School Days At Riley

by Carol Statz

 

From 1952 to 1961, I attended the Riley School at the corner of Highway J and PD in the township of Springdale. I attended first through eighth grades there, and lived in Riley, which was a one mile walk (or bike ride). I had four older brothers all of whom attended the same school (although the original structure burned down sometime in the late 40's).

There were only three of us in our class from first through fourth grades. Then, in fifth grade, another girl moved in, making us a class of three girls and one boy. There were usually about 30 in attendance at the school in all eight grades. We all knew each other well, and knew each other's families.

In my estimation, the quality of the education we received was superior. The simple reason was that we were exposed to the full curriculum from first grade on. In addition, there were many opportunities to participate in special activities. We had a music teacher, Fannie Steve, who came once a week. She played the piano, and we sang and danced. There were always groups of us who performed outside of the school, with either a singing program or a dance program. We performed at events like the eighth grade graduation (which took place at Middleton High School, and included all eighth graders from Dane County). We had art (finger painting in the the basement), music and physical education. We lacked nothing. We even learned how to dance the waltz, polka, square dance, Virginia Reel and Irish Jig.

I have good memories of my one room school days. One of the highlights was when we got our "goiter pill," an ugly brown pill with a very strange taste. We always got orange juice afterwards, so that was a treat. One of our teachers (she shall remain nameless) also treated us each to a sip of tequila that she brought back from Mexico. Probably my most favorite memory was the Christmas (yes, we could call it Christmas then)Program. It was held at night. We always had a play and plenty of singing and when we were too little to be in the play we got to stand up there alone and say our "pieces." We would each get a little poem to memorize. There was such a magical feeling being at the school at night. The schoolroom took on a different look without daylight coming in the huge windows on the east side of the building. The grand finale was Santa Claus coming with his sack. We used to sing "Here Comes Santa Claus" until there were no verses left and he would finally appear, after all of us-even the eighth graders-were just about frantic that he wouldn't show up. It wasn't until about five years ago that I found out that Santa was actually Vale Beard, then owner of the Riley Tavern.

We had plenty of opportunities for physical activity. We played softball during every lunch period and recess until the snow flew. There is a big field west of the school and that was our softball diamond. There were huge swing sets, and when we were in the first, second and maybe third grades, the big boys (seventh and eighth graders) used to pump us until the chains would snap like whips.

Attending a country school, we girls were able to wear pants to school. That way we could participate in all the things the boys did, softball, bike riding, and the games we played outside. After school we often stayed late and rode our bikes around the blacktop lot in front of the school, a real treat considering the road the school was on was gravel.

We had three different teachers in my eight years. From first through fourth grades, we had Mrs. Hale; in fifth grade, we had Mrs. Gilbertson: and in sixth through eighth grades, we had Miss Trainor. Our lunch cook made the best homemade buns for barbecue. If she was sick, and we couldn't find a substitute, the teacher made lunch. We ate on card tables and folding chairs in the basement of the school. During the winter and rainy weather, we spent our recesses and lunch breaks in the basement. Someone would bring records for the record player and we would dance.

We celebrated every holiday to the fullest. On some Valentine's Days, the girls would bring box lunches and the boys would buy them. For Halloween we would wear costumes and for Christmas we would decorate an enormous tree (well, it seemed enormous when I was a child) and put gifts under it. We would practice our play forever, it seemed. The families would come to the Christmas program and bring cookies and candy, and we would have a social after the program. The Mother's Club had a Euchre card party once a month. It was held in the basement of the school and the mothers would bring lunch and desserts to eat after the card party.

In the Spring we would have a wiener roast over a fire we built in the yard of the school. We would bring wieners and marshmallows and roast them on long sticks we cut off the trees in the yard of the school. At the end of the school year, the families would all gather for a potluck lunch. Someone always brought the best rhubarb meringue pie. In all these years, I have never had one that matched the taste of that pie.

"The one-room school provided me with a positive attitude toward learning and education. It provided a practical, no-nonsense style of teaching about books, life and responsibilities. The older students were always helpful to the younger students, as well as to the teacher. Problems were dealt with quickly and effectively. In that one room there was an abundance of respect for the teacher and for one another because we all had to spend every day together, working and playing. We were a family."

- Carol Statz