3rd Grade Visit to the Old Doansburg Schoolhouse:

C.V. Starr third graders are getting a firsthand look at school days and life of the past during visits to the Old Doansburg Schoolhouse and Old Southeast Church.

This morning, students in Joshua Ullman and Jackie Fego's classes had the opportunity to explore local history and discover how kids from 1840-1947 learned and lived.

Inside, students found out how students in grades K-8 shared one classroom with a one teacher. In addition to teaching reading, mathematics, cursive, and geography, the teacher was responsible for caring for the children and keeping the school warm.

Students heard how children collected water from a nearby stream, wrote with quills and ink, did work on a chalkboard and brought firewood from home as a form of payment. They also learned that a bar stretching across the room helped stage plays for parents, while the youngest children napped on the floor beneath the teacher’s desk.

Just being in the room and hearing these details sparked lots of questions as students compared the schoolhouse with their own classroom at CV Starr. What a great way to connect with Brewster's past and bring history to life!