The History of Bell Cairn School

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
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18
#21
Fred Briggs
03-14-2007, 07:03 PM
“This very extensive article by Chris Langille and Gayle Brown for the 1962-63 School Yearbook was obviously written with considerable help from the work of John W. Pell, a Wentworth County Public School Inspector (who was also the Inspector for Beach Bungalow School for many years). Many of the sentences have been lifted directly from Pell's writing, which must have been made available to the students long before the publication of his landmark book, History of Stoney Creek Schools, not published until 1991. Somewhere along the way, a few errors, mostly typographical, have crept into the version above.
Just because history is so often "copied" from earlier histories, just as much of this has been, I feel it necessary to make some corrections to prevent mistakes from being repeated repeatedly. Please don't think that I'm just nitpicking. In fact, it would be a good thing if the Moderator of this Forum (that's you, Scotto!) could incorporate the suggested changes in the copy above, because it will continue to be recalled long after this addendum has been lost and forgotten.
1. In the sentence "A second room was added to the school in 1913 ...", the date should have been 1918.
2. The sentence "A contract for the construction of a brick building was entrusted to James Kemp ..." may be accurate or may contain a typo. Mr. Pell's text says "James Kemy". Unfortunately, much of the old, original records are no longer available, so "Kemp" may be correct, and "Kemy" was a typo!
3. In the paragraph beginning "The following June ..." the Principal's name was given as "Mr. W. J. F. Johnson". The "J" could be right, and simply wasn't often used by Mr. Johnson, but I have never seen it used anywhere, and his name was usually given as "Mr. Wm. F. Johnson" or "William F. Johnson".
4. The statement "By 1943 three more classrooms had been added and nine full-time teachers were employed." is a simpllified reworking of Mr. Pell's original sentences "The enrollment at Beach Bungalow School grew rapidly and three classrooms were added. By 1943 there were nine full-time teachers, ..."
Mr. Pell gave no details here about those three new classrooms, and at first it might appear to have been an error by Pell. Yet if there were only 3 classrooms in the old bungalow, and three more in the 1937 brick addition, why and how were 9 full-time teachers employed?
In 1938 Home Economics and Shop Work were introduced. THe shop class was in the school basement and Home Economics went into the old Beach Bungalow. The Beach public school went to Grade 9 at that time, and in 1939 Grade 10 was added. I don't have the records before me at this time, but it is known that Grade One was held in the Masonic Hall from early in the 1940's, an eighth classroom was opened in the school basement in April 1941, and a cottage, in the row of cottages between the school and the Masonic Hall, was rented for a classroom at about that time. I will try to clear this up and come back when I have hard information.
5. There is a simple typo in the sentence "It was decided to demolish completely the burned wreckage of the teach Bungalow School..." Obviously, Beach Bungalow School was meant.
Again, please forgive me for being so picky, but while we are all entitled to our own different opinions, we must have facts with which we can all agree!”

