It was an odd year. We had moved to the Northrop School district, yet, some one thought it would be best for Greg and I to stay at Washington. The house on north Arnold was in the 900 block. Washington was in the two hundred block of south Knight.
It isn't clear to me just when we moved from Oakland Park Road, only that the house wasn't finished and we were living in a converted city-type bus until one night a big storm came up and rocked the bus. Mother was so frightened, we moved into another house which was finished enough to at least set up the beds.
Maybe I stayed because I wanted the same Brownie leader. Maybe it was because I was in a skating group. I made friends easily so I don't think it was because I was shy or backwards. After all, I hadn't hide behind a piano for a long time.
It was the year Eisenhower was on the ballet for president. Our class took a vote the day of the election and I LIKE IKE won! At Christmas, we bought stamps for a penny a piece for the American Lung Association. I have zero recollection of who the teacher was, perhaps she was so good she blended into the back ground.
What I do remember is walking to the 500 block of north Duluth and going into Sandvig's to pick up Jean to walk the rest of the way. They always had a great breakfast and Mrs. Sandvig gave me oranges with powdered sugar. She called me the little weather man; she may have counted the amount of frost on the scarf wrapped around my face.
Actually, it wasn't a scarf at all. It was a pink stocking cap mother had knit for me. It was as long as I was tall and the big tassel at the end brushed the ground. The cap wrapped around my neck twice and was tucked in to keep it in place. It was cold enough to hear the crunch of the snow as one walked.
On very, very cold days, Mr. Wilson would take us to school in his Studebaker pick up. The windows would be frosted from my brother, Sandy, Mr. Wilson, and myself breathing.
We always walked home. A family along the way had a big dog that would push me down. Greg, my brother, stopped that quick and smacked the dog a few times with a hockey stick. The owners were also told to keep their dog kenneled when kids where coming home from school. Certainly I wasn't the only child that dog 'rode'.
As for lunch, rather than eat wax paper wrapped sandwiches, a few of us went out the back door over to Lincoln and ate hot lunch. The plates where white with separations and someone only wanted peaches which slid off the plate unto the floor. He didn't get more peaches but got the rest of the starch and fat for lunch.
In the summer we would string beads which we separated according to size and color and put in egg cartons. Most of it was done at Sharon's house in the back yard in the shade. Judy lived across the street, I never played there after her dad kicked her with his work boot.
The boys in the neighborhood made hockey goals out of chunks of snow in the street. Since the street was gravel, they wore their shoes or boots. When a car came by, often they would have to honk to get them to move, the boys would swear when the car ran over their goals.
One of the things I really liked about living there was all my grand parents were close. Grandpa and Grandma Ranum lived about four blocks away and Grandma Mae and Grandpa Phil were just two blocks away. In the summer I would write my bike to see them, often more than once a day.
Oh, and we still didn't have homework.
e
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
SCHOOL DAZE Children's time
All three children had the same teacher for second grade. Some of that is good, except the two older children stated later, they really didn't like her very much. Before Ryen started second grade, the teacher walked by our house and she was told not to compare him with the other two, he was, after all an individual. Perhaps it worked. If I where a teacher, I would find it easy to see traits and patterns of households. Most of it would be good but I would be looking for some of the same habits as well.
When it came to my children, I was a she bear watching her cubs. NOTHING brought out the claws and teeth like something stupid teacher's did and blamed the kids for it.
It was typical for teachers to hand out dittos to children to color. And, like clock work, that cat appeared on the first day of October, as it did every day throughout the month. So much so that by the time conferences came around for Rachel, the last drawing was a purple colored cat and the teacher found it worrisome. But it wasn't worrisome, it was a case of giving a very bright child yet another ditto of the same cat. October 1 cat was just the way it should be; Rachel was bored and rebelled. Wouldn't you?
Bud did well also. Her comment was "he hurries to get done with his work so he can visit with his buddies". Without looking at a report, I knew he, like his sister, was going to get a minus in hand writing. Did anyone, except for one girl whose name started with T ever get anything else? As for hurrying, he checked his work, his marks where excellent, why didn't she match him up with a foreign student or someone who found class work hard, he could mentor. Why hadn't she seen that? Doesn't that seem like a simple solution?
And then, came Ryen. Another bright light in the Anderson children. He, too, did well and this time got a minus in hand writing because it was writing in Old English with a calligraphy pen when he was supposed to be learning cursive, which was called long hand.
