HomeMy WebLinkAbout1874-1875 School Committee Report REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL C O N K ITTE E
OF THE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON ,
.FOR TffE YEAR 1874-75.
ARLINGTON
OFFICE OF THE LEXINGTON '_bIINUTE—l11N."
1875.
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,The School Committee of Lexington herewith present their
annual.report.
APPROPRIATIONS
The town appropriated, for the support of its schools, at .
the annual meeting in March, 1874 > $12,500 -00
We have received from the State School Fund 242 07
$12,742 07
This sum we have expended substantially in accordance
with the recommendations in our last report.
ENPEN UTURES.
We have approved bills as follows ,—
For instruction $9,300 00
L,
Fuel . 541 79
Care of rooms 403 02
Repairs and incidentals 2;518 21
$12,763 02
It is possible that some bills which we have approved
have not yet been presented for payment, which may account
for any slight discrepancy between our footings and those of
the auditors.
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ADAMS SCHOOL. 'HOWARD SCHOOL.
Instruction 4.�0 00
`Instruction $2,200 00
Fuel 42 00
Fuel 117 50 t
Care o
Care of rooms: 82 $6of r<ionts 38 25
Repairs, etc. . 26 09
Repairs etc. 508 31 �
$2,908 67 $556 34
WARREN SCHOOL.
ROwDITCH SCHOOL.
Iustrtittiou $500 00
Instruction $500 00 Fuel 28 25
Fuel 58 0.5 Care of rooms 25 00
Care of rooms 35 00 Repairs, etc. . 681 82
Repairs, etc. . . 140 90 $1,235 07
$733 95
Instruction in music $600 00
FRANKLIN SCHOOL. Not classified 54 00
Instruction . $500 00 l $12,768 02
Fuel 30 12
Care of rooms 20 00 i At a recent meetiub the towu voted to instruct the School
Repairs, etc. �. . 21 82 1 ,
• Committee to establish a new-school in the Hancock District
-- -$571 94 and appropriated five hundred dollars therefor. The school
has been establislzecl, and we have approved bills to be paid
HANCOCK SCHOOL. froul that appropriation to the amount of$500.01.
Instructotl $2,000 00 The method of payinb bills adopted during the past year
Fuel 133 50 has made it difficult for us to Beep our accottuts as method-
Care of rooms 112 48 ically as we have before done, and it is possible that some
r` bills are charged to brains to which they do not belong, and
Repairs, etc. 824 70
$;3,070 68 we may not agree in all cases with the auditors as to the
amounts charged to the different schools.
HIGH SSCHOOL. The selectmen and treasurer have facilitated the business
as much as the rule will all(,w ; still it has caused us more
Instruction e $2,550 00 work, and Subjected our, teachers and others to considerable
Fuel 122 37 auuoyance. We have .found it necessary to pay bills out of
Care of rooms 89 43 our private funds, to the .extent of many 'hundred dollars,
Repairs, etc. . 260 57
-�-- $3,022 37 and wait for settlement until we were able to attend a meeting
of the selectmen..
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In a town where the selectmen meet only twice each structed, the, school building shingled, the basement, and
month, and. the 'treasurer has no regular office hours;' it school-room put in good repair, the school desks refinished,
would seem that some simpler method should be adopted. the walls painted, and blackboards made around the room.
In the Adams District, in addition to the furnaces contem- We cannot recognize, in their present condition, the un-
plated in the appropriation, we found it necessary to make sightly premises and the unattractive school-room of last
considerable outlay in repairing the roof, and in placing out- year, and yet 'much needs to be done to the school lot to
side windows on the north side. Entire shingling and many complete the work begun. Our resources only enabled us
other repairs will soon be required, but we ask for no special to grade the lot with the rough material obtained from the
action this year: lot itself] and we need a stratum *of loam and compost on the
We also found it necessary to go to considerable expense sides and rear. This should then be wellseeded, and a few
in repairing the flat roofs and rear wall of the High School trees set out on the street front and in other places about
i' house,-.and for the first time in many years we are able to the lot. The town has done so much toward the work that
report that the building does not leak. we feel the district should take the matter in hand and carry
The school premises have been much improved by the out the plan above suggested without further appropriation.
schokirs and teachers without expense to'the town. If the people in the district will turn out for a single day in
The admission of a large class to the school in rSeptember early spring, with their men and teams, the work will be
compelled us to procure some new furniture at an: expense fully accomplished.
not contemplated in our last report. Our school property throughout the town is.in fair con-
In the Hancock District we have placed another furnace dition, and it is not necessary for ,us to ask for as large
din the school building, and built a fence on the street front of appropriations for repairs as we have previously done. We
the lot,—a great improvement to the school premises, and cannot, however, anticipate every outlay, and it is necessary
an assistance in the discipline of the school. In our last to have the usual general appropriation for that purpose.
ine We call your attention in particular to the dilapidated
report we called the attention of-the town to the eng
house on this lot, and we again strongly urge its removal. fence and outbuildings in the Bowditch District. The credit
The school is in need of the corner where it is situated., the ( of the town and the welfare of the school demand a new
lot would be much improved by its removal, and, the prem- ° fence on the front of the lot at least, new out-houses, and
ises relieved of many objectionable features. !' considerable grading.
In the'Bowditch District we have done the shingling imper- In the Franklin District the house needs a new sill on at
atively demanded, and greatly improved the.school furniture. least two sides, and other repairs about the building-are
I In the Warren District we have done much more than`we demanded. The school lot is, in a rough condition in cone-
intended, and we now regard the premises in good condition quence of the removal of gravel from one side, for use on the
throughout. It was deemed advisable to extend the wall roads, the boulders and debris being left, .' A slight outlay
along three sides of the lot. This was done in a substantial will greatly improve the appearance of the lot. We recorn-
I manner, a good fence built around the lot, a very large amount mend that the gravel bank on the southeasterly corner be
of gradiug done, the out-houses and yards entirely recon- still further removed, the bank sloped, a bank wall built .
