USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Franklin > Town of Franklin annual report 1898 > Part 2
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A teacher owes something to and for her position. If she wishes to be merely a day laborer, the sooner a change is made the better. But if in her teaching she is striving to build character among her pupils, such an ideal must restrain her until the right successor is secured. Should a portion of their salary be kept back to retain the teachers? The money given is never full payment to a faithful teacher. It is better to trust in the teachers and occasionally be deceived if it need be.
At the Horace Mann, Mr. Florent Whitmore of Castine Normal School, Me., with several years' experience, was se- lected in place of Miss Peirce, resigned. Many friends of the school believed a change should have been made sooner.
It is a very hard task to find just the right teacher among . the list of candidates, and requires many hours in selecting. Mr. Whitmore's success is excellent in all branches except music. He is worthy of a much larger position.
Miss Helen M. Hanscom, a graduate of Colby, Me., with highest rank, was elected to the science department of the High School. It is unfortunate that owing to the number of pupils and the press of classes the science teacher must divide her attention between the natural sciences and lan- guages, subjects so diametrically opposed. In view of all the conditions, Miss Hanscom's success is marked and gratifying. In January she resigned to accept a larger position and at an increased salary. Miss Elizabeth Shaw, a graduate of Smith with post graduate work at Tufts, was selected for this position.
We have so competent an instructor in Miss O'Hara of the English and Commercial departments that other superin- tendents wish her. They come early and they come often. It is with no small sense of relief and gratitude that she was retained.
Miss King of the Ninth and Miss Whiting of the High continue much the same line of work with the same or great- er success. The work in history, physiology and arithmetic of the Ninth, and English and physical culture of the High deserve special commendation. All the pupils of the High
23
School now have regular weekly instruction in English.
The remaining one of your teachers, the principal, is kept very busy. Seven classes recite to him in six periods. In other High schools of our size and grade, the principal has several periods to inspect and aid in the other rooms.
This should be his first duty. This year he has abso- lutely no time and can visit the other classes of the High School only by neglecting his own. This is not a wise arrangement. It is cheaper in money than in results. That the results are as uniformly excellent is due to the hearty co- operation and high sense of duty in each of the assistants. The departmental plan is followed here less than it should be. The Superintendent asked and suggested it. Opposition came from the teachers and their friends in the committee. Two teachers share the work in modern languages, two in ancient, two in history, two in English, four and with Miss King's class in algebra five in higher mathematics. A teacher can develop better methods and secure better results with four classes on one subject than four classes on four dif- ferent and differing subjects .. Of course the latter plan is narrowing for the teachers. But do the schools exist for the teachers or the teachers for the school ? The present plan, the best attainable because of the opposition, is better for the teachers than it is for the teaching or those taught.
One defect, serious, if not checked, resulting from specialization, is to forget the unity of the whole and unduly exalt one part to the selfish harm of other parts or other teachers' duties. I believe in encouraging the teachers in special lines of study. But this specialization by itself unfits them to see in the best light the whole or to find its general laws.
The special work' of Mrs. Hosmer in music, and Miss Mason in art, are of the highest order, and their loss would be a serious blow to the schools. I am not in sympathy with the plans urged by some to do away with special in- structors in these branches. What are a few dollars saved compared with the moral health of one child ? Without their services our schools would be far poorer and drearier.
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In general the schools, due to more frequent changes in teachers, the employing of less experienced but cheaper teachers, and the loss of many of the better pupils, are not so good as last year.
The Volunteer Teachers' meetings Monday night at 7:15 are continued this year with increased numbers. The public is cordially welcomed to these discussions at any time. The number of general teachers' meetings has been limited, be- cause two hours and a half of professional study after a day's session in school was found to be too great a tax upon some of the teachers.
In admitting pupils to the High School the committee have adhered without exception to their required per cent.
Not even special students were admitted unless they could pass the easy entrance examination. The reason of this was that these pupils could not pursue the advance studies with profit to themselves or credit to the school unless the founda- tion was firmly laid.
We have not " driven them upon the streets." School- ing was offered them, aye, urged upon them, but they refused to attend unless we opened to them the grade for which they were not fitted.
