we can boast of both orchestras and bands in our schools.
I find that the teachers are very willing to co-operate, and that their attitude toward a new teacher is most cordial. I, therefore, am enjoying my work with them all.
Respectfully submitted,
RUTH HELEN EDMANDS,
Supervisor of Music.
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Report of Supervisor of Drawing
Drawing is a means of expression used by children. Oftentimes if a child can not describe verbally just what an object is like, he can by the use of pencil, paper and colors give a more accurate or definite impression to his audience. Many times it is said that a child has no talent for drawing if he does not succeed in making a record of a definite sub- ject. Training that thought may be clearly stated through graphic expression and color should therefore be included in every school curriculum.
In all elementary work I am, therefore, including a cer- tain amount of this work which will give the children more confidence in their means of expression by drawing. This work is introduced to the children by different methods, such as construction. (dictation), design, representation (observation). and free expression. Although I find that representation and free expression are the means for more freedom and originality in the children's work, it is neces- sary to include a certain amount of construction and design. Each week there is an exhibition which stimulates their im- aginations and interest by showing what others have accom- plished.
I enjoy my work in the school and meet with co-opera- tion from all teachers, for which I wish to express my ap- preciation.
Respectfully submitted,
LOIS GEBHARD,
Supervisor of Drawing.
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Report of School Nurse
The physical examinations were made by the school physician ; 23 children examined in the Primary school, 22 in the Intermediate and 30 in the Grammar school.
The total number of defects found :
Teetlı 33
Tonsils 10
Glands 4
Eves 3
I have made the weekly visits to the School throughout the year, weighing and measuring the pupils, and advising and helping the teachers in keeping up the standard of health in the school.
On June 12, we celebrated the Child Health Day, giving health tags for good posture, standard weight, and 100 per cent clean mouths. The children gave an excellent enter- tainment, consisting of the May Pole dance, songs and a Health Play.
Respectfully submitted,
ADA S. CREELMAN,
School Nurse.
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Barnstable County Health Department
I have the honor to submit a very brief report of the work of the County Health Department of Barnstable Coun- ty for the year 1928.
An additional Act was passed by the State Legislature during the year perfecting the methods of conducting the business of the department.
The force of the County Health Department remains the same as during the last year and the work is being con- ducted under about the same heads as mentioned in the last report.
The situation regarding communicable diseases has been satisfactory during the year. Of course a certain number of the more common minor forms have been present, but the so called more serious communicable diseases have been rare. One typhoid carrier was found but is now considered free from the pathogenic organism. Such cases of diphtheria and scarlet fever as have occurred, have been as a rule mild. One case of infantile paralysis was reported and one of small-pox (varioloid.) A certain amount of toxin-antitoxin for the prevention of diphtheria has been given in the Coun- ty, particularly in two or three of the towns, and this mat- ter is being kept constantly before parents and teachers. Vaccination against smallpox is nearly complete.
Every Board of Health in the County has passed resolu- tions requiring that all milk sold be from tuberculin tested cattle or pasteurized. This resolution to take effect June 1,
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1929. Nearly all of the cattle in the County have now been tested.
Considerable attention has been given to the matter of shipping permits for out of state shipments of shellfish, and also to the question of bed certificates, condition of fish houses, polluted areas, etc. The shellfish from the polluted part of Lewis Bay have been moved to Cotuit, under super- vision, for use as seed. Several meetings of the Shellfish Commission were held in the County.
Health week exercises were held in nearly all of the towns, and interest in the matter of the health of school children and others is constantly increasing. The condition of school children is improving yearly, and more and more attention is being given to the correction of defects.
The Southeastern Association of Boards of Health, the Cape Cod Health Bureau Association and the Barnstable District Medical Society have held regular meetings in the County during the year. These meetings are very valuable as they stimulate interest in and cause discussion of matters pertaining to the Public Health.
About half of the towns are doing some work in mosquito eradication, with considerable success. This matter is at- tracting attention and is being taken up by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and others. The mosquito does not carry disease here, of course, but is a nuisance.
Among other things considerable attention is now being given to the condition of surface and pit closets. Hyannis and Falmouth are considering the installation of modern sewer systems.
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Students from the Harvard School of Public Health have been on the Cape during the year as is customary, and the Commissioner of Public Health and other officials have also visited the County.
Sanitary conditions at the Barnstable County Fair were commended by state officials. Road-side stands and eating places have received considerable attention.
A good many talks have been made in various places regarding health matters and all of the regular inspections and examinations etc., have been made as heretofore. These of course increase in number from year to year as the work goes on. The Health Officer wishes to acknowledge the un- failing cooperation of all officials and employees. This has been satisfactory in every way, and without this cooperation no health department can function efficiently. During the coming year every effort will be made to maintain the use- fulness and efficiency of the Health Department.
A. P. GOFF, M. D.,
County Health Officer.
Hyannis, Mass., Dec. 31, 1928.
