USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1913-1914 > Part 4
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Local Exhibit
I hope to hold in the early part of June an exhibit open to the public, at which the citizens of the town may have
an opportunity to see the work of the pupils of every school in town in drawing and construction. in penmanship, and in woodwork and sewing. The public will be cordially invited.
Table of Statistics
I wish to especially call your attention to the Table of Statistics. Every citizen of Wilmington should notice that the total enrollment of the fall of 1913 was 525 against 468 last year; that every room at the Walker building is filled to its capacity: that the total enrollment of the High School is 82, with 77 present to-day, and with but one to graduate this year; that the eighth grade numbers 37 to-day, with a prospect that 30 will enter the High School next fall; that there are no pupils in school under five years of age; that there are 251 boys and 274 girls in school; that 46 per cent of the High School are boys.
The enrollment by grades is as follows: First, 67; second, 61; third, 49; fourth, 54; fifth, 59; sixth, 56; seventh, 49; eighth, 39. You will notice from these figures that the increase in school population seems to be permanent rather than temporary.
Co-operation of Parents
I invite the co-operation of parents and guardians. They are urged to visit the schools and consult with the teachers for the child's interest, not alone when there is trouble, but rather that trouble may not arise. Parents are re- quested in the High School and upper grades to encourage their children in a certain amount of systematic home study daily. And finally parents are urged to keep the child in the best possible physical and mental condition for his school work. I am convinced that all social functions and entertainments which seek the patronage of pupils should occur on Friday or Saturday evenings.
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Conclusion
In conclusion I wish to express my appreciation for the support and good will of the School Board, and the loyalty of the teachers which have made my new duties pleasant.
Let me call attention to the reports of the High School Principal, the Supervisors, the School Physician, and the Attendance Officer, which subjoined to this report form a part of it.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES L. RANDALL.
LOWELL, MASS., Jan. 14, 1914.
1
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HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
The Superintendent of Schools:
Sir: I have the honor to submit to you my third annual report of the High School.
After much thought on the part of the High School teachers and former Superintendent. S. Howard Chace, together with the counsel of Mr. Clarence D. Kingsley. the High School agent of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and the School Committee, a new course of study was formulated. This course was introduced last September. It seems to be as good and as modern as the crowded conditions at the High School and the resources of Wilming- ton warrant. The fundamental principle on which this course was made is, the school is made for the child and not the child for the school. Only those subjects are required which are of fundamental importance to every career, the other subjects are elective to meet the various needs of the individual pupil.
In the new commercial course much more emphasis has been placed on technique than before but there is not time for efficient training and skill in commercial technique in a one-session High School. Proficiency in shorthand, type- writing or bookkeeping can be obtained only by many hours of hard work in practice. This is what the business college requires and office work is not less strenuous. It is, therefore, recommended that an eight-hour school day be required of at least the senior class in the commercial department next year. Moreover. those now taking sewing
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and woodwork meet in the afternoon, and there seems to be no valid reason why those taking commercial work cannot also meet in the afternoon.
One of the subjects of the new course is Community Civics. "The term 'civics' is here used to include all the possible activities of the good citizen, whether as an individual or with private organizations or with government. Community civics is intended to acquaint the pupils with the civic conditions of their own community. It insures the reality and simplicity necessary to a vital knowledge of social forces. It intends to dignify those forces and places which the pupil usually despises because they are so familiar. Knowledge of the neighborhood will show the pupil how effective education will make him a productive citizen."- Dr. Thomas Jesse Jones of the Bureau of Educa- tion. So far this year in this course, using more or less the Town Report as a reference book, we have studied local taxation; town expenses; duties of town officers; the protection that the town gives its inhabitants, such as fire and police; roads and streets; schools and library; the care of the poor; what the community is doing for me, etc. Such topics as, how the community helps me to conserve my health; lighting; savings banks, housing and homes, electric lines, telephone and telegraph, etc., can easily be added. All these help the potential citizen "to think civically and, if possible, to live civically." Good citizenship is the aim. An endeavor is being made to carry out the idea of good citizenship in the course of United States History and Civics. It would be ungrateful not to mention the help the trustees of the library have given to these courses by purchasing several excellent reference books.
