Lambtown
School
Ledyard Annual Reports
The following information relevant to Lambtown School was taken from:
Town of Ledyard,
Connecticut
Annual Reports,
1930-47, 1949
A regional superintendent, who supervised Ledyard’s ten one-room, grade 1-8 schools, submitted a report each summer to the town Board of Education. Graduation ceremonies, held in the Ledyard Center Congregational Church, included eighth-grade graduates from all ten schools.
1929-30
Annual Report of School Supervisor [James F. Connolly, Field Supervisor of Rural Education.]
The following pupils completed the elementary school course:
Lambtown—Jessie Mary Crouch; James Chapman Lamb.
1930-31
Annual Report of School Supervisor [James F. Connolly]
The following pupils completed the elementary school course:
Lambtown—Harry Edgerton, Ernest Wydler.
On the basis of teachers’ salaries, the pupil cost, in average daily attendance, for each school is as follows:
Lambtown…$60.00
1931-32
Annual Report of School Supervisor [James F. Connolly]
Our teachers deserve well of the people of the town. They have been true to their trust and have rendered successful service. The following comprised the teaching staff.
…Lambtown—Miss Gertrude A. Watrous…
Cost of Instruction
Gertrude A. Watrous, teacher… $950.00
1932-33
Annual Report of School Supervisor [James F. Connolly]
The following pupils completed the elementary school course:
Lambtown—Bertha Edgerton, James Jones, Nettie Edgerton, Dorothy Wydler, Mildred Watrous, Bertha Watrous.
Our excellent teaching staff…
Lambtown—Miss Gertrude A. Watrous, for the major part of the year, followed by Miss Viola W. Bucko.
Cost of Instruction
Gertrude A. Watrous, teacher… $379.52
Viola Bucko, teacher… $403.75
1933-34
Annual Report of the School Supervising Agent [Arthur L. Young]
Lambtown—Miss Viola Bucko
Teachers.
… Miss Grablefski, having resigned from the Gallup school, her place is filled by Miss Frances Cunningham of New London, graduate of the 2-year course of the Willimantic Normal School with a few months of experience substituting in New London schools.
Graduates from Eighth Grade:
Lambtown School: Joel Archie Whipple.
1934-35
Annual Report of School Supervising Agent [Arthur L. Young]
Teaching Force
Transferred—Miss Viola Bucko from Lambtown School to the Cider Hill School, Miss Frances Cuningham from the Gallup Hill School to the Lambtown school…
1935-36
Annual Report of the Supervising Agent [Arthur L. Young]
The Teaching Force.
…In the fall term Miss Frances Cunningham taught the Lambtown School. For the winter term she was unable to return because of severe illness, from which she died during this past summer, her place then being taken by Mrs. Carrie Mansfield, as substitute. For the spring term Miss Dorothy M. Jayne served there as a regular, certified teacher. Her address is 47 West Street, New London; telephone 8494. She comes as a recent graduate of the three years’ course at Willimantic Normal School, well recommended by the authorities there and with several months’ experience as substitute teacher in New London.
1936-37
Annual Report of Supervisor of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
Accomplishments
Lambtown. An interest in regular school attendance on the part of the children and a cooperative spirit on the part of the parents.
Last of all an accomplishment is mentioned which is to be productive of much pleasure now and in future years and for which the Board of Education deserves much credit and most hearty thanks, namely, music instruction. Miss Pearl R. Harrison of Hartford, who has served Bozrah to the satisfaction of all concerned for eight years, is to visit each school each two weeks and give the teacher such direction as needed and the children actual instruction in vocal music. Miss Harrison has had a splendid musical training plus professional training and this coupled with her love for and understanding of children makes her unusually successful in her work.
1937-38
Report of Supervisor of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
Accomplishments
Lambtown. Remedial reading with retarded children was very effective. The parents are cooperating more fully than in the past. A concrete case of this fuller cooperation is the fact that the parents of six children gave their consent to having their teeth cleaned.
Teachers
Miss Dorothy M. Jayne resigned at Lambtown and the Board of Education has secured Miss Arliss B. Sutherland a graduate of the three-year course at Danbury and with two years of successful teaching experience.
1938-39
Report of Supervisor of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
…Again we have had a most pleasant year in every respect. The Board of Education had much extra work after the hurricane. All the extra tasks were cheerfully and efficiently done. teachers and pupils were back in the schools in record time when the damage to buildings and grounds are fully considered…
Accomplishments
Lambtown. For the first time this school had a school savings club. This is a very important accomplishment. Greater interest was taken in supplementary reading than in the past and books were taken home to be read by themselves and other members of their families.
