USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1962 > Part 11
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The course of study for the biological sciences was carefully revised and refined with many valuable cross-reference sheets and guides for teachers and pupils. A course of study for Chemistry was outlined in such a way that parallel programs of study were provided for laboratory and non-laboratory pupils. Although the main objective for both groups remained the same, variations in texts, supplementary materials, and topical emphasis were provided for.
In the foreign language area, materials to provide continuity of instruction in French from grades 7 through 12 were prepared and a careful study of language laboratory equipment and operation was made in anticipation of the preparation of a budgetary request for a 30-station language laboratory.
A member of the Social Studies Department worked with elementary and junior high school teachers in trying to set up a well-articulated and meaningful program in the social studies from grades 1 through 12. This teacher also consulted with English teachers about coordinat- ing the English and social studies program at the high school.
Two members of the Mathematics Department, together with two junior high school math teachers, prepared various materials that were deemed needed and helpful to the teaching and learning of modern mathematics at both levels. Preliminary plans for the articulation of the mathematics programs at the two levels and for the structuring of honors or accelerated groups culminating eventually in an Advanced Placement section in mathematics at grade 12 were made.
Analysis of pupil reaction to the large-group lectures that were started last year was made, and recommendations for the coming year were prepared. Coordination of the fine arts program with the English, foreign language, and social studies programs was studied and planned. All teachers who participated in the summer workshops found the experience professionally stimulating and rewarding and expressed the opinion that definite progress had been made toward the improvement of the instructional program.
Several factors influenced the decision to organize the master schedule for the 1962-1963 school year so that all major academic sub- jects would meet four periods per week and the laboratory sciences six periods per week. First and foremost was the desire to provide greater flexibility in scheduling so that more pupils could elect enrichment courses in music, art, and other areas in which we provide excellent instruction and in which some formal experience appears to be a very
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desirable part of one's general education in this age of specialization. The increase in the numbers of pupils electing certain academic courses, together with limitations in staff personnel and physical facilities also dictated such a move. Finally, there was the desire to make the pupil accept greater responsibility for his education by providing him with greater opportunities for independent study.
Other efforts to encourage pupils to accept greater responsibility for their education and to provide the training for democratic citizen- ship where self-discipline and concern for the general welfare are so necessary were provided by continuing our honor roll privileges and by permitting unsupervised outdoor privileges during the lunch periods. The outdoor privileges met with reasonable success in the spring but were discontinued in the fall when it became apparent that not enough pupils were interested in retaining their privileges. If there is sufficient pupil demand, the outdoor privileges will be resumed in the spring.
A very serious problem was encountered in the recruitment of teachers in 1962. Shortly after the beginning of the year it became apparent that the salary schedule was inadequate for attracting experienced teachers or good beginning teachers. During the winter, spring, and early summer over 130 candidates were screened, contacted, or interviewed before eight vacancies were filled. We were indeed fortunate to procure a generally well-qualified group of beginning teachers. There is considerable concern whether or not we will continue to be as lucky in the future. Of even greater concern is the prospect that we might lose some of our experienced teachers to neighboring communities which pay substantially higher salaries. It would take the loss of only a few of our outstanding teachers, especially in subject areas where greater scarcities exist, to deny the children of Reading the high-quality instruction they now receive. It is mandatory that Reading vote a salary schedule that will be attractive to good beginning teachers and also contain provisions that will permit us to retain our key personnel.
The retirement in June of Miss Florence G. Nichols after 33 years of unstinting service was a loss that will be felt for a long time by the pupils and teachers of the school. Miss Nichols had served as Dean of Girls and Assistant Principal since 1954, and the full measure of her worth is appreciated only now that she is no longer with us. Her wise counsel, friendship, and many kindnesses are missed by everyone.
Of interest might be the results of a survey made of the classes of 1960, 1961 and 1962 which indicates that 69 per cent of these graduates continued their education in institutions of higher learning. Approxi- mately 40 per cent matriculated at eighty-eight different four-year colleges located in 23 states and Canada. In addition, 13 per cent en- rolled in two-year terminal or transfer programs at junior colleges or technical schools, 4 per cent entered three-year nursing programs, and 12 per cent pursued one-year secretarial, technical, or other programs. Of the remaining 31 per cent about 8 per cent enlisted in the Armed Services and 23 per cent went to work after graduation. Many in this latter group planned to pursue part-time education.
Respectfully submitted, ARA A. KARAKASHIAN, Principal
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JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS REPORT - 1962
The two Junior High Schools continue to work closely so their graduating classes can easily be dovetailed into the High School pro- gram. The programs of studies, textbooks and work are closely coor- dinated, and frequent meetings between the schools are held. There is also a good working relationship between the Principals and staffs of the Junior High Schools and High School so that the proper preparation can be made for transfer of the Junior High student to the High School.
