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COUNTRY SCHOOL (GRADES K-2)
MY SCHOOL WAS CALLED MOEN SCHOOL. IT WAS NAMED FOR THE FARMER WHO OWNED THE FIELD WHERE THE BUILDINGS SAT. THE
THE SCHOOL ITSELF WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR CLASSROOM, WITH TWO LITTLE ROOMS ON THE SIDE. ONE ROOM WAS THE LIBRARY. IT WAS ONLY ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR BEDROOM. THERE WERE ABOUT 50 BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY. THE OTHER ROOM WAS A LITTLE BIGGER. IT WAS THE COATROOM, WHERE WE HUNG OUR JACKETS AND KEPT OUR BOOTS. THERE WAS ALSO A BIG WOOD BOX IN THE COATROOM, WHERE WE STACKED THE FIREWOOD.
MINNESOTA IS A VERY COLD STATE. WALKING TWO MILES TO
SCHOOL IN THE WINTER WAS DIFFICULT. MANY MORNINGS THE TEMPERATURE WAS THIRTY DEGREES BELOW ZERO. AND SCHOOL WAS NEVER CLOSED FOR BAD WEATHER. OUR TEACHER LIVED WITH A FAMILY ON A FARM NEAR THE SCHOOL. IF THE ROADS WERE SNOWED IN, SHE WOULD WALK. I ALWAYS WALKED IN COLD WEATHER, BECAUSE OUR OLD CAR BACK THEN JUST WOULDN'T START WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS THIRTY BELOW. SOME FATHERS TOOK THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL WITH A TEAM OF HORSES AND A SLEIGH. BUT MOST OF US WALKED.
THE SCHOOL WAS HEATED BY ONE, BIG, STOVE ABOUT FIVE FEET TALL AND FIVE FEET WIDE. ONE OF THE EIGHTH GRADE BOYS WOULD COME TO SCHOOL AN HOUR EARLY TO START THE FIRE IN THE BIG STOVE, SO THE SCHOOL WOULD BE WARM WHEN THE TEACHER AND KIDS ARRIVED. AS SOON AS WE GOT TO SCHOOL, OUR TEACHER WOULD CHECK FOR FROST BITES ON OUR NOSES AND CHEEKS. IF YOUR NOSE WAS FROZEN, YOU HAD TO HOLD A LUMP OF SNOW ON YOUR NOSE, SO IT DIDN'T THAW OUT TOO FAST. IF YOU FORGOT TO USE THE SNOW, YOUR NOSE WOULD BURN LIKE CRAZY AND LATER START TO PEEL.
MY MOTHER WORRIED ABOUT MY FREEZING ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL. SHE WOULD WRAP A BIG FLOUR SACK AROUND MY HEAD AND FACE BEFORE I LEFT FOR SCHOOL. I JUST HAD A LITTLE SLIT IN THE CLOTH TO SEE THROUGH. AND WHEN I GOT TO SCHOOL, THE CLOTH AROUND MY NOSE AND MOUTH WOULD BE COVERED WITH FROST FROM MY FREEZING BREATH.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CAFETERIA, SO WE ALL BROUGHT OUR LUNCHES IN A PAIL. STORES SOLD SYRUP IN GALLON PAILS BACK THEN. SO AN EMPTY SYRUP PAIL WITH A LID MADE A MIGHTY FINE LUNCH BUCKET. WE ALSO BROUGHT A FRUIT JAR OF HOT CHOCOLATE TO DRINK WITH OUR SANDWICHES. WE WARMED OUR DRINKS BY PUTTING THEM ON TOP OF THE BIG STOVE. SOON THE WHOLE SCHOOL SMELLED LIKE A CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
WE HAD NO INDOOR BATHROOMS. WE HAD TWO OUTDOOR TOILETS, ONE FOR THE GIRLS AND ONE FOR THE BOYS. NEXT TO THE BOY'S OUTHOUSE WAS THE WOODSHED. IN THE FALL THE FATHERS WOULD PITCH IN AND HAUL BIG LOGS TO THE SCHOOL YARD. THEN, BEFORE THE FIRST SNOW, ONE OF THE FARMERS WOULD BRING HIS BIG SAW-RIG, MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF HIS TRACTOR. THE OLDER KIDS GOT TO HELP THE FARMERS SAW WOOD. THAT WAS VERY EXCITING, BECAUSE IT MEANT GETTING OUT OF CLASS. OUR JOB WAS TO STACK THE CHUNKS OF FIREWOOD IN THE WOODSHED.
WE HAD OTHER JOBS, TOO. THERE WAS NO RUNNING WATER LIKE YOU HAVE IN YOUR SCHOOL. WE HAD TO CARRY BIG BUCKETS OF WATER FROM THE NEAREST FARM. WE CLEANED THE BLACKBOARDS, SWEPT THE FLOOR, DID THE DUSTING AND EVERY AFTERNOON BEFORE SCHOOL LET OUT, WE HAD TO CARRY WOOD IN AND FILL THE WOOD BOX.
WHEN SPRING CAME AND THE PLAYGROUND DRIED FROM SEVERAL FEET OF MELTED SNOW, WE HAD "FIELD DAY." WE BROUGHT RAKES TO SCHOOL AND RAKED THE LEAVES AND CLEANED UP DEAD BRANCHES. WE MADE A BIG BONFIRE OF LEAVES AND WOOD AND HAD A HOT DOG ROAST. THEN WHEN ALL THE WORK WAS DONE, WE HAD A BIG
SOFTBALL GAME. OUR SCHOOL PLAYED AGAINST ANOTHER COUNTRY SCHOOL LOCATED ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY. MOEN SCHOOL AGAINST COLUMBIA SCHOOL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS OF THE YEAR. BY THE TIME I WAS IN EIGHTH GRADE, I WAS A PRETTY GOOD SOFTBALL PITCHER, WITH A WICKED FASTBALL.
IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, I'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT OUR DAILY ROUTINE AT MY OLD COUNTRY SCHOOL.
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