With each of them, the brightest lights on the block, we agreed that when it came to having hand writing lessons to apply their best. The important thing was to spend some time doing it write, although the teacher still expected all to be perfect. Momma bear still growls when she thinks about it.
What the teacher never did accomplish was molding hand writing to match the girl that started with T. If you saw their hand writing now, you would be happy to see that after a few years of experimenting, each of them fell into a groove of their own.
For reasons which aren't important in this post, I am looking at a year book from my graduation year. Not everyone graduated as if they were the girl with the name starting with T. This helps all of us understand that once the lessons of how to write the letters is behind us, we all find our groove, except of course, if you are Miss T. :)
e
When it came to my children, I was a she bear watching her cubs. NOTHING brought out the claws and teeth like something stupid teacher's did and blamed the kids for it.
It was typical for teachers to hand out dittos to children to color. And, like clock work, that cat appeared on the first day of October, as it did every day throughout the month. So much so that by the time conferences came around for Rachel, the last drawing was a purple colored cat and the teacher found it worrisome. But it wasn't worrisome, it was a case of giving a very bright child yet another ditto of the same cat. October 1 cat was just the way it should be; Rachel was bored and rebelled. Wouldn't you?
Bud did well also. Her comment was "he hurries to get done with his work so he can visit with his buddies". Without looking at a report, I knew he, like his sister, was going to get a minus in hand writing. Did anyone, except for one girl whose name started with T ever get anything else? As for hurrying, he checked his work, his marks where excellent, why didn't she match him up with a foreign student or someone who found class work hard, he could mentor. Why hadn't she seen that? Doesn't that seem like a simple solution?
And then, came Ryen. Another bright light in the Anderson children. He, too, did well and this time got a minus in hand writing because it was writing in Old English with a calligraphy pen when he was supposed to be learning cursive, which was called long hand.
With each of them, the brightest lights on the block, we agreed that when it came to having hand writing lessons to apply their best. The important thing was to spend some time doing it write, although the teacher still expected all to be perfect. Momma bear still growls when she thinks about it.
What the teacher never did accomplish was molding hand writing to match the girl that started with T. If you saw their hand writing now, you would be happy to see that after a few years of experimenting, each of them fell into a groove of their own.
For reasons which aren't important in this post, I am looking at a year book from my graduation year. Not everyone graduated as if they were the girl with the name starting with T. This helps all of us understand that once the lessons of how to write the letters is behind us, we all find our groove, except of course, if you are Miss T. :)
e
Saturday, September 5, 2009
SCHOOL DAYS Second Grade
There is no information on just what daddy was up to as a second grader but given his love for reading, he may have been at his Uncle Olaf's house often to page through books, both leather bound and dime novels. It is certain the books I inherited from my grandmother via her brother, where, at one time read by my dad.
I loved second grade! Lots of wonderful things happened. I had a wonderful teacher named Miss Norell. She was big and blond and fair skinned and loved the children she taught. It was Washington School once again.
I was old enough to be in Brownie Scouts. The uniform was a dress and was purchased at the Junior Shoppe along with a beanie and brown anklets with the brownie album on the side. Although the dress fit through the shoulders, it was a foot or more too long. My grandparents were still in charge when I got the dress and since grandma never wasted anything, she hemmed it a foot rather than cut it off. Later, it would be let down which showed the previous hemline.
My brownie leader was Mrs. Kvivstad and what a dear she was. She took us places like to the bakery for a tour. It was there I did not take off my storm coat and got jelly dough nut filling in the sleeve. We went to the soda bottling plant and had a soda. We watched them killed turkeys with electric shock. We made sewing baskets out of big ice cream containers and decorated them with cut outs of flowers from wall paper. They were finished with a lacquer, much like a sealer. I found the one I made after my grand mother died, it was filled with fine thread for crocheting.
Before mother came home, I learned to ride a bike. Grandpa told me not to use the brakes because I would wear them out. I ran into nearly every one of the 99 oak trees on the property as well as the one cherry tree. When daddy asked why I did that, he stated it was nonsense and needed to use the brakes. My first solo was on Oakland Park Road. I road toward the south and made a huge turn back to go north. My family stood by the side of the road and cheered.
And, mother came home from the SAN after 23 months. It is not known if she made the clothes I would be wearing but she did have a machine in her room. The fifty cent size hole in her lung had healed; later drugs would be available to make the TB disappear much faster.
I got a doll for Christmas that year, it was a walking doll with a matching hat, coat, and dress. I brought it to school and one of the arms fell off. I guess someone walked her too much.
