USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Norwell > Town of Norwell annual report 1890-1899 > Part 16
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THOMAS BARSTOW, GEORGE W. GRIGGS, ALPHEUS THOMAS,
Selectmen of Norwell.
47
EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Trustees of the Coffin Poor Fund.
Amount of fund,
$2,000 00
Loaned to the Town of Norwell at five per cent.
Cash on hand Jan 1,1895, $78 71
Interest to Jan. 1, 1896, 100 00
$178 71
Paid for care of cemetery lot,
$5 00
Paid for relief of out-door poor, 75 50
Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1896,
98 21
$178 71
48
ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Trustees of the A. T. Otis Poor Fund.
Amount of fund, $2,000 00
Loaned to the town of Norwell, at 4}
per cent. $1,300 00
Invested in Southern mortgage,
700 00
$2,000 00
Balance on hand Jan. 1, 1895,
$48 20
Interest to Jan. 1, 1896,
58 50
$106 70
Paid in-door poor,
$12 00
Paid expenses connected with South-
ern mortgage,
95 30
Deficiency Jan. 1, 1896,
$107 30 60 ·
Early in the year we found it necessary in order to protect the interests of the town to foreclose our $700 mortgage on property located in Decatur, Alabama, and bid in the prop- erty. This real estate has been viewed by one member of the trustees during the summer and is considered fully equal in value to the amount invested. Negotiations are now pend- and we are in hopes to dispose of the property with but little if any loss to the town on the original investment.
49
TENTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Trustees of the A. T. Otis Cemetery and Tomb Funds.
Amount of funds deposited in South
Scituate Savings Bank,
$1,500 00
Interest on deposit Jan. 1, 1895, $79 67
Interest to July 1, 1895, 62 56
$142 23
$1,642 23
Paid cemetery committee,
$50 00
Paid C. W. Sparrell,
27 00
Interest on deposit Jan. 1, 1896,
65 23
Fund on deposit Jan. 1, 1896,
1,500 00
$1,642 23
50
EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Trustees of the Josselyn Cemetery Fund.
Amount of fund Jan. 1, 1895 depoit-
ed in South Scituate Savings Bank,
$200 00
Interest on deposit Jan. 1, 1895,
$23 94
Interest to July 1, 1895,
9 04
$232 98
Paid for care of lot,
$5 00
Interest on deposit Jan. 1, 1896,
27 98
Fund on deposit Jan. 1, 1896,
200 00
$232 98
51
FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT.
OF THE
Trustees of the Samuel C. Cudworth Cemetery Fund.
Amount of fund Jan. 1, 1895 deposit-
ed in South Scituate Savings Bank,
$200 00
Interest on deposit Jan. 1, 1895,
$5 38
Interest to July 1, 1895,
8 28
$213 66
Paid for care of lot,
$5 50
Interest on deposit Jan. 1, 1896,
8 16
Fund on deposit Jan. 1, 1896,
200 00
$213 66
52
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Trustees of the Prudence C. Delano Tomb Fund.
Received from the estate and deposit-
ed in the South Scituate Savings Bank, Jan. 1895,
$360 00
Interest to July 1895,
$6 00
Paid for care of lot,
5 00
$11 00
On deposit Jan. 1, 1896, $301 00
THOMAS BARSTOW, GEORGE W. GRIGGS, ALPHEUS THOMAS, Trustees of Funds.
TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.
MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN NORWELL FOR THE YEAR 1895.
Feb. 2. In Hanover, Brenton H. Griffin of Norwell and Addie C. Munnies of Norwell; by Rev. J. J. Tobey.
Feb. 6. In Hanover, James H. Pratt of Hingham and Ida F. Magoun of Norwell ; by Rev. M. S. Nash.
Feb. 21. In Cohasset, John Monahan of Norwell and Mat- tie O'Niel of Scituate ; by Rev. J. P. Egan.
Feb. 27. In Cohasset, William S. Simmons of Norwell and Laura E. Wood of Cohasset ; by Rev. J. Osgood.
