Sunday, December 14, 2008

School days in a one room country school




I attended a one room country school. I started there in the first grade and graduated from the eighth grade. We had a county superintendant that was over all the rural schools. There was also a music teacher that traveled from school to school and a county health nurse that visited the schools in the county. For sports we would play softball, tag and run races. Then in the spring we would have a district track meet. There would be several schools participate in the meet. There would be several different races, high jump, broad jump, long jump, accuracy throw, sack and three leg races. This event was held on a dirt road and that road is a four lane highway today. It is the Pan American Highway that runs from Winnipeg,Canada all the way through South America. In the spring they would have eighth grade graduation in the city where the county seat was. Our school was on a one acre tract. It had two out doors toilets, one for boys one for the girls, A water well with a hand pump was where we got our drinking water. There was a flag pole and the flag would fly every day of school. In good weather we said the flag salute at the pole. At the front of the school house there were two doors, one for the girls the other for the boys. The doors opened up into a small room which was called the hall way and that is where we kept our coats, lunch pail and overshoes, etc. You did not go through the girls door. We lived a little over a mile from school. We walked every day rain or snow. Most kids had to do chores like milking, feeding pigs, and chickens before and after school. Our school lasted eight months. Most kids would have to help farm. School would start in September and let out in April. To be continued later---

2 comments:

Jenny said...

At least you didn't have to walk up hill both ways carrying you're horse. haha

Sheldon

Renette said...

I did hear stories that the snow you'd walk thru was up past your knee's to that other body part we have so manys names for. Heard stories of Uncle LaRoy getting lost a few times coming home from school too.