USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1917-1918 > Part 4
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recommended by the United States Commissioner of Education than under the present arrangement of eight grades of elemen- tary school and four years of high.
In June, all the pupils who were finishing their last year of grammar school work and who contemplated entering the high school, were required to make a choice of courses for this year on a blank furnished for this purpose. This blank was signed by the parent or guardian and the choice was approved by the principal.
Pupils should choose with great care the courses they desire to pursue as they are expected to abide by their decisions. The teachers and principal are glad to give pupils and parents any advice and assistance possible in the selection of courses and studies. No pupil is permitted to change his course or drop a subject or take up an additional one without a written request from home and the approval of the principal. A pupil may be required to discontinue a subject if it appears that he is attempting to shoulder more than his health or ability warrants, provided the parent has been previously notified of the probable necessity of such action.
Pupils and parents should bear in mind that but a limited amount of time is available for study in the high school. A pupil of average ability needs to spend two to three hours per day in home study. The tendency of pupils and parents to overlook this difference between grammar school and high school work is the cause of many failures during the first year of the high school. Unless the pupil has regular and unin- terrupted hours of study at home, failure is practically certain.
If a pupil studies faithfully at home and still fails in his work, he may be attempting too much, his methods of study may be wrong or his health may need attention; in any case, immediate consultation with the principal, is advisable.
64
The School Committee has been not fied that the high school has been approved by the State Board of Education for the privilege of certification of pupils to the State Normal Schools as belonging to Class A. Last year the school was approved "as belonging to Class B." "A high school in Class A may cer- tificate to a State Normal School any graduates in subjects in which they have a mark of A or B. A high school in Class B may certificate to a State Normal School only those graduates who are in the upper half of the graduating class and have at- tained a mark of A or B in at least 10 of the 15 units counted toward graduation from high school."
Following the recommendation of the Committee of Social Studies of the National Educational Association in Secondary Education the courses in History have been completely re- organized. As formerly constituted, a year was allotted to each of the following: Community Civics, Ancient History, Medieval and Modern History, English History, and United States History and Civics. Five periods per week were given to all except Community Civics which received only three periods weekly. In accordance with the belief of the committee that there should be a social study in each year of the pupils' course the following outline, as recommended, has been adopted :
First Year.
Civics-economic and vocational. Economic History.
Second Year.
European History to approximately the end of the seven- teenth century.
Third Year.
European History (including English) since approximately the end of the seventeenth century.
65
Fourth Year.
American History, Civics and Problems of American Democracy.
The old subject of Ancient History has been retained in the College Course for those pupils who are preparing to enter college.
It is my firm belief that there should be a complete reorganiza- tion of the time schedule of the Commercial Course. Com- mercial subjects in the high school have been introduced for the purpose of giving a utilitarian or practical training to those who are unable to defer their vocational study to a later period. At the outset, work in this department consisted of short courses in bookkeeping, penmanship, arithmetic, and business practice. More recently, however, the scope of the offering has been greatly extended not only by the introduction of stenography and typewriting but by the incorporation of many quasi- academic branches. Many educational values have been claimed for this course but the practical or utilitarian value of com- mercial work is its most important value.
The amount of time available in a one session high school for a pupil to reap this practical value or to prepare himself suitably for the modern business office is so slight that it seems wise to recommend that the time schedule in this course be greatly extended so that the pupils, during the last two years at least, would be required to attend eight hours per day. Stenography, typewriting and bookkeeping can be efficiently learned only by hard practice and many hours of constant drill. Time only will accomplish the desired results. As the strength of a chain depends upon its weakest link, so the standard of scholarship in the high school will never be any higher than its weakest course. The recent addition of Political Economy, Commercial Law, and Commercial Geography will have a tendency to rein- force the course.
66
By increasing the equipment of apparatus and materials in Physics and Chemistry the pupils are now able to do the in- dividual and group work called for by the requirements of the College Entrance Examination Board. There is still, how- ever, a shortage in the apparatus required for the course in Biology which should be remedied as soon as a sufficient sum ·can be secured for the small expenditure necessary to equip this course. Teaching sciences without a laboratory equip- ment is an ineffectual undertaking and the results obtained are not commensurate with the time and labor consumed. Gen- eral Science has been placed on a much broader basis and the work being done will compare most favorably with that in other schools in the State. On the whole the course in science has been considerably improved and reinforced so that it is now one of the strongest departments in the school.
The English course is undergoing revision to meet the sug- ·gestions outlined in Reorganization of English in Secondary Schools, a Report by the National Joint Committee on English Representing the Commission on the Reorganization of Secon- dary Education of the National Education Association and the National Council of the Teachers of English and compiled by James Fleming Hosie, chairman of the Committee.