Mar. 29. In Marshfield, Wallace H. Damon of Norwell and Fanny M. Crocker of Norwell ; by Rev. T. H. Goodwin.
June 5. In Cohasset, James Ednie of Norwell and Sarah McNicol of Norwell ; By Rev. J. P. Egan.
June 7. In Manchester, N. H., John F. Turner of Nor- well and Carolina M. Croucher of Manches- ter, N. H. ; by Rev. Charles S. Staples.
June 14. In Norwell, Jos. H. Merritt of Scituate and Liz- zie M. Peirce of Scituate; by Rev. T. Thompson.
54
Sept. 2. In Newton, Wallace Hackett of Norwell and Ada P. Bryant of Taunton ; by Rev. S. S. Leslie. Oct. In Hanover, William Pretble of Pembroke and Martha Brown of Norwell ; Rev. John Wilde.
Oct. 22. In Norwell, Edgar F. Swift of Brockton and Sa- rah B. Jacobs of Norwell; by Rev. M. S. Nash.
Oct. 30. In Norwell, Leander Damon of Hanover and Pearl Nelson of Hanover; by Rev. M. S. Nash.
Oct. 30. In Hanover, James H. Costello of Norwell and Rebecca Brown of Norwell ; by Rev. M. S. Nash.
Nov. 3. In Norwell, Geo. E. Ramsdell of Pembroke and Hannah E. Pratt of Norwell; by Rev. Je- rome Greer.
Nov. 15. In Marshfield, John F. Osborn of Norwell and Emma D. Delano of Duxbury ; by Rev. F. W. Manning.
Nov. 28. In Hanover, Wallace M. Shaw of Norwell and Ellen J. Stockbridge of Norwell ; by Rev. M. S. Nash.
55
BIRTHS IN THE TOWN OF NORWELL, 1895.
DATE.
NAME OF CHILD.
NAME OF PARENTS.
Jan. 1, 1895. Leroy B. Litchfield.
Mar. 24, Henry I. Pinson.
April 15,
Griffin.
Brenton H. and Addie C. Griffin.
May 10,
Geneva M. Jordan.
Edward C. and Marcella Jordan.
11, 66 Seth Thomas.
Frank and Edith Thomas.
July 7, 66 Almira Sylvester.
Alonzo C. and Harriet Sylvester. Carlton and Grace Litchfield.
20, 66 Mildred C. Litchfield.
Aug. 28, Willard A. Robinson.
Sept. 4,
Percy B. Prince.
Asa W. and Louisa J. Robinson. Waldo and Elvira J. Prince.
15, 66 George R. Wagner.
David O. and Sarah E. Wagner.
20, 66 Francis H. Damon.
Wallace HI. and Fannie M. Damon.
Oct. 10, 66
Edna W. Farrar. - - Jacobs.
Albert T. and Mary Farrar.
13,
17, 66 Henry F. Leslie.
Edward A. and Ella Jacobs. John E. and Catherine Leslie.
Nov. 5, 66 Benj. F. Taylor.
Clarence M. and Flora L. Taylor.
16, 66 Helen J. Corthell.
Everett E. and Emma L. Corthell.
19, 66 Henry L. Gardner.
George L. and Meriel R. Gardner.
Dec. 14, - Winslow.
Jesse M. and Eva L. Winslow.
30,
Howland.
L. K. F. and Sarah E. Howland.
George W. H. and Mary J. Litchfield. Ashburton and Jennie Pinson.
56
DEATHS IN THE TOWN OF NORWELL, 1895.
DATE.
NAME.
AGE.
CAUSE OF DEATH.
BIRTHPLACE.
Y.
M.
Jan. 4.
Lucy A. Vinal,
42
4
Apoplexy,
Boston.
4. Laura B. Thomas,
64
General Debility,
Braintree.
Feb. 7. Benj. O. Cummings,
65
3
Bone Cancer,
Westford.
12. Lucinda D. Hunt,
71
1
Heart Disease,
Taunton.
