School Days
Artifacts
Powder Ink and Pen Details
Pen nibs were notoriously scratchy and prone to blotting ink on the page. One of the early teachers at S.S. #1 Holland was so strict about neatness that if a student blotted ink on their copy book, they would be sent home with the soiled page pinned to their back.
School Water Container Details
For distributing water in a classroom before indoor plumbing. Every morning one student would be assigned the task of going to the well/nearest body of water to collect water for the day. Children would need to ask permission to drink.
Book Bag Details
Graphite Sticks Details
Used for writing. Wrapped in paper to prevent breaking as graphite is very brittle.
Lunch Box and Thermos Details
If a school board was generous, they would supply money for a lunch programme or Home Economics class to provide a hot lunch for students. Children could contribute by bringing ingredients from home. The teacher would often arrange the class just before noon so they could stir the meal with one hand, and hold a reading book in the other. Menus could include vegetable soup, rice pudding, poached eggs, hot biscuits, and even maple syrup if the season was right.
School Workbook Details
Workbook from 1938 that belonged to Mabel Chard. Mabel was a good student as shown by the assignments still tucked into the pages, all marked with bright red checkmarks.
