USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > Town of Lynnfield, Essex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, annual report 1961-1970 > Part 49
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Mr. George S. Burnett resigned from the Commission due to his acceptance of employment in Vermont.
Mrs. Ruth Oliver and Mr. Clifton E. Hodgdon were re-appointed and Mr. Bennett R. Keenan was appointed to the Commission (each for a term of three years) by the Board of Selectmen.
The Commission attended hearings on the removal of shade trees located within the bounds of the highways which resulted in some of the trees being saved.
KALLENBERG ORA RRY
LOT
Planning Board
The growth pattern of Lynnfield, as reflected by the establishment of new subdivisions, has re- mained at a high level during 1965.
Year
No. of Subdivisions Approved
No. of House Lots Approved
Aggregate Length of New Streets Approved
1961
6
120
12,165 ft.
1962
1
19
1,240 ft.
1963
1
3
190 ft.
1964
7
72
8,204 ft.
1965
5
76
8,450 ft.
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Robert C. Rourke, Chairman
At the 1965 Annual Town Meeting, the Town adopted Flood Plain Zoning, as introduced by the Planning Board. Under this new zoning, the use of certain land areas of low elevation which are subject to seasonal or periodic flooding, has been restricted to purposes consistent with the protec- tion of the health and safety of the people using the area.
It has long been the opinion of the Planning Board that the majority of Lynnfield citizens desire the Town to retain its essentially residential character. This belief was strengthened when, at several prior Town meetings, the voters refused to enlarge Commercial Districts, or permit a motel on Route 128, even though the Planning Board recommended adoption of the articles involved.
This year, the Town gave the appearance of the opposite opinion when it refused to act on the matter of golf course lighting. With the absence of recent objections from property holders near the several golf courses in town, it is probable that townspeople saw no evidence of incursion of residen- tial property rights, so their action was consistent with the past.
In order to verify this opinion, the Board is repeating the following "Statement of Principles Applicable to Zoning", and welcomes comment on this matter:
1. The Town of Lynnfield is by choice of its residents basically residential and all zoning should recognize and be compatible with this fact.
2. Zoning must be consistent with sound overall planning. All zoning should conform to the Master Plan in effect in the Town, or if there are sound reasons why the Master Plan no longer ap- plies, then modification of the Plan should be made and the zoning of the Town should conform to the modified overall plan.
3. The proper purposes of zoning are not primarily financial. These purposes include the estab- lishment and preservation of residential neighborhoods, the establishment of necessary service facili- ties for the neighborhoods, the preservation of certain amenities for the residents of the Town, and the preservation of certain sanitary considerations.
4. Zoning ordinances should be of enduring quality and should only be altered for extremely good reasons - always by an Annual Town Meeting and in accordance with the regular procedure for the adoption of changes in Town By-Laws as outlined in the General Laws of the Commonwealth.
During the year, Mr. Richard R. Wolsey resigned because of pressure of business interests. Mr. Colby L. Burbank, Jr. was appointed to serve until the next annual election. Mr. Howard A. Bouve, Jr. was re-elected for a second five-year term at the 1965 annual election.
CALVIN J. OSBERG, Chairman
Library Trustees
Frederick D. Eble
Charles E. Herlihy
Natalie A. Brooks, Chairman
1965
1963
1961
1959
Circulation of Books
97,557
90,127
69,073
46,782
Book Purchases
2,439
2,618
2,587
1,466
Story Hour Attendance
1,979
1,661
1,318
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The Board of Lynnfield Library Trustees reports continued progress in the very important edu- cational area of library work. A handbook compiled for the use of teachers was the first result of a School-Library Liaison Committee formed last Spring. This committee consists of the Head Li- brarian, Chairman of the Board of Library Trustees, the superintendent of schools, principals of the elementary and secondary schools, and the school librarians. The purpose of the committee is to improve school and public library service in the community. Four meetings were held during the year.
The library handbook for teachers has resulted in greater cooperation between the teachers and the public library and in much increased student use of the library, where collections of books for special assignments are put on reserve at the request of the teachers. This handbook is receiving national attention and requests for it have been received from as far away as Oregon.
The summer reading program again proved highly successful, with over 700 children partici- pating, and 500 receiving certificates for completing the program. Each class in the elementary schools, both public and parochial, was personally visited before the close of school in June, in con- nection with this program which was sponsored by the Friends of the Lynnfield Library. Children entitled to certificates were feted at a party at the Huckleberry Hill School.
In November, each of the sixth grades in the public schools attended a lecture and demonstra- tion on finding research materials and using them to the best advantage. Four of these classes returned to the library to work on pupil specialties under the supervision of the teacher and the librarian. This year; for the first time, pupils from each of the fourth grades came to the library for instruction in the Dewey Decimal System and the use of the card catalog.