15.
Andrew Turner,
83
6 Dementia,
Norwell.
28.
Hannah Warner,
90
Old Age & Debility, Ireland.
Mar.
1. Sophronia Nichols,
80
La Grippe,
Scituate.
6. Mary R. Turner,
18
6
Mania,
Norwell.
7.
Benj. Barrell,
81
9
Cystitis,
Scituate.
12.
Edwin Jacobs,
69
Pneumonia,
66
30. Emily French,
66
2
66
Maine.
Apr.
3. Marion W. Prince,
1
4
66
Norwell.
11. John Enolds,
75
66
Virginia.
June 17.
Nancy A. Hersey,
74
4
Heart Disease,
Scituate.
26.
Lucy Wilder,
86
4
Old Age,
Scituate.
July 12.
Charles Vila,
68
11
Pneumonia,
Watertown.
Aug. 14.
Geo. W. Capell,
2
6
Cholera Infantum,
Norwell.
Oct.
3.
Nancy W. Sylvester,
61
9
Carcimona,
12.
Mary C. Cushing,
89
5
Entiritis,
Duxbury.
21.
Elizabeth R. Merritt,
73
Carcimona,
Scituate.
Nov. 11.
Lucy P. Sawyer,
90
3
Trombosis,
New Hamp're
19.
Emeline S. H. French, 73
8
Heart Disease,
Boston.
24.
Alfred Freeman,
83
Dec.
2.
Ephriam Otis,
76
6
Drowning,
8. Alfred Paine,
85
8
Apoplexy,
19.
Barton R. Jacobs,
72
Weymouth. Norwell.
Norwell.
SCHOOL REPORT.
To the Citizens of Norwell :--
Greatly to the regret of the citizens of the town and his associates on the Committee, Mr. F. B. Jacobs at the com- pletion of his term of three years, felt obliged, owing to sickness, to decline a re-election. It was in great measure due to the efforts of Mr. Jacobs that the union district of Hanover, Hanson and Norwell was formed, which has given us a Superintendent of Schools. The retirement of Mr. Ja- cobs from the School Board was a distinet loss to the educa- tional interests of the town and one fully realized by his old associates on the Board.
Mr. Benjamin Loring was elected for three years at the annual meeting in March, and the Board organized with Mr. Israel Hatch Chairman, and H. J. Little Secretary.
SUPERVISION.
At the meeting of the joint Committee held at Hanover, in April, Mr. A. J. Curtis was unanimously re-elected to the office of Superintendent. Mr. Curtis' work during the year has been very satisfactory, and through his efforts the im- provement in our schools, which we anticipated would re- sult from skilled supervision has been realized. The work in the schools has been made uniform in character, and, from that uniformity a spirit of emulation has been developed among the teachers ; each making an effort to have their schools stand best. We feel that the teachers are doing better and more satisfactory work under supervision than ever before.
58
TEACHERS.
Fortunately for the best interests of our schools changes among our corps of teachers have not been as num- erous as in some former years. Miss Louise E. Ford suc- ceeded Miss Bean in District No. 4, at the commencement of the Spring term. Miss Sarah B. Jacobs, after some years service in our schools, resigned at the end of the Spring term and was succeeded in the Fall by Miss Charlotte R. Brooks. Miss Theodora Hastings, resigned at the comple- tion of the year and Miss Mattie S. Wilder of Hingham was secured as assistant in the High school. During the prolonged illness of Miss Greene Miss Della F. Nichols has substituted for her.
At the beginning of the Fall term, the opportunity was presented to join with the town of Hanover in the employ- ment of a special teacher of drawing. By the outlay of $100, for each town, we were able to secure the services of Miss Lillian Bicknell, to give special instructions to the pu- pils of the High school once a week and to the teachers of the other schools once a month, for one year.
BUILDINGS.
