USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1902-1907 > Part 24
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Committee feels that these estimates should be verified by the employment of an engineer, to make a survey, draft plans and furnish the necessary data by which means bids from con- tractors can be obtained. Therefore, this Committee respect- fully recommend that the town make an appropriation suf- ficient to accomplish these purposes.
JULIAN A. CAMERON, EDWARD FISHER, OSCAR R. SPALDING, WESLEY O. HAWKES, ALEC FISHER, SAMUEL L. TAYLOR, RICHARD D. PRESCOTT, WALTER J. SLEEPER, HAMMETT D. WRIGHT, JOHN C. ABBOT, ARTHUR H. BURNHAM
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Middlesex ss.
To either Constable of the Town of Westford, in said County.
Greeting:
You are hereby required, in the name of the Common- wealth aforesaid, to notify and warn all the inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote in elections, and also in Town affairs, to meet at the Town House, in said Westford, on Monday, the nineteenth day of March, being the third Monday in said month, at 7.45 o'clock a. nı. The polls will be opened at eight o'clock a. m., and may be closed at one o'clock p. m .; and they are then and there to act upon the following articles town it:
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1st. To choose a Moderator.
2d. To bring in their votes for one Selectman, Town Clerk, one Overseer of Poor, one Assessor, two School Committee, one Commissioner of Public Burial Grounds, one Trus- tee of the Public Library, all for three years: Town Treasurer, Collector of Taxes, two Constables, one Aud- itor and one Tree Warden, all for one year; also to vote on the following question: "Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town?" All on one ballot.
3d. To hear the report of the Selectmen, and act in relation to the same.
4th To hear the report of the Selectmen on Guide Boards, and act in relation to the same.
5th. To hear the report of the Overseers of the Poor, and act in relation to the same.
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6th. To hear the report of the School Committee, and act in re- lation to the same.
7th. To hear the report of the Trustees of the Public Library, and act in relation to the same.
8th. To hear the report of the Commissioners of Public Burial Grounds, and act in relation to the same.
9th. To see if the Town will accept the report of the Auditor chosen to audit the accounts of the Town Officers, and act in relation to the same.
10th. To see if the Town will accept the list of Jurors as reported by the Selectmen, and act in relation to the same.
11th. To see if the Town will determine the compensation of the Tax Collector, and act in relation to the same.
12th. To raise and appropriate money to repair Roads and Bridges.
13th. To raise and appropriate money for Town Debts and Charges.
14th. To raise and appropriate money for Public Schools.
15th. To raise and appropriate money for High School purposes.
16th. To raise and appropriate money for support of Poor.
17th. To raise and appropriate money for School Text Books and Supplies.
18th. To raise and appropriate money for the alteration of the Carlisle Road, as ordered by the County Commissioners, and act in relation to the same.
19th. To see if the Town will vote to instruct the Selectmen to build a movable bandstand, to be used on the Common on Memorial Day and other occasions, and appropriate money therefor, and act in relation to the same.
20th. To hear the report of the Committee chosen to investi- gate the advisability of putting in a public water supply, and act in relation to the same.
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21st. To see if the Town, in compliance with the recommenda- tion of this Committee, will appropriate a sum of money to further investigate the cost of installing and main- taining a public water system.
22nd. To see what Officer or Board the Town will designate to supervise the destruction of the gypsy and brown tail moths.
23rd. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money sufficient for lighting the streets of Granite- ville, Forge Village and Westford Centre, and act in re- lation to the same.
24th. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Six Hundred Dollars ($600.) for lighting the Town Hall, and act in relation to the same.
25th. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate money to improve the sanitary conditions of the Town Hall, and act in relation to the same.
26th. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate one hundred dollars ($100) for improving the Common, and act in relation to the same.
27th. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) to put a fire escape five feet in width on the Town Hall, and act in relation to the same.
28th. To see what compensation the Town will accept from the Lowell and Fitchburg Street Railway Company as damages, for the right of way taken through the Town Farm.
29th.
To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town Treas- urer, under the written direction of the Selectmen, to borrow such sums of money as may be required for the demands upon him in anticipation of the taxes for the current year and payable therefrom, and act in relation to the same.
