Wilbraham annual report 1951-1955, Part 24

Author: Wilbraham (Mass.)
Publication date: 1951
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 634


USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > Wilbraham annual report 1951-1955 > Part 24


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HEALTH: (total $2,141.29) Acre Drug Company, health room sup- plies, $125.29; Gwendolyn Buchanan, salary, taking children home, $1,162.70; City Dye Works, curtains cleaned, $2.75; Shirley Fuller, substitute nurse salary, $30.00; Arthur H. Goodwin, M.D., salary, $750.00; John Polaczak, taking children home, $6.00; Richco Products, sanitary napkins, $24.05; John Sigsbee, physicals for bus drivers, $24.00; William Tupper, taking sick children home, $16.50.


TRANSPORTATION : (total $27,415.40) Mr. and Mrs. Adelbert Brooks, contract, $1,250.00; George W. Motyka, contract, $20,215.00; Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Samble, contract, $5,330.40; Springfield Street Railway Co., tickets for high school, $620.00.


TUITION : (total $27,643.64) Town of Ludlow, $108.64; Town of Palmer, $825.00; City of Springfield, $26,710.00.


VOCATIONAL TUITION: (total $7,803.07) City Springfield, $7,461.07; Town of West Springfield, $340.00.


AUXILIARY AGENCIES, MISCELLANEOUS: (total $1,610.60) J. L. Ham- mett, diplomas and covers, $56.30; Lloyd M. Hoover, boiler insurance, $237.49; Howard Lumber Company, lumber for risers for graduation, $18.20; William F. Logan, building insurance, $942.76; Travelers' Insurance, Employees' Compensation, $209.85; Walter Whittum, graduation printing, $146.00.


NEW EQUIPMENT: (total $8,779.81) Joseph Brassard, Pines type- writer, $72.50; Frank Ballas, cello, $35.00; Milton Bradley, desks and chairs, $3,401.75; Cosman and Decorie, installing flood lights, $36.40; Howard Lumber Company, wood for new tables, $30.63; Leslie A. Hallock, microscope, $70.00; Howard Lumber Company, plywood and paint for desks, $34.88; International Business Machines, typewriter, $435.00; George T. Kelley, rubber matting, $65.93; Olive J. Kibbe, Baby grand piano, $200.00; Piano Shop, Pines piano, $690.00; A. R. Reid, stand, desks, chairs, lockers, $2,628.40; Richco Products, sani- tary napkin vendor, $36.05; J. G. Roy, cutting and wood for desks, $200.00; Soundco, microphone, P. A. equipment for auditorium, $117.35; Spencer Turbine Company, Venetian Blind Tool, $9.00; Springfield Molders, desk glides, $30.00; W. M. Welsh Manufacturing Co., science equipment, $51.56; Valley Cinema, screen, projector, $580.00; Worcester County Electric Co., coffee maker, flue collar, $55.36.


76


SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT (Continued) BUDGET ESTIMATE, 1954


General Expenses


Expense of School Committee


$75.00


Superintendent's Salary


6,075.00


Expense of Superintendence


5,025.00


Expense of Instruction


Supervisors' Salaries


13,910.00


Principal's Salary


4,450.00


Expense of Principal


1,440.00


Teachers' Salaries


89,590.00


Textbooks


7,062.00


Supplies


8,530.00


Expense of Operation


Custodians' Salaries


$13,772.00


Fuel


8,070.00


Miscellaneous


7,776.00


Maintenance


Repairs and Replacements


5,245.00


Auxiliary Agencies


Health


4,480.00


Transportation


33,452.00


Tuition


45,976.00


Miscellaneous Auxiliary


2,600.00


Outlay


New Equipment


1,330.00


$258,858.00


Community Program


$3,500.00


1954 ESTIMATES OF CREDITS ON ACCOUNT OF EDUCATION


Chapter 71, Section 7A, Transportation


$19,000.00


Chapter 643


35,000.00


Vocational


2,877.37


Tuition for State Wards


400.00


$57,277.37


The 1954 budget as adopted by your school committee and submitted to the financial committee, calls for $285,858.00, an increase of $54,610.00 over the 1953 budget. This increase is a necessity because of the continued growth in student population. With a student enrollment of 748 in 1952, 880 in 1953, and an estimated 976 in 1954, the school budget must be increased in order to educate the students. The items in which the costs of this continued growth show up to the greatest extent are :


A. Cost of Instruction : In addition to the five teachers added to the staff in September, 1953, and now appearing for the first time as a full year's expenditure in the 1954 budget, there are the new teachers required in September, 1954.


