USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Tewksbury > Town of Tewksbury annual report 1939-1944 > Part 18
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 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52
ART. 49. To raise and appropriate the sum of $125.00 for maintainence of the Legion Quarters.
ART. 50. To see what action the town will take in procur- ing a steel flag pole for the Common and putting the care of the flag in the hands of the Selectmen.
ART. 51. To see if the Town will vote to increase the salary of the Assessors from $3.50 to $4.00 per day.
ART. 52. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appro- priate the sum of $200 for clerical assistance in the office of the Town Treasurer for the year of 1941 or take any other action relative thereto.
ART. 53. To see if the Town will vote to repeal the existing by-law passed by the Town February 8, 1933 whereby 5% of registered voters who voted at the last annual town meeting necessary for a quorum or take any other action relative thereto.
ART. 54. To see if the Town will prescribe by by-law the number of voters necessary to constitute a quorum at Town meetings according to Section 13 of Chapter 39 of the General Laws or take any other action relative thereto.
ART. 55. To see if the Town will vote to increase the salary of the Board of Selectmen $100.00 for each member or take any other action relative thereto.
ART. 56. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appro- priate the sum of $50.00 in support of the Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture, through he Middlesex County Extension Service, and elect a director. Said money to be spent under the direction of the local director, or take any other action relative thereto.
And you are directed to serve this warrant by posting up attested copies thereof, one at each of the Public Meeting Houses, one at the Town Hall, one at each of the Post Offices, and leave one hundred copies for the use of the citizens at
1GG
the Post Offices in said Town, 8 days at least, and over two Sundays, before the time of holding said meeting.
Hereof fail not and make due returns of this Warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk at the time and place of Meeting as aforesaid :-
Given under our hands, this 14th day of January, in the vear of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and forty-one.
IRVING F. FRENCH, BERNARD H. GREENE, DUNCAN J. CAMERON,
Selectmen of Tewksbury.
A true copy attest :
Constable of Tewksbury.
167
Annual Report
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF TEWKSBURY
OF TEW
S
TOWN
B
URY
C
1734.
ORPORATED
Also Report of Superintendent of Schools
For the Year Ending December 31,
1940
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Mrs. Mary L. Larrabee 1940-1943 Chairman Tewksbury, Mass.
J. Harper Gale 1938-1941 Tewksbury, Mass.
*Austin F. French 1939-1942 Secretary Tewksbury, Mass.
Ralph Battles
No. Tewksbury, Mass.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Stephen G. Bean
Wilmington, Mass.
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
Herbert M. Larrabee
Tewksbury, Mass.
SCHOOL NURSE
Miss Edith E. Haines
Tewksbury, Mass.
ATTENDANCE OFFICER
Harry Wiley
Tewksbury, Mass.
* Mr. French resigned and was succeeded by Mr. Ralph Battles for the unexpired term. Mr. Gale was made secretary of the Committee.
170
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
The work and supervision in the schools has been carried on as usual.
Necessary repairs have been made in all of the school buildings.
The plaster ceiling in one of the rooms in the Foster School was replaced with a metal one. Corridors in the Ella E. Fleming and Shawsheen Schools were repainted.
At a Special Town Meeting in May of last year the sum of $3,500 was appropriated for the purpose of renovating the heating systems of the Foster and Shawsheen Schools. The sum of $3,065.58 was ex- pended for this work. A new boiler was installed and a new chimney erected at the Foster School. The new system was a proven success when given a severe test in sub-zero temperatures A new chimney was erected at the Shawsheen School and necessary repairs made in the heating system. The coal gas condition was definitely cleared up as a result of these repairs.
ESTIMATED EXPENSES FOR THE SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT FOR 1941
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Superintendent
$ 877.00
Supervisors
1,020.00
Teachers
17,250.00
Janitors
3,292.00
Transportation
6,000.00
Fuel
1,200.00
Books and Supplies
1,500.00
Health
1,500.00
Insurance
726.00
District
150.00
Miscellaneous
800.00
Repairs
1,200.00
$ 35,515.00
171
HIGH SCHOOL
Supervisors
$ 470.00
Teachers
14,700.00
Janitor
1,300.00
Transportation
2,900.00
Fuel
700.00
Books and Supplies
1,400.00
Miscellaneous
2,000.00
Equipment and Repairs
1,000.00
Insurance
240.00
$ 24,710.00
Total
$ 60,225.00
Respectfully submitted,
MAY L. LARRABEE, Chairman, RALPH S. BATTLES, J. HARPER GALE.
