HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1953-03-05, Page 4PAGIJ. ?~ OU
C.[ INION N4W.S,AEGQ11.IP
Ti iUR.ST?AX, MAaCH ,).9a3
PJayrQom,Audltonurn, Minus. Frills
The playroom in the new school, approx. 73'x36'{
has lots of space, plenty of light, and a multitude of uses.
At the right hand side of the picture above is the temp-
orary door leading to the areaway and playground at the
east of the school. This will be the entrance most com-
monly used by the children when they come in from the
outdoor playground for orgc,nized recreation inside.
At the left of the picture is shown one of the two
large entrance doors leading from the corridor. These
will be used for access from the classrooms, and also by
audiences coming to enjoy concerts in the playroom, for
plans are made for this room to serve as an auditorium.
When the price on the first plan was deemed too high,
some of the "frills" had to be cut out, so that the neces.
sities could be payed for. The stage in the auditorium
was among the first to go.
The above picture, taken from the end of the play-
room where the stage was to have been, shows two small
apertures high up in the end wall which will De used from
the projection room for the showing of films Behind the
large door -like affair to the left of these apertures is
housed the equipment which heats the playroom. This
equipment, which incorporates a system of many louvred
metal plates, gets steam heat from the two boilers in the
basement and distributes hot air into the playroom area.
The small door at the left end of the rear wall leads
into the kitch,en, beyond which is the teachers' room,
School Building
Grants Cover
Essentials Only
Because of the very large annual
increase in school enrolments
which must be expected in Ontario
for several years to come, the On-
tario Education Department has
• decided that, from now on, no ex-
penditures will be approved for
grant purposes except those made
In respect of ordinary classrooms
(in eluding science laboratories in
secondary schools) and upon essen-
tial administrative and service
areas.
So urgent is the need of accom-
modation for the thousands of new
pupils who will enter school in the
next academic year, and in each
succeeding year, that neither the
municipalities nor the Provincial
Government' can hope to provide
more than essential school build-
ing, C, F. Cannon, Deputy Min-
ister of Education, states.
A. F. Cudmore Has
Served as Chairman
For 34 Years
The present chairman, A, F.
Cudmore, has been on the Public
School Board for 34 years. He
has served as chairman since 1941.
When he first began on the
Board, his daughter, now Mrs.
Harvey Taylor, Kinburn, was at-
tending the school. She became
a teacher and after spending one
year in a school between Sudbury
and North Bay, she returned to
Clinton and taught here. Mr. and
Mrs. Harvey Taylor now have two
boys in the entrance class.
Mr. Cudmore has seen four sec-
retary -treasurers with the Board:
H. E. Rorke, Harrison Wiltse, Joins
Hartley and presently, H. C. Law-
son. In the same period there
have been six principals of the
school including George H. Jef-
ferson, who is this year complet-
ing 26 years of service.
Congratulations
to the
CITIZENS
SCHOOL TRUSTEES
and
OFFICIALS of CLINTON
Completion of a fine new school will add greatly
to the educational facilities
community.
of this progressive
We are gratified to have taken part in the project
by supplying slate blackboards.
All school authorities ore invited to communicate
with us whenever they wish to obtain smart, mod-
ern furniture, chalkboards and other equipment.
HENDRY DIVISION
Contra Scientific Company of
Canada Limited
146 Kendal Avenue
Toronto 4, Ontario
Montreal *ROW* VOuntouver
, „ p
1
own The Corridor
If The Years
•(By Anne I1, 1VIa en)
('1Che C IUOW NEWS-
Ii,i CORD is deeply indebted to.
- i%iiss Anne }I lvlason, London,
who collected this information
concerning the frame school of
USS 2, 'Mullett Township, Her
father, the late Charles Mason,
was born and raised in Clinton,
and titteneed the old log school
in Hullett. Ann's older brothers
and sisters attended the fame
school In the picture, and the
%may moved to London -in 1907,
where her father was employed
with the London Street Baal.
way, With her brother, Leon-
ard, and her mother, 1VIrs. 0.
Mason, who was hien 81 years
old, and her nephew, Boger,
Miss Masora visited USS 2 Hui^
lett in August, 1902.)
