Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1913-1914, Part 9

Author: Wilmington (Mass.)
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Town of Wilmington
Number of Pages: 344


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1913-1914 > Part 9


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84 0 1 Paresis


Wilmington Wilmington


Barnstable Pepperell


Job W. Handy, Rebecca Otis William Greene, Rebecca Stewart


4 Feb. 8 Winthrop B. Eames


M M


M


84 724 Neuritis


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


Wilmington Nova Scotia Ireland Hallowell, Me. Wilmington


Warren Eames, Elizabeth A. Carter Not known, not known John Nee, Catherine Ridge Charles D. Doe, Louisa A. MaeIntosh Guy Holt, Gladys M. Lucas


10 Mar. 15 Doris Allen Hoban 11 |Mar. 30 Alpin Grant, Jr.


M


M


24 420 Railroad Accident


Wilmington Wilmington Charlestown


Wilmington Wilmington New Hampshire


Everett E. Taylor, Mary L. Cavanaugh Leo A. Hoban, Helen C. Sheldon Alpin Grant, Mary Doherty


12 Apr.


4 Stillborn


13 Apr.


4|Stillborn


14 Apr.


6 Caroline Pagliuca


15 Apr. 17 William W. Carter


M


1 4 0 Tubercular Meningitis


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


Angelico Pagliuca, Theresa Barbiere Otis Carter,Abby Pratt Walter W. White, Irone Simpson


16|Apr. 17 Elinor M. White


17 Apr. 24 Charles E. Hudson


18 Apr. 27 John Bailey


M


M W S S


70 0 0 Cerebral Hemorrhage 0 019 Inanition


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


Wilmington Ireland Wilmington


Silas White, Rhoda H. Harnden Thomas Connell, not known Aristede Brabant, Amanda Brunelle


22 June 4|Charles T. Chopoorian 23| June 11 William B. Buck


M M


S 5 min. Premature Birth


Wilmington


Wilmington Wilmington


Meshach Chopoorian, Hannah Ford Forest H. Buck, Melisae L. Graffam


24 July 9 Glenn Alvin Nee


M


S


4 hours Premature Birth


Wilmington


Wilmington


Patrick J. Nee, Florence M. Keef


25 Aug. 1


- - Marsicovetere


S


1 hour Malposition 2 hrs. Premature Birth


26 Aug.


2 -- Harris


27 Aug.


2 Sarah F. Bartlett


F F


W M


73 5 1 Chronic Nephritis 25 11 0|Uremia


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


Wilmington Wilmington Andover Detroit, Minn.


Frank Marsicovetere, Agnes Casaletto Charles R. Harris, Bertha I .. Bisbee Samuel Manning, Betsy W. Smith Amon Wentworth, Anna Boutwell


