Memories of Maple Leaf School District #106 by Laura Studer Hammermeister
From the "Mill on the Willow"
The Maple Leaf School District #106, Dexter Township, was built before the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Services were held in the school while the church was being built in 1891.
I always tried to get to school by eight o'clock. In the winter I had the fire to build and get my board work on the blackboards. We would have ten minutes opening exercises which would be songs such as "America," "Minnesota State Song," and others taken from the "Golden Book of Favorite Songs." Some days we would have quotations and on some, riddles.
Classes were from ten minutes to twenty minutes long. It depended on how many grades we had. Sometimes there wouldn't be anyone in a certain grade.
I always taught phonics so the children could sound out the words. We read out loud in the reading classes. They saw, they heard and they spoke the words and I think this helped. Many took home their readers so they read the lesson over at home.
The older children had good textbooks and if we completed the history or geography book the students had a pretty good idea of these subjects. Then we would review and get ready for the state examinations required of the eighth graders in order to go on to high school.
Years ago, in 1914, the students had to go to the villages to take these tests. District 106 students went to Dexter. Then we eagerly waited a month or so for our results from the state. Eighth grade graduation day was a big day. The little towns in the county would change off having this celebration. We all went to Brownsdale the year I graduated.
We also had fun. On good days we always played ball. We also had other games for inside and outside. We always had a Christmas program which consisted of songs, recitations and some funny dialogues. At Valentine's Day we had a valentine box. Some years we would have a basket social and have a program and a few funny dialogues. The schoolhouse would be packed.
The last hour and half on Fridays was spent on drawing, art and craft work. We took some maps and drawings to the county fair.
We were happy when the superintendent came to visit. Mrs. Rice and Miss Sherwood always brought articles to tell us about. Mrs. Rice brought a real ostrich egg and once she told us how pencils were made. She visited Hawaii, brought a coconut and told us about that. Also, when the superintendent visited she would have a penmanship class for all.
The teacher's institute was interesting. We would have at least three days where the superintendent explained new books and new ideas. We always came home with some new songs and poems for our pupils. There was also two good teacher magazines that had many helpful ideas for teachers.
The names of schools were Sunny Side, Maple Leaf, Monitor and Phillips. Some of the school board members were Nick Quast, Louis Schwartz, Fred Studer and Henry Schloo.
Just think! We could spend ten dollars for school supplies each year! Supplies consisted of colored construction paper, writing paper, crayons, paste, paintbrushes, hectograph ink, etc.
We didn't have workbooks, but I had to make much seat work for my little people.
There was no well at the school so we must walk to the nearest neighbor for water. The older children and the teacher took their turn at getting water.
In winter, the children would bring a jar of food which we would warm up on top of the stove in a pan of water.
We made furniture out of orange crates for the little folks to use when doing certain seat work or pasting. We made a table, four chairs and a cupboard for work supplies.
The last day of school was for fun. Most everyone in the district came with good food.
I generally bought five gallons of ice cream. Then after dinner we'd have every imaginable race and I'd give prizes. One year we even had a rope pulling contest - the east side of the district against the west.
We had good maps and encyclopedias and many library books.
As for wages, I got $75.00 a month and up to $95.00 a month. In my last year of teaching, 1937, I only got $50.00
The Maple Leaf School District #106, Dexter Township, was built before the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Services were held in the school while the church was being built in 1891.
I always tried to get to school by eight o'clock. In the winter I had the fire to build and get my board work on the blackboards. We would have ten minutes opening exercises which would be songs such as "America," "Minnesota State Song," and others taken from the "Golden Book of Favorite Songs." Some days we would have quotations and on some, riddles.
Classes were from ten minutes to twenty minutes long. It depended on how many grades we had. Sometimes there wouldn't be anyone in a certain grade.
I always taught phonics so the children could sound out the words. We read out loud in the reading classes. They saw, they heard and they spoke the words and I think this helped. Many took home their readers so they read the lesson over at home.
The older children had good textbooks and if we completed the history or geography book the students had a pretty good idea of these subjects. Then we would review and get ready for the state examinations required of the eighth graders in order to go on to high school.
Years ago, in 1914, the students had to go to the villages to take these tests. District 106 students went to Dexter. Then we eagerly waited a month or so for our results from the state. Eighth grade graduation day was a big day. The little towns in the county would change off having this celebration. We all went to Brownsdale the year I graduated.
We also had fun. On good days we always played ball. We also had other games for inside and outside. We always had a Christmas program which consisted of songs, recitations and some funny dialogues. At Valentine's Day we had a valentine box. Some years we would have a basket social and have a program and a few funny dialogues. The schoolhouse would be packed.
The last hour and half on Fridays was spent on drawing, art and craft work. We took some maps and drawings to the county fair.
We were happy when the superintendent came to visit. Mrs. Rice and Miss Sherwood always brought articles to tell us about. Mrs. Rice brought a real ostrich egg and once she told us how pencils were made. She visited Hawaii, brought a coconut and told us about that. Also, when the superintendent visited she would have a penmanship class for all.
The teacher's institute was interesting. We would have at least three days where the superintendent explained new books and new ideas. We always came home with some new songs and poems for our pupils. There was also two good teacher magazines that had many helpful ideas for teachers.
The names of schools were Sunny Side, Maple Leaf, Monitor and Phillips. Some of the school board members were Nick Quast, Louis Schwartz, Fred Studer and Henry Schloo.
Just think! We could spend ten dollars for school supplies each year! Supplies consisted of colored construction paper, writing paper, crayons, paste, paintbrushes, hectograph ink, etc.
We didn't have workbooks, but I had to make much seat work for my little people.
There was no well at the school so we must walk to the nearest neighbor for water. The older children and the teacher took their turn at getting water.
In winter, the children would bring a jar of food which we would warm up on top of the stove in a pan of water.
We made furniture out of orange crates for the little folks to use when doing certain seat work or pasting. We made a table, four chairs and a cupboard for work supplies.
The last day of school was for fun. Most everyone in the district came with good food.
I generally bought five gallons of ice cream. Then after dinner we'd have every imaginable race and I'd give prizes. One year we even had a rope pulling contest - the east side of the district against the west.
We had good maps and encyclopedias and many library books.
As for wages, I got $75.00 a month and up to $95.00 a month. In my last year of teaching, 1937, I only got $50.00