Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1915, Part 12

Author: Reading (Mass.)
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 350

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Pupils taking the college or scientific course in four years will need to have twenty-five periods a week through most of the course. Seventy-six credits (that is, nineteen periods per week per year) are required for graduation. Unpre- pared work such as laboratory periods and typewriting are allowed one-half the credit given for prepared work.

In order to accomplish the school work successfully, it is necessary for the average pupil to spend from one to two hours daily in home study, according to the course pursued and the ability of the pupil. Parents are requested to assume the responsibility for systematic arrangements for this home study and for seeing that pupils regularly adhere to them. It is strongly urged that pupils prepare one-half of the home lessons in the afternoon and the remainder in the evening. If possible the pupil should have a quiet room for study apart from the family. Parents are invited to confer frequently with the Principal and other members of the faculty in regard to the progress of pupils. Each pupil should consult with the home-room teacher in making the choice of studies.

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COLLEGE PREPARATORY COURSE (Four Years)

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

FOURTH YEAR

English . . 5

English . 5

English . .

English .

Latin

Latin 5

Mathematics . 5

History . 5

Select one

Select two

Biology

French 5

French .

French . 5

German . 5

Physics 5

Chemistry 5

German . 5

German 5

German . . 5

Science . 5

Mathematics . 5

COLLEGE PREPARATORY COURSE (Five Years)

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

FOURTH YEAR

FIFTH YEAR

English .

English . . 5

Latin . . .

Latin . . 5

Latin .

Mathematics 5 5 Latin . .

History . .

Mathematics 5

Select two

Select two French . . 5

Science . .

Biology .. 5

French . . 5

Physics .. 5

Chemistry . 5

German . . 5

German. . 5

German . 5

German .

French . 5

Mathematics 5

Extra (Optional)

Extra

Music .

Music

1 Music . .

Drawing 1

Drawing .

Drawing 1

Drawing . . 1

SCIENTIFIC PREPARATORY COURSE (Four Years)

FIRST YEAR

English . . 5

English . 5

Mathematics . 5

Physics 5

Drawing 2

Select two

German .

German . 5

German .

History . 5

French

Latin . 5

French 5

French

Latin .

German .

Latin 5

THIRD YEAR

English . . . 5

Mathematics . 5

Chemistry . .

Science 5

Drawing 2

Drawing . 2

FOURTH YEAR

English . . 5

Mathematics . 5

Biology 5

Drawing 2

Select one

English

Select two

Select one

French . . 5

SECOND YEAR

Mathematics . 5

Latin . 5

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SCIENTIFIC PREPARATORY COURSE (Five Years)

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

FOURTH YEAR

FIFTH YEAR

English . . 5

English . 5

English 5

Mathematics 5

English 5

Mathematics 5

Chemistry 5

Science . 5

Drawing 2

Drawing . . 2

Drawing .

Drawing 2

Select two

Select one

German . 5

History .

German . 5

German 5

French .

German . .

Latin . 5

Latin . .

Latin . . 5

Latin .

French

Latin .

Extra (Optional) Music . .

. 1

Extra Music 1

Extra Music . . 1

Extra

Music .

NORMAL PREPARATORY COURSE

FIRST YEAR

English . 5

English

Drawing . 1

Drawing 1

Drawing .

Drawing

Select three

Latin . 5

German .

Biology .

French 5

French

History .

Mathematics . 5

History 5

History . 5

Physiology . . 5

Arithmetic . 5

Mathematics . 5

Stenography . 5

Typewriting . 5

Extra (Optional)

Music 1

Penmanship . 1

Penmanship .

Penmanship . 1

Penmanship

Spelling . .

COMMERCIAL COURSE

FIRST YEAR

English . . .

English . . . 5

Bookkeeping . 5

Stenography . 5

Penmanship { 2

Spelling

Select three

Pen. and Spell. 2

Typewriting (5) 2}

History . 5

Physics 5

German . . 5

Extra (Optional)

Music 1

Music

Drawing 1

THIRD YEAR

Com. English 5

Typewriting (5) 2}

Select two

Bookkeeping . 5

Penmanship { and Spelling

Am.History . 5

German . 5

French 5

College English 5

FOURTH YEAR

Com. English 5

Arithmetic 5

Select two

Typewriting (5) 23

Civics 5

Biology 5

German 5

SECOND YEAR

Select three

Latin . 5

German 5 German . 5

Chemistry . . 5

Stenography . 5

Household Arts 5

Bookkeeping . 5

Typewriting . 5

Music 1

Music

Spelling . 1

THIRD YEAR

FOURTH YEAR

English .