In conclusion, permit me to thank the School Committee, the Superintendent and the teachers whose untiring efforts and hearty co-operation have made the progress of the past year possible.
W. F. ALLEN, Principal.
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REPORT OF ATTENDANCE OFFICER
Superintendent of Schools and School Board :
I hereby submit my first report as Attendance Officer of the Wilmington Schools.
From September 25 to December 31, 1917, I had twenty- eight calls. Three were staying out of their own accord; they were made to go back to school and get their work cards and have them filled out ; they are at work now. One boy was taken to the Middlesex County Training School, at North Chelms- ford, Mass. One case was found under the doctor's care and not able to go. Another case I found they had stayed out be- cause they had no shoes that week. Others were sent to school, but went somewhere else and played till time to go home. Some were kept home to take care of smaller children, because their mother had to go away. In most cases I found that the parents wanted them to go to school.
Respectfully submitted,
A. D. BUTTERS.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MANUAL ARTS
Mr. Frame,
Superintendent of Schools, Wilmington, Mass.
Dear Sir: I herewith submit my report of the year's work in drawing and manual arts.
The drawing outline this year has been very similar to the one used last year. It is classified under three heads: rep- resentation, construction and decoration.
Representation, or free-hand drawing, treats of the appear- ance of objects as to form and color and develops the habit of observing the appearance of common objects. Much time is given to free-hand paper cutting and illustrative drawing in the lower grades as it helps the little folks to express their thoughts and also aids them in realizing shapes and contours. The sub- jects are taken from out-of-door life, home life, nursery rhymes and stories, as these are the subjects that make up the life of the child. They are also taught to construct things out of paper and thus they learn the use of the ruler and the necessity of being accurate.
The grammar grades are learning to see things correctly and to represent them artistically. In the fall we took up nature drawing and used crayons instead of water colors and had some splendid results. We have also studied color and worked out several problems in construction as well as appropriate lessons at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Design, object drawing, con- struction and nature work will be the features of the spring outlines.
69
The High School work has included nature drawing, charcoal drawing of casts and still-life groups and applied design. A course in interior decoration is being carried out and designs are being made that would be useful in the furnishing of a house. Also color schemes and the selection and arrangement of fur- niture will be studied. The purpose of this course is to teach the pupil the principles of good taste and good design and to recognize the difference between refinement and crudity in the ordinary surroundings of his every-day life.
The Mechanical Drawing class is smaller this year than usual but good progress is being made. We have studied view drawings, working drawings, orthographic projection, machine drawing, intersection of solids, perspective and architectural drawing.
A course in picture study has been outlined for the grades which should give the pupils a good knowledge of the great artists and their works.
Last June an exhibition of drawing, sewing, wood-work and all the written subjects was held in the High School building and was very well attended by the parents and friends. The exhibit was similar to the ones of previous years except for a new feature, the display of geography and history note books, arithmetic, language and spelling papers which gave the parents a chance to see what was being done along the different lines of school work.
I wish to thank the teachers and the superintendent heartily for their co-operation and support in carrying on my work.
Respectfully submitted,
GRACE A. JENKINS, Supervisor of Drawing.
Andover, Mass., January 21, 1918.
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REPORT OF INSTRUCTOR OF MANUAL TRAINING
To the Superintendent of Schools, Wilmington, Mass.
I have the honor to submit to you my fourth annual report of the Manual Training School.
In one of my previous reports I have said that the primary requirements were to have the boys measure with a certain degree of accuracy, to plane the edge of a board straight and square, and to learn the use of the splitting and cutting off saws. One who saw the Exhibition last year would agree that this point was attained to a certain extent.
This year we are trying to make something that will be of practical value to the schools, and, thinking it will create more interest, we are not disclosing the name of the article until it is completed. The citizens of the town are invited to attend the next Exhibition and see for themselves that our time is well spent. The projects we have accomplished in the past year and the advancements we have made from time to time are but a sample of what we expect to do this year.
At the last Exhibition we had a large number of different articles, namely: small benches, cutting boards, knife trays, bird houses, bread boards, towel rollers, book stands, step lad- ders, milking stools, clothes line reels, flower stands, book cases,
71
tool boxes, clothes driers, mitre boxes, telephone tables, car- penter's horses, window seats, snow shovels, storm doors and many other articles.
This year we expect to reproduce some of these articles in oak, and while we will not have the quantity we had last year, we expect the quality to be far superior.