At Valentine's Day, Miss Norell made a huge box which looked like a coach for Cinderella except it was red and white.
One day, we were short Weekly Readers. David didn't get one. I had a little desk and Susan had a big one. David chose me. I was in love, I had a boyfriend! :) Do you remember your first crush? Who was it?
It was a good year. I was sad that I couldn't stay in her class like Lyle. Lyle told me he liked her so well, he decided to stay. I wanted to stay too. Finally someone got through to me that he had failed and held back. Why, I wondered, was second grade so hard for him?
Hope your second grade was as great as mine.
e
I loved second grade! Lots of wonderful things happened. I had a wonderful teacher named Miss Norell. She was big and blond and fair skinned and loved the children she taught. It was Washington School once again.
I was old enough to be in Brownie Scouts. The uniform was a dress and was purchased at the Junior Shoppe along with a beanie and brown anklets with the brownie album on the side. Although the dress fit through the shoulders, it was a foot or more too long. My grandparents were still in charge when I got the dress and since grandma never wasted anything, she hemmed it a foot rather than cut it off. Later, it would be let down which showed the previous hemline.
My brownie leader was Mrs. Kvivstad and what a dear she was. She took us places like to the bakery for a tour. It was there I did not take off my storm coat and got jelly dough nut filling in the sleeve. We went to the soda bottling plant and had a soda. We watched them killed turkeys with electric shock. We made sewing baskets out of big ice cream containers and decorated them with cut outs of flowers from wall paper. They were finished with a lacquer, much like a sealer. I found the one I made after my grand mother died, it was filled with fine thread for crocheting.
Before mother came home, I learned to ride a bike. Grandpa told me not to use the brakes because I would wear them out. I ran into nearly every one of the 99 oak trees on the property as well as the one cherry tree. When daddy asked why I did that, he stated it was nonsense and needed to use the brakes. My first solo was on Oakland Park Road. I road toward the south and made a huge turn back to go north. My family stood by the side of the road and cheered.
And, mother came home from the SAN after 23 months. It is not known if she made the clothes I would be wearing but she did have a machine in her room. The fifty cent size hole in her lung had healed; later drugs would be available to make the TB disappear much faster.
I got a doll for Christmas that year, it was a walking doll with a matching hat, coat, and dress. I brought it to school and one of the arms fell off. I guess someone walked her too much.
At Valentine's Day, Miss Norell made a huge box which looked like a coach for Cinderella except it was red and white.
One day, we were short Weekly Readers. David didn't get one. I had a little desk and Susan had a big one. David chose me. I was in love, I had a boyfriend! :) Do you remember your first crush? Who was it?
It was a good year. I was sad that I couldn't stay in her class like Lyle. Lyle told me he liked her so well, he decided to stay. I wanted to stay too. Finally someone got through to me that he had failed and held back. Why, I wondered, was second grade so hard for him?
Hope your second grade was as great as mine.
e
Friday, September 4, 2009
SCHOOL DAYS First Grade
Picture this: First grade in Minnesota around 1920. Daddy is in first grade and walks with or tags along with his brother, Harry who is three years older. Remember schools were built according to where the swamps were. No, that that they were in the swamps, rather, New Solum had several schools because of the swamps. Daddy and Harry would walk two miles to school carrying their meager lunch in a molasses bucket. It is important to note that both of them had perfect attendance that semester.
The school's name was Rosebank. It was built by the Opseth Brothers, the uncles of the two boys. Many children would pass through that school which, in the beginning offer grades one to eight. In later years, the cut off was sixth grade. My children' father and most of his siblings also attended Rosewood before starting at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls.
Stanley went through the eighth grade; Harry graduated from Lincoln High School in 1929. Both worked in the summer for farmer's around the area. That means that daddy started working full time as a thirteen year old about the time Harry was finished with his studies in Latin and other at Lincoln. No one ever said why daddy didn't get more education, I would think it may have been money, after all, it was the depression era.
Think about one room school houses and how the little kids sat in the front in the small desks and as the children became older, they moved to the back in the bigger desks. Class lessons were conducted in the front of the room. That means eighth grader lessons where within ear shot of the little ones. It leads Old Trunks to believe the exposure gave them a great education.
First grade for me was at Washington. The first grade teacher was not very nice. She smacked my fingers with a ruler because I didn't have a hanky, rather, I had tissue. I had tissue because by now, mother was in the SAN with TB and hankies were considered a harbor of bag germs.