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30th. To determine the manner of collecting taxes for the ensu- ing year, also the rate of interest on taxes remaining un- paid at a time to be fixed by vote of the Town, and when and how said taxes shall be paid into the treasury, and act in relation to the same.
31st.
To choose all other Town Officers necessary to be chosen by hand vote, and act in relation to the same.
32nd. By request of the Veteran Association, to see if the Town will appropriate the sum of one hundred dollars ($100) to commemorate Memorial Day, and act in relation to the same.
33rd
By request of the citizens of Graniteville, Forge Village, Brookside and Parkerville, to see if the town will appro- priate the sum of one hundred dollars($100) for the pur- pose of distributing books from the Public Library in these four villages, and act in relation to the same.
34th.
To see if the Town will authorize the Selectmen to act as its agents in any suit or suits that may arise during the current year: also in such other matters which may arise, requiring in their judgment the action of such agents, and act in relation to the same.
35th
To see if the Town will appropriate two hundred dollars ($200) for the suppression of the liquor traffic in town and instruct and authorize the Selectmen to employ or appoint Constables or Police Officers to enforce the law, and act in relation to the same.
36th. To see if the Town will authorize the Selectmen to offer a reward of one hundred dollars ($100) for the arrest and conviction of any person or persons setting forest or other fires in town, and act in relation to the same.
And you are directed to serve this warrant by posting up true and attested copies at the Town House and each Depot in said Westford, eight days at least before the time of holding said meeting.
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Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, at the time and place of holding the meeting aforesaid. .
Given under our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord, nineteen Hundred and Six.
OSCAR R. SPALDING, WESLEY O. HAWKES, ALEC. FISHER,
Selectmen of Westford.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF WESTFORD, MASS.
FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR ENDING MARCH 1. 1906.
.
WEST
FC
TOWN
R
D
1729.
RPORATED
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SE
LOWELL, MASS. COURIER-CITIZEN COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1906.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE 1905-1906.
ALBERT R. CHOATE, Chairman Term Expires 1907. JOHN C. ABBOT Term Expires 1907.
HOMER M. SEAVEY Term Expires 1906.
CHARLES A. CHAMBERLAIN Term Expires 1906.
ARTHUR E. WILSON Term Expires 1908.
WALTER C. WRIGHT, Secretary
Term Expires 1908.
Superintendent of Schools.
HERBERT E. RICHARDSON, Residence, Littleton, Mass.
ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE, 1905.
ALBERT R. CHOATE Chairman.
WALTER C. WRIGHT Secretary.
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.
WALTER C. WRIGHT.
ASSIGNMENT OF SCHOOLS.
JOHN C. ABBOT-High, 8th and 9th Grades, Stony Brook. HOMER M. SEAVEY-Center, Nabnasset.
ARTHUR E. WILSON-High, Parkerville and Minot's Corner, Nashoba. CHARLES A. CHAMBERLAIN-Forge Village.
ALBERT R. CHOATE-Graniteville.
Report of the School Committee.
The School Board herewith submits its report for the past year, together with that of the Superintendent of Schools.
In the year 1842 the Statute requiring School Committees "to make annually a detailed report of the condition of the several public schools" was enacted. With each succeeding year, this work has so increased as to necessitate the employ- ment of paid agents to attend to the details of the work; and the report of this Agent in Westford, the Superintendent of the Schools, which is herewith presented, is a practical compliance with the Law. To it the public is referred for the usual sta- tistics relative to the attendance of pupils, as well as for a care- ful review of the year's work, including suggestions and rec- ommendations which his experience leads him to make. Our own report relates simply to the doings of the Board, to the opinions we hold, and to such recommendations as we wish to make.
In the general policy of your Committee toward the Schools, but one change has been made during the past year. A new agreement has been made with the Trustees of the Academy for the maintaining of a High School. We now have the Primary, the Grammar and the High School so related that the way is open for every child in the Town to pass directly on by the road of the public school from his mother's knee to a higher branch of education.
A subject to which we invite your attention is the standard of excellence of our instruction. To be able to declare that the public schools of Westford compare favorably with those of other towns, is, we believe, not sufficient; but whenever and wherever there can be found a means of improvement, which can be successfully incorporated into the system, it should be adopted.
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THE HOUSING OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Will always remain a matter of utmost importance. And here we desire to return thanks to the Trustees of the Westford Academy for our High School privileges.