English . 5

Spelling . . . 1

Stenography . 5

Typewriting (5) 23

Select one

Penmanship { and Spelling §

Modern History 5

German . .

Chemistry . .

College English 5 Physiology 5

Drawing 1

Drawing

Mathematics 5

Biology 5

Physics . 5

Drawing . 2

Music . 1

French 5

Physics

Music 1

SECOND YEAR

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AGRICULTURAL COURSE

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

FOURTH YEAR

General Agr. . 5

Project studies

(10) 5

English 5

Com. English . 5

Select one

Biology 5

Physics 5

Chemistry . 5

Am. History . 5

Civics .

Ancient History 5

Modern History 5

College English 5

Algebra 5

Geometry 5

College English 5

Physiology . . 5

Arithmetic . 5

Mathematics . 5

Extra (Optional)

Extra (Optional) 5

Drawing 1

Drawing . 1

Drawing .

Music . 1

Music .

Music . 1

Penmanship 1

Spelling 1

Spelling . 1

Spelling 1

During December, January and February regular work in Agriculture is suspended, and special unit courses are provided.

COMPLETE LIST OF SUBJECTS

From this list a general or special course may be chosen with the approval of parents and the Principal. Select at least 19 points each year.

FIRST YEAR-FOURTEEN COURSES

English 5, Latin 5, German 5, Algebra 5, Arithmetic 5, Biology (7) 5, Civics 5, Drawing 1, Music 1, Penmanship 1, Spelling 1, Typewriting (5) 22, Household Arts 5, Agricul- ture (15) 10.

SECOND YEAR-FOURTEEN COURSES

English 5, Latin 5, German 5, French 5, Mathematics 5, Physics (7) 5, Ancient History 5, Bookkeeping 5, Type- writing (5) 23, Drawing 1. Music 1, Penmanship 1, Spelling 1, Agriculture (15) 10.

THIRD YEAR-SIXTEEN COURSES

College English 5, Business English 5, Latin 5, German 5, French 5, Mathematics 5, Chemistry (7) 5, Modern His-

Project studies 5

Project studies

(10) 5

English 5

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tory 5, Bookkeeping 5, Stenography 5, Typewriting (5) 2}, Drawing 1, Music 1, Penmanship 1, Spelling 1, Agriculture (15) 10.

FOURTH YEAR-SIXTEEN COURSES

College English 5, Business English 5, Latin 5, French 5, Mathematics 5, College Science 5, Physiology 5, American History 5, Bookkeeping 5, Stenography 5, Typewriting (5) 2}, Drawing 1, Music 1, Penmanship 1, Spelling 1, Agricul- ture (15) 10.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Much stress has been laid recently on the importance of the study of social science in the High School. The Massa- chusetts Commissioner of Education in particular has urged that the teaching of history and civil government should be improved and that courses in community civics, with a prac- tical study of local conditions and needs, should be intro- duced in every High School. In carrying out this purpose, the following arrangement has been made : Freshman year, Community Civics: Sophomore year, Ancient History : Junior year, Modern History ; Senior year, American His- tory and Government. There is also in the Senior year a special class for college students who may need Greek and Roman History to meet college entrance requirements.

A class of over forty pupils in Community Civics was enrolled and the interest and enthusiasm has been marked. We were fortunate in having a teacher trained in the school for social workers and thoroughly alive to problems of social welfare.

TYPEWRITING

A new policy in relation to teaching typewriting has been adopted. Heretofore, it has been regarded as of value chiefly in connection with the study of shorthand. It is now open to election by pupils in any grade of the Interme- diate or High School as an independent subject on the ground that typewriting is a useful accomplishment for per- sonal use and also in a great number of positions of employ- ment other than as stenographers. This subject has proved

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to be very popular in all grades and has held the interest and attention of the pupils to a remarkable degree. It is of considerable assistance to some other branches, particu- larly composition, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. I am thoroughly converted to the policy, although I entered upon it with some doubts about its permanent value. The change of the High School program to eight periods gave many pupils an opportunity of which they took advantage · to take typewriting as an extra subject.

