School and Community Summer 2024

1953

MY FIRST SCHOOL I remember my first school, When as a teacher I stood, Before a group of children, To teach them as best I could.

1963

This was many years ago, In a schoolhouse none too good; There were cracks in the walls and windows, A big iron stove that burned wood. The big stove stood in one end of the room. The chimney was at the other: A long string of pipe went from stove to flue, Held by wire and one thing and another. The first week of school, the pipe fell down, With a crash and clatter and bang; It was funny to me, and the children too, And the school with gay laughter rang There were very old books, dirty and torn, No help from schoolboard or state; You must do the best with what you had And trust the rest to fate. The pay was poor, the hours were long, Each month I drew thirtyfive dollars; I tried so hard, I planned ways and means, To help my twentyeight scholars. Thru’ fields and woods, and over bad roads, We walked, in all kinds of weather; There were none too rich, some very poor, But we studied and learned together.

Compatible Black and White — by Ronald Weiskopf W hat effect has television had on reading ability in school? Many believe one big cause of reading problems today is too much television, but most research in this area indicates televiewing in most cases has little or no effect on school achievement. According to a study made in Great Britain a few years ago, televiewing has little or no effect on British children. Paul Witty, in eight yearly studies, concludes there is no significant difference In school achievement between heavy and light televiewers. An Xavier University study indicates achievement one way or the other is not affected by televiewing. 1 Elanor Maccoby concludes that on the whole, televiewing appears to have little impact, either positively or negatively, upon school grades. A 1950 study of middle elementary grade children in Chicago, by J. Greenstein, indicates televiewing has little or no significant effect on achievement. A. S. McDonald, in his study of high school students, notes there is no significant change in grades as a result of televiewing. Research by the author of this article reveals students of high reading ability watch television nearly as much as students of low reading ability. A questionnaire was prepared and distributed to one class of sixth graders in each of five elementary schools in Berkeley, Mo. The questions concerned which programs students watched and how often they watched television. A total of 125 pupils participated in the study. Their responses were tabulated and the total amount of time each child spent in televiewing was computed. These findings were then compared to each student’s rank in the group as determined by the Gates Reading Survey. Students were ranked from high to low according to their scores on the Gates Reading Survey, with the upper 25 per cent and the lower 25 per cent considered in this study.

In spite of all this, I loved my work, And today I can point with pride To some I helped to a better way, And so,—I am satisfied.

—Mrs. Elva Manning Evans, Hillsboro

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