172
TEWKSBURY SCHOOL REPORT
Madam and Gentlemen:
Herewith I submit my tenth annual report as Superintendent of Schools for the Town of Tewksbury.
The demand for speed in the preparation of parts of this report may lead to some slight inaccuracies. The reports of the various mem- bers of the department are presented exactly as submitted. My own personal report is cut to a minimum as is customary of late years.
The general condition of the system is somewhat better than last year. The congestion is not as great and classes are of more normal proportions. There are spots in the elementary grades where children are not yet up to the standard for their grade due to health conditions or epidemics of previous years. These conditions occur periodically and are apparently unavoidable. If it were possible it would be desir- able to have the major part of some classes repeat the year in which an epidemic had occurred. This is impossible because of lack of housing facilities. There is always the pressure of oncoming classes to force some pupils along who should really be retarded. Of course retardation is not relished by some parents, but in the long run it is much better for the children; in some cases even preventing very seri- ous physical and mental conditions when they grow older. If parents would only trust the teacher as they do the physician I believe many cases of physical and mental suffering could be avoided. Parents seldom realize the close relation between physical and mental hygiene.
The teaching personnel is substantially the same as that of last year. Changes during the summer vacation occurred in the Ella Flemings School, where Miss Lyness resigned to be married and was succeeded by Miss Dorothy Ogston, a local girl who was graduated from Lowell Teachers' College last June. Miss Hazel Lambert, one of our strong teachers who had charge of the fifth grade in the Shawsheen School, was lured from Tewksbury by the better salary schedule of the Town of Lynnfield. This loss of good teachers because of our low salary schedule is one of our greatest handicaps.
In the High School there was an inconvenient shuffle due to the successive resignations of Mr. Maria and Mr. Shaheen. This has now been steadied by the election of Miss Doris Groesbeck of Lawrence to the control of the English Department. Miss Groesbeck has an un- usually good collegiate training in English and has had several years of valuable experience both in English and in Dramatics.
173
During the fall Mr. McSheehy secured a Civil Service appointment which could pay much more than he was receiving, and at his request was granted a leave of absence for the year. Mr. McGowan took over the Science Department and Miss Elizabeth Mulry is handling Mr. McGowan's former classes on a substitute basis. The High School faculty seems in a very excellent condition.
Several important repair problems have been attacked and, we hope, solved during the year. The heating plant of the Foster School was completely overhauled even to a new chimney. A complete new heater and stoker were installed and some changes made in the piping. There has been no real opportunity as yet to test the result of the change but there are indications of some degree of success already observable. The problem in this building has been as much a problem of circulation of air in some rooms as it was of securing heat.
In the Shawsheen School, chimney repairs were also found neces- sary due to leakage of gas into the classrooms. We believe the remedy has also been effective here.
While there has been a slight decrease in numbers of children in school since the summer vacation, the chief problem facing us is one of school accommodations. The school enrollment in small towns throughout the nation is tending to decrease in cities and correspond- ingly increase in the small towns nearby such cities. This is shown to be true by a nation-wide survey. This fact is putting a burden on all small communities to provide educational facilities for these new arrivals. While it is true that the national birth rate has decreased it would seem that the fact had not yet become known in the small towns.
Observation indicates that the place we need to prepare for this trend is in the Shawsheen School. Growth is evident in the section of the town which this school services. During the past year, seven new dwellings have appeared to view on Salem Road alone. What is happening and will happen in the Silver Lake section is wholly prob- lematical, but from recent experience likely to be sudden influxes of rather large families.
In view of the fact that it seems likely that some large expendi- tures must be made to continue the Spaulding School in service, it would seem more logical not to waste any more money on this building which is so poorly adapted to modern school uses, but rather to build an addition to the Shawsheen School large enough to take care of all eight elementary grades from this section. This would give room for the first grade children from the central part and from Wamesit, in the Foster School.
174
Physical conditions are not at all satisfactory in the Spaulding School. The heating plant is not in good condition and we are told that the only way to make it satisfactory is by installing a new plant. The toilet facilities are also very bad and a complete new sanitary installation would be the proper solution. These items would prove ex- pensive since there is a tearing down as well as a rebuilding problem in the process of which other difficulties might appear. It is common experience that repair jobs often are more costly than new construction.
I strongly recommend that consideration be given at once to the problem of satisfactory and adequate school housing in the south part of the town. It is poor business to wait until an emergency is actually in existence before making any plans to meet it. It seems most evident that a difficult problem may arise here at any time.