Dr. Hodge, of the special committee on repairs for the Horace Mann school house, spent a great deal of time in investigating the defects in heating and sanitation, for which the citizens owe him a debt of gratitude. The repairs voted by the citizens at the special town meeting have in the main been accomplished. The present arrangement for sanitation in mild weather is a success, The plan, however, would be more effective if a larger pipe connected the apparatus with the street water main. The heating apparatus is, in mild weather, somewhat more satisfactory; in extremely cold weather less than formerly. Many hours of your Superin- tendent's time were taken, and great inconvenience to pupils and teachers occasioned by the delays and unfinished work of the Smead Company, and the inefficient men employed by the Johnson Company. Unfortunately the apparatus both for sanitation and regulating the heat has repeatedly frozen
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and been made useless at times when most needed. The halls are not warmed by the extra furnace. I doubt in cold weather if they can be by it.
In putting in this new furnace one large beam in the cellar was cut. The front of the building has settled more since that time than ever before, and is, I believe, still set- tling. Further, the grate in this new furnace is not at all satisfactory.
REPAIRS NEEDED.
The buildings at Unionville and School Street need shingling. Some means of lighting is needed in the last named. In the higher grades it is often necessary to continue the work after school hours. Many days in fall and winter, in the darkening rooms, lasting injury is occasioned to the pupils' eyes.
Both of the furnaces in this building are cracked, and whenever coal is added to the fires the gas escapes into the rooms. This is not safe. We have tried in two ways to re- pair the defects. New furnaces will soon be needed. The school house at City Mills needs painting, new blackboards and seats. The walls and ceilings are dark with the dust and smoke of years and liable in places to bless the youthful head by a sudden fall.
In two-storied buildings great care should be taken to deaden the floors. At the Horace Mann every foot-fall is now heard in the rooms below ; in some places one can even see through the floors. By means of asbestos, cement and air spaces, the floors between the first and second, and second and third stories should be deadened, making them both fire- proof and sound-proof. Trusses are needed in the third sto- ries, slate blackboards in more of the rooms, and new and ad- justable furniture in rooms nine and eight. Storm windows at the Horace Mann are needed and would make a saving in fuel.
The yards of the schools need further repairs and adorn- ment. If the coming voter of Franklin is to desire improve-
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ment and beauty for our town, now is the time to implant that desire.
A kindergarten or sub-primary is needed. It could be established at the Arlington or Nason schools for fifty dollars. The teacher's salary of course would be extra. By teaching at one school in the morning and the other in the afternoon, the same teacher could render double service to the town. In England pupils are often received in school at three years of age ; here not till five. In many of our homes where both parents are at work, the children are forced upon the streets. It were better to save the girls and boys by beginning in time than to build prisons later. The intermediate of the Nason school could then be regraded. It is now too large for the best results.
In checking disease and epidemics, it has proved wise economy to have a physician visit each school daily to in- spect the pupils. This year we have been free from any serious complaints.
In our crowded villages and city life the home is becom- ing less and less a vital power. The home instruction is less. Many of the home functions the state should for its preserva- tion assume. If every home were ideal then the elementary school were unnecssary. But homes are not ideal. The in- crease of club life is still diminishing the home privileges and functions. The state, through its schools, should as- sume these essentials : household economy, needle-work, manual training and religious instruction. Not that any particular creed should be taught, but these two fundamental ideals : the eminence of God, the Father in nature and the brotherhood of life. Lynn has made a retrograde in banish- ing the Lord's prayer from the school. The teaching of the Bible is emasculated by the absence of written note or oral comment. We can teach the frailities and immoralities of a Jupiter, but not the righteousness of a Jehovah. We still have the mess of pottage instead of the birthright. Religion strained through defective Sunday school teaching is losing its grip upon the youths. If indifference and atheism in the rising generation is to be met, it must be in the schools by
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the broadly cultured and sympathetic teacher.
Parents, what are your children doing out of school hours? Often our best endeavors are rendered void by your thought- less permission for your child to loiter about the station and other public places with evil companions. A child grows to maturity a part of every one he has met, but alas, the hero of the street corner may be more potent in character building than the teacher.
Where are they at evening? In the West the cry is for the curfew bell for children to return home. Three hundred towns have already adopted it. Is it needed here?