Respectfully yours,
WILLIAM T. BERESFORD.
Cambridge, Mass., January 22, 1918.
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REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC
Mr. R. E. Frame,
Superintendent of Schools, Wilmington, Mass.
Dear Sir: I herewith submit a report of music for the year 1917.
With the very efficient help and co-operation of our teachers the results obtained in the music department for the past year have been very satisfactory. The system of sight reading in all its various branches which we teach is worthy of our closest application and through it we have been able to present the subject in an interesting and instructive way. Less technical work has been done in the two lowest grades and more attention is paid to song singing as a means of developing love of music and good rhythm. I am very desirous of placing the manual of a plan of instruction in the hands of the lower grade teachers which will contain songs of real musical value especially ar- ranged for this work.
The intermediate and upper grades have done the required amount of work assigned in nearly all cases. Our text books which are a plan of work in themselves contain excellent material both for application of the technical side and for song singing. The songs in particular are very well adapted to the child voice and are excellent for recreational singing.
The High School chorus is doing very interesting work. It is a pleasure to work with them and an inspiration to find such
73
a large number of boys who can carry the tenor and bass parts as well as adult singers. The period is given over wholly to chorus practice, but work with special choruses of both boys and girls has been done out side of school hours.
A school victrola was purchased last spring by pupils from the Walker building with money obtained from a musical enter- tainment. This is proving to be a means by which children may hear some of the world's masterpieces in music sung or played by great artists.
In conclusion I desire to express my appreciation of the sup- port which has come from each and every one and to those who have made it possible to give our boys and girls a knowledge of school music.
Sincerely yours,
MABELLE PROCTOR COUNCE.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN ACCOUNTANT
FOR THE Financial Year Ending December 31, 1917
SHOWING
APPROPRIATIONS, RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS STATEMENT OF TOWN DEBT AND BALANCE SHEET.
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REPORT OF TOWN ACCOUNTANT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Following is my report as Town Accountant for the year 1917, with schedules showing appropriations, receipts, pay- ments, statement of Town Debt and Balance sheet.
As will be seen by referring to Estimated Receipts Account in Schedule 3, the deficiency in this account amounted to $5,342.45, caused by the Town not receiving the Excise and Franchise taxes from the Bay State Street Railway Co., together with other items received not equaling estimated figures. The net deficiency for the year, $5,006.02, has been taken from Excess and Deficiency account. The Bay State Street Railway Co. taxes, also amounts due from the State on account of Poor and Dependent Mothers, are represented by item of Accounts Receivable, $5,074.48, as shown in Bal- ance Sheet, Schedule 5. As we have drawn down our Excess and Deficiency Account from $11,145.07 to $2,383.09 during the year, it seems to me unnecessary to say that the above amounts when received should be transferred to Excess and Deficiency Account. The wisdom of having a fair-sized sur- plus account has been fully shown by the financial situation we were obliged to meet during 1917.
Valuation book and commitment book were examined and compared before latter was delivered to the Collector.
Books and accounts of Tax Collector, Trustees of Trust Funds, Treasurer of S. D. J. Carter Free Lecture Committee and Town Clerk's Dog Tax Records have been examined and found correct.
The books and accounts of the Treasurer have been audited, and cash balance shown in his account, $11,950.56, is correct.
Respectfully,
HARRY R. DEMING, Town Accountant.
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SCHEDULE I
GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Selectmen
Appropriation
$850 00
Payments
Salaries
$675 00
Postage, printing, stationery
37 00
Perambulating Town Lines
15 00
$727 00
Unexpended, transferred to Balance Account 123 00
$850 00
$850 00
Town Accountant
Appropriation
$300 00
Payments
Salary
$200 00
Postage, printing, stationery
16 25
$216 25
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account .
83 75
$300 00
$300 00
78
Treasurer
Appropriation
Payments
Salary .
$250 00
Postage, Printing, Stationery
58 17
Premium on Surety Bond.
50 00
$358 17
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 16 83
$375 00
$375 00
Tax Collector
Appropriation
$1,000 00
Payments
Salary
$910 10
Postage, printing, stationery
.
60 18
Telephone
.
.
13 74
$984 02
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 15 98
$1,000 00 $1,000 00
Assessors
Appropriation
$850 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund
35 31
Payments
Salaries .