When did mother go to the SAN, you ask. Sometime in my kindergarten year, when it was cold, we took her to Arizona for warm sun and baths. The doctor said she was nervous and needed rest. after two weeks in the sun and she only laying in bed, daddy loaded both of us into the Buick and headed north. He dropped her off at Mayo in Rochester and took me to my great aunt's in St. Paul. By the time he returned to Rochester, she had been diagnosed with TB. Daddy took her to the SAN in Thief River Falls, then came back to St. Paul to get me.
So first grade was yet another year with the pleasure of having my grand parents as the nurturing source in my life. They were wonderful people.
After we returned from St. Paul, I rested in the sun on the floor of the living room. I had lung scars from the exposure but rested at home rather than being instituionized. Grandma made pancakes the size of silver dollars and grandpa and I had a race to see who could eat the most; his were four inches. As wellness came, I won more pancake races.
I do remember we were expected to stand in front of the class and recite numbers from 1-100, Roger and I did it to two hundred. We read from Dick and Jane books and to this day can see Spot the dog and Puff the cat. Their sister's name was Baby. I questioned why she didn't have a name and recieved no answer. Although the expression was, sound it out, the system did not teach us how to sound it out, it was sight reading.
We had milk break in the morning. The bottles had foil tops and some kids saved them which made their desks smell foul. Yes, we did eat lunch in the basement and I unwrapped my wax papered sandwich, perhaps there was a cookie. Thermos bottles were glass insides and once dropped it was gone. Although I don't remember, perhaps milk was provided at lunch too. I do know it was a penny a bottle and paid well in advance. There was no reduced program, some children didn't take milk. I just thought they didn't like it. How sad is that? No chocolate milk on Fridays. How cruel.
Rachel came home from first grade in tears. Her long legged blond teacher had not chosen her for the advanced reading group. We fixed that, she learned to read Police Small books and took off like a rocket. Yes, she was moved to the new group, although she still hated doing the work books. Mrs. Lewis caught on.
Bud was tested for reading level. They weren't sure just what to do with him as he tested to fourth grade level. Rather than being in a group, he sat at his desk and had no reading until I discovered it. He was a first grader; put him in a first grade class. He didn't like the work books either. They would not be convinced workbooks showed the teacher students understood the material. Mrs. Huggins looked like a little hippy with her bobbed hair and big round glasses.
Ryen was reading before first grade. I have a picture of him sitting on the deck reading a Bernstein Bears book. The beauty of it is, he had a sister which he admires to teach him in a very natural setting. He had tubes put in his ears that year and the teacher told the kids to not make a lot of noise. He was sent to school with ear muffs encase it was too noisy for him.
Think about your first grade, what do you remember?
e
The school's name was Rosebank. It was built by the Opseth Brothers, the uncles of the two boys. Many children would pass through that school which, in the beginning offer grades one to eight. In later years, the cut off was sixth grade. My children' father and most of his siblings also attended Rosewood before starting at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls.
Stanley went through the eighth grade; Harry graduated from Lincoln High School in 1929. Both worked in the summer for farmer's around the area. That means that daddy started working full time as a thirteen year old about the time Harry was finished with his studies in Latin and other at Lincoln. No one ever said why daddy didn't get more education, I would think it may have been money, after all, it was the depression era.
Think about one room school houses and how the little kids sat in the front in the small desks and as the children became older, they moved to the back in the bigger desks. Class lessons were conducted in the front of the room. That means eighth grader lessons where within ear shot of the little ones. It leads Old Trunks to believe the exposure gave them a great education.
First grade for me was at Washington. The first grade teacher was not very nice. She smacked my fingers with a ruler because I didn't have a hanky, rather, I had tissue. I had tissue because by now, mother was in the SAN with TB and hankies were considered a harbor of bag germs.
When did mother go to the SAN, you ask. Sometime in my kindergarten year, when it was cold, we took her to Arizona for warm sun and baths. The doctor said she was nervous and needed rest. after two weeks in the sun and she only laying in bed, daddy loaded both of us into the Buick and headed north. He dropped her off at Mayo in Rochester and took me to my great aunt's in St. Paul. By the time he returned to Rochester, she had been diagnosed with TB. Daddy took her to the SAN in Thief River Falls, then came back to St. Paul to get me.
So first grade was yet another year with the pleasure of having my grand parents as the nurturing source in my life. They were wonderful people.