Back to the old village schoolhouse
Anchor outside the school door
You look in and see—
There's you and there's me
A couple of kids once more.
Wooden storm doors cloak :its
double entrances. Tall weeds
frame the little one -roomed build-
ing, A giant maple guards the
dusty roadway leading inward.
There is an air of expectancy
and loneliness • about it, as if it
waited for children's shouts and
laughter.
A Bit of Reminiscence
A former pupil has travelled
many miles on this hot August
day to see again the haunts of his
childhood, and to savor the pecul-
iar joy that comes to a man who
is able to point out to his grown
son, (used to the ultra -modern),
dipper remind the onlooker of the
Cooling drinks he had so thirstily
quaffed when fresh hater was
brought in from the pump in those
far-off days when sanitation was
but a word.
A tiny glassed -in cupboard in
the south-west corner preserves
the meagre library—much-used
books that had brought to life
stirring tales of history and ad-
venture when read aloud by the
teacher,
In the centre of the room a box
stove with :its high tin shield still
around it, looks forlorn, having
fulfilled its destiny with a surplus
stock of wood neatly piled in un
adjacent shed.
The low rows of desks and eats
worn smooth as glass and glowing
in the rich sunlight speak of past
generations of lively, robust child-
ren who had so reluctantly slid
into their seatsof learning, and so
happily scampered out when school
was dismissed. In retrospect, the
visitor sees again the boys two by
two sitting on one side. of the
room, the girls two by two on the
other side, but at recess all had
mingled together joyously to play
such innocent games as Tag, Far-
mer in the Dell, and Drop the
Handkerchief.
Such is U.S.S. No. 2, Concession
3, Hullett Township, Huron Coun-
ty. It is a Union school section
for it includes a portion of Goder-
ich Township.
Origin of U.S.S. No. 2
. U.S,S. No. 2 was built as it now
stands in the year 1874, but pre-
vious to this date as far back as
1847, when there were but 524 in -
USS 2 Hallett Public School
the simplicity of a country school.
Together they open the outer
door; as they test the inner door
its squeaky hinges yield slowly,
opening into a hallway festooned
with filigree cobwebs. Passing
eagerly through the boys' cloak
room, but noting the familiar pegs,
the visitors approach the threshold
of the classroom viewing its
unchanged dignity, its quaint ap-
pointments. The father is filled
with awe and emotion, the son in-
spects the museum -like equipment
with wonderment and delight.
The brilliant sunshine lights up
the room to the farthestcorners,
setting into focus the t'eacher's
small desk, and behind it as though
used but yesterday, the gaily path -
ted red armchair, lacking the com-
mon luxury of castors. Beside the
blackboard a large may outlines
some fascinating countries, that
seemed in boyhood to be as far
away as heaven itself, now to be
reached by plane within a few
hours.
On a ledge in the south-east
corner of the room a huge pail and
Large Airy Rooms
(Continued from page three)
rooms, all with windows looking
toward town. Another shqrt cor-
ridor leads to an outside entrance
on the east side of the school.
From this is an entrance to the
other classroom which was includ-
ed in the original plan of the
school. This was intended for use
as a kindergarten classroom.
Additional Classrooms
Since approval for the addition
of two more rooms to the school
has been tentatively given by the
Ontario Municipal board, plans
have been made to extend this
corridor, and add one more class-
room on the north east corner,
while the second extra classroom
will open off the corridor, and ex-
tend from it toward the south.
This will produce a small court-
yard effect bounded on three sides
by classrooms., Some washrooms
will be added for the use of the
children in kindergarten.
The ceilings of all the class-
rooms, and the playroom will be
finished in acoustic tile, in the new
random pattern. (Any of you woo
have seen Swiss cheese, will hat e,
an idea of what this pattern looks
like. However, an even better
comparison in the look of that
centre section of a eoffeecrisp
chocolate bar.) All ceilings ex-
cept these are to be done in acous-
tic plaster,
Floors in the corridor and wash-
rooms are of two-clour grey ter
azza. The walls will be finished
in cement enamel to a height of
four feet, six inches, and from
there to the roof in sandlinie bricK.
Classroom floors will be firrishod.
in mastic tile of different colors.