$825 00
Postage, printing, stationery
·
29 71
Record of Property Transfers
30 60
$375 00
$885 31 $885 31
79
Town Clerk
Appropriation
Received for printed records
$120 00 75
Payments
Salary
$100 00
Postage, printing, stationery
6 77
Premium on Surety Bond
2 50
$109 27
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 11 48
$120 75
$120 75
Election and Registration
Appropriation
$300 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund 19 51
Payments
Election, salaries
$142 50
Postage, printing, stationery
37 50
Voting Booths,
7 01
$187 01
Registration, salaries
$125 00
Postage, printing, stationery . 4 50
Miscellaneous 3 00
132 50
$319 51 $319 51
80
Town Hall
Appropriation
$200 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund
25 55
Payments
Salary, janitor
·
$75 00
Telephone
17 91
Fuel
60 67
Light
33 20
Repairs
14 54
Insurance
23 18
Supplies
1 05
$225 55
$225 55
Constable
Appropriation
$50 00
Payments
Salary ·
$50 00
Protection of Persons and Property Police Department
Appropriation
$1,000 00
Received for Police Duty
86 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund
263 18
Payments
Salaries and wages
$1,175 25
Telephone
19 15
Travelling expenses .
22 87
Automobile hire
77 00
Printing
4 75
Premium on Surety Bond.
5 00
Traffic signals.
13 70
Medical services
.
6 00
.
·
81
Badges
$ 4 00
Legal services
10 00
Hire outside lockup
10 00
Miscellaneous .
1 46
Fire Department
Appropriation
$1,250 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund
314 09
Payments
Salaries
.
$752 81
Telephone
16 14
Whistle repairs and maintenance
213 99
Fuel
47 63
Stable rent
.
·
36 00
Horse and auto hire.
.
.
110 00
Repairs
105 90
Suction hose .
47 68
New horse
.
.
224 75
Miscellaneous .
9 19
$1,564 09 $1,564 09
Repairs to Fire Well
Appropriation
$100 00
Payments
Labor
$47 37
Material .
.
.
.
35 94
Team hire
14 75
·
.
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account .
1 94
$100 00
$100 00
·
.
.
·
$98 06
·
.
$1,349 18 $1,349 18
82
Sealer of Weights and Measures
Appropriation
·
$75 00
Received scaling fees
15 91
Payments
Salary
$50 00
Dies and seals
·
4 12
Team hire
8 00
Miscellaneous
2 00
$64 12
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 26 79
$90 91
$90 91
Suppression of Moths
Appropriation
$1,200 00
Received from State
1,138 53
Received for private work
99 24
Charged property owners on tax bills
964 00
Payments
Salaries and wages
$2,302 25
Team hire
501 00
Freight and express
7 71
Telephone
26 31
Liability insurance .
161 79
Postage, printing, stationery
41 81
Repairs
13 14
Batteries, gasoline, supplies
107 99
$3,162 00
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 239 77
$3,401 77 $3,401 77
.
83
Tree Warden
Appropriation
$300 00
Payments
Salaries and wages
$138 72
Team hire
·
·
36 50
Trees
.
.
.
76 25
Posts
9 75
Repairs and supplies
7 75
$268 97
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account .
31 03
$300 00
$300 00
Forest Fires
Appropriation
$500 00
Received from B. & M. R. R.
70 63
Payments
Salaries and wages
$167 35
Team hire
·
.
41 75
Telephone
2 95
Pumps, brooms, cans
52 81
Board of horse
95 00
Repairs
.
.
1 50
Postage
2 00
Freight and express
2 67
$366 03
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 204 60
$570 63
$570 63
.
.
.
84
Health and Sanitation
Appropriation $300 00
Received from State, account Inspector
of Animals 75 00
Received fees, Slaughter House In- spector .
177 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund
32 20
Payments
Salary, Agent Board of Health . $ 15 00
Salary, Inspector Meats and Provisions
354 00
Salary, Inspector of Animals
150 00
Vital Statistics, fees for returning births,
deaths and marriages 65 20
$584 20
$584 20
Highways, Roads and Bridges
Appropriation
$8,000 00
Received for use of Road Machine
5 00
Received for blasting caps, tar, etc. .
51 71
Payments
Salaries and wages
$3,604 51
Team hire
2,640 76
Removing snow
317 20
Premium Liability insurance
156 61
Tar and gravel
252 90
Hardware and lumber
210 71
Coal
41 48
Survey
10 35
Hire steam roller
115 00
Pipe
6 16
Miscellaneous .
10 16
·
.
.
.
.
.
$7,365 84
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account . 690 87
$8,056 71 $8,056 71
85
New State Highway
Appropriation
$3,000 00
Received from State
2,998 81
Received from County
2,991 81
Received for gravel .
4 74
Transferred to Balance Account
2 10
Payments
Wages .
.
