PEABODY SCHOOL HISTORY PROJECT

January - June, 1998

 Working with members of one eighth grade class divided into 13 research teams, local historian S.M. Smoller will compose a history of each of the district's existing schools to be published in loose-leaf notebook form as well as in computer web page format.

Teams of former students and graduates of the featured school will author a narrative history of each elementary school. Other teams of students will author reports on the McCarthy School, Higgins Middle School, and Veterans Memorial High School.

In addition to meeting with the class once a week for ten weeks, Smoller will arrange a site visit to each school by the research team that will include a visit with the school's principal and librarian. At a pre-arranged time and date, she will transport and accompany the students to the school.

Field research at the Peabody Institute Library on Main Street and at the Peabody Historical Society on Washington Street is planned for after-school hours.

In advance of the project, Smoller will meet with librarians at the Gideon Foster House and the Peabody Institute to inform them of the school history project and to enlist their support in aiding the student's research.

Additionally, Smoller will provide students with a schedule of dates when she will be at the Peabody Historical Society and the Peabody Institute Library to assist students with reference and newspaper microfilm research.

Smoller will bring local history resources to the classroom for student use. Primary sources, including original documents, images such as maps and photographs, material culture and oral history will be used. The report will require, when possible, that students conduct interviews or correspondence with school namesakes, their family members or acquaintances, or an early graduate of the school. Learning outcomes include research, writing and listening skills.

1. Although every effort was made to match former students with their alma maters, the make up of the class of 8 students did not lend itself well to the formula. Only one team, the South Memorial, is composed solely of graduates of the South and a small number of teams contain graduates of the school they are researching.
2. Since the Higgins Middle School is on a six-day schedule, Smoller meets with the students twice a week on day three and four during "Reading Flex" time.
3. Site visits have been confirmed with principals and may include a visit to the school library.
4. The Peabody Public Schools has made records of the Peabody School Committee from 1900 to 1976 available for in-class use.