= Feature _ TheReview Wednesday, September 18,1991 — A13 SS . ( SIDNEY SCHOOL STUDENTS, the This weekend students and staff who attended the original Sidney School before it closed in 1951 are gathering for reunion. Many of the activities are being held in the Masonic Temple Hall on Fourth Street, part of the original school and sure to evoke memories of School days... Novy. 12, 1915 _ Seven-year-old Anah Jackson leaves home by 8:40 a.m., walking for 15 to 20 minutes across the fields to Sidney School. She wears a blouse sewn by her mother from flour sack material, a knee-length skirt, long stockings and high boots. With nine children in the family, no one worries about fashion. School starts at 9 a.m. Anah arrives on time and carefully stores her lunch, carried in a Rogers syrup bucket, in the cloakroom. She takes her seat in a metal and wood desk, built as one unit with an inkwell set in the middle. The day starts with all of the students in the combined Grade 1 to 3 class saying the Lord’s Prayer. Anah’s older sister, Alice, is in the same classroom but is in Grade 3. The older students, in Grades 4 to 6, are in the second one-room classroom. Wood stoves heat both rooms. The students study reading, “rit- ing, “rithmetic and history. One of Anah’s classmates is caught chewing gum and has to stay after school to write lines. More serious infractions are punished by the strap. Just after lunch, the teacher takes a few minutes to talk to the children about this year’s school Christmas concert. Rehearsals of plays and songs must be held this month for the performance, which is presented in the Berquist Hall. sharing memories of Sidney School : : : For Anah, the concert is one of the highlights of the school year. Another special event is the annual sports competition at the Saanichton fairgrounds, where stu- dents from Sidney School compete against students from other schools. Nov. 1, 1932 There’s a gate perched on the flagpole outside Sidney School. Doug Roberts joins the throng of youngsters admiring the placement of the gate and agrees the gate is bigger than the one that graced the flagpole last Nov. 1. It’s tradition. The moming after Halloween, someone’s gate is always adorning the top of the school flagpole. Expecting the gate to be on the pole, Doug even left home a little early for the mile-long walk to school. The walk usually takes 15 min- utes, depending on what else Doug finds to interest him enroute. Despite the distraction of the gate, the third and fourth graders are in class by 9 a.m. and reciting the Lord’s Prayer under the direc- tion of teacher Miss Lorden. The little kids, Grades 1 and 2, are taught by Miss Peck; Grades 5 and 6 are taught by Harold Dixon and the school principal, Jim Ram- sey, teaches Grades 7 and 8. There are a mixture of students at the school, including from Native, European, Chinese and Japanese backgrounds. The block encompassing China- town is within walking distance — ~ a lucky kid with a nickel can sprint over and pick up a piece of sweet sugar cane ‘At recess Doug joins a game of Andy, Andy I-Over. One team stands on one side of the school and the other team stands on the other side. g <§ = = grade three class of 1942. They throw the ball over the school and the closest player tries to catch it and run around to the other side. Doug keeps a close watch on the roof, knowing the ball can sud- denly appear from any direction, but the 15 minute recess is over before he can catch the ball. Doug dashes home for lunch, mentally timing himself and won- dering if he is getting faster. Doug hopes to join the best runners in their moment of glory during the annual races held at the Saanich Fair. The afternoon classes are enli- vened by a moment of drama. Mid-way through a spelling drill, Doug sees one of his classmates Stretch an elastic band over a ruler, aim and then flick the elastic across the room, striking another student. The culprit is identified and escorted from the class. Classroom rumor suggests — the strap! Oct. 17, 1941 Norma Nunn, clutching her suit- case-style lunchbox and thermos, waits at the side of McTavish Road for her ride to school. Last night there were rumors of Japanese sub attacks in Georgia Strait and a speech by Churchill over the radio. After supper, Norma’s dad took his gas mask and went to patrol James Island. For school Norma wears clothes made by her mother — a skirt and blouse and a home knit sweater with knee socks or a matching top and skirt. Her mother even makes the coats for the family. The big, six-passenger car from McTavish Road picks up the chil- dren and takes them to school by 9 a.m. School starts with the Lord’s Prayer and the singing of O Can- ada, belted out by 25 to 30 grade two voices. There are six classes, one for each grade. At one point the school was closed by construction of the nearby Pat Bay Airport, which created so much noise and dust that classes could not be held. The airport brings plenty of excitement. Once a bomber from the air base dived into the sea and one of the older boys, John Bosher, was interviewed by officers col- lecting eyewitness reports of the incident. (Bosher also once caught his finger in a portable pencil shar- pener and had to have the shar- pener cut off with tin snips.) Continued on Page Al4 MARINA $4.25/foot/month plus GST. Our first-class facility offers: * ©®© @ @ @ @ @ &@ &@ & PORTSIDNE =a MONTHLY MOORAGE AVAILABLE PORT SIDNEY MARINA Port Sidney Marina now has monthly moorage available for the period September 16, 1991 to June 15, 1992. Our rate is Power Showers Laundry Washrooms Telephones Cablevision Pump Out Station Central location Convenience Store Office open daily Phone 655-3771 today for more information. Please come to the GRAND OPENING of the ELSIE MCMURPHY CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS #104 - 9717 Third Street Sidney Friday, September 20th Refreshments 4 p.m. - Meet the candidate and the campaign team! Call 655-4144 for information. : New emoctrat. 6 p.m.