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for a short distance at the corner, and further trespass for To sum up, we need for the current year and ask you to
gravel be prevented. approhr iate:—
At the beginning of the school year in September, we
anticipate the size of the High School to be such as to re- For instruction, fuel and care of rooms $10,750 .00
quire about twenty additional desks, which we must now schcrcrl i;;cicleutals and small repairs 500 00
provide for. Y furniture for High School 125 00
rhe•une hundred dollars appropriated last year for books repairs at Franklin School . . 125 UU
of reference was fully expended, but made only a beginning � We recommend and strongly urge you to ap- i
of a library which every school of such grade requires. propriate
Our chemical apparatus also is sadly deficient, and we For repairs at the Bowditch School 250 00
strongly urge a small appropriation fjr each of these pur- furniture for Hancock School 300 00
poses. books and apparatus for High School 200 00
In our last report we referred to,the school furniture in — —
some of our houses and recommended its removal. As ; $12,250 00
before stated; we have improved some of it by refinishing, While the aggregate of the amounts we have above.asked
but we only regard this as temporary. We are still strongly for is less than that of last year, we are aware it is very
of the opinion that the carved, uncomfortable, disgracefully large, yet we see no way in which the first four of the above
dilapidated double desks should -be removed from all our items can be reduced a single dollar, and rur svhool5 con- ii
school-rooms and replaced with comfortable single desks. time in their present condition, or in afar) manner satisfLc-
We hardly expect all this to be done at once,—but gradually, tong to our people while the whole appropriation, and even
and we, recommend a beginning at the Hancock Grammar more, will be a wise investment.
School. We are sure that this would go very far toward trr' It will he remembered that for the last t',nee'years weJ
proving the gnorale of that school and doubly= repay the town' have had only three classes in the High School, no class
every year for the expense. being admitted in 1871, and 'yet the teachers have been
It will be seen above that the expense of fuel and care,of l unable to do the work for the three classes, or, at least, in a
houses f'or the year exceeded our estimates, and an increase ii
manner satisfirctory to themselves. At the close of the
of at least one hundred dollars for the former and of fifty "" present year in June no class will graduate, while a large
dollars f>r the latter will be uecessar_Y• class will enter, filling the school'to its complement of four I
We feel that the salaries of our teachers now enable us to classes, and adding one-third more to the school work.
compete fairly with adjoining towns, and are quite aS large as When this takes place we do not see how it is passible for the town can well afford. We ask nothing therefore for two teachers to do the work even in an ordinary manner. In
their increase., but it will be remembered that by vote of the our last report we called-your attention to this, and also sug-
town, a new school has just been established, and, in con- '" gested that with another teacher we could so enlarge and
sequence, another teacher employed. This adds to the ex- frame the course of instruction in that school that, to a eer-
pense of instruction five hundred dollars. tain extent, each scholar might select such studies as con-
formed to his circumstances and-intended career in life. As
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the school is now constituted the course must be contracted, year, until the college class becomes a permanent feature of
And it ,seems to be necessary that all the-scholars should the school The preparation for this class alone demands
` pursue the same studies. great care and more time than for either of the other classes,
We know that in former years the work has been done by and in most of our High Schools the principal does little else .
two teachers, and we need not go very far Back to find it than attend to the work of the college classes. Thus it will _
done by one but this is a weak argument, for we can recall be aeon that we are to have the work of five classes, and
the time when it was not done at all, and we suspect that possibly, another year, of six, so that relief must come from
much of the time since the school was established it has not some direction: 'If not in the manner above suggested, we
been done well. see no better way to do than to give up all college classes,
We are not willing to sit down contented and say that we and raise the standard of admission so as to have only three `
have done well enough in the past and.are doing well enough classes in the school, requiring the work of the first year to
now. We are not doing well enough if we can do better, be done in the lower schools.
and we trust the people will encourage the committee in all Some of the above-mentioned schools are no larger than
reasonable efforts for improvement. ours; one,at least,not so large; but it must be remembered
Lest it may seem that we have too enlarged ideas for our that .it makes little difference whether we have twenty
school, we ask you to consider what is done for other.High scholars more or less in a school of this grade, the work
Schools about us. 1 l depending on the number of classes rather than on the
In Waltham they employ five teachers, a principal sub- number of pupils.. But the employment of another teacher
master, and three assistants. necessitates furnishing a room for her in-the school building.
In Woburn four,—principal, sub-master, and two as We have at other tithes called attention to the room now
sistants. used for a recitation room. It is approached by a long flight
In Watertown three, —principal and two assistants. of narrow winding stairs, and when reached is gloomy and
In Stoneham three, —principal and two assistants. uncomfortable. The ante-room for the girls.is also on this,
In Arlington three,—principal and two assistants. floor, and we are confident that much of the fatigue com.
