USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1905-1906 > Part 6
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Ellis E. Swain
M
M
42
11
0
Wilmington Wilmington
Wilmington Boston, Mass.
George W. Sidelinker, Mary A. Simpson Patrick McEnroe, Mary Bressell Edward E. Swain, Harriet Ames Nathaniel A. C. Preble, Sarah B. Evelyth
Louis Marion, Louise Modre Matthew Wright, not known William Merritt, Rachel Cross Wm. H. McCabe, Catherine Wortz Arthur Burnham, Clara E. David Robert Clendenin, Phebe Kimball
29 30
Harold A. Burnham
M
0
Althera A. Roberts
F
57
10 8 |Fatty Degeneration of H'rt 5 min |Malformation of Heart
Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington
Thomas H. McMahon, Isabella C. McEnroe William Morgan, Betsey Collins James B. Stirling, Robina T. Moffet Charles White, Evelina Babine Albert H. Roberts, Evelyn Dearborn George Littlefield, Olivia B. Morse
Aug. 7 8 11
Margaret T. Stirling - White Frederick A. Roberts Horatio G. Littlefield
M
M
66
25 Heart Disease & Nephritis
25
W
84
Senile Dementia
0 2
1 0 0
7 0 5 Accidental Drowning
Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington
Wilmington Highgate, Vt. Boston, Mass. Wilmington Tewksbury, Mass.
George W. Clatur, Cora R. Caswell David Boyce, not known Joseph King, Sally Nugent Fred U. Wyman, Flora K. Colgate
28 14 7 30 11
Lavina Nichols Gilbert Linfield Millie M. Kincaid
M
S
19
6
15 Tuberculosis
Wilmington
F
46
6
9 Pneumonia
Wilmington
Nova Scotia
M
M W
76 11
24 Cardiac Dropsy
Wilmington
Chelsea, Mass. Newfoundland
Cyrus Hobbs, Ellen Davis Michael Babine, Victovia Roberso
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
S
22
Cancer
Wilmington
Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Lawrence, Mass. Up. Woodst'k, N.B. Up. Woodst'k, N.B. Augusta, Me. Wilmington Wilmington Brooklyn, N. Y. Wilmington St. Johns, N. B. Wilmington Scotland Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington
Louis Croteau, Mary Lavigne Gabrielle Joe, Jane Thomas Converse Richardson, Elizabeth Smith Asa G. Sheldon, Clarissa Eames --- Mack, Elizabeth Boyd Dennis Murphy, not known Patrick J. Nce, Marjorie Keefe Alexander Taylor, Martha Adams Leo Belanger, Clara Mourois
S
0
6
3 Accidental Suffocation
Malnutrition
- Belanger Stillborn Minnie A. Sidelinker
S M
0
June
Josephine White
Margaret E. Murray
42
10
Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington
M S
M S
71
10 25 0
Chronic Gastritis
Wilmington Charlestown, Mass. Wilmington Wilmington Waterboro, Me. Roxbury, Mass. Wilmington Wilmington
64
0
20 0 17 22
Pneumonia
Wilmington
Wilmington Ireland
Mạy
9 27 26
S
RECAPITULATION
Births registered in 1906
38
Males
12
Females
26
Marriages registered in 1906
14
Deaths in 1906
38
Males
23
Females
15
Dog License Account :-
Number of Licenses issued, 161.
By cash paid County Treasurer, $340.80.
Account of printed Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths :-
Number on hand Jan. 1, 1906 259
Sold during the year
2
Number on hand January 1, 1907
257
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES E. KELLEY, Town Clerk.
The Town Clerk will furnish to parents, householders, physicians and midwives, applying therefor, blanks for returns of births as required by law.
ANNUAL REPORT
-OF THE-
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
-OF THE-
TOWN OF WILMINGTON, MASS.
... 1906 ...
GTO
FIM
FIFID
WHITEFI
730:
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ROBERT H. GOWING, Chairman
HOWARD M. HORTON, Secretary
CHARLES E. LITTLEFIELD, Auditor
Term expires March, 1908
Term expires March, 1909
Term expires March, 1907
SUPT. OF SCHOOLS WM. N. CRAGIN
Office hours : Tuesdays, between 3 and 4 P. M., at High School School Building.
TRUANT OFFICER
WM. E. SWAIN
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
TO THE CITIZENS OF WILMINGTON :
In submitting to you our annual school report, we wish to congratulate the town on the condition of the schools and the progress made in the past year.