Doors All of fiireh Veneei'
All of the classroom doors are
of birch veneer, to be finished in
natural colour, with three lights,
each two fent wide, and one foot
high. The top and bottom light
is obscure, while the centre one is
of clear glass, The entrance and
vestibule doers also are of birch
veneer, finished natural, and have
large two feet wide by five fact
high lights. They also have quite
large side lights. ("Lights" is the
proper terrn for what used td be
known as window panes).
All glass in the auditorium, vc„-
tibule and entrance doors and side
lights are of arrnourplate glass.
This is the same material tiled be=
bind •the nets in the Maple Leaf
hockey statism to prevent flying
pucks from injuring any of the
audience, W triose here ey, stags
-Can't break armourttlate, it should
be fairly .safe even with Mile
schodi stridents,)
habitants in the township, there
was a log school, for which the
Legislature provided a grant
amounting to £8.13.9. The school
teacher received £40 annually.
The present site was purchased
from Robert Phillips, in 1859, for
"Five shillings of lawful money of
Canada, Part of Lot 23, in the
third concession of Hullett Town-
ship, consisting of one -twelfth of
an acre,"
John Hullett for whom the town-
ship is named was one of the dir-
ectors of the Canada Land Comp-
any. The district was opened
about 1830. Today the population
in the township is about 1,837.
Early ''.Teachers
Among the teachers who taught
before 1874 at USS No. 2, Hullett,
were: George Shepherd, Miss Wal-
ker, Daniel Whiteford and James
Scott.
Teachers who were employed af-
ter the erection of the present
building are listed as: James Scott,
1874-1881; Thomas Murch, 1882-
1884; Asa Mair, 1885; Bella Mc-
Callum, 1886 -June; Tena McDoug-
all, 1886- December; Nellie Greg-
ory, 1887-1888; Fred Fowler, 1889;
Bella McCallum, 1890-1892; Thos.
Murch, 1893-1905; Annabelle Mc -
Ewan, 1905-1907.
Early Christmas Concerts
It was during the Murch -Mc -
Ewan regime that the ex -pupil
now a resident of Ohio attended
the little school. Of Mr. Murch
he says:
"Mr. Murch was a most unfor-
gettable character, a good teacher,
He went up and down the aisles
stroking his beard and carrying a
long pointer with which he kept
law and order. He was beloved
by the children, for although he
sometimes threatened, he never
really Iicked them.
"The Christmas concert was the
highlight of the year, Quite ad-
vanced theatrical skits were re-
hearsed weeks before the enter-
tainment so that the cast could
perform with credit before their
Teachers To Choose
iColouirs For 'Their
Own classrpoins
To -day the teachers of Clinton
Public School are making avisit
to the new school at the haat
end of Rattenbury Street. With
R. S. Macaulay, chairman of the
building committee, and no
doubt Earl Horst, who is in
charge of the construction for
Ball Bros., Limited, they will
tour the building with a special
eye to the decorating.
Colours of their own .class-
rooms will be chosen according
to their own preferences.
'There are at present, eleven
teachers: George H. Jefferson,
Principal, who teaches Grades 7
and 8; Miss Edna Jamieson,
Grades 7 and 8; Clayton O.
Martin, Grade 6; Miss Mary
Skelton, Grade 5; Francis Huts -
ser, Grade 4 (Presbyterian
Church) ; Miss Luella Johnson,
Grade 3; Mrs. Ethel Jefferson,
Grade 2; Mrs, Audrey Middleton,
Grade 1; Miss Grace Goodfellow,
Grades 1 and 2; Mrs, Jean Mun-
son, Grades 1 and 4 (Church of
England) ; Mrs. George Falconer,
Kindergarten (Ontario St. Unit-
ed Church).
assembled parents. Mr. Mureh
was an artist at reciting. He held
the rapt attention of both young
and old, for at heart he was a poet.
As the schoolhouse had no illum-
ination facilities the concert was
held in the afternoon."