The sessions of the lower grades should be increased to forty weeks. As far as I can learn this plan is followed by all schools of our grade. It is not the plan to increase the amount of work, but to remove the " hurry " and give more time to drill. * One parent, whose children have received double promotion, is opposed to it because his child is worked too hard. The remedy for him is to let the child take nine years' work in regular course. Let him attend school for thirty weeks, as the law requires, and rest the other twenty-two But his neighbor's little one could not accomplish forty weeks' work in thirty-six, and so had to review and lose a whole year. The advantages are less hurry, fewer non-promotions and better teachers.
In Cambridge, Mass., it has proved wise to " keep school " for fifty weeks. It is cheaper than reform schools or prisons later.
In promoting pupils and assigning them to schools I have considered the greatest good to the greatest number. This has not been satisfactory to some who failed to see why an exception could not be made in their case. The center of Central street was made the dividing line between Nason and School streets. This year,if one exception had been made,eight others ought to have been. This would have led to much con- fusion. Therefore it could not be granted. Result of doing one's duty in this case, an enemy ! But in this as well as other cases, we suffer more from jealous friends than from open enemies.
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THE IDEAL TEACHER.
The topic has been oft mooted but is valuable for us, for thereby the standard may be revealed. Education is defined as "A vast whole of ceaseless labor, which exacts true pro- portion from beginning to end." Teaching is the adapting of the principles of education to the individual that he may be transformed physically, mentally and morally from a being acting from impulse to one controlled by a rational will. The aim is the development of the just citizen. The best equipped schools, however, must fail to attain this end unless the child, parent and teacher co-operate. The man or woman teaching is more vital than the teacher, yet these per- sonal qualities are necessary : constant self-examination, thoughtfulness, love for children, a good spirit, a good diges- tion and happy disposition, good discipline and above all, a good moral character. But when to eminent natural ability there shall have been added a certain theoretical knowledge and training derived from professional schools, then the great teacher is produced. What taxpayer would dare to employ a physician who had not studied at a medical college? What pastor could gain or keep a following who knew little of theology and life? Yet the one ministers to the body only in sickness and the other to the spirit directly but an hour a week.
Youths with no, or at best limited, training, are urged upon us. The teacher's function, oftimes the only influence that makes for righteousness in the child, is as important as the above-named. There should be a demand for the same high standard of character and profession at training.
The graduate of a high school or college, with no pro- fessional training, is unfit for the whole duty of teaching.
Further, the salaries of a majority of the teachers in town are too small. In the last five years more and more.is necessarily asked of the teachers and there has been no general increase. A good spinner in the mills earns larger wages by the week for fifty-two weeks than the average teacher does for thirty six. The spinner is also freed from
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many of our expenses. We are still willing to pay more for a dressmaker or milliner to adorn the mere body that perishes, than for the teacher. Is this wise? We are treated by the great body politic as a man treats his stomach. ` The material more or less prepared is sent to us. No thought is given to our toil and difficulty as long as everything goes smoothly. Let some obstruction occur and listen to the outcry of this · same heedless body politic. Come, visit us, inspect early and often on other times than Parents' Day.
Respectfully submitted, E. D. DANIELS, A. M.
SCHOOL STREET SCHOOL.
TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COM- MITTEE :
In compliance with the request of the Superintendent of Schools, I herewith present for your consideration, the follow- ing report of the School Street School.
In reviewing the work of the year I think I may say that the condition of our classes is, on the whole, satisfactory. However, when I say this, I do not wish to convey the im- pression that we are entirely satisfied with the work. It is hardly the duty of a teacher to be satisfied ; she should always be vigilant to discover some means of improving the classes under her charge.
We are still pursuing the departmental plan of instruc- tion. This method of teaching has resulted in a better classi- fication in all the grades. Children who are able to do the work in less time than the majority, are given the opportunity for special advancement. Five pupils have had double pro-
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motion during the year. Most of them have justified the ac- tion by their subsequent standing.
In this report I shall not attempt to give a detailed ac- count of the progress made in the numerous studies in each grade. The special work in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh grades is farther advanced this year than at the corre- sponding time last year.
Drill is necessary for the formation of right habits and for the acquisition of skill in certain work. The school weeks should be increased to forty per year in all the grades. The additional four weeks would then provide the time for the necessary drill, and give an opportunity to complete thoroughly the amount of work mapped out for us in our course of study. I think I express the sentiment of all the teachers when I plead for forty weeks for the ensuing school year.
