Winters on the farm were often harsh and snowy and the other seasons were rainy. Or hot and humid. No matter the weather, I walked to the elementary school in Poquetanuck. Perhaps a mile and a half. All the kids who walked would enter the school wet and shivering with cold on rainy and snowy days. At the school entrance was a large grate where hot air blew up into the building. We would all huddle around the grate when we arrived.
The elementary school served Kindergarten through 8th grade students. Each teacher took on a class that combined three grades. Miss Kane was my teacher for K, 1st, and 2nd grade. She was kind. I was sad when she got married and left. In those days, married women were not allowed to teach in most places.
Miss Ray was my teacher for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. She inspired me to become a teacher. She said to me “Gussie, you should be a teacher”. Okay then, that’s exactly what I did!
For 6th, 7th and 8th grade, I had Miss Taylor. She was academically oriented and wanted to prepare us for high school. She was strict but kind. She wanted us quiet and organized, with our desks kept in neat rows.
Classrooms were large – at least from a child’s point of view. Girls and boys were mixed. All classrooms had heat registers in the floor so kids could dry off. The plain wooden desks had a well at the top to hold your pencil and a hollow area to put your books inside the desk. Teachers did regular inspections to make sure all the books and papers were neatly stowed in the desks.
Chalkboards lined the walls in each classroom. Students were allowed to use the boards to work out math problems. Sometimes older students were asked to help the younger ones. All subjects were taught. Math, reading, language, grammar, history, geography, science. Art and music were taught on occasion.
The classrooms also held bookcases full of books that we could check out and take home to read. There was no separate school library or librarian.
Physical Education was taught on the yard, as it was called, and involved lots of ball games. Most of the yard was dirt which could get muddy in the rain. In inclement weather, which happened often, board games were distributed for inside use.
Everyone brought their own lunch, and on Jewish holidays I was mortified to be seen with matzo sandwiches. I was shunned by some students because I was Jewish. My family was the only Jewish family in the community.
All the Paster kids went through the same elementary school, so our family was well known by the teachers. Until Abe graduated, there was always another older Paster at the school with me. Abe, particularly, was my support system. I felt vulnerable with no one to protect me when other students were mean to me. I started avoiding certain kids. I also tried to meld into a clique of girls to get some protection. Sometimes the clique accepted me and sometimes they shunned me.
Still, I loved all my teachers and I loved being a student.