by N.B. Sumpton
From 1945 to 1949, approximately, the Elk Point School and surrounding schools entered into school festivals held in the Elk Point School. The first annual festival was held on Wednesday, May 23, 1945. Some excellent samples of school work were to be seen displayed in the five room of the Elk Point School. The displays represented the cumulative and collective work of all the schools taking part in the festival: Elk Point Village Schools, Spring Park, Muriel, Capitol, Pleasant Dale, Paramount and Richland.
There was a suggested list of entries from which to choose: recitations, choral recitations, plays and skits, rhythm bands or group instrumentals, choral or group singing, solos, duets, trios or quartets (singing or instrumental), drills or action songs, folk dancing, or physical training. Each school could choose one but not more than two items from each section on the list.
All schools were to exhibit their enterprise work, science, social studies, etc.-and their notebooks.
The schools gave their numbers, which made a full afternoon program. The adjudicators gave their report on the winning numbers and offered constructive criticism. A concert was held in the evening, which included one item from each school, as selected by the concert committee and the teacher. A charge of 35 cents for adults and 25 cents for children was collected at the door. The proceeds went to Junior Red Cross.
These festivals were valuable since they gave the students of the various schools an opportunity to meet and get acquainted, and to view each others' work.
Field days were held in Elk Point for a number of years. These were not connected with the school festivals. The various schools would practise their sports events, usually in the P.T. period and at noons and recesses. There was broad jumping, high jumping, etc., also races of all kinds for the various age groups. The schools would meet at Elk Point on a set date. The best student of each class from each school entered would complete. When these events were finished, the afternoon was spent in softball games played between teams of visiting schools. A pleasant and satisfying day was enjoyed by all.
BACK ROW, Left to Right: Kavel Turner, Mary Loftus, Catherine O'Kane.
FRONT ROW: Billy Butner Edward 0 Kane, Dorothy Brackett.
Muriel School 1939-40
