USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > Town of Eastham Annual Report 1947-1951 > Part 6
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FINANCE
A financial statement of any business, whether in- dustrial or educational, is necessary to determine whether each department is receiving proper support. Such a finan- cial statement is included in this report. In addition it would be helpful to compare school costs in Eastham with the costs in the other 117 towns in Massachusetts with less than 5,000 population and not supporting a high school. It should be pointed out that in Eastham all lunchroom bills are paid out of the town treasury and all returns paid into the town treasury. These accounts together with reimburse- ments received from the state should be deducted to give us a net cost for the schools. Since this report is being written in November, it is necessary to estimate some of the items.
1944
1945
1946
1947
Total expenditures
$17,949.77
$18,806.07
$22,455.96
$26,425.00 (1)
Reimbursement
4,945.70
5,068.34
5,565.54
6,500.00
Net Cost
13,004.07
13,737.73
16,890.42
19,925.00
Membership
76
82
100
93
Eastham cost per child
171.10
167.53
168.90
214.24
Median for 117 towns
191.36
152.94
167.86
260.64
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(1). Includes hot lunch appropriation.
More detailed study reveals that of the 117 towns in the same classification as Eastham, more than half spend more per child for the support of their schools than does Eastham. Since Eastham is one of the first towns in valua- tion per pupil in the state, it is obvious that Eastham can well afford to spend more on its schools than it has in the past.
PERSONNEL
The regular teaching staff of Eastham remains the same as last year. The following special instructors have been added :
1. Miss Margaret Jarden was appointed art teacher of Union No. 21. Miss Jarden had had two years' experience in public school teaching and several years' experience in museum work.
2. Mr. David Lynch was appointed to the new posi- tion of Director of Guidance for Union No. 21. Mr. Lynch has had wide experience in the business world, as a teacher, as a high school principal, and as a director of guidance.
OPEN HOUSE
The large attendance at the "Open House" held at the Eastham School during National Education Week in No- vember was very gratifying. Far more important than the number of visitors, was the cooperative attitude shown by the parents. The question most frequently asked was, "How is my boy (or girl) doing in school, and what can I do to help him?" We feel that this attitude in general, and this question in particular, reveals a very healthy relationship between parents and teachers, since we are convinced that the education of children in a democracy requires active cooperation between school and home.
It has been suggested by some that an "Open House"
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with children present and school in progress might be more interesting. The school department does not agree with this for two reasons. In the first place, we feel that such an event cannot be a normal situation and therefore is of value to the parents chiefly as entertainment. Second, it would defeat our primary purpose of providing an oppor- tunity for a parent to discuss his child's educational develop- ment with the teacher without the child overhearing the conversation. The popularity of our "Open House" would seem to justify its repetition, although we hope that parents will not confine their contacts wtih the teachers to the one evening a year.
GUIDANCE
Education might be defined as the process by which a child develops from a helpless infant to a well rounded, well adjusted member of society. This process must be a cooperative endeavor between home and school. To adjust to society, a child needs to know as much as possible about himself, about his potentialities, and about the opportun- ities in this complex world. He needs help in educational and social-civic-ethical planning as well as in vocational planning. Realizing the complexity of this task, more and more towns are employing the services of trained guidance directors. The towns of Union No. 2 are following this plan, and I call your attention to Mr. Lynch's report on the development of that program.
CURRICULUM
Throughout the school there is evidence of great care in the selection of textbooks. The reading system in use in Eastham is considered one of the best in the country today. The present program could be strengthened somewhat by the introduction of a course of study for all grades. Real- izing this fact, a beginnnig was made on this project last year. Committees of teachers throughout the union met and drew up a course of study in arithmetic. Many author-
132
ities in this field were consulted, and many courses of study in use in other towns studied. The resulting course of study is being used this year, and at the end of the year, a meet- ing will be held to discuss possible weaknesses and sug- gestions for improvement. This work will be continued through the union in both elementary and secondary school subjects. A course of study should not be static, but should be sufficiently flexible to meet the changing needs of the pupils. The method which is being followed will insure a growing course of study and will have the secondary value of keeping us alert to the changes made in other schools.
HANDWRITING
The teaching of handwriting is one of the most import- ant subjects in the school curriculum. Poor handwriting not only makes a poor impression, but actually leads to financial loss in business. It has been estimated that illegible sales slips cost in time and effort one dollar per mistake. Real- izing the importance of sound instruction in handwriting, the school committees of Union No. 21 have contracted with Mr. W. L. Rinehart to install his system in our schools. Under this system, trained supervisors are sent to each room in our schools once each month to grade the work of the previous month, to lay out the work for the following month, and to assist the teacher in her technique of pres- entation.
