J.C. Adams

J.C. Adams: 1923 – 1926

 

He followed Mr. Althouse as principal of the high school. During this time it was found necessary to build an addition on the school. There were misgivings when it was found that twice the accommodation of the old eight room high school would be needed to properly take care of the collegiate pupils. The Board of Education insisted that the school was a necessity and they seemed the appropriation from the city council to proceed with the work.

Mr. John George Althouse: 1920 – 1923

Mr. Althouse followed Mr. Dolan [as principal in the [Oshawa] High School]. During the time he was here great impetus was given to athletic activities. Rugby was the favourite and has continued to be ever since. He excelled as an organizer and teacher. After he left the school in 1923 he became principal of the University of Toronto schools. After several years he was appointed Superintendent of Education for the province of Ontario.

Manual Training and Home Economics

Mothers interested in home economics (Mrs. H.A. Twilley and different members of the Home and School Club) started classes in sewing at King Street School after 4 p.m. It was for the girls who wished to take it up. Those mothers were anxious to see Home Economics as a subject on the curriculum in much the same way Industrial Arts was started for boys. Mr. Bruce McRoberts,[1] one of the teachers, began classes after 4 p.m. in King Street School. The boys made easily constructed articles with saws, hammers and a few nails – “jackknife carpentry” as one might say. It was also taken up in Centre Street School around the same time. In September 1936, the Board of Education set up a committee to study those projects.

In September 1937, King Street and South Simcoe Street schools set up classes in Grades VII and VIII for instruction in Home Economics and Manual Training (since called Industrial Arts). These were carried on in the classrooms. Miss Etta Holmes was principal of King Street School, at the time, and she aided in the work. In September 1940, the classes were extended to include all eight schools and in 1941, Mrs. Maimie (Archer) Cole and Mr. John Bently were appointed itinerant teachers, visiting the schools.

In September 1942, Home Economics and Industrial Arts Centres were built in Centre Street School with the above teachers assigned there for Grade VIII only. Centre Street school was a bee hive of activity at that time. Children from all the schools in the city came there for instruction. Classes were held part of the day, once a week, for each school.

The sewing machines in use, first of all, for the girls were the treadle ones. These machines were gradually replaced by those that are run by electricity. At first it was a special award of merit for a pupil to be allowed to use the one and only electric machine in the room. In 1942, Miss Eleanor Cronk of South Simcoe Street School was appointed as teacher of sewing and visited the Grade VII classes all over the city.

Finally the boys’ Industrial Arts room in Centre Street School was completely mechanized. In September 1945, Home Economics and Industrial Arts Centres were established in South Simcoe School. In 1948, individual classes were stopped and pupils traveled to one of the shops.

In September 1945, home instruction for children, physically unable to attend classes, was set up at no cost to the taxpayer. Grants from the Department of Education and the Rotary Club covered the cost.

 

 

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[1] Later killed overseas during World War II.

Visual Aids, Library Visits, and Safety Patrols

Visual Aids

In September 1945, the board of Education purchased one projector and it was taken from school to school to show films.

 

Library Visits

In September 1946, specified classes in junior grades visited the Public Library on schedule.

 

Safety Patrols

In September 1955, the first safety patrol was at Ritson Road School on the recommendation of the newly formed Oshawa Safety Council.

 

The Truant Officer in 1922 was Mr. P.H. Punshon[1] and in 1927 it was Mr. A.L.W. Smith. At last after all those years of discussion truant officers were appointed, at last.

 

 

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[1] His salary was $100 per year. D. Ross. P. 147

Physical, Health and Safety, and Religious Education

Physical, Health and Safety Education

 

Before the year 1929, physical training was taught in a room or in a whole school if the teacher had the space or the time to teach it. Many of them did teach it in the early years.

In September 1929, Mr. E.G. Nichol was employed as teacher of calisthenics. This class was dropped in 1932 because of the depression.

In September 1946, Mr. T.W. Cotie was appointed Vice Principal of Centre Street School with duties half-time as itinerant teacher of Physical Education. In 1947, he was appointed Supervisor of Physical Education. He is still carrying on with that work. In 1952, Mr. J.B. Henderson was appointed Physical Education Supervisor

 

Religious Instruction

 

In the year 1943 in September, the ministerial Association began their classes in grade VI and VII, one half-hour period each week.

Arts and Crafts and Opportunity Classes

Arts and Crafts

 

Art was taught by Miss Maude Squires, first in 1919. She was an itinerant teacher until she retired in 1925. No teacher has replaced her. Interest is kept alive through an annual prize which she left in her will on her death in 1936. The arts and crafts supervisor in the year 1947 was Miss F. Hart. She conducted classes in the different schools.

 

Opportunity Classes

 

These classes were started first in Centre Street School in 1930 with Mr. Robertson as teacher, followed by Miss Rose Capel. In September 1944 a second class was conducted in Simcoe Street South School with Miss F. McLeod as teacher. It was transferred to Albert Street in 1949.

In September 1949, Miss Madeline Kelly was appointed speech correction teacher, to be followed in 1950 as Primary Supervisor in charge of primary reading as well as the speech training.

In September 1966, the first class for the neurologically impaired [was established] in a total of fourteen Opportunity classes in the city which included Primary, Junior, Senior and intermediate.

Miss Rose Capel’s class was moved to Albert Street School in 1942 to make room for Home Economics in Centre Street School. She remained in Albert Street until the time of her retirement. With the closing of Albert Street School in 1967, that class was sent back to Centre Street.

These classes are entirely financed by the Board of Education.