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ATTENDANCE DATA FOR SCHOOL
Year Ending June, 1928
Number State and City Wards
Resident pupils
78
Total 83
Aggregate attendance
12,072
Average daily attendance
65
Percentage of attendance
93
Average membership
70
Total number of days in session 185
Pupils in Orleans High School
16
SCHOOL CENSUS
Boys Girls Totals
Children in town between 5 and 7 years
7 8 15
Children in town between 7 and 14 years
39 22 61
Children in town between 14 and 16 years
6
6 12
Illiterates between 16 and 21 years
None
-
-
-
Total
52 36
88
Actual number enrolled December, 1928, Elementary
76
Actual number enrolled December, 1928, High 20
Total 96
5
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PUPILS CLASSIFIED BY GRADES December, 1928
School
Grade
Boys
Girls
Totals
Grand Total
Grammar
VIII
4
3
7
VII
7
1
8
VI
8
7
15
30
Intermediate
V
7
1
8
IV
5
5
10
III
2
2
4
22
Primary
II
4
7
11
I
8
5
13
24
Totals
45
31
76
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PERFECT ATTENDANCE RECORD (Neither absent nor tardy, 1927-1928)
Term of
Name
School
Grade
Age
Years
Wilbur Sparrow
Intermediate
V
10
3
Theda Chase
Primary
I
7
1
Donald Sparrow
Primary
I
6
1
FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE RECORD (Not more than 3 days' absence allowed for a very good reason)
Term of
Name
School
Grade
Age
Years
Dorothy Mayo
Grammar
VI
11
1
Arthur Benner
Grammar
VI
12
1
Aaron Chadbourn
Grammar
VI
11
3
Raymond Day
Grammar
VIII
15
1
Charles Escobar
Intermediate
IV
11
2
George Rongner
Intermediate
V
9
1
Ralph Saunders
Intermediate
IV
9
1
Robert Sparrow
Intermediate
IV
9
1
Mary Turner
Primary
III
7
1
-
CORPS OF TEACHERS, JANUARY, 1929
NAME
SCHOOL
PREPARATION
Date of
Appointment
Experience
prior to
Sept. 1928
Salary
Home Address
108
Otto E. Nickerson
Grammar
Hyannis Normal
19 24
9 years
$1,600
Orleans
Intermediate
Bridgewater
1925
5 years
1,400
Orleans
Virginia N. Horton Florence W. Keith Ruth Edmands
Primary
Bridgewater
1906
29 years
1,400
Eastham
Music
Keene Normal
1928
1
year
155
Newburyport
Lois Gebhard
Drawing
Mass. School of Art
1928
None
145
Quincy
109
GRADUATING EXERCISES
EASTHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Town Hall, June 20, 1928
March
Mrs. Dumont
Invocation
Rev. Mr. Cross School
Music A. "Long, Long Ago" B. "The Dancers"
Essay Raymond Nickerson "Troubles in the Far East"
Piano Solo
Emma Atwood
Recitation
Elizabeth Douglas
"Rodney's Ride"
Play : "No Girls Admitted" Class of 1928
Musical Number (between scenes I and II)
Charles Campbell Jr., and Raymond Day
Piano Solo (between scenes II and III) Vivien Murphy
"Massa Dear"
Music School
Presentation of Gifts
Natalie Chadbourn
Presentation of Diplomas
Supt. W. F. Sims
Benediction
Rev. Mr. Newton
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CLASS ROLL
President, Natalie Elva Chadbourn Vice-President, Raymond Henry Day Secretary, Emma Frances Atwood Treasurer, Raymond Otis Nickerson
Elizabeth May Douglas
Charles Newton Campbell, Jr.
Edythe Vivien Murphy
James Herbert Mills
CLASS COLORS Blue and White
CLASS FLOWER White Rose
CLASS MOTTO "Aim High"
111
FOURTH ANNUAL SPELLING CONTEST
HIGH SCHOOLS OF CHATHAM, HARWICH AND ORLEANS
At Town Hall, Orleans, Monday Evening, June 4, 1928, at 8 O'clock
PROGRAM
To The Hermit Thrush, Tosti Orleans High School Chorus
Invocation Rev. Wilber E. Newton
(a) Rustic Wedding, Gabriel Marie
(b) Welcome, Pretty Primose, Pinsuti Orleans High School Glee Club
SPELLING CONTEST
Pronunciator-Miss Pearl E. Belonga ·Judges Mrs. Alton Smith, Orleans, Chairman Mrs. W. E. Norcross, Chatham
Mrs. Ralph H. Snow, Harwich
Scorers
Chatham High School Harwich High School
3 Mrs. Florence E. Foss
6 Mrs. Annie S. Eldredge
9 Mrs. Mabel E. Nicholas
1 Miss Martha Farnsworth
4 Miss Mabel M. Ott
7 Mr. J. M. Baker
112
Orleans High School
2 Miss Beatrice L. Card 5 Miss Gwendolyn B. Moody 8 Miss Ruth M. Frost
Participants
Chatham High School Harwich High School
1 Arthur Vessey, '28
4 Susie Estelle Eldredge, '28
7 Mary Margaret Carew, '30
2 Wilhelmina Doane, 28 5 Elsie J. Robbins, '29
8 Natalie H. Hardacker, '30 Alternate
Alternate
Miriam Tyler, '28
Harriette E. Crosby, '31
Orleans High School
3 Esther F. Knowles, '29 6 Grace E. Gill, '29 9 Elouise R. Rogers, '28
Alternate
Doris M. Lee, '28
Awarding of Prizes
Mrs. Harold Scott, Orleans Mrs. W. E. Norcross, Chatham Mrs. Arthur M. Nichols, Harwich
On Venice Waters. Roeder Orleans High School Chorus America
Audience
113
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TEACHERS'
INSTITUTE CHATHAM. SCHOOL BUILDING
Monday, September 17, 1928.