A staff meeting has been held each month with instruction and workshop practice in various phases of library science.
The four local garden clubs have made the Green Library and the Branch Library attractive with arrangements and displays.
The Friends of the Lynnfield Library Group has continued to give invaluable assistance, spon- soring, besides the summer reading program, a bookmending class for elementary and parochial school P.T.A. members. The winter series of morning lectures has continued to be very popular. A gift of money was given to purchase books.
The giving of memorial books is increasingly popular. This year, several have been received, in memory of Jeanne Pearson, Lance Chadwell, Robert Goring, Viola Brattin, and Jason Lack. A youth table was also given in memory of Miss Pearson.
In February, a state grant of $2,099.50 towards library services was received by the town, based on the 1960 census, at 25c per capita. To receive this grant, standards set by the state must be maintained. Higher standards will be required when the population of the town reaches 10,000.
It was necessary to purchase additional book stacks for the Green Library, causing a reduction of the number of books in the reference area. With the increase of student use, the Library Trustees anticipate further reduction of study areas.
Nancy Santeusanio
Richard N. Eckhert
Perry L. Nies
20
Senior High School Building Committee
Construction work on the new Senior High School building on Essex Street continued until late in August, 1965. Tile work, painting and the installation of heating, ventilating, plumbing and electrical fixtures comprised the major portion of this work.
Early in January the Committee commenced the work of selecting and arranging for purchase and installation of the many items of furniture and teaching equipment necessary for this complex school plant. Invaluable aid in this undertaking was provided by the School Department.
Due to the dry summer, work on final landscaping was not undertaken until fall. Partial finish grading was done in September and loaming and seeding in October. It is expected to finish this work in the spring of 1966.
With the opening of school on September 9, the building commenced to serve the purpose for which it was designed and on October 24 it was formally turned over to the School Department at a simple dedication ceremony. Open House was also held that afternoon at which an estimated one thousand persons inspected the new facilities.
As the year comes to a close, work of correcting minor faults and making necessary adjustments continues. There remain a few concluding details before the project can be called completed. The Committee expects, however, to wind up its affairs sometime in the first half of 1966, having com- pleted well over four years of service.
WALTER H. KUESTENMACHER, Chairman
School Plant Needs Committee
During 1965, the School Plant Needs Committee carried out its annual review of school enroll- ment trends and restudied its previous forecast of the future need for new facilities. An updating of the projections made in 1964 indicated that a principal conclusion stated in last year's report was still valid - namely, that additional elementary school space will probably be required in the fall of 1971. Details of this study have been placed on file in the Elizabeth W. Green Library as a supple- ment to the 1964 committee report.
The Shurcliff and Merrill estimate of future town growth under existing zoning laws, made for the Municipal Land Acquisition Committee, indicates that the maximum population could be 15% higher than that shown in the 1960 Benjamin Report. Such a possibility extends the upper limits of the ranges previously given for the estimated maximum future enrollments in our elementary and secondary schools. This increases the likelihood that Lynnfield will eventually require additional elementary capacity beyond that practical by the expansion of the Summer St., Huckleberry Hill, and South Schools.
ARTHUR E. FOULDS, Chairman
School Site Selection Committee
The Committee has the responsibility of locating building sites consistant with requirements recommended by the School Plant Needs Committee. In analyzing sites, consideration must be given to availability, size, land cost, sewage disposal, and possible construction problems.
The Committee recognizes that careful planning requires current attention to future needs. With this in mind, several possible sites have been considered.
RICHARD L. PRATT, Chairman
21
Standing: Robert W. Davis, Dr. Richard D. Morrow (Chairman), Dr. Louis D. Savage. Seated: Carl F. VanBennekom, Mrs. Elaine M. Klapes, Bernard A. Hunt- ley (Superintendent of Schools).
School Committee
This year there have been many important changes in the School Department.
Due to the keen interest in education of the citizens of the town and the diligent work of the Building Committee, we have our new high school. With our new facilities, we are able to give our students full educational value and a normal school day. We can be proud of the scholastic achieve- ment attained by our students, and of the excellent efforts of our staff while working under more ad- verse conditions.
This year the School Committee had many vacancies to fill. Working with Dr. Herold Hunt, of the Harvard School of Education, it was our pleasure to name Mr. Bernard A. Huntley our new superintendent of schools upon the retirement of Dr. John A. Redmond. The vacancies in the high school administration were filled by the appointment of Mr. Henry F. Cotton as principal, and Mr. Roy E. Harbour as assistant principal. Mr. Leonard Nihan was named principal of the Junior High School.
The Committee is grateful for the interest that the people of Lynnfield continue to show in the operation and development of our schools.
The more detailed aspects of this report will be discussed in the succeeding reports.