Last year for the first time, conversational French via TV was taught in Grade 6. These pupils had started this language in Grade 4, and so had been having it for three years. In the past, French has been an elective starting in Grade 8, but this year the majority of the pupils in Grade 7 are being given French two periods a week-both oral and written. By the time these pupils have completed Grade 8 French it is expected that they will be much further advanced than has been the case in the past when pupils have had no previous experience with the language.
Two workshops were held this summer in which Junior High school teachers were concerned. Mr. Butcher from Parker and Miss Hunt from Coolidge were members to the Social Studies Workshop that was re- vamping the Social Studies program for Grade 1 through 12. This result- ed in a complete new course of study for the ninth grade, with the stress now being placed in Geography. The program was introduced in Sep- tember. In the field of Mathematics, Mr. Kent from Parker and Mr. Scott from Coolidge worked with the High School in correlating their program. There is a gradual change from the traditional to the modern program now in process. A better understanding between the schools has been one of the results.
Instruction and how to improve it is always an aim of our schools. In the Coolidge Junior High, under the direction of Miss Dagdigian, large group lectures team teaching was experimented with on a trial basis during the month of January. Everyone concerned with the pro- gram agreed that we should incorporate it into the school program for 1962-63. At the present time, groups in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades are taking part in this program. We feel with an experienced lead teacher that the students and younger members of our staff are making strong gains.
We are also experimenting in parallel grouping in English so that we can concentrate on the weak spots of our students. This year the stress is on reading - next year we intend to include mathematics.
At Parker Junior High the program of modernization of the physical plant has continued with these major improvements: in the Home Eco- nomics department the Foods Laboratory (Room 302) was entirely done over and mostly new equipment installed; renovation of the Music room (Room 105) was completed; a new boys' shower room was installed; a new dividing curtain was placed in the gymnasium; all wood flooring on the second floor was sanded, shellacked, and waxed; more of the old original teachers' desks were replaced with new ones; all pupil desks in three rooms were sanded and refinished. Other projects will be undertaken during the coming year.
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For the first time in the history of the Junior High, full time li- brarians have been added to the staff. The libraries are being reor- ganized and set up properly. Circulation has increased enormously. We feel that a great load will be taken from the Public Library because so much of the reference work can be done here. The library is kept open until four o'clock so that the students can take advantage of the books and quiet place to study.
There is a need for a special curriculum for the low ability children. We feel that too many are defeated when the standards are placed too high, and as a result these people become discipline problems. If we show these people that they can accomplish worthwhile objectives, per- haps this problem could be solved. We plan a summer workshop to construct such a curriculum, to be made up of teachers who have worked with this type of student with success.
JOHN R. COPITHORNE, Prin., A. W. Coolidge Jr. High School ALBERT H. WOODWARD, Prin. W. S. Parker Jr. High School
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1962
Staff
The elementary school staff remained reasonably intact during the past year. However, it was necessary to fill thirteen positions. Two of these openings were due to the addition of two new classrooms to care for increased enrollment. Two others were left vacant by the choosing of two members of our staff to serve as remedial reading teachers. Of the thirteen teachers hired five were experienced teachers and eight were beginning teachers.
Instructional Program
The expanding elementary school population has necessitated the hiring of two remedial reading teachers allowing the reading supervisor adequate time to work directly with classroom teachers toward the over-all improvement of reading in grades one through six.
We are fortunate to have obtained two experienced classroom teachers from our own staff who had specialized in remedial work while obtaining their master's degrees. In order to divide the work equally, one teacher handles remedial pupils at Eaton, Prospect and Pearl schools while the other covers Birch Meadow, Highland and Lowell Street. Not only are more pupils receiving help but they are obtaining it more often than in past years. Groups range in size from two to seven pupils and work with the remedial teachers two or three days a week for a period of approximately half an hour which means that each remedial pupil receives about one and a half hours of specialized help each week. The groups are flexible so that as one pupil improves and no longer needs help, another pupil is included. Each teacher helps between sixty-five and seventy pupils during a week. This is not in place of but in addition to classroom instruction in reading. Continued emphasis is being placed on the lower grades in order to correct reading difficulties before they become severe.
