Memories, Country School

 Sitting here today and found some old Pictures of School,  My Blogger Shipmate Jack over at "Shipslog" jarred my memories:  Shipslog (shipslog-jack.blogspot.com)

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I started school here in Pond Settlement in the first Grade, it was a 1 room School with a big wood shed on the left side, a bell tower, porch and off to the left was a side by side  Boys and Girls Out House.

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I am number 14.  My sister is 9, most everyone is a cousin !

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There was also a playground with swings, teeter totter and a whirl around !

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I can remember getting on that circle of Pain and the bigger kids pushing it around and around and around, faster and faster  till we went flying off into a pile, banged up, bruised and scraped but "No Tears" as we were "Tough" !  The 1 teacher we had was guarding the door to the Girls Outhouse so naughty boys didn't go peek or stick their head inside and yell---!!

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We sat in school in Alphabetical Order regardless of Grade you were in !  As a Wood I was in the back with W !  This was my view most of the time unless it was my turn to go to the wood shed thru the door on the right and get some wood for the stove, all boys had to carry wood, we would have a burlap bag to put in front of our shirt so it didn't get dirty !

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The Pot Bellied Stove in summer was not used but in the winter it was used as for Heat and also cooking !  It was not unusual for the Teacher to have the older girls peel taters, carrots, onions, turnip and Parsnips and the teacher adding it early in the Morning to a Kettle she had added some nice large chunks of Beef we had got from the Main School !

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, these 2 Internet Photos !

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Lunch was delicious, besides Stew we had Hot Dogs and Beans, Spaghetti, Chili, Soups, and of course fresh "Venison" !

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.   We would eat at noon with fresh Milk kept in the Ice Block Cooler along with Water !

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Ice was cut every Winter, taken to the Ice House, stacked up and packed in sawdust and used when needed, it usually lasted till fall !  Above is my Grandpa Wood sitting on the Pail,  MY Uncle Lynn Jones driving the Team and My Father on the left side sitting on a sheepskin on the ice.

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In the 5th Grade They shut down the Country and I got my first "Bus Ride" to the above Edwards Central School in the 5th Grade,  Bus Ride was 45 Minutes from my house, pick up students and get to school at 7:45Am as school started at 8AM !  We had a 55 Minute Lunch Btreak and school was dismissed at 4PM!

. More to come on School !

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