RICHARD D. MORROW, Chairman
22
Superintendent's Report
The chief concern of responsible school administration is that of providing continued improvement in the quality of the educational pro- gram being provided in the community. Quality in an educational sense is dependent upon a great many inter-related factors such as curriculum content, the skill and training of the professional staff, the physical facilities for learning, the selection and amount of instructional materials, and the wise integration of such resources. The year 1965 reflects a con- tinued concern on the part of those responsible for public education in Lynnfield. The individual reports from the various schools and special departments demonstrate this concern of providing expanded learning opportunities for our young citizens and of further up-grading the existing program.
Bernard A. Huntley Superintendent of Schools The opening of our new high school, along with cessation of double sessions, represents the most significant development of the year on the educational scene. The chief conclusion which might be drawn from this school expansion is that it provides tangible evidence of the interest of the citizens of Lynnfield in providing greater educational opportunity for their youth.
Another development related to the opening of the new high school is that we now have a full junior high school functioning as an independent administrative unit. This arrangement permits every opportunity for establishing a program geared fully to the differing educational and social needs of this age group. The growing sense of self-identity on the part of the junior high school student body is being observed and encouraged with interest.
It may be well to review several items of general interest which help to describe the full scope of the present school program :
Enrollment Staff. There are approximately 2,475 pupils presently enrolled in the Lynnfield schools. A staff of 114 classroom teachers. There are 17 specialists who provide services in the areas of guidance, speech therapy, reading, music, art, physical education, library, audio-visual aids. Private instruction is provided for those who are confined at home. Seven full-time administrators and 1 part-time assistant serve to coordinate and guide the efforts of these groups.
School Housing. At the present time two third grade classes from the Center School are housed in the Junior High School. Additional space in this building will be utilized to accommodate ex- pected increases in the near future. It is anticipated that further expansion of school facilities may be required by the end of the present decade. It is not too early to anticipate the establishment of a public kindergarten program in Lynnfield. The educational value of kindergarten training is ob- vious to parents and teachers, and is clearly reflected in appropriate research efforts. The fact that if the recommendations of the Massachusetts Education Commission (the Harrington-Willis Report) are fully implemented, kindergarten education will become a mandatory part of public school pro- grams throughout the Commonwealth.
Curriculum Development. Department heads, specialists, administrators, and committees of teachers share responsibility in providing for the continued revision and development of our school curriculum. Your superintendent has requested sufficient funds under the new budget to provide a summer workshop for in-depth study and curriculum development to meet future demands.
Professional Staff. Lynnfield is served by a highly trained and experienced professional staff. Participation in advanced training efforts during the school year as well as during the summer per- iod continues to be high, with close to 50% of all professional personnel having earned advanced degrees beyond the four year college level. Teacher turn-over is relatively low at 9% Every effort is made to secure the services of the finest staff possible.
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Student Achievement. Our Lynnfield pupils continue to maintain an impressive academic record as measured by standardized achievement tests, performance in our schools, and accomplishments of our graduates in institutions of higher learning. These qualities of our school program as well as of our student body, represent concrete accomplishment. It is important to note that they do not pro- vide us with the answer as to what "might have been" as a result of improved programs. There is no room for self-satisfaction when we are dealing with the future well being of our young people.
Libraries. To meet the needs of a modern school program, pupils must be enabled to go far be- yond the basic text to a wide range of instructional materials to acquire the knowledge, skills, and understandings needed in today's world. While our school libraries have made notable strides in recent years, continued emphasis and growth are necessary before our library services may be con- sidered fully adequate.
Federal Aid. The Federal government is extending aid to schools and Lynnfield has been alert to capitalize on those provisions which are appropriate to our situation and need. During the past school year we have obtained over $50,000 in matching funds from the Federal government, most of which was granted on the basis of the facilities established at the new high school. These funds were authorized for such diverse purchases as language laboratories, science equipment of all types, library books, and a great variety of audio-visual materials. An additional $700 was obtained for publications and testing materials in the guidance area.
Adult Education. Evening courses representing a wide range of academic and avocational inter- ests have been offered throughout the year. This program has functioned on a self-sustaining basis through a modest tuition charge and will continue to be provided in response to local interest and support.
Psychological Services. We are continuing to utilize the contracted services of the Child Guid- ance Center of Greater Lynn, in coordination with our own guidance program. This service provides for the direct assistance of a child psychologist in our schools for four hours weekly, while addi- tional services are provided through referrals to the Center in Lynn.
Summer School. A summer school program is provided on a minimal tuition basis to students who have a special need or who wish to extend their education by this means. A total of 265 stu- dents received the benefit of six weeks additional education in twelve different subject areas through this program.
These provisions represent a commitment to quality education on the part of all elected as well as appointed personnel. Our obligation to today's young people is as sobering in the degree of its vital importance as it is complex in its fulfillment.
