USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1962-1963 > Part 4
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Mosquitoes:
Homes, swamps, and bog areas were sprayed again this year which is the usual practice of this department. We also used "Toss Its" ..... these are little gelatin bombs which dissolve in the water releasing chemicals which kill the larva of the mosquitoes. During the winter months, the bogs and swamps are dusted with a powdered chemical while they are still frozen. When they thaw out in the Spring, the chemicals contact the larva. None of the chemicals mentioned above are harmful to humans, fish, or wildlife.
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Wilmington Memorial Library
Poison Ivy:
Brush killer was sprayed on stone walls, streets, and around homes where poison ivy was found. The road- side was also sprayed, with particular notice being given to street corners, where the motorist's view was obstructed causing an accident hazard.
Town Forest:
The Town Forest has been cleared of all underbrush, dead trees have been removed, and dangerous limbs have been cut. The road around the Forest has been cleared; also, the ball park was sprayed throughout the summer months.
Cemetery Department O
Cemetery:
The hot topping program which was started in 1959 and continued over the past four years has covered about ninety-five per cent of our avenues. The remaining roads are to be rebuilt in 1963 and hot topped later in the year.
Heavy equipment was hired to remove and haul away stumps to make way for expansion. The newly expande area was then cleared of roots and readied for fill. We haul the fill during our spare time. This also make a place for the Highway Department to dump surplus fill when excavating new roads.
The new two-grave section, which was seeded in 1961, was measured and marked off into the eight-foot lots constituting two graves. Another portion of land consisting of approximately 1, 000 square feet, which was graded and seeded, will be used for single graves. A parcel containing about 12, 000 square feet in Sect. E was landscaped, loamed, seeded, and marked for family lots.
Regular routine work was conducted by our department. The whole cemetery was spread with an application of organic fertilizer which is proving to be a very beneficial grass food.
The Cemetery Department purchased a new industrial type tractor this year. It is equipped with a front-end loader, a gravel bucket, a snow bucket, a York Rake which is used for grading, and an eight-foot street broom. This machinery is very effective in the upkeep of the cemetery and the care of school grounds. Th sweeper has proved essential also in the clearing of skating areas.
Wilmington residents died in Wilmington 13
Wilmington residents died elsewhere 25
Non-residents 30
Baby interments
10
Cremations 1
Transfers 1
80
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Parks:
The Cemetery Department is responsible for the care and upkeep of the parks and school grounds.
The five veterans' parks were kept mowed, and flowers were planted for Memorial Day.
The Town Park was maintained throughout the year. The ball diamond was rebuilt with sand and loam and it was kept cut for softball.
The Town Common received regular mowing and was watered when necessary. Two applications of ferti - lizer were applied to this area.
The Silver Lake Beach area received weekly cleaning, and maintenance when necessary. Three Hundred and five tons of sand were added to the beach, and the parking lot was resurfaced with a layer of sand.
School Grounds Maintenance:
During 1962 the school grounds were used constantly for athletics, creating the need for constant upkeep. The grounds received two applications of fertilizer and were mowed regularly. The ball diamonds were kept in shape, and the track and the football field were put in condition for school activities. The men are constantly reloaming bare spots and thin areas that keep appearing.
The entrance to the football field was hot topped, eliminating the problem of mud. Hot topping also included a walk around the back of the High School connecting the parking lots.
The Walker School driveway was resurfaced with hot topping. Loam was hauled to start landscaping the area around the school. Shrubbery and evergreens were planted in the front section. This planting was donated by the Walker School Mothers' Club.
In concluding my report, I would like to express my thanks to all Departments, the Town Manager, and the Board of Selectmen for their cooperation.
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Public Library
It is very gratifying to report that 1962 continued to find the Library serving the Town to a substantially greater extent. Perhaps the most significant evidence of this is the fact that almost one thousand new bor - rowers were registered. Book circulation figures showed an increase of 8%.
