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Oneroom school was hub of rural community life More money and bigger schools do not necessarily improve the quality of educ ation said Mrs Dona da Switzer who la retiring after 31 years of teaching The old one room schoolhouie ful filled a function and need In society that cannot be replaced The school was the centre of community life In many ways she said Mrs the daughter of Mr and Mrs George Phalli of Acton started her career in a oneroom school house In near Campbellvllle And next Tuesday June after 18 years with Erin Public School shell dismiss her class for the last time Mrs taught in for two years the Lorn School at Acton for two years and spent six years at Acton Public School After her sons Craig and Keith were bom she served as supply teacher in various Erin Twp schools including She was also principals supply for Lorn Brown and in 1962 went back to regular classroom teach ing at Erin Public School To upgrade herself for the spec ial education class she now teaches Mrs Switzer took summer university courses She has taught every grade including high school For her first assignment she taught students from grades 18 in a building heated by a wood stove in winter Two of the older students were the schools caretakers The students walked to school from neighboring farms often after morning chores Mrs Switzersaldner students then considered education to be very Import ant They were reliable and responsible and few would risk not doing their home work They dare be kept In after school she said In the fall be walking home in the dark Parental discipline too was stronger Very often a stud who was punished at school would receive further punishment for the same offence from the parents The exigencies of teaching students of different ages grades and capabilities demanded firm control of the class and plenty of common sense But discipline has never been a great problem for Mrs Switzer I just Baby chicks are the funniest little people I know If youre ever feeling at odds the world take time to watch a batch of two week old chicks dart about their business Suddenly the sun comes out again Presently we have several batches of banty and chicks in various stages of development The banties look like regular everyday conventional farm chickens very bright and pretty The Silkies look like something you made in kindergarten Ihat Eg Adult Silkies are weird enough They have blue faces assorted blue rosettes about the beak fluffy white feathers featuring so me odd topknot arrangements and silky trousers The babies come out of their shell looking like the epitome of the Hallmark Easter card chick but when they start to grow their white feathers they do it In bits First comes some wings then comes a head pom pom followed by an identical tail pom pom so you cant tell one end of the chick from tother When they grow their long pants but still hove their fluffy down bottoms they begin to look really hilarious couldnt have created any thing better Some ifalp Little chicks seem to be born with all the right instincts When you feed pieces of bread to adult hens they II get terribly excited and run round In circles grabbing each others crumb Nobody actually eats they just run with it in their mouths Baby chicks are just the same Hive them some crumbs and off they race They haven got a clue what they re doing just galloping around in a tizzy with a mouth full because some instinct dictates they should One hen produced only one chick and he did exactly the same thing When given bread he ran off like a loon doing his forty laps round the pen even though there were no other chicks to chase him andswlpe his bit I don t think he ever got to eat it Fathered Some of the older chaps play out in the barn during the day now Their door Is opened In the morning and they can flutter the two feet to the ground Mama pops out first along with a couple of the braver chicks The rest start cheeping and line up on the takeoff ramp Two or three will balance on the edge testing their wings like beginner swimmers getting up nerve for the plunge The others will start flapping their wings and making little test runs up and down the pen hop ping and tripping The younger chicks in the next pen run about fluttering their tiny feathers for takeoff too only they haven got the foggiest notion why theyre doing it Finally someone gets impatient and pushes Charlie off the ramp and they all pile out pulling their rig cords and soaring gracefully downonly to landing Once on the barn floor they have a wonderful time seeking treasures scratching little holes and scoffing bits of grit One little rooster has an obsession for a small packing label thats been floating around for a while He picks it up and has a little run with morning Mama and Papa call them to Order and off they go to explore the other endas happy as only a bunch of chicks can be didn expect anything but the child s best work or behavior she said She stressed the import ance of communication in the classroom Often