USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1914-1919 > Part 6
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Term Expires 1916.
JOHN SPINNER Term Expires 1917.
ARTHUR E. DAY, Secretary
Term Expires 1917.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
FRANK H. HILL, Littleton, Mass.
COMMITTEE ON TEXT-BOOKS.
CHARLES O. PRESCOTT,
JOHN P. WRIGHT.
SUPPLY AGENT.
WALTER C. WRIGHT.
TRUANT OFFICERS.
JOHN A. HEALY,
JOHN A. SULLIVAN.
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN.
CYRIL A. BLANEY, M. D.
5
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
TO THE CITIZENS OF WESTFORD:
We herewith submit the following report for 1914:
To meet the requirements of the State Inspector of Buildings, we were obliged to make several changes in the arrangement of the entrance doors at the William E. Frost School during the past summer, and at the same time the walls and ceilings of the halls, which had become soiled and stained, were given a coating of paint. The outside of the Cameron School building at Forge Village was newly painted which has greatly improved its appear- ance. If during the coming summer the outside of the Frost School can be painted, all the school buildings will then be in good condition.
Owing to the small number of pupils at the Nabnasset School it seemed best to the committee to close this school for the present and transport the pupils, some to Graniteville and some to the Centre.
A flag pole has been erected on the Whitney Playground, midway between the Academy and the Frost School, and by displaying the flag here, one flag answers for both buildings and thus the difficulty which was experienced in raising and lowering the flag on the buildings has been removed.
We would call your attention to the new contract between the Trustees of Westford Academy and the Town which went into effect last August. A copy of the contract is given below.
The Superintendent's report and other reports which follow give an account of the condition of the schools and deal with many matters of importance which merit your careful consideration.
A COPY OF THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TRUSTEES OF WESTFORD ACADEMY AND THE TOWN OF WESTFORD.
That whereas the said Town of Westford does not own any building suitable for High School purposes, as required by law, he party of the first part by its School Committee, as authorized
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by vote of the Town passed March 18, 1914, and the party of the second part known as the Trustees of Westford Academy, acting jointly, do hereby enter into this agreement :-
Ist. That the party of the second part hereby agrees to lease the Academy building for use as a High School to the Town of Westford, Mass., and the party of the first part agrees to lease said building at an annual rental of three hundred dollars ($300), said sum to be paid by said party of the first part in equal quarterly installments.
2nd. That the party of the second part hereby agrees to keep the building in repair, provide janitor service, and fuel for heating purposes, and the party of the first part agrees to pay all other expenses connected with said school and said building, including repair of all school furniture, payment of teachers, and the furnishing of all text-books, supplies, and other articles for school purposes, and to pay all taxes, if any, and water rates.
3rd. That during the continuance of this agreement, the High School of the Town of Westford shall continue to use the name of Westford Academy, and all graduates shall be entitled to receive a diploma signed by the President of the Trustees of Westford Academy.
4th. And it is further agreed, that neither the said Trustees of Westford Academy, nor persons signing this agreement for the said Town of Westford, nor their executors or administrators, shall under any circumstances be liable in their individual capacity either jointly or separately in 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 Fourteen.
The inhabitants of the Town of Westford, Mass., by their School Committee.
CHARLES O. PRESCOTT, Chairman. ARTHUR E. DAY, Secretary.
Trustees of Westford Academy,
GEORGE T. DAY. President,
SHERMAN H. FLETCHER, Secretary.
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Financial Statement.
As Approved by the Selectmen.
Balance from last account. $ 548 10
Appropriation, Common Schools
10,450 00
Appropriation, High School
2,800 00
From State on acct. of Supt. of Schools. 212 50
$14,010 60
EXPENDITURE.
Trustees of Westford Academy
$1,050 00
Teachers
7,108 00
Janitor Service
844 00
Cleaning
151 85
Fuel.
1,013 38
Transportation
2,045 50
Music
270 00
Drawing
202 50
$12,685 23
EXPENSE OF SUPERVISION.
Salary paid by Town
$730 41
Rebate from State 318 75
Net cost to the Town $411 66
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN.
Dr. C. A. Blaney, salary for 1913 $100.00
Dr. C. A. Blaney, salary for 1914 100 00
$200 00
8
TEXT-BOOKS.
E. E. Babb & Co.
$542 23
Ginn & Co.