Your Committee report the school buildings in very good shape, with the exception of the sanitary condition of the three large buildings, the Center, Forge Village and Graniteville. These conditions cannot, at present, be remedied without a large outlay to the Town. It is, therefore, hoped by your Committee that the Town will, in the near future, vote to put water in the three villages, and with a water-supply it is possible, with a small expense, to remove this evil.
The contract between the Town of Westford and the Trustees of the Academy, which was accepted by the Town in 1895, expired August 1905. It was found to be for the best interests of the Town to make a new agreement, and it was voted at the Town Meeting, held March 20th, 1905, to give power to your School Board to make a new contract. The con- tract was drawn up by Sherman H. Fletcher, Secretary of the. Board of Trustees, and accepted by the School Board, at a joint meeting of the School Board and Trustees, subject to the approval of State Board of Education. The Contract and the approval of Mr. Martin, Secretary of the State Board, is as follows :
COPY OF CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TRUSTEES OF WESTFORD ACADEMY AND THE TOWN OF WESTFORD.
That Whereas the said Town of Westford does not at the present time maintain any High School as required by law, the party of the first part by their School Committee, as authorized by vote of the Town passed March 20th, 1905, and the party of the second part acting jointly under Chapter 186 of the Acts of 1905, as passed by the Legislature of Massachusetts and approved March 16th, 1905, do hereby enter into this agreement:
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First. That the party of the second part hereby agree to provide a High School for the Town, and the party of the first part agree to pay the party of the second part the sum of twenty one hundred dollars ($2,100) per year, said sum to be paid in quarterly instalments. All tuition of out of town scholars to be in addition thereto and to be paid to the party of the second part at the rate of ten dollars ($10) per pupil per term.
Second. That the party of the second part shall provide a school for the number of weeks required by law.
Third. That the party of the second part shall employ such teachers as approved by the School Committee, it being agreed that a Principal be employed with a salary of Twelve hundred dollars ($1,200) per year, and an assistant with a salary of Six hundred dollars ($600) per year, and that an in- crease of salaries over Eighteen hundred dollars ($1,800) per year be paid by the party of the first part.
Fourth. That the school shall be under the order and superintendence of the School Committee.
Fifth. That all text books and supplies be furnished by the party of the first part. This agreement may be terminated August 1st of any year by either party notifying the other of their desire to terminate the contract, such notice to be given before April 1st of such year, and unless so terminated to con- tinue in force until April 1st, 1915.
And it is further agreed that neither the said Trustees of Westford Academy, nor the persons signing this agreement for the said Town of Westford, nor their executors or administra- tors, shall under any circumstances be liable in their individual capacity either jointly or separately on the said agreement.
In testimony whereof, the said parties have to this and to one other indenture of the same tenor and date, interchangeably set their hands and seals this second day of August in the year of our Lord Nineteen hundred and five.
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The Inhabitants of the Town of Westford, Massachusetts.
by
The School Committee
A. R. CHOATE, Chairman, WALTER C. WRIGHT,
Trustees of Westford Academy
GEORGE T. DAY, President, SHERMAN H. FLETCHER, Secretary.
COPY OF LETTER OF GEORGE H. MARTIN TO A. R. CHOATE.
State Board of Education, State House, Boston, Aug. 18, 1905.
MR. A. R. CHOATE,
GRANITEVILLE, MASS.
MY DEAR MR. CHOATE:
I have received your letter of August 14th, with draft of proposed agreement between the Trustees of Westford Academy and the town of Westford.
I have examined the instrument with care and think the interests of all parties are sufficiently safe-guarded, and that the constitutional difficulties have been overcome under this agree- ment.
The school being practically the town high school, the obligation will be on the school committee to make it so efficient as to satisfy the most exacting of the citizens of Westford, and to bring it within the list of high schools approved by the Board of Education for tuition purposes.
Very truly yours, (Signed) GEORGE H. MARTIN,
Secretary.
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DUTIES OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The full Committee, among their numerous duties, elect teachers, fix their compensation, decide upon text-books, appoint a supply agent and truant officer, vote repairs, and make rules for the management of the schools. They also designate certain of their members to act as sub-committee in the parts of the town in which they reside.
