USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1931 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
Before I close my report may I express my desire to be of service not only to the children of Reading, but also to their parents. The Research Director is the one who holds the records of each child's school progress and factors affecting it from the time he enters the school through the Senior High. It is the business of the Director to interpret these records for the parent as well as for the teacher. Whenever a parent wishes to consult me in regard to a child's abil- ity, achievement and plans for the future, I am glad to place such information as I have at their disposal.
124
When the department claimed the services of two workers it was possible for one to do visiting-teacher service and go to the homes. Since we have lost Mrs. Lucas' able service in the department this phase of the work, home visiting, has had to be transferred to the Principals or left to the parents to consult the director when they wish to secure a new adjustment for the child or advice on matters re- lating to school work.
Now that the organization work in the field of supervision is fair- ly done in the line of time allotments, courses of study and methods, I hope to spend more time in actual classroom visitation, assisting the teachers as much as I can. I am more than grateful to the teachers of Reading for their whole-hearted and able assistance in getting my supervisory program started. I hope to serve them and work in close co-operation with them in carrying out the educational policies of the Reading Schools.
In closing my report may I express my appreciation for the opportunity Mr. Safford has given me to promote such educational ideas of my own as meet with his approval and for the privilege of putting into practice his most progressive theories under his able direction.
Respectfully submitted, VERNA L. WADLEIGH
Director of Research and Elementary Supervisor
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH OF THE READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR 1931
Mr. Adelbert L. Safford,
Superintendent of Schools,
Reading, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir :
I submit herewith for your examination and approval the re- port of the Health Department for the year ending December 31, 1931.
In many ways the year just ended has been an especially trying one for the department. The necessity of Miss Lord's being off duty for the month of June and of my being off during December because of illness meant a slowing up of the work for the time being, and, in each case, an added burden for the nurse left on duty. In addi- tion, the department suffered a distinct loss this fall in the resigna- tion of Miss Lord, who accepted a position in New York State. Her position was filled by Miss Kathleen Hanscom, formerly theoretical instructress at the Griffith Hospital, Derby, Conn. The frequent
125
changes in the staff during the last few years have been a problem in that it requires an appreciable amount of time for a new nurse to become acquainted with the work and the community. Should another change occur, it would seem advisable to do away with the position of assistant nurse and employ instead a full time clerk for the department.
In spite of the above handicaps, the accomplishments of the year compare favorably and in some ways surpass those of last year. An analysis of the various activities of the department follows :
Medical and Nursing Service
The school physician has continued to devote a generous amount of time to the school work. Daily inspection was made in several of the schools during the prevalence of the measles. A great deal of time this fall was given to the examination of pupils. During the months of March and April approximately six afternoons were spent on diphtheria prevention work. Throughout the entire year Dr. Hen- derson has been on call and has made about daily visits to the schools to pass upon one question or another.
A schedule of weekly visits to the schools was maintained by the nurses. During these visits a rotating scheme of work covering a period of a month was carried on as follows: 1st week, inspection of pupils for cleanliness, symptoms of contagion, defects, etc .; 2nd week, check-up of special pupils, vision or hearing tests, etc .; 3rd week, check-up of health education work, interviews with teachers and individual pupils; 4th week, weighing of pupils. The foregoing schedule was of course subject to change according to the needs of the school. A statistical report of this phase of the work shows :
No. of visits to schools 478
No. of pupils inspected 15,483
No. of pupils weighed and measured 3,688
No. of pupils weighed 1,542
No. of vision tests
145
No. of audiometer tests 1,593
In conjunction with the school physician, 2,202 pupils were given health examinations this fall. Of this number 540 were found with defective teeth; 177 with enlarged tonsils; 74 with symptoms of ade- noids; 100 with enlarged glands; 38 with heart conditions; 2 with hernias ; 5 with miscellaneous defects, and 1,469 with various degrees of defective posture ranging from round shoulders to pronated feet.