In Melrose three,=principal and.two assistants. plained of by them is the result of rapidly ascending these
In Winchester three,--principal and two assistants. stairs, many times per day. The boys' ante-room is about
In Medford three,—principal,sub-master,and one assistant, six feet square, and does not afford sufficient space for the
In addition to the above. there, are employed in most of coats and caps of those now in the school.
these schools special instructors in music and drawing. We have no accommodations whatever for the large class
We must not omit to add that for the first time in the his- expected at, the beginning of the next school year. We
to of the school we have a fine class of eight fitting for have no place for our apparatus, and no room for chediicai
college. This class is a credit to the town, and we must not manipulations and philosophical experiments.
fail to encourage them and to afford them every facility for We think, then,that better accommodations are demanded
thorough_preparation,. At the beginning of another year it for the school, even if another teacher is not employed. ,
is hoped another class will be formed, and so on from year to We suggest that ,additions be made to the-present build-
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ino,, so as to give us two recitation rooms, —one to be Howard, 49 6 21 4-3 parents.
fitted fir an apparatus' room, ante-rooms for boys and girls, Warren, 52 5 21 4 1
uid. water-closets aifd other conveniences in the basement• Hancock,- Grammar, 70 8 34 40
We have a plan by which this can be done at a reasonable 96 Intermediate, 57 13 33 25
cost, but without further sua;estions prefer to ask the iG Primary, 115 38 31 35
town to appoint a committee to examine into the matter, high School, ,59 17 24 75
Obtain plans and estimates, and report at the April meeting. --- -- --
672 159 266 308
REVIEW OF TSE YEAR.
When it is considered that many of the visits by the,coin-
The annual exaninatiOns seemed for the most part to give mittee have not been mere,calls, but have continued from
satisf+ction to the people, and 'pelhaps the schools appeared the beginning to the close of a session, and that many hours
as well is we could reasoirably expect, yet -we must confess have been devoted to the schools outside of the school-roorn,
we are,tiot fully satisfied with the results of the year. it will be seen that we have given quite as much time to the
We have been even more earnest in our work and have work as can be reasonably asked, and yet out- schools are
devoted quite as much time to it as in former years, yet we are _ suffer•iug from lack of supervision. Frequent visits ley par-
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couscious that our schools would be much benefited by a A ents, their encouragement and honest criticism, will-be of
more extended supervision than we axe able to give them. t` great benefit to the schools, teachers, and even committee,
Such supervision as is needed the town is hardly able :at and we hope to be able to make a better record in this re-
present to afford. But the efforts of the committee may be Bard next year.
made more effective by the encouragement and assistance of We have llrad changes of teachers during the year in the
the parents.. The apparent apathy of a large portion of the Warren and Howard Schools.
parents for' the work of the school is lamentable. It is At the close of the first term the teacher of the Warren re-
hardly to be conceived that a parent generally careful in re- signed, to seek a more lucrative position elsewhere, giving
gard to-the welfare of the child should allow year afterus little time to fill 'the vacancy. The school was large stud
year to go by without approaching the school-room. somewhat difficult, and we felt 'the rzecep ty of appointing a
Our teachers have kept a careful record ,of all the visits teacher of experience known to us. With much hesitation,
m ide by the committee, parents, and others, which we ;rive ' oil account of the loss to the Howard School, we transf'errecl
below ;-- Miss Jackson to the Warren, and appointed Miss Harriugrton,
Whole No. Visits-of Visits of At one of otir High School (graduates,, and more recently a pupil
of visits. parents. committee. examinations, in the Boston Normal School, to the vacancy in the Howard.
Adams, Grammar, 42 7 19 35 Again, when the Hancock Primary School was. divided, we
i{ Intermediate:, 71 16 22 40 ` - felt that Miss Harringtou'S services were. we rth more to the
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<< Primary, 79 30 19 35 town in one of these divisions than at the Howard, and von-
• Bowditch,- 58 18 24 11.-5 parents. turgid to make the transfer. We appointed Miss M. A.
Franklin, 20 1 16 4- 1
Gustiu, of Woburn, a teacher of considerable experience, to
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fill the vacancy, and we are confident we shall not further ulations, to say nothing of the thousand important things
test the forbearance of the people of that district by changes which occur to every wide-awake teacher, require the whole
for.a long time to come. time of'our teachers, and demand that their schools shall
It is not necessary for us to mention each school in detail, take precedence of everything else.
for although, as we have before stated, we have been disap- The work of the teacher is not merely to keep school'.
pointed in some particulars, and in some of the schools there Let the teacher be thoroughly equal to his position, and the
has not been that accuracy of instruction,or that healthful school will keep itself. It is not merely in requiring long
emulation and enthusiasm, which we desire, yet we know lists of words and names of places to be memorized,.gr rules
there has been much hard work-done by every teacher, and learned, or in asking questions laid down in the text-books,
the results as a whole compare favorably.with those of and requiring the corresponding answers. The great worli�
previous years. is rather to build up, draw out, educate the minds of the
We frequently hear the statement made,even by intelligent pupils, to teach them to think aild discover for themselves.
persons, that the teacher has an easy time, working only He can mould their mental nature almost as he will; and to
five or six hours per day, and receiving double the a per- this end preparation for ever exercise is necessaryy. . This
p 3'� a pay, p 1 p Y
baps, of other good men and women who work ten; and we is especially important in the Primary Schools; and it is
confess to .a.feeling of indignation as often as we hear such especially difficult to make teachers of these grades under
statement. No person who has not given attention to the stand the necessity of such 'preparation. The teacher of.
matter can comprehend the wear and tear of the school-room; the Primary School needs special preparation in manners, of
the anxiety and care which the teacher feels for his pupils, �' mind, and of heart. She must be prepared for every day's
and the"complete exhaustion of both mind aed body at the work, knowywhat she is about to teach, and how, she should
close of the day. The bodily fatigue of the day-laborer is teach it, be accurate in her language, and in her instruction,
nothing in comparison with it, and when his ten hours are ever on the alert to keep active minds interested, and busy
over he is relieved from care, and can obtain that refresh- hands and eyes empioyed. She must be firm but gentle,
meat which his system demands. :The teacher is never free cheerful and enthusiastic, and know how to inspire with her
from care; the five hours iii the school-room are only a part I own cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
of the time devoted to the work. We have in mind teachers in f We have devoted much time to our Primary.Schools, and
our own town who devote their whole time to their schools f are encouraged to feel that the work done in them has been
whose labors are not .limited to five, ten, or even fifteen i' greatly improved in its character; yet a great deal remains to
hours; but who, day after day, cmitinue their labors, even be done, and teachers and committee have yet very much,
late at night, in preparing themselves for the school-room. to learn.