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Since the remedial pupils are now being cared for by the two re- medial teachers, the reading supervisor is able to give more help to new teachers, to visit classroom reading groups more often and to assist all teachers with effective methods of teaching reading. She helps with the grouping of pupils, the obtaining of suitable materials for these groups and the techniques of teaching various aspects of reading. She is available to show new reading materials to teachers and demon- strate their use. She makes an individual analysis of pupils who pre- sent a problem of placement or for whom verification of group achieve- ment tests is needed. She helps teachers plan challenging reading programs for superior readers. She assists principals with suggestions for materials needed in various classrooms. She watches for areas in the overall reading program which could be improved and has individual or group meetings with teachers to work out methods of improving that area. She also has regular meetings with the two remedial teachers and assists them with materials and methods, as necessary.
We believe that we have a strong reading program in the elemen- tary schools, but we realize that not all the answers to the problem of how best to teach reading have yet been found and that we need continuous self-examination and experimentation with new materials to keep moving forward so our pupils will not only know how to read efficiently but will have a great desire to read widely.
This year our attention has been directed to problems surrounding the philosophy and content of the social studies program. Our schools are dedicated to the preservation and extension of democratic ideals and to the development of the highest type of democratic citizenship on the part of each child. Of crucial importance in the achievement of this goal are the social studies. The changing social scene brings changes in the educational needs of children. Children who are in contact with a wider world want to know more about it and need help in understanding the many developments in world affairs which are brought to their attention daily.
The planning committee at work on the social studies program was organized in the spring. Materials and textbooks were assembled; background research was begun. The committee members represented all grade levels from one through twelve, thus providing a uniform approach and common philosophy. This committee worked daily during the month of July.
When school opened in September a comprehensive set of objectives which encompassed the scope of the entire social studies curriculum at the elementary level and specific suggestions for placement of content at each grade level were ready in brochure form. In addition textbook recommendations and suggestions for continuing study were included in the brochure.
The elementary school staff is carrying on the work started by the special committee. Townwide grade level meetings are being held bi- monthly to pursue the specific suggestions for further study. The group has a good base upon which to build a social studies curriculum.
The following are the objectives of the committee upon which the staff is now working:
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1. Self-realization. To teach individual respect for self.
2. Human relationships. Group concepts. To respect the dignity and worth of others.
3. Economic efficiency. Production, consumption, conservation and distribution.
4 Civic responsibility.
It is generally felt that the summer workshop was a valuable experience. The opportunity to direct attention to one subject area allowed for greater depth in the examination of the curriculum. Greater benefits will thus be available to the students. It is hoped that in the future as further studies are needed serious consideration will be given to the use of a similar procedure.
Early in September of this school year a new and interesting program of string music was inaugurated in the elementary schools under the direction of the music department. In order to implement a strong instrumental program already in effect in the Reading Schools it was decided to try a new approach to the teaching of string music. Beginning violin classes, some as large as ten pupils, are now meet- ing daily for specialized class instruction and group practice in each of the large elementary schools. In addition to the beginning violin pro- gram an additional string program is being carried on at the Highland School. Working in conjunction with the beginning violin class are seven students studying viola, cello and bass viol. As the skills of these young students increase, plans are being made to have the members of this string orchestra meet and play together on a townwide basis, an opportunity seldom experienced by beginning musicians.
It is the feeling of the music department that progress within this group has been most gratifying, enthusiasm has been high, and promise for the future excellent.
The importance of critical and creative thinking and their rela- tionship to the art program was the theme of a series of three meetings presented in each elementary school by the supervisor of art for the classroom teachers.
The first meeting, a discussion of art education philosophy, pointed out the relationship between creative thinking in general education and creative thinking in art education. The second was a demonstration of bulletin board arrangement, emphasizing the creative use of materi- als in order to produce classroom displays which are meaningful and appropriate as well as artistically creative. The third meeting featured color slides showing a selection of murals and bulletin boards from the Reading Elementary Schools. By viewing these samples from all grade levels the teachers observed new ideas and became acquainted with work done in schools other than their own.
It is hoped that as an outgrowth of these discussions the art pro- gram will be strengthened.
In conjunction with the President's request for fifteen minutes of vigorous exercise each day and as a follow-up to strengthen deficiencies shown in our Physical Fitness Program, a set of conditioning exercises have been introduced into our physical education program.
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Based on the "5 B X Plan" which was originated by the R.C.A.F., these exercises are governed by the number of times they are repeated and the time taken to complete each exercise. As the children become more proficient, the exercises will not only be increased in number but will be completed in a shorter length of time.
Each pupil will have the opportunity to lead his group in these exercises and a few will eventually assume the responsibility of con- ducting these activities for the 3rd and 4th grade pupils within their own buildings.
This program has been enthusiastically received by the children and they have shown considerable leadership ability.