I would like to share, in conclusion, a statement made by Sterling McMurrin, former United States Commissioner of Education, which seems particularly eloquent in describing the fundamental purposes which underly all of our efforts and responsibilities :
"So when the question is asked, what is the purpose of education, what are its ends, to what are the commitment and energies of our schools properly directed, the answer must be sought across the total spectrum of human interest, experience and value. It concerns first the well being of the individual student ... But it concerns as well the strength of the Nation . . . And it concerns the quality of the culture . The question of education is nothing less than the question of how we are to achieve and preserve a genuinely free so- ciety in which men are authentic persons who are masters rather than slaves of the forces that shape their world and where there is a culture in which the spirit of man can flourish freely and whose vitality is not a threat of decline and disintegration but promises a future of even greater achievement."*
* From the Foreword of the Summary Report of the Massachusetts Education Commission, Quality Education for Massachusetts, An Investment in the People of the Commonwealth, December 1964.
24
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Henry F. Cotton, Principal
Secondary education in Lynnfield made a great stride forward in 1965 with the opening of the senior high school on Essex Street. The completion of this facility enabled the com- munity to end its double session program and to move into its 6-3-3 grade arrangement with the knowledge that all of the children were equipped with outstanding facilities.
The community can take pride in the fact that during the difficult years of double sessions the quality of education offered suffered only slightly, if at all, due to the splendid cooperation of teachers, students and parents. This fact is substantiated by the achievements of the class of 1965 that graduated one hundred and seventy- seven strong in June of this year. Eighty-five percent of this class chose to continue their education in institutions of higher learning while the other 15% divided their choices between private employment and the armed services.
With the opening of our new high school a number of new programs have been established which will add significantly to the previously established high quality of our educational pro- gram.
Particular emphasis is being placed on our student leadership program. Four students were selected to attend the Student Leadership pro- gram at Syracuse University this past August. An Honor Pass system for students receiving academic honors was established and the Stu- dent Marshal program was strengthened. The
Study group in new high school library.
Student Council has been given considerable authority and is working very closely with the administration for the improvement of student responsibility and morale. We were particularly pleased with the growth of our American Field Service program and very proud of Miss Jeanne Walter who spent the summer as an A.F.S. stu- dent in Turkey, and Miss Martha Rich who is presently representing Lynnfield as an A.F.S. student in Stuttgart, Germany.
Our academic program has profited a great deal from the hard work of our department heads who are constantly appraising and imple- menting our curriculum needs.
The effect of our new building with its ex- cellent laboratory and library facilities is al- ready paying dividends as first-quarter report cards show over 25% of the senior class with honor grade averages.
The introduction of data processing to the parental reporting and school record keeping aspect of our administrative function has meant a great deal to us as we are now able to process grades and records more efficiently.
We feel indeed fortunate that 95% of our staff returned to take up their posts in the new building, and that only 4 of our staff are new to the Senior High School. The hard work and dedication of the teaching staff is no small part of the reason why we face the future with optimism, confident that we can and will provide each Lynnfield youngster with the opportunity to fulfill his educational potential, secure in the knowledge that his preparation is of the highest order.
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Leonard Nihan, Principal
The establishment of a Junior High has meant the end of the following: two or more students to a locker, the use of the gymnasium as a mass home room, transportation difficulties, limited class time, and only one activity. The increase this year in the length of periods is equivalent to an additional day of school each week for major academic areas. Minor subjects such as physical education, shop, art, and home economics have benefited by the increase in time for instruction.
The Junior High program of activities has been expanded to include programs in art, audio- visual, camera, gym, science, sewing and shop; the Junior High chorus has been re-activated.
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High School science facilities.
An intramural athletic program for both boys and girls is held three times weekly at the close of school.
This year, as always, attempts are being made to strengthen individual areas. One can- not itemize all of them but attention might be drawn to: greater emphasis in the English De- partment to aid the slow-reading student, foun- dry work added to the ninth grade metal course, and science laboratory studies enriched through the use of facilities that were formerly used by high school students. The new thirty position language laboratory has been invaluable to the study of French at the Junior High level.
Initially the ninth grade class was dis- appointed in not starting at the new High School. However, being "Seniors" at the Junior High School has given both boys and girls an opportunity of becoming school leaders through participation in the Student Council, the news- paper, the band, various other activities, and the athletic programs. While functioning as a separate entity in many ways, in the academic area the Junior High is and must continue to be closely coordinated with the High School. High School department chairmen have curricu- lum responsibilities that extend from grades seven through twelve. Coordinators have been appointed at the Junior High School in each of the major subject areas to work closely with department chairmen. Such inter-school organi- zation assures Lynnfield students of an articu- lated Junior-Senior high school program.
CENTER SCHOOL Dr. Nancy C. Santeusanio
Center School is a primary building and houses four first grade classrooms, four second
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