Hard. work is demanded of every teacher; the progress Much of the training here should be objective, and we
of the whole world in its broadest and most liberal sense have placed in these schools,and in the Mixed Schools where
j demands it; and we in Lexington claim it. No one at 'there are children of the Primary grade, at very slight ex-'
present engaged in our school work can-expect a life of pense to the town, but at considerable expense of time and,
ease. The suggestions and requirements of our school reg-- care to ourselves, a great variety of material for occupation,
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been eighty three different pupils connected with the school
instruction and entertainment, embracAw thousands of tri- during the year. We had in the school='room forty-eight,
angles, oblongs, squares, and other geometrical ical forms of va- seats; so that it was not unusual to have a dozen or fifteen,
rions coi,irs, cards, letters, ,tick,, blocks, worsteds, pictures, sometimes more, scholars sitting on the floor of the platform,
books, etc. These, at d,ff;,reut tinier during the day, are on settees, and in every available corner about the room.
placed in, the hands of these children who are too young to Contrary to our judgment, we let the school continue in
truly, and who Have ordinarily sat with nothing to do, so this condition until a meeting of the town was called, re-
that many an hour,otherwise tedious and injurious, is passed luctant, to ask for an appropriation, hardly knowing what
ple;s.5;rutly and not without profit. Entering either of these plan to recommend, and disliking to request a meeting of the
schools at certain hours in each session we find the children town for this special purpose.
h thhily employed i❑ assorting these cards or worsteds accord- Three plans presented themselves: first, the erection of a
ing to shape or color, in f�,rmiuo, words or short sentences small -building somewhere near the crossing, which would
with letters, laying sticks.in, piles of certain numbers aid relieve two of the lower grades in the Hancock building
according to :given lengths, making various figures with the secondly, the erection of a small building on the llancock
colored cards from designs drawn by the teacher on the School lot, where the engine house now stands.; and, lastly,
bt.rckba red, or even designing themselves. Much good that which was finally adopted,—the completion of the
j has already resulted, but the resources of this kind of vacant room in the rear of the Gramvnar school-room.
matcria-1 are very great, and more attention should be given There are some disadvantages,connected`with the use of this
to such occupation. room for a separate sclaool, there being no entrance to it ex-
The committee can do little else in the short time at their cept through the Grammar school-room, and some contusion
disposal than give hints ,end suggestions; it remains fir the being liable to result from having two schools so near
teachers to develop the matter by careful thought. I+;vcn in together; but knowing the town would hesitate to build a
the use of such material hat•rn may be done. Instruction , new house the coming year,and feeling that the small expense
a-; to firm, size, color, length, etc., should be exact; no hi g of fatting up this room might bridge us over until it became
should be used c<zrelessly, and the children should not be necessary to arrange for enlarged accommodations for the
a allowed to do anything with this material at will, until the
- y � whole school, we decided to recommend the latter plap,
have had definite instruction as to its uses.
'lhc ,ro�Yrc;ss' of the Hancock. Primary� which has.been carried out. If the number of scholars coa-
t School leas bc.err tinues to increase as during the past year, a new building
very much retarded by its size. In our last report we called will be required at no very distant day.
atteution to its constantly increasing numbers, and sag7ested The new school-room was finished, the room below pre-
that some ,provision must be made at no distant clay for a pared for younger scholars, the schools divined, a teacher
division of the school. We did not thinly, however, that appointed, and the .schools established in the different rooms
such division would be necessary for the present. But inr- in two weeks from the time the appropriation was made.
medi rtely on the opening of spring, children seemed to The new room is pleasant and convenient, 'except as above
flock from every quarter. The rrurnt,er increased until due stated, and the School, consisting of the two upper classes of
ing the last terra it reached seventy-one; and there have 2 L
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the Intermediate grade, is one of our best. The first class they reach the last year in the Grammar Course, and we are
from the Primary room was moved to the old Intermediate willing that the children of either school should attend the
room, thus giving to each school two classes, in place of
three. Grammar Schools as soon as they are qualified for admission
Mrs. Lane was promoted to the new room, Miss Hutchin- to the lowest class, provided all the parents of those quali-
son to the Intermediate, and, as before stated, Miss Harring-
lied agree. The plan is not feasible unless adopted by all.
The High School has continued to do its important work,
ton to the Primary. By this arrangement each teacher will and its popularity and high character have done mach toward
have about forty scholars, with only two classes or grades;
and Mrs. Lane is able to relieve the principal of the Gram- elevating the tone of the tower schools. _
mar School by partly taking charge of the third class in that As before stated, no class°having been admitted in 1871,
good results from the
there will be no class to graduate at the close of the present
school. These schools already show
change, and we have bright hopes for the coming year. school year.
Two of our Mixed Schools have been large and two of
At the close of the school year, in June last, a class of
them very small, and there have been some drawbacks to the nine, who had been an honor to the school, graduated, having
success of each of them; but we are sure they were neverparts, with one exception original, as follows :—
better classified, and never in a better working condition _ cLnss of 1874.
than now.
