USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Tewksbury > Town of Tewksbury annual report 1933-1938 > Part 27
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In spite of all of these new difficulties we are sending your chil- dren out into the world better equipped to face life in this modern world than were their elders in their time and age. The modern teacher should be given credit for the excellent work now being ac- complished, in that, as has been indicated he has to promote interest in learning as well as to guide in the many subjects to be learned.
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Here again the task has been increased amazingly. In the earlier days the course of study was mainly "the three R's" with the later addition of facts and dates in history, physical features and locations in geography, and the names of the bones and muscles in physiology. Most of the teaching was on the basis of WHAT i. e. it was a memory test development of factual knowledge. Today the teacher must tell WHY. Any parent realizes how difficult these "why questions" are to meet. And when the why questions have been answered there re- mains the endeavor to have the commonly accepted answers accepted by the children. The teacher again has to "sell" the accepted answers to the child so that they will function in his later life. This is increasingly true as they grow older and get more and more false education outside of school, from the careless elders at home and in the neighborhood, from the misleading and exaggerated motion pictures, from the sensationalism provided by the "wood pulp magazines". It is fortunate that Tewksbury has fewer of these miseducating units than are found in most towns. This fact alone has justified already every penny spent on the construction of the new high school.
In summary it can be said that the Tewksbury teachers of today are meeting conditions more difficult than ever faced the teachers of earlier days, and are doing as good a job of it as any group of the teachers anywhere, if not better.
I do not feel that they are adequately paid for the services rend- ered, nor are they paid all that the town can afford to pay for such services. In this connection I want to quote one parent who said, after spending part of a forenoon in his child's class; "I wouldn't take the job of teaching this class for a hundred dollars a week".
PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT
The school plant in all its element, thanks to the care of the School Committee, is in excellent condition as a whole. There are a few conditions which need attention however.
The heating and ventilation of the older section of the Foster School is mysteriously inadequate. For some undiscovered reason the radiating surface in at least three rooms is only from 40% to 50% efficient. Plenty of steam is available, it seems, but it cannot be made to go where it is needed. In addition the windows of the fresh air intake rooms are permanently closed so that the air inside the building is used over and over and becomes very stale after an hour of school session has passed.
125
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
If the town desires to maintain the high standard of competitive athletics which has been set, it will be necessary for some form of financial aid. This can take the form of direct subsidy or it can be accomplished by providing an adequate enclosed field so that gate receipts can be secured to defray the rather heavy expenses involved. This will probably be presented more completely by Mr. Pearson in his report. If a direct subsidy is granted by an appropriation ear- marked for athletics it should be granted as a special item added to the school budget to be administered by the School Committee.
CHANGES IN PERSONNEL
The School Committee, superintendent, supervisors, and building principals have remained unchanged from last year.
There were two replacements and one addition in the High School staff. Miss Rena Mills succumbed to matrimony and was replaced by Mr. Edward Manning who also resigned at the close of the calendar year. Mrs. Rena Thiberge, nee Mills, has consented to come back for a reasonable period as substitute. Miss Florence Dyer resigned in June and was replaced by Miss Evelyn Dutton of Dracut, a teacher of unusual training and experience. Large enrollment in the commercial department made necessary the employment of Miss Agnes Phillips as assistant in this department and general utility teacher. Mr. Pear- son will probably report more fully on the qualifications of these teachers.
In the elementary grades some changes were brought about by the marriage of Miss Evelyn Fuller in May. Because of her special training Miss Elizabeth Giles was released by Wilmington in exchange for Miss Goldsmith of the Shawsheen faculty. The vacancy at Shaw- sheen was filled by the employment of Miss Margery Shaw who had been doing cadet teaching in the Foster School. This fall Miss Elinor Allen was transferred from her minor position in the high school to the position of assistant in grades seven and eight of the Foster School.
THE HIGH SCHOOL
From evidence secured from reliable sources in nearly every sec- tion of the town it is justifiable to state that the High School is accomplishing the main object for which it was instituted. From the professional standpoint we were less interested in the financial ad- vantages of this venture than in the social and community advantages. We felt that for the future welfare of the children and of the town as
126
a social unit, a local high school organization would prove of inestim- able value. One year of operation has shown that our judgment was sound. From every side we get favorable reports as to its effectiveness along the lines for which we hoped. Each year in the future should see an increase in the effectiveness of this organization with the ultimate result of better unification of the town by virtue of better understanding among those who were schoolmates and friends dur- ing the adolescent period.