. Owing to your generosity the departments are well sup- plied with text books. An equipment in the way of refer- ence books is lacking. The unabriged dictionaries are old and almost useless, and ought to be replaced by new ones.
Permit me to call attention to the defective condition of the furnaces in the School Street building. Both teachers and pupils have been greatly disturbed by the odor of coal gas in the school room. In my opinion the furnaces are worth- less, and new ones should be substituted, If we wish bright and active work from the pupils, the the atmosphere in which they prepare their lessons should be favorable to health.
Respectfully submitted,
ISABEL M. REILLY.
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
The Supervisor of Music in the Public Schools would present the following report :-
、
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The work during the past year has been successfully de- veloped in the different grades.
Last Decoration Day an informal exhibition was given in the High School room. Pupils from the different classes represented the varied forms of music to invited guests. The sight reading displayed great care and thoughtfulness ; the little ones pleased all by their eagerness to sing alone. Mem- bers of Post 60, G. A. R, made the customary remarks for the day and expressed pleasure and interest in the beautiful study.
June 18th there was a successful exhibition of written work by different grades, showing a new feature of public school work-the transposition of music.
The musical programme of the graduating exercises was given in the Opera House by members of the High School. At present the members of this school are gaining in texture of voice, which for a few years past has not been equal to that of previous years.
Individual work is encouraged, as usual, and the teachers are delighted that the pupils often see the problems in the different exercises.
The quality of tone used by the children has been given special attention, and a gain in purity is noticeable. Scale practice has been a regular study and drill, as the foundation of tone interval depends much upon this one principle. Grad- ing of work has been a constant study, and in nearly all classes a gain has been made, the ninth grade holding its own and doing the most careful work.
Music in the schools has been elevating to the pupils, and from its study we are beginning to see some of it in our daily life.
It gives me great pleasure to find better readers, as it is one important point in holding a church position. There has been better attendance during the past year and a gain in reading in the primary classes.
The selections for the special days are usually memor- ized. A programme is prepared for Longfellow Day, Wash- ington's Birthday, etc., for the present year, thus making it
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more uniform in all grades. The books have been carefully inspected, new supplies have been added whenever required.
I do heartily thank the teachers for their untiring assist- ance in aiding their classes, since I know much of the success is due to them. I see little unpleasantness in their work, and many times I am surprised by even greater development than I might expect.
Respectfully submitted,
MRS. LIZZIE TREEN HOSMER.
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
As commonly taught in our schools, drawing is con- sidered from three standpoints. The representative. the most important, training the eye and hand ; the constructive, test- ing the reasoning powers and creative faculty, besides skill of hand ; and the decorative, testing the originality of the pupil, and his appreciation of beauty.
The work as exhibited last June showed these three features. Under representation we have free-hand sketches, beginning in the primaries with simple type forms, which in- crease in difficulty of form and position as the grades advance, and which include the elements of free-hand perspective. Some of the drawings in the fourth and fifth grades were well studied in this respect. Sketches of familiar objects were made in all the grades, and also of leaves and flowers. I think the blackboard work in the ninth grade deserves praise, especially as most of it was from nature.
Construction includes clay modeling. paper folding, etc., in the lower grades, and in the higher the making from card- board of type forms which are then used as models from which to draw.
In decoration designs for prints, cambrics, borders,
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book-covers, etc., are made, some in colored paper or wa- ter colors.
The primaries made quite an evident gain during the year, as shown by the entering class in the fourth grade. Of the Union schools, Miss Ellis has brought me the best work ; some very good. The sixth grade, during the past year, did very little work, and that poorly, but are trying to recover themselves. Of course, however, it injures the seventh grade this year. The freshmen and sophomores have just been taking elementary perspective, which I hope they may use later in out-door sketching. The charcoal work of the '97 senior class was very satisfactory, as were some of their home drawings and rapid sketches from life.
The general criticism upon all the drawing is that the free-hand work is inferior to the mechanical. The pupil is too carless to find what he really sees before he draws it, and too indolent to criticise it afterwards. I know that it is harder and requires more practice, but it is also more im- portant.
A special teachers' class in drawing was held nearly every Friday during the last half-year. I wish to thank the teachers for their willing and earnest work in that as in all other things.
