Growstown May 9

Hello,

We had a visitor from the past speak to us about our upcoming experience at Growstown School.  We will be dressing in our best old fashioned garb on May 9th and visiting the one room school house.  Our class will be transported back to a day in 1853.  Boys should wear button shirts and knickers (pants with white socks pulled over them works great).  Girls should wear long skirts or dresses.  Clothes that are too big would be perfect for the times as most kids wore hand me downs from older siblings or even parents. 

Everyone in the class will be playing a role as a student in 1853.  We will be given new names and backgrounds.  I will also be a student on that day.  Some students may be asked to play six year olds, some nineteen!  I think the whole class was excited about the prospect.  Permission slips will go home tomorrow.

I hardly saw my kids today.  We went from math to music to recess to lunch.  After lunch we met with the Growstown representative, then went to recess, then went to Mrs. Smith for Maine studies.  The class got to make butter with Mrs. Smith.  They are doing some of the activities that Maine families used to do.  The day ended and I realized we didn't get to even talk about last night's homework, so we went light tonight and limited it to reading.

Our latest read aloud is Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy.  We are reading this in conjunction with the Maine studies.  Ask your child about the school teacher with the bull whip.  I think they liked that chapter.  I'm not sure they like the idea that each family has to house the teacher for two weeks during the school year though.  That would be very odd. 

Tomorrow is space day, including a visit from a real astronaut.  It is also May Day.  My family used to leave baskets on people's doorsteps and run away.  Our Growstown visitor mentioned this tradition.  I'll explain it a little tomorrow.  It is too bad that it is a fading tradition.  I loved running after my cousins every year. 

Have a good night.

Mr. Shea