One of the best evidences of the unifying power of this school was the amazing turnout for the victory banquet of the football team. I am sure amazing is the right word because guests from larger centers who were in attendance were frankly amazed at the size and enthu- siasm of that gathering. I was equally pleased and surprised to see how complete a cross section of the population of the whole town was there represented.
The moral effect of such a gathering on the high school pupils was excellent, not so much for its glorification of some thirty athletes but because it gave thirty local boys the moral boost that comes to all of us when we are publicly acclaimed for some accomplishment. And here again is another advantage of the local school. In Lowell not two of these same boys would have had a chance to "be somebody". At the same time the rest of the student body could shine in the re- flected glory of their mates.
CONCLUSION
In summary I feel justified in reporting the completion of the most successful year for Tewksbury school children that I have yet had the good fortune to supervise. In prospect I can see nothing but a succession of such successful years, given the same or equal co- operation from my associates on the faculties and the school com- mittee.
Respectfully submitted,
STEPHEN G. BEAN,
Superintendent of Schools.
Jan. 11, 1937.
127
REPORT OF THE HEADMASTER TEWKSBURY HIGH SCHOOL January 1937
The Headmaster's Report which appeared in the Town Report last year, was necessarily limited in its scope by the fact that the school had been in existence only a few months, but this report can offer a complete survey of the High School's first year, as well as part of its second year. A complete cycle of school life is a year in length, and policies must be tested at least that long to determine their real worth.
Undoubtedly the most important event occurring during the first year was the awarding to the school in June of a Class A certificate by the State Department of Education. This was the chief goal to- ward which the school authorities had constantly worked, and the receipt of this certificate at the end of the school's first year was ex- tremely gratifying.
From the beginning the school has been committed to a policy of high standards, and requires that its students secure 80 points to be eligible for graduation, and maintains 70% as a passing grade in all subjects. However the student body has adapted itself to these standards, and it has been a source of satisfaction to the Headmaster and faculty to have as many as twelve students earn a place on the High Honors list, with marks averaging over 90, and approximately fifty more eligible for the regular Honor Roll with averages of over 80. Space will not permit the listing of all those on the Honor Roll but the following list includes those students whose exceptionally high work gained them a place in the High Honors groups during the school year 1935-1936:
Nancy Goodwin
Mason Alexander
Margaret Kelley
Marie Mckay
Gilbert French
Stanley Lucas
William Noll Rita Cote
James Mavrogianis
Warren Osterman
Helen Haas
Helen Gelinas
Joseph Traveis
John Nolan
Aldie Labonte
Rita Sullivan
Eileen Sawyer
Thomas Sparkes
Eleanore Fitzgerald
The climax of the first year's scholastic achievement came with the graduation ceremonies which included the awarding of various prizes. Twenty-eight young men and women graduates garbed in appropriate academic caps and gowns, listened to the inspiring ad-
128
dress by Headmaster Wade of Worcester Academy, and received their coveted diplomas from acting Chairman of the School Board, Mr. Austin French. The Chairman of the School Board, Mrs. Herbert M. Larrabee, was unfortunately confined to the hospital on this occasion. By virtue of having the highest ranks in the graduating class, Marie Mckay, Editor of the school paper, and Frank Livingston, Captain of the football team, were selected as Valedictorian and Salutatorian, and both delivered addresses which proved highly interesting to the audi- ence. Stanley Lucas a member of the Junior class was awarded the Washington and Franklin medal for excellence in American History, by Mr. Graham R. Whidden representing the Sons of the American Revolution.