Respectfully submitted, R. HILDA GAFFNEY JOHN F. MORABITO DENNIS F. MURPHY ELEANOR M. SKAHILL
Supervising Principals
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT FOR 1962
During 1962, the Guidance Department continued its work of past years, initiated new programs and assumed new responsibilities. It continued to strengthen the existing facilities in order to focus greater attention on individual pupils in our schools, so that each might be helped to grow educationally, vocationally and emotionally. It is felt that because of staff growth and personnel additions, progress in guidance in Reading has been enhanced tremendously during the past year.
The year brought two new personnel changes in the staff. Mr. Gale Webber was added to the Reading Memorial High School Guidance staff as of September 1, 1962 as a full-time counselor. Prior to his ap- pointment, Mr. Webber was a member of the Social Science Department at the high school for six years. Mr. Donald Reagan was appointed as counselor at the Coolidge Junior High School to replace Mr. James Woolaver who resigned from the Reading School System. Mr. Reagan came to us from the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Junior High School where he had been a guidance counselor for five years. Both men are certified as guidance counselors by the State Department of Education.
The present guidance staff in the Reading system consists of the director, three full-time counselors at the high school, one full-time counselor at each junior high school and the Youth Adjustment Coun- selor who serves the elementary schools in the town. With this staff the Reading school system meets the State Board of Education pupil- guidance counselor ratio of 400 to 1 as set forth in the Massachusetts State Plan on counseling and guidance.
The addition of a new full-time counselor at the high school has released the director from full-time counseling responsibilities. The director is now able to expend his energies in integrating and super- vising the total guidance program within the Reading Schools. Con-
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centration of effort is being placed upon the special education program, curriculum study, test evaluation, training of staff personnel, inter- school articulation and coordination in order to bring about a con- tinuity in the instructional program and consistancy in the practices and policies governing scheduling and placement of pupils in all schools and at all levels.
Through funds provided by the National Defense Education Act, the physical plant of the department in the high school has been renovated. Counselors now have private counseling facilities. Adequate space has been provided for a reception and browsing area for the pupils where guidance literature, catalogues and display material are made available.
In the past year testing has come under severe criticism by both lay citizens, as well as members of the teaching profession. This has led thoughtful persons to inquire about the use of tests and their effect upon schools throughout the nation. We in Reading have always felt our testing program to be suitable to our needs. At appropriate grade levels we give tests to gain insight into the mental development and intellectual capacity of the child, to determine progress made in read- ing, to aid in proper placement, to determine to what degree pupils have mastered fundamentals of school subjects, to compare our pupils with national and regional groups, to check on mental development, to assist in diagnosing reading strengths and weaknesses of pupils and in devising suitable instruction for them, to aid in counseling of pupils and parents and to give pupils some insight into their interest and abilities. Periodically, we evaluate the total testing program to deter- mine its adequacy and to determine whether all of its aspects can be justified in terms of individual pupil growth and the over-all instruc- tional program. We strive continually to assist our professional school personnel to become more knowledgeable in the field of measurement and evaluation; that they learn what tests can do and what tests cannot do.
At each level of education our work continues as in the past. At the elementary schools the Youth Adjustment Counselor with the full cooperation of the teaching staff continues his work of expanding counseling services to the pupils and parents and in establishing better lines of communication between the school, the home and various community agencies.
The group guidance program based upon the "Life Adjustment Series" (orientation, grade 7; exploration, grade 8; leadership, grade 9) continues at both junior high schools. Greater effort and direction is constantly being placed upon individual counseling with pupils because no group guidance effort can ever supplant individual guidance.
At the high school the usual programs in individual and group educational and vocational counseling take place. The expanded group effort of last year continues i.e. orientation and mastery of study skills in grade 10, exploration of educational and vocational information in grade 11 and carrying out of educational and vocational plans in grade
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12. In addition, the counselors have undertaken the responsibility as coordinators of all class activities. As coordinators it is the responsibil- ity of the counselors to call organizational meetings of staff members assigned to committees, to supervise the various class activities and to ascertain what specific supervisory functions each staff member will perform. As necessary, the counselor coordinates the work of staff supervisors until the activity has reached a successful culmination.
Respectfully submitted WALTER G. PASKOWSKY Director of Guidance
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH
The statistical report which follows is but a small phase of the school program. The reason and content of the 246 home visits made in behalf of pupils cannot be discussed in an annual report; nor can the many trips to doctors and hospitals with pupils whose parents cannot be reached, be tabulated.
Pre-school registration was conceived as being an ideal time to meet the child and the parents. We share this experience with the Guidance Director and first grade teachers. Of the 386 children entering grade one last September, the majority return the physical record card furnished them, with evidence of examination by their own doctor and dentist. This is the result of a long educational campaign.
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