Audiometer tests were given from the fourth grade through the Senior High School. One hundred and thirty-one pupils showed hearing losses of nine or more units in one or both ears. These cases were followed up and further examinations urged. Of the one hun- dred and thirty-one, five could hear nothing on the audiometer and
126
forty-seven had hearing losses of fifteen or more units. It is defi- nitely recommended by authorities that such cases have lip-reading training. This service could probably be taken care of by a part- time teacher and should receive the serious consideration of the school committee.
The amount of time that has to be spent on clerical work is de- plorable. The keeping of the physical and school nurse records of over two thousand pupils alone is a tremendous task. In addition, the clerical work incident to the various clinics requires time that might better be spent on home visiting or some educational phase of the work.
Home visiting has continued to be a most important part of the nurses^ work. Last year 840 visits were made to the homes for one reason or another. This figure represents an increase of ap- proximately two hundred visits over any other year.
Intensive work has been done to secure the correction of de- fects and in this work we have had splendid co-operation from the parents. The present economic conditions, rather than indifference on the part of the parents, have deferred and prevented the correc- tions in some cases. On the other hand, the continued excellent co- operation and financial assistance that we have received from the various local agencies and local physicians has contributed to this important phase of the work.
Clinical Services
The value of health work in our schools has been greatly en- hanced by the contributions of the various clinics, the following of which are under the direct supervision of the health department al- though financed by outside agencies.
Dental Clinic
The overcrowded condition at the dental clinic, noted in last year's report, was in part relieved this fall by the operation of the clinic an extra day a week. The extension of time was made pos- sible by an appropriation from the Board of Health. Unfortunately, the amount allotted was sufficient to operate on the new basis to January first only, so that after that the clinic will operate on a two-day a week schedule. The clinic, equipped by the Red Cross in 1921, has been maintained by the joint efforts of the Red Cross and the Reading Good Health Committee.
The year's report at the clinic shows the value of the work that is being done: 234 examinations; 180 cleanings ; 1,276 fillings; 354 extractions ; 152 treatments.
One thousand, one hundred, forty-two visits were made by two hundred sixty-two children, an average of four visits per child.
. The clinic has co-operated with the Pre-school Clinic in hand- ling pre-school children. Preference has always been given to child-
127
ren of the lower grades as it is at such age levels that real preventive work can be done.
Schick Clinic
During the year the department completed the ninth year of its campaign against diphtheria. This important work has been car- ried on each year until a large percent of our school population is now immune. Since the beginning of the diphtheria prevention work in 1923, 2,295 children have been given the Schick test and 1,879 child- ren have received the immunizing toxin-antitoxin. An encouraging feature of the work is the increase in the number of pre-school child- ren that are attending the clinics each year. This has been accom- plished, I feel, largely through the efforts of reaching the children preparatory to coming to school by means of the Registration and Summer Round-Up.
Seven clinics were held during March and April at which the total attendance was 906. Of the 204 pupils Schicked, 179 had nega- tive re-actions ; 19 had positive re-actions ; 3 had combined re-actions, and 3 were never read. Of the 187 immunized, 102 had three innocu- lations; 20 had two; and 5 had one. Fifty-one of the one hundred eighty-seven immunized and fifteen of the two hundred four Schicked were pre-school children, their ages ranging from ten months to five years.
Posture Clinic
The organization of the Posture Clinic was the same as last year. The clinic continued to meet once a month at the Grouard House with Dr. A. R. MacAusland of Boston in charge. Cases were referred by local physicians, by the school physician, and nurses, and by the physical education teachers. The Reading Good Health Com- mittee has continued to finance the clinic and in many instances has paid for appliances where the parents were unable to pay.
Since the beginning of the clinic in 1928, 214 pupils have been under its care. All pupils of the Reading schools are eligible for treatment.