The school house in District 3 received a few minor re- pairs and was painted inside and out during the summer. An appropriation of $250.00 was made at the last March meeting to enlarge the Primary room at District 7. The necessary changes were made during the summer vacation, and we now have a room well suited to the needs of the school and one highly appreciated by teacher and pupils. In the Grammar room, the ceiling was whitewashed and the walls kalsomined. The out-buildings were moved back to the extreme corners of the yard ; and we feel that the sani- tary conditions of the school have been much improved by
59
the changes. The recitation room at the High school has been enlarged and made as useful as circumstances would permit. The other school buildings being in good condition only needed a few trifling repairs.
APPROPRIATIONS.
The transportation appropriation was distributed in the same manner as last year, and we would respectfully urge a continuance of the same for another year. The general school expenses for the coming year will remain about the same, so that an appropriation of $3,350.00 will be sufficient.
Respectfully submitted,
ISRAEL HATCH, BENJAMIN LORING, H. J. LITTLE,
School Committee of Norwell.
ABSTRACT FROM REGISTERS.
WINTER TERM 1895.
SPRING TERM 1895.
FALL TERM 1895.
Number Enrolled.
Average Membership.
Average Attendance.
Per cent. of Attendance.
Number of Tardy Marks.
Number of Visitors.
Number Enrolled.
Average Membership.
Average Attendance.
Per cent. of Attendance.
Number of Tardy Marks.
Number of Visitors.
Number Enrolled.
Average Membership.
Average Attendance.
Per cent. of Attendance.
Number of Tardy Marks.
Number of Visitors.
No. 1.
Grammar
·
15
13.1
12.1
92
4
11
12
10.7
9.8
92
14
19
15
14.6
13.8
94
7 20
No. 2.
Mixed
.
25
22.5
21
93
9
11
30
27.1
$25.6
90
9
20
28
27
25
90
15
22
No. 3.
Mixed
Mixed
.
.
23
16
15
94
16
7
24
20.5
18.6
91
16
13
27
24.1
22.1
92
2.2
17
No. 5.
Mixed
.
.
15
11.6
9.7
84
4
6
19
17.2
14.8
86
3
7
19
15.4
13.7
89
10
20
No. 7. Primary
29
24.8
20.1
81
14
8
30
26.8
23.4
87
17
22
29
26.2
23.9
91
24
16
No. 7. Grammar
20
18.8
16.2
86
16
9
19
18
15.9
88
23
21
19
16.8
15.4
92
14 12
High School
42
37
33.3
90
3
10
36
33.8
31.5
93
1
19
36
34.4
31.9
93
4 20
16.5
91
4
5
24 20.9
19 1
91
18
15
20
18.1
17.1
95 10 15
No. 1. Primary
22
.
18.2
19.3
16.9
88
43
12
28
25.7
23.1
90
41
20
27
24 2
21.8
90
6
26
30
27.3
22.6
82
41
8
32
30.1
28.9
96
17
11
43
38.8
37.8
97
18
9
No. 4.
No. 6. Mixed
60
SCHOOLS.
27
61
EXPENDITURES CHARGEABLE TO THE APPROPRIATION.
FOR THE WINTER TERM OF ELEVEN WEEKS OF THE YEAR 1895.
District No. 1.
Etta Holt, teaching,
$99 00
Mrs. L. F. Stowell, teaching,
77 00
Morris Gammon, care of rooms,
6 00
$182 00
District No. 2.
E. F. Blood, teaching,
$250 48
Theodora Hastings, teaching,
99 00
Sarah B. Jacobs, teaching,
88 00
Simeon Damon, care of rooms,
19 25
$4 56 73
District No. 3.
Mabel A. Elliot, teaching,
$88 00
Emma R. Totman, care of room, 5 00
$93 00
District No. 4.
Flora M. Bean, teaching, $88 00
Allen P. Merritt, care of room, 2 50
$90 50
62
District No. 5.
Marion G. Merritt, teaching,
$88 00
M. G. Merritt, care of room, 5 00
Geo. Sylvester, " 6 00
$99 00
District No. 6.