Many feel that the greatest school problem before the town is that of more school room. The questions, there- fore, are: First, does Wilmington actually need more school room; second, if there is a real need, what is the best way to meet it; third, if it is possible to find out the best way to meet that need, providing there is one, how much money can the town afford to expend to fill such a need?
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Does the High School need more room? The efficiency of the High School is impaired this year because of its crowded conditions. During the fall term of 1913 the membership was eighty-onc. New scats were placed in every available place to accommodate this number. In fact, there are now so many seats that confusion is in- evitable. Many of the pupils have to study in scats not their own to make room for those who are reciting. In coming to and going from recitations, many of the pupils have to make twelve changes of seats or rooms each day and most of this interchange of seats or rooms has to be done under crowded conditions. Moreover, many of the seats were made for children in the grades, and arc, there- fore, much too small for a proper sitting position and the desks too small to keep the necessary books in. Efficiency is made still less by the fact that the same room must be used both for laboratory work and recitations at the same time. Besides this, the typewriting room and also the recitation room are too small, without ventilation and cannot be heated in cold weather. The typewriting room is, furthermore, so situated that the teacher cannot very well teach a class and at the same time see that another class in another room is working efficiently. The best possible course of study is also forbidden by the lack of room.
These crowded conditions are bad enough this year but will be much worse in the future.
Candidates for High School next year:
In the High School
77
In the eighth grade 38
Total ' . 115
Judging the future by the past, a hundred of these will attend the High School next year. There will then be 80 seats for 100 pupils. There will simply be not room for them to sit down, to say nothing about a place to recite
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in. Under present conditions, the only remedy will be a part time schedule, and this may not be possible.
The following figures seem to indicate that the member- ship of the High School will not decrease but will increase as the years go by. For entrance to the High School in September, 1915, there are now in the High School 55 candidates; in the eighth grade 38 candidates; in the seventh grade 49 candidates; total 142. There are now 168 candi- dates for the High School in 1916.
There are now enrolled in the eighth grade 39 pupils. There are now enrolled in the seventh grade 49 pupils. There are now enrolled in the sixth grade 56 pupils. There are now enrolled in the fifth grade 59 pupils. There are now enrolled in the fourth grade 54 pupils. There are now enrolled in the third grade 49 pupils.
There are now enrolled in the second grade 61 pupils. There are now enrolled in the first grade 67 pupils.
Of course some of these will leave school before they reach the High School, but it must be remembered that all over the country a larger percentage attend High School than ever before, that the number who leave school in Wilmington is small as compared with most other places, and that more families are moving into town than out.
According to the reports of the State Board of Education, the school population in 1901 was 347; 1908 was 402; 1912 was 465; local report 1913 was 517.
This table shows that in fourteen years the school popula- tion has gradually increased by 49 per cent.
The class entering the High School in
1901 numbered 8
1902 numbered 12
1903 numbered . 14
1904 numbered 20 ยท
1905 numbered . 20
77
1906 numbered
27
1907 numbered
30
1908 numbered
31
1909 numbered
29
1910 numbered
0
1911 numbered
28
1912 numbered
34
.1913 numbered
35
1914 numbered (estimated)
35
This table shows that the entering class has gradually increased during the last twelve years and there seems to be no reason why it should not continue to do so. There was no entering class in 1910 because there was a change from an eight-grade system to a nine-grade system. (This also explains why there is only one in the senior class this year. This member entered in his junior year from another school.)
According to the reports of the State Board of Education, the total enrollment in the High School was in
1890
29 pupils
1891
16 pupils
1892
15 pupils
1893
17 pupils
1894
33 pupils
Average
22 pupils
1900
34 pupils
1901
26 pupils
1902
26 pupils
1903
27 pupils
1904
33 pupils
Average
. 29 pupils
78
1910
76 pupils
1911
51 pupils
1912
52 pupils
1913
72 pupils
1914
83 pupils
Average
66 pupils
.
