New Britain herald., 1925-05-06
ATTENDED OPENING
 OF NORMAL SCHOOL
(Cotninued from First Page)
dren over ten years Of age would be allowed to attend the graded classes in the normal school.

Gren over ten years or age would be allowed to attend the graded classes In the normal school.
 Pupils Sat On Benches
 Miss Pinks, then II years old, and her 1O-year old sister were among those on hand on the first day, the sister having trouble in being ad- mitted. She was small for her age and, Sarah being II, the authorities were with difficulty convinced that shewus really ten. The desks and seats had not arrived, and the pupils were forced to sit for several days on long benches. These classes on the lower floor were used as model school, the normal pupils watching haw they were conducted and learning their profession in this way.
 Upon finishing "the grades" Miss Pinks entered high school. There was no graduation in those days but she completed the course and, in 1855, became a pupil at the normal school. After q year there. she taught a year in her old Chip munk school, then returned for a second year of training. Her health failed at the start of the third year and she left, soon obtaining teaching position in Cheshire She also taught in Meriden. New Haven, and other cities, finishing with a 20- year stretch in Portchester, N. Y. In 1908 she retired and entered the Curtis home 10 finish my days, which l didn't think would be so many"
 Recalls Early New Britain
 Miss Pinks retains many vivid memories of Now Britain in the carly days and of her experiences hcrc Tho first principal of the normal school was Timothy Dwight Porter Stone. whom she describes as a person with great piercing eyes which made all his pupils afraid Of him. She remembers tho first nor nal school building even before it became q school, and tells Of won dorlul banquet which was given there for I1lihu Burritt upon his re- turn from a consulate in England He was fctcd as q peace advocate and inc food was so plentiful that the children of inc city were invited in the nrxt day. Th" occasion Of i}is l$uuunt vds th" frst time Miss Iinks was in tnc building. She also recalls the tooth anniversary cole hratiou of tlfo "lrarucd blacksmith"
 "I remember in" first hatrh of Irisl who clwo her" whom tho rail- road Nuu, tlroukl, Miss PinkS told a Herald representative. Thcs" work mon biuI. their suun'i"s a'onE thc mgnt Q: way al tim" when, oh" vent on. "thcrc Wrr" no other tor ,rn"rS hrrc." T'm separation of Sew Britain from H"r,in also occur rcd within hnr memory.
 NIlas plnks joined 'hc Santer church 7l years ago, whom lt was located al tho corner of Main and Hasf Main streets. where tho Old . Eurr,it srhool now stands. She still 1 zoe, to church every Sunday and , rDuus To cone up 10 New Britain on Memorial bay, At tha, timo sh" in l tends 70 visit inc graves of her fam i iIy. for she is thO last one, and also , to inspect tle now normal school fin BoNjlorc. which she has never scen | Sho Is very mmh interested in inc ! coming celebration of tho 18th an- niycrsary Of tho event NMich sh" l viDn .srd. but tears she will be un- ! ab'n to attend it.
 "I feel l was very fortunate to be born in New Britain" she said. pay 1 ing tribute 10 tho local school sys- tcm Tho gradeI school system was ,stab'ishcd here in 1854, whereas orhrr places throughout the state | wcra far behind New Britain in this m4p,ct, AIeriden, for instance, con HnuiuE mixed Class,s for %o years i alter that date. Upon learning ot inc ! nov Ehhu2 Burri't Junior high | shhool, she commendel tho local Schoo' department on naming il af;or loca. celebrity inst cad Of looking around the coGH'ry for someone to uSc as a namasake.
 While it is extremely unlikely that r1.r" arc any otb"rs who remember i 'rr opening of the normal schooi q is still within the rcaim Of poss.Oil- i-y and Miss T,nhs is Icsirous or !. hearing from any other veterans Of l tho pioneer Jays of teacher training 1 In CnnncclirNl.