A complete list of the 1936 graduates follows:
Ballas. Mary
Houlihan, William
Nolan, Jack
Bolton, Catherine
Fitzgerald, Marion
Obert, Jennie
Bowden, Marion
Livingston, Frank
Ogston, Dorothy
Briggs, Phyllis
MacLellan, Josephine
O'Rourke, Terrence
Bubanas, John Martin, Mary
Pestana, Olga
Cogan, Mary
McCann, Mark
Powell, Robert
Crown, Betty
McCormack, Edward
Roper, Dorothy
Dewing, Philo
Mckay, Marie
Sparkes, Thomas
Haines, Olive
Mullin, Fanchon
Tarveis, Joseph
At the close of registration in September 1936, the school num- bered 214 students divided as follows:
Freshmen
69
Sophomores 59
Juniors
63
Seniors 26
Post Graduates 7
The division of students by courses is:
Commercial
87
Manual Training 27
College
66
General 22
Home Economics 12
The Tewksbury High School curriculum is based upon that advo- cated by the State Department of Education for schools of this size, and includes the following subjects: English, French, Latin, College Mathematics, Algebra, Geometry, General Mathematics, World His- tory, American History, Ancient History, Typewriting, Shorthand, Junior Business Training, Accounting, Business Law, Physics, Bio- logy, Chemistry, General Science, Citizenship, Problems of Democracy, Mechanical Drawing, Manual Training, Home Economics, Music, and Physical Education.
129
Special mention should be made of the Manual Training Depart- ment, supervised by Mr. MeSheehy, which has proved a real asset to the school in so many ways. The boys in this department constructed the bleachers which were used at the Tewksbury Recreation Club's field and are now set up in the auditorium for basketball games, and this feature materially increased the box office receipts at both places. In addition to this they have turned out during the year the two dozen tables in the lunch room, typewriter benches, picture frames, score boards, and many other things at a great saving to the school depart- ment.
The Commercial Department has helped materially toward the operation of the school by taking care of the mimeographing of all programs, menus, examinations, and the school paper. In addition to this the more advanced commercial students assist with the filing, typ- ing, and other features of school office work. The Home Economics Department takes charge of the entertaining of guests, and the development of interior decorations for the school, while the Art De- partment has been of great service in designing school emblems, post- ers, favors, and signs.
There had been a change in the make-up of the faculty, with Miss Evelyn Dutton taking the place of Miss Dyer as teacher of Home Eco- nomics, Mr. Edward Manning replacing Miss Mills in the English de- partment, and the addition of Miss Agnes Phillips to help Miss Chand- ler with the Commercial work. Miss Dutton is a graduate of Fram- ingham, Mr. Manning of Harvard, and Miss Phillips of Boston Teach- er's College. In January Mr. Manning left the school to accept a posi- tion at Barnstable High, and Mr. Longley left to take a position at Franklin, Massachusetts.
Mr. Manning is being replaced temporarily by Miss Mills who is now Mrs. Theberge, but no successor for Mr. Longley has been named as yet.
Extra-curricular activities have been stressed at Tewksbury High School as a means of making school life more interesting, and at the same time broadening the scope of the student's education. Often- times the experience gained from managing a school publication, play- ing on a school team, or acting in a school play, has been invaluable to the student in later life.
Under the capable direction of Miss Maquire the school paper, the Hi-Lights, was published regularly every month and unlike most similiar ventures, showed a profit at the end of the year. The splendid work of Miss Mills and Miss Allen resulted in the presentation of one
130
elaborate school play "Adventure Bound", a minstrel show, and sev- eral minor presentations, all of which were successful. This work is being continued this year by Miss Phillips and Mrs. Theberge.
Tewksbury High students will have a chance to gain dramatic experience in the field of radio this year, when the school presents four fifteen-minute radio plays over radio station WLLH. The dates for these broadcasts will be February 11, March 25, April 29, and May 27. This is a new feature of the school's activities and should prove a valuable experience to the students involved.
The dancing class which proved so successful last year, was con- ducted this year under the direction of Miss Naomi Gilhooley and proved a medium through which nearly half the students gained danc- ing instruction. The various school dances have been a source of great enjoyment to all the students, with the formal Senior Promenade, Christmas Party, Halloween Dance and Graduation Ball, the more outstanding social events. Students from other schools have been invited to these affairs, and their support has tended to improve rela- tions between the suburban schools. Glee Club, Orchestra, and Chorus groups have been organized by Miss Adams, the Music Supervisor, and the Cooking class for boys started last year has been successfully continued under the direction of Miss Dutton.