B. Transportation: Additions to the number and mileage of the bus routes are required to accommodate the increased enroll- ment.


C. Textbooks and Supplies: New books and supplies are needed to establish new grades.


77


SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT (Continued) 1954 Est. of Credits on Account of Education (Continued)


D. Tuition : Springfield tuition rates have increased to $400.00 a year compared with the $256.00 charged in. 1950. Added to the better than 56 per cent increase in per pupil cost, is this even more costly factor - our high school enrollment in the Springfield schools is steadily growing and within two years we will be sending classes of over fifty students into the tenth grade each year. At the present time, our total high school enrollment is 101 students.


E. Custodians, Maintenance, and Fuel: With ten additional rooms to be cleaned, maintained, and heated, this item of the budget must be increased.


One increase in the budget not directly resulting from the addi- tional enrollment is caused by the adjustment of the salaries for teachers now employed in Wilbraham. This increase results from:


A. Salary step increases earned by teachers through professional improvement. This policy has achieved the following results: 22 teachers with bachelor degrees, 6 teachers with master de- grees, and 30 teachers taking professional courses.


B. A general salary schedule increase which will result in placing Wilbraham on a competitive basis with the surrounding towns. This will assist in the employment of qualified experienced peo- ple to teach new grades and to fill vacancies. As important as the attraction of new teachers is, it is of even greater value to Wilbraham to hold its present staff. Our salary schedule must be such that nearby systems do not attract our personnel and reduce the Wilbraham schools to a training field for be- ginning teachers. With our children competing scholastically and academically with the children of nearby towns for entrance to college, the Wilbraham schools must compete in the employ- ment and holding of qualified, experienced teachers.


With the opening of school in September, the two new additions were completed. At the Pines School, the new all purpose room is making possible the long desired wish of the School Committee - that of offering equal educational opportunities to all the school children of Wilbraham. For the first time, the children at The Pines School are getting a year-round physical education program complete with corrective exercises and the development of basic skills. The band and instrumental program can develop and practice without interfering with classes in session. Space is now available for the remedial reading program and the visual education program. The serving kitchen and cafeteria space make possible the serving of hot lunches without interference with the normal operation of the school. Community use of the building is continuing to increase and the assembly hall is used as a much needed place for local groups to meet.


The ten room addition at the Memorial School enabled your com- mittee to close the Springfield Street School for one year at a con- siderable saving to the town. In addition to the needed classroom space, Memorial School now has all the necessary facilities to offer a complete junior high program. The large library, now in the proc- ess of being equipped partly through the efforts of the Parent-Teacher Association, fills a great need both as a place for reference material and also as a large study hall and home room.


The typing room makes possible the development of this special skill so much in demand not only in the business world but among those students planning to attend college or technical schools. The results of this course for the short time it has been offered have been


78


SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT (Continued)


1954 Est. of Credits on Account of Education (Continued)


outstanding with some students already working at an independent rate with results of over forty words per minute.


The manual arts room provides a basic familiarization course for all students in the first year with the opportunity to specialize and develop special skills in the second and third years. This room is completely equipped with the best in hand power tools, and all safety precautions have been taken to avoid accidents. The home making room is equipped to offer basic and advanced courses in both cooking and sewing. There are three complete cooking units, six sewing machines, and the necessary tables and equipment to handle an aver- age size class. The washer and dryer, in addition to providing a learning situation for the class, make possible the sanitary handling of gymnasium and cafeteria towels.


The school committee and the citizens of Wilbraham are faced with continued growth of the school population for some years to come. The present enrollment fills the Memorial and Pines Schools, and in September, 1954, with an additional five new grades, the Springfield Street School will be reopened. With the census records showing entering first grades of five classrooms each for the next four years, the School Committee in a special meeting with the Board of Select- men asked for a survey committee to study the future school needs for the town. With only the present rooms now available, September of 1955 will find the community faced with the unpleasant choice of running double sessions in some grades or sending students to Spring- field in addition to those attending high school.


