USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > Town of Lynnfield, Essex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, annual report 1860-1880 > Part 21
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Daniel Wilson.
Typhoid Fever.
February 23, IS79.
Henry Bancroft.
72
2
15
Lynnfield.
Thomas Bancroft.
Suicide.
June 21, IS79.
Joseph Ramsdell.
79
Marblehead.
Heart Disease.
July 15, 1879.
Nellie Abbott.
6
Lynnfield.
Charles and Mary Abbott.
Diphtheria.
July 19, 1879.
Harry N. Abbott.
3
6
6
Lynnfield.
Charles and Mary Abbott.
Diphtheria.
July 30, 1879.
Lousetta May Coates.
4-
6
Lynnfield.
Andrew and Laura ..
Diphtheria.
August 15, 1879.
John Augustus Coates.
4
5
Lynnfield.
Reuben and Nancy.
Diphtheria.
August 26, 1879.
Lucinda C. Bent.
43
6
Nova Scotia.
James and Lucinda. Alfred and Harriet.
Bright's Disease of Kidneys.
August 14, 1879.
Henry E. Wiley.
34
5
25
Lynnfield.
October 7, IS79.
Mary S. Norwood.
45
6
21
Lynnfield.
James and Betsey.
Consumption.
October 27, 1879.
George McIntire.
9
Lynnfield.
George and Fanny.
Suicide.
December 26, 1879.
Oscar Lewis Kuhlman.
2
Lynnfield.
Henry and Anna.
Suffocated.
December 26, IS79.
Josiah Newhall.
S5
Lynnfield.
Jacob and Eda.
Old age.
DEATHIS REGISTERED IN LYNNFIELD.
16
Suicide.
I7
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
ESSEX, ss.
To SAMUEL HARDING, Constable of the Town of Lynnfield, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify the inhabitants of the Town of Lynn- field, qualified to vote in Town Affairs, to meet at the TOWN HALL, in said Town, on MONDAY, the FIFTH day of APRIL, next, at 12 o'clock, M., to act on the following Articles, namely :
ARTICLE I .- To choose a Moderator.
ART. 2 .- To choose all necessary Town Officers.
ART. 3 .- To hear the Report of Town Officers, and act thereon.
ART. 4 .- To raise money for Town expenses the current year.
ART. 5 .- To raise money for support of Schools the current year.
ART. 6 .- To raise money for Repair of Highways, and de- termine how the same shall be expended.
ART. 7 .- To determine the manner of collecting Taxes the current year.
ART. 8 .- To set a time when the Collector of Taxes shall settle his list.
ART. 9 .- To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer to hire money, if necessary, to meet the demands of the Town.
ART. 10 .- To see if the Town will authorize the Collector to charge interest on all Taxes not paid at the time he is required to settle his account.
ART. II .- To see if the Town will prepare and adopt a Code of By-Laws for the use of the Town, as provided in the General Statutes of the Commonwealth, or take any action thereon.
3
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
ART. 12 .- To see if the Town will comply with the Truant Laws of the State, or take any action thercon.
ART. 13 .- To see if the Town will raise money to purchase land, and to erect a Town Hall, or take any action thereon.
ART. 14 .- To see what action the Town will take concerning the Cemeteries.
ART. 15 .- To see if the Town will raise a sum of money to present to the Wakefield Fire Department.
ART. 16 .- To see if the Town will purchase a lot of land, and build a Lockup, or otherwise provide for lodging tramps.
ART. 17 .- To see if the Town will build a Bridge in the road at Gerry's Pond, or take any action thereon.
ART. IS .- To see if the Town will build a Bridge over the gutter near the shop of Stephen E. Bent, or take any action thereon.
ART. 19 .- To see if the Town will petition the County Com- missioners to define and discontinue an alleged Highway leading from Chapel Lane to Newburyport Turnpike, or take any action thereon.
ART. 20 .- To see if the Town will appropriate a sum of money for the observance of Decoration Day.
And you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting attested copies thereof in the usual manner.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of the same, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk at the time and place of said Meeting.
Given under our hands at Lynnfield, this twenty-fourth day of March, ISSO.
ALBERT MANSFIELD, ) Selectmen SETH H. RUSSELL, of
DAVID F. PARSONS. Lynnfield.
A true copy. Attest :
SAMUEL HARDING, Constable.
SCHOOL REPORT.
SCHOOL REPORT.
TO THE CITIZENS OF LYNNFIELD :
The School Committee respectfully submit their annual Report.
I. FINANCES.
RECEIPTS.
Balance of Appropriation for IS78 $203 31
School Appropriation for 1879 Soo 00
Massachusetts School Fund . 212 38
Dog Tax .
47 16
--- $1,262 85
EXPENDITURES.
Teachers' wages . $762 00
Fuel and preparing 73 30
Care of school rooms
51 25
Apparatus
30 co
Total .
916 55
Balance
346 30
- $1,262 S5
For Incidental Expenses see Selectmen's Report.
II. SCHOLARS.
The whole number of scholars in the town between 5 and 15 years of age on the first of May, 1879, was HIS. The whole number that have attended school is 124.
22
SCHOOL REPORT.
The school statistics are as follows :
NORTH SCHOOL.
Whole number of different scholars during the year . . 21.
Greatest number any one term . 21
Yearly average attendance 13
CENTRE SCHOOL.
Whole number of different scholars during the year 50
Greatest number any one term 49
Yearly average attendance . . 32
SOUTH SCHOOL.
Whole number of different scholars during the year 55
Greatest number any one term .51
Yearly average attendance . 36
Scholars have attended the schools from North Reading, Peabody and Lynn.
Some items of interest not mentioned in the foregoing may be found in the following table :
SCHOOLS.
TERMS.