The sub-committee has general care of the school property in his part of the town. The teacher must refer to him in emergencies for advice in matters relating to the care of the School, the admission of pupils, the attendance, health and discipline. In case of sickness of the teacher he may provide a substitute.
TRANSPORTATION.
A word as to transportation of Scholars to the 8th and 9th grades, also the High School. It is hoped that before the school year begins in September, the Lowell and Fitchburg Street Railroad will have the spur-track completed from Granite- ville to Westford. The advantages to the school children can hardly be ·estimated.
TEXT BOOKS.
There are times when conditions demand a change of text books, and it is the duty of the School Board to make such changes when they are actually required. But before a text book is introduced into the schools, either as a study or to supplant an old book, it is incumbent on the members of the Board to satisfy themselves that the new study will promote the pupil's education and be of greater benefit and assistance to the pupil than the one then in use.
Because a text book has been for years in use in the schools, it is no reason why a change should not be made, if it can be conclusively shown that the new system has greater merits than the old one.
S
In conclusion we wish to express to the Superintendent and to the teachers our appreciation of their efforts in bringing the schools to their high standard of excellence, and also to thank the Trustees of the Academy for their hearty co-operation in establishing a High School of which the Town may be justly proud.
A. R. CHOATE,
HOMER M. SEAVEY.
JOHN C. ABBOT, CHARLES A. CHAMBERLAIN.
WALTER C. WRIGHT, ARTHUR E. WILSON.
At a meeting of the School Board held February 27th, 1906, it was voted to accept the reports of the Superintendent and School Committee.
WALTER C. WRIGHT, Secretary.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
INCOME.
Balance unexpended from 1904 $ 26 55
Appropriation, schools
6,500 00
Appropriation, High School. 2,100 00
. From State on account of Superintend- ent of Schools 250 00
Income Massachusetts School Fund
858 99
$9,735 54
EXPENDED.
Teachers
$5,831 80
Tuition of scholars at High School
1,958 33
Fuel
637 60
Janitor service and cleaning
529 66
Transporting scholars
639 00
$9,596 39
Balance unexpended
$139 15
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TEXT BOOKS AND SUPPLIES FURNISHED SCHOOLS.
Appropriation $600 00
Amount expended 533 43
Balance unexpended
$66 57
EXPENSE OF SUPERVISION.
Salary paid by town
$800 00
Rebate from State. 625 00
Net cost to town 175 00
APPROPRIATIONS RECOMMENDED.
Schools $6,500 00
For High School purposes 2,200 00
Text books and supplies
600 00
$9,300 00
Superintendent's Report.
Gentlemen of the School Committee :---
This, my sixth annual report, which is the thirteenth in in the series, is hereby submitted to you and through you to the citizens of Westford, for the year ending March 1, 1906.
Below are given the school census of September, 1905, and a summary of statistics from September, 1904, to June, 1905.
At the end of this report will be found tabulated statistics from September, 1904, to March, 1906.
Number of persons in town between 7 and 14 years of
age: Boys, 179; Girls, 163; Total 342
Number of persons in town between 5 and 15 years of
age: Boys, 218; Girls, 202; Total 420
Number of illiterate minors over 14 years of age: Boys, 7; Girls, 11; Total 18
Whole number enrolled in all the schools 449
Whole number enrolled between 7 and 14 years of age.
326
Whole number enrolled between 5 and 15 years of age. 403
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Average membership
397
Average attendance
354
Per cent. of attendance
89
Number of weeks in school year
36
Whole number of schools 15
Whole number of teachers
17
Number of male teachers
2
Number of female teachers
15
Number of College graduates
2
Number of Normal School graduates
10
Whole number enrolled over 15 years of age
11
In September, at the opening of the school Westford year, a new contract was entered into with the Academy. trustees of Westford Academy whereby the School Committee now elect teachers, fix salaries and arrange courses of study, thus meeting the require- ments of the state.
Before entering into this agreement a conference of school officials and the Secretary of the State Board of Education was held for the purpose of ascertaining the steps necessary to make the Academy an approved High School. Mr. Martin, secretary of the State Board, presented plans and stated that, in order to have the full sanction of the state, the session of the Academy must be lengthened from thirty-nine to forty weeks, and the election of teachers, fixing salaries of same; laying out courses of study and general supervision of the work should be under the direction of the School Committee.
