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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-04-15, Page 5ee WHEN WE WENT TO SCHOOL — There was a real attempt made to get across the generation gap at St. Patrick's School inDublin during education Week. Three older members of the community told students about their school days and a panel of students talked about what senior citizens meant to them. With photos of the schools they attended are, from left, Mrs. Helen McLaughli n, who went to Dublin school "-more' than a half a century ago", Joe Shea, 'who attended Beechwood School and Charles Friend, who attended an all boys school in England. Senior citizens liven up schools reg. 42 95 v••• 11•1. au, EXTERIOR PAINT r7 I Reg. 12 95 I 2 99 Reg. 3" GEO. A. SILLS & SONS OMR g* Visit Our New 1111.. motoolomeimiitimilitimplarirsliernif New Construction- Renovations and Repairs HENRY F, EX„EL CONSTRUCTION Residential • Agricultural • Commercial 1111 PO Box 218 Brussels Ont NVG 1HO Phone 887-6561 $haarabou..., when Grades seven and eight students compared a senior- citizen to a great book full of information, warmth, hardship and joy. "They hold back nothing that might help. us, " a student said in. summing up what senior citizens mean to the kids at St. Patrick's. "Realizing that no person is perfect, we can say that they are a part of our lives that we'wouldn't want to trade in for • a better part." iJ • It I C 99 I'.1) I 'Reg. 8" INTERIOR SEMI-GLOSS 1 1 ' 688 . 1 Reg. 11 99 Ii Seaforth t;usgemagar, The students in each grade at St. Patrick's School were polled about what they thought about senior citizens. Their answers were collected and read by four senior students who were part of a panel for education week at the school. Some of the answers were funny. St. Patrick's principal Sister Florence explained that a , lot of the grade one and two student's thought the teachers who teach older grades were senior citizens. Senior citizens are also people who have done their work well, people who listen to rules and people who make speeches, the little ones said. A person who is kind and gentle and has been through many hardships and should •be respected, is a senior citizen, ' grade five and six students said. ,"We should make sure that older people are never lonely, especially people who have no near relations," some other kids thought "Senior citizens are nice people who liven up our schools" is part of the description that grades four and five Came,up with. "They are a living proof that people can accept change and progress and by their lives show us that life is worth living and enjoying up to the end." Staffa WI remembers vanished landmarks Correspondent Mrs. J. Ternpleman The Tweedsmuir History meeting of the .Staffa Women's Institute was held Wednesday, March .31 at 2 p.m., in the township hall with fifteen members and two visitors present. Following the Institute Ode and Mary Stewart Collect, the president, Mrs. Charles Douglas • welcomed everyone and read a' poem, "The Crocus". Mrs.Ross McPhail read a couple of poems, "The -First Spring Day" and "The Wind" from the old Ontario readert and everyone answered the roll call by naming a vanished landmark. • Mrs. McPhail read several n ews items from a 1926 Mitchell Advocate, which was hoth amusing and interesting. The Tweedstnuir books Were on display. As April is Cancer month Mrs. Gordon Laing and Mrs. Arthur Kemp, presented an interesting film on cancer, followed by a flip chart on Cancer detection. Mrs. Laing entertained everyone, with an accordian selection, "The Pennsylvannia Polka". M rs. Min Miller reported on the district executive meeting held recently and Mrs. Russell Worden those as her outstanding Canadian Woman, Sherri Baler, who along with her partner, recently captured the World Champion Gold Medal in range. Members were reminded of the 4-H Achievement Days in May and the bus trip to the Erland Lee homestead. on June 1st. A' committee was named to look after lunch at a wedding reception in May. A letter was read from a Women's Institute in Wakefield, England and Mrs. McPhail volunteered to send .a reply. A lovely assortment of winter hobbies were on display including, quilts, afghans, petti point, crewel embroidery, liquid embroidery, broomstick face, knitting, tatting etc. and these were viewed by members prior to lunch 'Served by the hostesses, Mrs. Cameron Vivian, Mrs. Robert McCaughey and Mrs. Orpha Norris. The- days when every family • had a grandparent or an elderly uncle or aunt living with them are long gone. (Many of our old §, people live alOne and don't have much contact with young children. But when they do get together older people and little children are often fast friends. They delight in and appreciate each other without the responai, bility and worries that often weigh down the relationshiop betwe,en parent and child. As one little person said at the panel about senior citizens and school children at St. Patrick's School in Dublin last week, older people are "helpful, pleased with our singing, friendly and like treating us." The older people who spoke to the students, farmer Joe Shea, Mrs. Helen. McLaughlin, who was a teacher for more than 20 years and Hibbert clerk-treasurer Charles Friend told the students. about the schools they attended.' s another world really," Mrs. McLaughlin