The most rewarding
years of my teaching career were spent at Center School
in Harwinton, Connecticut. I taught there nine years
from 1929 to 1938.
When I look back at those years so many of my students
remains as vivid in my memory today as they were then.
My thoughts bring back happy memories of teaching grades
one through eight in a one-room schoolhouse.
One of the most important contributions my students
made to Center School was having electricity put in
our school. The students had plays, raffles and projects
to earn money to make this possible. How excited we
were the day that Andrew Kasney came and installed our
electricity. We thought we were pretty special to have
lights in our schoolhouse.
We also had a project to purchase an over-head projector.
All the students enjoyed this and they loved to use
it to produce pictures of what they were studying in
the classroom and showing it on the screen to classmates.
We also made a section of our little schoolroom into
a library. We had chairs, tables, and many books. Here
the pupils could go when assignments were completed.
We had library books delivered once a month and the
children enjoyed them immensely.
Since we were in our school from 9 to 4, we wanted to
make it as pretty as possible. So, Mrs. Kirchofer, one
of our school mothers, helped the girls make nice tieback
curtains for all our windows. They really brightened
up our classroom.
The Center School parents were just wonderful to my
pupils and me and supported us in every undertaking.
It would be impossible to name all those that volunteered
in so many ways without leaving out many more. I do
recall that Raymond Bentley was on the school board
and was always there to help, as was Elof Johnson. They
helped in every cause we started.
In preparation for Memorial Day, the students would
bring in flowers from home and we would have a parade
and march up the hill to Center cemetery and place the
flowers on the graves of all the veterans.
I must not forget our participation in the County Spelling
Bees. We used to hold practices and the Graduating Ceremony
at the Center Congregational Church on the top of the
hill. To many of my students during these depression
years, it would be the only graduation of his/her lives
so it had to be really special. It also meant for others
leaving Harwinton to attend high school in Torrington.
As a graduation present, students from Center School,
Miss Walsh’s School and Locust Road School were
taken for a weekend to Lake Quassapaug in Middlebury,
CT. My sister, Lillian Deegan McGrath – also a
teacher, helped chaperone them at my summer camp. The
students loved it and had a wonderful time.
I have kept in touch with many of my pupils who attended
Center School form 1929 – 1938. Today, many many
years later, they are my best friends.