9 28
L. E. Knott Apparatus Co. 18 82
Oliver Ditson Co.
4 32
Huntley S. Turner
23 50
J. L. Hammett Co.
60
Hobbs & Warren
4 00
J. B. Hunter Co. 9 05
$611 80
REPAIRS AND MISCELLANEOUS.
Brownell Mason Co., labor $ 41 44
Wm. Sutherland, stock and labor 21 31
Union Sheet Metal Co., labor 27 59
Edmund Baker, labor
33 00
Boston Flag Pole Co., flag pole 5500
Express and freight
36 59
H. C. Doughty, labor
33 50
Boston School Supply Co., desks
55 20
L. E. Bicknell, labor
5 00
C. H. Bicknell, labor
8 50
Charles O. Prescott, making out State Report 6 00
Seth Banister, taking school census 20 00
Wm. Roudenbush, expenses
1 29
M. B. Raynes, accompanist at graduation
2 68
A. N. Palmer Co., pupils' certificates .
1 40
F. H. Hill, telephone, stationery, etc. ..
14 35
Edwards & Monahan Co., stock and labor 272 95
Alex. McDonald, labor
12 60
J. E. Knight, stock and labor
11 65
W. E. Carkin, stock and labor
8 00
Amount carried forward
$668 05
9
Amount brought forward
$668 05
Westford Water Co. 155 67
C. E. Woodhull, care of piano 6 00
C. A. Hanley, making out education certificates 10 00
A. W. Tuttle, teaming books 11 00
Blodgett & Co., supplies
12 94
Ruth Smith, ribbon
2 40
Underwood Typewriter Co.
2 49
Walter E. Wright, supply agent and teaming, 1913
67 20
Walter E. Wright, supply agent, 1914
60 00
Postage
5 51
J. A. Healy, setting flag pole
28 54
John Spinner, labor
12 00
Charles H. Pickering, labor
55
H. Sutherland, stock and labor
7 65
E. H. Dane, painting Cameron School
143 65
George C. Prince, supplies
6 00
Thompson Hardware Co., supplies
20 00
Wright & Fletcher, supplies
26 82
T. A. E. Wilson, advertising
1 00
M. G. Wright, attendance cards
8 00
A. W. Tuttle, shoveling snow
1 95
Employment certificates
13 10
$1,270 52
Respectfully submitted,
" For the Committee,
CHARLES O. PRESCOTT, Chairman.
10
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE:
Following is my fifth report, it being the twenty-third in the series of such annual reports.
The school year ending in June, 1914, was in many ways a very satisfactory one. Something was attempted and something done toward the establishment of a standard of possible accomplish- ment in the ordinary subjects taught in the grades. I refer to the course of study worked out in the schools and prepared for dis- tribution late in the year. It was made to be definite, in the · sense that terms and materials familiar to teachers and commonly provided in school rooms were not avoided, nor were limits as . measured by pages omitted. But it was not made to be final, for it would be possible, by better teaching and better pupil- co-operation, to widen the limits assigned, or by poorer teaching and less pupil-co-operation, to narrow those limits. Yet I shall be better pleased to continue the limits as assigned and, with better teaching and better pupil-co-operation, do more thoroughly and more completely the work that we attempt to do. In the place of more reading, more writing, more arithmetic, etc., I urge my teachers to get better reading, better writing, better arithmetic. "More," as a slogan in education, should be dropped, and "Better" substituted. Then only will the slow and average pupil come into his own.
At the close of the spring term the schools met with a distinct loss through the resignations of four teachers-Miss Ruth M. Smith and Miss Mary G. Hickey from the Academy, and Miss Katherine B. Denlinger and Miss Ruth M. Furbush from the Sargent School. These teachers were alike in that they possessed qualities desirable and necessary in successful teachers. These qualities were admirably adjusted and developed to fit each, in a remarkable degree, to her own perculiar work. Each was
11
possessed of a personality, in other words, admirably suited to her own class room. For the benefit of other teachers, who may possess these qualities in a lesser degree or in less fitting adjustment. I will say that any one teacher possessing the aggressiveness of Miss Smith, the fine devotion to duty and the executive ability of Miss Hickey, the enthusiasm of Miss Furbush, and the persistency of Miss Denlinger, would find the path to the goal of the teacher's ambition almost an unobstructed one. If these words may be read, not so much as in praise of the teachers of whom they are spoken, but as an inspiration and a creed for others still with us, they will serve my purpose well. Of many of our teachers, I might say equally praiseworthy things but I await anxiously the development in all of those qualities, and in all departments of their work, including drawing and music which many grade teachers are apt to teach mechanically and in a perfunctory manner, as something required but in which they have no special interest.