Habit Clinic
Since June the clinic has been operating as a weekly instead of a monthly clinic, with the place of meeting changed from the Grouard House to the Town Building. The idea of the State is to make the clinic available to the surrounding towns with Reading as the center. In view of the fact that many of the places which the clinic aims to serve are larger than Reading, we should feel honored that Reading has been selected as its headquarters. This past year completes the eighth year of the clinic's work in our town. The state, in furnishing this type of remedial service, is playing a fundamental part in the development of well rounded, socially acceptable person- alities.
128
Examination Clinics
The preliminary X-Ray examination in connection with the annual check-up of underweight children, tuberculosis contacts, and special cases was held at the High School January 30. On March 11, 12 and 13 the forty-five cases X-Rayed were given thorough chest examinations by an expert from the State Department of Public Health. As a result of the clinic, one pupil was recommended for san- atorium care and another for hospital care because of a serious liver condition. This type of service together with the consultation service at North Reading Sanatorium provides adequate supervision for the special cases already mentioned.
Tonsil and Adenoid Clinic
Through the generosity of Dr. Richmond, Dr. Baisley, and Dr. Halligan, and with the co-operation of Miss Harrington, the Visiting Nurse, tonsil clinics were held at the Winchester Hospital, June 16 and 23. Twenty-five children were operated upon, many of whom could not have otherwise been attended to because of financial conditions.
Registration and Summer Round-Up
Registration for children entering school for the first time the following September was held at the High School March 9 and 10 and April 7. Of the 186 children entered in September, 154 or 82 per cent had registered. Of this number 133 had had physical examinations and returned their physical records as requested. A study of their records showed 93 children with one or more physical defects. While the number of physical defects corrected before admittance to school in the fall was slightly larger than last year, the total was still dis- couragingly small. Registration is properly the responsibility of the school; the examination of the children and the subsequent correction of defects, a responsibility of the parents.
Health Instruction
As in the past, the goal of our primary health teaching has been habit-training. Through projects, devices, and posters, the teach- ers of the lower grades have sought to develop the right health habits and attitudes on the part of the pupils. In the grammar grades, a widening of health knowledge has been assured by the use of recent and suitable textbooks. In the Highland School, where department- al work is done, the hygiene work has been under the direction of Miss Allard in the fifth grade and Miss Fogg in the sixth grade. The Cleveland Course of Study is used in these two grades.
The new State Course of Study in Health Education, now in the process of printing, will replace the Cleveland Course, and, together with the State Course in Safety Education, will form the basis of our health and safety instruction in the first six grades.
129
During the past year a limited number of textbooks and teach- ers' reference books were supplied to the ninth. grade and have helped to broaden the course in that particular grade.
As noted in last year's report, there is lack of definite health instruction in the High School, except in certain specific subjects. This condition is not confined to Reading, but, unfortunately, is more or less general.
Since September the Mothercraft classes in the sixth grade, formerly taught by me, have been taken over by Miss Hanscom.
Other Activities
As a culmination of the year's health work Child Health Day was celebrated April 24. Programs for the children were held in the various schools in the afternoon, at which time the awards for good posture, dental correction, and diphtheria immunity were made. Ban- ners to the rooms having the greatest number of individual awards were won by: Miss Musgraves' room, Center School, for good pos- ture; Mrs. Cotton's room, Lowell St. School, for dental correction ; Miss Dow's room, Prospect St. School, for diphtheria immunity. In the evening an elaborate program was held at the Highland School The purpose of this meeting was to acquaint the parents with the various activities of the school health program through the actual presentation of these activities; and to familiarize them with the dif- ferent state, local, and private agencies that contribute to the work. The success of the meeting was due in a large measure to the assist- ance rendered by a committee composed of representatives from the Reading Woman's Club, the Central and Prospect Street Parent-Teach- ers' Associations, the Reading Good Health Committee and each of the elementary schools.