We extend our thanks to the Board of Selectmen for their cooperation and for the needed repairs to the school buildings.
The town makes a creditable showing in its school work in comparison with her sister towns. Its citizens are generous in their support and it adds much to the prestige of Wilmington to keep. the standard of the school work high.
The High school has been improved by the introduction of what we term a commercial and scientific course ; necessitating the services of one more teacher. Such a course means a great deal to. those who do not intend to go to college. We hope for more. satisfactory results in High school membership and that larger classes will complete the course.
You will note by the report of the superintendent, Mr. Cragin, that Wilmington now holds a high place among the towns of the Commonwealth in its High school enrollment showing that the citizens of the town appreciate the opportunities presented to their children.
One of the most important factors for good results in school work is attendance. Do not allow the pupil to unnecessarily waste what is so generously offered. Let us strive to improve our educa- tional system so that it teaches to save as well as to do. The principles of economy might be presented so as to obtain better results.
Many of the pupils do not realize how much they are wasting
34
by absenting themselves from school. The opportunities are before them now. It will not be long before the serious problems of life will engross their attention.
The object of education is to enable the pupils to deal with those problems and to make the most of the material that comes to their hands.
How essential it is then that they should learn to avoid being wasteful of what is given so freely to them. We wish to develop men and women who can take care of themselves.
We commend the interest taken by the teachers in the social organization connected with the High school, believing that the influences of such organizations under proper supervision are good, and hope the parents will encourage them.
The committee has from time to time received calls for trans- portation for pupils other than those conveyed from the West school district. We refer to children living at a long distance from any school. As the committee has very little money to spare from the regular appropriation to pay for transportation, we would recom- mend that an article be placed in the warrant for the annual town meeting to see if the town will take action in relation to the transportation of pupils living at a distance from the schools and appropriate money therefor, the same to be expended at the dis- cretion of the school committee.
That your committee may carry on the school work as planned for the coming year, we recommend an appropriation of $7,500- the same amount as last year.
ROBERT H. GOWING, HOWARD M. HORTON, CHARLES E. LITTLEFIELD.
35
RESOURCES
Appropriation
. $7,500 00
Mass. School Fund, balance 1905
167 40
Mass. School Fund, 1906
639 90
Dog tax
291 02
Mass. High School account
300 00
Mass. Supt. account
437 50
$9,335 82
EXPENDITURES
Salaries
$6.599 02
Fuel
809 16
Books and supplies
791 27
Superintendent
630 00
Transportation
214 00
Miscellaneous
218 08
$9,261 53
Unexpended balance
$74 29
EXPENDITURES ITEMIZED TEACHERS
J. A. Sinclair
$985 00
Ruth R. Cole .
504 00
Florence G. Deedy
210 01
Adella R. Goodrich
372 00
Lena M. Kearney
96 00
E. Morse
31 20
Blan Alexander
454 88
Sylvia Prescott
389 33
Gertrude L. Kivlin
370 00
Carolyn S. Spencer
346 00
Carrie M. Swain
370 00
Amy F. Wilson
216 00
Lucy S. Carter
117 00
36
Henrietta A. Swain
370 00
Lena M. Shaw
370 00
Olivia H. Norcross
304 60
Catherine Quinn
46 00
H. E. Whittemore
125 00
Mabel B. Proctor
70 00
Margaret E. Hill
130 00
Alice M. Rollins
10 00
$5,887 02
JANITORS
J. A. Taylor
$472 50
Mrs. Babine
185 00
Mrs. Spaulding
18 50
Mrs. Surrette
18 50
George Foley
17 50
$712 00
FUEL
F. A. Eames, coal
$523 50
L. C. Swain, wood
252 66
Wm. H. Carter, wood
27 00
Wm. B. McIntosh, wood
6 00
$809 16
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
E. E. Babb & Co.
$447 87
Eastern Drug Co.
5 50
American School Furn. Co.
1 00
C. E. Littlefield
2 71
Wadsworth, Howland & Co.
45 07
L. E. Knott Apparatus Co.
26 77
J. L. Hammott & Co.
39 02
Geo. E. Bradley
50 00
Remington Typewriter Co.
2 00
Smith Prem. Typewriter Co.