Complaint has been made by some of the patents that ! Florence M. Damon. Essay.—Books and External Nature,
children could not be fitted in the Mixed Schools for ad- with Valedictory Address.
mission to the High School; but, on examination of the Abby C. Underwood. Essay. —"Poetry of Common
school registers, we venture to suggest that these parents Things," with Salutatory Address.
would know more about the matter had they been inside the Grace H. .Plumer. Essay. —Ferns.
school-rooms. Maria A. Butterfield. Essay. —Spectacles.
The fact is, we have long felt that it was a difficult matter
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Everett M. Mulliken. Oration.--Civil Rihts Bills.
to teach our Mixed Schools, and we have taken special Caroline A. Bacon. Essay.— Geology and Psychology.
pains to procure teachers of experience and culture for them. John M. Donovan. Dissertation. —Fashion vs. Reason.
We are sure that the teachers are as competent, the instruc_ Sarah E. Holmes. Composition. —Action and Enjoy-
tion given in these schools of as high a character as in the other meat.'-
schools of like grades, and some of our best scholars in the George B. Rogers. Declamation. —Judicial Tribunals.
At the examination for admission to the High S(—J )ol in
High School have been prepared in them. It must be September, twenty-four applicants presented themselves.
remembered, however, that each of these schools embraces y'
The examination continued through two days, an was
all trades from the Primary up to the High, and the work in a ' d quite
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consequence is very varied, and, in amount, almost appalling. as comprehensive as in previous years.
We therefore urge parents, as suggested in our regulations,
Many of the papers showed that the work in the lower
to send children to one of the Grammar Schools as soon as schools is not yet up to the desired standard, especially in
' orthography and grammatical construction. All the appli-
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emits from our schools but one, however,'were admitted, two desire of parents, was to take out of education anything
from other towns being among the rejected. - which looked like Hard work; to enable our childierr to get
In some cases we consented to Admissions contrary to our an education vicariously, by somebody a se's work and
judameut, yielding to the earnest solicitations of parents. study. If a study comes hard to a child, straightway
father or mother must petition that he give up that special
This is a fast age, and parents and guardians seem to be
influenced by the general hurry, to rush their children throughin
study. The committees and guardians of youth are warned
their school days as early in life as possible. j . that a few hours' study (an amazingly few _hours' .study, in
most cases 1), five days in the week; two-thirds of the year,
Hardly a week-passes that we do not have requests from
is making a complete wreck of the constitutions of all our
parents that their children may be advanced, or that some
x-rangement may be made by which they may jump a year, boys and girls. Perhaps so ! For ourselves, we believe the
or get through a particular school and into another sooner Y exact contrary. We believe that any reasonable .amount
than the regular course allows; and hardly a week passes of study, any amount which is required. by,the school coin=
mittees of Massachusetts towns, is a positive advantage to
that we do not hear complaints of overwork.
We have, carefully examined into these complaints, and health. At any rate we would not give much for that edu-
are of the opinion that only in very rare instances does a
cation which does not,involve some systematic hard work on
scholar suffer from overwork when he is in his right place ;
the part of the pupils as well as teachers. It will not maize
and we are also of the opinion that fifty per cent. of those r y` the kind of men and women which we need to grapple with
the hard realities and the knotty problems of actual life.
scholars who are now advanced from class to class,and grade
to grade, up to the High School, and even in the High
The examination for admission to the High School, above
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School itself, would be better off if kept back a full 3,ear. referred to, was by printed questions, as follows:
But.it is at the expense of considerable moral courage that ,
axiTxEzc.
we ever venture to do this, or even suggest it with reference
to any particular scholar-, so great is the pressure to get on ; (Leave your work ire full.
while perhaps the very parents who strenuously oppose us ,r
in this, particular may be complaining a year hence of over- j 1 1. Write in words the following
- 20.0020001.8.0019019.,
work, •�, ;,,
We believe that scholars as well as other people should be
"
in their proper places, and that in those places they should { .010010105.
work. Indeed, we send children to school that they may � Multiply their sum by one and three hundredths, divide
the product by five ten-tl7ousarzdths, and reduce the quotient
learn to think, to work with their own minds.
In this connection we venture to quote from the last to a common fraction.
1 1
report of the school committee of our neighboring town of 2. Reduce ?T_b 4 to a decimal fraction.
Concord :— s
Now, it seems as if the whole tendency of our times, the 3. How many half-pint bottles aye required to hold 723
whole advice of our educational men and journals, the great ' gal. 2 qts. of wine?
z zr
22
23
4. Write a bill of three items, with proper punctuation
and use of capitals.
5. Write the opposite numbers of the following
5. Write a promissory note for $250 due in eight months, Mr. Wife. Mouse-trap.
at 8 per cent., and find the amount to be paid at the*time of `ys Miss. Thief. Brother-in-law.
settlement. Dr. Knives. Spoonful.
6. Reduce 15, 23, 3 Of 5, and 6 to the least common �` rt Sheep. Ge111US. Alumni.
denominator; and show why their values are not changed. Deer. Index. Momenta.
7. What is the value of a pile of wood eight rods long, Measles. Potatoes. Stratum.
four feet wide, and two yards high, at $6.75 per cord ? 6. Write the opposite gender of the following nouns : —
8, If I have a rectangular field which borders on the Queen. Widow. Lioness.
street 480 feet, how far back must it extend to contain 4 Hero. Wife. Executor.
acres? Cousin. Actor. Gander.
p. An agent receives $312 to purchase oats at 30 cts. per Lady.
bushel, after deducting his commission, which was 4 per
I 7. Correct the following, with proper punctuation and
cent. on the sum paid for the oats. How many bushels did _ proper use of capitals, and give your reasons for the correc-
he buy ? tions :—
10. On a note for $3,500, at 7 per cent., there is interest
Alexander the great conquered a great part of asia.
due for one year and six months. How much gold,at a pre- If any one asks for me, tell them that I am out.
mium of 34 per cent.,will be required to discharge the note? It is me.
