USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1932 > Part 10
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Dental Clinic
The dental clinic, completing its eleventh year of service, presents a most serious problem in that the length of time that the clinic is in operation is inadequate to care for the demands made upon it. Owing to the uncertainty of the income of the private organizations financing the clinic, namely, the Red Cross and the Reading Good Health Committee, the five hundred dollars appropriated by the town, and last year used to extend the time of the clinic from two to three days a week from September to January, has been used this year for the regular maintenance of the clinic. Experience has shown that with two days service a week approximately two hundred and fifty to three hundred children can be cared for during the school year. With the present active enrollment, well over double that number, and an expected increase of about one hundred new cases each year, the caring for all those eligible, in any kind of systematic manner, becomes im- possible. In addition the present economic situation is placing an added burden on the clinic in that many, who in ordinary times would go to a private dentist, are applying for treatment at the clinic. The solu- tion might be in one of two things: an extension of the clinic time which under present conditions is practically out of the question, or a re-
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striction of enrollment in the clinic on the basis of a very limited age group. Any attempt, however, to limit the enrollment to a certain group is difficult because not only is early and continuous dental care neces- sary for young children, but care of the mouth in adolescence is es- sential to prevent periodontal disease in the adult. The dental clinic committee are seriously concerned about these problems and are trying to devise the best means of providing an adequate dental program for the children of Reading who are eligible for clinic care.
In spite of the difficulties that are confronting it the clinic con- tinues to do a good piece of work as shown by a report of the year's accomplishment-386 examinations ; 271 prophylaxes; 1879 fillings ; 345 extractions; 272 treatments. Of the 1879 fillings, 1265 were in per- manent teeth; 614 in temporary teeth; and of the total number of extractions, 54 were permanent teeth and 289 temporary teeth. Three hundred and ten children made 1611 visits to the clinic, making an average of five visits per child.
Posture Clinic
Realizing the importance of posture as it affects health, the Read- ing Good Health Committee sponsored the organization and financing of the Posture Clinic in 1928. Since that time the clinic has served two hundred and forty-eight children, thus providing adequate treat- ment for the most serious cases of defective posture and weak feet in our schools. Of the one hundred and sixty-seven children attending during the past year, approximately one hundred per cent were recom- mended for corrective exercises which were prescribed and supervised by the physical education teachers. Corrective appliances, such as Whitman arch supports or spring back braces, were recommended in thirteen per cent of the cases. On the whole the cases which have had the benefit of both appliances and exercises seem to have made the most progress. Success in posture work of any kind is almost en- tirely dependent upon the cooperation of the pupil and the parent.
Reading is fortunate in having a man such as Dr. A. R. MacAusland direct the clinic. We are indeed grateful to him for the fine contri- bution which he is making to our school health program.
Diphtheria Prevention Clinics
The past year completes the tenth year of our diphtheria pre- vention program. A survey of the records of the Board of Health for the last twenty years reveals the fact that, despite the increase in population, the actual number of cases of diphtheria for the last ten years was fifty-three per cent less than for the previous ten-year peri- od. A further study of these figures shows that of the cases of diph- theria occurring in Reading during the last ten years, fourteen per cent were not residents of Reading, but were children placed by a child- placing agency in a temporary home in Reading; and that of the sixty-two cases of diphtheria occurring in the last ten years none had
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had the diphtheria prevention treatment. A study of the records of the last five years shows a reduction of fifty per cent over the previous five-year period.
While the total attendance of 809 at the clinics this year was about one hundred less than last year, an encouraging feature was that approximately twenty-five per cent of the 809 children attending were pre-school children, ranging in ages from five months to five years. This was an increase of nine per cent over last year. It is tremendous- ly important from the standpoint of the eradication of the disease to reach the pre-school group because of the incidence of the disease to that particular age level.
Experience this past year has shown that it is not safe to rely upon a negative Schick test in cases that have not been immunized. We are now recommending that every child under twelve years of age be immunized without the preliminary Schick test. Cases fail- ing to show a negative test after three innoculations should have an- other series of immunizations.
As stated in my 1929 report, diphtheria-preventive work is rightly a function of the Board of Health and should be taken over by it as soon as it has an adequate personnel.
State Examination Clinic
The expert service provided by the Chadwick Clinic again con- tributed to our health program by the examination of cases in need of special chest examinations. The X-Ray Clinic was held April 8. Thirty-seven cases were X-Rayed. The follow-up chest examinations were held April 26 and April 27. Children attending this clinic are X-Rayed, tuberculin tested, and given thorough chest examinations.
