Fall 2005

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One Room Schoolhouse Project

Tisdale Saskatchewan Elementary School

by Alice Hoffart, Chairperson

On May 20, 2005, the students and staff of Tisdale Elementary School took a trip back in time to celebrate the Centennial of Saskatchewan and also of the Town of Tisdale. TES is an elementary school with 375 students from K-5. Organizers of the event felt that a “One Room Schoolhouse” would be an appropriate way for students to commemorate the dual centenaries.

Twelve one-room classrooms were set up, each with students from K-5. Families were put in the same room and every effort was made to make the experience as authentic as possible. Everyone came in costume from the turn of the century—boys with suspenders and hair parted in the middle and girls with long dresses, aprons and pig-tails. The foyer of the school was the site of a display depicting a one-room school, complete with a black slate chalkboard, old desks, a pot bellied stove and a Union Jack flag. Another display contained many items of long ago—a butter churn, water pump, crocks, coal oil lamps and more memorabilia, all on loan from the local museum and many community residents. As well, there was a wonderful collection of photographs of Tisdale from 1905 to 1930.

To set the stage for the May 20 event, a retired teacher spoke to each class about her experiences attending school in a one-room school. She told stories of frozen ink, Christmas concerts and riding horses to school. Students also listened to excerpts from a book written by Arborfield author, Helen Clarke, about a little girl going to school long ago.

On May 20, students went to their “old” classroom for a morning of lessons very similar to what might have taken place 100 years ago. Role call was followed by a “Health Inspection”—clean nails, brushed teeth, washed face? Older students then assisted younger students in a Geometry lesson, which resulted in making a “quilt” square of paper that was then assembled into a large Centennial Quilt on a wall outside our library. An old-fashioned spelling bee, a handwriting lesson, and “Cat’s Cradle” rounded out the morning lessons.

Each classroom went on a ten-minute wagon ride. Two beautifully matched Clydesdale horses pulled the wagon. Students sat on straw bales and enjoyed the pleasant ride.

Parents joined students at noon for an old-fashioned picnic outside on the school grounds. The weather cooperated and many parents also dressed the part. Several old lard pails or syrup pails were used and even homemade bread and buns made an appearance.

The afternoon was spent at a series of stations—potato and sack races, square dancing, playing “Upset the Fruit Basket,” “Musical Chairs” and “Fox and Geese,” making potato prints and colouring the Union Jack. At the end of the day, students were treated to homemade cupcakes.

Children, parents and staff were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the project. It was a history lesson that came alive.

We feel that this project was a very educational and fun way for our entire school to celebrate Saskatchewan’s Centennial, as well as our own Town of Tisdale’s 100th Birthday.