11. If 4l glObe 4 117CheS In diameter tivelghs 9 lbs., what 1s A foreimner having• fallen into the thames cried out I will
the weight of a globe 8 inches in diameter? Why. be drowned nobody shall help me.
12. Multiply the squire root of 0.173056 by the cube I knew he had wrote it for it was well writ.
root of 3 T6 8. Those sort of people are always complaining.
GRAMMAR. I seen him when he'done it.
Whom do you think it was.
1. `'rite three seratentes,—one in which a statement is Every person has their faults?
made, one in which a command is given, .and one which asks Can you learn me to write.
a question. What is each called?
2. Write a sentence in which the infinitive is used as a He laid abed till breakfast.Lay down and rest.
subject, and one in which it is used as the object. Can you not do nothing.
3. What verbs may have a passive form? How is the The music was awfully gorgeous.
passive voice formed? Write a sentence containing a verb The p ground is all froze over.
in the: passive.
a.
O'
9 f
„ We admire Longfellow s the poets genius.
4. Give a synopsis of the verb sit through all the moods g. What parts of speech are inflected, and for what pu,
and tenses, using the third person singular,
poses?
t
24 25
9. When is the period used?---when the interrolgation and 9.. Tell in what localities in the United. States the follow
exclamation points? 'ing minerals are most abundant: coal, iron, copper, silver,
Show by a sentence the use of the comma where some gold, tin.
thing is omitted. 10. Describe the Merrimack River, and name the mano-
r., .h? � �l,
Show by examples the use of the caret, apostrophe, ma facturing places on it.
crop, breve, and brackets. ' 11. When it is noon at London, what time is it at Boston?
10. Analyze the following, and parse the italicised Why?
words •— 1 12. When it is noon and summer at Lexington,what time
Marley as dead to begin with. There is no doubt what- and season is it at a place 180Q west, on the same parallel?
ever about that. Old Marley was as dead as a door nail. What time and season at a place on the same meridian and
the same degree south latitude?
GEOGRAPHY. What time and season at a place 1800 west, and the same
1. Draw a map of North America by trianpilation (size degree of south latitude?
of this page). What would inhabitants of the three last-mentioned places
Mention its political divisions; the relative size and posi- - be called?
tion of each, compared to the United States; the climate, •�x t HISTORY.
soil, productions, inhabitants, form of governinent, and r
language of each. 1. Name three acts of the British Government that caused
Mention and place on the map five important places; and the Revolutionary War.
draw the parallels and meridians showing the latitude and 2. Mention some of the causes which led to the war of
longitude of each. r 1812.
2.. Name four important seaports,of South America; state 3. Mention some of the causes which led to the late Civil
their latitude and longitude, and tell their principal exports. e War; and through first dhat i
scoverer do�did it extend?
g p p� 1
3. Describe five important rivers of Europe, and mention coast of North
the cities that are on them. America?—under commission from what sovereign? Why
4. Name the British possessions in Asia. was the country called America?
5. Describe the shortest water-route from Liverpool to 5. Name five prominent men, 'now dead, who have held
Bombay. ° conspicuous places in American History.
6. Describe the Nile, locate the important cities on it, and 6. Give a short account of the first voyage of Columbus
tell"in what respect it is peculiarly useful.
across the Atlantic.:.
7. What is a"river system?—a water-shed? Upon_what 7. Give a short account of the settlement of Pennsylvania.
does the velocity of streams depend? Mention the river +. 8. Mention some of the difficulties that be our govern-
,..
! systems of the United States. ment under Washington's administration..
! 8. What is the distinction between plateau and plain? and 4-Y 9, Mention the important events of Jackson's administra-
tion,what are pampas, llanos, prairies, steppes,-and deserts? tion, and give dates,
f "
26
27
5. Spell correctly the following:—
10. Give a brief account of the struggle over the admix- Philadel
phia..hia
sion,of Kansas as a State. p Nescessar y•
Cincinnatti. Judgment.
GEOMETRY. Representitive. Believe.
v Parrallelogram. Analasis.
(Illustrate each answer by a figure.) ,
• � Tranquility. Hipocrasy.
1. When two straight lines cross each other, how do the - Comttee. Until.
angles made compare? ' Averige. Adcelarate.
2. Name and define the different kinds of triangles. State , Restrict.
the size of each angle in degrees, as far as it can be done. 6. Write in full the following abbreviations:—
3. How large is each angle of an isosceles right triangle?
1 - A.D. Pro. tem. Jno.
4. How do you find the area of a right triangle? D.D. Pro. Jno.
5. The radius of a circle is equal to the chord of what Anon. MSS.
are? e. g.
6. What is the measure of an angle formed by two radii? i. e. Bart. N.S.
I.L. D. B.C. S. J. C.
7.' What is the measure of an angle formed by a chord and '
P.M. Ct. Wed.
tangent? r Q F. D. Deg. Dwt.
8. When is a triangle inscribed in a circle? Show how it
is done. music.