The activities of the school physician and the school nurse con- tinue their usual effective way. Required examinations are carried out carefully and expeditiously. The teamwork is excellent. Various clinics for prevention of disease are held and careful checkups are made. The nurse keeps watch for chances to get clinical help in the removal of diseased tonsils, the relief of poor vision, and care for the teeth. Attention is called to the reports of these two officials which show the care being taken to improve the physical conditions of school children.
The work in music and art is under the same direction as last year. Definite progress is evident as shown by the work publicly displayed.
The most notable public evidence of work in these departments is that of the various high school musical groups in their local concert, and in the State regional festivals, where improved ratings were gained in the current year.
The most pressing need throughout most of the elementary school rooms is for new seating. Many parents of high school pupils could probably find record of their own school days on many of the desks still in use. Chairs too are not in the best of condition or repair. I would advocate the complete renovation of at least one room each year for several years until we have desks and chairs in reasonably good condi- tion in every school room in town. There should also be supplied several new teacher's desks and chairs with a few additional chairs available for visitors.
175
The co-operation of the Parent-Teacher's Association is of value to the system. Their interest and helpfulness is of great value as an encouragement to teachers and an added incentive to pupils. It is a pity that this organization does not include every parent in the town who has children in school.
During the year the elementary teachers have collected material for a course of study which fits our local needs and conditions. This material is in the course of editing and taken with similiar material in the other towns in the district where the work is practically the same will be produced as a course of study for this superintendency district. I wish to thank the teachers for their interest and co-opera- tion in this important work.
To all of my associates, School Committee, teaching staff, super- visors and health officers I extend cordial appreciation for help in maintaining a high standard for our local schools.
Respectfully submitted,
STEPHEN G. BEAN,
Superintendent of Schools.
Wilmington, Mass., January 6, 1940.
176
REPORT OF THE HEADMASTER
Tewksbury High School - January 1941
To the School Committee of the Town of Tewksbury:
Tewksbury High School began its sixth year in September, 1940, and, during the first term, had a record enrollment of 249 students. When the school started in 1935, the registration totalled 203, so that there has been an increase of about 25 per cent since that time.
The number of students who have registered so far this year is divided by classes as follows:
Freshmen
77
Juniors
74
Sophomores
52
Seniors
37
Post Graduates
9
Total
249
The division of students according to the courses for which they registered was as follows:
Commercial
83
College 52
General
54
Manual Training 12
Nurses's Training
18
Teacher's College
5
Home Economics
16
Post Graduates 9
There was one change in the high school teaching force during the summer of 1940 when Miss Doris Groesbeck became head of the English Department. During the fall, Mr. Donald McSheehy was given a leave of absence to take a government position. His place on the faculty is being filled by Miss Elizabeth Mulry, who served as cadet and substitute teacher last year.
In June, 1940, the high school held its fifth annual commence- ment exercises and 44 graduates were awarded their diplomas. The following were presented diplomas by Mrs. May Larrabee, Chairman of the School Board:
177
Meyer Abrams Jeanette Aubut John Barker
Albert Gillissen
Martin Haas
Marguerite Marsden
Norma Haines
Joseph McNulty
Loretta Barret
Irene Hogan
John Merrill
Violet Bekshaw
Etta Huddell
Florence Mills
Ralph Bennett
Joseph Hughes
Queena Millett
Pauline Boisvert
Beatrice James
Lawrence Norton
Betty Brabantz
Margaret Lawler
Mary Ogston
Helen Carter
Helen Liakos
Margaret O'Rourke
Mary Casey
Julia Lisay
Doris Otto Gloria Roux
Ruth Cooney
Theresa Mackey
Francis Sheehan
Salvadore DeAngelo
Margaret MacLellan
Mabel Smith
Lillian Dewing
Donald French
Helen Symonds
SPECIAL HONORS
Valedictory, Martin Haas Salutatory, Meyer Abrams
The May L. Larrabee Scholarship Awards MARTIN HAAS, VIOLET BEKSHAW
The Balfour Award BEATRICE JAMES
The Melvin Rogers Baseball Award JOE MCNULTY
The Melvin Rogers Football Award JOE MCNULTY The Melvin Rogers Basketball Award SALVADORE DE ANGELO
The Sons of the American Revolution History Medal SOPHIE LIEGAKOS
The Parent-Teachers' Association Medal RUTH COONEY
The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award RUTH COONEY
Class President, Francis Sheehan Class Marshall, Ralph Bennett
JUNIOR USHERS Sadie MacLellan, Joyce Scammel, Arthur Powell and Jack Cameron
178
John Cooney
Daniel MacKillop
Lena Suslovitch
James Whittet
Eileen Manning
In June of 1940, Tewksbury High School was awarded for the fifth consecutive time the Class A certificate issued by the State Depart- ment of Education.