Teachers
Miss Arliss Sutherland has been most successful and satisfactory in her work at the Lambtown School. She is a graduate of the Danbury State Teachers’ College.
1939-40
Report of Supervisor of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
Accomplishments by Schools
The banking and library reading activities started last year were continued. An interest in the mineral formations of the earth grew out of making a rock collection.
SCHOOL SAVINGS
School—Lambtown
Teacher—Arliss Sutherland
Number of Depositors—5
Amount Deposited—$12.77
1940-41
Report of Supervisor of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
…During the year the water situation in the ten local schools was investigated by the State Department of Health and it was suggested that eight schools not having their own supply of water be so supplied…
Accomplishments by Schools
Lambtown. The children attended school much more regularly than in the past. This is very important as they cannot make normal progress in school unless their attendance is regular. Arithmetic was stressed and greatly improved during the year.
Salaries of Teachers:
Arliss Sutherland, Lambtown… $1,050.00
1941-42
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
To the Ledyard Board of Education:
Herein is submitted to you and the citizens of Ledyard my sixth annual report as Superintendent of schools. The title is now Superintendent of Schools to more nearly conform to the work done. In a larger territory my work is largely administrative in character. This has been a year filled with activity in connection with securing of Federal aid because of our increase due to defense. The application forms were made out in July, 1941 and meetings were held in New London, Norwich, Hartford, Boston, New York, and Ledyard in our efforts to secure the promise and action on a school at the Center. The building was to consist of six classrooms and an assembly room, which could be used as a classroom if needed. This room later could be the stage and dressing rooms for an auditorium which would be added later after the war. Work rooms, a health room, a teachers’ room and adequate toilet facilities were to be provided also.
The town voted to match $39,775 offered as a grant or gift from the Federal government with not to exceed $21,000 of town money. Thus the town is ready and has been for months but priorities on this material and that and even on lumber, and to be added a shortage of labor, have prevented action. The latest information is that the entire project is out during the duration. This may or may not be true but this we do know, that to date, August 6, 1942, no action on the part of tile Federal government has occurred. The land is staked off and the architects have their plans ready. When schools open on September 9th, some provision will have to be made, at Gales Ferry and Long Cove if the pupils we anticipate really materialize. Early in June a one room temporary structure was promised at Gales Ferry at a meeting in Hartford, but to date nothing further has been heard. However, this we know, that if more and more children keep coming in, extra provision must be made for them war or no war. Such provision is the highest and best long term defense as whatever we have in the way of liberties and materials will go to our children when the war is over. We must have these children prepared to meet their responsibilities.
This we must never forget, namely, that a child grows up only once and further that war, pestilence, and even famine must not prevent our children from having this one chance to prepare themselves.
1942-43
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
Suggestions for Improvement
1. Hold on to the progress made toward erecting a modern school building at Ledyard Center. Put it down on your list as a must and to be done as soon as possible after the war is over…
1943-44
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
…The decision of the voters in town meeting assembled to apply to the federal government for aid in building a new consolidated school at the center is the most far-sighted and the most significant step yet taken to improve elementary school conditions in Ledyard. As soon as possible after the war is over this much needed structure should be built…
1944-45
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
Lambtown, Eleanor Whipple
Eleanor Whipple… $1,216.00
Attendance
Helen Lamb was the only child with perfect attendance for the entire year. Last year Helen missed only one-half day and is to be heartily congratulated on her splendid attendance record… Elaine Castagna… attended 178 of the 180 days of school.
Graduation Exercises
Again the graduation exercises were simplified and streamlined to give more time for actual school and to activities connected with the war. For the second year in succession the superintendent of schools has talked to the people about school problems and some procedures in their solution. The organ selections rendered by Mr. Robert L. Percival have become a most fitting prelude to the exercises. Alice Leotta Maynard gave the address of welcome for the graduates and Nancy Louise Norwood gave a report on how the Ledyard Schools have helped in the winning of the war by purchasing bonds and stamps; by collecting scrap paper, old rags, old clothing, tin cans, rubber, aluminum, iron; by growing victory gardens, farm work, etc. The musical selections were very well rendered and under the direction of Miss Pearl R. Harrison, the music supervisor. Mrs. Juliet W. Long had charge of the program and Mrs. Dorothy A. Clark was the accompanist.
The Reverend Mr. Albert Abbott gave the invocation and the Reverend Mr. Earl Mathewson gave the benediction. For their services we offer our most sincere thanks.