9. What is meant by isoperimetry? and which is the 1. Make four different kinds of notes, with their rests.
largest of the.isoperimetrical figures? 2. Fill three measures, in three kinds of double time, with
10. What does the. surface of a sphere equal? How is it , notes and rests.
found?: - 3. Fill three measures, in three kinds of triple time, with
11. How is the solid measure of a sphere found? notes and rests.
12, State the length of a circumference, size of a circle, 4. Fill three measures, in three kinds of quadruple time,
and solid contents of a sphere, pi being a little more than with notes and rests,
three. • More exactly. Still. more exactly. State the deci- 5. Make a staff, add G-and F clef, also letters.
mall in full. 6. Write the major triad of every letter.
ORTHOGRAPHY, ETC. 7. Write the minor triad of every letter.
8. Write the signature and scale from C to A flat, with G
1. Mention the vowel sounds in the English language, :.� '.; clef, using letters..
i and give one word containing each sound.
2. Give four rules for the use of capital letters. 9. Write the triad of the first, fourth, and fifth degrees of
the above scale from C to A flat, using letters. '
3. How are words divided according to their formation? 10. Write the signature and scale from C to E, with F
4. Give the rule for doubling the.final consonant in spell- } ; clef, using notes.
ing derivatives. -
d _ �
28 ,.
_ '29
11. Write the triad of the first, fourth, and fifth degrees '
Adams Grammar School has made creditable advzncement
of the above scales, using letters. in the direction of original designs.
12. Write a musical phrase of four_ or more measures, in
double time. ATTENDANCE.
DRAWING AND MUSIC. � The number of scholars has increased during the year in
Y> all our schools with the exception of the Howard and Frank-
These studies have been pursued iu our schools long bt lin. In the Hancock District, besides the Primary to which
enough to become as much a part of the regular school work we have referred, the other schools have been larger than
as writing or reading, and'their usefulness or necessity need ever before.
not now be discussed. - In music we have continued to have In both the Warren and Bowditch Districts we placed as
the services of our energetic special teacher, whose lessons many additional desks as the school-rooms could conveniently
are always a source of profit and always pleasantly antici- hold, and 3-et many scholars were without desks.' We have
pated by the pupils. relieved the Bowditch by sending a large advanced class to
In drawing we have not had the advantage of a special the Hancock Grammar School and by removing some of the
'instructor, but have accomplished something in all the Adams-street children; but the Warren is still large, and-in,a
schools under the regular teachers. We feel that the. times ' r w few weeks will again be overrun.
demand it, and that we- ought to urge upon the town the b ., f The whole `number of different scholars in our schools
importance of providing a skilled instructor in this depart-
during year was five hundred and fifty-three. Of these
ment. b Y Y-
fifty-three were over fifteen,and nine under five years of age.
In February last we assembled our scholars in the Town r At the begii4ning of the year the assessors made a careful
Hall to give -our people some idea of our work and methods canvass, and the number returned by them between the ages
of instruction in music. And at the same time we exhibited o of five and fifteen is four hundred and sixty-five,—seventy-
designs and books from the various schools, to show that we seven more than last year, —and yet there have been in our
had made a beginning in the study of drawing, and to stim- schools during the year twenty-six more than found by them
ulate oui scholars and teachers to greater effort. That exhi- ) at that time.
bition was largely attended, and it is not necessary for us to t" Owing to the increase in the return of the assessors last
comment on its success. -year our share of the State School-Fund is one hundred dol-
We deem it a wise- plan to bring our scholars together in lairs larger than before.
this manner every year, and until recently had intended to The average attendance of actual members in all the schools
do so in February of this year, but for reasons of conven- for the year, has been 89.75 per cent, a slight falling off
ience to the pupils and parents, and to pis in arranging the from that of last year. The record of some of our schools
drawings, have postponed the exhibition to June next, At has improved and is remarkably good, but that. of the
that time we hope to give our people a better entertainment Primary and Mixed Schools,,except the Franklin, indicates .
1 in music and ar►ore satisfactory exhibition in drawing; great need of improvement. The average daily attendance
already the High Sohool shows some fine work, and the in number has been three hundred and sixty-six, showing
4
1-
3U 31
that one hundred 'aiid eighty-seven of those who have been
For the first term.—Daniel Collins, Frank Merriam, Lizzie
connected with the schools sometime during the year have Gould, Willie Manley, Mary Brigham, Alice Butters,
been, on an average, absent daily. _
For the second term.—Frederick Emery, John Spaulding,
We call attention to the matter of attendance in detail id George Green, Charles Gould, Howard Hendley,George
the table here appended. ,
Conant, Willie Davis.
The "Roll of Honor,"including those scholars who have not
been absent or tardy for a term or longer, is as follows:— HANCOCK PRIMARY SCHOOL..
For the year.—Mattie C. Locke.
ROLL OF -HONOR. For the first term.—Josephine H. Scott, Edgar L one.
ADAMS GRAMMAR SCHOOL. For the second term. Agnes D. Shaw,, Charlie W. Swan.
For the, year. —Nellie .Holbrook, :Hattie Adams, Harry
BOWDITCH SCHOOL.
Pierce, Willie Chalenor, Alonzo E. Locke.
For the second term.—Willie Barnes, Hiram Lombard, ,. For the first term. —Albert P. Smith, Michael Hinchey,
Willie R. Bass, William D. Chisholm.
Emma B. Flint, Evelyn P. Flint..
ADAMS INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL. " '' "^ . FRANKLIN SCHOOL.
For the year.—Louis E. Chalenor, Amy Holbrook. For the year, Annie E. McCarthy.
For the first term.—Wm. D. Chisholm, Wm. R. Bass,
.,, HOWARD SCHOOL.
Michael Manley, Eddie Webb, Etta Smith.
For the first term. —Annie Corier.
For the second term.—Elisha Lombard,Florence Holbrook, For the second term.-Alice A. Reed,
Nellie Fletcher. ,
ADAMS PRIMARY SCHOOL.