Presiding Officer : BURR F. JONES. Supervisor of Elemen- tary Education, State Department of Education.
Morning Session
9:15 - 9:35 OPENING EXERCISES
9:35 - 10:15 ADDRESS: "Adventures in Teaching"
PRINCIPAL FRANCIS A. BAGNALL, State Normal School, Hyannis.
10:20 - 10:50 DEMONSTRATION OF PLAY ACTIVITIES
CARL L. SCHRADER. Supervisor of Physical Education, State Department of Education. Assisted by pupils of Chatham schools.
10:50 - 11:20 ADDRESS: "Some Impressions of Educa- tion Abroad"
CARL L. SCHRADER
114
11:25 - 12:15 DEPARTMENTAL CONFERENCES : Grades I - IV
Topic : "Industrial Arts in the First Four Grades"
MISS ALICE B. BEAL, State Normal School, Bridgewater. Grades V - VIII
Topic : "Reading and Literature" MISS ADELAIDE MOFFITT, State Normal School Bridgewater
High School
Topic : "Measuring the Product"
FRANK P. MORSE, Supervisor of Secondary Education,
State Department of Education.
Afternoon Session
1:30 - 2:25 DEPARTMENTAL CONFERENCES (Cont'd) : Grades I - IV
Topic : "Reading and Literature in the Primary Grades"
MISS ADELAIDE MOFFITT
Grades V - VIII Topic : "Oral and Written Language" MISS ALICE B. BEAL
115
High School
Topic : "Managing the Class"
FRANK P. MORSE
Assembly
2:30 - 2:40 MUSIC
2:40 - 3:30 ADDRESS: "What Constitutes Good Teaching"
FRANK W. WRIGHT, Director, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and Normal Schools, State Department of Education.
116
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT, 1929
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Barnstable, ss.
To Harvey T. Moore, Constable of the Town of Eastham, in the County aforesaid, Greeting :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town, qualified to vote in elections and town affairs, to meet in the Town Hall in said Eastham, on Monday, the fourth day of February next, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to act on the following articles :-
Article 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
Article 2. To hear the reports of the Selectmen and all reports and committees and act thereon.
Article 3. To choose all necessary Town Officers for the ensuing year.
Article 4. To see if the Town will elect a Director for- the Cape Cod Extension Service.
117
Article 5. To fix the rate for the collection of taxes assessed for the year 1929.
Article 6. To see what sum of money the Town will raise for the Public Library and make an appropriation for the same.
Article 7. To see in what manner the Town will dis- pose of its refunded dog tax, and act thereon.
Article 8. To see in what manner the Town will sup- port its poor for the ensuing year.
Article 9. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $2,050.00 provided the State makes a satisfactory allotment for the upkeep and maintenance of Town Roads, under Chapter 81, Sections 26-29 General Laws, as amended.
Article 10. To see in what manner the Town will re- pair its roads and bridges and appropriate money for the same.
Article 11. To see if the Town will give the Collector of Taxes the same power the Treasurer has when Collector.
Article 12. To raise such sums of money as may be necessary to defray town charges for the ensuing year.
Article 13. To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money in anticipation of revenue of the municipal year be- ginning January 1, 1929, an amount not to exceed $16,000.
118
Article 14. To see if the Town will vote to appropri- ate a sum of money for Memorial Day and the purchase of flags for Soldiers' and Sailors' graves and Monument Grounds.
Article 15. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the use of the Orleans Fire Department when called to Eastham building fires, or do or act anything thereon.
Article 16. To see if the Town will vote to petition for the installation of an accounting system by the Common- wealth, Chapter 516, Acts of 1922.
Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purchase of forest fire fighting apparatus, or do or act anything thereon.
Article 18. To see what action the Town will take regarding the Shellfish Industry.
Article 19. To see what action the Town will take regarding the Selectmen petitioning for Special Legislation for the discontinuance of the shellfishing privilege now ex- isting between the Towns of Orleans and Eastham.
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