Town of Tewksbury annual report 1950-1954, Part 24

Author: Tewksbury (Mass.)
Publication date: 1950
Publisher: Tewksbury (Mass.)
Number of Pages: 786


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Tewksbury > Town of Tewksbury annual report 1950-1954 > Part 24


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300.00


300.00


Finance Committee


150.00


62.50


87.50


Board of Appeals


86.35


58.25


28.10


Planning Board


250.00


61.50


188.50


Town Hall


5,400.00


5,288.91


111.09


Town Hall Kitchen


700.00


700.00


Town Hall Repairs


1,898.81


1,555.95


342.86


Police Department


27,000.00


23,998.77


3,001.23


Police Cruiser


750.00


625.00


125.00


Fire Department


22,902.30


21,170.99


131.31


Fire Station Land


3,000.00


3,000.00


New Fire Hose


1,500.00


1,475.00


25.00


Front End Pump


1,400.00


1,400.00


Moth Department


3,000.00


2,984.16


15.84


Tree Department


3,545.00


3,543.82


1.18


Dutch Elm Control


1,000.00


977.26


22.74


Gypsy Moth Control


1,996.63


643.90


1,352.73


Dog Officer


420.00


420.00


Civil Defense


621.00


536.16


84.84


Board of Health


3,280.00


3,034.95


245.05


Board of Health-Expenses


150.00


88.20


61.80


Inspection of Slaughtering


1,000.00


999.17


.83


Disposal Contract


8,175.00


6,904.46


1,270.54


Dental Clinic


1,000.00


995.05


4.95


Highways


14,770.00


13,971.52


798.48


Chapter 81


28,475.00


28,473.94


1.06


Chapter 90-Maintenance


3,000.00


2,990.66


9.34


Chapter 90-Construction


14,000.00


10,270.21


3,729.79


Chapter 90-Construction - 1951


3,617.29


3,615.02


2.27


Highway Machinery Account


10,108.82


9,885.68


223.14


99


Highway Tractor


5,900.00


5,900.00


Street Lighting


8,000.00


7,907.91


92.09


General Relief-Administration


6,218.40


6,218.40


General Relief-Aid


10,094.00


9,812.57


281.43


Other Cities and Towns


3,500.00


3,497.92


2.08


Disability Assistance


6,240.00


5,036.13


1,203.87


Old Age Assistance


58,483.53


58,483.53


Aid to Dependent Children


20,116.40


18,818.47


1,297.93


Veterans Benefits


7,704.00


7,432.71


271.29


Schools


186,051.00


185,006.71


1,044.29


School Lunch


8,460.00


8,460.00


Vocational Schools


7,000.00


3,801.30


3,198.70


School Building Committee


6,124.63


6,124.63


School Construction Loan


577,294.43


522,586.22


54,708.21


Stadium Maintenance


700.00


688.82


11.18


Library


2,535.26


2,530.62


4.64


Park Department


502.00


491.51


10.49


Blanket Policy Insurance


1,800.00


1,209.80


590.20


V.F.W. Maintenance


600.00


600.00


Memorial Day Expenses


404.00


373.00


31.00


Municipal Insurance


500.00


500.00


County Aid to Agriculture


50.00


34.50


15.50


Stationery and Printing


1,600.00


1,591.61


8.39


House Numbering Project


1,000.00


972.50


27.50


Boundary Stone


50.00


50.00


Care of Cemeteries


400.00


400.00


Water Department


12,189.91


11,738.72


451.09


Water Construction Loan


754,641.99


661,634.85


93,007.14


Addition to Water Building


17,000.00


17,000.00


Interest on Temporary Loans


300.00


300.00


Reserve Fund


10,000.00


Transferred to:


Veterans Benefits


650.00


Old Age Assistance


1,800.00


Fire Department


1,800.00


Stationery and Printing


100.00


Election Officers


100.00


$ 4,450.00


$ 5,550.00


100


- Annual Report


OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE


Town of


TEWKSBURY


TEV


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TOWN


URY


INCORF


1734.