Calculation on the above average shows that the High School has tripled its enrollment in twenty years and that it has more than doubled (two and one-third times) in the last ten years.
If the number of births has any relation to school popula- tion, the following table would not indicate a decrease in the membership of our schools during the next decade.
All these tables seem to force the conclusion that the school population will not decrease but will increase as the years come and go. Besides who does not cherish the hope that Wilmington will grow more rapidly in the future than in the past?
Since it is highly probable that the present crowded conditions will become more and more acute as time goes on, it seems evident that there ought to be a far-sighted policy in providing relief for these crowded conditions in some of our schools. For instance, if it seems best to build a new High School, it ought to be constructed to meet the demands of the next eight or ten years, and be so architecturally planned that additions can be put on as they may be needed, if they ever should be.
Since more room is needed now and presumably more and more will be needed, the next question is how much is needed? For an enrollment of 120 pupils, which enroll- ment the High School will probably exceed in three or four years, there should be at least four "home " rooms, seating at least forty each, where pupils may study when not reciting and where recitations may also be conducted. A recitation room would also be needed, seating at least forty. Then, if there is to be an efficient commercial depart-
ment, there ought to be a large room especially built for bookkeeping and typewriting. In addition there must be a laboratory for science. Moreover, if Wilmington is to have twentieth century schools, its High School must have a room especially equipped for the household arts, and another for the manual arts- the last two rooms could be used by the upper grades. In brief. not counting an assembly room large enough to seat the whole school, eight rooms are needed to do efficient work. This does not include a book room. cloak rooms, etc.
Such being the need, what is the remedy: The first one that suggests itself is, to take the eighth grade out and let the High School use all of the High School building. This remedy would give the High School three "home " rooms, a laboratory, a typewriting room (12 feet long and 18 feet wide) to be used by 40 or 50 pupils without the oversight of a teacher. There remains one recitation room, whose utmost seating capacity is 14, if the teacher stands by the door, to be used by two or three classes of 30 to 40 pupils each. In other words, if the High School has all the High School building, it would have at its disposal four large rooms and two very small rooms, whereas it ought to have at least eight rooms as shown in the last paragraph.
Another suggested remedy is to use the Whitefield build- ing for the High School. This has two disadvantages; first, it is not central; second, it has less rooms than the present High School and, therefore, would make matters worse instead of better.
Still another talked of remedy is to build an addition to the Walker School. This addition would not make the present High School building any larger.
The logical remedy is a new High School building.
Since the only logical and satisfactory solution to the problem of getting more school room is to build a new High School and use the present High School building for a grammar school, how much can the town reasonably afford for such a building?
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The following table, taken from the reports of the State Board of Education, shows how much Wilmington would expend for a new building if it should appropriate as much according to its valuation as other towns have appropriated according to their valuations.
TOWN
Valuation
Appropriation
New Grounds,
New Buildings
Percentage of
Wilmington's
Valuation
Proportionate
Amount for
Wilmington
Date
Population
Wilmington
$1,709,327
1858
Wayland
2,840,162|
$45,775 55
60
$27,465
'10-'11
2206
Lincoln
2,810,326
43,004 29
61
26,230
'08-'09
1122
Chester
678,687
25,000 00
251
62,950
'08-'09
1366
Leicester
2,413,624
80,000 00
71
56,800
'09-'10
Leicester
2,456,551
26,425 33
70
16,700
'10-'11
3414
Rockland
3,972,659
60,000 00
43
25,800
'09-'10
6287
Stow
938,473
14,750 00
182
26,845
'09-'10
1027 822
Wheatly
456,631
7,222 60
375
27,423
'09-'10
Oxford
1,838,665
29,342 83
93
27,816
'07-'08
2927
Huntington
600,000
12,207 23
285
34,422
'97-'98
1451
Hardwick
1,910,260
38.000 00
90
34 200
'08-'09|
3524
The average proportionate amount for Wilmington of the above ten towns is $36,765. If what other towns are appropriating for new schools is a criterion for what this town ought to appropriate, it follows from the above table that Wilmington should appropriate about $35,000 for a High School, provided there is a real need for a new building.