28 Aug.


6 Ida Boynton


F


M


58 019 Catarrhal Pneumonia


- 6 Feb. 22 Bridget Nee 7 Feb. 25 Albert E. Doe 8 Feb. 26 Donald Holt


M


M


158 116| Cancer


0 0 2|Umbilicum Hernia


9 Mar. 10 Ralph E. Taylor


M F


S S S


M M F M F M


S M 66 0 15 Cerebral Hemorrhage 85 0 0 Brights Disease


Chelmsford


Cambridgeport, Vt. Charles P. Hudson, Sophia Oakes Abner Bailey, Hannah Mears


19 May 18 Lorenzo White


M M M


79 10 0 Neuralgia Heart


20 May 25|John Connell


21 May 27 Joseph P. Brabant


0 010 Cardiae Malformation| Wilmington


F M


S


Bladder


62 2 5 Diarrhea & Enteritis


3 Jan. 25 Merril Alonzo Greene


M


S 34 1 16 |General Paralysis


5 Feb. 21 John A. Ray


M


0 8 3 Chronic Bronchitis


0 5 9 Uremie Convulsions


S S S 0 0 3| Congl. Hydrocephalus 68 1 9|Chronie Nephritis


29|Sept.19 George W. Pringle 30 Oct. 3| Roger C. Blaisdell 31 Oct. 10 Daniel W. Boynton 32 Oct. 25 John Andrew Reddy 33 Oct. 26 Louise Green wood 34 Nov. 12| Martha Ann Thompson 35 Nov. 12 Louise Kestner 36 Nov. 16 Walter F. Howland 37 Nov. 29 Decio Ugo Delbora 38 Dec. 2 Frederic C. Flint, Jr. 39 Dec. 3 Isaac Newell 40 Dec. 16 Mary Abbie Pike 41 Dec. 24 Edward Hamilton


M


S 42 924 Chronie Bronchitis


Wilmington


Tewksbury


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Merideth. N. H. Winchester Charlestown Wilmington North Reading New Brunswick Wilmington Scotland -


George Pringle, Mary A. Maynard


M M M F F


S


S


S 0 5 14 Diarrhea & Enteritis 0 2 5 Diarrhea & Enteritis 0 1 3 Heart Disease 0 5 18 Diarrhea & Enteritis 86 4 15 General Peritonitis 55 1 28 Cerebral Hemorrhage M 61 1 4 Angina Pectoris


S W M S


F M M M M F M


W


M


S S 19 2 6 Acute Nephritis 64 1 6 Dilatation of Heart 48 0 14 Railroad Accident


Stoneham Wilmington Wilmington 0 010 Umbilical Hemorrhage Wilmington 0 1 22 Broncho Pneumonia


Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


No. Reading Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington


Charles V. Blaisdell, Arabelle K.Closson Willie M. Boynton. Ida Wentworth Hugh J. Reddy, Addie Kernon Fred Greenwood, Mary A. Connelly


John Neal, Lois Mead Tobias Schrempf, Pauline Sley Zenas Howland, Peninah Foss Fiaravante Delbora, Alvira Iasillo


Frederic C. Flint, Louise Durkee Michael Newell, Mary Sherman George Walker, Hannah Eames William Hamilton, Sarah Hamilton


The following named persons were buried in Wilmington, but died elsewhere during the year 1914 Feb. 10 Robert Rowlands, at Dighton, aged 80 yrs. 9 mos. Mar. 28Robert Diack, at Vinal Haven, Me. aged 73 yrs. 1 mo. 26 dys. Apr. 29 Rufus C. Eames, at Reading, aged 64 yrs. 6 mos. 25 dys. May 2 Thomas A. McDonald, at the Soldiers' Home, Chelsea, Mass. May 18 George E. Swain, at North Troy, Vt., aged 63 yrs. 4 mos. 4 dys. June 18 Oscar E. Johnson, at Burlington, Mass .. aged 83 yrs. 0 mos. 9 dys. July 4 Thomas T. Valentine, at Belmont, aged 48 yrs. 4 mos. 16 dys. July 5 William Stevens, at Haverhill, aged 83 yrs. 11 mos. 25 dys. July 22 Robert J. Winton, at Haverhill, aged 64 yrs. 5 mos. 3 dys. Dee. 12 Dorothy O. Ames, at Somerville, aged 23 yrs. 3 mos. 4 dys. Dee. 14 William P. Holt, at North Reading, aged 86 yrs. 6 mos.


46


RECAPITULATION


Births registered in 1914


62


Males


36


Females


26


Marriages registered in 1914


18


Deaths in 1914


41


Males


.


29


Females


12


Dog License Account:


Number of Licenses issued .


204


By cash paid County Treasurer $481 20


Account of printed Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths:


Number on hand January 1, 1914 220


Sold during the year 4 .


Number on hand January 1, 1915


216


.


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


Together with the Reports of the SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL OF HIGH SCHOOL SUPERVISORS OF MANUAL ARTS SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC


For the year ending December 31, 1914


--


School Committee


Alden N. Eames, Secretary .


Term expires 1915


Edward S. Lewis, Auditor


.