scotto
06-05-2014, 09:25 PM
REFLECTIONS

“Usually, entrance to kindergarten is preceded by registration, a medical checkup, and other formalities. My entrance was very different; it happened by accident. I was playing with my girl friend, Susan Mallon when suddenly her mother appeared and said that she must get ready to go to school. Susan, reluctant to leave me, said that her teacher had promised them they could bring a friend to school that afternoon. My mother consented that I could go.
The teacher looked surprised when I entered the school hand in hand with Susan. I was the 'uninvited guest'; the teacher had never mentioned anything to the children about bringing a friend to school. However, she smiled amusedly and kindly allowed me to stay for the afternoon. We drew pictures, sang songs and did a little bit of counting. School was just as I had expected it to be. How I longed for the time to come when I could attend school regularly.
(In September 1956 the big day came.) Having had only one short after noon in kindergarten, I was a proud grade one student. The height of my ambition was to be able to write my own name and to read a book for myself. It was during this first year that I had one of my most memor-able experiences. I was selected to represent the grade one in a singing contest. I had always enjoyed music and was simply thrilled to think that I was going to have an opportunity to sing in public. My teacher, Mrs. McCready, taught me the song I was to sing. It was called 'Oh Hear the Merry Clock'. I had no inhibitions and was full of excitement, until I walked onto the stage the afternoon of the contest. Suddenly, I was overcome with fright, I almost ran off the stage. I forgot my words and rendered a very poor performance. I was so young that it did not seem to matter; everybody was willing to make excuses for me and told me I did well.
I have vivid recollections of an interesting trip we had in grade two, when Mrs. Livingstone took the class by bus to Stoney Creek Battlefield where we had a picnic lunch, after which we visited the Children’s Gardens, Dundurn Castle and the Rock Gardens.
In the intermediate grades, work gradually became more difficult and I seemed to have less time to play. When the teacher introduced fractions for the first time, I felt utterly bewildered and confused, and even now I must admit that math is not my forte! Perhaps the highlight of my intermediate years was when once again I had an opportunity to sing a solo at a Home and School meeting. I had profited by my initial experience and had gained sufficient self-confidence so that I was no longer overcome with stage fright.
As I reflect now, I come to the conclusion that my intermediate years were the least exciting; the primary grades seemed to have captured most of the novelty and thrill attached to the presentation of new topics for the first time.
The senior grades brought new challenges and new responsibilities; we were very conscious of the fact that we were expected to set good examples for the junior students.
Grade seven was perhaps my favourite grade when I had my first male teacher, Mr. Otonichar, who was very popular with all the students. During that year he became the proud father of a son, Patrick James. We pleasantly surprised him with a presentation of a baby spoon and an inscribed ring.
(Now, nearing the end of grade eight, with graduation only a few weeks away I tend to have mixed feelings. I shall be sorry to leave Bell Cairn Memorial School, where I have accumulated a store of knowledge, which I know is going to be a valuable asset all my life.) On the other hand I cannot help but feel a twinge of excitement as I look forward with keen anticipation to entering the more sophisticated phase of my education in high school.
To all my teachers, I feel I owe sincere gratitude for the parts they played in giving me helpful instruction and guidance, and in preparing me to step with confidence through the portals of Delta Secondary School next September.
A grateful student,
Sharron Buttery.”

Fred, it would seem from this that when Sharron Buttery graduaded, Bell Cairn School only went to grade 8. This would have been circa 1964. Do you know when and why the chainge took place?


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David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#22
Fred Briggs
03-14-2007, 07:03 PM
“This very extensive article by Chris Langille and Gayle Brown for the 1962-63 School Yearbook was obviously written with considerable help from the work of John W. Pell, a Wentworth County Public School Inspector (who was also the Inspector for Beach Bungalow School for many years). Many of the sentences have been lifted directly from Pell's writing, which must have been made available to the students long before the publication of his landmark book, History of Stoney Creek Schools, not published until 1991. Somewhere along the way, a few errors, mostly typographical, have crept into the version above.
Just because history is so often "copied" from earlier histories, just as much of this has been, I feel it necessary to make some corrections to prevent mistakes from being repeated repeatedly. Please don't think that I'm just nitpicking. In fact, it would be a good thing if the Moderator of this Forum (that's you, Scotto!) could incorporate the suggested changes in the copy above, because it will continue to be recalled long after this addendum has been lost and forgotten.
1. In the sentence "A second room was added to the school in 1913 ...", the date should have been 1918.
2. The sentence "A contract for the construction of a brick building was entrusted to James Kemp ..." may be accurate or may contain a typo. Mr. Pell's text says "James Kemy". Unfortunately, much of the old, original records are no longer available, so "Kemp" may be correct, and "Kemy" was a typo!
3. In the paragraph beginning "The following June ..." the Principal's name was given as "Mr. W. J. F. Johnson". The "J" could be right, and simply wasn't often used by Mr. Johnson, but I have never seen it used anywhere, and his name was usually given as "Mr. Wm. F. Johnson" or "William F. Johnson".
4. The statement "By 1943 three more classrooms had been added and nine full-time teachers were employed." is a simpllified reworking of Mr. Pell's original sentences "The enrollment at Beach Bungalow School grew rapidly and three classrooms were added. By 1943 there were nine full-time teachers, ..."
Mr. Pell gave no details here about those three new classrooms, and at first it might appear to have been an error by Pell. Yet if there were only 3 classrooms in the old bungalow, and three more in the 1937 brick addition, why and how were 9 full-time teachers employed?
In 1938 Home Economics and Shop Work were introduced. THe shop class was in the school basement and Home Economics went into the old Beach Bungalow. The Beach public school went to Grade 9 at that time, and in 1939 Grade 10 was added. I don't have the records before me at this time, but it is known that Grade One was held in the Masonic Hall from early in the 1940's, an eighth classroom was opened in the school basement in April 1941, and a cottage, in the row of cottages between the school and the Masonic Hall, was rented for a classroom at about that time. I will try to clear this up and come back when I have hard information.
5. There is a simple typo in the sentence "It was decided to demolish completely the burned wreckage of the teach Bungalow School..." Obviously, Beach Bungalow School was meant.
Again, please forgive me for being so picky, but while we are all entitled to our own different opinions, we must have facts with which we can all agree!”