The valuation of the town in 1900 was $1,095,877; in 1912, $1,709,327. This shows an average increase in valua- tion of $51,121 per annum for twelve years. The chances are valuation will increase at least as rapidly in the future as in the past. It is, therefore, reasonable to expect that increase in valuation as the years go by would naturally help to pay for a new High School building without much of a raise in the tax rate.
Respectfully submitted,
FRED W. CARRIER.
for
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SUPERVISOR OF MANUAL ARTS REPORT
Mr. Charles L. Randall,
Superintendent of Schools, Wilmington, Mass.
Dear Sir: I herewith submit the following report concern- ing Manual Arts in the public schools of Wilmington, for the year ending in February, 1914.
As in last year's course, there have been three subjects taught - the drawing of objects, design and construction. The larger part of the time is spent in construction, the actual making of objects. The lower grades have paper cutting and folding. The higher grades have cardboard construction. This includes simple bookbinding, which en- ables the children to make note-books and books, repair and rebind old books, and make many articles of use to the school and home. In the High School a few of the first year pupils are studying mechanical drawing. The others are in the handwork class, where they study principally construction and applied design.
The teaching of much construction in the grades is in- tended not only to prepare for the woodworking and sewing classes, but also, by developing body and brain together, to lay the foundation for a well-balanced education.
The Superintendent and the regular teachers have con- tributed much to the success of the year's work. I wish to thank them for their helpful encouragement and unfailing co-operation.
Respectfully submitted, MIRIAM C. FEARING, Supervisor of Manual Arts. .
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REPORT OF INSTRUCTOR OF MUSIC
Mr. Charles L. Randall,
Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir: I herewith submit a report in music for the past year.
A new method has been introduced, known as the sight- singing system, and very encouraging results are showing, although the pupils have had but a few months' drill. Every room, without a single exception, is entering into the new course with surprising eagerness. Old principles are being reviewed and new ones taught by the new methods, and it now appears that we have pulled out of the old ruts and the work is going on better than ever before.
The course makes school music very simple by combining the principles of time and tune and teaching them to correspond with the growth and development of the child mind. The work is so divided among the grades that the pupil is taught what he can comprehend and apply himself. To illustrate briefly: a first or second year pupil does not understand the arithmetical value of notes, therefore, that subject is withheld until the fourth or fifth year when the pupil takes up the study of fractions. So many sentences or rhymes have been taught which have confused the child, at present a single sentence is employed in the whole course, and that is used for "finding doo." In numerous other ways the non-essentials are being eliminated. A textbook does not make a course in music, it merely
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supplies material in one way or another, but as our old readers have become worn out, new ones were purchased containing differently arranged songs and exercises which are especially adapted for the sight-singing system.
The teacher's ability and sense of originality in music, or possibly a sort of fearless courage to venture forth upon some new field, is reason enough for the success in music; especially is this true in the rural schools. Our teaching force is an unusually capable one and the cheerful and liberal way in which they have co-operated with me this past year has warranted special mention here.
The High School chorus shows the absence of a senior class in more ways than in singing. Their mature voices are much relied upon, as well as their spirit of responsibility over the under classes. However, aside from its many limitations and the loss of a very able accompanist by graduation last June, by careful and conscientious effort upon the part of each pupil in the school the chorus work will be quite as good as that of previous years. The chorus would be strongly supported by combining with the eighth grade, but from past experiences it was thought best to allow this grade one more year of class work before becom- ing a part of the High School. This grade is doing very good work and the year is a sort of stepping stone to the High School.
In closing I wish to speak again of the very great value of the Victrola in school music. For a long time supervisors have had to fight against bad music, the so- called " rag-time,"-its hold upon our young people is alarm- ing. The Victrola has helped to a wonderful degree by filling the school full of music that is good. and instilling a love of beautiful music, so that after a time the pupils ask to hear some of the classics played. I sincerely believe one of these machines should be a part of every school music department, for in this way we are really keeping in step with the great march of these modern times. I also hope that a little place may be found soon for folk dances and singing games. When the weather is mild
A ....