a prob lem student would improve his behavior after being spoken to Sometimes firmer methods would be called for never punished a student without their knowing the reason why said Mrs And though she thought she was a tough teacher she said she has always beli eved in firmness and fair ness There is a great difference in teaching today Mrs Swit noted Kids nowadays will scrap for the sake of scrapping Before she said the older students would help to teach the younger ones and were often more tlve than the teacher in get ting something through to them She feels that today- there is often a lack of per caring by the older students towards the younger students In contrast she of the opinion that teachers are just about the same as always been Ear lier some young women chose teaching as a career in hopes of marrying a rich far Now she thinks poor teachers sometimes stay in it for the money They haven got the gumption to find anything else to do she said However most teachers leach for the love of teach she sold While discussing the greater number of men now teaching Mrs Switzer said she thinks they are most effective in high school Children up to grade 6 resp ond best to a mother Image she said Many of the younger children often call her mom She hopes retirement will give her some time for her own interests 1 going to do a lot of the things I always wanted to do she said She plans to take organ lessons travel garden She Is Involved in WI work and she and her husband How belong to a dance club I glad to be going bock to own little said The 150 acre farm is located on Sidcroad at the Line The village of Erin has been a good place to teach she said Parents here have always been Cooperative and appreciative towards her efforts But I miss the child hope the students will remember the worthwhile things I have tried to teach them and maybe forget the times 1 blew my cool by Nina Aprile Erin Advocate Tape deck stolen A Pioneer tapedeck with built In FM radio and two Jensen speakers were reported stolen Hal ton Regional Police by a Gould Cres resident The articles were taken from the complainants vehicle which had been left on private property on the townhnc south of 15 after it had broken down police report Have suspect in shooting Regional Police have a suspect in a June 16 shooting incident An Acton man reported to police that as he was leaving Acton Auto Body he saw a woman pointing a rifle at him from a car parked on Agnes St One shot was fired In his direction EVERY BINGO Now held in GEORGETOWN ElKS LODGE Moumainview Rd G bo Early Bird 30 PRIZES 20 EA Doors Open 7PM Bingo Starts 8PM 3 Special Jackpot Numbers GUARANTEED MOO for community In FREE BUS SERVICE Aclon and CANADAS NO 1 SELLING IMPORT NO 1 IN ECONOMY THE MILEAGE LEADER 3232 Fully Equipped Tax Compare the Competition then Compare the Honda Civic FEATURING AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT Drive Front Disc Broke Rack and Pinion Siooring Tinted Gists Heavy Duty Heats r Defroster Overhead Cam Fully Independent Fully RocMng Bucket Seats Plus Much Much More ASK ABOUT THIS MONTHS SPECIALS AUTO SALES OLYMPIC THE AFFORDABLE CIVIC DEALER Our Service Makes The Difference SALES Woolwich SERVICE Gualph The Acton Free Press Wednesday June22 B11 Community honors Mrs Switzer At the Erin Public School last Wednesday evening the staff assisted by the Home and School Association tendered a testimonial buffet dinner or Mrs Donnlda Switzer who is retiring from teaching after 31 years Her husband and family were In eluded among the guests Principal Bruce Mac paid tribute to Mrs and in his brief address passed on some of the highlights of her class room adventures There was the time or example when fire at an Acton school necessitated her moving another classroom only have to make another move when that room was flooded There was the time for example when fire at the Robert Little school in Acton forced her to find another makeshift classroom at the building Some time later flood made It necessary to relocate in the Scout hall Principal of Robert Little school in those days was Pat after whom the school is named In part He is well known in regional government He was among the guests last Wednesday The community through the Home and School associ ation presented Mrs Switzer with a replica of on old school clock and of all things a guinea hen It had leaked out that guinea fowl were something she had always wanted on the farm There were several other personal gifts Representing the Home and School Association were president Anita Cunningham and past president tU MRS SWITZER sitting her father George McPhall brother Kerwm McPhail and sister Peggy Harmer gathered last Wednesday evening at Mrs retirement party held in Erin public school She taught for years Denture Therapy Clinic Gabriel Socs COMPLETE DENTURE SERVICE 8781100 Main Street Milton WEDNESDAY JUNE 22nd 630 The Bibles View The Rud Whiting Show Season End Farewell Roast The Quarter the last programming until the 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