A comparison of costs in Springfield with those in Wilbraham shows this to be an expensive method of solving the problem. Tuition rates are controlled by the state in that no town or city may charge a tuition rate of more than its per pupil cost.


Per pupil cost is defined as the total expended for support exclu- sive of General Control and Outlay, divided by the number of pupils.


In setting a tuition rate, transportation costs are excluded from the total expended for support if transportation is not being pro- vided.


TUITION RATES, SPRINGFIELD, 1953 No Transportation is Provided


Jan .- June


Sept .- Dec.


Year


High School


$190.00


$200.00


$390.00


Junior High School


$160.00


$172.50


$332.50


Elementary School


$110.00


$115.00


$225.00


PER PUPIL COSTS, WILBRAHAM, 1953 Transportation Is Provided


Year


Junior High School


$195.90


Elementary School


$181.24


COMPARISONS OF COSTS


JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL


Number of


Springfield


Springfield


Wilbraham


Students


Period


@ 160.00


@ 172.50


@ 97.95


Difference


133


Jan .- June


21,280.00


13,027.35


8,252.55


167


Sept .- Dec.


28,807.50


16,357.65


12,449.85


Junior High Difference


20,702.40


79


SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT (Continued) 1954 Est. of Credits on Account of Education (Continued)


ELEMENTARY SCHOOL


Number of


Students


Period


Springfield @ 110.00 Springfield Wilbraham @ 115.00 @ 90.62 Difference


524 Jan .- June


57,640.00


47,484.88 10,155.12


612


Sept .- Dec.


70,380.00


55,459.44 14,920.56


Elementary Difference 25,075.68


Total saved by educating children in Wilbraham 45,778.08


On double sessions, nationwide studies show that this type of edu- cation is most undesirable and should be considered only as a last resort and then on a temporary basis. Any shortening of the school day or afternoon attendance only would tend to reduce the scope and quality of our present excellent curriculum and thereby hamper our children in their future high school work. Most parents planning to offer a college education to their children hope to have the public schools provide the necessary preparation so that college entrance requirements can be met.


In September, Miss Marion E. Kelley resigned as principal and teacher of the sixth grade at The Pines School. Since 1927, Miss Kelley has served as a teacher and principal in the Wilbraham schools. During the years that The Pines School housed grades seven and eight, Miss Kelley supervised the teaching that prepared the students for the out of town high schools. Throughout her twenty- six years in Wilbraham, she maintained the highest scholastic stand- ards, and constantly sought to instill in her students her own true love of knowledge and truth. The many improvements at The Pines School are largely due to her continued endeavors to improve the educational facilities for her students.


In December, Mrs. Agnes C. Coote resigned as a teacher in the Wilbraham schools. Mrs. Coote has completed forty-seven years as a public school teacher, the last eight in the Wilbraham schools. She has been one of the favorite Wilbraham teachers, greatly re- spected by the students who still come back each year to see her, and also by the parents to whom her calm good sense and gentle under- standing has meant so much whenever their children needed help. Mrs. Coote belongs to that school of real teachers who are continu- ally interested in the progress and growth of their students.


The members of the Wilbraham School Committee wish both Miss Kelley and Mrs. Coote great happiness in their retirement, and know that the citizens of Wilbraham share their regret in knowing that they are no longer teaching our children.


It is the desire of this committee to provide the best possible edu- cation for the children of Wilbraham. We wish to express our appre- ciation to the several committees and officials of the town who are cooperating with us in the work of operating the schools. As mem- bers of the committee, we wish to express our appreciation to all the school personnel for their cooperation, industry, and loyalty in conducting the school program.


DORRANCE T. GREEN, Chairman LOUISE D. SCHATZ MARSHALL E. ROPER


Members of the Wilbraham School Committee


80


Extracts from the Report of the Superintendent of Schools


To the School Committee of the Town of Wilbraham:


ENROLLMENT


The enrollment of students by grades is shown below. These fig- ures were compiled October 1, 1953.


Grade


I


II


III


IV


V


VI


VII


VIII


IX Total


Pines


30


26


25


25


26


24


156


Memorial


106


102


70


62


62


54


66


63


38


623


779


SPRINGFIELD STREET SCHOOL


For the first half of 1953, the Springfield Street School was used to house a first, a second, and a third grade. In September, with the completion of the ten room addition at the Memorial School, the Springfield Street School was closed. The building continues to be of great value to the town as an emergency unit. While comparatively expensive to operate, the three rooms represent $90,000.00 worth of classroom space were they to be replaced with new construction.