Solely in order that I may assist in the constructive work of making better teachers of the many exceedingly good teachers we have in Westford, I am introducing for their thoughtful consideration a copy of a sheet recently issued from the office of an agent of the State Board of Education. After due opportunity for absorbing the meaning of these suggestive qualifications as applied to themselves, I shall take up with each teacher, under the several headings, her own work, manner, interest, etc., as it appears to me. It goes without saying that this work will be done sympathetically but with firm impartiality. I shall ask my supervisors to do the same, and it may well be that weaknesses in us as in the teachers surveyed, will be discovered and overcome.
I shall follow this outline, for the present at least, in giving my estimate of the teacher to any inquiring superintendents or agencies, and shall keep on file a copy for the inspection of the teacher herself.
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TEACHING ABILITY. Logical. Illogical. Systematic. Unsystematic.
Concentrated. Diffuse.
Original. Imitative. Holds active attention of children. Power of correlation: Excellent. Good. Fair. Poor.
GOVERNING ABILITY.
Firm. Variable. Weak.
Secures respect of pupils. Secures co-operation of pupils.
Commands obedience.
Successful. Unsuccessful.
PHYSIQUE.
Tall. Medium. Short. Robust. Vigorous. Weak.
TEMPERAMENT. Calm. Impulsive.
·
Self-controlled. Nervous.
Energetic. Slothful. Tactful. Lacks tact.
Purposeful. Lacks definite purpose.
SCHOOL ROOM MANNER.
Orderly. Pleasant. Kindly. Easy. Forceful. Dictatorial. Antago- nistic. Self-control,-Excellent. Good. Fair. Poor.
SCHOOL ROOM APPEARANCE. Neat. Untidy. Slack. Tasteful in dress. Lacks taste in dress.
Excellent. Good. Fair. Poor.
PROFESSIONAL INTEREST. Strong. Progessive. Slight. Deficient.
CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS. With superintendents: Receptive. Profits by suggestions. Apathetic.
Opposes. With parents: Secures co-operation. Does not secure co-operation. Antagonizes.
With fellow-teachers: Agreeable.
Popular.
Helpful.
Neglectful.
Unpopular. Antagonizes.
VOICE.
Soft. Well-modulated. Agreeable.
Strong. Harsh. Disagreeable.
REMARKS:
HABITUAL USE OF ENGLISH.
Correct. Precise. Well chosen.
Incorrect.
Careless.
Slovenly.
Enunciation:
Good. Fair. Poor
13
THE ACADEMY.
I wish to call your attention to a portion of Section 2 of Chapter 556 of the Acts of 1914: "Any high school maintained by a Town required to belong to a superintendency union shall be maintained in accordance with standards of organization, equipment and instruction approved from time to time by the board of education." And in this connection I will quote from a letter received from Mr. Clarence D. Kingsley, agent of the board, and dated October 23, 1914: "We have just decided to approve the Westford Academy this year for the purpose of reimbursement of tuition. In the organization of the school for last year, I find that the teachers were giving instruction in a larger number of subjects than seems desirable. After receiving the returns for this year, I shall take the matter up with you and make suggestions in the organization of the school for the year 1915-16 with the hope that the school can be put on a basis which seems to us somewhat more efficient, so that the school may continue, if possible, to receive this approval."