COMMERCIAL ENGLISH

What was partially undertaken in the preceding year has been carried out this year as a settled policy in relation to the courses in English in the Junior and Senior years of the High School : the Commercial English has been entirely separated from the College English. The teachers, text- books and subject-matter of the courses are entirely distinct. This has proved advantageous to both courses. The work of the college course is prescribed by the college entrance re- quirements and to a considerable degree consists of a criti- cal study of classic literature. The course in Commercial English consists largely of practical exercises in letter- writing, punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization and other subjects of practical importance in preparation for work in the business office. Already the good results of this change are apparent in freeing the college classes from pupils not interested in college entrance requirements and in giving the commercial pupils more practical lessons in office re- quirements.

THE STUDY OF MODERN LANGUAGES

Some allusion has been made in another connection to the teaching of German and Spanish in the Intermediate School, but a more general statement of the policy that is being pursued in this department should be made. Hereto- fore. two or three years of French and two years of German have been taught in the High School along lines that were intended primarily to prepare merely for college entrance

269

examinations. Each year has seen the classical languages of Greek and Latin lose in prestige and the modern lan- guages make corresponding gains. As the modern languages have gained there has been a corresponding demand that they should be taught by the conversational method instead of the lexicon method. The stress should be laid on think- ing the idea into its idiomatic expression in the foreign lan- guage rather than word by word translation of the foreign words into English. To carry out this idea it is necessary to have a teacher that knows to a nicety the precise phrases to employ to express exact shades of meaning in the foreign tongue. Vocabulary building is something more and quite different from the acquisition of the mere literal meaning of each word : it consists of learning the phrases or circum- locutions that are idiomatically employed in the foreign language to convey certain ideas. Along with this work must also go the training of the ear by constant oral repeti- tions to hear accurately and the tongue by a similar process to speak correctly the sounds of the language as they enter into the spoken words and phrases. The technical grammar of the language at first is introduced incidentally much as a judicious teacher introduces technical grammar in the English language lessons in the fifth and sixth grades. In the second and third years of study, of course, more and more formal grammar is taught. Memorizing and reciting selections in the foreign language are important features of the work. The teacher should use the foreign language in conducting the class, and great assistance in ear-training and in memorizing may be obtained from the Victrola records. We are using the Cortina method records in French and Spanish, and the Rosenthal method records in German.

French may be begun in the Sophomore year as hereto- fore. Formerly German was not offered until the Junior year. Now German may be begun in any year of the Inter- mediate School or the High School, and Spanish may be begun in any grade of the Intermediate School. Greater prominence is given to German on account of the demands

270

of technical education. Spanish is given in the Commer- cial course in preparation for positions in business houses dealing with Spanish-speaking countries. French will also be made prominent and if a legitimate demand appears may be begun at an earlier grade.

DEBATING

Most of the high schools in this vicinity have debating clubs and engage in debating contests with other schools. In some cases the interest in these debates rival the interest in athletic contests. An organization for debating has been formed and called the "Reading High School Forum." Preparations are now in progress for debating contests with the Stoneham and Wakefield High Schools, and it is ex- pected that the debating club will now become a permanent institution in our school.

PUBLIC LIBRARY

A systematic plan of introducing pupils to the use of books from the Reading Public Library has been carried out in the Intermediate School this year. A printed list of suitable books was prepared and class exercises have been carried on with reading of selections, discussion of different books read and reports on home reading. The written work based on this study has shown excellent results.

UP-KEEP OF SCHOOL PLANT

A systematic effort is being made extending through a series of years to put all the school grounds and buildings into good condition and to keep them so. On account of the increased amount asked for teachers' salaries for 1916, only three special amounts for up-keep are asked for this year : $650 for fire protection, ordered by the Fire Commissioner, $350 for painting the Union Street schoolhouse, and the ex- terior woodwork of the High schoolhouse.