Holy Cross Separate School

The building of separate schools was at a standstill during the depression as was the case in the Protestant schools. In the spring of 1937, it was realized that there were many Catholic pupils in the south end of the city, and possibly a school should be built there. Father Morrow explored the possibilities of a site for such a school and finally the property of Frederick Cowan on Simcoe Street South was purchased. This is now Holy Cross School which was officially opened in 1954. The Cowan home was altered at the time to accommodate the students. The property has undergone many changes since then, owing to increases in attendance. The following alterations have been made: eight rooms were built on the back of the residence, next the residence itself was taken down and eight rooms were built on the same site. Recently several classrooms have been added to bring the school to its present proportions. One major factor in the growth of Holy Cross School is the settling of immigrants from Poland and the Ukraine in the south end of the city.

Music in the Schools

In 1927/1928, Mrs. R.S. McLaughlin president of the Home and School Council with the help of Mrs. Gertrude Colpus,[1] asked the school trustees to appoint a musical supervisor, with the result that Mr. Leslie Unitt was the first one appointed here. He was here until 1929 and it could be said that he laid the ground work for the others who followed.

In 1929, Mr. Leonard Richer was the next supervisor to be appointed and he was here until his death in January 1945. He did much to organize the new project here. In spite of his lameness, Mr. Richer was able to get around to the different schools and conduct the lessons in the classes, himself. It was stated that the children’s ability to read music was excellent. Part singing was also developed.

Concerts were given in the schools where there was a large auditorium and all of the schools in the town took part. The same songs were taught in the different schools and the children did not sing together until the night of the concert. These festivals were very good.

Mr. Richer, an excellent violinist himself also did much to promote the establishment of orchestras in the schools. He conducted the first violin classes in the public schools for children who wished to take it up.

At first Mr. Richer’s work was in the public schools, but later in 1928 and 1929, he organized a Glee Club in the Collegiate on Simcoe Street North. Also about this time an orchestra was started.

Just before this, the two sons of Rev. Maxwell, pastor of St. Andrew’s church, wrote a song for the Collegiate. One of the boys wrote the words for the song and the other composed the music.

After Mr. Richer passed away in 1945, Mr. E. Wallace who was the supervisor at present was appointed. In 1954, the first assistant to the music supervisor was hired.

Under the guidance of Mr. Winkler in the Central Collegiate, music was put on the curriculum in 1955. This comprised the Glee Club and Orchestra. The C.C.J. was the first secondary school to do this. Eastdale Collegiate held the banner for having the best orchestra of any of the Oshawa schools in this year 1967. They played at “Expo.” The McLaughlin Collegiate also had the honour of playing there, as well.

…Those recitals were comprised of piano solos, ducts trios, quartets and quintets – I hope the pianos were all tuned to the same pitch for the last named. The numbers consisted of few by the composers Bach B, etc. but most of the selections were variations on old song tunes and descriptive pieces such as ‘Falling Water.”

There were many locale and passages pieces also chores and Oct. They were showy when being excused played but were wonderful.

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[1] Executive of the Centre Street Home and School Association and first woman to be elected Chairman of the Oshawa Board of Education. Public school named after her – officially opened February 1959. (Ross. P. 179)

Home Sweet Home

Olive French lived at 73 John Street, the house shown below and not shown as it has since been demolished. Olive is also recorded as living at 38 Lloyd Street which is now a parking lot.

Since It’s Midterm Season: Sample Exam Questions

Here is an item printed in the Vindicator, August 22^nd, 1877:

“To those persons who think that High school is a useless luxury, used solely to teach such impractical things as Greek and Latin and a snatch of poor French, we beg to submit the following as some of the questions submitted to the male and female candidates at the recent Intermediate exams.”

To the female students –

12) How would you proceed in order to?

i) Cook a beefsteak

ii) Poach eggs

iii) To make good toast

iv) Prepare a nice dinner in the month of July, at a farm house where the only meat available is salt pork. N.B. Nothing expensive is to be used and nothing that cannot be, usually, or at least easily, had in a farm house.

Note: There ladies is an opportunity to apply your culinary art. There would be no running water; the pump might be quite a distance from the house. They would only have a wood stove on which to prepare the dinner and the cooking utensils would have been black iron pots, perhaps a few grey granite ones. The cook would likely have to see that the supply of wood was found for the fire. She might even have to cut it herself. That kitchen would be the hottest place this side of the “Infernal regions.” Did I hear someone say, oh but there would be a summer kitchen! Don’t be deceived; summer kitchens were as hot as any others. The only thing in their favour was they kept the main part of the house cooler. One redeeming feature, there would be plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables on a farm in July.

A Suggested Menu

Soak the salt pork in fresh water for several hours, change the water often, this would eliminate some of the salt. The meat could then be boiled and served hot or cold with mustard, pickles or could be sliced and fried with eggs.

New potatoes, boiled and flavoured with parsley

Green peas, possibly new carrots (these would be small)

Lettuce, radishes and green onions

Homemade bread or rolls, and homemade butter, plain cookies

Usually plenty of pickles were available.

Cheese

Desert – deep cherry pie, or steamed rolly poly cherry or black currant pudding with a custard sauce or cream. Or backed Rice pudding made with pump raisins.

Dried apple pie with cheese

Tea or coffee with cream, and sugar.

Whole milk

Buttermilk.

13) Why should a house be ventilated and beds aired?

14) Point out the advantages of having many windows in the house.

To male students the following were submitted for the intermediate exam.

8 ) Explain how you would feed cattle in order:

i.          to fatten them

ii.          to obtain the largest possible quantity of milk

iii.         to obtain milk of the best quality

iv.         to obtain the largest possible return in cheese

9) State where it is advisable

1. not to plough deep
2. to use sub-soil plough
3. to drain

10) Explain the value of lime as manure, and state on what soils it is advantageous. Give the chemical composition of quick lime, slaked lime, mild lime, limestone and chalk.