The selection of children for summer camp was made in April and May. Each child was X-Rayed and given a complete examination at North Reading Sanatorium before being recommended for camp. Five children were sent for eight weeks to the Southern Middlesex Health Camp at Sharon.
The department continued to co-operate with such local organ- izations as the Visiting Nurse Association, the Red Cross, the Read- ing Good Health Committee, etc. The department is cognizant of the mutual benefit that results from this inter-working of the school and local organizations and is deeply appreciative of the contributions that the latter have made to the schoool health program.
May I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the health work.
Respectfully submitted, MABEL M. BROWN, R. N. Director of Health
Reading, Massachusetts, December 31, 1931.
130
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF PENMANSHIP, 1931
Mr. A. L. Safford,
Superintendent of Schools,
Reading, Massachusetts.
Dear Mr. Safford :
Herewith I submit a brief report of the penmanship department.
"Good writing is that which is plain in form and rapid in execu- tion. Slow writing is of but little value, and illegible writing is a waste of effort. No one has a moral right to write illegibly because it means waste of time and effort to the writer as well as to the reader.
Good writing is acquired; not inherited. Intelligent effort rather than talent is necessary to learn it. It is a tool or instrument that helps children to carry on much of their regular school work."
Even in the primary grade, some general written work is re- quired so that it is necessary that children acquire a correct writing process from the beginning. Not only should they acquire a healthful writing position, but they should produce a legible product.
In these days of little time for so many duties, it is quite neces- sary that pupils write with a certain amount of ease and rapidity.
Writing is used by children in their other school subjects much more than in the writing lesson itself, so it is with this point in mind that I wish to discuss briefly how we are correlating writing with our school subjects.
In a previous report, I stated how this was being done in the Junior High School. Now this is being done quite successfully through- out the grades.
.. In the Highland School, a great improvement over other years has been shown in this respect. In their English work, the pupils are using a text "Clark's Language In Use" where they read a chapter, then write a story telling how the subjects of that chapter overcome their difficulties, thus combining their own originality with language, writing, and drawing illustrations.
In history, a "Directed Study Book" is used in which a certain amount of writing must be filled in at the end of each paragraph. !
In the primary grades, similar projects are being worked out in correlation with their activity programs. Last year, a number of the fourth grades made illustrated notebooks correlating geography, lan- guage, and penmanship, while others combined Nature Study (birds or flowers) with language and penmanship. In most cases, the pupils made their own illustrations for these books thereby correlating draw- ing as well.
The second and third grades worked out similar projects, com- lining health, language, drawing, and writing.
131
Even the first grades made an illustrated word study book, also a picture study book which correlated spelling and writing.
Each year, the Zaner-Bloser Company send for a set of our note- books from each grade to be used in their various exhibitions though- out New England.
In stressing the correlation of writing with the various subjects the pupils more readily see that penmanship is not a subject by itself as was the old idea but, "a means to a definite end," that is-help in all written subjects. In this way, too, he learns to establish correct habit formation in sitting and writing well.
During the months of May and June, a "Parent Day" was set aside in each building to give parents and friends the privilege of seeing actual lessons in the correlation of subjects. Each super- visor was present and gave an actual teaching lesson on the subject which she represented.
There were notebooks illustrating the various activities studied throughout the year and showing how the various subjects are corre- lated one with another.
These meetings were well attended and both parents and friends seemed very much interested.
I feel very much pleased and encouraged with the progress and enthusiasm shown by teachers and pupils throughout the town. Sure- ly with such splendid co-operation, the work of this department must progress.
Our certificates record follow :
Highland School
33 Grammar Grade Certificates
7 High or Business Certificates
11 Certificates of Excellence
Grade Seven
58 Grammar Grade Certificates
25 High or Business Certificates
11 Certificates of Excellence
1 Advanced Certificate
Grade Eight
30 Grammar Grade Certificates
24 High or Business Certificates
3 Advanced Certificates
I wish to thank the teachers and principals who have helped so much, each of the other supervisors for their splendid co-operation, and you, Mr. Safford, for your helpful assistance at all times.