This has been brought about to the entire satisfaction of the State Officials, School Committee and Trustees of the Academy without in the least impairing the old organization and practically giving to the town through its representatives, the School Committee, the direction of the educational work of the institution.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the school will serve two purposes: It will be the legal high school for the town, and it will be the Westford Academy under the terms of the charter.
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It must be a source of satisfaction to all that the name, organization and traditions of the Academy are to be preserved, and at the same time the town is to have full benefit of its buildings, equipment and financial resources with full direc- tion of its educational work.
We are fortunate in having as its principal, Mr. Wm. A. Perkins, one well fitted by education and experience for the place. Miss Grace E. Thompson, assistant, continues to fill the position in a most acceptable manner.
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Mr. James W. MacDonald, agent of the State Board of Education, visited the Academy February 27, and as a result of his inspection and approval of the character of the work being done, the Academy is now placed on the approved list of high schools of the state.
Teachers.
There have been comparatively few changes among the teachers and the general standard of good work has been well maintained.
It has been the policy of your committee to gradually increase the salaries of teachers and in this way we have been able to retain for several years some of the best in the corps.
Nothing can be more erroneous than to think that frequent change of teachers is desirable. True, the services of a bright, efficient teacher for one year are of greater value to her pupils than those of one who, lacking. the most essential qualities of a true teacher, may be content to remain many years. The most vital questions to be considered in estimating her worth are whether or not she has the true instincts of a teacher and is she growing and progressing in her chosen work. With the small salaries paid in our schools we cannot hope to approach perfection but we may and do expect our teaching force to be ever desirous and capable of steady advancement.
In September Mr. Thomas E. Freeman succeeded Mr. Walter Putney, who resigned from the Graniteville grammar school. Mr. Freeman is a Bridgewater Normal graduate and is filling the place most acceptably. Miss Ruth P. Tuttle, a graduate of Lowell Normal, followed Miss Cameron as teacher in the lower primary school at Graniteville. Miss Emma G. Holt was transferred from Nabnasset to the Forge grammar to succeed Miss Bendick, resigned, and Miss Alice M. French, a graduate of Lowell Normal, followed Miss Holt at Nabnasset. Miss Holt has tendered her resignation to take effect at the close of the present term to accept a school at an advanced salary in Boxford. Miss Abbie Blaisdell was engaged as kinder- garten teacher to assist Miss Phillips in the Forge primary. Miss Emma M. Gragham, a graduate of the Lowell Normal,
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succeeded Miss Frances Banister, resigned, from Parkerville and Miss Effie M. Bennett followed Miss Bertha M. Field at Nashoba.
For several years Westford has had a large number of town girls in her teaching force and the acceptable manner in which they have done their work demonstrates the wisdom of the policy and speaks well for the educational advantages of the town.
A report of every pupil's standing in school Report Cards. is sent to parents at the middle and close of each term. In marking these cards the teacher exercises her best judgment as to the character of the work that each pupil is doing. It sometimes happens, as all who have had any experience in the schoolroom well know, that a certain grade, composed of the less ambitious or bril- liant pupils, is not fully up to the requirements and the teacher necessarily must adapt the work to the capacity of the class. By so doing her pupils are able to make commendable progress although on a somewhat lower level than regular grade work. Thus it may be seen that while a card may indicate commend- able results for the year, at the same time the pupil is not ready for promotion to the next higher grade.
A report card is designed primarily to give a true record of the pupil's daily work and effort and in the great majority of cases is an absolute guide for promotions, but, as I have endeavored to explain, does not purport to be the only or infallible one.
Most promotions occur at the close of the Promotions. school year, and in determining the grade in which it is advisable for the pupil to spend the coming year, judgment is based wholly upon what is deemed best for each individual pupil. The truth that the school is for the child and not the child for the school should never be lost sight of. When it is evident that any pupil, through some mental defect, has received from any given grade all that he seems capable of receiving, he should be allowed to advance to
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the next grade with his class, with the hope that in a new en- vironment and with the presentation of different subject matter he may be quickened possibly to better effort, and his time be spent more profitably than as if he had been obliged to repeat the work imperfectly done in the grade below.
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