USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Hamilton > Town of Hamilton Annual Report 1906 > Part 3
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In the summer vacation additional desks were put into the south schoolrooms, also a water tank large enough for the require- ments of the building was put in. All the school buildings are now in good condition, except that possibly the east schoolhouse may have to be shingled this year.
12
SCHOOL REPORT
The report of the superintendent will give the work and progress of the schools in detail.
GEORGE K. KNOWLTON, EVERETT A. SMITH, JESSE G. NICHOLS,
School Committee.
Report of Superintendent of Schools.
GENTLEMEN OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
It is with pleasure that I submit to you this my fourth annual report as superintendent of the schools of the town. It is hoped that the people of the town will give careful attention to the school questions, as problems are at hand that need united action and disinterested judgment as to the wisest course to pursue.
It has been evident for several years that some move must be made for more school accommodations for the pupils of the south end of the town. At present we have in the primary room the first and second grades ; in the upper primary, the third and fourth grades ; in the intermediate or lower grammar, the fifth and sixth grades ; and in the grammar room there are the seventh, eight and ninth grades. The first two schools have numbered over fifty each all the year, and the last two have numbered nearly fifty each. With fifty children, each, the primary schools cannot do satisfactory work. It is impossible for one teacher to do justice to so many children. The naturally bright children progress, while the slower and less fortunate children are obliged to repeat the work of the grade. Slow pupils need more drilling and more personal attention from the teacher.
In the Grammar school the assistant has taken charge of the work of the seventh grade in all the main subjects, hearing the recitations in the hall. In order to accomplish the work of
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SCHOOL REPORT
the ninth grade and prepare our pupils for the tenth grade in Beverly one teacher must devote her entire time to the work of the eighth and ninth grades. Two teachers cannot hear recita- tions in the same room at the same time, so it has become necessary to utilize the hall for a classroom, unsatisfactory as such an arrangement always proves.
Another school room should be provided for the pupils of the south district. This room will be greatly needed in the spring as there are several children of school age that wish to enter school after the spring vacation.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
We are now spending $3500.00 per annum to educate our pupils in outside high schools. This money would run a good local high school. A building, of course, will be necessary for for such a school, but this building would furnish the necessary relief for the south schools.
In order to show what is the practice in the state in regard to the establishment of local high schools, I quote from the report of the State Board of Education for 1903-1904: "As to the policy of maintaining a local high school, as compared with that of providing this instruction in outside schools, the pre- vailing sentiment in towns that have an option in this respect is in favor of the local school, except where the expense, as compared with the number of pupils, would be unreasonably great, or where an outside school is very easily accessible. The other view is usually held by those who have no children, or who have children whom they propose to send to college, and whom they prefer to have fitted in a school that holds the priv- ilege of certificating its graduates along.
There is this also to be said in favor of the strong outside high school : that it furnishes broader options, better facilities for instruction in most subjects, and older, more experienced, and, as a rule, more skilful teachers. The bright country boys
.
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SCHOOL REPORT
and girls that come to it with a purpose seem to catch from the new environments a spirit of work that soon puts them among its best scholars.
On the other hand, more pupils will attend a local high school than will go to an outside one, whatever advantages the latter may offer; and, provided the instruction of the local school can be of a kind to meet the needs of its pupils, and can be kept up to a reasonable degree of efficiency, this is a strong argument for its maintenance.
Making allowance for variations from year to year, it will appear that only about three fifths as many pupils will go to an outside high school as would attend a local school. For this there are several reasons, as one learns by inquiring of the peo- ple of these towns. A few of these may be of interest.
First, there is the expense of travelling, which for most of the families of these towns is quite a burden. Some of the richer towns remove this difficulty by paying the cost of trans- portation, and more perhaps might do so.