It is hoped that during the next year the clinic may be available to all pupils. In view of the fact that it is practically impossible to detect the childhood type of tuberculosis except by the combination of X-Ray, Von Pirquet test, and chest examination, the ordinary type of physical examination is of little value in the detection and prevention of tuberculosis.
Habit Clinic
The Habit Clinic, operating on a weekly basis, has continued to serve Reading and the surrounding communities. The eagerness with which parents seek help from the clinic shows that they are keenly aware of the importance of mental health. Through the early recog- nition of minor neurotic traits and the subsequent securing of psy- chotherapy, it is hoped that many of the maladjustments and serious mental disorders in adult life may be avoided.
The habit clinic is one of the clinical services maintained by the State. Like the Chadwick Clinic there is no fee charged for the services obtained at this clinic.
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Health Education
The new State Course of Study in Health Education, introduced this fall, together with the State Course of Study in Safety Educa- tion, already in use, forms the basis of our health and safety teaching in the first six grades, and assures an adequate and well rounded pro- gram in the essentials of these two subjects. The three-fold out- comes of habits, attitudes and knowledge are stressed: the first to a greater degree in the primary grades with an increasing emphasis upon attitudes and knowledge of these habits in the intermediate grades.
The scheme of health instruction in the Junior High is the same as that of last year, units of health instruction introduced into other school subjects in the seventh and eighth grades and a regular hy- giene course in the ninth grade. While the plan in the seventh and eighth grade is fairly satisfactory, it is doubtful if the health con- tent, taught as it is through the general science, social studies, and home economics is sufficient. Somewhere in the junior high school program a study of the social and community aspects of health to- gether with the scientific foundations for health habits should be as- sured. One eminent health educator has suggested as practicable a course in community health in the seventh grade, in physiology and hygiene in the eighth grade, leaving the ninth grade free for special- ized studies such as home nursing and child care for the girls and a course equally applicable to the needs of the boys. A study of the junior high school is being made by Mr. Blaisdell at the present time.
The biology course and the home economic course are the only courses in the senior high school that have any health content. Both these courses are elective. Studies and experimentation are now be- ing made in several places to find out the practicability of introducing health subjects in the senior high school.
Classes in child care and training for the girls of the sixth grade have been continued under the direction of Miss Hanscom. Ninety- two girls received certificates last year.
Other Activities
The annual registration of children entering school for the first time last September was held at the High School, March 7 and 8. At this time the parent was instructed as to the desirability of an early health examination so that defects found might be corrected before the child entered school, advisability of immunization against diph- theria; and of the state law in regard to vaccination. By September one hundred and three had been registered, several of whom were not eligible for school because of the raising of the entrance age. Of the one hundred and three registered, eighty-one were examined before school entrance, thirty by their family physicians and fifty-one
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at the pre-school clinic. Again, of the eighty-one examined, forty-eight were found to have one or more physical defects ; twenty-five had been immunized; and all had been vaccinated. A very small per cent had their defects corrected before entrance to school. The purpose of the registration and round-up is to have children enter school physical- ly fit so that they may get the most out of their educational oppor- tunities. That the parents have not yet come to realize the import- ance of this is evidenced by, first, the incomplete registration of all children entering school, and, second, by the failure to have defects corrected after the examination has been made. The parent-teacher associations, I feel, could help a great deal to put the idea of the round-up across.
Through the efforts of the Reading Good Health Committee five children were privileged to spend eight weeks at the Southern Mid- dlesex Health Camp at Sharon. Selection of children was made on the basis of poor physical condition and exposure to tuberculosis.
Child Health Day programs were held in the various schools June 3rd. The Dental banner for the largest per cent of dental cor- rections was won by Miss Brann's room at the Grouard House and the Posture banner by Mrs. Harding's room at the Highland School. The programs were well attended by the parents.
The department has continued to work in close co-operation with the Welfare Department, the Visiting Nurse, the Reading Good Health Committee, and other state and local organizations interested in the promotion of child health.
In closing, I wish to express my appreciation to you, Mr. Safford, for your guidance and help in the school health work; to the teachers and parents for loyalty and support; and to Miss Hanscom, my as- sistant, for her conscientious service and deep interest in the health program.
Respectfully submitted, MABEL M. BROWN, R. N. Director of Health
December 31, 1932
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, 1932
My dear Mr. Safford :
I hereby submit my annual report for the year ending December 31, 1932.
This report will contain but few statistics for two reasons. First, I know that you call for statistical data from time to time as you de- sire them in order that you may make analysis first hand, and, secondly, unless statistical data are fully qualified and extensively compared there
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is good reason to doubt their validity and further doubt that the average reader will get a correct picture of the situation which the data are supposed to show. Therefore, the few statistics that you will find throughout this report will be of such a character as will require no further analysis.