Emphasis this year was placed on increasing our staff to provide more adequate service. In April, Mrs. Ruth Harding was appointed as Assistant Librarian on a full-time basis. This was made possible by reason of the State Grant for Public Libraries, which amounted this year to $3, 118. 75.
The State Grant also permitted the opening of the Library for an additional ten hours a week, bringing the total up to fifty and one-half hours a week, the number recommended by the State for a Town of our size.
Our most serious problem is one of space. Plans to solve this situation were presented to the Town at a Special Town Meeting in April. These involved an appropriation of $15, 000 to purchase the old St. Thomas Church, and the appropriation of an additional $15, 000 to renovate it. Both appropriations were voted by the Town, and it was anticipated that the building would be in use in the fall of 1962. However, legal diffi- culties developed which prevented the Town from obtaining a clear title to the property, and the plans have had to be postponed.
A change was made in the Bookmobile program when a stop at the Glen Road School was substituted for the one at Silver Lake. This year marks the completion of five years of Bookmobile Service provided by the State Regional Library Center in North Reading and administered by the Massachusetts Division of Library Extension. We would like to express our appreciation of this fine facility which has done a great deal to assist us in extending our library service.
The opening of National Library Week in April was observed at an Open House held at the Library under the auspices of the Literature Club of the Wilmington Women's Club. A historical collection of books was ar - ranged by the librarian for this occasion, and an attractive exhibit of pictures by local artists was on displa Throughout the week, programs on literature and music were held at the Library under the direction of Mrs. Elizabeth Neilson.
We take this opportunity to extend to the library staff our gratitude for their co-operation and effort.
LIBRARIAN'S REPORT
Books added to the Library
1,988
Young people's Science Encyclopedia
20 vols.
Records added: Single
32
Albums
9
Books circulated: Library
54,928
Bookmobile
3,956
Records circulated
1,230
Periodicals circulated
811
New borrowers
949
Fines collected
$1,199. 67
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Since June 1 the Library has been open during the supper hour, making the total number of hours open weekly 50 1/2. The new hours are as follows:
Monday through Friday - 10. 00 a. m. to 12. 00 Noon 2 Saturday 2.00 p. m. to 5.00 p. m.
1. 30 p. m. to 9. 00 p. m. 7.
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Closed: Sundays and holidays, and on Saturday during July and August
A large registration of preschool children again made it necessary to divide the Story Hour into two groups, each meeting on alternate Wednesdays. We are grateful to Mrs. Bruce MacDonald and Mrs. Theodore McKie who give so generously of their time and talent to this service.
The Library has a good basic reference collection for general use. Inadequate space makes it difficult to meet the needs of the increased number of students seeking material and a place to use it. With a large number of students commuting to nearby colleges, the requests for college material are greater than ever. As a public library, we find it impossible to supply all the needs of this specialized group. This material is, or should be, available in the various school and college libraries.
Permanent Building Committee
The Permanent Building Committee is pleased to report the completion of the North Intermediate School Building last August, well ahead of the school opening date and within the original cost estimate of the Committee.
The new school has more than twenty classrooms, a gymnasium, and auditorium. Included in the building are a medical suite, music room and large kitchen. The school will serve as an elementary school as well as an intermediate school for the next few years in order to save the cost of building a smaller elementary school in 1963. In October the Committee awarded a contract for the seeding of the play area, and this was accomplished together with landscaping prior to the winter weather.
During the course of the past year, the Committee has spent several days in investigating sites for future school needs. Prior to the recommendation made to the Board of Selectmen to acquire the Hall property on Woburn Street, the Committee surveyed and obtained subsurface investigations on two sites. Additional sites will be required in West Wilmington for two new schools which will be needed by September of 1968. The present schedule of school building needs calls for a fifteen room elementary school for September 1964 in North Wilmington, another ten to fifteen room elementary school for September 1966 for West Wilmington, and in September 1968 a twenty room intermediate school in West Wilmington. It is important to note that the schedule does not call for abandonment of any of the existing facilities nor does it take into account any large real estate development which might be started. The plans are based on the assumption that new housing starts will remain at the same level as those of the past three to four years.