Second, there is a loss of time and of vitality where pupils have to travel long distances, and a loss of their help at home, where it is often greatly needed, and needed not only to aid their parents but also for their own good ; for what better train- ing can young people get than in learning to lend a hand to help in the work of the home; and what superiority of advan- tages in the way of purely intellectual education can the very best high school furnish that will compensate for the lack of this training? It will be kept in mind that I am speaking of communities made up almost wholly of families dependent on the farm or the mill or some other kind of laborious industry for their maintenance, where even the morning and evening assistance that boys and girls of high school age can render may be a needed relief to their hard working parents, and, as I have said a benefit to themselves. A little helpful manual
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SCHOOL REPORT
labor interspersing their study of Latin and geometry will be a tonic. The more I see in adults the consequences of early home conditions and training, the more I feel that young people are unfortunate who, outside of the hours required for their school work, have nothing to occupy their time and attention but amusements; who, at the age when impressions and habits are rapidly forming, have no share in the serious work of family maintenance, whether their exemption is due to wealth or to the unwisdom of parents (as it often is) or to the exactions of purely intellectual schooling.
Third. I find that thoughtful parents are reluctant to have their children of high school age, especially their girls (I think it just as dangerous for boys), travelling back and forth in the cars, where the influences do not always make for refinement and modesty ; but are even more reluctant to send them to board for the week in a city or large town, unless they are under the care of someone who has in them more than a boarding-house keeper's interest."
Besides the advantages stated here it is true that the town which has its own high school certainly has more town spirit and more of that local pride which is a great benefit to any town.
The High schools of Beverly and Salem are overcrowded. The Beverly school has so many pupils that it has had to run two sessions. Part of the classes attend from 8 to 12 A. M. and others from 12.15 to 4 P. M. This arrangement has caused considerable inconvenience to pupils in the afternoon session. Moreover we hear constant rumors that out of town pupils may soon be excluded from these schools.
EIGHTH GRADE.
It so happened this year that the eighth grade pupils were concentrated in the South Grammar school without increase of
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SCHOOL REPORT
cost to the town. This has been a relief to the district schools and an advantage to the pupils of the eighth grades. It is very necessary to continue this so that we may have the pupils better and more evenly prepared for the work of the ninth grade. With all the pupils of the eighth and ninth grades of the town in the South school we can prepare a large percentage of them for the tenth grade in Beverly. I find that the pupils who go to Beverly to the tenth grade are handicapped in their Latin in which they are a year behind the class with which they enter. This is the study in which our ninth grade does not coincide with Beverly's. This preparation can be made easily and we should conform our course of study to theirs.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.
The question of medical examinations of school children for contagious diseases and for defects of sight and hearing has been forced upon the attention of everyone by Governor Guild's message in which he says : "I would suggest, however, that you consider legislation contemplating a more general inspection of school children, as now practiced in some localities, notably for the discovery of infectious diseases and physical defects. A child may be a dullard at school and a failure in life because of undiscovered defects in eyesight or hearing. There are, to quote one line of work only "children now struggling for education through pain, ailing little creatures, backward in their lessons, tortured with racking headaches, who only need relief of a complaining set of nerves by a pair of properly adjusted glasses, to transform them to healthy, happy children, capable of assimilating all the benefits of their school work." There is a bill now pending before legislature which will make such inspection obligatory in September. This cannot fail to be a great benefit to many children. Massachusetts is behind some of her sister states in this beneficial work.
18
SCHOOL REPORT.
REPAIRS.
The school buildings of Hamilton present an attractive appearance this year with their new coats of paint. Most of the buildings are in good repair. The Centre building needs a fresh coat of paint on the inside. New wall maps for study- ing geography are needed in several of the rooms. The present maps are badly worn and much out of date.
CHANGE OF TEACHERS.
Each year there are a few changes of teachers. Miss Nelly G. Cutting, after spending a beneficial year at Normal School, returned to the East School this year. Miss Sanborn, who had served the town ably and efficiently for several years in the South upper primary resigned to get married. Her position was given to Miss Chase oft he Center. Miss Alice E. Wilcomb, of Maynard, was engaged for the Center school. Miss Batchel- der is out on a year's leave of absence, and Miss Dessa M. Wash- burn of Plymouth, N. H., was secured for the South.