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also Report of


SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31 1952


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS


SCHOOL COMMITTEE


Ralph S. Battles, 1951-1954, Chairman North Tewksbury


Mrs. Loella Dewing, 1952-1955, Secretary Tewksbury


Harold Vinecour, 1950-1953 Tewksbury


SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


Thomas L. Rivard Tewksbury


Office: North Street School


Office open from 9 A. M. to 2:30 P. M., except Saturday The Superintendent may be seen at his office by appointment. Telephone 8643


SCHOOL PHYSICIANS


Herbert M. Larrabee, M. D. Lowell


Morris Kelman, M. D. Tewksbury


SCHOOL NURSE


Mrs. Jean C. Mann, R. N. Tewksbury


102


SCHOOL CALENDAR - 1953


Open January 5, 1953 Close February 20, 1953


VACATION ONE WEEK


Open March 2, 1953


Close April 17, 1953


VACATION ONE WEEK


Open April 27, 1953 (Elementary) Close June 12, 1953 (High) Close June 19, 1953


SUMMER VACATION


Open September 9, 1953


Close December 23, 1953


SCHOOL HOLIDAYS


February 22


Good Friday May 30


October 12


November 11


November 26 and 27


(and such other days as the School Committee may designate) The School Calendar may be subject to change.


SCHOOL CENSUS


October 1, 1952


Age 5-7


Age 7-16


Boys


Girls


Total


297


972


103


REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE


This report, in order to avoid duplication, will cover briefly, with some exceptions, only what has not been reported by our Superintendent, Mr. Rivard. We must remember that education is a basic force for freedom and that our schools must continue the struggle in the reaffirmation and exemplification of the Ameri- can way. We are continually striving for a closer cooperation among teachers, parents and pupils.


The opening of the elementary schools was delayed until September 17th awaiting readiness of the new schools and then only the North Street School was ready. Consequently, the third grade from the Shawsheen School had to be transported to the North Street School and the second grade housed in the cafeteria of the old Shawsheen School. This was only until October 14th when the first three grades moved into the new Shawsheen School and Grades 4-7 became permanently housed in the old Shawsheen School.


Extensive painting and repairs have been undertaken at the old Shawsheen School and this modernizing program will be continued under our 1953 program.


A section of the old roof on the High School had to be replaced and additional work needs to be done. The front section of the High School was painted and the back and side sections are also in need of paint.


The cafeteria kitchen of the High School was enlarged and modernized. Part of this cost was paid through the Lunch Pro- gram of the Massachusetts Department of Education.


The driveway around the High School was resurfaced by the Highway Department with the cost paid by the School Department. The Highway Department also assisted in the moving of supplies into the new schools.


Numerous repairs were made to the electrical, plumbing, and heating systems at the High School.


An electric and manual typewriter replaced two 1939 model machines in the Commercial Department of the High School. An adding machine also was added to the department. Several other machines will have to be replaced this coming year.


The Manual Training Department is being enlarged to accomo- date the increased enrollment in the High School. The Home Economics Room will also be modernized to meet the State's approval for our new Vocational-Household Arts Department.


104


The Stadium field was partially seeded and fertilized. Numer- ous wire glass windows had to be replaced and repairs made to the heating and plumbing systems. We anticipate a tremendous im- provement in the field as soon as we are able to connect with the town water system.


Mr. Homer Darby, our' High School Janitor, retired and was replaced by Mr. Andrew Kohanski, after Mr. Bronslaw Kohanski, the part-time Janitor, refused the position. With the retirement of Mr. Darby a new policy went into effect. The part-time position was abolished and one Janitor was made responsible for the building. In place of the part-time Jantior, a full time combination Janitor and Maintenance man was hired who would work under the direction of the Superintendent of Schools. This will result in considerable saving to the town as many of the repairs now being let out will be handled by this man. Mr. Earl Lye was appointed to the position and he resigned and was succeeded by Mr. John Smith.