The extra curricular high-light of the school year 1939-40 was the excellent showing made by the Tewksbury High School Glee Clubs at the annual Music Festival at Wellesley. The Tewksbury clubs won the following awards:
The Junior-Senior Girls' Glee Club was the winner of the First Division rating in Class C, and also received special commendation for the Club's soloist, Nancy Trickey.
The Mixed Chorus was the winner of the First Division rating in Class C.
Athletics form an important part of the school's activity program and, since the management of athletic events involves the handling of a large amount of money, there is presented below the financial statement of the High School Athletic Association.
ANNUAL REPORT
September, 1939, to June, 1940
RECEIPTS
EXPENSES
Football
$ 652.15
Football
$ 531.09
Basketball
199.30
Basketball
226.73
Baseball
20.29
Baseball
132.18
Miscellaneous
178.52
Miscellaneous
136.31
Total
$1050.87
Total
$1026.31
The statement for the 1940 football season follows:
Receipts
$ 468.25
Expenses
610.01
Loss
141.76
Other years the high school football financial situation has been helped by the receipts from the Wilmington game which generally provides at least a $200 profit for each school. This year the profit was cut to $47.50 because of the blizzard and this accounts for the $141.76 loss in football for 1940.
In an effort to reduce football costs and eliminate bad weather contingency of late November games, the 1941 schedule will include fewer teams and have the traditional Wilmington game on Armistice Day.
179
I wish to thank the members of the School Committee, Superinten- dent Bean, the members of the faculty, and the entire student body for the fine co-operation they have given me in directing the destiny of the school during the past six years. Such success as the school has had is the result of concerted effort toward the same goal.
Respectfully submitted,
WHITMAN PEARSON,
Headmaster.
180
Table I Age-Grade Distribution October 1, 1940
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
T
I
38
37
4
79
=
21
39
7
2
69
=
22
28
12
5
1
68
IV
23
36
9
6
1
75
V
23
30
9
7
2
1
72
VI
16
33
5
8
1
63
VII
18
37
12
4
5
76
VIII
8
32
14
6
4
64
T
38
58
65
58
73
60
66
59
54
20
11
4
566
IX
1
19
35
17
4
1
77
x
18
38
14
2
1
73
XI
12
22
11
6
1
52
XII
13
22
1 1
1
37
P.G.
8
8
T
1
19
53
67
53
36
7 3
8
247
G.T.
38
58
65
58
73
60
66
60
73
73
78
57
36
7
-3 -
8
813
181
TABLE 11 Teacher-Grade Distribution October 1, 1940
GRADE
-
=
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
P. G.
T
ROLLO
48
48
CUNNINGHAM
33
38
COLBATH
42
42
BLAKE
37
37
PIPER
38
38
FLYNN
38
38
WARD
42
42
RINGER
28
28
HOWARD
29
29
TOTAL
340
REYNOLDS
26
26
KATHERINA
25
16
41
LYONS
10
32
42
HEDSTROM
27
27
HILL
20
24
44
TOTAL
180
OGSTON
5
6
6
17
HERSHEY
7
5
10
7
29
TOTAL
46
PEARSON
77
73
52
27
8
247
G. TOTAL
79
69
68
75
72
63
76
64
77
73
52
27
8
813
182
Mr. Stephen G. Bean, Superintendent of Schools, Wilmington, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir:
I have the honor to submit my third annual report as Supervisor of Music.
In the past year we had the greatest number of students in the music department. The response to these music activities were most enthusiastic and the result gratifying.
On May 4, 1940 the Massachusetts Music Festival held its annual competition in Wellesley. The Tewksbury High School Music Department attended. This was an unforgetable day, for the students heard a great many other high school Glee Clubs perform. It is with great anticipation that the students go to the Festival because it is there that they themselves can judge and compare their work with other high school music groups of their class. It is very justify- ing to know that the Tewksbury Junior-Senior Girls' Glee Club and the Mixed Chorus were winners of the First Division in Class "C." The Freshman-Sophomore Girls' Glee Club and Boys' Glee Club showed a great improvement over the previous year.
The reasons for the Massachusetts Festival are to advance interest in high school bands, choral and orchestral music, by encourag- ing and inducing a high standard of excellence in performance.