The Board of Selectmen appointed Mr. Robert B. Michelson, formerly a member of the Finance Committee, to this Committee replacing Mr. Joseph F. Courtney whose term expired. Mr. Michelson has had experi - ence in the construction industry, both in the Town and for the Metropolitan District Commission which will aid in the understanding of Committee problems.
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Wilmington Memorial Library
School Committee
To the Citizens of Wilmington:
The School Committee of the Town of Wilmington herewith presents its Report for the year 1962.
In the pages that follow, the School Committee, and the Superintendent of Schools and his associates will attempt to: (1) highlight the major accomplishments effected this past year in the areas of personnel and curriculum development, (2) apprise the citizens of the needs of our long range building program, and (3) point up recommendations for the improvement of our total public school operation. The report will conclude with the usual data about pupil enrollments and the school budget. Your careful perusal is solicited
PERSONNEL
The number of teachers in our system continues to increase because of growing pupil enrollments and the desire on the part of the Committee to improve the curriculum. In the fall of 1961, the number of teachers and principals was 150; in September of 1962, it was 166. Of these sixteen new positions, nine represent additions because of increased enrollment, while seven were added to improve the programs in physical education, art, music, homemaking, industrial arts, guidance services, and speech therapy, with the latter filling a long needed want in the school system.
During the year, the Committee elected twenty-one teachers to tenure, appointed twenty-five teachers to fill staff vacancies, and one member was granted a leave of absence. A breakdown of the reasons for the resignations reveals the following picture:
Family Responsibilities 2
Illness
1
Counselled out 3
Personal 2
Pregnancy 7
Home Town Teaching 5 Better Salary 3
Professional Advancement 2
==== =
As you can see, teacher recruitment and selection is the number one job of the Committee and the Admini - stration.
The Committee made further modifications in the salary schedule, effective in 1963, to bring it into line with the new state minimum salary and the Committee's own policy of staying $200 above this minimum in order to attract and hold a competent professional staff. Thus the new salary schedule for Wilmington teachers with a bachelor's degree will be $4700 - $7500 in fourteen (14) yearly increments of $200 each. For teachers with a master's degree, the range will be $5000 - $7800.
LONG RANGE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM
The North Intermediate School, the first of two, possibly three such schools in Wilmington's long range school building program, was ready for the opening of the school year in September, 1962. This fine school is not only meeting the needs of the first crush of an expanding Grade 7-8 enrollment but also houses nine rooms of elementary children. The latter group will have to be housed elsewhere by 1964 when the Inter - mediate School will become a Grade 7-8 center.
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Looking ahead, the School Committee at its regular meeting of Wednesday, October 3, 1962, favored the following actions regarding Wilmington's Long Range School Building Program through the year 1968:
I. Regarding School Sites:
a. That the Permanent Building Committee obtain a minimum of three sites at the earliest possible time:
1. One in the North Wilmington area in the vicinity of Park and Woburn Streets for an elementary school to be ready for occupancy September 1, 1964
2. One in the West Wilmington area in the vicinity of Shawsheen and Hopkins Street for an elementary school to be ready for occupancy September 1, 1966
3. One in the West Wilmington area in the vicinity of Shawsheen Avenue and Carter Lane for an intermediate school to be ready for occupancy September 1, 1968
II. Regarding Room Requirements and Types of Schools:
(Based on School Department projections as of June, 1962: They do not provide for any large scale housing development of the 150-200 home type that has been getting some attention these past few weeks. )
a. That two 14 room elementary schools be constructed and equipped for occupancy in 1964 and 1966 respectively
b. That an 18 room intermediate school be constructed and equipped for occupancy in 1968
C. The above recommendations for schools are based on the following data:
1. That 29 to 32 elementary rooms will be required from 1964 through 1967 spread in this manner, 11 by 1964, 6 more by 1965, 8 more by 1966, and 4 to 7 more by 1967
2. That at the Grade 7-12 level approximately 2100 students will be registered by 1968, with accommodations for 1325 at the high school and 540 at the intermediate school, leaving 240 to be housed. Just as in the present inter - mediate school, the extra classrooms in the first year or two of this school can be used for elementary rooms needed in 1968 or 1969
CURRICULUM
Educational advances initiated in our schools during the past three years (outlined in the 1961 Annual Report) were further refined and expanded during the 1962 school year. A brief description of these refinements will be covered in the report of the Superintendent of Schools.