Respectfully submitted,
ADRA R. MASON.
Franklin, Mass., Jan. 25, 1898.
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SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR CLOSING JAN. 31, 1898.
SCHOOL.
TEACHERS.
Whole
Enrolled.
Average
belonging.
Average Daily
Attendance.
Per cent. of
Attendance.
Number of
Tardinesses.
Number of
Visitors.
High
E. D. Daniels.
80
68.4
64.1
93.6
28
17
66
Grace C. Whiting.
66
A. Fannie O'Hara.
66
*Elizabeth Shaw.
High Gram.
1 Frances E. King.
34
31.4
29.7
94.4
-1
29
66
2
*Florent Whitmore
39
37.4
35.9
96
39
28
Sub-Gram.
1 Isabel MI. Reilly.
50
39.4
36.7
93.3
9
78
2 *Charles F. Frazer
41
36.2
33.7
93.2
16
56
Intermediate
1 *Lizzie D. Farrell.
45
42.3
40.1
94.8
2.2
62
66
2 *Barbara E. Vogler.
48
45.7
42.3
92.4
5ɔ̄
34
Primary
1 Rebecca Dunning.
62
35.7
33.9
95
47
156
2 *Bertha Hood.
60
36.2
33.1
91.5
69
74
3 Annie B. Bright
65
39.8
37.8
95
23
S2
6.
4 Emily F. Morse
57
42
38
91.9
53
53
Lucy E. Towe
57
32.9
29.2
88.6
38
50
City Mills
*Pearl Jacobs
24
21.2
19.1
90.3
4
36
Populatic.
*Mabel H. Perry.
23
17.5
14.9
84.9
35
36
Unionville
*Bertha E. Ellis
29
21.8
20.3
92.8 9
.
86
Total for 1897-8
¥14
547.9
508.8
92.5
454
Totals for 1896-7
719
586.6
533.7
90.9
650
1062
Totals for 1895-6.
716
558.7
510.6
91.3
801
817
Totals for 1894-5.
736
560.17 510.52
90.4
782
747
Totals for 1893-4.
938
660.8
559.8
90.3
1339
630
Totals for 1892-3.
883
752.2 681.7
90.6 .
2194
1020
Special Instructors
Mrs. Lizzie Treen Hosmer|Music Art Miss Adra R. Mason .....
Districts Transported.
Drivers.
Mount ......
Alfred F. Everett. .
North Franklin ..
Ed . P. Proctor ...
South Franklin ...
John H. Tyler.
* For only a portion of the school year.
NAMES OF
Number of Pupils
Number of Pupils
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COMPARISON OF FRANKLIN WITH NEIGHBORING TOWNS. 1896-7.
NAME OF TOWNS.
(B)
(c)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
Bellingham
$ 727,115
1481.
314
276
$ 8357 57
$ 3736 85
005.64
$14.862
Franklin
2,92S,825
5136
719
798
14757 45
11263 16
003.84
14.114
Hyde Park
9,007,095 11826
2054
2221
4343 92
35827 53
003.97
16.131
Medway
1,433,130
2913
634
463
10330 61
4371 90
005.58
17.278
Milford
5,429,517
S959
1576
1459
27062 18
20921 62
003.85
14.339
Nortolk
515,138
832
155
151
4401 62
2559 20
004.96
16.948
Norwood
3,519,900
4572
976
841
21124 96
1516 98
004.30
18.038
Walpole
2,294,461
2994
601
499
19609 64
9748 39
004.42
20.354
Wrentham
1,474,694
2584
585
469
11403 65
8650 00
006.16
19.394
Amount raised by. tax-
ation and Expended
for schools, including
wages, transportation,
fuel, care of fires and
Percent. of valuation
appropriated to public
schools, equivalent to
mills and hundredths
Sum appropriated by
town for each child
between 5 and 15 years
Deductions from the Above Table.
Milford is added to the list because it is a near neighbor. It did not seem wise to print these statistics for the twenty-seven towns in the county. Franklin differs from Dedham, Stoughton, Needham and Braintree in "per cent. of valuation appropriated to public schools" by only one-tenth of a mill (.0001). Milton, Sharon and Brookline were omitted because of their great wealth and different social con- ditions.
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