Evening Open House during American Education Week, with parents and pupils in attendance, has been exceedingly valuable in promoting an understanding of the school program and in providing parents with the opportunity to meet the school faculty and to renew acquaintance with each other. An exchange of ideas between teachers and parents can lead to a better under- standing of the aims and accomplishments of our schools.


In conjunction with the Physical Education Program recently introduced in the elementary schools, we are providing for a summer playground program for both boys and girls in the 1953 budget.


Our lunch program continues to be a success with a record number of pupils being served. The price still remains the same- namely, twenty cents for a complete meal. A breakdown of the number of meals and reimbursement for the 1951-1952 school year, by schools, is as follows:


No. St. School Shawsheen


Type of Lunch


High School


Foster


School


A Lunch (including milk)


46,527


37,558


28,121


B Lunch (no milk)


596


C Lunch (milk only)


2,947


4,263


4,804


Total reimbursement received from the Federal Government for the period September 1951 through June 1952 amounted to $10,813.51.


Effective January 1, 1953 Mrs. Eugene Winter is appointed the administrative head of the school lunch program. We believe that this should result in more uniform meals and will provide the


105


benefit of mass buying as recommended by the Massachusetts Department of School Lunch Programs.


The School Committee recommends the sum of $237,833.00 to be appropriated for the schools in 1953.


TEWKSBURY SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUDGET - 1953


APPROPRIATION


$237,833.00


General Expense


Superintendent's Salary $ 4,500.00


Superintendent's Expense


500.00


Clerk's Salary


1,060.00


Office Supplies


300.00


Attendance Officer


300.00


Census


300.00


School Committee's Expense


150.00


Expense of Instruction


Salaries


Supervisors


7,420.00


High School Principal


4,366.00


Elementary Principal


4,066.00


Elementary Teachers


72,319.00


High School Teachers


44,895.00


Substitutes-High School


700.00


Substitues - Elementary


2,000.00


Textbooks-High


1,950.00


Supplies-High


2,500.00


Textbooks-Elementary


4,500.00


Supplies-Elementary


4,000.00


Operating Expenses


Janitors-High


4,524.00


Janitors-Elementary


7,540.00


Fuel-High


2,400.00


Fuel-Elementary


6,000.00


Miscellaneous-High


3,200.00


Miscellaneous-Elementary


5,800.00


106


New Equipment and Permanent Improvement 4,500.00


Maintenance of Plant


Repairs-High


4,000.00


Repairs-Elementary


2,500.00


Auxiliary Agencies


School Physician


600.00


Health


3,133.00


Athletics


3,000.00


Library


350.00


Elementary Physical Education


1,000.00


Transportation


High


10,000.00


Elementary


15,000.00


School Lunch


8,460.00


Estimated Reimbursement to the Town for 1953


Chapter 70


48,205.27


Transportation


15,608.00


Athletics


1,200.00


State Wards


3,965.00


City of Boston Wards


200.00


$ 69,178.27


Net Estimated School Budget for 1953


$168,654.73


This amount represents a net per pupil cost of $144.89


107


REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


To the Tewksbury School Committee:


I am pleased to submit my second annual report for your consideration. 4


Our Schools


The citizens of Tewksbury are to be congratulated upon the tremendous strides they have taken to modernize their school system. With the completion of the North Street and Shawsheen Elementary Schools the housing shortage has been temporarily met and the teacher-pupil ratio reduced. I hasten to point out, however, that this relief ~ ~~~ permanent and that a new building survey should be start! „tely as the school population is steadily increasing af vt will be short of classrooms within two years.


It is my opinion that, both educationally and financially, a 6-6 system-a six year elementary school and a six year junior-senior high school-is the best workable educational system for Tewks- bury. Inasmuch as the present new elementary schools are only enlargable to 18 rooms, it would be impossible to house the first 8 grades in time without building other additional elementary schools. Thus it would seem desirable to build an addition at the high school capable of taking care of grades 7 through 12. The present new elementary schools expanded to their capacities would take care of the first 6 grades for an indefinite number of years to come. I strongly advise when a new building committee is appointed that they work on this premise.


