RACHEL'S FOURTH GRADE PICTURE
My grand daughter started school yesterday. She is in the fourth grade. Fourth grade is a new level. Yes, it is based on all you have learned thus far but it is harder. Because she is my grand daughter, I don't expect her to see the line between third and fourth grade. I expect her to attend daily and build on her previous skills and open up her world day by day. She is a self starter; teachers are necessary to introduce the building blocks. School helps her grow socially.
I was worried about fourth grade for her mother. One of the teacher's was old and if you were nice, you got great grades. For my daughter, that would mean not be mentally challenged. I was ready to be a she bear and make sure my cub got the best.
The principal of the school and I had numerous discussions about three girls, one of which was my daughter. Helen was convinced putting three strong friends in the same room was not in their best interests. She said that if any one of them got on the outs with the others, it was emotionally disaster for the ousted one. I did not agree; she would not be convinced.
The three girls were a redhead, a brunette, and my daughter, the blond. Rachel got the GREAT teacher and the others got the old one and they were 'nice'. Bud would get the old teacher when he was in fourth grade and was 'nice'.
I was a Girl Scout leader for several years. This year, the fourth grade, was a huge leap forward to many of the girls. They were given five minutes at the being of our weekly meetings to fuss about class. Yet, these same girls would, as a group, do a leader proud. They were a team. Although Girl Scouts is not hard, fourth grade was a time to start working toward specific goals, which were called badges. Maybe that is what fourth grade is about; starting to hone old skills while learning new ones and having enough inner organization for all of it.
I don't remember much about fourth grade. The room was dark and I sat behind someone who had brain surgery. I spent most of my time looking at the hole and watching her hair grow out. One girl put a quarter in her mouth and it got stuck in her throat and the principal beat her on the back until the quarter dislodged and pl inked down the stairway. The teacher lacked the luster that previous teachers had but no one told me it was time to learn school work on my own. I only stretched toward that in my non-school life. I think teachers should announce that at the beginning of the year. My teachers just sort of started the year with out a drum roll and dragged us through it, ear by ear. We never said, "I don't like this subject".
As for mother, she spent fourth grade at her real mother's house. Clara helped mother scholastically. Mother liked to learn. She would continue her quest well into her later years. Imagine my surprise when I saw she had actually written in the margins!
Daddy attended Rosebank school; he had perfect attendance and perfect spelling the first month. Kids went to school about eight months a year then. They were off during harvest season and later potato picking season was mentioned. First graders did not go to school on the bitter days of winter. Most of them walked, others skied, and some were taken by horse and sleigh.
In the early school days of Thief River Falls, school was held for three months of the year. Two nail barrels and a board was their 'desk'. We know from reading about Stengelson that children didn't wear shoes or underwear in the summer.
We got a call recently about a family who had no money to buy school supplies or clothes to start school. It isn't at all like one needs two-number two pencils and a big Chief tablet. This family needed a large bag full of supplies. My children's supplies were boxed by a local drug store and sold for $3.95. I am hard pressed to have a clue as to what just supplies cost now.
I know my grandparents and my parents were not outfitted with new garments to wear the first day, they were lucky to have shoes. I talked with someone at a class reunion who said that Daddy and Harry bought shoes for kids in the neighborhood of Rosewood when the parents could not afford shoes. As you can see, the economy factor spans decades.
I did have new shoes to start school. I do remember having a new dress to wear. When the kids were in school, that was important they had the same advantage. How painful for me to see a boy in seventh grade wear the same thing to school every day. I wonder what ever happened to him?
Here are some excerpts from the newspaper about school:
Schools
First year, 3 month term
Kids sat on planks resting on powder kegs
Ten kids, eight of them are the LaBree family
The first school was a small log cabin in the grove west of the iron bridge.
Later named District 107
School was on Third Street
West side school records 1891 but the first taught year was 1883.
Sends out notice in paper for anyone having 12 lots to sell for building. Presently the two schools are on a small lot with a store also on the property. Central school was built on 12 lots. Property cost was $1,240
Rosewood News Friday was observed as cleaning day at the local school. Now everything is neat and tidy.
Rosewood News Newell Anderson has taken up schooling again.
Rosewood News A large oil painting of Lincoln has been purchased for the Rosewood School
Rosewood News Rosebank School finished its seven month term.
Rosewood News School opens at Rosebank; it is to be an 8 month term. Enrollment is expected at 35.
Rosewood News Rosebank has school elections. New blackboards will be installed as the other is in bad condition. Did you ever clean the black boards?
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