After we returned from St. Paul, I rested in the sun on the floor of the living room. I had lung scars from the exposure but rested at home rather than being instituionized. Grandma made pancakes the size of silver dollars and grandpa and I had a race to see who could eat the most; his were four inches. As wellness came, I won more pancake races.
I do remember we were expected to stand in front of the class and recite numbers from 1-100, Roger and I did it to two hundred. We read from Dick and Jane books and to this day can see Spot the dog and Puff the cat. Their sister's name was Baby. I questioned why she didn't have a name and recieved no answer. Although the expression was, sound it out, the system did not teach us how to sound it out, it was sight reading.
We had milk break in the morning. The bottles had foil tops and some kids saved them which made their desks smell foul. Yes, we did eat lunch in the basement and I unwrapped my wax papered sandwich, perhaps there was a cookie. Thermos bottles were glass insides and once dropped it was gone. Although I don't remember, perhaps milk was provided at lunch too. I do know it was a penny a bottle and paid well in advance. There was no reduced program, some children didn't take milk. I just thought they didn't like it. How sad is that? No chocolate milk on Fridays. How cruel.
Rachel came home from first grade in tears. Her long legged blond teacher had not chosen her for the advanced reading group. We fixed that, she learned to read Police Small books and took off like a rocket. Yes, she was moved to the new group, although she still hated doing the work books. Mrs. Lewis caught on.
Bud was tested for reading level. They weren't sure just what to do with him as he tested to fourth grade level. Rather than being in a group, he sat at his desk and had no reading until I discovered it. He was a first grader; put him in a first grade class. He didn't like the work books either. They would not be convinced workbooks showed the teacher students understood the material. Mrs. Huggins looked like a little hippy with her bobbed hair and big round glasses.
Ryen was reading before first grade. I have a picture of him sitting on the deck reading a Bernstein Bears book. The beauty of it is, he had a sister which he admires to teach him in a very natural setting. He had tubes put in his ears that year and the teacher told the kids to not make a lot of noise. He was sent to school with ear muffs encase it was too noisy for him.
Think about your first grade, what do you remember?
e
Thursday, September 3, 2009
SCHOOL DAYS My children's first year
Rachel started Schwegler School as a kindergartner in the fall of 1971. She would turn six in October. She had been exposed to social graces and other pre school concepts at Small World as well as at First Presbyterian Nursery School. We took her out of First Presbyterian when she, and many others continued to be exposed to illnesses that should have been caught.
Being the first child, I was, of course, wondering just how this would go. Would she hide behind the piano? How many kids would be in her class? I knew she would make friends. Would she be morning or afternoon class?
And the letter said afternoon class because she was older and didn't need to nap. The room was full of children. FULL and that means greater than 30; the new development called Prairie Acres had a good crop of children.
And on that first day, Rachel walked into the center of the room, looked around and looked at me and said, "Bye Mom". My only concern was the number of bodies for a new teacher, Miss Machart. The principal told me she would need extra hands and eyes, I volunteered one day a week for the year. Kristen, another student, stayed with us in the morning. She was a pleasant child and the two of them enjoyed each other's company.
Bud, also was an after the first of September birthday. The principal had watched him grow and told me she would change his birthday to 9/1 if I wanted, he was bright enough to match with the older kids. Rather than send him to a mandatory school, he enrolled in The Red House Nursery School which he attended five days a week under the directorship of Mindy and Bob.
Red House was a community nursery school, which means parents help by bringing treats, working at cleaning the building, and volunteering time. Bud did well and had the social skills necessary to start at Schwegler at almost six.
Their baby books with all the notes and quotes are in their possession. A couple of things I remember about him at this age are: He came home from school one day and announced he had to have a Dr. Pepper. Mrs. Waugh had told them to be still as she read a story. Instead of sitting down, he crouched and thought his legs were going to blow off! Another was he wanted to bring Mrs. Waugh a flower. He had me make a huge dandelion out of crepe paper, because that was his favorite flower at the time.
Ryen the youngest, started school when he was also nearly six. The teacher was concerned he was not well socialized and because he had not gone to nursery school may have trouble. Two of the things that concerned her were that he wouldn't know how to line up or what it meant when the lights were turned off. A note came home saying he didn't know how to tie his shoes. How could he, he had velcor closings. That day we sat on the floor and said:
There is a tree (loop)
The bunny (the other lace)
Runs around the tree
And dives into the hole.
Pull tight!
And he passed shoe tying, lights off, and lining up. And he drew a picture of his house with lighted lamps and the lamp was plugged into a wall socket. That was the last we heard of concerns, which turned into praise for the child that seemingly could do anything.