Term expires 1916


Howard M. Horton, Chairman


Term expires 1917


Superintendent of Schools Charles L. Randall, 97 Eighteenth St., Lowell, Tel. 3297-W.


Attendance Officers


E. L. Roberts Samuel R. Rice


School Physician Daniel T. Buzzell, M.D.


Manager of School Savings Bank Mrs. Helen H. Buck


49


REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE


At the present time when the administration of school affairs is so fully and ably discussed by the Reports of the Superintendent and the Supervisors in the various depart- ments, it seems almost as though a Report from the School Committee was in the nature of " a fifth wheel for a coach."


When we recall the fact that the prudent chauffeur carries an extra tire on his machine, it may be that a few words from the Committee will be beneficial.


The main event in our school system the past year has been the erection of the High School building.


In order that the citizens may have some idea how the new building appears to a stranger we will quote a remark from Mr. Richard S. Beyer of Boston: "In the course of my duties as Inspector for the District Police I have occasion to visit many school buildings. I have never seen a building which in my judgment is better fitted and equipped for High School purposes for a town of your size, than you have here. I am surprised that you have been able to get such a building for the amount you have stated."


We will say that the amount stated to Mr. Beyer was thirty-six thousand five hundred dollars ($36,500).


When the building was started it was intended to be used only by the High School, but it afterwards seemed best that the seventh and eighth grades occupy the two lower rooms.


50


The old building which in future will be known as the Centre Grammar is in need of extensive repairs.


The boiler, which is of the section'ed type, needs to be practically rebuilt, as one side was wrecked by the freezing of the heater in the Christmas vacation.


The ceilings of the two lower rooms are in bad shape and in our judgment should be replaced by steel ones.


The roof is leaking badly and the chimney should be retopped.


If the two grades were to remain in the High School building these repairs could go over until another year, but as the Walker School is filled to the limit, it is reason- able to suppose that the Centre building will be needed next fall.


We have included in our estimate for the ensuing year the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) for these repairs.


We desire to say at this time that the seating capacity of the Assembly hall in the High School has been fixed by the District Police at two hundred and fifty (250). We shall purchase fifty additional seats so that it may be occupied to the maximum limit.


Through the courtesy of Mr. Lewis, a baby grand piano was obtained for use at the Dedication Exercises and has remained in the hall.


We trust that the citizens will arrange for its purchase as it is essential to obtain the best results, both for the pupils and the public.


The hall can be used at any time for any suitable pur- pose at a nominal expense by application to any member of the School Committee.


TABLE OF STATISTICS


SCHOOL


TEACHER


PREPARATION


Total Enrollment


Present Enrollment


Average Attendance


Per cent of Attendance


Pupils under 7


Pupils between 7 and 14


Pupils between 14 and 16


Pupils over 16


No. of Pupils in Grade VIII


No. of Pupils in Grade VII


High School


F. W. Carrier Ruth Giles


*University of Vermont *Smith College *Salem Normal


105


97


90.46


94


()


17


45


13


0)


0


Eighth Grade


Eva L. Hersey


47


44


43.38


96


0


20


21


6


43


0)


Seventh Grade


Carolyn M. Swain


40


33


33.12


82


=


28


5


()


0)


33


Walker, Grade VI


Blan Alexander Ida L. Shaw


High School, Belchertown Salem Normal


50


45


43.26


04


0)


18


2


0 0


0


Walker, Grade V


Henrietta Swain


Salem Normal


48


45


41.09


04


0)


12


6


0


0


Walker, Grades I-II


Gertrude Eames


46


43


36.55


92


33


13


0


0)


0)


()


Whitefield Grammar


Florence Koford


31


30


25.67


96


()


26


5


0


11


Whitefield Primary


Nettie M. Haley


39


37


28.35


93


14


25


0


0


0)


0


North


M. Ethel Chapman


18


15


16.16


97


3


12


0


() 0


0)


0)


South


Grace Boyd


31


29


26.18


91


12


19


0)


0


0


Marion A. Perry Mildred Eames


39


34


34.63


95


12


22


0) 00


()


()


West


Jessie Carter


561


501


92


83


325


83


49


43


44


Note. * Indicate graduates.