Mr. Rinehart stresses good posture at all times, and insists that the child hold his pencil so that he can see what he is writing and maintain correct sitting posture at the same time. Contrary to older systems of handwriting, the pupil uses his fingers for the small letters, the arm for the capital letters, and a free lateral slide between letters. No time is expended on arm exercises, but all practice is on formation of letters.
In grading papers, the supervisors use eight standards of measurement, such as size of letters, and alignment, and
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the pupil knows exactly what his mistakes were in the past month. One formal paper which is a sample of his best writing and four other papers from any subject chosen by the teacher are averaged for his month's rank. In other words, 80% of the rank is derived from informal work, thus stressing carry-over of good penmanship in all writing. To motivate this work, each room is given a star represent- ing the degree of progress for the whole group. Thus im- provement of handwriting becomes a group activity which is of importance to all members of the class.
NEEDS
1. The piping in the school must be replaced in the next year.
2. The walls and ceilings in all classrooms are in need of redecorating.
3. I recommend that a fourth teacher be employed at the Eastham School.
There is no justification for this recommendation from the point of view of the number of pupils per teacher, al- though the enrollment of the school has been increasing for the last five years. I justify this recommendation on the grounds that no teacher should be required to teach more than two grades. It is true that in the poorer rural com- munities, even within this state, teachers are sometimes required to teach four or five grades. In such cases, the teacher must simply reduce the amount of time allotted to each class, since the school day must be divided equally among the several grades. I believe that Eastham can afford the advantage that the appointment of an extra teacher would mean to their children.
CONCLUSION
In closing, I wish to express my apprceiation to the citizens of Eastham for the cooperation and friendliness ex-
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tended to me during my first few months as your Superin- tendent of Schools. I sense a wholehearted genuineness in your expressed desire to cooperate in the improvement of your school which is most gratifying to me. With this at- titude we may look forward to a period of progressive achievement.
Respectfully submitted,
HERBERT E. HOYT,
Superintendent of Schools
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Otto E. Nickerson, Principal
Another year of great changes and steady progress has passed. After fifteen years of faithful service Mr. Pratt has left us to vacation in Florida. It is our hope that he may regain good health and enjoy his well-earned retire- ment to the fullest. Mr. Hoyt, our new superintendent, is wisely and gradually bringing about his desired changes. His policies are certain, his manner cordial, and children and teachers anticipate his every visit.
Mr. Lynch, our new guidance instructor, is doing a re- markable job that cannot be measured by the usual stand- ards. All our problem cases are taken over and quickly solved by him. From his long range plan for our district it looks as though we of little Cape Cod will make a definite name for ourselves in the field of modern education.
Miss Jarden, our new drawing supervisor, is welcomed by the children each week. After a year without art in- struction, appreciation of her work seems very keen.
Miss Wye and Dr. Wright found us and are keeping us in excellent health. Miss Wye is continuing her valuable clinic work and spends much time in home visiting as well. Any parents wishing further checkups for their children should feel free to contact either Miss Wye or me. Perhaps the superior meals prepared by Mrs. Gertrude Moore also add their share to our good health. She is doing the entire job alone this year, and with this lowering of the operating expense, our help from Federal funds and its surplus com- modities, and our raise in price to one dollar a week per child, we are showing that our school lunch program is almost self-supporting.
Our school music, both vocal and instrumental, is up to its usual high quality and quantity. The newly organized band is proving very popular, as are the vocal recordings
136
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made by Mr. Tileston through the courtesy and generosity of Mr. Phillip Dubin of North Eastham and Arlington.
Mr. Adamson's experiment to grade and seed our back- yard has proved most successful. Our next two needs are painting the interior of our school, and planning for the possible fourth room and teacher. Personally, I'd be glad to retain my third grade if a kindergarten could be added to our set-up.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL GUIDANCE PROGRAM DAVID O. LYNCH, Director
To the Superintendent of Schools, the School Committee and the people of Eastham :
The newest aspect of education in your school depart- ment is the guidance program. With this thought in mind, I feel you should be furnished with a rather full explan- ation of the guidance service and how it affects the school children, how it can help mold their future life, and what it can mean to your community.
WHAT IS GUIDANCE ?
The guidance service is aimed at assisting the student to make good adjustments, wise decisions and intelligent plans in dealing with problems in education, occupations, social contacts and personality through understanding his abilities and interests and the realization of the importance of self-action.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN SETTING UP THE GUIDANCE SERVICE ?
There has been a comprehensive testing to determine individual scholastic capacity. This helps tell our teachers what kind of scholastic performance to expect from each student. The tests we use have been designed as "tools" for the teacher. They furnish the means for determining the status and needs of each pupil, the class as a whole and
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each grade. A limited expenditure for test materials has been proven beyond doubt to provide a means for obtaining as improved, efficient and more suitable educational pro- gram.
