HomeMy WebLinkAboutDistrict 3 mecklenburg schoolDistrict Na. 3 - Me-eklenburg f
submitted by Marian Carman
District No. 3 Town of Hector Schuyler Co. —
Mecklenburg
BUILDING STRUCTURE
One Room School - Rectangle - painted white - at-
tached wood -house. Flag -pole similar to size of a small
telephone pole. Two outside toilets (referred to in the
Register as `outhouses' or "privies").
SCHOOL YARD
Several large sugar maples, hedges; and a brook
along the road.
A well covered with large stone (unused since a ty-
phoid epidemic in 1900s).
The yard enabled pupils to play games of tag, hide
and seek, build hide-aways in the hedges, play Indians,
climb trees. They used their imagination. They tossed
the ball over the school -house, rode down -hill and
made snow forts. Games were chosen to include all
children.
When you have an enrollment of only nine and they
are different ages your games are very simple. How-
ever, no playground equipment was needed or expect-
ed. Children sometimes brought a toy or game from
home.
INSIDE BUILDING
Entry is small - A strong sidewall for holding drink-
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ing water pail and wash -basin. Children left muddy
footwear there. Towels came from home.
The next door opened into the main one rectangular
room. At the end of the room the wall was covered
with three sections of blackboard slate. On the side
walls, the dark -stained wainscoting is about three feet
high. (Was this material used to withstand wear and
tear from pupils). Above the wainscoting are three
double sashed windows - very small panes. No shades.
One year (1930s) I made curtains of thin yellow mater-
ial to make the room more attractive. (I thought.) The
upper walls and ceiling were painted a light cream
color. Two coat closets near entry - very dark. Boys on
one side - girls on other. In the middle of the room - a
large wood or coal burning stove.
I was lucky to have my husband, Stephanie's grand-
father, to keep the fire burning properly. (How the ash-
es sometimes flew when he shook the stove grates).
The school room floors were oiled. This made less
dust and acted as a preservative. A tall cupboard en-
closed the library books.
The teacher's desk and chair were up front near the
blackboard.
Pupils' double desks, made of oak and wrought iron
(made to last a life -time) were arranged in rows and
nailed to the floor. The lower desks in front for the
younger pupils. Why were the desks double? Perhaps
to save space and to share books.
Compared to today we had very few library books.
Later in the 1930a we did have a library truck that
came. Children furnished their own textbooks. They
shared and sometimes became very worn.
On one wall were hung the framed pictures of Presi-
dent George Washington and President Abraham Lin-
coln. Not too attractive, but I hope inspiring.
So now you have a mental picture of a one -room
country school.
The erasers are clapped. The flag is raised outside.
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The water pail is at least half -full after some pupils
have been privileged to walk a good distance to a
neighbor's well to get it.
Compared to today (1980s) we notice a definite
change: The machine cleans the erasers. The janitor
raises the flag. The water fountains seldom fail.
Let's look at the program -
"Opening." Ring the bell. Pledge allegiance to the
flag. Sing some patriotic songs. Tell the news - perhaps
a new -born lamb, or a new baby in the family, a visit
from relatives, a trip to town, some new clothes, etc.
WRITING
Practice drills of circles or push -pulls. Not too diffi-
cult in pencil but with a scratchy pen and spattering
ink it was a problem.
ARITHMETIC
Lots of memorizing - adding - subtracting - time
tables (multiplication).
READING
Learning the alphabet - sounds. Some restrictions:
"Sound out the words yourself." "Don't read ahead."
Be sure you can do the questions and answers at the
end of the story. Not many interesting books available.
GEOGRAPHY
Every school had maps. You must know your states
and their capitals, mountain ranges, bodies of land
and water, etc.
HISTORY
More dates and facts to memorize. We really didn't
"see" the people who made history. We could have
talked more about the Indians and Quakers who lived
here - where this school -house stands. Today there is
an Indian site marker on this spot.
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P4 1 - •
PHYSIOLOGY
No definite health course. Clean bodies emphasized.
"Be careful when coughing." Drew pictures of heart
parts. Learned names of organs. Bones. Studied illus-
trations of skeletons. Draw and Label.
DRAWING - ART
Limited material. Copy Forms. No imagination
stressed. Draw chairs, tables, etc. in correct perspec-
tive. Flower parts - draw and label. Draw leaves - label
correctly. Seasonal - jack-o-lanterns. Christmas chains.
Border designs, etc.
MUSIC
We have a traveling music teacher -Mrs. David Love
of Burdett (once a week?). She taught children to play
harmonica. She had an organ brought to school. It
stood in left front corner. A new popular song she
taught was "When the red, red robin, comes bob -bob
bobbing along." We loved her and her music.
NATURE STUDY AND SCIENCE
We were in the midst of material. Birds nesting,
plants, insects, weather. Children brought in all kinds
of objects - flowers in spring to nuts in fall.
Pupils stayed in their seats and studied assignments
while I taught another grade. My wish and determina-
tion was for them to "Pass." In 7th and 8th grade, if
their work justified, they could go to the two -room
school in Mecklenburg and try the Regent Exams from
Albany and then on to the Trumansburg academy
(then situated where Juniper Manor is today).
THE ATTENDANCE REGISTER
Inside the Register were pages to record school busi-
ness, questionnaires to be filled out and mailed to Dis-
trict Superintendent, pages to record pupils' atten-
dance. There was a section for visitors to sign. Here
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you find Dr. John Burton's signature. His health exam
consisted mainly of checking eyes, ears, throat, teeth.
Very simple - unlike today. No nurse's office, no com-
plete doctor's exam, and follow-ups as expected and re-
quired today, 1984.
One visitor's name (1922-23) - Tracey Becker, truant
officer.
Today I believe the school nurse and guidance de-
partment assume that responsibility. The majority of
Dist. No. 3's visitors were relatives of the pupil.
Today's parents attend P.T.A., conferences with gui-
dance department, open house, activities. The simple
"one to one" situation is lost.
As I have said, there was much memorization -
could good business ethics be taught today from: Hon-
esty is the best policy. A bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush. Work like a beaver - get even. Neither a
borrower nor a lender be.
I doubt it - we have lawyers and computers.
Many verses were taught to teach children to be
kind, thoughtful, and respectful. "A stitch in time saves
nine." "Do unto others as you would have them do un-
to you." "Honor thy Father and Mother."
In conclusion, I would say Stop, Look, and Listen.
You are making history. Will you copy the qualities of
President Lincoln and President Washington? What
kind of a story will your life write? Why are we looking
back? What can we learn? Is it to appreciate the efforts
of other generations? To learn from their experiences
and to improve where possible. You are making his-
tory. Everyone has something to give. When you look
at Dist. No. 3 - and the Indian site marker - Stop,
Look, and Listen to History!
Mecklenburg Youth Group: Sunday, August 12,
1984, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Some former pupils living in this area: Ellen Bower
Frazer Hall, David Gunning, Mary Gunning VanDer-
zee, Thelma Morley, Donald Stilwell.
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GAMES: dress up, play house, mud -pies, soap -bub-
bles, swing, folk dances, bow & arrow, horse shoes,
blindman's bluff, husking bees, handwork, quilts,
samplers, button button who's got the button, shooting
pool, whittling wood, carving, peach -pit baskets.