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DAYS Wednesday June 19 1985 Page IT GEORGETOWNS PAST THE OLD STONE SCHOOL Education has made progress In 1916 Lillian Eaton of Acton earned year as a school teacher and thought it was good money As far as the education system is concerned we come a long way baby Back in when the first classes were held in two rented rooms a frame house in Georgetown the government support education Townsfolk Just chipped in enough money to hire a school mar and rent a building Only after Confederation when gem of leglsial on was passed ensuring that schools would be government subsidized did Institutions of learning change from private to public operations One room schools were literally that No home ec rooms or gyms or science labs or cafeterias No PA systems or swimming pools or audiovisual equipment No plumbing There t even any textbooks t the first formal school in Georgetown In the basement of the old Town Hall below councillor a meeting place The Old Maids School of the 1850s on Main Street across from the Congregational Church consisted of long desks and benches But not enough of them Some students had to stand A far cry from today double classrooms and wellstocked libraries So were the rules Children used to do what they were told without question remembered Mrs Eaton No wonder Contemporary teachers dare not hit a child Pioneer children dare not anger a teacher for fear of being hit Reputedly Miss Mc Master of the Old Maids schools was a whiz with the hickory stick During her lime a threestorey brick academy was built on Academy Road at the northeast end of town In 1911 it was demolished the construction or the Martin and Wilson homes Nothing was wasted back then not even time There were no extra Walking miles to school In the morning was a field trip in itself There was no mc for clubs after classes children had to hurry home to help w th the chores The only recreational part of the basic 3 It curriculum was singing Remembered as a music buff James lauRht choral singing to Town Hall School kids in the 1B60B Another notable teacher was Reverend Charles Dade A native of Yarmouth England he served as rector of St Georges Anglican Church and opened a private school near the site of the North Halton Golf and Country Club To prepare students for University he held classes from 9am to p m weekdays and from Sam to it a m Saturdays Though few continued past grade school elementary classes continued to outgrow their classrooms During the Miss Fannj Wright led the junior classes in the council chambers of the Town Hall School while instructed the sen downstairs were two shelves of dogeared yet precious library books Expansion was again necessary in when a four room building on Chapel Street became Georgetown Public School Alex Campbell one of the original teachers requested pupils to bring firewood from home to heal the school And today s kids complain that class rooms are not When Campbell was joined by teachers John Tom and George in the late there were enrollees That close to today s student teacher ratio In 1882 Chapel Street Public School saw a Mr Harrison as its first principal the birth of bureaucracy in the education system Another highlight in Georgetown histo ry was the establishment of the first county high school Georgetown District High School As the first teachers hired in M S Clark Longman are notorious Two years after the establishment of the original high school it was replaced by a new institution on Maple Street where GDHS exists now It was modern A lab and indoor washrooms 1914 were built before 1950 when the entire building was demolished to make way for the oldest section of the kids attend today Since then portables parking lots and new wings have been necessary to accommodate George town growing population Nut only have focilities been Improved but losophies of education have continually needed revision to update the In step with the changing times Yes with coed and home we come a long HEY KIDS Penniesworth Pioneer Days Draw WIN A new summer playsuit in OUR LUCKY DRAW for your Cabbage Patch Kid COME IN FQH A PENNY AND GET YOUR MACKWE1 VISIT PENNIESWORTH CHILDRENS CONSIGNMENT SHOPPE 98A MAIN ST S PIONEER DATS gold CHAIN 100 FROM PER INCH CHARMS HANGONS ZODIACS PENDANTS CROSSES 50 10K14K EARRINGS HEAVY CHAINS BANGLES PEARLS 50o SALE OF GOLD MANUFACTURERS CONSIGNED STOCK ENDS JUNE 22 DonrrMissm SALE CONTINUES UNTIL JUNE 22nd 500 PM JOHN B0UGHT0N JEWELLERS Downtown Georgetown 431 3