Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-14
Rural Schools - A COmpO-
sition by Edith HOllenbeck

as we 80 W StlOOl we SEE llO" cl
blooming and hear the birds singing
They are singing their last songs TN
til springtime comes again.
! After we arrive at school the bel
rings, we have our opening exercises
the primary class recites. secont
reader. civil government class, thirt
i reader, fourth reader, and then tn,
seventh and eighth grades.
We then have our recess of fiftee,
minutes. During our second session
we have arithmetic and number
classes.
We have one hour noon. We en-
our dinner and play until l o'clock
when school takes up again.
We then study our grammar anc
history lessons. The primary read
ing class recites, then the second
reader, A grammar, B grammar {
grammar, A history, and B history
classes recite during the first session
in the afternoon.
We have another fifteen minute re
cess. School takes up again and we
study geography. physiology and
spelling during this session. BY this
time it is o'clock and time for school
to be over.
AS we come home we see different
kinds of birds flying about and sing,
ing. If we notice we will see blue
birds, red birds, robins. blue jays, and
several other kinds of birds.
While we are watching the birds
we smell something sweet and we
notice different kinds of flowers
blooming along the sides of the road.
We see asters, golden rod and many
other flowers.
After we arrive home and get our
work done we study our lessons for
the next day and play games to pass
away the time.
The next morning we help get the
work done up before we go to school
and sometimes we help pick fruit and
vegetables. such as apples. plums,
peaches. grapes, peas and beans
The holiday that comes during tie
autumn months is Thanksgiving. We
nearly always get the next day after
Thanksgiving also for vacation.
After the, fall months comes the
winter months-the months of ice and
snow.
This is the time we all like best be-
cause we all like to coast down hill
and to skate.
The holidays during the winter are
Christmas. New Year and Washing
toms birthday. We nearly always
have weeks vacation. Christmas.
Everyone is glad when Christmas
comes.
We do not see many birds in win
ter. for it is too cold for them to stay
in the north.
Y Next comes the spring months. We
still go to school. We do not have any
holidays during these months.
The birds begin to come back and
we can have pretty songs once more.
You can see the flowers begin to
come through the ground and grow
ng everywhere in the woods and
along the roadside. ,.
1t won't be long then until we can
begin to gather flowers to decorate
he school house with. This helps to
improve the looks Of our school room.
One advantage we have of the city
schools Is the study of nature while
We are coming and going to school.
Most rural school are one room
schools. They have grades from the
to the eighth grade all in one
'oom
The school building I 60 to is a
small one room house that stands on
| hill. 1t has not been painted for
some time and the paint is scaling
IF. There are twenty-one seats and
scholars
Each pupil has to furnish his own
anitary drinking cup and the tank
S filled with fresh water each day.
We have a good list of library books.
The names of some Of the books are
Little Journeys" written by Marion
4. George, "Child's History Of Eng
and" by Charles Dickens, "Longfel-
ow's Poems" "Whittier's Poems,
Tanglewood Tales" by Nathaniel
Hawthorne, "The Autobiography of
Little Men," Little Won
nd THE Old-fashioned Girl" by
.ouisa NJ. Alcott, Little Colonel
Little Colonies House Party" by
ohnston. Five Little Peppers
,rown Up by Margret Sidney, |
Geographical Readers" by Carpen-
er, Supplementary Readers and
arious other good books.
The stove stands in the center Of |
he building.
We also have case with some |
maps to aid US when studying our !
geography and history lessons.
After school is out in the spring we !
ave vacation Of from three to five !
lcnths in which we get to rest from
ur books and have other work to do |
o our minds will get a chance TO !
est. that we may be ready for school ,
gain in the fall. | think most Of us
re better after such a long vacation !
During vacation we have pleasures
f all kinds and the time goes by so !
uickly we scarcely believe it is time !
} go to school when September
ONES.
In our rural school of today we
ave many advantages that our par
nts and grandparents did not have
hen they attended school. | think |
ne rural schools are improving each |
ear.
Domestic science manual training |