Annie Greene, teaching,
88 00
Willie O. Henderson, care of room, 4 00
$92 00
District No. 7.
Mrs. S. M. Butterick, teaching, $99 00
Maria W. Tolman, teaching, 77 00
Fletcher A. Hatch, care of rooms, 6 00
$182 00
A. J. Curtis, supervision of schools, $150 00
These expenditures exceeded the appro- priation,
$160 68
EXPENDITURES CHARGEABLE TO THE APPROPRIATION.
FOR THE SPRING AND FALL TERMS OF THE YEAR 1895.
District No. 1.
Etta Holt, teaching,
$243 00
63
Mrs. Lina F. Stowell, teaching,
$189 00
Daniel D. Sprague, for wood, 15 00
Martha M. Bates, for wood, 3 50
Chas. H. Totman, labor on wood,
4 50
Rufus Farrar, labor on wood, 4 00
Morris Gammon, care of rooms,
14 00
$473 00
District No. 2.
E. F. Blood, teaching,
$649 50
Theodora Hastings, teaching,
108 00
Mattie S. Wilder, teaching,
90 00
Waldo Jones, for wood,
4 50
John P. Henderson, for wood,
17 25
Simeon Damon, labor on wood,
1 50
Henry A. Smith, labor on wood,
$4 75
Edwin Winslow, labor on wood,
3 50
Simeon Damon, care of rooms,
49 00
Sarah B. Jacobs, teaching,
96 00
Charlotte R. Brooks, teaching,
120 00
Lillian Bicknell, teaching,
15 00
$1,159 00
District No. 3.
Mabel A. Elliot, teaching,
$216 00
John P. Henderson, for wood,
10 75
Benj. Loring, wood and fitting,
6 35
Leonaad Winslow, labor on wood,
4 50
$237 60
64
District No. 4.
Louise E. Ford, teaching,
$216 00
John P. Henderson, for wood, 8 90
John Tilden, labor on wood, 3 75
Allen P. Merritt, care of room,
2 50
Anna J. Merritt, care of room,
2 50
$233 65
District No. 5.
Marion G. Merritt, teaching,
$216 00
John P. Henderson, for wood, 8 90
John Tilden, labor on wood,
3 75
Geo. Sylvester, care of room,
30 00
$258 65
District No. 6.
Annie Greene, teaching,
$120 00
Della F. Nichols, teaching,
96 00
John P. Henderson, for wood,
8 90
David W. Turner, for wood,
1 25
Frank P. Tilden, labor on wood,
1 50
John Tilden, labor on wood,
3 75
Harry P. Henderson, care of room,
4 00
$235 40
District No. 7.
Mrs. S. M. Butterick, teaching, $243 00
65
Maria W. Tolman, teaching, $189 00
Wm. S. Simmons, for wood, 15 00
Geo. A. Gardner, labor on wood, 5 00
Fletcher A. Hatch, labor on wood, 1 50
Robert C. Henderson, care of rooms, 6 00
Arthur F. Henderson, care of rooms,
6 00
A. J. Curtis, supervision of schools,
$350 00
$465 50
AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR PRESENT YEAR.
Town appropriation, $3,350 00
Supervision of schools, 500 00
Refunded by State,
416 67
State school fund (estimated),
333 55
Dog tax (estimated),
314 49
$4,914 71
Amount expended, $3,412 80
$1,501 91
Expense of schools to April 1, 1896,
1,371 16
$130 75
66
NORWELL HIGH SCHOOL.
CLASS OF '95.
GRADUATION EXERCISES.
CLASS MOTTO : "We Finish, to Begin.
CLASS COLOR : White and Gold.
GRADUATES.
Mary Augusta Bailey. Byron Hill Merrill. Bertha Helen Griggs. Lulu Blanche Tilden. Martha Cecilia Scully.
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
MUSIC. PRAYER. MUSIC.