Old Trunks believes kids learn much earlier than mine were taught. I know the could read/identify long before school. Think about your kids. If you turn them loose in the cereal aisle at the store, they are going to get the cereal they like because of the identification. Think about the lining up several brands of soda; no doubt, like Bud, they are going to pick the Dr. Pepper. Rachel knew that penny pony in front of Kroger's was Sandy long before she read books. Ryen learned logic playing school with his sister before he started public school.
Let's give kids the credit they deserve and see their talents early.
e
Being the first child, I was, of course, wondering just how this would go. Would she hide behind the piano? How many kids would be in her class? I knew she would make friends. Would she be morning or afternoon class?
And the letter said afternoon class because she was older and didn't need to nap. The room was full of children. FULL and that means greater than 30; the new development called Prairie Acres had a good crop of children.
And on that first day, Rachel walked into the center of the room, looked around and looked at me and said, "Bye Mom". My only concern was the number of bodies for a new teacher, Miss Machart. The principal told me she would need extra hands and eyes, I volunteered one day a week for the year. Kristen, another student, stayed with us in the morning. She was a pleasant child and the two of them enjoyed each other's company.
Bud, also was an after the first of September birthday. The principal had watched him grow and told me she would change his birthday to 9/1 if I wanted, he was bright enough to match with the older kids. Rather than send him to a mandatory school, he enrolled in The Red House Nursery School which he attended five days a week under the directorship of Mindy and Bob.
Red House was a community nursery school, which means parents help by bringing treats, working at cleaning the building, and volunteering time. Bud did well and had the social skills necessary to start at Schwegler at almost six.
Their baby books with all the notes and quotes are in their possession. A couple of things I remember about him at this age are: He came home from school one day and announced he had to have a Dr. Pepper. Mrs. Waugh had told them to be still as she read a story. Instead of sitting down, he crouched and thought his legs were going to blow off! Another was he wanted to bring Mrs. Waugh a flower. He had me make a huge dandelion out of crepe paper, because that was his favorite flower at the time.
Ryen the youngest, started school when he was also nearly six. The teacher was concerned he was not well socialized and because he had not gone to nursery school may have trouble. Two of the things that concerned her were that he wouldn't know how to line up or what it meant when the lights were turned off. A note came home saying he didn't know how to tie his shoes. How could he, he had velcor closings. That day we sat on the floor and said:
There is a tree (loop)
The bunny (the other lace)
Runs around the tree
And dives into the hole.
Pull tight!
And he passed shoe tying, lights off, and lining up. And he drew a picture of his house with lighted lamps and the lamp was plugged into a wall socket. That was the last we heard of concerns, which turned into praise for the child that seemingly could do anything.
Old Trunks believes kids learn much earlier than mine were taught. I know the could read/identify long before school. Think about your kids. If you turn them loose in the cereal aisle at the store, they are going to get the cereal they like because of the identification. Think about the lining up several brands of soda; no doubt, like Bud, they are going to pick the Dr. Pepper. Rachel knew that penny pony in front of Kroger's was Sandy long before she read books. Ryen learned logic playing school with his sister before he started public school.
Let's give kids the credit they deserve and see their talents early.
e
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
SCHOOL DAYS The Children's Garden
What was the reasoning behind having a kindergarten anyway?
The first kindergarten opened in Blankenburg, Germany, in 1837. Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852) designed this system to offer a preschool education to young children in a less formal environment. His plan was to offer an organized setting in which children's creativity and play instincts were nurtured in a constructive and supervised manner. He believed that children could be taught to become better, more cooperative learners through the use of tools like songs, stories, games, and other group activities. The central idea of his theory was that a good education starts with learning creative expression and social cooperation. This concept had a direct influence on American school systems.
In 1856 the first American kindergarten was founded in Watertown, Wisconsin, and by the end of the nineteenth century it had become a standard part of the American educational philosophy.
In New Solum Township, there was no kindergarten, children started school as first graders in the country schools. Old Trunks wonders if the younger children in the family didn't learn from their older siblings as they studied by lamp light. Odd, isn't it, that my grand parents never talked about their formal education. Certainly they were educated in some way.
Let's fast forward to my kindergarten experiences. I am not certain just why I decided to hide behind the piano while the teacher played and the class sang the songs. Once I heard a song I knew, I ventured forth and sat with the other children on the first day at Northrop. Perhaps it was because I had been plucked from my own envoriment and sent to my grand mother's to start school while mother was in the hospital with sciatica.