I take this opportunity to thank the members of the School Building Committee for their ceaseless efforts in supervising the building of our new schools and for their close cooperation in pro- viding truly functional schools which will meet all the needs of our children.


Modern schools do not mean a modern program. Consequently we have started to modernize our school program. We seek con- stantly to improve our services for the children. A continuing program of curriculum development has been started. In addition to giving the children the basic skills and knowledge required for happy satisfying living, we shall endeavor to explore and cultivate their special interests and abilities ..


A survey of the texts which was started last year is being continued. We have replaced the geography series in grades 1-8, the history series in grades 1-7, the literature series in grade 8,


108


introduced a science series in grade 8, revised the reading series in grades 1-7, and have started to replace the elementary music series. The spelling series will be replaced shortly and the science and health series are being reviewed.


An Audio-visual Aid Department has been started. A tape recorder, record player and portable amplifier has been purchased to supplement our projectors. A film library has been started. Today in modern education these aids are a necessity if we are to overcome the problems of forgetting. Education's greatest weak- ness appears when pupils are made to memorize general rules and concepts when they have never had the experience to understand them. Audio-visual aids will help to provide these experiences so necessary for understanding.


Our Elementary Physical Education program has made a good beginning under the capable gu "r. Andronikos. In the light of present-day educational stanu. ysical education has come to be considered primarily as a phase of education which includes the development of the social, emotional, and mental aspects of the child's life, as well as the physical development. The facilities of the new schools now makes possible almost full acceptance of recognized practices.


The cumulative system, the marking system, and a remedial reading program are being studied. The testing program which was started last year is being continued.


The value of the Rinehart Functional Handwriting System is becoming increasingly apparent and I call your attention to Mr. Rinehart's report as well as to the reports of our other supervisors which are appended to this report.


Resignations and Appointments


Our appointment list reflects the increase in our school popula- tion. Whereas we lost five teachers by resignation, we hired ten additional teachers. Next year our anticipated enrollment calls for a minimum of three additional teachers.


RESIGNATIONS


High School


Miss Margaret Delaney Grade 7 and 8


Mrs. Eleanor Fitzgerald Grade 7 and 8


Mrs. Grace Hobart Grade 7 and 8


Foster School


Miss Virginia Cunningham Grade 2 Miss Lois Winter Grade 2 and 3


109


APPOINTMENTS


Mr. Anibal Oliver


High School Grade 8


Miss Margaret Keith


High School Grade 8


Mr. Hamlin Smith


High School Grade 8


Mr. Nicklos Andronikos


Elementary Physical Education


Mrs. Lorraine Nastek North Street School Grade 2


Mrs. Phyllis Daw


North Street School Grade 3


Miss Martha Quinn North Street School Grade 4


Miss Anna Shelvey North Street School Grade 2


Mrs. Miriam Smith North Street School Grade 5


Mr. Charles Taylor


North Street School Grade 7


Mr. Kenneth Young


North Street School Grade 7


Mrs. Hazel Neal Shawsheen School Grade 4


Miss Kathleen Mangan Shawsheen School Grade 2


Miss Joan McGlinchey


Shawsheen School Grade 2


Mr. George Pappas


Shawsheen School Grade 7


Educational and Employment Certificates


Every person from 14-16 years of age must have an employment certificate or permit, and those between 16-21 years of age must have an educational certificate. These certificates and permits may be obtained from the offices of the Superintendent of Schools, the High School Principal, and the Secretary of the School Committee. When one makes application for a certificate, he must apply in person and bring birth certificate and report of last grade attended.


Age of Admission to School


All children born previous to April 1, 1948 are eligible to attend school in the coming fall term. No entrance tests for children under the age requirement will be given.