SALUTATORY AND ESSAY, "The Advantages of a Liberal Education," Lulu B. Tilden
RECITATION, "The Scholars Mission," Roy Vining
ADDRESS TO THE UNDERGRADUATES, Mary A. Bailey
DUET, "Must the sweet tie be broken," Misses Tilden and Shurtleff
ORATION, "American Humor and Humorists,"
Byron H. Merrill
MUSIC.
CLASS HISTORY AND PROPHECY, Bertha H. Griggs
RECITATION, "Toussaint L'Ouverture," Ethelle M. Shurtleff MUSIC.
CLASS POEM, Byron H. Merrill
ESSAY AND VALEDICTORY, "We finish, to begin," Martha C. Scully
PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS. MUSIC.
REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
To the members of the School Committee :
In the report of last year a brief description of the meth- ods of instruction in the several studies was presented. In this report, I desire to call your attention to the study of drawing, and also to some changes, which, if made, would greatly increase the efficiency of the schools. During the year a departure was made in the system of drawing which has given a greater stimulus and interest to that study. The employing of a drawing teacher in the High school has been attended with very good results, as the work done by the pupils will show, and a careful examination will convince. The term drawing, as used in our schools, is misleading. A more appropriate and correct name is form study, for that is what it really is,-a studying of the different forms of ob- jects, and expressing them on paper as near the type form as possible, it is not intended to make artists of the pupils, any more than the teaching of writing in our schools is ex- pected to make all the pupils beautiful penmen. To educate through the hand, as well as the eye and ear, and to give our education a more direct bearing upon the pursuits in which the greater part of mankind is engaged is the object of form study. At the beginning of the fall term, the course in drawing prepared by Mr. Bailey, State Supervisor of Drawing, was placed in all the schools. These were furnish- ed free by the State. Mr. Bailey states the object of ar- ranging such a course as follows : "It is designed to help the teachers of country schools ; to give a course which will
68
answer in part some of these perplexing questions which pre- sent themselves in these schools, namely : What can be done without a special teacher when the regular teacher has little knowledge of the subject? Where grading is incom- plete ? Where the program is crowded ? Where materials usually required are not furnished ? It attempts also to in- dicate, how, under these conditions, the natural objects to which the pupils have free access may be used to advantage."
The course is divided into two divisions of three years each. The first three years embrace the primary instruc- tion, and the other three years the grammar. It is so ar- ranged that two thirty-minute lessons can be given each week. The objects that have been taken up thus far are the sphere, cylinder and cube, and have been studied under the following heads :- Preparation, Observation, Reflection and Expression.
The Preparation is the bringing in by the pupils objects of the type form. Observation is handling the objects and noticing what they will do under different conditions. Re- flection is naming objects of similar shape in the room and elsewhere. Expression is writing and pronouncing their names correctly, and asking questions to bring out the prop- er use of the words.
The teachers have been advised to keep a list of the names of objects on the board or paper, and to add to the list each new word as presented ; also, to encourage the pupils to col- lect pictures of the objects from books, seed catalogues and other advertisements, and have them pasted into scrap- books or on stout cardboard, grouped according to the type solid.
SCHOOLS.
In order to have that progress made in the schools which is desirable, it is necessary that some change be made dur- ing the coming year, which will give all the schools equal
69
advantages and distribute more evenly the teacher's work. On account of the location of the grammar schools, the teachers in Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are obliged to do nearly or quite as much work as the grammar and primary teachers in Nos. 1 and 7. Itis impossible for any teacher, no matter how excellent she may be, to do justice to her school that contains seven and eight grades. Of the mixed schools Nos. 3 and 4 are the largest (No. 4 having forty-one pupils ) and have sev- en and eight grades respectively. Each grade or class must recite four times daily, and the seventh and eighth grades, in order to keep pace with the corresponding grades in the grammar schools must recite six times a day. Taking out the two fifteen-minute recesses and the twenty minutes for drawing and writing ( these two studies alternate ), will leave less than nine minutes for a recitation,-with no allowance for the changing of the classes or answering questions,-all of which take time. Less than nine minutes for a class in geography, arithmetic, grammar or history is certainly con- vincing enough that a teacher cannot do justice to the class, or the pupils be greatly benefitted.