Miss Stetson resigned her position in the South school for school in Danvers. Miss Elliott of Danvers is acting as assist- ant this year. Miss Julia Goldman, our music and drawing teacher, resigned in June to take a position in Beverly High School. Mrs. Mabel Dyer took the work in drawing for the fall term and Miss Isabel Cline, a graduate of the Normal Art School, has supervised the work in drawing with good results.
For several years the South school has been sorely in need of a piano. At the begining of the school a subscription paper was passed around among the people of the community by which nearly a hundred dollars was raised. In February a dramatic entertainment was given by the young people of South Hamilton by which fifty dollars was added to the fund. It is hoped that the fifty dollars yet due on the piano will be appro- priated by the town.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
SCHOOL WORK.
The children in the school of Hamilton are making good progress. The enthusiasm shown is encouraging. This is evidenced by the fact that very few pupils drop out before the end of the course and that a large per cent go on to high school.
PENNY SAVINGS.
Below is given the report of Mrs. Barrett, who has so faithfully attended to collecting the children's savings which show a substantial gain. This is a laudable work and should be sustained and extended.
A review of the year gives much encouragement in this department. It is evident to those interested that the experi- ment has passed beyond its first stages, and the lesson of thrift, which it is designed to teach is being learned, by the weekly deposit of small savings.
While some of the pupils are in this as in other work some- what irregular, yet the large proportion of the depositors are steady making their weekly payments. Some have been con- tributors from the first and have considerable sums to their credit in local banks. It was hoped by the promotors of this department of the W. C. T. U., that the work might have been taken up in the other schools of the town by this time, but wishing to have the system fully tested in one district before attempting it in others, it has been delayed.
SUMMARY.
No. of depositors from Feb. 1, 1905, to Feb. 1, 1906, 55
Amount deposited from Feb. 1, 1905, to Feb. 1, 1906, $44.86
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SCHOOL REPORT.
Total amount deposited from March 25, 1904, to Feb. 1, 1906, $222.54
Expense from March, 1904 to Feb. 1906, $5.70
Respectfully,
S. W. BARRETT.
Hamilton, February 15, 1906.
In closing this report I wish to extend thanks to the teachers for their faithfulness to their work and to the committee for their helpful counsel and support.
Respectfully submitted, ANDREW S. THOMSON, Superintendent of Schools.
Drawing Report.
Hamilton, Mass.
TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS:
The work planned for our schools for the year 1905-1906 is as follows: In September and October we take up plant drawing and color; in November and December, constructive drawing and design ; in January, February and March, pictorial drawing including familiar objects, children and animals, picture study is also begun at this time; in April, May and June we again turn to plant drawing, making designs for simple ornament derived from flowers and other spring life. In working out this course our aim is to give the children the power to sketch simple objects from nature or from memory, to be able to make and read working drawings, a sense of good design and a love for all that is beautiful.
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SCHOOL REPORT.
President Eliot says "Among the means of increasing innocent pleasures, sensations and emotions for multitudes of men and women none is more potent than the cultivation of the sense of beauty and the place to inculcate this sense is the school-room." After reading, spelling, writing and ciphering with small numbers drawing should be the most important common school subject.
The most difficult problem we meet is to present a lesson adapted to as many grades as we find in the district schools, but the hearty co-operation of the teachers and enthusiasm of the pupils makes even this a pleasant and interesting task. I find this same cordial response and wish to thank the teachers for their never failing interest in the subject.
Respectfully submitted, ISABEL CLINE, Supervisor of Drawing.
ROLL OF HONOR.
The numbers indicate the number of terms the pupil has not been absent.
WEST SCHOOL.