The sole obstacle to the approval of the Board of Education may prove to be, strangely enough, that department of the school of which I so strongly approve, and of which the principal of the school approves in his report printed elsewhere, and of which the parents and pupils appear to approve if we consider the relative number of pupils taking that course as compared with the regular Academic Course. I refer to the English-Business Course, so called. Taking, as a measure of state approval, the program demanded in the Littleton High School-a state aided high school, and, therefore, of necessity aiming for state approval- it seems impossible, under the present organization, for Westford Academy to receive this approval. I think it well for the com- mittee and the people to know definitely just where we are in this matter. In the case of Westford there is no money penalty if we fail of approval. Lack of approval means that we cannot send pupils to state normal schools on certificate, and that we cannot receive tuition on account of pupils from small towns not maintaining high schools. The first named penalty would
14
not at present weigh heavily upon us, as by one of the rules. of the New England College Entrance Certificate Board we were permitted "specimen student" privileges for two of the graduates of 1914, which, in turn, entitled another member of the class to enter a normal school without examination. Further conditions must be met to entitle us to a renewal certificate privilege, and if these conditions should conform to those of the state board we should then be obliged to modify our program in order to secure the privilege of entering normal on certificate. We should then be obliged to give up the Business-English Course or put another teacher in the Academy; or forfeit the approval of the state board of education with the consequences as above stated.
We have advised and encouraged our pupils to enter higher institutions of learning, believing that it makes not only for their larger influence in the world, but for a rich reaction upon the Town in the natural pride in the achievments of its children, and in the inspiration to other school children. In the firm belief that we do well in so encouraging our pupils, it is but natural that we should seek to secure to them the permanent privilege of an unobstructed passage into higher institutions based on the merit of the Academy itself as an approved state institution. Our pupils in small schools do not get the little niceties of prepara- tion that teachers of a single department of a large high school can give to their students, and, therefore, often fail to achieve high rank in written examinations of the quality, or severity, now offered in college and normal school examinations-a quality not designed, perhaps, to weed out students from little towns, but having that effect, nevertheless. If, as I believe, the popular Business-English Course can be retained, and the approval of the state board of education can be secured, by the additional cost of another teacher in the school, it is a small price to pay for an advantage and a prestige of so much value.
I ask your careful attention to the report of Principal Rouden- bush, whose work in the school has been steadily progressive, and whose aspirations for the school can only be made possible by the hearty and prompt co-operation of all concerned in its administration. And this means, on the part of the town, hearty
15
and prompt financial co-operation. The Academy is now in a position, with its excellent corps of teachers, to reap the rewards of faithful service and enthusiastic student-co-operation. It is a poor farmer who will neglect to harvest his grain for want of a reaper, or who will store a fine crop of potatoes in an attic to freeze. I unite my plea with Mr. Roudenbush's for immediate and ample means to replenish our laboratory and school with material and books suitable to this institution.
THE PURCHASE OF VICTROLAS.
Since the opening of the fall term of school a Victrola has been placed in the Cameron School, one in the William E. Frost School and one in the Sargent School. A good friend of the Cameron School, Mr. Julian A. Cameron, supplemented the efforts of the pupils by a gift of $25. Another good friend, Mr. F. G. Sargent, gave $25 toward the purchase of that installed in the Sargent School. The pupils of the William E. Frost School sold cake chocolate and gave an entertainment in the Town hall to illustrate the use of the Victrola in folk-dancing, etc., and in that way partially raised the necessary funds to purchase the machine. As all these schools are equipped with playgrounds we look forward to the warm days of spring and fall for systematic healthful exercises out-of-doors to the accompaniment of appro- priate and stirring music. In many ways, indoors, at all seasons we expect to find the Victrolas contributing to the educational advantage of these schools. We shall not seek to amuse, but to inspire and uplift our pupils-to add grace and beauty to the physical child, and give to the mental and spiritual possessions higher standards for emulation. If judiciously used, as we hope and expect, we have added a feature to the school work that will be rich in good results. We mutually pledge our best efforts to the building up of a loyal and enthusiastic citizenship in the schools, and to the creation of a helpful attitude throughout every grade of the schools.
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SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND EMPLOYMENT OF MINORS.
For the benefit of attendance officers permit me to quote from Section 13, Chapter 779 of the Acts of 1913.
"Attendance officers shall inquire into all cases arising under the provisions of sections one, two, three, four and six of chapter 44, and sections three, four, five and eight of this chapter, or of sections sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three or sixty-six of chapter 514 of the acts of the year 1909, and may make complaints and serve legal processes issued under the provisions of this chapter. They shall have oversight of children placed on probation under the provisions of section seven; of children suffering want, to whom the provisions of chapter 356 of the acts of the year 1914 apply; of minors licensed by the school committee under the provisions of chapter 419 of the acts of the year 1910 and sub- sequent amendments thereof; and of children admitted to or attending shows or entertainments contrary to the provisions of chapter 532 of the acts of the year 1910. An attendance officer may apprehend and take to school, without a warrant, any truant or absentee found wandering about in the streets or public places."
