111  ijiinMimjigijnf  ■■n  ■■iiiBiMii  Jill  i  d  ■nni  tiJUL-n. 


REPORT 


OF  THE 


SCHOOL  COMMITTEE 


t; 


THE 


i.-;. 


TOWN  OF  OAKHAM, 


For  the  School  Year,  1864-5. 


WORCESTER: 

*> 

ADAMS  &  BROWN,  P  R  I  N  T  E  r's  ,  2  1 2  MAIN  STREET, 

1  8  6  5. 


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1 


R  E  P  0  11  T 


0  1  THE 


SCHOOL  COMMITTEE 


01  THE 


TOWN  OF  OAKHAM, 


For  the  School  Year,  1864-5. 


•  Ji 


0 


WORCESTER: 

ADAMS  S  BROWN,  PRINTERS,  212  MAIN  STREET. 

18  6  5. 


.SCHOOTj  statistics  for  the  year  1864-5. 


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SCHOOL  REPORT. 


4 


The  School  Committee  of  Oakham  respectfullj  submit,  to  their 
fellow  citizens  the  following 

ANNUAL  EEPORT. 

In  reviewing  the  schools  of  this  town  for  the  past  year,  yonr 
committee  find  but  little  of  marked  or  peculiar  interest.  The 
majority  of  the  schools  have  been  decidedly  successful, — -none  have 
been  failures.  But  several  have  not  accomplished  what  they  other¬ 
wise  would  have  done,  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  the  terms. 

The  £ast  Center  school,  which  has  wisely  retained  the  same 
teacher  through  the  year,  has  been  unusually  successful,  and  es¬ 
pecially  has  there  been  notable  and  praiseworthy  improvement  in 
Beading. 

The  West  Center,  under  the  care  of  experienced  and  faithful 

«< 

teachers,  has  enjoyed  a  high  degree  of  prosperity  throughout  the 
year. 

The  Southwest  has  been  more  than  ordinarily  prosperous  and  pro¬ 
fitable.  Thoroughness  in  everything  has  been  its  special  and  prom¬ 
inent  characteristic. 

Both  the  summer  and  winter  terms  of  the  Southt  School  were 
under  the  care  of  young  inexperienced  teachers,— -a  lircum stance 
unfortunate  for  the  district.  But  the  teachers  labored  faithfully 
for  the  good  of  the  school,  and  succeeded  in  gaining  the  love  of 
their  scholars  and  in  manifesting  fair  improvement  in  their  studies. 

There  in the  East  Sill -disb'ivt-,  and-thaP^ 

sh^pf  ene.  The  examination  was  conducted  mostly  by  the  teacher 
and  showed  that  fair  progress  had  been  made. 


4 


/ 


4 

In  the  North  school  there  was  a  manifest  improvement  in  the 
matter  of  whispering  and  audible  study.  Both  summer  and  win¬ 
ter  schools  were  profitable,  under  teachers  favorably  known  in  this 
community,  and  scholars  and  teachers  sustained  their  previous 
high  reputation. 

The  summer  term  of  the  West  school  was  the  first  effort  of  a 
young  teacher,  hut  one  well  fitted  both  in  literary  qualifications, 
and  in  power  of  government.  The  school  was  creditable  to  leach- 
ers  and  scholars. 

The  winter  terra  was  taught  by  a  normal  school  graduate,  and 
the  recitations  were  interspersed  with  the  usual  normal  school 
exercises.  The  singing  was  excellent,  and  the  school  generally 
was  both  pleasant  and  profitable. 

The  Coldbrook  school  was  distinguished  for  better  order  than 
for  some  years  past,  and  for  rapid  improvement  in  their  studies  by 
those  scholars  who  were  willing  to  obey  and  remain  in  school. 
The  term  was  too  short,  however,  to  do  justice  to  either  teacher  or 
scholars. 

In  this  district  there  was  no  summer  school  simply  because  there 
was  no  money  (except  a  debt  of  $7.00)  and  your  committee  did  not 
feel  authorized  to  spend  for  the  district  what  the  district  did  not 
possess. 