WARREN SCHOOL.
For the first term.,—Florence Holbrook,, Louisa White, For the year.—Lucy G. Porter.
For the first-term.—Mary L. Porter, and Lottie Kendrick.
Annie Jones. For the second term.—Jennie Porter.
For the second term,. —Henry Webb.
ti
HIGH SCHOOL.
HANCOCK GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
For the year.—Augusta Adams, Clifford Bryant, Lilian
For the year.—Frederick Butters.
For the first term.— Addie Kneeland. Choate, Joseph Fitch, Nellie Lunt,_Amelia Mulliken,
For the second term.—Adella G. Scott, Howard W. Smith, Leah Nunn, Nath'1 Nunn; Nellie Parker, George Reed,
Everett Emery.
Edith Robinson, Fred Rogers, Alfred-Pierce, Clara
Wentworth.
HANCCCS INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL., For the first term.—Ottie Alderman, Carrie Bacon, Frank ,
For the year.—Frederick Saville
Davis, Florence Damon, Alice Munroe, Clara Dennett,
,
Y
32
33
John' Donovan, Sarah Holmes, George Rogers, Frank
Sumner, Carrie Underwood, Charles Underwood, Etta TRUANCY.
White, By an act of the Legislature, passed in 1873, it became
For the second term.—Abbie Holbrook, Annie Adair, obligatory on the school committee to appoint two or more
Georgie Dunning, Laura Kendrick, 114 oriel M. Downes, i suitable persons, �o be designated as truant officers.
Isabel Peabody, Mary L. Porter, Edward Butterfield, These officer; are alone authorized to make complaint
Charles 'Davis, Warren Hadley, Albezt Hill, Abbott under the truan' laws, and carry into execution the,judgment
Mitchell, Charles Pierce, Willie heed. thereon.
The following scholars from the various schools have not In accordant e with this statute we appointed Messrs. Eli
been absent or tardy, as follows•— Simonds and "Valter Wellington truant officers. They have
For four years.—Leah Nunn, Alonzo E. Locke.' done some service in looking after absentees, but have not
For three and, one-half years. —Florence M. Damon, Edith
found it necessary to make any complaints.
J. Robinson.
For three years. —Harry Pierce, Nellie Holbrook. TEXT—BOOKS.
For two and one-half years.—Lilian F. Choate, Lucy G. The subject of text-books is one in which every parent has
Porter. an interest, for pecuniary reasons. It requires'no small out-
For two years.—Amy Holbrook, Nellie H. Parker, Clara lay to provide the books needed in passing through all the
,II Wentworth, Nath'l Nunn. grades.of our schools.
For one and one-half years. —Florence Holbrook, Hattie The Legislature of 1873 passed an act as follows: "Any
Adams, Freddie Saville, Mattie C. Locke, Annie E. ;, city by an ordinance of the city council, and any town by
{
McCarthy. I legal vote, may authorize the school committee to purchase
Previous to the last term:-- text-books for use in the public schools; said text-books to
For two and one-half years.=Etta Smith, be the property of the city or town, and to be loaned to the ;
For one and one-half years.—Fred. Butters, Mary Brigham, y'„- pupils, under such regulations as the school committee may
Frank Sumner. provide."
For one year. —Addie Kneeland,Ralph Edgar, Lane, Lottie This plan has already been adopted in many places; but
Kendrick, Emma Flint. there are. advantages in the pupil's owning the books he
This list includes only those who have been neither absent
uses, and, if retained, much satisfaction is derived from them
in after years. We call attention to the act, without making
nor tardy. There are others who have not been absent, but
any recommendation.
who have unfortunately been tardy. - Respectfully submitted,
During the first term no scholar in the High School was A. E. SCOTT,
tardy.
CHARLES. TIDD, ,
During the second term, one girl and four boys were so { CHARLES A. WELLINGTON.
marked• LE%ixaTON,February,1875.
1"
�- TABULAR VIEW.
No.of No.of Average Average Percent.of
g Attendance Number of
ScxooLs. TEACHERS. Scholars. Scholars. Number. Number. of actual differentt
SALARIES.
lst Term. 2d Term. 1st Term. 2d Term. Members. Scholars.
A.E.White. ( $2,000 00
High � 40 54 38 51.5 98 9-10 63 z(
Louisa M.Thurston. 600 00
Adams Grammar . . . . . Silas Peabody. 39 35 35.72 31.37 9614 51 1,250 00
Hancock Grammar . . . . O.A.Flint. 49 51 36.56 41.94 93.5+ 58 1,050 00
Adams Intermediate . . . Gertrude Pierce. 32 32 27.36 26.08 90.5 42 500 00
Hancock Intermediate. . . Ellen B.Lane. 38 55 33.5 46+ 94 63 500 00
M.A.Jackson. 500 00 E'
Howard. . . . . . . . . . E.E.Harrington. 27 28 17+ 17+ 86+ 37 400 00
M.A.Gustin. 500 00
Bowditch . . . . . . . . . Ada M.Frost. 50 44 35+ 34+ 87+ 55 500 00
Franklin . . . . . . . . . Mary E.Thompson. 23 23 20.37 19.41 91.9 26 500 00
Ellen M.Underwood.
Warren . . . . . . . . . . . . { 59 56 36 40 85+ 63 t2 500 00
M.A.Jackson.
Adams Primary. . . . . . Carrie F.Fiske. 37 34 24.96 25.87 76 43 450 00
Hancock Primary. . . . . . . Fannie A.Hutchinson. 61 71 42+ 54+ 88+ 83 450 00
Music Teacher for all the Schools Horace Bird. 600 00