Athletics as an extra-curricular activity have an important posi- tion in school life and demand special mention. The "athletics for all" policy at the school has borne fruit, and Tewksbury has been able to maintain an enviable position in suburban high school athletic circles, even though it is the smallest institution in the league. For two years Tewksbury High football teams have been highly successful under the leadership of Coaches Dunnan and Hazel, and the basketball and baseball teams did well. Miss Chandler and Miss Scoboria took charge of athletics for the girls, coaching basketball and also Volleyball, bowl- ing and softball. One of the high-lights of the 1936 athletic season was the winning of the suburban relay championship by a quartette of Tewksbury High runners, and Gilbert French's winning of the suburban Dash title at the annual Greater Lowell Track Meet. An Intra-mural volleyball league was formed during the fall, with nearly all the stu- dents not on the regular varsity teams included, and the ten teams each captained by a teacher and representing a different college played through a hotly contested tournament. Tennis will be developed in the spring as soon as the courts are available.
In any educational institution the problem of paying the expenses incurred by the various athletic teams is of paramount importance. The main sources of revenue are generally the school budget, the
131
student body, and gate receipts. Since it is desirable to relieve the school budget from bearing the burden if possible, and the amount that can be donated by the students is necessarily limited, a discussion of the other possibility-gate receipts-is pertinent.
Most large schools and many small ones support their entire athletic program from gate receipts. Since basketball generally does no more than clear expenses, and baseball, track, and other sports with limited spectator appeal are conducted at a distinct loss, this means that the receipts from football games support the athletic program. This system has of course many disadvantages from a school administration standpoint, but it does mean that the spectator and not the school budget pays for the athletic program. Under this sys- tem it is apparent that every effort must be made to make the football season a box-office success, and this of course explains the tremendous "bally-hoo" of high school and college football games.
It was felt by the school authorities when the interscholastic sports program was started in the fall of 1935, that the chief source of revenue for its support would be gate receipts, but this has not been the case. During the first football season the Tewksbury High School team made a, remarkable record but the receipts at the home games no where near covered expenses. However, the prevailing impression was that if the games had been scheduled for Saturday instead of Friday after- noons the games would have been a success from a box-office stand- point. Consequently, when the 1936 schedule was adopted it was spe- cified that each game be played on Saturday or a holiday. The 1936 team established a good record, but with the exception of the Dracut game which was played in Lowell, no one of the home games was a real success financially. True, a profit of ten or twenty dollars might be made but this would not materially reduce the size of the athletic association's deficit.
Football is unlike the other sports in that it demands the use of a great deal of expensive equipment, such as cleated shoes, padded uniforms, etc., with which a player must be outfitted to be able to play the game with the minimum physical risk. Cheap or inadequate foot- ball equipment means injuries, and of course handicaps the players mentally and physically in the contests. With eleven men playing on the first team and a large number of additional players necessary due to the nature of the game, it means that the high cost per man has to be multiplied by at least twenty-five. Consequently there is an irreducible minimum for the support of this game below which it is unsafe to go, and that figure is approximately $350. Dividing that amount by five home games from which receipts are to be collected, it is evident that a profit of seventy dollars per game over and above the expense of officers, care of field, guarantees to visiting teams, etc.,
132
must be made. Until the school games can attract much larger crowds of spectators it is manifestly impossible to support football from gate receipts.
A football team is an asset to a school and to a community if for no other reason than that it develops school and community spirit and pride, and this part of the school athletic program should not be aban- doned without careful thought by all parties concerned. The proposal has been made that a separate appropriation be made in the annual warrant for the support of high school interscholastic athletics, par- ticulariy football, and it would seem to be very wise solution of the difficulty. It would tend to eliminate the undesirable "bally-hoo" feat- ure of the game and would take away the emphasis on gate receipts. A practice similar to this has been inaugurated in one of the suburban towns and has worked out very successfully.
Respectfully submitted,
WHITMAN PEARSON,
Headmaster.