166 23
J. O. McFadden Co. '
5 10
$791 27
37
MISCELLANEOUS
H. E. Whittemore, expense $50 00
H. M. Horton, repairs, express, etc. 28 74
Lincoln, Dillaway & Co., flag
2 25
C. O. Blaisdell, cleaning yard and vaults 22 49
Mrs. Call, cleaning
1 40
E. B. Nye, tuning piano
2 50
C. E. Littlefield, ribbon
68
Mass. Eng. Co., diplomas
7 00
W. E. & J. F. Twombly, printing
8 50
W. B. Eames, repairing books 8 85
Alden N. Eames, taking census
15 00
Mrs. Murphy, cleaning
2 25
J. A. Taylor, cleaning
24 33
Mrs. Babine, cleaning
10 00
Mrs. Surrette, cleaning
3 00
Mrs. Spaulding, cleaning
3 00
M. T. Holt, measuring wood
1 75
Buck Bros., sundries
5 85
Edgar A. Shaw, labor
1 50
L. M. Shaw, labor
1 50
E. C. Metcalf, sundries
2 00
Congregational Church, graduation 10 00
D. K. Colgate, repairs
2 95
Wright & Potter, blanks
29
L. E. Hanson & Co., repairing clocks .
2 25
$218 08
SUPERINTENDENT
W. N. Cragin
$630 00
TRANSPORTATION
T. Call
$207 00
T. Maconi
7 00
$214 00
.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
Gentlemen :- I submit herewith my seventh annual report as Superintendent of Schools.
A glance at the attendance table discloses a few facts of interest : that our total membership has decreased very slightly, that our average membership and attendance show a loss of about 25, that the percentage of attendance remains practically the same as for the previous year, that the amount of tardiness has decreased nearly one-half and that the number of pupils over fifteen years of age still continues to increase.
The loss in average membership and attendance is due to the epidemic of measles and whooping cough which visited us during the year and which interfered very seriously with the work of all the schools, particularly the primaries.
The decrease in the amount of tardiness is gratifying and indicates that the teachers are making an earnest effort to train their pupils to the habit of punctuality. Tardiness is for the most part unnecessary and while in individual instances it is neither a sin nor a crime-may be even necessary and commendable-yet as a habit it is without excuse, and every teacher should wage war against it without ceasing.
Punctuality is one of the most highly esteemed of the business virtues and there is no better place to cultivate it than in the public schools. It is the business of the school to train its pupils as well as to instruct them ; to train them in habits of action as well as in habits of thought. In that training the active assistance of the parents is of great value to the teacher ; and in this town we have usually had the support of the parents in our attempts to secure prompt and regular attendance on the part of the pupils.
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In addition to the unusual amount of sickness that prevailed last year, our school work was marred by unavoidable changes in our teaching force during the year. We lost three of our strongest teachers by resignation in the midst of the school year and we did not succeed in filling satisfactorily all of the vacancies so caused until the close of the year. It is never easy to supply the place of a good teacher, even when the vacancy occurs at the close of the school year when teachers are looking for new positions ; but when the vacancy occurs during the school term, it is sometimes wellnigh impossible to find a competent teacher who is unemployed. We select from such material as is available at the time when the vacancy occurs, and when that material is poor we stand a fair chance of getting an unsatisfactory teacher. It has never been our custom to go out into other towns to secure teachers for our casual vacancies by offering positions to those who are teaching there under yearly contract. It is often done by other communities, and we have lost some teachers in this way ; but the practice does not seem commendable. A contract entered into in good faith by both parties ought to be kept unless there is some urgent reason for breaking it, and if school authorities would agree to fill their casual vacancies by the employment of substitute or temporary teachers, deferring all regular appointments till the close of the school year, we should have very few vacancies of this class to trouble us.
At the present time all of our schools are in charge of compe- tent teachers and all are doing satisfactory work. The spirit of our teaching force leaves little to be desired. Without exception the teachers are giving their best efforts for the good of the pupils under their charge : they are quick to profit by suggestions, and eager to improve in every possible way.
The work in music and drawing has changed hands during the year. On account of the stress of other duties, Mr. Whittemore was obliged to give up the direction of our musical work, much to our regret, but Miss Proctor, who was chosen as his successor, was not a stranger to us as she had already done considerable work in the schools as Mr. Whittemore's assistant and we were confident that the work would not suffer under her direction. Our confidence
40
seems to have been justified, for the interest in music seems to have been well sustained in all the classes and all are doing good work at the present time.
In drawing, after a few months of preparatory work, Miss Rollins was obliged to resign on account of ill health, and after some delay, Miss Hill, a teacher of long and successful experience, was chosen to continue the work.