Schools were in session 180 days beginning September 6, 1961 and ending June 15, 1962.
The Committee held eleven regular meetings and six special meetings during the year.
The committee expresses appreciation to the town officials and town committees, to the instructional and non-instructional staff, and to the citizens of Wilmington for their assistance and cooperation during the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
Wilmington School Committee
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Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee and Citizens of Wilmington:
I herewith submit my third Annual Report as Superintendent of the Wilmington Public Schools for the year ending December 31, 1962.
The 1962 school year can be summed up as one in which marked progress was made in the strengthening of the total educational program in the Wilmington Public Schools. A summary of the major developments follows:
THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Curriculum Activity:
A series of steps in up-dating the elementary arithmetic program, which began a few years ago, was con- tinued this year with the completion of an arithmetic guide for Grades 1 through 6. This guide outlining content, procedures, techniques, and enrichment activities was adopted as of September, 1962. It will not only assist the teachers of arithmetic as it is now being taught in Wilmington, but will provide a basis for introducing new ideas into our curriculum from research now taking place. It will also allow for experi - mentation with new techniques and devices.
An Art Workshop was conducted by the Art Department on October 2, 3, and 4 at the Glen Road School for all public elementary teachers and local private kindergarten teachers. The teachers were instructed in the techniques of papier mache, crayon and chalk skills, water colors, tempera paints, ink and combina - tions. The finished products of the teachers were displayed in their respective schools at "Open House" during American Education Week. Helping with the course was the Binney and Smith Company of Boston who provided all the materials and consultant services.
Changes in educational television consisted of a new phonics program produced by the 21" Classroom to replace the one previously rented by Channel 2 from Seattle, and a science program for Grade 3. In 1963, a science program will be added for Grade 4. This will provide a supplementary science program through Grade 6. Parents wishing to view the type of programs the children are watching in school may check with their children as to the day and time the programs are presented.
For several years, an effort has been made to reestablish the combined library and reading laboratory which had been set up in the Wildwood School when it was first opened. The need for classrooms in the intervening years has prevented this from taking place. But, in September of this year, with the opening of the North Wilmington Intermediate School, it was possible to restore this room to its intended purpose. As a consequence, the reading department now has a room in which specialized instruction can be provided to meet the needs of all the students, slow, average, and bright. This room is being equipped with supp- lementary reading materials and reference books to establish it as a central library servicing the entire building.
In an effort to acquire a more complete evaluation of achievement in the elementary grades, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills was selected to replace the California Achievement Test. The test was given to all third and sixth grade classes throughout the town, and the results indicated that the pupils in the Wilmington schools are achieving above national norms. The area of greatest strength was arithmetic, and the lowest achievement was indicated in the "work- study skills. "
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THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS
General Statement:
During the past year the high school administration had to fill out a two-year follow up report on the evalua- tion of Wilmington High School conducted in 1960. Of the hundred sixty - six recommendations made by the visiting committee, this was the status as of May, 1962: Seventy-five accomplished; twenty-one in pro- gress; forty-two in long range planning, and twenty-eight considered impractical for various reasons. At its annual meeting in December, 1962, the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
accepted this report as one of satisfactory progress.
