Wolfe Island School: S.S.#8

Submitted by Theresa Broeders

Breakeys Bay School
(in 1850 2 schools in operation)
1st Built: 1843/4 leased/rented
2nd Built: 1848 leased/rented
3rd Built: 1856
Location: Con XVIII Lot 7W
Closed:
At present: Still standing?

Annual Reports 1850-70

Image of page: Public School teachers 1911 & info on their schools

In 1878 on Con XVIII Lot 7W, on land owned by John Dee

From E.E. Horsey: built 1859

From Wolfe Island Women’s Institute, Tweedsmuir books- Theresa Broeders:
S.S.#8 [ Brekey's Bay]:
Built in 1859 and Miss Mary Mitchell was the first teacher.
1930 a fence was put around the yard.
May, 1937 school received 20 spruce and 4 soft maple trees from the Ontario Department of Education in commemoration of Coronation year.
May, 1937, S.S.#8 received 2 Royal Oak acorns from England to commemorate coronation year.
Spruce trees supplied by neighbor were planted at the back of the school [spruce from Dep. of Ag. planted along the front fence]
August,37 school repainted, porch floor recemented. Christmas Concert, Dec. 16th,1937
Mr. John Niles, chairman of the board.
Mr. John G. Macdonald donated maple trees for the school yard.
1926 - porch added to the school house
1927 - well dug in school yard
1933 - hardwood floor put in the school house
1934 - platform made to be used at Christmas Concerts
June 8th, 1937 - Mr. John G. MacDonald, one time trustee and a highly honoured member of this community passed away at the Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, after an illness of six weeks. He was in his 56th year.[he also attended this school house for a number of years]
1939 - sand table, piano, drop table, set square and a compass were purchased for this school.
June, 1939 - this school won first prize in all grades for their music notebooks. Their work was displayed in the Village and praised highly. 1939 teachers salary raised from $550. to $600.
May, 1939 - Dept. of Agriculture sent one dozen maple trees to commemorate the visit of their Majesties to Canada. Christmas Concert held in St Mary's Parish Hall in the Village in 1938.
1939 - social evening at the parish hall in the village -six schools participated.
1930 - concert recital at K.C.V.I. auditorium ,Kingston and other important places visited.
May, 1939 - Hazel Smeathers and pupils saw the King and Queen at Richardson Stadium.
1940- Miss Smeathers took ill and school not opened until Oct.7th when Mrs.W.P.Joslin took over her duties and an extensive school cleaning was done.
St. Lawrence Women's Institute gave kleenex, sanitary cups, and toilet tissue to this school.
School united with S.S.#13 to put on a Christmas Concert in the St Lawrence United Church[at the foot of the island] on Dec. 18th, 1940 and was much enjoyed. Money from this sent to the British Cheer Friend
Dec 26th,40 the annual school meeting was held and JOhn Niles acted as Chairman, George Barry, Secretary- Treasurer.
Spring 1941 - perennials [rose bushes, brushes, honeysucle, peonys, iris, narcissus, bleeding hearts, and lily of the valley were planted. Trees planted along along two side fences and along the back fence.
John Niles painted the outside of the school and toilets and the ceiling in the school room.
Mr. J. Woodman cleaned the well and trimmed the maple trees.
June 2nd - participated in a program sponsored by the Red Cross under the direction of Mrs. McTavish in the Village, Wolfe Island.
Sept., 1941 Junior Red Cross money sent to the Christmas Cheer for British Children Friend.
Spring, 1942 trees replaced that had died out and new perenials added[snowball bushes]
Scrap rubber collected for war work.
Recital under Miss McTavish ,June 15th, 42 - proceeds given to Red Cross.
1942 - children from S.S.#14 were admitted to this school.
Christmas Concert prepared to be held jointly with S.S.#13 was cancelled due to Chicken Pox. Money was donated from this school to Aid to Russia Friend.
June,1943 - recital -direction-Miss McTavish at the C.M.B.A. Hall.
Summer,43 - put on Radio program for Kingston. Children sold old phonograph records.
Sept.,44 - gathered and dried milkweed leaves and sent 46 pounds to the government for war work.
Children sold Christmas cards to help make money for Red Cross. Dec.21st,44 - Christmas Concert with S.S.#13 in the St Lawrence United Church - proceeds to British children xmas fund.

