Information on families, teachers and trustees during
the years from 1905 to 1930. Compiled by: Lozina M.
Campbell.

The first schoolhouse was built in 1905 located on the
south border of the southeast quarter of Sec. 2, Twp. 14,
R. 28, W4. It was larger than most country School
buildings but more space was needed and in 1914 more
was added on the west end which gave more floor space
and a stage for the many programs that were held by the
school and the community. The two outdoor toilets with a
room for wood and coal between them was built in the
northwest comer of the spacious schoolyard. The barn, to
house students' ponies, was built in the northeast corner.
In later years, about 1917 a water well was drilled. This
ended the carrying of water and the water fountain in the
hallway of the school. This building served the district until
1940 when a new school was built about one-half a mile
west of the old site. This new one served the district
until 1945 when the Pine Coulee district was consolidated
into the Stavely district.

The following are some of the teachers who taught in the
school from 1905 to 1930: Miss Ferris, Miss Jennie Nelson,
Mr. Ward, Miss Annie Broomfield (1911), Miss Mabel
Richardson (1912), Miss Hazel Evans (1914-15), Miss
Clara Meniece, Mr. Lorenzo Harch (1916), Mr. Hines,
Miss Daley, Miss Humes, Miss Mary MacDonald (1918),
Miss Elsie Bird (1919-20), Miss Gonagol (1920), Mr. W.
J. M. Macleod (1921), Mr. Frank Priestley, Mrs. Purcell,
Miss Emsley, Mrs. W. Husted, Miss Nettie Hellier, Miss Marg
Lancaster, Miss Rose Leader(1926), Miss Hanrahan, Mrs.
Nettie (Hellier) Smith, Miss Desie Marie Breton, Miss Seibert,
Mrs. Ethel Jenkins (1930).

The following are a few of the trustees who served during
those years: Thomas Stanford, J. S. Brown, Ralph Bartlett,
James H. Oliver, Ed Webster, Mrs. Susan Lucas, Manson
Campbell, Mrs. Blanche Brown.

Pine Coulee School Days
Comments by Lozina "Oliver" Campbell

Every student that attended the Old Pine Coulee School
will have different memories and different impressions of
those days and events. I hope that through this report, to
revive some of your almost forgotten memories and help to
recall some forgotten happenings, experiences and people.

Pine Coulee School was a pleasing name. The district
got the name from a coulee that ran west of the school.
There were no pines near the school, they were found
at the head of the coulee some miles north. The school
was white and tall with one classroom. It faced the east
about half way along the south border of the southeast
quarter of 2-14-28-4. The schoolyard was enclosed by
a page-wire fence, which stood up surprisingly well during
the years. The red barn was in the northeast corner of
the yard, the coal shed and two toilets were in the
northwest corner, the school building near the southwest
corner. This left a large space for the playing of games
for the school children.

A part of the families had horses for the children to ride
to school. The less fortunate ones walked, some of
them for two and three miles. The barn was considered
the boys' territory, out of bounds for the girls. The boys
were displeased when the teachers refused to let them
eat their lunches there.

The school room seemed to have plenty of windows but
on dull stormy days the room was dark for reading and
there was no other light. The high ceiling made the
school reasonably cool in summer and verv difficult
to heat in the winter. There were days when lunches
would freeze unless they were placed near the heating
stove. Often we wore our coats until noon and our
hands would be almost too cold to write. Many types
of heating stoves were tried. Finally a furnace type
with an outer circulating jacket was tried. This proved
more satisfactory but if it wasn't banked properly at night
the school would be very cold in the morning. The
janitor was usually one of the students and would not
be at the school much ahead of the other children.

In this school there were eight grades, one teacher and
on an average of twenty-five students. There was little
time for frills and what there were ended with grade two.
We were given a good basic training in material and how
to study it. The following is an example of grades 5 and 6.
The class began the day by repeating, after the teacher,
The Lord's Prayer. Arithmetic came first with a study period
followed by oral exercises. Spelling with a short study period,
then spelling exercises and dictation from the teacher.
Reading and memory work with each student reading aloud
before the class. There would be a fifteen minute penmanship
exercise for the whole school. Grammar, language and
composition period was taken, part in silent study and part
in oral participation. History, Canadian and English was
given on alternate days with Geography, each having a time
for study followed by questions on the blackboard. Art
took many forms and was given on Friday afternoons.
We had a monthly examination on each subject.
Exercise books were corrected and textbooks were
inspected for neatness when marks were given.
The day was broken up with 2 fifteen minute recesses
and a one hour noon break.