51


Elizabeth Batchelder


Elizabeth Lord


*Alleghany College Boston University Salem Normal


*Lowell Normal


51


46


39.09


89


1


45


0


Mildred Eames


* Northfield Seminary Hyannis Normal


* Northfield Seminary


16


8


10.18


91


8


0)


0


East


Genenia Kimball


Ilyannis Normal Salem Normal


*Miss Rust's Kindergarten Wheelock Training School *Lowell Normal


Walker, Grades III-IV


Mary Carey


0)


-


52


During the past year, a new out building has been erected at the North School. The former building had been in use many years and was unsanitary, and too small to house the fuel.


While the number of pupils at this school is small, we trust that it may increase in years to come, and we feel that even the few at present are entitled to the same con- veniences of the larger schools.


Arrangements are nearly complete for the installation of a Course of Household Arts in the High School. This is rendered possible through the generosity of the Woman's Club, who have furnished an equipment complete in every particular.


In order that the reason for an increased appropriation may be understood by the citizens, we will say the sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750) is required for insurance. As already stated we have included five hundred dollars ($500) for the repairs on Centre Grammar building.


The increased cost of maintenance of the High School is estimated at one thousand dollars ($1000).


The general conditions in the several schools of the Town are stated in the following reports of the Superintendent, Principal and Supervisors.


(Signed) HOWARD M. HORTON, ALDEN N. EAMES, EDWARD S. LEWIS.


53


FINANCIAL STATEMENT


Resources


Town Appropriation


$13,000 00


Massachusetts School Fund


1,313 36


Dog Tax


396 62


Massachusetts High School Account


500 00


Tuition of State Wards .


94 00


Account Superintendent's salary


400 00


High School Tuition


62 50


Received cash, scholars' tickets


2 80


Received cash, manual training


12 87


Received cash for book .


12


Refund on teacher's salary


.


10 00


Refund on janitor's salary


1 00


$15,793 27


Expenditures Itemized


Salaries High School


Fred W. Carrier


$1,402 50


Ruth M. Giles


690 00


Elizabeth Batchelder


603 75


Elizabeth Lord


·


555 00


$3,251 25


Eighth Grade


Eva L. Hersey


·


$600 00


$600 00


.


·


54


Seventh Grade


Carrie M. Swain


$565 50


$565 50


Walker School


Blan Alexander


$348 00


Ida Shaw


217 50


Henrietta Swain


546 00


Mary Carey .


276 00


Gertrude Eames


468 00


Mildred Eames


172 50


Alice Akers


4 60


$2,032 60


Whitefield School


Florence Koford


$540 00


Nettie Haley.


483 00


$1,023 00


District Schools


Grace Boyd .


$274 00


Mildred Eames


264 00


M. Ethel Chapman


390 00


Marion Perry


165 00


Jessie Carter


150 00


Genenia Kimball


390 00


$1,633 00


Special Teachers


Mabelle P. Counce


$209 63


Miriam C. Fearing


129 00


Cora I. Strong


231 00


Grace Jenkins


80 63


Winifred W. Rice .


164 00


William Beresford .


126 00


·


$940 26


55


Attendance Officer


E. L. Roberts $6 50


$6 50


Director of Savings Fund


Helen H. Buck (salary) .


$15 00


$15 00


School Physician


Daniel T. Buzzell, M.D.


$100 00


$100 00


Janitors


E. L. Roberts (High School)


$288 00


E. L. Roberts (Seventh Grade)


72 00


E. B. Mitchell


42 00


Mrs. Babine .


279 00


Mrs. Allen


39 00


Mrs. Surrett .


39 00


Carroll Horton


35 00


Lawrence Kincaid .


39 00


Samuel Rice .