After some explanatory remarks as to their education and expressing his best wishes for their future success Mr. Frederic B. Allyn, Chairman, Ledyard Board of Education presented diplomas to the following graduates: Elsie Martha Crouch, Louise Lucy Watrous, Pearl Hope Watrous, Steven George Crouch, Stephen Daniel Watrous, Lucille Ruth Eckson, Dorothy Ida Lamphere, Ray Ernest Willcox, Harry Della Brousseau, Alice Leotta Maynard, Gladys Edith Schaeffer, Nancy Louise Norwood, Barbara Waite Sawyer, John Peter Plante, Loretta Elaine Plouffe, Mary Dene Sturges, Harold Charles Budlong, Walter Erastus Main, and Jean Marie Allen.
1945-46
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
School Attendance
Before discussing attendance in the usual manner I wish to mention the phenomenal change and the marked progress in the attendance at the Lambtown school. The situation reached a new low year after year until it came to the attention of state attendance authorities and a meeting was held with parents to discuss it and improve the attendance. So now instead of per cent of attendance being in the 70’s and then as low as the 60’s we now have attendance in the 90’s and 19 pupils in the school eligible for attendance that would make it possible for them to earn perfect attendance certificate six earned them. This is double the number earned in the nine other schools in Ledyard and six times as many as were earned last year. Mrs. Eleanor B. Whipple, the teacher this year, is largely responsible for this marked improvement at Lambtown. She was able to interest the children in good attendance records and further made of the school a most pleasant place in which to be. If it were not so why did so many show up every day in the year regardless of weather conditions? Of course, much of the credit for this changed attendance situation should and must go to the parents and the children themselves.
Helen Lamb was perfect in attendance again this year and thus has the splendid record of having been perfect in attendance for two successive years. Earl Lamb, Joyce Watrous, Julia Avery, Elaine Castagna, Edna Maxwell, Arnold Harvey, William Burton, and William Crandall were perfect in attendance except that Julia Avery was tardy ten times and that Edna Maxwell had one dismissal…
Graduation Exercises
The graduation exercises were held on Wednesday evening June 5th, at the Ledyard Center Congregational Church with a large crowd of parents and friends of the graduated present… The program chairman, Mrs. Eleanor Whipple, and the teachers who assisted her deserve much credit for the excellence of the program… Mr. Frederic B. Allyn, Chairman, Ledyard Board of Education, presented diplomas to the following:
Lambtown School
Joyce Anne Watrous
Raymond Watrous
1946-47
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
…It would seem to be within the realms of possibility to have the building ready for the children some time during the year of 1950 at the latest. After all, eight years is a long time to wait, i.e., after a favorable vote has been taken. In fact eight years is long enough to completely deprive first graders of 1942 of any use of a new building whatsoever. For, as a matter of fact, at the end of eight years these first graders are graduates of the eighth grade and ready for high school.
Of course, the fact that Ledyard cannot operate 9 or 10 old one-room school buildings becoming more and more in need of repairs each year indefinitely must be faced squarely… The records show that the Unionville School was built in 1800 or 147 years ago. All the other one-room buildings now in use have age enough… to offer quite an expensive problem in keeping them repaired for school use…
Graduation Exercises
…Mr. Allyn presented diplomas to the following graduates (Class of 1947):
Lambtown School
Barbara Phebe Crouch
Teachers’ Salaries
Eleanor Whipple… $1,700.00
1948-49
Report of Superintendent of Schools [Calvin Stanley]
…Now that Ledyard has this fine new central school costing around $165,000. for the building with the furniture and equipment there is a great privilege provided which has not heretofore been available. Teachers will no longer have to teach eight grades and be janitor as well. Children will no longer be distracted by other children working in seven other grades in the same room and the experience of being cold on one side and hot on the other on bitter cold days is gone forever…
Teachers’ Salaries
E. Whipple… $2000.00
Graduation Exercises
The graduation exercises were historic in two respects. The class of 1949 was the last to complete the requirements in full for graduation in six of the nine one-room schools and the two-room school in Gales Ferry. Also, the class of 1949 had the distinction of being the first to hold its graduation exercises in the spacious auditorium of the fine new Ledyard School. The new Ledyard School is quite an improvement on operating nine old one-room schools badly in need of repairs and a two-room school… After good wishes by the superintendent, the Chairman of the Ledyard Board of Education, Mr. Frederic B. Allyn, gave the class some good advice and presented diplomas to the following boys and girls (the class of 1949):
Lambtown School
Julia Gates Avery
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