A cumulative record has been set up for each student to provide accessible information that will serve as a basis for guiding each student toward his highest development. It hardly seems necessary to emphasize the importance of such recording. Our schools need complete records to operate at full efficiency. We must have an adequate understanding of a student's needs and possibilities, his handicaps and advantages, his physical, mental, social and spiritual make- up. Such information, understood and wisely used, can some- times save a life from failure and can often add greatly to its richness and value. Our eighth graders meet every week to learn the faculty of self-analysis, the possibilities ahead in high school, and how to plan for education and a job. A complete battery of tests will furnish the needed information. On the high school level we have had schol- astic ability and interest tests. Group guidance classes are planned for all senior high students and our teachers are working on study units. We plan to cover educational planning and adjustment, vocational planning and adjust- ment, family relationships, effective use of leisure time, development of personality, personal values, finances, health, and social relationship. Each student will be coun- seled at least once each year.
WHAT IS PLANNED IN GUIDANCE FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR?
As basic testing program has been designed for the guidance of secondary school pupils which will consist of tests of occupational interest, scholastic ability, personal and social adjustment, competency in basic skills and spe- cial aptitudes and abilities. Occupational information will be added to your school library to furnish students with material for research. Since field trips to industry are almost impossible in this area, we will attempt to bring represen-
138
tatives from industry to our school for a meeting with the students in a Career Day. Occupational information will also be furnished by showing vocational films.
An occupational survey will be made of this area to determine the vocational opportunities open for our young people. A follow-up survey will be made of all recent grad- uates and "drop-outs" to learn how adequately we are meeting the educational needs of our students. We must learn what our past graduates are doing in order to adapt our studies to best serve the needs of our present students. A definite attempt will be made to assist our students in placement in schools and work.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR GUIDANCE PROGRAM?
We are making a serious attempt to better prepare our students for an adult life. They will know the real meaning of work and how to work when they get a job. Instruction wlil be given in job-getting techniques. Our students will be taught job and personal adjustment. The mental and physical aspects of each individual will be ex- plored and the possibilities made clear to each person. A problem-solving technique-a method of logical thinking- will be offered each student to help him cope with his prob- lems in the most complex society in history. To accomplish this task we need complete cooperation between teachers, parents, officials and students. Our objectives are high. In spite of our complete seriousness of purpose, complete real- ization of all our plans may not come in one short year but our ground work will be laid and our future plans can be set in place so that our present conception of the value of an education will be replaced by a new feeling of the prac- ticality, the usefulness of public school education.
My thanks are extended to the people in your town and to your teachers who have so generously welcomed and accepted the obligations of a guidance service for your school department.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ART
Margaret A. Jarden
This September art education, with a new supervisor, was resumed in the schools of Union No. 21, after a lapse of one year, during which the children were without direc- ted art activity, with exception of that carried on by inter- ested grade teachers. Art work was dropped entirely for all above the sixth grade. It is apparent that even in a seem- ingly short period of one year, ground has been lost in this subject. To keep it productive, creative expression needs continuous experience in creative activity.
Being a newcomer to the schools of this union, much of the first half of the terms has been spent in discovering the capacities of the chlidren and their interests, as well as the methods and personalities of the grade teachers with whom one works closely. The latter have been most helpful and cooperative in furthering the art work. The children have the potential capabiltiies of typical Amercian children, but perhaps have not reached quite as high level of acom- plishment, due to not having the benefit of a graded course of study continuously carried on over a period of years. The progress shown in the field of music verifies the value of following a planned course without interruption.
To be welcomed as the "drawing teacher" was gratify- ing, but made one realize that the idea might still prevail that art education consists of drawing only. We are striving for the broader conception, that of art as it exists in very- day life. For while every child is a potential creator, he is not necessarily a producer of masterpieces, but he is the possessor of potential abilities that are the means of enjoy- ing and enriching life through creative experience. The product is not of a great importance as is the process in- volved in the release of creative energy. It is hoped that the day may come when art instruction will continue in the same way as does mathematics, throughout the school
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years and not become an elective subject when the child reaches high school. Owing to this, we produce adults with submerged creative powers, which often remain latent, until possibly in later life when it becomes necessary to to turn to hobbies for relaxation.
We started the term with fairly adequate supplies of paper, watercolors and crayons. There are, however, cer- tain basic needs that, if supplied, would make it possible to broaden the scope of the art work. First, it would be of great help to have at hand original three-demin- sional source material and art refernece books. Lack- ing direct access to museums through class visits for the purpose of bringing book information to life through visual aids, compensation may be made in rural communities by bringing museum material to the schools. The educational departments of the Boston Museum, New York's Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum, to name' just & few, have worked out excellent traveling exhibits just to fill such needs. In many instances, exhibits may be obtained for small fees, and some for transportation costs only. We have made a small start in bringing some of these to the schools in this union. Chatham is now showing an exhibit called "Elements of Design" which points out graphically that design is everywhere about us. Supplementing this is an exhibit of textiles in a table case, both of which were a gift to the starting of a school collection by several inter- ested citizens. It is planned to set aside a space in each school where exhibits may be displayed, so that every child and interested adult may see them. The end in view will be the establishing of school museums, as has been done in many schools.