Fred,
You are right, there were three class rooms in both the bungalo and in the new brick addition. But there were an other two in the Masonic Hall. That makes 8. And about the time the brick addition was being built, a kindergarten class was added. That makes 9 class rooms, or at least 9 teachers.
________________________________________
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#23
David O'Reilly
01-30-2016, 09:40 PM
Fred Briggs
03-14-2007, 07:03 PM
“This very extensive article by Chris Langille and Gayle Brown for the 1962-63 School Yearbook was obviously written with considerable help from the work of John W. Pell, a Wentworth County Public School Inspector (who was also the Inspector for Beach Bungalow School for many years). Many of the sentences have been lifted directly from Pell's writing, which must have been made available to the students long before the publication of his landmark book, History of Stoney Creek Schools, not published until 1991. Somewhere along the way, a few errors, mostly typographical, have crept into the version above.
Just because history is so often "copied" from earlier histories, just as much of this has been, I feel it necessary to make some corrections to prevent mistakes from being repeated repeatedly. Please don't think that I'm just nitpicking. In fact, it would be a good thing if the Moderator of this Forum (that's you, Scotto!) could incorporate the suggested changes in the copy above, because it will continue to be recalled long after this addendum has been lost and forgotten.
1. In the sentence "A second room was added to the school in 1913 ...", the date should have been 1918.
2. The sentence "A contract for the construction of a brick building was entrusted to James Kemp ..." may be accurate or may contain a typo. Mr. Pell's text says "James Kemy". Unfortunately, much of the old, original records are no longer available, so "Kemp" may be correct, and "Kemy" was a typo!
3. In the paragraph beginning "The following June ..." the Principal's name was given as "Mr. W. J. F. Johnson". The "J" could be right, and simply wasn't often used by Mr. Johnson, but I have never seen it used anywhere, and his name was usually given as "Mr. Wm. F. Johnson" or "William F. Johnson".
4. The statement "By 1943 three more classrooms had been added and nine full-time teachers were employed." is a simpllified reworking of Mr. Pell's original sentences "The enrollment at Beach Bungalow School grew rapidly and three classrooms were added. By 1943 there were nine full-time teachers, ..."
Mr. Pell gave no details here about those three new classrooms, and at first it might appear to have been an error by Pell. Yet if there were only 3 classrooms in the old bungalow, and three more in the 1937 brick addition, why and how were 9 full-time teachers employed?
In 1938 Home Economics and Shop Work were introduced. THe shop class was in the school basement and Home Economics went into the old Beach Bungalow. The Beach public school went to Grade 9 at that time, and in 1939 Grade 10 was added. I don't have the records before me at this time, but it is known that Grade One was held in the Masonic Hall from early in the 1940's, an eighth classroom was opened in the school basement in April 1941, and a cottage, in the row of cottages between the school and the Masonic Hall, was rented for a classroom at about that time. I will try to clear this up and come back when I have hard information.
5. There is a simple typo in the sentence "It was decided to demolish completely the burned wreckage of the teach Bungalow School..." Obviously, Beach Bungalow School was meant.
Again, please forgive me for being so picky, but while we are all entitled to our own different opinions, we must have facts with which we can all agree!”

Fred,
You are right, there were three class rooms in both the bungalo and in the new brick addition. But there were an other two in the Masonic Hall. That makes 8. And about the time the brick addition was being built, a kindergarten class was added. That makes 9 class rooms, or at least 9 teachers.”

But this thread seems to indicate that a kindergarten class wasn’t added until 1952. And it was about then that a new auditoriam was built.

“A Spectator article from March 6th, 1952
The suggestion of opening a kindergarten had come up, he said, and in this connection he gave figures from Hamilton showing a cost of $100 per pupil per year, which, with 65 pupils at the Beach, would mean an additional $6,500 per year.”

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2295.html
 
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