Other needed improvements in school grounds, in the tinting of the walls of schoolrooms, and in equipment for

271

Manual Training and Household Arts-particularly printing, are deferred because the other needs seemed more urgent and the necessity of keeping the total amount at as low a figure as possible was realized. The cost per pupil of the Reading schools is low compared with that of many other towns of over 5000 inhabitants. printed elsewhere in this report.

A comparative table is The reason for the low cost is low salaries of teachers, [a large number of pupils per teacher, and conservative management.

The increased cost in the last two years has been due to rapid growth as well as increased salaries and new sub- jects of instruction. The average number (for the first four months) increased 129 in the past year, 44 in the preceding year, but only 100 in the whole eight years next preceding 1914. In other words, the increased number in 1915 (129) lacked only 15 of equalling the entire growth in the pre- ceding nine years, the increase in 1914 and 1915 (173) exceeded the growth of the preceding eight years by 73 %, and the increase of the last three years (211 pupils) was 3.4 times the increase of the preceding seven years and represents a growth of over 17% in three years. The appropriations from the tax levy have increased in about the same proportion.

NEED OF MORE SCHOOLROOMS

The increase in numbers has caused a crowded condi- tion, particularly in the Union Street, Centre and Prospect Street Schools. To relieve this more room should be pro- vided immediately. At present only the first three grades are taught at the Chestnut Hill School, and the first four grades at the Prospect Street School and the Lowell Street School.

There is an unfurnished room at Chestnut Hill and two unfinished rooms at Lowell Street. By the addition of two rooms to the Prospect Street Schoolhouse and the open- ing of the vacant rooms at Chestnut Hill and Lowell Street the pupils could be taught through the sixth grades in their

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own districts without material loss in efficiency and at a saving of car fares which are paid by the town in these grades at present.

The entire cost of an addition of two rooms at Prospect Street, finishing two rooms at Lowell Street, and the com- plete furnishings and equipment for five new rooms is esti- mated at $15,000, which could be taken care of by a general school loan payable in twenty years. The addition to the Prospect Street schoolhouse could be made in such a way that four more rooms could be added without undue expense or waste if the growth in this district should require it.

Pupils in the first grades are at present allowed to attend school only a half-day. I believe this is unfortunate. They should have a full day and if the crowding is overcome by the plan outlined above, I think arrangements can be made for a full day for the first grade.

SCHOOL SYSTEM STILL INCOMPLETE

Although the Reading School System has many of the essential features of a complete modern Public School Sys- tem and the citizens are to be congratulated on their public spirit and liberality in supporting the schools, there are nevertheless a few important features conspicuous for their absence. One of these is an evening school for pupils that leave school early to go to work and for foreigners or others who have not had the advantages of an education in the English language or in the lower grades of the schools. The number of foreigners needing instruction in English and citizenship is less in Reading than in any of the surround- ing towns, nevertheless there are some who need this work. There is also a considerable number who would profit greatly by more advanced evening courses. If the town could co-operate with the new State department of University Extension and Correspondence Courses there is no doubt but that a school of considerable size could be organized.

The interest in evening courses along the lines of House- hold Arts is marked and a considerable number are attend-

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ing the State-Aided Course in Household Arts maintained in Wakefield. Also a number of women have attended even- ing classes in the Girls' Trade School in Boston. There is some demand for evening courses for men along Agricultur- al and Industrial lines. The State reimburses towns for one- half the cost of approved classes in these subjects.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS IN OTHER TOWNS

Two boys are in attendance at the day Industrial School for boys at Somerville. The following are the rules and laws governing attendance at State-Aided Industrial Schools in other towns :

State-aided vocational schools are open to residents of the Commonwealth between ages of fourteen and twenty- five who are able to secure an age and schooling certificate. The evening courses are open to those over seventeen years of age who are employed during the day in occupations to which the evening work is directly related. Non-residents of the municipality in which the school is located apply to the State Board of Education for admission.

While the Board of Education, whose decision shall be final, has the responsibility of approval or disapproval of applications of these non-residents for admission to the schools, it desires to have the local authorities conversant at the earliest possible date regarding applicants.

The law provides that certain factors shall be given con- sideration in passing upon application for admission of non- residents to these schools (see paragraph 1, section 7, chap- ter 471, Acts of 1911.)