.. . .
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these games may be played out of doors to good advantage under the direction of the regular teacher. It must be remembered that folk music began with the history of the race and a revival of it is affording a means for a safe and sane recreation. It is also turning the child's tastes into the right channels, and at the same time developing a bodily expression in the rhymic swing of the songs.
I. desire to thank you and the committee for your interest in the work and for your willing support in the past.
Respectfully,
MABELLE PROCTOR COUNCE.
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SCHOOL PHYSICIAN'S REPORT
Wilmington, Mass., January 1, 1914.
To the School Board of Wilmington :
Gentlemen: I herewith submit my second report as School Physician. All children examined at the beginning of the school year were found to be in good health with the exception of a few cases of adenoids and defective teeth. Since my former examination, the parents of some of the children had evidently followed my advice that a dentist be consulted. I wish that all might do so; and I earnestly recommend that some way be devised for having a dentist look after the teeth of those children whose parents are unable to bear the expense; and the same advice applies to the children suffering from adenoids.
I have had the State Board of Health examine the water from the several wells supplying the drinking water for the different schools, and as a result, of the seven wells examined, five were condemned. The wells at the North, East and South Schools, the Warren Eames well (used by the pupils at the Town Hall) and that at the Centre (used by the High School pupils) were so condemned, the analysis showing the water to be unfit for drinking purposes, while the wells at the West and Walker Schools were pronounced safe. At the annual March meeting, the Town will be asked to furnish some other supply.
Very respectfully,
DANIEL T. BUZZELL, M.D.,
School Physician.
A ... .... .
. . .. . . .---
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SCHOOL SAVINGS BANK REPORT
Mr. C. L. Randall,
Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir: As treasurer of the Savings Bank in the schools of Wilmington, I submit the following report. The deposits for 1913 have not been so great as the two previous years. This is accounted for in a great measure by the class . of 1914 not turning in $90 to $100 as the classes of 1911 and 1912 had done; and that the pupils, who were good deposi- tors in the lower grades, as they grow older and advance to higher grades, drop off, feeling as if they cannot bring a large amount, they will take nothing. Now, the object of the Schools Savings Bank is to teach the children to save the pennies; to lay aside a little each week; to do this in a systematic manner. Some children already have a bank account elsewhere, and the parents think that it is not necessary to have another. Now, two bank books will do no harm, and by just bringing a little each week, it will be surprising how the accounts swell. It would be very gratifying if all the teachers would set the example by starting a bank account in the Wilmington Schools. Two have already done so. The following report will show the amounts deposited by each school:
School Savings Bank Report
Receipts from January 1, 1913, to January 1, 1914 : High School $15 94
Eighth Grade
Seventh Grade
14 91
87
Walker Grammer
$19 07
Walker Sub-Grammar
31 01
Walker Intermediate
47 74
Walker Primary
57 81
Whitefield Grammar
42 53
Whitefield Primary
44 53
North School
15
East School
4 96
South School
21 45
West School
6 42
Athletic Association
3 05
Teachers
65 00
Total amount deposited in the years
$374 57 $1,533 82
>
Number of bank books in 1911 and 1912 153
Number of bank books in 1913
36
189
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN BUCK, Treasurer.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT
To the Citizens of Wilmington:
In submitting the following report of the different Town accounts, we wish to say a word in regard to the deficits, which, though small in most cases, are occasioned by a reclassification of appropriations under the new system of accounting.
The reports of the different departments responsible directly to the Board of Selectmen will be found under their respective headings.
HERBERT C. BARROWS, Chairman. ARTHUR W. EAMES, EDWARD N. EAMES,
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REPORT OF APPROPRIATIONS, RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS, YEAR 1913
GENERAL GOVERNMENT Selectmen's Department
Appropriation
$510 00
Payments
Salaries
$450 00
Postage and stationery
20 66
Printing
22 90
Legal services
20 00
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