A second basic need is for tools and materials for work in the handcrafts. Almost nothing has been done in this field here. Thirdly, in each school there is needed art room, equipped with water, storage space for materials, as well as the proper desks and benches for carrying on all manual arts. At present, Harwich is the only school
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that has an art room, although it is a regular classroom with- out the physical necessities mentioned.
To sum up our objectives: We are working for more adequate physical environment in which to carry on this subject and to enlarge the variety of creative media open for exploration by each child. Then through study and direct contact with original arts and crafts of local, national and international scope, it is hoped that there may be awakened in the child an attitude of understanding and tolerance for the creative works of his world neighbors, an attitude that may carry over into the future citizen of a "one world."
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Thomas Nassi
The Instrumental Music Classes in Eastham are divided into the following groups :
Orchestra
14
Band
15
Beginners 12
Symphonette Class
14
Rhythm Band
13
Eastham, as always, has the greatest proportion of pupils taking instrumental music on the Cape. This is the result of Principal Nickerson's genuine enthusiasm and in- terest in this field. Mr. Nickerson gives all students the opportunity, to the fullest extent, to find whatever talent they might possess in music. Only those who are utterly disinterested are eliminated. Mrs. Macomber and Mrs. Gould also cooperate in every way possible to help the pupils throughout the year. Mrs. Nassi is giving every pupil private attention.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF VOCAL MUSIC
Webster W. Tileston
Vocal music continues its lead in popularity by the wholehearted, enthusiastic participation and cooperation of the grades, teachers and parents. Students are realizing now more than ever, that a "singing world is indeed a happy world," and that there is something deep and good in con- certed music.
Their contagious enthusiasm is spreading even more to the parents and friends as is evidenced by the zealous response and spontaniety of all at each and every occasion for a "community sing."
This desire for group singing has been particularly noticeable and praiseworthy at the many club, school and social functions held in town and especially so in church choir participation. Everything has been warmly received and the community singing really created an atmosphere of good cheer and good will that cemented the feelings of love, peace and friendship more than anything else could possibly have done.
The group results in your school are particularly gratifying and I have nothing but praise for the fine work each grade teacher and principal has done in music. Each class has a large repertoire of songs, the children sing well, they show that they love it, their tones are fine and prob- lems relating to rhythm, intervals, time values and appre- ciation in general are well worked out.
In summary, I can best repeat two sentences from my report of last year: "Through music the child enters a world of beauty, expresses his inmost self, tastes the joy of creating, widens his sympathies, develops his mind, re- fines his spirit and adds grace to his body. Music like many other things worth living for begins in the heart and washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN OF EASTHAM
Walter E. Wright, M.D.
The principal function of the school physician, namely the yearly examination of the students at Eastham, was completed in October 1947. All school children were seen by the physican assisted by the school nurse. In addition to actual examination, records were brought up to date and pertinent data collected by the nurse were added to the health form of each child. Such data included signifi- cant material of health characteristics derived from con- tact established by the nurse in the respective homes. Espe- cial attention was directed at the examination of siblings of students who might have previously known and recorded physical defects that might be transmissable or infestious. As in the proceding year, search was made for evidence of rheu- matic fever in its active form. In accord with a program of the state department concerned with student health, stu- dents at Eastham were classified in graphic record form to facilitate screening of those with apparent remedial defects. Reference was then made to appropriate family physician, clinic, or specialist.
All transfer students enrolled at Eastham for the first time were interviewed and their school health record from the previous town of attendance reviewed. Where indicated, in transfer students as well as the regular children, the school nurse carried out home interviews and instruction.
The problem of immunization of the members of the school received as usual particular attention. The actual management of vaccination and innoculation is carried out by the Health Department of this County.
Reporting on the physical status of the children, it may be said without qualification that the group at East- ham reveals a minimum of significant defects. At the time of examination and up to this date, no contagious disease
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or disorder has been in evidence. No parasitic infestations are present.
Thus far, no acutely ill child has been encountered. Physical examination reveals no active rheumatic fever and there are but few (2) instances in which the diagnosis of inactive phases of the disease is in order. No gross visual defects were present in the group. Disorders of the mus- culo-skeletal system were found only in those children already registered and regularly attending clinics at the Cape Cod Hospital. No overt cases of nutritional disorder are encountered, and thus far no surgical or medical emer- . gencies have been reported. From the group as a whole there was some need for referral to the family physician in five (5) instances, referral to the speech clinic at Hyan- nis in one (1) case, re-examination at the crippled chil- dren's clinic at Hyannis in only one (1) case.
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