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When I started school in (gulp) 1971, my country school had new metal desks, with tops that lifted, and orange plastic chairs for the students in grades 1 and 2. But I couldn't wait for grade 3 when I'd sit at a wooden desk with a drawer under the seat!
Artifact #99301
Donor: Ernest and Roena Brown
The drawer of my desk rarely closed because the books and scribblers were too big to fit and I was always digging to find a pencil that rolled to a corner of the drawer. Luckily, I am right-handed because none of the desks had a left side arm rest.
No, I didn't use a slate. But I did learn to write in books like this.
Artifact #992111(3)
Donor: Mildred Shannon
We should all have perfect penmanship after writing page after page of the alphabet, one letter at a time. Do you still have your McLean System of Writing certificates? I don't think I advanced as far as book 6.
Today's classrooms with their laptops, i-pads and smart boards have nothing as beautiful as this flipchart.
Artifact # 024018026
Donor: Coleman and Cathy Anderson
Probably this flipchart was meant to be stored inside a wooden cabinet. It has beautifully illustrated instructions in reading, anatomy, arithmetic, telling time, weights and measures, penmanship, elementary book keeping, drawing, map reading, and government. Many of the charts are illustrated with children, animals, and other figures. There are several full color depictions of systems of the human body.
Whatever country or city school you attend, whatever grade you are starting, whatever your handwriting looks like, if you are a student or teacher - The Agricultural Museum of New Brunswick wishes you the best school year ever.
Classes are welcome to visit - even when we are closed for the season. Your students can have a scavenger hunt, answer questions from the QR codes or given a tour by one of our museum volunteers. Please email agrmuseumofnb@gmail.com for more information.