For this reason a card of application is sent to the Superintendent of Schools in the pupil's home town. Unless adequate reasons are presented by the Superintendent of Schools why said pupil should not attend the industrial school in question as a non-resident pupil, the State will as- sume there are no objections and will approve said applica- tion at once.

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If the application is approved by the State Board, the pupil's home town will be liable for the payment of tuition as provided for in paragraph 2, section 7, chapter 471, Acts of 1911. If the tuition be paid by the said town it will be entitled to reimbursement by the State as provided for in paragraph 3, section 9, chapter 471, Acts of 1911.

There is a ruling of the office, based upon an opinion of the Attorney-General, that these tuition claims are charges against the municipality and not against the regular funds of the School Committee, unless a special appropriation for this purpose has been placed at the disposal of said com- mittee.

References to law are listed below :

Section 7. 1. Any resident of any city or town in Massachusetts which does not maintain an approved inde- pendent industrial, agricultural or household arts school, offering the type of training which he desires, may make application for admission to such a school maintained by another city or town. The Board of Education, whose de- cision shall be final, may approve or disapprove such appli- cation. In making such a decision the Board of Education shall take into consideration the opportunities for free voca- tional training in the community in which the applicant resides: the financial status of the community; the age, sex, preparation, aptitude and previous record of the appli- cant; and all other relevant circumstances.

2. The city or town in which the person resides, who has been admitted as above provided, to an approved inde- pendent industrial, agricultural or household arts school maintained by another city or town shall pay such tuition fee as may be fixed by the Board of Education; and the Commonwealth shall reimburse such city or town, as pro- rided for in this act. If any city or town neglects or refuses to pay for such tuition, it shall be liable therefor in an action of contract to the city or town, or cities and

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towns, maintaining the school which the pupil, with the approval of the said board, attended.

SECTION 9. 3. Cities and towns that have paid claims for tuition in approved local or district independent voca- tional schools shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth, as provided in this act, to the extent of one-half the sums expended by such cities and towns in payment of such claims.

STATE-AIDED SCHOOL OF HOUSEHOLD ARTS

Another line of work needed to round out our educa- tional system is the extension of the Household Arts Course for girls through the High School. About fifty girls in the Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes asked for this work this year and were refused because the teacher's time was fully occupied with the seventh, eighth and ninth grades. Cooking, dressmaking, millinery and other household arts should be taught throughout the High School course. If the school were properly organized the state would pay half the cost for a day school just as it does for the evening school of Household Arts at Wakefield.

DAY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS

In the same way there is need of Industrial work for the boys in the High School. The interest in this work is keen and something should be provided for the boys not in the Agricultural Course. Even some of the boys preparing for college are eager for some work in Manual Training.

The John Street schoolhouse would afford excellent rooms for carpentry, blacksmithing, woodturning and cement construction. The cost of putting it in condition would be slight and the equipment need not be very expen- sive. Machine tools such as lathes, saws and planer would be desirable but are not indispensable to much valuable instruction. Some of the repairing of furniture and build- ings could be done by pupils in such classes, also tables, cases and other articles of furniture needed could be made.

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The cost of these three additions to our school system : Evening Schools, Industrial work for boys and Household Arts for girls would not be as great perhaps as some would suppose. The evening school would cost from $200 to $300 for each teacher. the heat. light and janitor service would be about $300 for several rooms.

For Industrial Arts for boys and Household Arts for girls the additional cost would be scarcely anything beyond the cost for equipment because pupils in these courses would otherwise be taking other courses that would require as much expense for teachers as the Industrial and House- hold Arts courses.

If these courses were organized so as to receive state aid. there might be an actual saving in expense to the Town by providing these lines of work. The Town of Wil- mington has recently organized a State Aided School of Household Arts for girls. Somerville has had such a school for several years.

In closing, I wish to thank the committee, teachers and citizens for their hearty co-operation in efforts to improve the Reading schools.

Respectfully submitted.

ADELBERT L. SAFFORD, Superintendent,

Dec. 31. 1915.

REPORT OF INSTRUCTOR IN AGRICULTURE, 1915

MR. A. L. SAFFORD, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOLS OF READING :

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Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1915, Part 12

Author: Reading (Mass.) Publication date: 1915 Publisher: The Town Number of Pages: 350

Author: Reading (Mass.)
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 350