Schomberg Public School celebrates 80 years, and it's still going
By Bill Rea

The primary students performed a song under the direction of Glenn Marais of Music In Mind at Friday's anniversary celebrations.

Schomberg Public School was a very busy place Friday as staff and students, both past and present, gathered to mark the school's 80th anniversary.

"The original school still looks pretty amazing," declared Mayor Margaret Black, one of several dignitaries on hand for the celebration.

Black didn't attend the school, but local resident (and former councillor) Bill Foran did, and boasted about a line in his academic record, which stated; "Promoted to Grade 9, and should make a better than average pupil."

"I was in Grade 1 at this school 60 years ago," he told the assembly, adding he graduated in 1955. This was before there was kindergarten. "Grade 1 was the beginning," he remarked, adding the school went to Grade 8 in those days.

There are always changes taking place in any school, and Foran pointed out they are often for the good.

He recalled there was no gym when he started at the school, but there was a "special place." They also used the basement as a play area in the winter, and he remembered efforts to build skating rinks in the days before the local arena.

The walls of the school gym were filled with pictures from the past. Betty Huisman, who started at the school in 1938, and Margaret Tough, who attended in the '40s, were looking over some of them.

These were the days before there were school buses in the area, but since all of the students came from the village and there wasn't a lot of traffic, walking to school wasn't much of a problem.

Classes were a lot different from what youngsters experience today, Foran said. There was one teacher for the Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 students, and another for Grades 5 to 8. Desks were fastened to the floor in those days, and the school day went from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., with two recesses and a 90-minute break for lunch.

The school had the services of a travelling music teacher during the time Foran was a student, but she was only there every couple of weeks, accompanied by her dog. She helped the kids get ready for the annual Christmas concert, which was held at the community hall and was always a big event.

Former Grade 8 teacher Elmer McFadden is seen here with his former student Bill Foran. It was McFadden who promoted him to Grade 9, noting that he should "make a better than average pupil."

School years traditionally ended with a family picnic and celebration at Innisfil Beach Park.

A couple of the current students also spoke.

Grade 5 student Aidan McNaughton said it's hard for a 10-year-old to imagine being 80, as he also reflected on all the kids who have gone through the school.

"The pride and spirit of Schomberg Public School lives on with its students year after year," he said.

"We consider our school to be a little community," commented Grade 6 student Caitlin Skerratt.

Aidan McNaughton and Caitlin Skerratt both spoke at Friday's ceremonies.