James Hart, 1 J. Houston Lovett, 3
Francis Hart, 2 Irving Peatfield, 1
Ralph C. Berry, 1
EAST SCHOOL. Martha M. Berry, 1
Frank Poole, 1 Martha Poole, 2
Letitia Elliott, 1
Charles Wright, 1
CENTRE SCHOOL.
Helen Sweeney, 3 James Pool, 1 Thomas Pool, 2
NORTH SCHOOL.
Alexander Jones, 1
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SCHOOL REPORT.
SOUTH UPPER PRIMARY.
Clara Frear, 1
Rebecca Jeddrie, 1
Gertrude McGarry, 1
Marion Smith, 1
James Hughes, 1
Olive Anderson, 1
Furber Libby, 2
Harold Back, 1
Freda Eckert, 1
Leslie Tinkham, 1
Willie Taylor, 1
SOUTH PRIMARY.
Daisy E. Back
Laura Williams, 2
James Dixon
William Williams
Della Klosky
Elsie Adams
Peter Klosky
Gertrude Ball
John McGinley
George Sonia
Rudolph Smerrage Ira Walker
Annie Saulnier
Helen Smith
SOUTH GRAMMAR.
Frank Burton, 2
Bessie Dodge, 1
Percy Burton, 1
Anna Hart, 1
Thayer Haraden, 1
Ellen Hart, 1
Eleanor Robinson, 2
Katherine Hart, 1
Evelyn Gould, 1
Justin Fitz, 1
SOUTH INTERMEDIATE.
Sadie L. Abbott
May Vroom, 3
Bertha E. Abbott, 2
Rufus Barrett
Abbie M. Frear
Willie McGarry, 2
Ruby Hayes, 2
Pauline Chandler
Marian Jones, 3
Emily Sangster Alice Sangster, 2
Eleanor Peterson, 2 Viola Striley
Florence Schaller, 3
Charles Hollingshead
Dortha Smith
Martha Cross
Dortha Libby, 2
TEACHERS, SALARIES, SCHOOLS, ETC., SEPTEMBER, 1905.
TEACHER.
SCHOOL.
GRADES.
SALARY.
WHERE EDUCATED).
Miss Harriet E. Boynton .
South Grammar South Intermediate South. Upper Primary South Primary
VII, VIII and IX
$675
Salem Normal and Radcliffe College
Miss Dessa M. Washburn .
V and VI
475
New Hampshire Normal
Miss Annie W. Chase .
III and IV
425
Framingham Normal
Miss Carrie E. Robie
I and II
400
Lancaster Academy
Miss Alice E. Wilcomb.
Centre School
I-VII
380
Bridgwater Normal
Miss Grace C. Stone .
North School
I-VII
400
Ipswich High School
Miss Grace B. Orne .
West School
I-VII
380
Quincy Training School
Miss Nelly G. Cutting .
East School
I-VII
400
Salem Normal
Miss Edith W. Elliott . .
Assistant in South
228
Danvers High School
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
For the year 1904-1905.
Months and
Days.
Number
Enrolled.
Number Boys
Enrolled.
Number Girls
Enrolled.
Average
Membership.
Average
Attendance.
Per cent of
Attendance.
No. between
5 and 15 years.
No. between
7 and 14 years.
No. over 15
years.
No. under 5
years.
South Grammar .
9-6
25
11
14
21
20
93
15
7
10
0
South Intermediate
9-10
50
17
33
43
41
94
48
48
2
0
South Upper Primary .
9-6
48
27
21
45
43
94
48
48
0
0
South Primary . .
9-10
71
39
32
53
50
94
71
19
0
0
Center School .
9-10
23
13
10
20
17
87
23
19
0
0
North School .
9-0
29
18
11
28
25
91
29
20
0
0
East School.
9-0
19
12
7
16
14
87
19
13
0
0
West School
9-0
22
12
10
16
15
94
22
16
0
0
Total
287
149
138
242
225
92
275
190
12
0
.
.
.
.
.
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