250 00


Gould Buckle


39 00


Chester Dodge


1 00


$1,123 00


Superintendent


Charles L. Randall


$693 32


$693 32


School Committee


Howard M. Horton


$50 00


Alden N. Eames


50 00


Edward S. Lewis


. .


50 00


$150 00


56


Industrial Tuition


Middlesex County Training School . $ 52 00


Lowell Vocational School · 140 00


$192 00


Transportation


Bay State Street Railway


$250 00


George L. Allen


105 60


Adolph Simpson


14 40


.


$370 00


Fuel


Fred A. Eames (coal)


$414 64


H. C. Barrows (wood)


12 00


A. W. Eames (wood)


240 61


Elizabeth A. Eames (wood)


85 77


John C. Horton (sawing wood)


43 75


James E. Kelley (measuring wood)


2 05


H. C. Barrows (measuring wood) 25


Lloyd S. Lewis (sawing wood)


9 00


Repairs


S. R. McIntosh


$25 85


C. B. Coburn


7 90


Horton & Rice


233 86


William Beresford grate bar)


(pattern for


22 50


Barbour-Stockwell (grate bars)


10 00


C. H. Rice


1 25


E. E. Carter


7 38


R. P. Burgess


11 70


Smith & Anthony .


6 00


L. H. Kincaid


1 50


American Seating Co


2 40


H. M. Horton


6 20


.


.


.


$808 07


$336 54


·


57


Books and Supplies


J. L. Hammett Co


$347 88


Milton Bradley Co


.


28 97


American Book Co.


56 04


Little, Brown & Co.


2 90


E. E. Babb


161 28


Ginn & Co. .


120 79


Butterfield Printing Co.


4 48


Silver, Burdett Co


9 87


A. G. Pollard


35 63


Cambridge Botanical Supply Co.


36 78


Collins Hardware Co.


2 48


A. N. Palmer


29 70


Frontier Press Co.


4 41


E. E. Carter .


94 80


S. R. McIntosh


37 40


Wright & Potter Co.


2 87


Funk & Wagnalls .


9 75


Oliver Ditson Co. .


6 53


C. C. Birchard


4 28


Rand McNally


11 68


Frost & Adams Co.


3 00


D. C. Heath


66 23


Henry Holt & Co. .


16 63


Allyn & Bacon Co


21 29


Millard F. Wood (clock).


5 00


Miriam C. Fearing


1 00


F. A. Lowell


14 00


Horton & Rice


5 35


$1,141 02


Miscellaneous


S. R. Rice (cleaning)


$19 50


L. C. Swain (rent)


.


.


100 00


Howard M. Horton


1 51


Charles L. Randall


43 33


Fred A. Lowell


12 50


58


American Express Co 1 08


Lloyd Lewis . 7 35


Mrs. Allen (cleaning)


4 00


E. L. Roberts (cleaning)


25 00


C. V. Blaisdell (grading) .


7 00


C. V. Blaisdell (cleaning vaults)


18 00


A. & E. Burton Co.


19 80


E. B. Mitchell (sundries)


72


Dennison Mfg. Co


4 60


N. E. Telegraph & Telephone Co


21 20


C. H. Stapleton (diploma)


50


Boston Regalia Co.


10 85


Wilmington Grange


8 00


L. H. Kincaid (cleaning)


5 00


Mrs. Surette (cleaning) .


5 00


W. L. Kincaid (repairing clock)


3 00


C. Herbert Eldredge (cleaning vaults)


4 00


Charles Blaisdell (freight and team-


ing) . 1 89


Mrs. Babine (cleaning)


12 00


Gould Buckle (cleaning)


3 00


Harriet Swain (school census) .


25 00


J. F. Fairbanks (record book) .


1 65


Carroll Horton (auto hire)


2 00


Charles H. Wilson (express)


1 86


Boston & Maine Railroad


80


Buck Bros.


7 59


Buck Bros., North Wilmington


4 20


Boston Mirror Co.


