PETOSKEY — For more than three decades, fourth grade students at St. Francis Xavier School have spent a day recreating a one room schoolhouse experience.
On Tuesday, June 2, the students dressed for a school day in 1895 and walked to the Little Traverse History Museum with their lunches in hand to begin a day of lessons in elocution, penmanship and recitation.
“It is a big tradition,” said Kristin Jeffers, fourth grade teacher. “All the classes come down from the school to check it out during the day. And it is kind of what we’re known for in fourth grade here at St. Francis.”
The tradition was first started by Sue Watson in 1987. Now retired, Watson returns to ask students questions about history, their daily lives in 1890s Petoskey, spelling and more during the special schoolhouse day. Students must be prepared with answers across several subjects.
“We start right after spring break, and we start training for this for about two months,” Jeffers said. “Every subject is encompassed in this.”
Each student had prepared a report on a president, knew historical facts about Michigan and the U.S., and had learned vintage songs and games.
“They are so excited to perform and see what they can actually do,” Jeffers said. “And the confidence that they have that they actually know everything.”
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: St. Francis Xavier students enjoy tradition of schoolhouse experience
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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