110


AGE - GRADE DISTRIBUTION


October 1, 1952


Gr./Age


1 5 | 6 |7 |8 |9 |10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18| Total


1


75| 81


7


163


-


39


62


7 |2


110


III


40 64|11|


1


116


IV


45


72 |13|1|2


133


V


35 |53| 7 |10


105


VI


21|47|11|5 |2|


86


VII


-


31|43|12|8 |2|


96


VIII


|24|40|18| 4|1


87


Spec. Cl.


1


3| |2|3|


9


IX


1 |28|34|25|8|3


- 99


X


15|38|15|2|3|


73


XI


|14|25|7|1|


47


XII


|13|24| 3


- 40


Total


75|120|109|116|121|87|87|94|85|79|86|62|36| 7 |1164


SCHOOL - GRADE DISTRIBUTION


I


11


IV


V


VI VII VIII SC IX X XI XII TOTAL


Shawsheen


79


53


56 | 65


43 |42|43|


381


North St.


84


57


60


68


62


44|53


428


Total


163|110|116|133|105 |86|96


809


High


87 9 99|73 47|40|


355


Grand Total


163|110 116 133 105 86 96 87 | 9 |99 73 |47 |40| 1164


--


Vocational - Household Arts Program


Beginning with the fall term our Home Economics Department has been placed under the Vocational-Household Arts Program of the Massachusetts State Department of Education. This will result in an improved course with a considerable financial saving to the town. Briefly, this is how the saving is accounted for: The first year the State, through the George Barden Funds, pays 100% of the teacher's salary. This amount is reduced by 25% each year with the State Department reimbursing 1/2 of the remaining per- centage until at the beginning of the 5th year the net cost percen- tage to the town is 50%. In addition to the teacher's salary re- imbursement, a certain percentage for janitor's services, light, heat, and unkeep is also deductible. This means that this coming year the actual saving to the town will be about $3500 and this will be reduced to about $2500 over a period of five years and then remain constant.


111


The only request the State Department has made is that we modernize our Home Economics room. You will find a further description of our new program, as well as some of the improve- ments already made, in the reports of Mr. McGowan and Miss Schatz.


Conclusion


The past year has been an unusually busy one. However, we have made much progress and I know that in time we will have a school system that few towns will be able to equal.


I express my appreciation to you and the teachers for your close cooperation and understanding.


Respectfully submitted, THOMAS L. RIVARD Superintendent of Schools


112


REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL


To the Superintendent of Schools:


I deem it a privilege and honor to present my sixth annual report as Principal of Tewksbury High School.


Enrollment


Due to housing facilities during the past two years, we have found it practical to function as a six-year unit. However, due to the increased enrollments in the five upper grades this fall, it was found necessary to remove and place the seventh grade- students in the recently constructed elementary schools and adopt a 5 year high school. The school enrollment at the beginning of school in September, including the twelve special class students, was 353. This figure exceeds the preceding year's by 24 and the 1950 en- rollment by 63. Present indications reveal a possible enrollment of 403 next September with a possible 445 the following year. These tremendously increased enrollments bring to light the fact that within another couple of years the present building will be inadequate to properly house and meet the needs of the antici- pated number of high school students in Tewksbury. The adoption of another unit in the near future is most apparent.


Graduation 1952


On June 13, 1952, following brief remarks on the town's educational system in general and the high school in particular by the School Board Chairman, Mr. Ralph S. Battles, forty-three students received diplomas from Mrs. Loella Dewing, Secretary of the School Committee. The two higher ranking students, Miss Georgia Watson and Miss June Anderson, had the distinction of rendering the valedictory and salutatory respectively. In addition, Miss Watson was named as winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship certificate and the Balfour Award for achievement, loyalty, and scholarship; Miss Anderson was awarded the Parent-Teacher Association Citizenship Medal.


.