133
ENROLLMENT DATA FOR 1936
TABLE I Age and Grade Distribution October 1, 1936
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
T
I
20
31
6
57
II
7
35
18
1
61
III
15
31
13
3
2
1
1
66
IV
6
30
11
7
2
56
V
12
38
12
2
3
1
1
69
VI
10
48
12
6
4
80
VII
16
28
14
6
3
67
VIII
1 1
40
18
2
1
72
T.
20
38
56
55
56
62
85
54
65
30
6
1
1
528
IX
2
19
29
9
6
2
67
X
2
12
25
1 1
4
3
57
XI
16
24
8
3
1
52
XII
9
13
4
1 1
27
H.S.T.
2
21
41
50
50
27
10
2
203
G. T.
20
38
56
55
56
62
85
56
86
71
56
51
28
10
2
731
.
134
TABLE Il. Teacher-Grade Distribution October 1, 1936
GRADE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
PG
T
ROLLO
41
41
CUNNINGHAM
34
34
WATSON
38
38
BLAKE
30
30
PIPER
39
39
FLYNN
39
39
GILES
47
47
HOWARD
43
43
REYNOLDS
11
22
33
SHAW
21
21
42
LAMBERT
25
25
SULLIVAN
33
33
KELLEY
12
20
32
LYNESS
5
5
7
5
22
HERSEY
5
8
8
9
30
PEARSON
67
57
52
27
203
TOTAL
57
61
66
56
69
80
67
72
67
57
52
27
4
731
-
1
-
135
REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
To the Superintendent and School Committee of Tewksbury:
As Supervisor of Music in the schools of Tewksbury, I submit the following report:
It is rather difficult to write in a few words, a report covering all phases of the work, but I shall endeavor to bring out some important points.
Music is a universal medium of expression and contributes much to the growth of character. School music should be a vital force, not only in school, but in the life of the pupil.
I have a class in music appreciation; a glee club and an orchestra at the High School once each week. I hope that some in the orchestra can play with the New England High School Festival Orchestra, this spring, at the concert in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Boys and girls should be encouraged to play a musical instrument. However, it is well to use expert judgment in the choice of the instru- ment. One pupil might excel on the violin, while another could do better on the piano or some other instrument.
The class in High School Appreciation has studied the instru- ments of the Symphony Orchestra; American music and composers; have become familiar with some of the best music and with present day artists.
Mrs. Larrabee gave a large victrola and records to the grade schools. We have also had the use of another victrola and I wish to express my appreciation for both.
We are very pleased with the new books in Grades Three and Seven at the Foster School and in the Sixth Grade at the Shawsheen School.
I am glad of this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all for their co-operation in my work.
Respectfully submitted,
M. MARION ADAMS, Supervisor of Music.
136
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF DRAWING
To the Superintendent and School Board of Tewksbury:
In June of 1936 the Tewksbury Schools did not have a drawing exhibition. The previous five years brought forth an annual drawing exhibition together with sewing and manual training. In 1936 due to various town functions coupled with the fact that both manual train- ing. In 1936 due to various town functions coupled with the fact that both manual training and sewing were discontinued the drawing ex- hibit was postponed until another year.
An annual showing though commendable, is apt to be somewhat monotonous. Although Tewksbury townspeople have always res- ponded to the exhibits, a season's rest should make the next year's endeavors even more pleasing and interesting due to the fact that each child will have had a longer period for improvement.
At the Shawsheen School the eighth grade did remarkably well in constructing puppets for the play of Hansel and Gretel. This activity was conducted during drawing and spare time, and each child in the room worked on some part of the show. Credit is due to Mr. Stavely for his help in constructing a platform out in the pine grove, and extending lights for an evening performance.
Much of the work in the other schools was similar to the previous year except for some new applications.
Certain fundamental principles must be taught and reviewed at intervals through the grades and high school, with follow-up lessons of application. These principles deal with design, color, lettering, measurement, and representation. Through this work the child ac- quires a drawing vocabulary which gives him the necessary initiative to express himself.
In the final analysis, drawing in the public schools sifts down to constructive observation and a training in the use of material to equal the need.
Again I wish to thank Superintendent Stephen Bean and the School Board for the opportunity of supervising drawing in the Tewksbury Schools.
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