I have made an attempt to compare the amount of work done by teachers within our own school, but find that here statistics would be be of little value. Statistical analysis would assume that one recita- tion means as much as another and that teachers do not do any work except that connected with recitations. It leaves out of account such factors as the following : one recitation with a large class means much inore than one with a small class; two recitations in different classes involve much more labor than two sections of the same class; teach- ers serving on certain committees do a great deal of work connected with them and entirely apart from their class duties. These factors and others would make cost comparison on the basis unfair and not valuable.
The same arguments would apply to the reason for the size of classes and the value of the subjects in the curriculum. For instance, there are certain subjects which are sure to enroll a large number of students. There are worthy teaching methods outside of those that can be measured objectively, such as character building, the development of reasoning ability, the motive to do good hard work, and all prob- lems involving tact. In most cases the big factors in these situations cannot be stated in numbers. These factor are relative in value. One factor may be compared with salt of which all of us need a few grains a day, preferably some each meal and for which there is no substi- tute. The other may correspond to protein, which all of us also need, but which does not have to be taken at every meal or even every day and of which there are various forms. The true value of service is the most difficult thing to measure statistically and usually only shows its profitable nature in general terms.
The Economic Crisis
The economic depression has forced schoolmen to recognize three important factors which materially influence educational trends. These are :
1. A tendency on the part of pupils to remain through to graduation and longer.
2. The demand on the part of industry and commerce for bet- ter basic preparation and more maturity on the part of the youth it is willing to accept.
3. An increase in the seriousness of purpose among the students. Further, there are definite signs on the part of the colleges that they are beginning to insist on their right as educational institutions. In view of the fact that colleges exist for the purpose of promoting
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intellectual training and the advancement of knowledge the above state- ment seems but just and right. The American faith in a college edu- cation for everyone has shown signs of disappearing for the past few years and the economic crisis has given this idea a tremendous setback. All over the country super-colleges are being developed and their in- fluence will be felt downward through the secondary preparatory course. The ultimate result will be as it should be, that the high school will continue to give the best possible preparation to the college group, those who have the necessary intellect, and it will at the same time devote more time to developing better methods of instruction for those who do not care to go to college or who are not intellectually fitted for this type of higher education. This latter group is by far the largest and in many respects the most important group of all in our high schools. From this group are drawn most of our minor officials of state and federal government, and also a very large number of execu- tives of our business industry. In other words our business, social, and political leaders are drawn more from the non-academic-minded type. 'This is perhaps due to the fact that leadership depends upon traits of character and not on intellect. An inborn urge to lead, tact, will- power, rather than love for things purely intellectual, are the ear- marks of a leader in the general activities of life. It is evident, there- fore, that this latter group deserves careful training.
Cardinal Principles
Education should prepare a student for the following activities :
. Family responsibility
2. Civic responsibility.
3. Recreative use of leisure
4. Vocation
In order to function properly in the above activities a student must be taught to think and think straight. This can be best done by the proper use of the old time subjects which have been in the curriculum for many years. These are, language, science, mathematics and history. No new subjects need be added, but the old ones must be revalued and properly taught. It is the writer's opinion that the same sort of preparation that is best for college preparatory is best for the foundation training for any vocation. Of course the work must be carried on different levels and with education and not college "prep" as an objective.
The high school is attempting to give this sort of training by stressing mathematical relations rather than general methods in math- ematics, straight thinking and mastery rather than glibness, and fur- ther by attempting to inculcate habits of accuracy in mathematical manipulations rather than adding new courses which purport to be panaceas for all mathematical ills. Thus we attempt to give training for vocations rather than vocational training.
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It is undoubtedly true that a person well trained for citizenship will be able to earn a living while a person vocationally trained may be a poor citizen. The schools are largely maintained to train for citi- zenship.
Again, the high school is attempting to prepare our future citizens to discharge their civic duties far better than we have prepared them in the past by emphasizing the history and philosophy of government rather than civics. Rather than presenting students with a catalog of officialdom containing explanations of just how officials are selected, just how laws are passed, etc., we attempt, successfully, to teach the sophy of government, commercialism, sectionalism, law obedience, and principles of liberty. Thus we prepare them to discharge their duties as citizens so as to be able to intelligently criticise the conduct of the government under which they live. If well-taught such courses should help posterity avoid the disastrous mistakes in legislation and organization which have been a source of trouble and disgrace in the past.