To remove this deficiency and make the schools more ef- fectual two plans are here suggested, the adoption of either would greatly improve the schools.
The first plan, which has been previously stated to you, is to bring the two grammar schools nearer together. The Ridge Hill grammar to No. 2 (providing the town should vote to use the Town Hall for a High school ), and the Church Hill grammar No. 5. Removing the sixth, seventh and eighth grades from the other schools would give two gram- mar schools of about thirty-five pupils each. These two grammar schools now number, Ridge Hill 15, Church Hill 19. The removal of these schools would give a long distance to some of the pupils, and unless transportation was furnished the attendance during the winter and stormy weather would undoubtedly be quite low.
70
The second plan, which I think the more feasible and prob- ably would be more satisfactory to the people and surely less expensive to the town, if transportation is to be considerd, is as follows :- Unite No. 6 with No. 5. No. 6 is a small school numbering only fourteen or fifteen pupils, and the distance between the two schools is not very great. Remove the sixth, seventh and eighth grades from Nos. 2, 3 and 4 to No. 5, thus forming another grammar sehool of about thirty pupils, and a primary school nearly the same size. The same number of teachers would be employed as at present. The pupils of grammar grade in No. 3 living on Grove street and those in No. 2 at Assinippi could attend the Ridge Hill school if desired, which would increase the number in that school. Some of the beneficial results arising from the adop- tion of this plan would be the establishing of nine grades before entering the High school, without crowding any of the schools or employing any more teachers ; better grading, for the grammar and primary schools would be separate ; more time given to the classes and more thorough work done ; all the pupils would have the same privileges ; the pupils would enter the High school from three schools instead of seven, and would be better prepared ; the standing of the High school would be raised, for the entering class would begin directly upon High school studies. Although the town is not obliged to furnish transportation, yet I think it is a wise and generous plan for the town to make some appropriation for the conveyance of those pupils that live a long distance from the school.
READING.
The introduction of some of the "classics for children" as supplementary reading, as recommended in last year's report, was a move in the right direction. It has awakened an in-
71
terest among the pupils, and if continued, will cultivate a taste for good reading.
Very near the close of the fall term I examined all the classes and their answers plainly showed they understood what they had read.
CHANGES OF TEACHERS.
A few changes have occurred during the year. Miss Ford filled the vacancy in No. 4, Miss Brooks in No. 2, Miss Nichols in No. 6, caused by Miss Green's sickness, and Miss Wilder succeeded Miss Hastings as assistant in the High school, where she is doing very good work and is very pop- ular with the scholars.
We have a very good corps of teachers, and they are do- ing as good work as can be done, when we consider some of the disadvantages they have to encounter.
The suggestions I have given have been kindly received and faithfully applied, and the pleasant feeling existing be- tween them and their pupils is noticeable and worthy of commendation.
Respectfully submitted,
A. J. CURTIS,
Superintendent of Schools.
72
CITIZENS' CAUCUS.
The citizens of the Town of Norwell are requested to meet at the Town Hall, Norwell, on Monday evening, Feb. 24, 1896. at half past seven o'clock, to nominate town officers for the ensuing year, and to transact any other business that may properly come before them.
Per Order of the Selectmen.
TRANSCRIPT OF ARTICLES IN THE WARRANT
For the Annual Meeting, March 2, 1896, at 9 o'clock A. M.
Article 1. To choose a Moderator.
Art. 2. To choose a Town Clerk.
Art. 3. To hear and act on the report of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, Auditor, Collector and Treasurer.
Art. 4. To choose all such Town Officers as the laws of the State and by-laws of the town require.
Art. 5. To bring in their votes "Yes" or "No" in answer to the question : Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town for the ensuing year ?
Art. 6. What amount of money will the town raise for the support of poor and incidental expenses.
Art. 7. What sum of money will the town raise for the support of schools.
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