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south; it was a cold quick run in the winter. The road from Frankford to Stirling was being con­ structed and I remember when they were constructing it by the school. Of course we were always trying to look out and see what was going on. Finally the teacher told us to all stand and have a look out the windows then to sit down and work. I well remember a big blast from dynamite, and a big piece of rock flew and landed by the window. It sure scared us. We used the rock for third base on our ball field. What if it had hit the window? All eight grades were in one room with one teacher. At recess and at noon we all went out and played. There was no yard supervision, occasionally the teacher had to come out and settle something. Mary (Donohue) Doran's favourite School Mem­ ories (attended all eight grades, in the 1930s): Mary remembers the long walk to and from school. She lived up on the big hill on the road that is now called Airport Road. There was a trout stream in which Mary and her classmates and siblings would fish after school. In the spring she would pick flow­ ers. Mary recalls her teacher, Alice Morgan, and the warmth of the woodstove in the wintertime: a place to dry the mittens. Mary remembers how grateful she was when Adeline Bush's father provided transporta­ tion in the horse and buggy or in the sleigh. BROOKDALE SCHOOL SS #12 were well respected members of the community who were fully supported by the local school board and parents. The board of trustees was made up of local farmers and parents. George Striker and Elmer Smith were among the community members who served terms as trustees. There were paid jobs for two senior students. A Grade 8 boy would be paid monthly to empty the ashes from the stove and bring water from the well. A senior girl would be paid to sweep the floor and dust. In the winter everyone tobogganed down the hill be­ hind the school. Choosing the right piece of slabwood from the woodshed was crucial. It had to be peeled to remove the outer bark and then polished and waxed. By pouring water from the pump down the track, the run became icy and fast, taking the rider well into the ball diamond. The rider would have to bail off the Brookdale School was located at County Road 5 Rose Road, Sidney Township. There are many wonderful memories that have come from the old one-room school system. Most of the schools were closed about 1967 and turned into private homes or community centres but the stories live on. In 1940 Marion Bedford from Rawdon Township taught at Brookdale while boarding at the Badgley Farm. One of her students broke the rake handle and claimed for weeks that George would fix it. Eventu­ ally, she met the student's brother, George Striker, her future husband. We have never heard whether or not the rake handle was fixed. George and Marion were married in 1943 and lived on the home farm. Even in 1958 there were over 40 students in the school house representing all eight grades. Teachers were not paid as highly as they are today, but they 23