Family obligation which involves the delicate matters of altruism, love and service can best be taught by the precept and example method. One writer notes that character education must be "Caught, it can- not be taught." Our teachers are of the stuff that leaders of youth should be made of, and our school spirit and lack of serious discipli- nary trouble give evidence that our staff is functioning in respect to this matter of training for home life. Through assembly speakers, who come to us never for the prime purpose of entertainment, but rather because they carry a real message, we have been strengthening and enlarging the scope of our education in ethics. Everyone knows that old sanctions have been weakened. Young people of this gen- eration question their validity whether the authority behind it is the church, the state, the school or the family. Discussing these ques- tions among themselves pupils more often than not reach mistaken conclusions and develop narrow visions. In this extremely important matter it has been my experience that the children often place more confidence in the disinterested opinion of their teachers than in the teachings of their church or the insistence of their parents. The continuance of a strong altruistic morality is the cornerstone upon which the future of our civilization must rest. Education in these matters cannot be left to chance and I am glad to say that an honest study of the character of the men and women in our high school gives me every proof that our ethical education is in the hands of superior people.
We have made an effort to develop a method of instruction in drawing, music, shopwork and other agencies as a means of preparing
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pupils for the best use of leisure. In this we are making progress, but there is still room for much improvement.
We are badly in need of a library, better shop facilities, better music rooms. It is undoubtedly true that man will have more leisure in the days to come, due to the perfection of the machine. How we train for this leisure will be a vital factor in the future history of our nation. The use of the facilities noted above should not be for the main purpose of acquiring skill but rather for the opportunity of putting theory into practice as a matter of self-expression. We have put our shop, art and music at the end of the day so that those stu- dents who wish to "carry on" after the close of the regular session may do so. Often in this way a pupil discovers a real and abiding interest. If we discover this interest we conspire to encourage him to further study along this line.
For every conceivable occupation in life there is a vocational institution far better suited to giving vocational training than the high school, and so in most cases we can leave this training until after the twelfth year of school. The general shop course and general course in household arts, however, are both an essential part of the high school and should not be confused with vocational education.
"Let us recognize the fact that no one can predict what the child will become. Each individual will find the purpose of his life by living it-in no other way. Therefore, we must avoid determinism of every sort. 'The individual's place in society is one of constantly changing relations, and this vocational fitness is something which he creates as he enters into participating relations with society under conditions of indefinite change'."
In connection with this idea of training for the worthy use of leisure I have in mind no elaborate plan of expensive shops and ma- chines, art room, etc., but only simple equipment which will make it possible for students to work with their hands. The less machinery the better. Drawing rather than art should be taught; careful work- manship rather than the production of something intricate and elab- crate.
As I said before, we are making progress in this direction. Band, Orchestra, Drama, Chorus, Glee Club, Operetta, Art Club, Camera Group, special afternoon groups in Chemistry, Physics, Shop, etc., nearly all on non-credit extra-curricula basis, give evidence of the foregoing state- ments.
Post-Graduates
The years immediately following high school are critical in the life of youth. Certainly a most serious social hazard would be created if during these times of economic distress these youthful after-school years are neglected. The schools cannot afford to turn away the post- graduates. Of course with the clamour of the cry for retrenchment
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among certain interests ringing in our ears and the challenging hail for more opportunity on the part of the post-graduates, the schools are between Scylla and Charybdis.
To me our duty is clear. We should and must provide for these young people if and when they show sufficient intelligence and in- terest to do ·excellent school work. We have had about thirty post- graduates this year; a sixty per cent increase over last year. As it happens we have had to add but one class, due to the spread of electives, to accommodate them. This class is known is English V and excellent work is done here.
Post-graduates come back for three major reasons.
1. To strengthen college preparation.
2. To round out the secondary school course itself.
3. To obtain a training of directly vocational nature and objective.
The latter is especially true of the commercial course. All the above objectives are worthy and should be encouraged. As I have implied in the foregoing paragraphs, accuracy and mastery of funda- mentals, that is, in mathematics, science, language, and history, will be required of our post-graduates. We should first educate to teach the pupils the true ends of life and later the means.
In order to meet the problem of technological unemployment we are stressing general education for adaptability. We must try to answer Bagley's challenge, "Can organized education fit the human types that have hitherto worked on a routine level, for the kinds of work that demand intelligent adaptation?" This is by no means a hopeless task if we learn to teach in broad concepts. Concept build- ing as an aid to transfer of education is what our teachers aim for. They try to equip their students with concepts rich in meaning so they may be applied to various life situations : knowledge of any subject when generalized into concepts and enriched in content and application becomes a tool for adjustment to an unlimited number of situations. Thus, knowledge becomes both a tool for practical principles and for broad social insight. Our teachers are always striving and succeeding in doing just this sort of teaching.
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