Miss McEwan Became a Doctor
After the retirement of tlae
bearded Mr, Murch, the fresh
young beauty of Miss Annabelle
1VfcEwan caused quite a ripple of
approval to permeate the class-
room on her first appearance as
school mistress. The older boys
thought they were about to enter
on an era of freedom unlimited
because she was too young to be
strict, They soon discovered their
mistake for Miss McEwan was a
disciplinarian without the use of
the long pointer. • She was a un-
ique and splendid teacher for the
children who remember her well
have never forgotten that she
drilled them faithfully in the re-
wards of honesty and courage.
On one occasion she brought the
heart of a calf to school to demon-
strate to the pupils the fundamen-
tals of circulation. No doubt this
was an early evidence of her am-
bition to become a doctor. Within
a few years she left Clinton to at-
tend the University of Toronto, and
in 1913 she graduated with her
M.D., degree. Since graduation
she has served in India for 25
years as a medical missionary.
During one of her furloughs she
was a guest at the White House in
Washington when Herbert Hoover
was the reigning president.
Dr. Annabelle McEwan is now
a resident of London, Ontario.
Early • Students
Some of the children who atten-
ded USS No. 2, Hullett, at one
time were:
George Bailey; Ray Ford; Jenn-
ie, Addie and Henry Glew; Ida
and Glen Cornish; George, Bella
and Matnie Manns; Flora, Jim and
Mern McNeil; Wilf and Clara Big-
gins; Norman East; Myrtle Tip -
lady; Johnnie, Eva and Willie Mil-
ler; Jennie, Bessie and Bob Brown;
Lyle and Mabel Brown (another
family); Charlie Hale; Teddy
Weir; 3 Tyndalls; Anthony Van-
Egmond; a Ewart; a Shipley; a
Farquahar; Cyril Hoare; Jean,
Leonard, Merlin and Lucy Mason.
The teachers who served since
then were:
Harvey Reid; Mabel Brown;
Charlie Holland; Edith McMich-
ael, Addison Johns, Jean Lindsay,
Tena and Stella Marquis, M. Gilk-
inson, Amy Parsons, Evelyn Nott,
Pearl Laughlin, Mrs. Elsa Smith,
and Helen McLeod.
The present trustees. are Ross
Trewartha and Keith Tyndall. The
secretary is Willis VanEgmond.
The school closed in September
1, 1946, because there were but
three children in the community
of school age. It was thought best
to transport these few pupils by
bus to the Clinton school, and ar-
rangements'then were made for
this transfer.
A modern "L" shaped 12 room
public school is being constructed
now by Clinton on seven acres of
land annexed by the town from
Hullett township. It is located in
the north-east section of Clinton,
near Highway 8. The new school
is expected to be ready for the
term beginning September, 1953,
Modern, more commodious, yes!
but tomorrow's children will carry
no lighter hearts, dream no better
dreams, nor reach higher goals
than did those "graduates" of yest-
eryear.
&trrowiJctJJ, A Cloak And Playroom
These young men are (from left to right): Donald
Sirot, Paul Pickett, Louis Ling, Charles Bartliff, Wayne
Ebbett, Ronnie Livermore and Hownrd Edwards, Mem-
bers of Grade 5, taught by Miss Mary Shelton in one of
the upstairs classrooms in the old .school, these young
fellows had been sent dawn to the washroom beside the
front door, to wash up a bit. There in the narrow, poorly-
planned hallway, our photographer caught their picture.
This whole trip to the washroom would• have been
eliminated in the new school, for there is a sink in every
classroom, for just such purpose. Woe to the young lad
who comes in from play with any sign of dirt about him;
no longer will he have an excuse to linger along the way
toward cleanliness.
Compared with the lighting in the old building,
natural light is admitted to Clinton's new_ school corridor
by means of crystal domes, two feet in diameter, six of
which are spaced the length of the main corridor. Two
others admit light over the nurses' rooms. There are
three drinking fountains in the corridor and two outside
just off the washrooms on the east side of the school
There are four recessed fire extinguishers spaced along
the corridor,
FINANCIAL: APPEAL
EI°Cfi1CQl
Work
at the
NEW CLINTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
was done by
ld
4,
n�
1ectic
GODERICH, ONTARIO
Architect's Original Conception Of New Public School
,' Y •
t.Y+
Compliments of
BARNETT & RIEDER
l
ill .enet Tor oto
ARCHITECTS