How clearly is the vision of grandma walking me to school on that first day. I can still see the dew on the grass. Grandpa had already left for work. I had sat on his lap at breakfast and helped him watch the old manual toaster so the bread didn't burn.
Northrop was about six blocks from my grand parents house. They lived on Arnold Avenue in the eleven hundred block. The next block was Duluth, then Knight, followed by a big street called Main. After crossing Main, there was one more block, LaBree. The school address was 9th @ LaBree.
After a few days, Grandma would meet me at Main Aveune and 11th and help me cross the big street. A few days later, I was certain I could make it to school by myself and home again. I walked with the kids from the neighborhood, looking for buildings that would bring me back home.
But the neighbor kids didn't go the same way. They passed a white house with green shutters and huge lilac bushes. Since grandma had no phone, I was not able to contact her if I should be lost. Kindergarten was in the morning, the neighborhood kids would not be leaving school at noon.
I felt confident when I left to go home. I walked to the end of the Northrop lot where the ice rink was in the winter and turned west on Labree. When I got to Main Avenue, there was that white house with the green shutters. Where was the junk dealer from here? Before tears, a man stopped in his car and asked if I needed help.
In today's world we would shutter if our child got in a car with a stranger. Maybe even in a town of 8,000 people it was a bad move, yet, the man said he knew Phillip and would take me home, which he did. The next morning, grandma walked me to school by the white house with shutters and the lilac bushes, I had my bearings and was feeling very confident about it.
Yes, there is more. By the time I was feeling really good about it, mother was home from the hospital and I had changed schools. This time it was old Washington, which when first built, was the high school.
It was the typical two story stone building with a basement. Grades K-3 where on the first floor. The second floor was 4-6, the principal's office, and the library. The basement had the lunch room and the bathroom's.
The kindergarten room had a salmon colored tile floor. Inlaid into the tiles were tiles which had a,b,c and 1,2,3. The first day I was there, they played a game called London Bridge is Falling Down. The idea is two people are chosen as captains. They stand with their arms in an arch and the rest of the students sing and walk under the arch.
London bridge is falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down, falling down
My fair lady.
On my fair lady, a student is trapped as the arm arch falls.
Then, each captain whispers in ones ear a prize they will get for choosing to be on their team. I chose orange soda and lined up behind others who were lined up behind the captain. After all the students were trapped, there was a tug of war and whomever won got the prize. BUT WAIT!!! The prize was a virtual prize, although I waited all morning for it.
We were bused to school in the morning with the big kids and got a ride home at noon when kindergarten got out. Mrs. Hanson drove her son Lyle and myself. They had an old brown car with a shift on the floor and Lyle thought it was funny to take the car out of gear, at which time Mrs. Hanson would scream, "LY-LEE!".
What did I wear to school? Long white stockings held up with a garter belt and dresses. In the winter, one took off snow pants, boots, and coats and hung them on pegs. Some classes had coat rooms.
The bathroom in the basement had a number of stalls made of wood with big doors that creaked. They did not lock. I had already learned to look under the door to see if it was occupied. The entire basement smelled of sour milk and wax paper although, as a kindergartener, I did not eat there.
Greater than 50 years later, I would learn from the bus driver that picked me up in the morning that I was well behaved and always wore white mittens. How did I learn this? My sweet Thomas had a picture of me at the optical shop and when she came in for glasses, she said, "Is that Elodee?"
What was your kindergarten like?
e
The first kindergarten opened in Blankenburg, Germany, in 1837. Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852) designed this system to offer a preschool education to young children in a less formal environment. His plan was to offer an organized setting in which children's creativity and play instincts were nurtured in a constructive and supervised manner. He believed that children could be taught to become better, more cooperative learners through the use of tools like songs, stories, games, and other group activities. The central idea of his theory was that a good education starts with learning creative expression and social cooperation. This concept had a direct influence on American school systems.
In 1856 the first American kindergarten was founded in Watertown, Wisconsin, and by the end of the nineteenth century it had become a standard part of the American educational philosophy.
In New Solum Township, there was no kindergarten, children started school as first graders in the country schools. Old Trunks wonders if the younger children in the family didn't learn from their older siblings as they studied by lamp light. Odd, isn't it, that my grand parents never talked about their formal education. Certainly they were educated in some way.