The second annual concert of the Tewksbury High was held in the high school auditorium on May 17 1940. The program was as follows:
SPRING
Sokolof
CZECHOSLOVAKIAN
Folk Song
OPEN THY BLUE EYES Massenet
Freshmen-Sophomore Girls' Glee Club
FANTASIE IMPROMPTU Chopin MALAGUENA Lecuona
Eleanore Fitzgerald, Pianist
SPRING
Sokolof
A STAR Clokey
CLOUDS Charles
JERUSALEM! O TURN THEE TO THE LORD Gounod
From "Gallia"-Solo by Nancy Trickey
Junior-Senior Girls' Glee Club
VALSE SONG Gounod
From Romeo and Juliet
VILLANELLE Dell' Acqua
Soloist-Nancy Trickey Accompanist-Eleanore Fitzgerald
183
WE SAIL THE OCEAN BLUE
Sullivan CINDY
Grieg
BROTHERS, SING ON!
Grieg
Boys' Glee Club
O SINGING LAND-From Finlandia Sibelius
THERE WAS A LITTLE MAN Hadley
Romberg
WILL YOU REMEMBER-From Maytime Mixed Chorus Accompanist-Eleanore Fitzgerald
I should like to express my gratitude to you Mr. Bean, Mr. Pearson and Miss Chandler for your genuine interest and co-operation with the Music Department.
Respectfully submitted,
ANGELICA CARABELLO,
Music Supervisor.
184
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
To the Superintendent of Schools:
Dear Sir:
To record with any degree of accuracy the progress and growth of various music groups is not easy. We are constantly faced with the element of surprise. Many times where there appears to be failure today there will be evidence of advance another day.
The purpose and function of school music is to cause the rank and file of boys and girls to
1. Keep and increase their natural interest in music, or to keep them wanting to sing.
2. To give them opportunity for developing a larger and better and more intelligent appreciation of good music when they hear it.
3. Fit and equip them to take part in the rendition of good music.
To this end teachers have been given a three-fold aim:
1. All our children to be taught to love good music.
2. All our children to be intelligent when they sing, play, or listen.
3. All our children to be given abundant opportunity for learn- ing to sing, play, or listen according to their inclination and capacity.
Our method aims to be simple and direct.
1. We try to build up right motivation.
2. We teach music as an art so they will derive satisfaction.
Sensing that, if there is to be real growth in musical under- standing and power, there must be technical work of various kinds.
3. We drill faithfully in simple technicalities.
Everyone loves what he understands however he may dislike learning to know and understand.
4. The material of the art of school vocal music is "tone" as well as technicalities and until it be beautiful there can be no worthy music. So, here, we strive for accuracy, purity and beauty of tone.
To give assurance that these things which we seek are being attained, accomplishment sheets of required work for each grade level are given to teachers in September and January. Assignments are given once a month to each grade.
Work with the toy orchestra does not progress because of lack of instruments, lack of experience on the part of the teacher and lack of time on my part.
185
The North School closed the year with a musical play written by the boys and girls and arranged by the teachers. Shawsheen finished its year of music study with a "Songfest."
The eighth grade was prepared and presented in a program of music at graduation.
In December a music project was given to all the grades which made use of the carols of other nations in telling the Christmas Story. It was used as a Christmas program during the music period at the Shawsheen and North Schools. The eighth grade at Foster used it in story form during a music period. Project teaching in music was a new idea and venture and will probably have better reception next time it is attempted.
We have been able to realize in large degree the aims set forth at the beginning of this report. Each grade is on the level of require- ments set up by the music department of the National Education Association. They have good tonal sense, read well, have a fair understanding of what "time" means, and appear to have real enjoyment in their work. Technicalities are enjoyed because the boys and girls have discovered their usefulness. The attitude toward singing alone is excellent. The whole response of the boys and girls is a source of real satisfaction.
Believing that, after the beginnings of reading, writing, arith- metic and geometry, music has greater practical value than most other subjects taught in the schools, I seek to work out and make real this belief in the hearts and minds of teachers and pupils.
The modern concept of supervision is helpfulness and cooperative service. This has been the spirit of my endeavor. To encourage, and help and give stimulus to the teachings of music.
I am most grateful to the teachers for their cooperation.
I wish to express my appreciation to Mr. Bean for his interest in the work.
Respectfully submitted,
ALICE L. STURTEVANT,
Music Supervisor.
18G
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF ART
To the Superintendent and School Committee of the Town of Tewks- bury:
It gives me pleasure to submit my report as Supervisor of Art in the Tewksbury Schools.
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.