Attendance officers should familiarize themselves with the provisions of the chapters and sections referred to. Teachers should aid the attendance officers in their duties by promptly notifying them of unexplained absences; but the burden of getting such absentees back into the school appears clearly to be upon the attendance officers. By Section 13 of this chapter all laws now or hereafter in force relative to truant officers shall apply to attendance officers. Other sections of this chapter are respectfully called to the attention of attendance officers.
THE CARD SYSTEM OF CENSUS TAKING.
By the new method of census taking each child's name appears on an individual card which is cumulative in its nature and designed to trace the child's school record throughout his course in the schools. As a child is required to attend school 130 days after his 13th birthday before he can leave school for
17
employment or otherwise (until he reaches the age of 16), my teachers, acting under my instruction, have taken these cards and, in the case of children becoming 13 during the school year, have drawn a diagonal line through the space showing the school attendance for that year, above which line they have entered the number of days attended before 13 and beneath the line the number of days since becoming 13 years of age. By following this plan it will not be necessary to go back to the registers to get necessary information concerning attendance since the 13th birthday. This will enable us to collect the registers and store them in safety with other records. For this purpose a safe should be procured-I understand it is so required by law-to be kept in the office or in some central, accessible place. The request of Mr. Roudenbush for a safe in which to keep valuable records of the Academy might be met by the purchase of a safe large enough to contain all school records. It is important, in my opinion, that this be done immediately.
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.
At the opening of the fall term I was obliged to draw the blue pencil through more than one hundred dollars' worth of teachers' orders for books and supplies that we consider almost an absolute necessity if we are to carry out our plans for placing up-to-date books and apparatus at the disposal of our pupils. In my report of last year, I showed the various devices we were obliged to resort to in order to get along. I urge the citizens to place at our call sufficient funds for this purpose. We cannot be said to be extravagant, I think, and I am sure the citizens may trust us to turn back into the treasury any funds not absolutely demanded by the necessities of the schools. I urge them to give liberally for a few years to this department of the work, with the assurance that the money will be judiciously expended and that the results will justify the increase.
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CONCLUSION.
The loyalty of the committee of Westford to the best interests of the schools merits my appreciation. Speaking for the teachers and myself, I wish to say that our highest ambition is to give them such schools as shall prove us worthy of their approval.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK H. HILL,
Superintendent of Schools.
WESTFORD, January 4, 1915.
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REPORT OF WESTFORD ACADEMY.
January 1, 1915.
MR. F. H. HILL,
Superintendent of Sehools.
DEAR MR. HILL:
I submit the following report of Westford Academy for the past year.
The present total enrollment is fifty-seven, twenty-two boys. and thirty-five girls. There is a Freshman Class of twenty-six, of whom five are repeating the work taken a year ago. Of these twenty-six, nine are in the Academie Course, and seventeen in the English-Business Course. As four of the five who are repeating the freshman work were previously in the English-Business. Course, it will be seen that there is a larger proportion of new pupils taking the Academie Course this year than last. This is as it should be if the Academy is to carry on the two courses. of study.
A ehange has been made in the report eard system. Formerly, seholarship reports were made out every two months. Now they are given at the end of each term.
Mid-term notiees, however, are sent to the parents of pupils: who are delinquent in their work. The co-operation of parents in seeuring home study would be very helpful in eertain cases .. Not many pupils can sueeeed with their lessons without spending time on them at home.
The principal has been making a special effort to secure for the school, the college and normal sehool certifieate privilege. He has partially suceeeded in doing this. Two of the last gradu- ating elass entered college, and one entered normal sehool on his. recommendation. It will be necessary to meet some further conditions to have the privilege renewed. Application for renewal will be made in due time, and the principal hopes to obtain it.
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The school needs a safe for keeping its scholarship records and other papers which could not be replaced if lost by fire. The principal has quite frequent calls to furnish scholarship data to former attendants at the Academy. The records need to be where they are quickly available, and the Academy building is the logical place for them to be kept.
Another need of the school must be supplied if it does its best work, viz .: additional apparatus for the laboratory. Valuable time is lost by teacher and classes trying to do experiments in physics and chemistry with inadequate tools. Any delays in meeting our requisitions mean loss in progress and interest among pupils.
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