2 10


Singer Sewing Machine Co.


37 44


C. S. Harriman Co


11 40


Chandler & Farquhar


2 96


Oliver Typewriter Co.


93


Frank Hamlin (repairing chair)


1 00


Massury Young Co.


77 30


George E. Hutchins (stamp)


1 55


Day Bros.


60


A. N. Eames


2 00


$519 20


59


Expenditures


Salaries (teachers) .


$10,045 61


Salaries (janitors) .


1,123 00


Salaries (school committee)


150 00


Manager of Savings Fund


15 00


School Physician


100 00


Attendance Officer


6 50


Repairs


337 04


Fuel


808 07


Books and Supplies


1,141 02


Superintendent


693 32


Miscellaneous


519 21


Transportation


370 00


Insurance


28 50


Industrial Tuition .


192 00


Construction


229 10


$15,758 37


Construction New Woodshed at North School


C. H. Eldridge (stone)


$15 00


C. S. Harriman (lime and cement)


9 10


Jeremiah Doucette (labor)


41 25


George Lane (labor)


4 50


Horton & Rice (labor and material) .


159 25


$229 10


Bills Outstanding


Fred A. Eames (coal)


$369 75


Fred A. Eames (insurance of Walker School)


118 08


E. E. Carter


156 41


$644 24


Total Resources


$15,793 27


Total Expenditures


15,758 37


Unexpended


$34 90


60


REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


To the School Committee of Wilmington:


Gentlemen: I herewith submit my second annual report which is the nineteenth in the series of Superintendent's reports. The past year has been a notable one in the school life of your town. There have been but few changes among the teaching force. All your schools are doing satisfactory work. The number of pupils is increasing, there being thirty-six more than were in school one year ago.


Your High School building recently occupied, is a credit to any town, and will be an inspiration to the pupils.


In this report I shall call to your attention whatever feature of school work is new, or has been strengthened this year, making recommendations for what seems to me to be for the improvement of the schools.


Teachers


In June of the past school year four teachers resigned their positions in your schools, Miss Blan Alexander, Miss Mary Carey, Miss Grace Boyd, and Miss Miriam Fearing. Miss Alexander had served a long term as teacher in ele- mentary grades and principal of the Walker building. She is the first teacher in town to be retired under the provisions of the new State pension law. She was an able and successful teacher; it must be a satisfaction to her to feel that she closed her work with a successful year. Both Miss Carey and Miss Boyd were good teachers, the officers of the school wish them every success.


61


Miss Ida L. Shaw, a teacher of a successful experience succeeds Miss Alexander as principal of the Walker build- ing. Miss Shaw is showing great tact and skill in her management, and is a strong teacher.


Miss Mildred Eames of the West school was transferred to the Walker building, grades three and four, where she is starting her work very acceptably, Miss Jessie Carter and Miss Marion Perry are at the West and South respec- tively; both are doing well.


Miss Grace Jenkins of Andover was engaged to teach drawing and the manual arts; I am much pleased with the work she is doing.


I wish that I could take the space to speak of the teachers individually, but will say that all are doing creditably, while several are proving themselves exceptionally successful.


Supervisors


The time of the teachers of drawing and music should in my opinion be increased. The number of pupils has nearly doubled I understand since the time allotment, one day per week, was made. This is true of both branches though especially so in drawing, as more time is needed in pre- paration for this subject.


You will find it interesting to compare the time of the supervisors and the number of schools and pupils with the number of schools and pupils, and supervisor's time in the other four towns of the district.


Wilmington has thirteen schools with 518 pupils; one day per week is given by each supervisor. The schools as you know are so situated that some time must be lost in travel. Dracut has nineteen schools and seven hundred pupils; the supervisors of music and drawing spend two and a half days each in this town, but little time is lost here, except once in two weeks, when but two schools can be visited in half a day. Tewksbury has nine schools and 332 pupils: the supervisors spend one and a half days per week in town. The time lost by travel is about the


62


same as that in Wilmington. North Reading has four schools with 160 pupils. Tyngsboro has four schools with 147 pupils. The supervisors spend one-half day in each of the last named towns, no time being lost in either by travel.