In  the  winter  after  some  consultation  with  members  of  the  dis¬ 
trict,  it  was  decided  to  save  the  usual  one  third  of  the  appropria¬ 
tion  for  the  summer  school.  So  that  matters  stood  thus  ; 

Appropriation  $78.04:.  Deduct  $7.(i0  remaining  unpaid  for  last 
winter’s  school,  and  gl4.00  for  two  cords  of  wood  sawed  and  put 
into  the  house,  and  we  have  $57.64,  for  the  year.  Reserving 

1.64,  less  than  1-3,  for  the  summer  school,  there  remains  $36.00. 
On  this  plan, therefore,  (pay in  j.-  the  teacher  $6.0'J  a  week,)  it  was  pos¬ 
sible  to  have  but  six  weeks  winter  schooling.  It  was  afterwards 
expressed  to  us  as  the  general  desire  of  the  district  to  have  the 
school  continued  four  weeks  longer,  and  use  up  all  the  money,  and 
we  endeavored  to  persuade  the  teacher  to  continue  the  school ;  but 
she  thought  best  to  leave  at  the  time  first  proposed.  ) 

So  that  Coldbro'^k  has  had  but  six  weeks  schooling  for  year, 
with  the  bright  prospect  of  four  more  next  summer. 


5 


We  are  sometimes  asked  why  this  school  cannot  he  supported  on 
the  regular  appropriation,  as  easily  as  those  in  other  small  districts. 
The  reply  is  easy.  This  district  has  more  than  three  times  as 
many  scholars  as  the  East  Hill,  and  for  some  unaccountable  reason, 
but  $1.1Q  more  money:  $3.41  more  than  the  S.  West  and  between 
two  and  three  times  as  many  scholars.  But  the  same  amount  of 
money  will  not  ordinarily  go  so  far  in  so  large  a  district  as  in 
smaller  ones,  because  many  teachers  who  might  succeed  well  in 
them  would  fail  in  this :  and  we  might  almost  as  well  have  no 
school,  as  to  engage  any  but  tried,  experienced  teachers :  but  such 
teachers  must  be  paid  good  wages. 

We  would  respectfully  recommend  that  an  extra  appropriation 
be  made  for  this  school,  that  past  deficiencies  may  be  in  some 
measure  made  good  by  a  long  summer  school.  The  town  is 
liable  to  a  fine  of  $1400.00  for  not  doing  so,  if  any  man  in  the 
district  chooses  to  make  complaint. 

It  is  said  that  when  Hercules  relieved  Atlas  “just  for  a  moment,” 
by  taking  the  world  on  his  own  shoulders,  the  giant  refused  to  take 
it  back  again.  This  district  has  played  us  the  same  trick.  Our 
shoulders  are  weary  of  the  burden.  Will  not  the  district  organize 
and  take  it  back  again  ? 

The  schools  this  year  have  been  unusually  short  from  necessity. 
Everything  pertaining  to  them,  costs  so  much  more  than  formerly, 
that  the  same  amount  of  money  will  not  go  so  far  now  as  then. 

Moreover  six  months  schooling  is  little  enough.  That,  with  the 
fall  High  School,  gives  very  fair  advantages.  But  there  ought 
not  to  be  one  day  less.  For  all  that  is  less  is  so  much  taken  from 
the  quality  and  value  of  our  children’s  lives ;  and  it  is  very  poor 
economy  to  be  that  people, 

“  Where  wealth  increases,  but  where  men  decay,” 
especially  when  that  increase  is  less  than  one  cent  in  ten  dollars 
of  property. 

Still  more,  we  are  supposed  to  be  a  law  abiding  people,  and  by 
law  we  are  required  to  furnish  six  months  schooling  to  the  whole 
town,  and  it  does  not  seem  consistent  to  be  sending  so  many  men 
and  so  much  treasure  south,  to  uphold  the  majesty  of  the  law,  and 
yet  be  ourselves  breakers  of  the  law. 


V 


6 

There  are  two  remedies  for  this  state  of  things.  One  is  to  raise? 
more  money  for  our  schools,  which  seems  an  imperative  duty  for 
the  ffood  of  the  town. 

®  1 

The  other  is  to  redistrict  the  town  in  such  a  manner  that  we 

may  divide  the  money  among  not  more  than  six  districts  instead 
of  eight  as  at  present. 

