Country school 04.27.18

               I have written about going to a country school in the past and it seems as if I am doing it again.

               The other day as my favorite granddaughter and I were driving to school (Gabi is my only granddaughter), I began to tell her about when I was in the 5^th and 6^th grade at a country school. Gabi is in the 5^th grade now, so she could compare the olden days with present day school.

               Additional Data, I pick up my favorite grandson in the afternoon from school. Yes Alex is my only grandson.

               Introduction: I had gone to school in town where I made average grades. At this point in life, I enjoyed going to school.

               The country school was named Juden School, I assume it was name for the creek across the road from the school, Juden Creek. This school had classes from the first through the eighth grades. The school had two rooms. In the basement was the 1^st through the 4^th grades, one room in the basement and one teacher. I do not know that teacher’s name.

               Upstairs class room there was the 5^th through the 8^th grade, one teacher, and his name was Cecil H. Hurt. This teacher was a preacher, I do not know which church.

               Each class were seated in a row, with the 5^th grade in the first row, the 6^th in the next row and so on through the eighth grade. Each grade had 6 to 8 students.

               My first day in this school as a 5^th grade student, I remember two main events.

               Lunch, for all the students was in the upstairs room. There was sheets of ply wood attached to the walls with hinges. These sheets of ply wood were raised and there was another piece of plywood on a hinge that would swing out and support the first sheet which was then the table top. 

               The person who prepared the lunch was a farmer’s wife who lived close to the school. They had cows and they made real butter which was served at lunch. Everyone with through the line and got their lunch and went to the tables and sat down. It being my first day I did not know the rules. I reached for some bread and began to put the real butter on the bread.

               1.  One of the kids told me to put it down and wait. I looked around and no one was eating. After a minute or two everyone was seated and the teacher / preacher said a prayer and then everyone began to eat. They did not do that in city school.

               2.  Toward the end of the first day the teacher Mr. Hurt, was at the chalk board and he said, these math problems are your homework for tonight, write them down and turn them in tomorrow. He began to write math problems that were fractions. Example; ½ + ¼ + 1/8 =?        I wrote these simple problems down and answered them as fast as he was writing them on the board. I thought, I will get these all done now, and not have any homework.

               I then learned, those fraction problems were for the 8^th graders! From that day on, I learned nothing new!

               Later:

               There was one game that we played and it was, “Stink Box”.

               There was an area that was marked off and the players could not go outside that area.

               There was two sides with an equal number of players.

               Each side had a small space designated as the stink box.

               If someone from the other side tagged you, you were sent to the stink box.

               The only way you could get out of the stink box was when another player on your side, was able to get to you and tag you out of the stink box, without getting tagged themselves.  The teacher would observe the game as some students would attempt to cheat.

               Another difference between the city school and the two room country school was the rest rooms. Trust me, there was no resting in the rest room of this country school. Juden School had running water for drinking inside the school, but the so-called restrooms were out houses.

               There was one out house for the boys and a different one for the girls. They were located behind the school. They were well build outhouses, made from cement blocks. I can’t remember for sure but I think they were 4 holers. That means as many as 4 could be seated at one time.

               Think of the outhouse in the winter time, or just a rainy day and you needed to go. In the summer time they were just as bad, you know, the smell!

               The orange dot is the location of the old Juden School. It isn’t so much in the country anymore.

My grandkids have it much better!

Don Ford