Recipients of other awards were as follows:


Larrabee Medal (Boy) Richard Aldrich


Melvin Rogers Football Medal Joel Trull


Melvin Rogers Baseball Medal James Stevens


P.T.A. Basketball Medal (Girl) Carol Murphy


P.T.A. Scholarship (Nurses' Training) Dorothy Penney P.T.A. Basketball Medal (Boy) Richard Aldrich


P.T.A. Scholarship (Student) Carol Murphy


113


The Parent-Teacher Awards were presented by Mrs. Anthony Anderson, outgoing P.T.A. president; the D.A.R. Certificate by Mrs. Elsie Woolaver, social science teacher; all others, by the school principal. The main address was given by the Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Thomas L. Rivard.


Fifteen members of this class are continuing their formal education by attending some post secondary institution. They will be found at Lowell Textile Institute, Jackson College, Colby Junior College, Massachusetts School of Art, Boston Comptometer School, Huntington School, Valejo Junior College (California), University of Massachusetts, Boston University, Northeastern University, University of New Hampshire, Lowell General Hospital, and the Lowell State Teachers' College. Six other members of the class have joined the Armed Forces.


On Thursday, June 12, eighty-two 8th grade students were presented certificates by School Committee member, Mr. Harold Vinecour, assisted by Miss Margaret Delaney. Students who took an active part in these exercises were: Claudia Blanchette, Paul Atkinson, Justine LeBlanc, Lois Gorrell, Walter Thompson, Madeline Buchanan, Richard Carter, and Hazel Horwood.


Guidance


Our guidance program, handled by the principal and the teachers, appears to be functioning very well. Throughout the year, individual conferences are planned for all seniors and oppor- tunities are provided for pupils in lower classes to receive assist- ance with social and academic problems. At various times during the course of the year, speakers have talked to different groups about opportunities available in different vocations. Those chosen were the ones which apparently interest our students or other fields in which one will now find our graduates. At the present time, there is in this area an all-out recruitment drive for nurses by the three major hospitals located in Lowell. Field trips, movies, and our testing program play a vital part in this program. On March 21, the Boston University Vocational Battery of tests were again administered to all eighth and eleventh grade students. These tests, designed to reveal vocational aptitudes and fields of interest, have more than proven their value. They are indispens- able to our guidance program.


Scholarships


Although there are only two local scholarships available to our graduates, one needs only to check the school's main bulletin board or the boards located in the two senior home rooms to find any number of scholarships available in schools throughout not


114


only the New England area but the country as a whole. At the present time, information regarding scholarships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Radcliffe, Tufts, Boston University, West Point, Coast Guard Academy, Katherine Gibbs, Pierce Secretarial School, Bryant College, Rensselaer, Wheaton, Colby, and many other schools is on file at the school. Interested students may apply for any one of the above, but few seem to care to take the time or expend enough effort or energy to enter the competition. Scholar- ships vary anywhere from $100 up to $3,900. Any one of the sums would certainly be a great help in financing a college education and parents, as well as teachers, should urge their children to try for one or more of these scholarships. Miss Eleanor Daley, a member of the senior class applied for and has just been awarded a $300 scholarship at the Pierce Secretarial School.


Athletics


Friends of Tewksbury will long remember the year 1952. Playing with skill, spirit, stamina, and unfailing sportsmanship, our girls' basketball team won game after game until they had won the Lowell Suburban Championship. This, incidentally, is the third year in succession this feat has been accomplished. As a result, an invitation to enter and play in the Littleton High School Tournament during the month of March was extended this school shortly thereafter. Here, their fine team work brought praise from all, including opponents, officials, and sports writers. The team won victories over Harvard, Groton, Townsend, and defeated Westford for the Tournament Championship. In winning these two cham- pionships, our girls added two more trophies to our permanent collection.


The baseball and the football teams, although not of Cham- pionship caliber, came through with their usual display of courage, team work, and fine sportsmanship. By virtue of the football team's win over Wilmington in the Armistice Day game a trophy awarded and sponsored by the Disabled Veterans' Post No. 106 of Wilming- ton has been added to our ever growing Athletic Award display. This year it was presented to Coach Hazel at a banquet honoring the Wilmington High squad during the first part of December. Present plans indicate that this trophy will be awarded annually to the winner of the Armistice Day game.




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