THE PINES SCHOOL


The Pines School continues to function as an ideal elementary neighborhood school. It is large enough to efficiently offer a complete program, yet it retains many of the valuable characteristics of a small school where the needs and interests of the individual student can be met and everyone is working closely together. Here the im- portant skills necessary for the future educational growth of the student are being taught.


MEMORIAL SCHOOL


The Memorial School operates as a combined elementary and jun- ior high school, with all twenty-two rooms now in use. The fourteen elementary grades, centered in one building, provide a highly efficient utilization of textbooks, supplies, supervising time, and transporta- tion. With the special facilities offered by the auditorium-gymnasium, cafeteria, science laboratory, art room, and music room, many more learning experiences are available than are found in the average elementary school. In the elementary grades, the most important task is that of mastering the basic fundamentals.


GENERAL PROGRAM


This year, a fulltime physical education instructor was included for the school program. Students have regularly scheduled classes in physical education for the encouragement and direction of their physical growth and development. This, combined with a detailed program of corrective exercises, should be of real value.


The remedial reading program provides special help to those children having difficulty in both the basic mechanics of reading and the appli- cation of those skills in the areas of speed and comprehension. With the number of students now enrolled in the elementary grades, there are always some who through sickness or other causes require spe- cial help. Both the remedial reading and the physical education supervisors conduct classes at The Pines and Memorial Schools.


The purpose of the Memorial Junior High School is to offer wide educational exploratory experiences and opportunities to the students.


Upon the successful completion of the six elementary grades, each student enters the Junior High School with well developed ability


81


REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS (Cont.)


in the basic skills. While continued use of these skills is necessary as larger and more difficult problems are faced, the basic aim is no longer the mastery of the three R's, but rather the guidance towards and encouragement of the self-evaluation of the students as they as young adults begin their search for emotional stability and eco- nomic security.


Junior High students are no longer children, yet they have not arrived as adults. Plans for a useful, satisfactory life must be developed and guided.


With many specialized high school opportunities open to him upon satisfactory completion of his junior high program, each student should have had the opportunity to sample and test various courses of study and to discover his own aptitudes and interests. Whether it be in the classical, technical, commercial, or trade curriculum that the student realizes his ultimate vocation, certainly he must have not only the choice but the guidance and experiences to make the decision a wise one.


In grade seven, the first steps are made to introduce the student into wider fields of knowledge. Rather than the one room community and single teacher of his elementary grades, he now joins the more complex society of a departmentalized program. Several specialized teachers provide guidance as he enters into a more difficult and more exacting phase of this growth. Self-government and self-control are the aim of this year. Actions are judged as to their effect on the group, and the social value of fair play is demonstrated.


The basic skills are continually developed and form the core of the program. Homemaking and industrial arts are introduced and their importance in the future adult plans of the individual are developed.


Grade eight should find the student well adjusted to the junior high program. Throughout this year, every opportunity is given the student to discuss and study his plans for continued education. At the end of this year, each student faces the grave decision of choos- ing his course of study for the next year. Grade eight continues the program introduced in the seventh grade, one of providing a core program to promote the basic skills and habits, while enriching the curriculum with experiences designed to enable the student to find his own interests and desires. Typewriting and mechanical drawing are introduced as exploratory subjects. Each student is encouraged to widen his field of experiences and become better qualified to suc- cessfully elect his program in the ninth grade.


Upon entrance to grade nine, the student will, for the first time in educational experiences, take part in planning his own program of studies. If the training has been successful in grades seven and eight, his choice will be a wise one, for he will know what he wants to do, what his abilities are, and how much he must contribute to society.


A student's decisions as to study plans are so controlled that a future change in purpose is possible. The required subjects are such that sufficient credits will be earned to gain acceptance in any of the available high schools, regardless of what specialized program the student outlines for himself at this time. Here, as in grades seven and eight, every opportunity is offered for the student to ex- plore and test not only the subject matter but himself.


COMMUNITY PROGRAM


With the completion of the Pines addition, the citizens of Wilbra- ham now have two halls available for use under the community


82


REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS (Cont.)


program. Throughout last year, the Memorial School was in use six evenings a week. Since a large percent of the bookings are for either youth or educational groups, only a small part of the operat- ing fund was returned to the town in the form of hall rent. However, the value to the community of having a place for meetings and recre- ational programs far exceeds the net cost to the town.