No. belonging.
Between 5 and 15.
Under 5.
Over 15.
Av. Attendance.
Teachers' wages.
Weeks of School. !
Spring.
12
II
I
10.3
$6.00
IO
NORTH.
Fall.
16
13
2
1 I
12.3
6.00
10
Winter.
21
15
2
4
15.6
6.00
Spring.
50
49
1
38.S
S.00
12
CENTRE.
Fall.
41
41
34 0
S 00
12
Winter.
34
33
I
26.6
S.00
12
Spring
50
50
39.S
S.00
12
SOUTH.
Fall.
51
50
I
3S.6
S.00
12
Winter.
41
41
30.0
S.00
12
.
Quarterly
23
SCHOOL REPORT.
The number of scholars who have been perfect in attendance for the year has been on the decrease for two or three years past. For the past year the only one who has come near enough for an . honorable mention is Alice E. Bancroft, who was present every day and tardy only three times ; a few others were perfect for one term.
The Annual Report of the State Board of Education for 1879 has not been received, consequently comparative position of our schools with those of other towns in the Commonwealth cannot be made, as has sometimes been done in years before. Your Committee have taken some pains to visit schools in other towns, and have encouraged the teachers to do the same, so that we might compare and improve.
TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS.
There has been no change of teachers in our schools during the past year. The North School, in charge of Mrs. E. P. Coney, continues to be the banner school in town. It is a good speci- men of what can be done in a mixed school when scholars, teacher and parents are trying to do what they can for themselves and the school. We feel sure that the scholars who have at- tended this school under the present teacher will always hold it in fond recollection.
The Centre School, in charge of Miss H. B. Danforth, has done well. The scholars have made good progress in their studies, but there seems to be a want of harmony in the school, and to a considerable extent throughout the Ward, that works against the best interests of the school. This has not been more noticeable during the last year than for years before. Perhaps sometimes, unintentionally, the teachers have been too severely criticised by the adult portion of the community. Teachers are not always perfect, perhaps not always so affable as they should be. Affability is a quality very desirable in a teacher, and if not studiously cultivated it will, by nature of occupation, decline in
24
SCHOOL REPORT.
the school room ; but the imperfections of teachers should be care- fully spoken of in the presence of children.
The South School, in charge of Miss M. J. Copeland, has kept on in the even tenor of its way, which has always been good in respect to both order and the thorough manner in which the children have been taught. That these things have been gener- ally appreciated, is shown by the large number that have attended school. Fifty-one have attended out of the fifty-three in the district. South Lynnfield is fortunate in having so good a teacher and school.
EDUCATION.
There is no subject in which the community is so deeply inter- ested as in the education of children, and justly so, for no secular subject is so important. Very early in the history of our State, compulsory education was enforced, and ever since, with accumu- lating diligence, the people have kept the subject foremost in public and private deliberations.
New laws are continually being passed by each succeeding legislature ; new schemes for the promotion of popular educa- tion, new books and new systems. These are protected and guarded so as to be of the greatest possible benefit. This is well, for whatever interferes with the education of youth interferes with the future condition of society, State and country. While we admit the importance of all these things, let us also ask, What is education, and is there no danger that it be overdone? Edu- cation comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations - its primary meaning is to lead out or develop. But of what this series of instruction shall consist, and how given, is the problem to be solved. There are some homely, practical, and it may be old fashioned, truths that should come in at almost every point in every theory or system.
25
SCHOOL REPORT. 1
In the first place, the studying and learning must be done by the scholars. This simple fact seems to be lost sight of by many enthusiastic educators, and the principal thing with them is to reduce and pour into the minds of children that which they should acquire by study, till the power of acquiring by their own exer- tion is lost.
In order to develop muscle the muscles must be used. The same is true of the mind. "Close attention and earnest study on any subject strengthens the mind, and enables it to grasp and understand other and harder lessons or subjects as they occur in school or in life. The best system, and the best teacher, is the one that calls out the most exertion on the part of the learner, supposing, always, that the exercise is reasonable. The best results are obtained when the desire to learn is excited in the learner - for what children want to do they will do, and when the desire is created the rest of the work is easy by any teacher or system.
How to call out this exertion or excite this desire, then, is an important question. Parents may have more influence than any other one thing that can be brought to bear on children. The most careless visitor in school can usually tell the children who have a good influence at home, and are encouraged to do well at school. But many parents are sadly remiss in this duty, for various reasons ; in many homes there is no time, and children are sent to school to get them out of the way ; in many others it seems as though there was no inclination to help or influence the children for good at school -there is sometimes a hostility between parents and teachers - or there seems to be a feeling that the teacher is paid for teaching the children, and therefore they ought to do it all, which reminds one of the story of the people who said- they had paid the minister's salary for years, and there was no reason in the world why they should not have been converted long ago.
It is very hard to do children much good when the teacher's
4
26
SCHOOL REPORT.
efforts in discipline and instruction are not sustained at home. Yet, while admitting tis, very much depends on the teacher to excite and encourage the learner. Some teachers are able to do this in the face of great obstacles, including great obtuseness on the part of scholars ; such teachers are superior to any system, and are beyond price.
Children are sometimes kept too much in school. Those who are kept at work one half of the year - when old enough - often make as much progress as those who are in school the whole school year. One who is constantly surfeited with food or schooling can never be hungry for either. Three parties are requisite to a good school - good teachers, constant and earnest scholars, and consistent and helpful parents. If parents would visit the school oftener they would understand school troubles better, and all parties would be mutually benefitted.
Thankful for what has been done in the past we are hopeful, confident and prayerful for the future.
G. E. HERRICK, HENRY DANFORTH, School ANDREW MANSFIELD, Committee.
LYNNFIELD, March 24, 1880.
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