Respectfully submitted, MARGARET A. CAMERON
Penmanship Supervisor
132
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1931
Mr. Adelbert L. Safford,
Superintendent of Schools,
Reading, Massachusetts.
My dear Mr. Safford :
The time-honored saying that a school in its elements is com- posed of a scholar on one end of the log and a teacher on the other is as true today as when it was first declaimed over one hundred years ago. I believe the original saying used the term scholar rather than pupil, the difference being that the former is one who learns and studies while the latter is one who simply places himself under the direction and care of a teacher. Through extension and reorganization beginning as early as 1900 the number of children attending the secondary schools of the United States has rapidly increased. In 1890 there were less than 30,000 enrolled in the secondary schools of the country. By 1928 this enrollment had increased to more than 4,200,000. What proportion of this enrollment can be classed as pupils and what as scholars would be hard to determine. But herein lies a vital differ- ence, and the type of education must be modified to fit the difference.
Because the public secondary school has in the last decade recog- nized the unintellectual child, the school's holding power has increased. The holding power has increased to such an extent that graduation has come to be expected of nearly all pupils who enter the freshman class of the high school. This is especially true of Reading. In general all over the country fifty-one per cent of tenth grade or Sophomore pupils reach the Senior Class. Statistics for Reading on this basis are as follows :
Sophomores
Seniors
Per Cent
Sept.
1924
146
119
80
1925
144
103
71
„
1926
148
111
75
1927
145
97
66
1928
172
113
65
"
1929
185
138
74
Thus it can be seen that the statement regarding the holding power of the school is particularly true of the Reading Schools, which have operated under the control of a school board which has attempted, very successfully, to cater to the needs of all its pupils.
As the holding power of the secondary school increases, the number of courses of instruction must of necessity become more di- versified. In this respect Reading must be compared with such towns
133
as have a like population and which have a similar type of local in- terests and enterprises. A town of the same size as Reading which has a manufacturing element will not have the demand made upon it for so complete an educational system as has Reading. Other com- parisons of the same kind can be made but are obvious and have no place here.
Bacon in his school statistics states that "seventy per cent of all high school pupils thirty years ago came from the highest fifth of hu- man intelligence and at present this proportion has decreased to forty- five per cent. The present-day high school draws its pupil personnel from every group of the community. There is a constantly increasing heterogeneity with resulting diversity of background, capacity and po- tentiality." As has been noted above, this increases the variety of courses that must be offered in order to accommodate the pupils. Fur- thermore, Reading has adhered to the sound educational policy of the comprehensive rather than the expensive specialized school. In towns and cities where the specialized school, as, for instance, a trade school, has been in operation the tendency has been to make it increasingly comprehensive in response to needs manifested by the pupils.
College
In a recent paper Frederick. Winsor says, "It is worth while to point out that the belief in a college education is something of very recent growth. Fifty years ago there was in America a very decided prejudice against the college man-today they all welcome him. What has happened since 1880 to cause this nation completely to change its estimate of the value of a college education? The answer is simple. America has observed the behavior and accomplishments of the col- lege graduates and approved what it has seen. Before 1915 this change in appraisal was coming fast and the experience of the war settled the matter. There is no getting away from the evidence; it compelled a verdict in favor of the college man. This new faith, however, is just as unreasoning as the old prejudice and, therefore, just as blind. To people in general, what is an advantage to one man must be an ad- vantage to every man, and so today it is almost an article of educational faith to say that every man should go to college.
"There are signs that colleges of the United States are begin- ning to insist on their rights as educational institutions to demand in- tellectual activity from the students. Colleges exist for the purpose of promoting intellectual training and for the advancement of knowledge. Sooner or later the colleges are going to insist on their rights to be truly temples of learning and when this change comes the attitude of the public toward a college education is going to be quite different from what it is today, and decidedly more intelligent."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.