Let's fast forward to my kindergarten experiences. I am not certain just why I decided to hide behind the piano while the teacher played and the class sang the songs. Once I heard a song I knew, I ventured forth and sat with the other children on the first day at Northrop. Perhaps it was because I had been plucked from my own envoriment and sent to my grand mother's to start school while mother was in the hospital with sciatica.
How clearly is the vision of grandma walking me to school on that first day. I can still see the dew on the grass. Grandpa had already left for work. I had sat on his lap at breakfast and helped him watch the old manual toaster so the bread didn't burn.
Northrop was about six blocks from my grand parents house. They lived on Arnold Avenue in the eleven hundred block. The next block was Duluth, then Knight, followed by a big street called Main. After crossing Main, there was one more block, LaBree. The school address was 9th @ LaBree.
After a few days, Grandma would meet me at Main Aveune and 11th and help me cross the big street. A few days later, I was certain I could make it to school by myself and home again. I walked with the kids from the neighborhood, looking for buildings that would bring me back home.
But the neighbor kids didn't go the same way. They passed a white house with green shutters and huge lilac bushes. Since grandma had no phone, I was not able to contact her if I should be lost. Kindergarten was in the morning, the neighborhood kids would not be leaving school at noon.
I felt confident when I left to go home. I walked to the end of the Northrop lot where the ice rink was in the winter and turned west on Labree. When I got to Main Avenue, there was that white house with the green shutters. Where was the junk dealer from here? Before tears, a man stopped in his car and asked if I needed help.
In today's world we would shutter if our child got in a car with a stranger. Maybe even in a town of 8,000 people it was a bad move, yet, the man said he knew Phillip and would take me home, which he did. The next morning, grandma walked me to school by the white house with shutters and the lilac bushes, I had my bearings and was feeling very confident about it.
Yes, there is more. By the time I was feeling really good about it, mother was home from the hospital and I had changed schools. This time it was old Washington, which when first built, was the high school.
It was the typical two story stone building with a basement. Grades K-3 where on the first floor. The second floor was 4-6, the principal's office, and the library. The basement had the lunch room and the bathroom's.
The kindergarten room had a salmon colored tile floor. Inlaid into the tiles were tiles which had a,b,c and 1,2,3. The first day I was there, they played a game called London Bridge is Falling Down. The idea is two people are chosen as captains. They stand with their arms in an arch and the rest of the students sing and walk under the arch.
London bridge is falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down, falling down
My fair lady.
On my fair lady, a student is trapped as the arm arch falls.
Then, each captain whispers in ones ear a prize they will get for choosing to be on their team. I chose orange soda and lined up behind others who were lined up behind the captain. After all the students were trapped, there was a tug of war and whomever won got the prize. BUT WAIT!!! The prize was a virtual prize, although I waited all morning for it.
We were bused to school in the morning with the big kids and got a ride home at noon when kindergarten got out. Mrs. Hanson drove her son Lyle and myself. They had an old brown car with a shift on the floor and Lyle thought it was funny to take the car out of gear, at which time Mrs. Hanson would scream, "LY-LEE!".
What did I wear to school? Long white stockings held up with a garter belt and dresses. In the winter, one took off snow pants, boots, and coats and hung them on pegs. Some classes had coat rooms.
The bathroom in the basement had a number of stalls made of wood with big doors that creaked. They did not lock. I had already learned to look under the door to see if it was occupied. The entire basement smelled of sour milk and wax paper although, as a kindergartener, I did not eat there.
Greater than 50 years later, I would learn from the bus driver that picked me up in the morning that I was well behaved and always wore white mittens. How did I learn this? My sweet Thomas had a picture of me at the optical shop and when she came in for glasses, she said, "Is that Elodee?"
What was your kindergarten like?
e
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
SCHOOL DAYS
My grand daughter started six grade recently. There are 14 students in her class. She will move from one class to another, as if it were junior high.
When we look back in at what our ancestors did for school, we remember school started after the harvest, postponed in the coldest of winter for the young children, and many where absent during planting season in the spring.
Old Trunks wonders if we can do a comparison, let's say for Stan, Elodee, Rachel, and Jaeme and see some sort of like pattern OR difference.
It may be a great venture! What do you remember, let's say, about kindergarten?
e
When we look back in at what our ancestors did for school, we remember school started after the harvest, postponed in the coldest of winter for the young children, and many where absent during planting season in the spring.
Old Trunks wonders if we can do a comparison, let's say for Stan, Elodee, Rachel, and Jaeme and see some sort of like pattern OR difference.
It may be a great venture! What do you remember, let's say, about kindergarten?
e
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