We  hope  that  at  least  this  much  may  he  done,  that  the  South 
West  district  he  divided  between  the  South  and  West  Center  dis¬ 
tricts,  and  that  the  two  Center  districts  be  united  into  one,  and 
have  a  graded  school.  There  is  no  one  change  in  our  schools  which 
would  be  of  so  great  advantage  as  this  union  and  grading.  For 
no  teacher  can  do  justice  to  such  large  schools,  as  they  are  now 
constituted,  wdth  such  a  multiplicity  of  classes:  and  penmanship 
and  music  and  such  like  exercises,  are  almost  excluded. 

The  ill  condition  o-f  several  of  our  school-houses,  is  another 
argument  for  some  change  in  the  districts. 

Both  these  remedies  are  so  important,  that  we  feel  that  they 
must  on  first  thought  recommend  themselves  to  the  intelligence 
of  the  town. 

Monteith  and  McNally’s  geographies  have  been  introduced  into 
our  schools  during  the  winter  in  the  place  of  Mitchell’s. 

The  change  seemed  absolutely  neccess-ary.  So  many  changes  have 
taken  place  in  the  geography  of  the  world  or  in  our  knowledge  of 
it,  and  especially  with  regard  to  our  own  country,  that  the  older 
books  in  use  were  materially  untrue  to  present  facts.  There  were 
scarcely  any  hooks  in  our  schools  from  which  the  pupils  could  gain 
a  correct  knowledge  of  our  own  country,  or  even  the  number  and 
names  of  the  states  and  territories.  From’  so  Ionova  continuance 
of  the  same  book  in  the  schools,  there  were  almost  as  many  edi¬ 
tions  as  there  were  scholars,  so  that  it  was  very  difficult  to  classify 
scholars  in  that  branch.  Thence  it  came  to  pass  that  very  little- 
interest  was  taken  in  that  most  important  study,  and  many  were 
growing  up  with  a  meager  and  false  knowledge  of  Geography. 
Therefore  your  committee  decided  to  introduce  a  new  book,  and 
after  a  faithful  examination,  were  agreed  that  Monteith’s  and 
McNally’s  were  the  best  for  our  schools.  Accordingly  they  were 
obtained  and  distributed  according  to  the  law  of  the  state  that  when- 


9 


7 


«ver  a  new  book  is  introduced,  “each  pupil  then  belonging  to  tb'e 
public  schools,  and  requiring  the  substituted  book,  shall  be  fur¬ 
nished  with  the  same  by  the  school  committee  at  the  expense  of 
said  town.’^ 

■  Your  committee  would  respectfully  request  parents  and  guardi¬ 
ans  to  sign  each  week  the  deportment  cards  sent  home  by  the 
scholars- 

We  would  call  attention  to  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Mass. 
Board  of  Education,  as  giving  much  very  important  information, 
concerning  schools,  and  as  a  great  help  in  the  improvement  of  our 
own. 

They  are  sent  to  the  clerk  of  each  district,  to  be  kept  as  a  part 
of  the  district  library,  where  there  is  one, — or  together  in  some 
place  where  they  may  he  accessible  to  all  the  members  of  the  district. 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  our  teachers  to  a  few  points. 

It  is  our  desire  that  more  attention  be  given  to  Penmanship : 
and  that  the  whole  time  of  the  teacher  be  given  to  the  exercise 
during  the  daily  writing  hour,  and  that  everypuyil,  who  can  make 
letters  with  pencil  or  pen,  be  required  to  participate  in  it. 

We  would  be  glad  to  see  more  attention  given  to  Declamation 
and  Composition  in  all  our  schools. 

The  Deportment  cards  are  to  be  sent  home  every  week  by  each 
scholar  old  and  young,  for  examination  and  signing  by  the  parents. 

As  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  the  laws  give  only  to  the  committee 
power  to  permanently  expel  any  scholar  from  school.  But  several 
times  within  a  few  years,  teachers  have  expelled  scholars,  and  not 
even  given  notice  to  the  committee  of  their  action. 

We  trust  this  will  not  be  repeated.  If  there  is  occasion  to  sus¬ 
pend  a  pupil,  do  so,  but  immediately  notify  the  committee,  so  that 
if  possible  the  matter  may  be  so  settled  as  to  sustain  the  teacher, 
and  yet  not  needlessly  deprive  any  scholar  of  his  schooling. 

NOT  ABSENT  NOR  TARDY. 

East  Center. 

Summer. 

