Abbotsford @ The Glebe Centre offers many programs for seniors. Pat Goyeche asked me to be a part of the “Learn and Explore Speaker’s Series”. Three people attending my presentation were Les Scharfe, his wife, Derele (Armstrong) Scharfe and Greta Sheard.
From 1947-1953, Les Scharfe attended a one-room school in West Templeton P.Q. from Grades 1-6. His two teachers, Rose McKlechie (Grades 1-4) and Mrs. Logan (Grades 5 & 6) instructed 8 girls and 3 boys in various grades.
Les remembers his school had no water supply or electricity. The toilet was outside in a rear shed where wood was stored to fuel the stove in the centre of the school. Each day, two students would carry a pail to a neighbour’s farm and fill it with water from the well. The farm belonged to the Kelly family where Rose McKlechie boarded. Les fetched water two or three times a week with his friend Barry. It was often a frightening experience as the Kellys had many aggressive geese and a red Jersey bull who did not tolerate visitors. The boys were chased many times!
The school was located in a wonderful place for playtime. Rose McKlechie was very generous and allowed her students to fish and swim in the nearby creek, or ski and slide on the adjacent hills. Mrs. Logan was not as pleasant and she spanked her student many times for breaking the rules. Les doesn’t have fond memories of her, although her husband had a nifty 1950 Chev ½ ton truck and Les remembers him picking up his wife after school in it.
Les’ school no longer exists because of its prime realestate location. It was demolished some 50 years ago with a very expensive home replacing it.
In 1953, Les’ family moved into Ottawa. It was quite a difficult adjustment for Les to attend Grade 8 at Glashan Public School, as he had had no previous exposure to music, shops or physical education.
Derele Scharfe went for teacher training at the Ottawa Normal School from 1963-1964. The student teachers were assigned a classroom in a rural school for a two-week period. Derele’s assignment was in Kenmore School (S.S. No. 15 Osgoode). She elected to travel back and forth to Ottawa with other teachers in training, despite being offered a place to board with a family living close to the school.
Her most vivid memory of this experience in the two-room school (housing grades 4-8) was lunch. The children brought a potato from home. They were wrapped and put in the fire to cook for lunch. Meanwhile, the regular teacher had a large pot that fitted well on top of the stove. She then busied herself and made a large pile of Tapioca pudding for everyone for lunch.
During these two weeks, a school inspector visited and brought with him the jaw of a beaver. The children gathered around and had their science lesson. These were wonderful memories for a ‘city’ girl.
Greta Sheard attended the two-room Metcalfe Continuation School. There were four grades in each class. Greta recalls her teacher, Miss Foreward, having to deal with an unruly student, Roy Rolston. Roy had filled the pot-bellied stove with firecrackers when she wasn’t looking. The smoke and loud bangs scared the younger students half to death and lifted the fitted lids on the stove right off!
Greta looked forward to the visits from the inspector, Mr. Thomas Maxwell. He had the amazing ability of adding up columns of 4-5 digit numbers in his head and always got the right answer. He was a big jolly fat man who often sent the students home early after his inspection.
Greta’s daughter, Norah Sheard, attended the Dalmeny one-room school (S.S. No. 23 Osgoode) from 1955-1957.
From 1947-1953, Les Scharfe attended a one-room school in West Templeton P.Q. from Grades 1-6. His two teachers, Rose McKlechie (Grades 1-4) and Mrs. Logan (Grades 5 & 6) instructed 8 girls and 3 boys in various grades.
Les remembers his school had no water supply or electricity. The toilet was outside in a rear shed where wood was stored to fuel the stove in the centre of the school. Each day, two students would carry a pail to a neighbour’s farm and fill it with water from the well. The farm belonged to the Kelly family where Rose McKlechie boarded. Les fetched water two or three times a week with his friend Barry. It was often a frightening experience as the Kellys had many aggressive geese and a red Jersey bull who did not tolerate visitors. The boys were chased many times!
The school was located in a wonderful place for playtime. Rose McKlechie was very generous and allowed her students to fish and swim in the nearby creek, or ski and slide on the adjacent hills. Mrs. Logan was not as pleasant and she spanked her student many times for breaking the rules. Les doesn’t have fond memories of her, although her husband had a nifty 1950 Chev ½ ton truck and Les remembers him picking up his wife after school in it.
Les’ school no longer exists because of its prime realestate location. It was demolished some 50 years ago with a very expensive home replacing it.
In 1953, Les’ family moved into Ottawa. It was quite a difficult adjustment for Les to attend Grade 8 at Glashan Public School, as he had had no previous exposure to music, shops or physical education.
Derele Scharfe went for teacher training at the Ottawa Normal School from 1963-1964. The student teachers were assigned a classroom in a rural school for a two-week period. Derele’s assignment was in Kenmore School (S.S. No. 15 Osgoode). She elected to travel back and forth to Ottawa with other teachers in training, despite being offered a place to board with a family living close to the school.
Her most vivid memory of this experience in the two-room school (housing grades 4-8) was lunch. The children brought a potato from home. They were wrapped and put in the fire to cook for lunch. Meanwhile, the regular teacher had a large pot that fitted well on top of the stove. She then busied herself and made a large pile of Tapioca pudding for everyone for lunch.
During these two weeks, a school inspector visited and brought with him the jaw of a beaver. The children gathered around and had their science lesson. These were wonderful memories for a ‘city’ girl.
Greta Sheard attended the two-room Metcalfe Continuation School. There were four grades in each class. Greta recalls her teacher, Miss Foreward, having to deal with an unruly student, Roy Rolston. Roy had filled the pot-bellied stove with firecrackers when she wasn’t looking. The smoke and loud bangs scared the younger students half to death and lifted the fitted lids on the stove right off!
Greta looked forward to the visits from the inspector, Mr. Thomas Maxwell. He had the amazing ability of adding up columns of 4-5 digit numbers in his head and always got the right answer. He was a big jolly fat man who often sent the students home early after his inspection.
Greta’s daughter, Norah Sheard, attended the Dalmeny one-room school (S.S. No. 23 Osgoode) from 1955-1957.
RSS Feed
