When I get notification about payment in the Pay Pal account, it is always fun to learn how people find out about my book. I was pleased to learn that Tom van Dusen wrote an article about “Perseverance Pranks & Pride – Tales of the One-Room Schoolhouse” in the Ottawa Sun and The Ontario Farmer. If anyone can send me a copy of the article, I'd be most appreciative.
Jim Williamson and some other friends told me they saw it in the Ottawa Sun. Jim told me his first teaching assignment in 1957-58 was in a one-room schoolhouse in Pittston, Ontario - south of Kemptville and east of Highway 416near Cardinal.
Ron Visser (story and pictures are on p. 152 & 168) said he saw the article in The Ontario Farmer. Allison Miller also saw it there. She went to a one room school in PEI 1953-1955, about 3 miles north of Carlottetown. There were about 40 students in grades 1-9, although not all grades had students.
Randy Banks read the same article. He went to a one-room school in Mount Vernon just west of the city of Brantford, Ontario. Although he told me it would seem as though it was straight out of the dark ages, and the health department today would shut it down, and the teacher would be serving time for child abuse, he does not feel deprived or cheated for having started out there. In fact, many of his school mates did very well as 'A' students throughout their school days and a high percentage went on to respectable professional careers. He had nothing but great admiration and respect for their teacher who handled all eight grades in a way that no teacher today could. She might have ruled with something of an iron fist, but he says she kept the bullies in check without having to expel them or send them off to the psychologist. She died in her 80's in the late 80's and he used to visit her once a year or so. His classmates were children who could entertain ourselves with the simplest of props and materials. He looks back fondly on those days and has concluded that my book could probably bring back many great memories of a time long past and nearly forgotten if not for someone like me who has made the effort to leave a record behind for posterity. He looks forward to receiving his copy which I will mail out tomorrow.