A Basic History on Area Schools

A Basic History on Area Schools

On a cold winter morning, at S. S. No. 5 Harvey (Buckhorn) Jim Fulton is at school lighting the fire in the bid, iron stove before school starts at nine.  He gets $10.00 a year from the Board of Trustees who gave him the contract at their annual meeting, in December.  For the year 1920 Jim Fulton feels he’s overpaid.  His mother received the contract from the board for cleaning the school for $25.00.

This same scene happened in all the schools of Harvey Township.  These jobs were traditionally let by the Board of Trustees at their annual meeting.  The sum of $10.00 for lighting fires was a popular one.  In 1937 the Board of Trustees of S. S. No. 8 (Crescent) agreed to pay James Allen $10.00 for lighting the fire.

Carrying water was another job that had to be done in those schools with no wells.  In 1930 Clifford Irwin was paid $5.00 for carrying water by the Board of S. S. No. 6
Harvey (Rockcroft).

At No. 8 Harvey (Crescent) in t 1928 Miss Stuart is teaching.  She has just arrived at school via skis from Shearer’s store in Lakehurst where she boards with her good friend Stella Shearer.  Her students are, also, either skiing or walking to school.

As the fire warms the typical red brick building Nuella prepares for the day.  She is pleased the Board of Trustees hired her as many of her classmates could not find schools.  She received a salary of $800.00 for tending her 23 students.  Out of this she must pay for her room and board which is $20.00 a month.  Miss Stuart moves on after one year at No. 8.

In the years following 1928, salaries did not vary a great deal.  The depression seems to have influenced the salaries offered.  In an interview with Ruth Fawcett, a teacher in the township, she points out that section with more cottages had a higher tax base and could afford to pay more.  In 1936 Miss Elizabeth Thompson (Mrs. Betty Parker) received $500.00 a year for teaching at S. S. No. 2 Harvey (Nogies Creek).  She moved to Rockcroft No. 6 the next year and was paid $800.00.

The children in any school district are the real reason for the existence of the system.  Let’s look in at S. S. No. 3 (Lakehurst) in 1930 where Miss Aldridge is teaching to see how the day is getting started.

It seems that Miss Aldridge has had to discipline one student for placing a frozen ink bottle on top of the stove only to watch it explode and leave ink on the ceiling – a common prank for 1930.  However, most of the children are now involved in their work.  Many of the older children is the Senior IV are helping the children in Primer or Junior I who are working in their readers, Mary, John and Peter which they bought for five cents. Miss Aldridge has math problems of varying difficulty on the chalkboard in the front of the room.  Other students are doing the math with teacher’s help.  The children use scribblers with rough paper for pencil and lined scribblers with pen.

The room itself is equipped with the only the bare necessities.  There is a raised platform for the teacher, slate blackboards at the front and  a cardboard one along the side, a globe, a teachers hand bell, two pails for carrying water, and some oil lamps.

Schoolrooms throughout the township looked very similar.  At this time many of the buildings were red brick.  However, some of the originals were log such as at S. S. No. 3, No. 6 (Rockcroft) had clapboard siding.  And at Deer Bay, the new school built in 1930 was a cement block.

The grade division’s uses are not common to schools in the 1980’s and now present time  depending on the age and ability of the students in a school the classes could be Pimer, Jr. 1, Sr. 1, Jr.11, Sr. 11, Jr. 111, Sr. 111, Jr. 1V, and Sr. !V.  If a student wanted to go to high school, he /she must first take entrance exams.  If a student passed the exams they could take Form 1, (Grade 9) the next year.  They must do the same for Form 11 (Grade 10).  When Ralph Chase was a student at No. 8.  (Crescent) he was able to take form 1 and 11 of high school at No. 8.  When he went to Peterborough Collegiate in 1933 for Grades 11 and 12, Ralph’s family paid $50.00 a year for him to attend there.

Back in Miss Aldridge’s room noontime is approaching.  The students anticipate the hour break.  They go to the Fawcett family farm to ski and toboggan.