While Wilmington leads the towns of the district in industrial studies a comparison of the above figures will show you that she is behind in drawing and music. I recommend that at the completion of the present school year the time allowed to drawing and music be doubled.


Exhibition


An exhibition of drawing and all form of handwork was held last June, in Grange Hall. Drawings were shown from every pupil in town, and attracted very favorable comment from the patrons present.


The exhibition of sewing under the direction of Miss Strong was a marked success and reflected great credit upon the teacher.


Owing to some misunderstanding, the exhibit in wood- work was not as large as I had expected, but the several articles shown were well made, and indicated what it is possible to do in this important subject.


There was also an exceedingly good display of business writing, the method taught in the schools, in which several of your pupils have become proficient.


I trust that the exhibit will become an annual affair at the close of the year's work, as it gives the parents a chance to see what has been accomplished in handwork throughout the year, and furnishes a keen incentive to supervisors, teachers, and pupils.


Manual Training


In its broadest sense any form of drawing or even writing is manual or hand training, that is, education through the hand and the eye. It is used in a more specific sense to refer to sewing for the girls and wood-working for the boys. Wilmington leads the smaller towns of this locality in the


63


hand training given to the pupils of the elementary schools.


Mr. Winfred Rice, who started the wood work last year. felt obliged to give up the work at the end of the year. Mr. William Beresford, of Cambridge, was engaged in September to carry on the work. Mr. Beresford has shown skill and thorough workmanship which argues well for his success if he cares to make a study of the subject prepara- tory to becoming a teacher.


It is expected at the time of this writing that the old shop which has been hired will be given up and that the manual training will be carried on in the old High School building, a room being fitted up by the class for a per- manent home. I take this opportunity to invite the parents to call upon their boys to make any small article needed about the home. If the boy is unfitted to make the particu- lar article the instructor will tell him so, and no harm will be done, but if there are several cases where the boys make an article that father or mother actually want, it will be a rare way of connecting the work of home and school. The same will be true of the work of the girls. Several instances have come to my attention during the past year, where the girls have been a decided help in the home because of the training in sewing which they are receiving in school. While talking to the School Committee of Tyngsboro recently on this subject, I cited the case of a girl in the Wilmington High School who had aided herself materially by sewing for her neighbors as a direct result of the school work. One of the gentlemen exclaimed, " Yes, Mr. Randall, and a single case like that is worth a hundred dollars" (the estimated cost of starting the course in that town).


I wish to call to your attention in connection with this subject, the special report of Miss Strong and Mr. Beresford.


Home Gardens and Fairs


During the spring term a large amount of seed was dis- tributed among the pupils of the grades and they were


64


encouraged to prepare home gardens and to compete for prizes offered by the local grange.


The most of this seed came from the State College at Amherst, but quite a variety was contributed by citizens of the town. The grange offered prizes sufficiently generous to encourage the children to strive to succeed. The fair was held in connection with the regular grange fair. The names of the prize winners follow. Potatoes: Ernest John- son, William McMahan, Talbot Livingston, Theresa Ducette, Mary Babine, Edwin Buck, Helen Buck. Corn: Walter Buck, Joseph Morgan, Mary Russi, Theresa Ducette, Johanna Reagan. Bread: Susie Hale, Mary McMahan, Miriam Buck, Sarah Hunter. Cake: Myrtle Carter, Beatrice Ducette, Frances Swain, Florence Haskell. Sewing: Margaret Nee, Lulu Hemeon, Hazel Hawn, Margaret Babine. Wood- work: Fred Maconi, Norman Perry, Edwin Buck. Flowers: Miriam Buck.


I trust that members of the grange felt that the children did well enough to merit the interest shown in them. I wish this feature to become permanent.




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