Many Changes Made in Norwood Teaching Force
21 Aug 1911, Mon The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts)
NORWOOD, Aug 21—Supt of Schools Austin H. Frittz has announced that the schools of Norwood will open for the fall term Wednesday, Sept 6. It is expected that the attendance on the opening day will be the largest in the history of the town. To accommodate the anticipated increase in attendance the West school will be reopened.
Every effort has been made to put this building in excellent condition. New hardwood floors have been laid, adjustable seats and desks have been put in and new windows have been cut on the west side of the building. A fire escape is being added.
The teachers at the West school will be Elizabeth P. Oldham and Ruth M. Batchelder.
Miss Oldham is a graduate of the Framingham normal school, class of 1910, and has taught successfully at Gilbertville during this past year. It is expected that Miss Oldham will have grades 3 end 4 and Miss Batchelder grades 1 and 2. Miss Batchelder comes to Norwood from Sanford, Me, where she had taught successfully for two years.
It has not yet been definitely decided as to what will constitute the bounds of the West school district, which the school committee will determine at their regular meeting on Sept 7. Other repairs undertaken this summer are the painting of the exterior and putting in a new section of the boiler at the East school and the retubing of the boiler at the high school.
Changes in teachers are as follows: At the high school Robie P. Littlefield and Miss Adelaide M. Laken have resigned ; at the Everett school Lurenna P. Ranney has resigned; at the Winslow school Annie G. Scherer has resigned; Mrs. M. A. Morse, for 11 years the sewing teacher, has also resigned.
Chester R. Shaw of Brockton will take Mr. Littlefield’s place at the high school. Mr. Shaw is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, class of 1905. Mr. Shaw was an assistant at the institute for a year after graduation. The vacancy created by the resignation of Miss Laken has not yet been filled.
Miss Mildred E. Manter of Cambridge, Me, will succeed Miss Ranney at the Everett school. Miss Manter is a graduate of the normal department of the Maine Central Institute, class of 1901. She leaves the principalship of the Gardiner, Me, grammar school to come to Norwood.
Miss Mabel I. Mathewson of New Bedford will teach the fourth and fifth grades of the Shattuck school. The position has been filled by a substitute since the resignation of Miss Moodie last spring. Miss Mathewson Is a graduate of the Fitchburg normal school, class of 1910, and for the past year has taught successfully in Upton. Miss Marie H. Sorenson, a graduate of the Lowell normal school, class of 1910, will teach the sixth grade at the Shattuck school, in place of Miss Campbell, who has been granted a leave of absence for a year. Miss Sorenson comes to Norwood after a year’s successful experience in Berlin, N.H. Her home is in Woburn.
Miss Mary A. Ahern of Plymouth, N.H., succeeds Miss Scherer at the Winslow school. Miss Ahern is a graduate of the Plymouth normal school, class of 1907. and is rated as one of the best primary teachers that ever graduated from that school. She comes to Norwood after a successful experience at Northampton. Miss Agnes M. Bridges of South Framingham will succeed Mrs. Morse as teacher of sewing. Miss Bridges is a graduate of the household arts department of the Framingham normal school, class of 1911. She has taught for the past year in Milford, and will not only teach sewing, but will plan for the development of a more extended course in domestic science here.
Two changes in the organization or the Norwood school system go into effect this September. The schools will have an unassigned teacher who will do general substitute work and who will assist with pupils who are backward, from absence or for other causes. Miss Ethel M Lindsay, a graduate of the Farmington (me) normal school, class of 1900, will fill this position. She has been engaged in similar work for the past year at Sanford, Me. For a year after her graduation, she was one of the model teachers at the Farmington normal school.
The superintendent of schools is to have an office assistant this year. Miss Mary Burnham, a graduate of the Salem normal school, class of ’11, has been selected for this position. Miss Burnham comes from Essex and will keep the records of the school committee, attend to clerical and other details in the superintendent’s office and will act as a substitute when her services are needed In the absence of regular teachers.
The superintendent calls the attention of parents whose children are to be admitted to the first grade for the first time this fall to the rule of the school committee, whereby a permit must be obtained from the superintendent or schools before such children will be admitted Children under 5 years of age at the time of the opening of the schools will not be admitted. The superintendent Is permitted to use, his discretion in the matter of admitting children who will become 5 1/2 years old within 30 days of the date of the opening of school. the superintendent will be at his office the greater part of the time between now and August 30.