The following developments took place within the various subject areas:
English:
Last year an accelerated program in Grade 12 was initiated. This year, Grades 9 through 11 have been added. Some of our graduates who entered college this past September have been placed in advanced English classes, which is our reward for initiating this type of program. The introduction of specialized books in literature and composition has allowed slow learners and those with reading disabilities to become more proficient at their own level.
Social Studies:
A new course in Modern History was added to the curriculum this year. Plans are being formulated to add a course in the History of Latin America.
Foreign Language:
The Language Department has inaugurated a deeper and more enriched program of study in Foreign Languages. This year, fourth year French and fourth year Spanish became part of the total program.
Content in the advanced classes of Spanish, French, and German has progressed to include a broader cul- tural background. For example, in third year classes, art of the various countries as well as music of selected composers is included. In these more advanced groups, a great amount of time is spent on the literature of the country. The students are required and encouraged to read in the foreign language.
Mathematics:
Throughout the United States, mathematics has been undergoing change in recent years, and the end is not in sight. At Wilmington High School, it is felt that the students will profit from the intellectual stimulation of the Modern Mathematics Programs, which are the outgrowth of the work of some of the groups concerned with revision of the mathematics curriculum.
With upwards of a dozen major programs now underway, it is difficult to determine what is the best. After looking over much of the available material and talking with various teachers facing the same problems, it was decided that a limited venture into the Program of the School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) would prove worth-while to our students. Consequently, two algebra classes (Grades 8 and 9) and one geometry class (Grade 9) are receiving instructions in this material. Naturally, it is too early to see conclusive results from the program or to make comparisons with the traditional approach, but it has been noticed that:
a. The students have a greater facility with a mathematical vocabulary
b. There is a wider use of the imagination on the part of many youngsters, and
c. There seems to be a greater amount of difficulty on the part of the student who relies too much on rote memory
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Two changes are contemplated in the curriculum: One, an advanced general mathematics course for non- college-bound juniors and seniors who have no desire to study algebra; the other, the incorporating of some of the SMSG junior high material in advanced groups of Grade 7. The latter will receive further study before being recommended.
One rewarding extra curricular activity which has given students, faculty members, and parents a good deal of enjoyment has been Wilmington's participating in the Massachusetts Mathematics League. Each month ten students from Wilmington compete against other schools in a series of ten minute "contests" covering a variety of mathematical problems. Interest on the part of the students is keen, and the desire to be a team member during one of the monthly jousts is encouraging. At Wilmington, emphasis is placed upon allowing the widest participation possible to the greatest number of students without sacrificing completely the possibility of scoring well in competition. Wilmington was host school at this year's first session held on October 18, 1962.
Science:
A Biology class for selected students is now offered in Grade 9 in place of General Science so that these students may have a broader and more specialized study of Science in Grade 10 through 12. Heretofore, Biology was not offered until Grade 10.
Business Education:
One change in the curriculum this year was to eliminate the half year phase of Business Law and Salesman- ship and make a full year course with each being offered in alternate years.
Industrial Arts:
Some changes made in course content this year were:
a. Electricity - Electronics: The introduction of repairs of radio circuitry through the purchase of a signal tracer, tube testers, and an oscilloscope
b. Drafting: Reproduction of blue prints with the aid of a Rotolite Expeditor plus offering architectural drafting for fourth year students
c. Graphic Arts: This course has been enriched through the acquisition of a rubber stamp machine, a padding press, and a suede-tex machine
Library:
.....
The selection, replacement and weeding out of books are constant and continuous processes of the library. Its collection and services are built on the correlation and enrichment of the curriculum, student activities, guidance, and the professional needs of the faculty.
The library will put new emphasis in the future on its qualitative resources. In cooperation with the class- room teachers, more laboratory classes in all subject areas will be held in the library under the super - vision of the librarian and the teacher. More intensive research will be expected of students in all courses. Use of specialized reference books in the social studies and literature courses will develop and encourage independent thought and content analyses.
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