agreed. Mrs. McLaughlin went to the first separate school on the site of the present St. Patrick's School. Classroom • wafts were painted dark colours, a well' used library of a,few books stood in one corner and the floors were unpainted boards, "real dust catchers." At . Joe Shea's school in Beechwood about 50 pupils in eight grades sat in one room, with no lights and a big wood stove in one corner for heat, "If your eyes were poor, you sat in the front row so as to see the blackboard," Mr. Shea told the students in the bright and modern St. Patrick's auditorium. There were separate entrances and separate stairways for the girls and the boys in the old two room St. Patrick's school, Mrs. McLaughlin said. Children started school at age six, in "the baby class" and the four lower grades were taught in one room downstairs; the four older classes in one room upstairs. Charles Frier. started school, at Easter time w en he was four years old in Engla 'd. He went to an all boy school• an included elementary and high school grades. There were about 1700 kids in the school, Mr. Friend said. Mrs. McLaughlin remembers that there was lots of memory work in her school days.' Pupils memorized things from Butler's Catechism and lines and lines from poems in the readers. Mr. "Friend said things were stricter in his school than they are now. "When the master entered the room we all stood and stood until he told • us to sit." There were few frills in any of the schools. At Beechwood Mr Shea says "there was no piano so no music. There were some who could Play a mouthorgan though." In his English school' there was a good crafts section for woodworking, Mr. Friend said. and games in the, playground seem to have been a highlight of all the school days Memories. "Everybody .played sports - even kids with three hands and four feet. We all played. the only way out was 'a 'doctor's certifi- cate," Mr. Friend told -the kidi. Things were a little less organized at St. Patrick's and Beechwood,...1 Mrs.4 McLaughlin remembers that the playground at the old Dublin school was divided into" two sections "the south for the girls and the north for the boys. A high wooden fence separated the two play yards. Out clOor toilets were placed about the middle of each playground," At Beechwood school boys and girls played together. "Our favourite game was prisoner's base," Mr. Shea said. "One year I remember the trustees bought us a football,That wasreally' something. It cost around $4." A teacher's salary at that ,time would be $300 or $400 a year. In the white r pupils who lived -to the west of Beechwood could skate to school, Mr. Shea said and "beside the school we had acres of ice to skate op, at no cost to anyone." Children walked to school in their time, Mrs. McLaughlin and. Mr. Shea agreed, unless it was really wet or stormy when they might get a' buggy or a sleigh ride. "There were 2 families of Flanagans , that walked three miles and try as we would, we could never beat them to school. They were always first.'.' Mr.Shea said. Mr.Friend's. school was three, and a half miles from, home and he always rode his bike. He told the St. Patrick's students that he went to school from 8n:5S—until 4:30, With an hour and a quart er off when he hiked home for 1UPC,11, At teachWQ00 Mr, Plan said; "School was from 9 to 4 and 1?,/: the time we wore host Was o'clock. 'All the children -at my 'school were from farm fatoillea so -in the evening there were. iota of chores st the barn. We had plenty of homework and this was. done by lamp/ight". The highlight of the school year for Mrs. McLaughlidinore than 50 years ago was the Dublin School Fair. It was held in the church shed and gave the of several. schools, Dublin, „St, Columban, Beechwood, and Hibbert a chance to e011irt- ' the .same 41n4 4)f things that school children exhihknew :at the Seaforth Fall Fair, FOlie speakiag and marching drills were oar! of.he fair toe and ''the .140,44goilmj presented a lively musical etwom.. ompet#104 was keen and' the prizes , were well worth WOrking for," she told the youngster§' the- audience, A big day at Reecbwood was Arbor Day held every aiglOgt Pupils would clean qp the school, yard, Mr Shea said and men: go with the teach er to the hilakfcr a picnic. BEAUTI-TONE INTERIOR LATEX WHAT THE STUDENTS THINK — These four. St. Pat's students gave point of view of all the-classes in the school about senior-citizens at the education week panel in Dublin last week. From left are grade eight students Steve,Rowland, Joan Bruxer, Ruth McCreight and Tom O'Rourke. 7/7 (Staff Photo) A GOOD CARD GAME That's what St. Columban and district senior,citizens enjoyed when they attended a card party organized by the students of St. Columban School last week. Playing eudhre here with students Kevin O'Leary and Steve Menheere are Mrs: Mary Melady and Mrs. Mary Moylan. ' (Staff Photo) jaMMUNIMINOMManf Special to Clear / Baby CaeSeats for $28" Approved by 1975 Safely Requirements imago= too tt om Now w:Te ktm.t Scilen Paint While they last until April 24 quart 2 °9 Reg. 2" 266. Reg. 3 77 HARDWARE MERCHANTS,„ Ph. 527-1620 Ontario .i+FatUntett*RWtaiMAN‘tftt • Irmo ARDEN PEAT MOSS 2, 4 and 6 cubic ft. bales We have a full selection of Top Quality - SEAFORTH MEAT MARKET Lean STEAKS 1.29 lb. 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