Abbie  J.  Dean,  Kate  V.  Rice,  Estella  Dean, 

Lizzie  J.  Bullard,  Oenieve  Woodis,  Abbie  C.  Jones, 


8 


Lizzie  A.  Morse, 
George  H.  Lincoln, 

Helen  F.  Dean, 
Abbie  F.  Dean, 
Alice  M.  Tomlinson, 
Martin  L.  Crawford, 
Willie  B.  Gleason, 
N.  Wendell  Packard 


Emma  J.  Hill, 
Annie  T.  Kawson, 
Josie  M.  Ware, 

Geo.  T.  Lovell, 

Martha  B.  Allen, 

J.  H.  Orzina  Lovell, 
James  F.  Robinson, 


Jane  E.  Shedd, 


Emma  T.  Adams, 
Maria  A.  Flint, 
Mary  A.  Sherman, 
Ernest  W.  Colyer. 

Jennie  F.  Adams, 
Jessie  F.  Morgan, 
E.  Hurlbut  D welly. 


Hannah  E.  Drury, 


Addie  Dean, 

Nathan  R.  Woodis, 
Winter. 

Lizzie  J.  Packard, 
Estella  J.  Dean, 
Allie  M.  Gleason, 
Oscar  G.  Hill, 

George  Adams, 

,  George  H.  Lincoln, 

West  Center. 
Summer. 

Ida  H.  Lovell, 

J.  H.  Orzina  Lovell, 
Fidelia  E.  Woodis, 
Walter  M.  Robinson. 

Winter. 
Samuel  R.  Dean, 
Bernard  P.  Lovell, 
Josie  M.  Ware. 

South  West. 
Winter. 

Calvin  D.  Macomber. 

South. 
Summer. 
Martha  L.  Boyd, 
Frances  E.  Hallo  well, 
Adella  M.  Wilson, 

Winter. 

Emma  T.  Adams, 

Otis  H.  Adams, 

East  Hill  District, 
Winter. 

Edward  W.  Fuller, 


George  Adams, 
Willie  L.  Reed. 

Laura  G.  Burt, 
Lizzie  J.  Bullard, 
Lizzie  A  Morse, 
Curtis  E.  Spooner, 
Henry  Prouty, 
Nathan  R.  Woodis. 


Abbie  M.  Rawson, 
Clara  L.  Rawson, 
Henry  M.  Hill, 

Lucen  C.  Fuller, 
Ida  H.  Lovell, 


Mary  E.  Dwelly, 
Jessie  Morgan, 
Mary  A.  Fluff, 

Martha  L.  Boyd, 
Alston  V.  Colyer, 


Charles  F.  Dean. 


9 


North  District. 
Summer. 

Flora  A.  Green,  Eosa  J.  Bullard, 
Minnie  L.  Brooks,  Mary  M.  Bullard, 
Evander  L.  Parker,  E.  Eogene  Parker, 
AVillieM.  Simmonds,Levi  H.  Adams, 
Henry  Fobes,  Henry  D.  Bullard. 

AVinter. 

Mary  A.  Adams,  Carrie  F.  Barr, 

Mary  M.  Bullard,  Ella  S.  Fobes, 

Alice  Mathews,  Levi  Adams, 

Willie  Nye,  Henry.  Fobes, 


Ella  S.  Fobes, 
Clarence  H.  Parker, 
D.  Mi  Id  may  Parker, 
AVillie  Brooks, 


Eosa  J.  Bullard, 
Flora  A.  Green, 
Ella  L.  Greci  , 
John  L.  Dean. 


Lois  McCullock, 
Ida  Field, 

Electa  L.  Allen, 
Orrin  Perkins, 
Byron  Young, 


COLDBROOK. 

AA^inter. 

Mary  J.  Butterfield, 
Mary  M.  Allen, 
Andrew  AValker, 
Frank  P.  Green, 
Silas  Allen, 


Mary  Hougliton, 
Lizzie  Coleman, 
Clarence  Pai  krr, 
AA^illie  Coleman, 


Louise  Maynard, 
Francis  Gaffney, 
James  H.  AVare, 

Willie  Austin, 


AVest. 

Summer. 

Alice  J.  Maynard,  AYillie  H.  Austin, 

AA'illie  Gaffney,  Clias.  11.  Trowbridoo, 

AVinter. 

Clias.  H.  Trowbridge. 

F  N.  PELOUBET, 

M.  0.  AYEES, 

H.  AV.  LINCOLN, 


{School 

Committee. 


Oakham,  Feb.  21,  18G5. 


. 


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