In view of the growing importance of this subject in every phase of industrial education, it is important that whatever work of this nature we do in the public schools, should be done with an intelligent appreciation of the end that we have in view, and under competent direction. The idea still prevails to some extent that the purpose of teaching drawing in the schools is to enable our pupils to make pretty pictures-to paint flowers and sketch landscapes. For some unknown reason this notion dies hard, and we find it mecessary to explain over and over again that we have never had any such purpose; that what we have aimed to do, is to give to our pupils another means of expression, scarcely less valuable than the gift of language, and to train our future artisans to a standard of good taste and an understanding and appreciation of beauty of color and form which shall give an increased commercial value to every article made by their hands. It is a very practical and necessary subject now. When industrial training becomes a part of our common school course, it will be indispensible.
The commission appointed to investigate the subject of indus- trial and technical education in the Commonwealth, in its recent report refers to the years from fourteen to sixteen as the wasted years of a child's life. Wasted, because most, of the children who leave school at fourteen either fail to secure any steady employment or are forced to enter unskilled occupations where the wages are small and there is little opportunity for advancement. By remain- ing in school until he is sixteen, the child's industrial opportunity is materially improved ; a better class of opportunities is open to him and he soon outstrips his competitor who began work at fourteen. If he stays in school until he is eighteen his chances of advancement
41
are increased many times, and still better grades of employment are open to him. He becomes a much more efficient and better paid workman than he would have been if he had begun his industrial career at fourteen. In view of these undisputed facts, it has become an important consideration to keep the boys and girls in school as long as possible, so that when they do go to work they may enter the better paid occupations where there are opportunities for advancement.
Though the membership of the school committee of this town has changed several times since I have been connected with these schools, yet the policy of the committee has remained unchanged in one particular, namely, to strengthen and make attractive the work of the High and upper grammar schools so that the pupils may be induced to remain in school and complete the course rather than drop out and go to work at fourteen. Believing that every year that a pupil can be induced to remain in school after he is fourteen increases his value as a wage earner and improves by so much his chance of success in life, we have felt that we ought to make a persistent effort to keep these older children in school.
When this subject was first discussed some six years ago we had then twenty-six pupils in the High school and no laboratory equipment worth mentioning. The question was then raised whether we ought to maintain a High school for that small number of pupils, or to send them to the High school of some neighboring town, closing our own High school.
There were honest differences of opinion as to which was the better plan to pursue. The number of pupils was not large enough to warrant the expense of maintaining a good High school. On the other hand there were grave objections to sending the High school pupils out of town for their education. As there seemed to be a strong sentiment in the town against discontinuing the school, it was determined to maintain it, make it meet the wants of the community as well as possible and trust to its future growth to justify the expense. .
Accordingly a beginning was made in furnishing the physical
42
and chemical laboratories, and each year something has been added to their equipment, as funds were available, until now they are fairly well provided with illustrative apparatus, so that we can perform acceptably the science work required of a High school. The High school and eighth grade were separated and the eighth grade teacher, who had given part of her time to the High school, was transferred to the High school, so that we had the full time of two teachers. This just enabled us to meet the requirements of the new High school law, but it did not permit any great deviation from the prescribed college preparatory course of study. As many of our pupils do not intend to pursue their studies beyond the High school, it was felt that they should have some opportunity to elect such studies as book-keeping, short hand, typewriting and other commer- cial subjects which would be of more immediate help to them in securing situations when they left school. Accordingly at the beginning of the present year, another teacher was employed who had been specially trained for this line of work, typewriting machines were procured in sufficient number for the pupils to practice upon, and a business course was established - a thorough English course with plenty of business practice in it. Not a short course nor an easy course, arranged for mental invalids, but plenty of good hard work in it and time for the pupil to develop. We believe it is the equivalent of any good High school course and commend it to such of our pupils as do not contemplate pursuing their studies beyond the High school.
It may be interesting to note briefly what success has attended the efforts of the school authorities to keep the older children in school.
In the year, ending in June, 1901, our total school membership was 360. In the High school we had twenty-six pupils, or seven per cent. of our total membership, or sixteen High school pupils to each one thousand of our population.
In the year 1906 our total membership was 408, our High school membership was fifty-seven, or fourteen per cent. of our total membership, or thirty-four High school pupils to each one thousand of our population.
43
At the present time our High school membership is sixty-five, or thirty-nine High school pupils to each one thousand of our population.
This represents a gain of 250 per cent. in High school mem- . bership in six years.