A visit from the school Inspector came twice a year and
was feared by the teacher and a certain amount by the
students. We were always glad when the visits were over.

Punishment for wrong-doing was given in several ways;
standing in a comer, writing from one to a thousand,
after school. Some students learned to use two pencils
and shortened the time, until caught doing it.
Memorizing some poetry, staying in at recess or after
school. There was the strap. This was rarely used and
only for serious offenses.

We had segregation in some things. There was a main
entrance to the school into a long hall, the girls used the
south end and the boys the north. At each end was a doo
r entering the classroom. A long shelf at each end held
lunch ails, gloves, mitts, etc. The long wall had hooks
for hanging coats, it was divided in the centre, half for the
girls and half for the boys. These rules were well respected.
Boys and girls were not allowed to use the same double
desk. There was no segregation in the schoolyard.

This was one of the few schools that used double desks.
They were liked by most of the students. It was great
fun choosing a seat-mate at the beginning of each
new term of school. If there was too much talking
and whispering, seat-mates were separated, for punishment.

School materials were not too plentiful in those early days.
Beginners with a slate and slate pencil followed later with
a lead pencil and rough strawpaper exercise books.
Slates were cleaned with a damp cloth. Mistakes
during work were usually rubbed out with spit on the
end of the finger, even though the teacher protested.
Many of the students owned a pencil box which would
hold pencils, erasers, pens and nibs. Sometimes our only
means for sharpening pencils was by using a pocket-knife
borrowed from an older boy. The blackboards weren't always
the best. We managed in spite of the light glare on them.

Games the students played were of their own making since
there were no facilities. Most of the time the balls we played
we played with were homemade from string and our bat
was a piece of board with a shaped handgrip. There
were times when the ball fell apart or the bat would break,
ending the balI game. Some of the games played by the
whole school were, Run-sheep-run, Follow-the-leader,
Fox-and geese, when there was snow on the ground.
And Lion. Smaller children played, Drop-the-handkerchief,
London-bridge-is-falling-down, and hop-scotch. A large
slough just west of the school furnished skating in the
winter time for those fortunate to have skates. Others
had fun just sliding around. Spring and summer the
slough was usually out of bounds for us because
children did fall through the ice and got wet and in
summer too many came back to school with wet feet
and clothing.

It was the practice in the Pine Coulee School in early
years to spend the last period of school on Friday
afternoons by having a program or a spelling match.
Impromptu affairs with all of the students taking part. part of our education.

The school was the centre of the comniunity's social events.
The annual Christmas concert was, perhaps, the highlight
of,the year. There was usually enough students to make
a good program and teachers and students worked hard,
if not always willingly, to make it a success. It usually
began in October with the planning and the hard and
extra work building up with the excitement. In the
early years our concert was held on Christmas Eve with
a huge tree and real candies! The school was packed
with parents and friends of the students. The excitement
effected everyone and reached its peak when bells were
heard and Santa came bounding into the room! None of it
was lost, not even on those who knew all about Christmas
and Santa Claus.

Dancing was popular and during the winter' months there
would be a dance nearly every Friday night. The music
might be a fiddle and piano, sometimes only the piano.
While the music left much to be desired it rarely dampened
the enthusiasm of the dancers. The whole family often came
and when small children went to sleep they were bedded
down on benches. Midnight lunch was served and enjoyed
as much as the dancing.

In nearly every community one religious sect predominates, in
the Pine Coulee district it was the Mormons. They held
Sunday School and Church Services every Sunday. These
and all of their social events were open to everyone and
enjoyed by many. This took some co-operation between school
and church. When Friday night came the school students
packed their books and belongings in a bag and these were all
stored in the school cupboard until Monday morning. The
church had a large cupboard in which they stored their books,
curtains, used for dividing the room into class places, and all
other of their belongings during the week. No one seemed to
complain too much about the arrangement. In 1926 the church
discontinued having services in the school and all of this was
changed.

The old Pine Coulee School was a part of pioneering. It was built
by pioneers who knew hardships and how to make the most of
them. They raised their families to accept the present while
striving for better things. This school went through the horse
and buggy age and into the motorized age. Communications
reached the time of the telephone and radio. The school's
first telephone was installed about the same time as the deep
water-well was drilled, about 1917. It was a part of the coal
stove and kerosene lamp age. The teachers faced a great
challenge. In my opinion, they gave us a good basic education.
I pay tribute to their courage.

Pine Coulee was just a country school and it played a large
part in the lives of many of us, leaving us many cherished
memories.

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