Submitted by Theresa Broeders
Transcribed by Dean Snider
MEMORIES OF TEACHING AT S.S. #8:
Breakey’s Bay School
Wolfe Island
I started teaching as a supply teacher due to the illness of the teacher who had been hired then was asked to remain as regular teacher. I taught there eleven years. This classroom was very dirty so it had to be cleaned up by washing and oiling the hardwood floor to keep dust down – walls, windows, desks, etc. had to be cleaned and at last it was liveable.
J.R.C. was organized with children appointed as the officers to conduct the meetings.
Here too the wood to be used during the winter was piled outside so we organized children to the different jobs to get it into the shed where we felt it would be easier to heat the classroom in winter. We sold cards for one of the card companies and made money to purchase things we needed for hot lunches, and to make gifts for Xmas gifts for Mothers.
We purchased plywood pieces, paints and patterns and made beautiful lawn ornaments in Craft classes. Our yearly Christmas concerts made a great deal of work, but were truly enjoyed.
Mrs. Isobel MacTavish taught music in the school and then Mrs. Elsie Scales. We joined in Music Recitals.
Different times the clergy visited us once a week. Arbor Day was clean up day and tree planting and preparing flower beds was undertaken. We made a "Newspaper" with local news, poems, recipes , advertisements, etc. and by using a Hectograph, were able to send a copy to each family. Each child contributed a page or more and signed his or her name. In early fall we were bothered by hundreds of "Mud Wasps" and I warned the children to be very careful not to touch them. A grade one pupil told me that one of the wasps was his friend and wouldn't hurt him but later in the day when I was taking a class in reading I heard sobs and here Jerry's friend had stung him on the finger. I often thought the fact his friend had betrayed him was as bad as the hurt.
When the school was changed over and big windows installed sometimes the sun was too bright or hot so I made "Bon Ami curtains" -- covering the glass with the Bon Ami, then wiping off part to make patterns. Later we used color to polka dot the curtains.
We had a picnic on closing day in June and one year decided to go to Breakey's Bay where the house was empty at the time. Some one provided us with ice cream for a treat but with no spoons and to see us trying to eat our treat with fingers was really fun.
We took a trip to Kingston with some of the parents providing cars and visited Fort Henry, St Lawrence Park, and different other places of interest.
One year we went on a bus with the St. Lawrence W.I. and visited the Parliament Building, the Museum, the Mint, and many other places. On these trips the parents were not asked to look after the children. I did that and before going would pair the children off - a senior child chase a younger one and had to look after that child by walking together. On the day were were preparing to go to Ottawa, the little grade One boy was not chosen so I said to him - "You'll have to look after me tomorrow, Dennis". When he went home that night his brothers started to tease him but he said to his mother. - "I'm to look after teacher Mother". I never had to look for him once all that day. He was a really good partner.
We had several different inspectors while I was teaching at #8 but will never forget Mr. Smith. The children loved him and would follow him to the gate calling -"Come back soon Mr. Smith". He was a good friend to us all.
Mrs. Muriel Joslin

The Foot school...
I spoke to Joan O'Shea our current Tweedsmuir History Curator who said she copied the notes from our past curator, Marion MacDonnell which stated that S.S.S.#7 was called the Foot School.
I also talked to Doreen Joslin[St. Lawrence Women's Institute member] about which public school was considered and called the foot school and she said S.S.#13 until it closed and then S.S.#8 which makes sense. So #7 was the Catholic Foot School and St.Lawrence[#13] was the Public Foot school, then Breakey's Bay[#8].
From Theresa Broeders

Teachers:

From Annual Reports:
S?/T? McCarthy-1855
Irene Dixon-1856
Lizzie Hoyle?-1857
William Ferguson-1858-61
Robt Nancollas-1862
Elizabeth McKay-1863
Mary Mitchel-1864-5
Mary Anne Anderson-1866
Elizabeth A Doocey-1867
Annie Grant-1868-9
Hannah May Sluman-1870

Cyntha Barry-1912
Other:
First teacher-Miss Mary Mitchell
1939/40-Hazel Smeathers

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The Islands:Wolfe Island School: S.S.#8