A recent article in an educational journal speaking of the school conditions of a thriving Massachusetts town, stated that it had thirty-six High school pupils to each one thousand inhabitants and that Concord and Winchester were the only towns that had a larger percentage of their population in the High school. According to this, Wilmington now ranks third among the towns of the state, and as neither Concord nor Winchester has many more than forty High school pupils to each thousand inhabitants, it is pretty safe to predict that next year Wilmington will easily rank first among the towns of the state in its percentage of High school membership.
Nor is it in High school attendance alone that results are ap- parent. Six years ago or thereabouts the number of pupils in the eighth grade was about fifteen. It reached twenty-one in 1902. For the past three years it has averaged thirty-nine. More pupils are completing the grammar school course than was the case in former years. In 1901 twenty-five pupils over fifteen years of age were attending school. During the past year there were fifty-one.
These facts indicate a certain degree of success in retaining the older pupils in school and it has been accomplished without sacrificing the interests of the pupils in the lower grades.
With the growth of the upper grades it seems inevitable that the question of school accommodations must be again considered. It is not probable that the High school can be accommodated in its present quarters another year. Its membership is likely to be seventy-five or more and the High school room has only sixty desks. I would suggest that it is time to consider what provision can be made for it.
The other schools are suitably provided for and the buildings have been kept in good condition.
44
The number of pupils at the East school has been decreasing of late years. This year there are only eleven. It may be con- sidered unprofitable to maintain that school another year if the number does not increase.
The new law requiring medical inspection of the schools has gone into effect, and the teachers are now engaged in testing the sight and hearing of their pupils. When defects of sight or hear- ing are detected they will notify the parents, as required by the law, and it is hoped that parents will endeavor to have the defects remedied as promptly as possible, as every child in school needs the full benefit of his eyes and ears.
The usual special reports and statistics are appended.
Respectfully submitted,
W. N. CRAGIN,
Superintendent of Schools.
Wilmington, Mass., Dec. 31, 1906.
REPORT OF PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
Gentlemen : The past year has been an unusually difficult one for the High school. Measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and dipbtheria have caused several pupils to lose from a month to six weeks of valuable time. The inevitable result of such protracted absence is discouragement to the pupil and a failure to attain good results. I cannot help feeling, too, that in some cases parents are not as strict in requiring constant attendance of their children as they should be. Doubtless the loss of a day may seem slight but if it occurs at least once a week its effect is as harmful as that of protracted absence. In fact, its later effect is much worse, since a pupil who finds that his parents regard the loss of a day as very slight, gains the same idea himself. He learns to regard school as of little consequence, loses interest, and drops out. Almost as bad in effect are frequent dismissals. Of course when a pupil reaches the High school age he can sometimes be of much assistance at home, or he may be entrusted with some errand. Parents, how- ever, should not regard the privilege of dismissal too lightly, or as granted for furnishing means of wasting a pupil's time. A request for dismissal should not be sent unless the need for it is most imperative.
I feel that these features of the year are entirely the fault of parents, since no pupil may be dismissed unless sick, without a re- quest from his parents or guardian to that effect, and no absence is excused unless the parent signifies that it was necessary. If parents wish to join me in the effort to improve the school, they can do much toward improvement by requiring constant attendance of their children.
As a whole, the result of the winter and spring terms of '06
46
are as good as could be expected. The present year, however, bids fair to be the most successful yet attained. The fall term of 1906 opened with the registration of 63 pupils, but since 4 more have been added, making a total of 67. Of these, four, on account of parents moving from town and sickness, have dropped out. The number left fills the schoolroom to its full capacity, there being desks for 61.
The new Commercial Course is thus far most satisfactory. It interests and holds the attention of pupils who would otherwise drop out, at the same time increasing their chances of success in life at least ten times. It seems the farthest step in advance that the school has taken for some time. The result of the revision of the general course cannot as yet be fully reported. On account of placing the Elementary Physics and Elementary Chemistry in the first and second years the laboratory facilities have proven wholly inadequate because of the large size of the two classes. Previously these subjects were studied during the third and fourth years, when the classes were small. It is a great inconvenience, also, for the chemistry pupils to be obliged to pass to the end of the long row of lockers to reach the sinks; besides, it causes much confusion. With small expenditure these troubles could be remedied. The value of the work in the sciences, too, would be more than doubled by the addition of a small gasolene gas plant. Alcohol lamps are inadequate for use in performing many chemistry experiments which ought to be performed. Such a plant would furnish every student with a Bunsen burner. By proper piping the committee, also, instead of scouring the building for kerosene lamps at their meetings would find a ready light.
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