HEALTH


The following figures are contained in the health report submitted by Mrs. Gwendolyn Buchanan, School Nurse:


Physical Examinations


149


Parents Present


18


Notices Sent for Physical Defects Noted


33


Dental Examinations


288


Notices Sent


176


Head Examinations


964


Notices


17


Weight and Height


747


Audiometer Tests


412


Notices


3


Visual Acuity


393


Notices


39


Examined by Family Eye Specialist


20


Fitted with Glasses


19


Pre-School Vaccinations


38


Diphtheria Immunizations


80


Diphtheria Boosters


219


Children Sent to Child Guidance Clinic


1


Children Sent to Springfield Hospital Clinic


2


Children Sent to Camp Frederic Edwards


4


Children Sent to Boys' Club Camp (Cost borne by Wilbraham Women's Club)


1


Home Calls and Children taken Home


107


Contagious Diseases


150


In March, Mr. John W. Gale completed his term as a member of the Wilbraham School Committee. During his period of service, the committee was faced with many difficult problems. In addition to the continued growth in school enrollment and the resulting increases in budget requirements, the town voted to withdraw from School Union No. 15 bringing about the need for a school administrative office in this town. Mr. Gale served as a member of the School Sur- vey Committee and the School Building Committee in the develop- ment of the two new additions. His wide business experience, out- standing record of public service, deep interest in public education, and knowledge of the community makes him an asset to any com- mittee.


It was both an education and a real pleasure to be associated with Mr. Gale in the schools. No beginning Superintendent of Schools ever had a more friendly, patient, and helpful committee member with whom to work. His basic philosophy combines a careful steward- ship of public funds, a thoughtful consideration of the welfare of the community as a whole, with an intense desire to provide fair and just treatment to all, plus a pride in the financial tradition of the town of Wilbraham. Although no longer a member of the school committee, his advice is still sought on many matters, both public and personal.


Through the cooperation of the Board of Selectmen and the Town Safety Committee, excellent supervision has been provided at each of the school crossings.


83


REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS (Cont.)


Great credit is due the school custodians for the clean, well-kept buildings. With the increasingly complex equipment and the special- ized knowledge required, the responsibility delegated to these men is a great one. Their competent maintenance of the buildings and their friendly cooperation with the teachers and students make them an important part of the school system.


To all town officials and committees, I express my appreciation for the help given the schools in the past year.


I wish to thank the teachers, supervisors, and other members of the staff for their patience, cooperation, and diligent work in the past two years. I wish to thank you, the School Committee, for the opportunity of working with you.


IRVING H. AGARD, Superintendent of Schools


School Statistics


Children in the School Census and Their Distribution OCTOBER 1, 1953


7-16


5-7 Years


Years


Total


Boys


134


414


548


Girls


119


347


466


253


761


1014


Distribution


In public schools


158


679


837


In vocational schools


14


14


In private schools


20


67


87


Not enrolled in any-school


75


1


76


253


761


1014


Total on October 1, 1952


239


625


864


School Calendar, 1953-1954


First Term: Wednesday, September 9 through Wednesday, December 23


Second Term: Monday, January 4 through Friday, February 19 Third Term: Monday, March 1 through Friday, April 23


Fourth Term: Monday, May 3 through Friday, June 25


*


Schools will close on all legal holidays and on Monday, September 21, Children's Day at the Eastern States Exposition; Friday, October 21, Hampden County Teachers' Convention; and Friday, April 16, Good Friday. Schools will close at noon on Wednesday, November 25 for Thanksgiving.


The Wilbraham School Committee schedules regular meetings on the second Thursday of each month. Occasionally the members are unable to meet at that time. However, the school committee will be pleased to meet with anyone by appointment.


84


Report of Sealer of Weights and Measures


Scales tested and sealed


70


Weights tested and sealed


62


Gasoline pumps tested and sealed


49


Tank Trucks tested and sealed


8


Grease pumps tested and sealed


11


Measures tested and sealed


24


Milk and oil bottles checked


110


Fruit and vegetable baskets checked


120


Packaged commodities checked


99


Found overweight


7


Found underweight




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