$3,918 50
Team hire
2,006 53
Tar
1,110 00
Stone and gravel
456 99
Hire steam roller
235 00
Coal
429 91
Hardware, tools, lumber
536 55
Dynamite and exploders .
153 19
Brick, cement
129 15
Miscellaneous .
21 64
$8,997 46 $8,997 46
Salem Street Repairs
Appropriation
$1,000 00
Received from State
950 00
Received from County
800 00
Transferred to Balance Account
249 45
Payments
Wages
·
$1,346 20
Team hire
.
1,319 14
Hardware, pipe
84 31
Gravel .
109 80
Hire steam roller
140 00
.
.
·
.
.
.
$2,999 45 $2,999 45
.
.
.
86
Electric Street Lights
Appropriation
$5,716 00
Payments
Paid for lights per contract
$5,611 32
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account
104 68
$5,716 00 $5,716 00
CHARITIES
Poor
Appropriation
$1,500 00
Received from State, account Outside Poor
662 78
Received from team hire and labor
2,179 41
Received for milk
579 80
Received for poultry and eggs
301 51
Received for vegetables
231 13
Received for live stock
.
431 18
Received for wood .
24 00
Received for stone .
28 66
Received for miscellaneous
4 50
Transferred from Contingent Fund
257 33
Transferred from Balance Account
1,691 05
Payments
Account Town Farm:
Superintendent's salary .
$ 499 92
Groceries and provisions
·
809 44
Labor
·
1,878 70
Hardware and repairs
.
267 46
87
Hay, grain and feed.
$1,813 57
Live stock
486 25
Poultry and eggs .
111 50
Dry goods and furnishings
57 53
Seeds and fertilizers .
179 78
Blacksmithing.
127 93
Medicines and Medical services
35 78
Brooder .
15 40
Farming implements
.
83 75
Fuel .
.
10 25
Telephone
23 25
Miscellaneous .
26 05
Total Account Town Farm
$6,426 56
Account Outside Poor:
Groceries and provisions
$535 49
Fuel .
.
52 33
Clothing and shoes
43 11
Cash .
450 50
Nursing
6 00
Hospital treatment
229 36
Medicines and medical services
S7 00
Burial
41 00
Transportation
20 00
Total Account Outside Poor
$1,464 79
Total payments account Town Farm and Outside Poor
7,891 35
$7,891 35 $7,891 35
Aid to Dependent Mothers
Appropriation
$275 00
·
.
.
.
.
88
.
Payments
Paid under provisions of Chapter 763, Acts 1913 $250 00
Unexpended, transferred to Balance Account 25 00
$275 00
$275 00
State Aid
Appropriation
$360 00
Transferred from Contingent Fund
52 83
Payments
Paid as per State returns .
$412 83
$412 83
$412 83
Soldiers' Relief
Appropriation
$48 00
Payments
$48 00
EDUCATION
Schools
Appropriation
$20,000 00
Payments
Salaries and wages
·
$14,623 35
Industrial Education
313 50
Fuel
2,022 63
Insurance
183 80
Repairs
451 42
.
.
89
Books and supplies
·
$2,040 35
Miscellaneous .
363 51
$19,998 56
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account .
1 44
$20,000 00 $20,000 00
Heating North, East and West Schools Appropriation $300 00
Payments
Heaters and piping
$184 00
Brick, lime, lumber, etc.
. .
28 39
Labor
80 00
$292 39
Unexpended, transferred to Balance
Account
7 61
$300 00
$300 00
Public Library
Appropriation
$400 00
Received for fines, etc.
44 10
Received from Trustees of Trust Funds
82 24
Payments
Salary, Librarian
$150 00
Books and magazines
245 57
Light
9 55
Labor and repairs
·
·
.
12 63
Insurance
53 05
Printing
7 00
Postage and stationery
4 64
Freight and express
.
.
1 15
.
.
. .
.
.
·
.
90
Cataloging
$ 11 00
Fuel
31 75
.
$526 34
$526 34
Unclassified
Appropriation
$500 00
Tax Deed Release
17 36
Tax sales
314 13
Transferred to Balance Account
397 56
Payments
Printing Town Reports
$265 50
Delivering Town Reports
18 00
Postage, printing, stationery
13 50
Care of and repairs to flag and pole
129 84
Tax Sales
637 54
Flags
32 90
Certifying Town Notes
8 00
Legal services .
50 00
Rent safe deposit box
10 00
Repairs to Town Clock
12 00
Ringing Town Bell
5 00
Care Town Clock
45 00
Miscellaneous
1 77
$1,229 05 $1,229 05
Memorial Day
Appropriation
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