There were many events throughout a school year for the children to anticipate.  At No. 4  (Sandy Lake) this particular afternoon, children coming back to school are talking about their Christmas concert which is a highlight of the year in every school in the township.  This afternoon they practice the songs, drills, dances, recitations, and plays which are part of the program.  The admission of 35 cents will be used to buy things needed for the school.

At S.S. No. 6 (Rockcroft), the children anticipate a visit from the inspector that afternoon.  The children stand when the inspector comes in and do not sit until he tells them to do so.  After he tells them to be seated he presents a lesson to the children to see how they are progressing.   He also inspects the attendance registers, makes sure the teacher is following the curriculum, and inspects the physical presence of the building.  This scene happened twice a year in all of the schools in the township.

The Bobcaygeon Fair was another event eagerly awaited by the children as many of the schools closed for a day during the fair.  The schools also closed for Victoria Day, Easter holidays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.  On Monday, February 21, 1927, No.8, school was closed because of bad road conditions.  In 1937 No. 6 was closed from September 15th through the 24th due to infantile paralysis.  Students could be excused from school if they were needed to work at home.

As 4 o’clock approached the school day came to a close.  Many of the students again walked home.  On very snowy days some students were picked up by horse and cutter.

During the Christmas break the Boards of Trustees would hold their annual meeting.  On December 30, 1942, the three member Board of Trustees plus the secretary – treasurer of S. S. No. 2 (Nogies Creek) are holding their annual meeting.  The auditor’s report is accepted, Norman Bate’s tender for 4 cord of body hardwood  (24 in.) at $10.00 per cord and one cord of cedar (20 in.) at $2.00 per cord is accepted, Mrs. Horsely’s salary of $900.00 is decided upon, and the contracts for cleaning the school and lighting the fire are also let.  The meeting then adjourns.

At other board meetings the Board of Trustees deal with repairs to the school.  In 1930 it was decided that No. 7 (Deer Bay) needed a new school.  As there was no hydro in the school until the 1950’2 the windows, the main source of natural light, were and important feature.  In the new school at Deer Bay the trustees decided that the windows were to be about ten inches from the ceiling and the sills about three feet from the floor.  They are to be five or six feet from the front of the room and contain 100 square feet of glass.

As spring approaches the students at No. 4 receive their vegetable seeds which they will plant at home and hope for good results in the fall when the school fair is held at S. S. No. 5, Pupils entered vegetables in the fair as at any county fair.  They also performed in plays or presented recitations.

Miss Ora Dunford, a teacher at both S. S. No 4 and S. S. No. 5, remembers one school fair.

…Pupils from each school were identified by their school’s costume. They were marked (judged) for their marching and whatever performance they put on.   Then  they had a short time for poetry or whatever else they could give.  Though No. 4 was few in number, they won first prize.  It couldn’t have been for the sashes they wore, surely, because they were supposed to have Sandy Lake on them and one had the “n” omitted. Perhaps it was the hearty laugh some of them had when they saw the error.

In 1965 a township school board was formed.  Change was on the way for the rural schools.  Students in one school section in the township could now attend the same grade level in a nearby school if the enrollment was smaller at the nearby school.  Members of the township board in 1965 were Hilton Palmer, Charlie Allen, Bob Hill, Lloyd Junkin, Glen Hall and Mr. Nicholson of Burleigh Falls who was secretary.

The township was the smallest school area possible in Ontario by 1965.  On January 1, 1966 the Peterborough County School Area was formed.  It was the first full county school area in Ontario.  It brought even more change to the rural school.
A way of life was about to end – a way of life which had been centered around the rural school for so many years.

Information for this article was taken from attendance registers and annual meeting minutes stored in the Archives at the Peterborough County Board  of Education, and interviews of former students and teachers in the school of Harvey Township.

Compiled and Written by Marlys Kerkman-Gains

Tags: History on Area Schools