Please join me in the conclusion as I share clothing styles popular in the 1950s as well as describe the transition from a country school to the public school after annexation.

In the 1940s, report cards were sent home about every six weeks; Cooper School operated on a semester system. The report card grading system included: O for Outstanding; S for Satisfactory; and F for Failing. There was also an area on the card for evaluating attitude, cooperation, hygiene and behavior. Check marks were given ranging between excellent, average and poor. The hygiene marks were based on periodic "health" inspections. The teacher looked at each of the pupils' fingernails, checked to see if they could produce a clean handkerchief and whether they were dressed cleanly and neatly.

About 25 to 30 students attended Cooper School between the 1940s and 1960s, and all during the school years, the students took achievement tests at different grade levels, mandated by the State of Michigan. Three students in one grade were about to take their final test. While the teacher encouraged them to do well, she also provided a wonderful incentive. She promised to give two dollars to the person who earned the highest score on that last achievement test. Only a fraction of a point separated the final score, and the former student still has in her possession that highly-coveted two-dollar bill!

In the earlier days, the girls all wore dresses. Blue jeans and "Ship and Shore" tailored-style blouses became popular in the 1950s, which quickly became the preferred apparel for girls playing ball. Sometimes the girls would also accent their outfit with a brightly colored, square silk scarf worn around their neck. They wore brown "girl scout"-style shoes, followed by saddle shoes and white buck oxfords. Sometimes they wore oxford-style T-strap sandals in the warmer weather, always with ankle socks. In the winter, they all wore rain-style boots over shoes; in the spring, the children wore rubbers over their shoes to keep them dry and clean from the mud. The boys wore striped t-shirts or plaid shirts tucked into their belted jeans. In winter they wore the four or five-buckle boots over their above ankle shoes. Everyone had a handkerchief in their pocket, just in case they needed it.

Every morning at 9 o'clock, the teacher called school to order. The students stood beside their desk lining up in the aisle, and the teacher led them in the pledge to the flag. The students earned the privilege to raise and lower the flag outside. It was never raised on a rainy or snowy day. The flag was never to get wet, nor was it to be left to hang on the pole without being lit at night. The fourth graders performed the duties of the safety patrol at the M-142 and Finkle Road crossing. Older students tutored their younger counterparts in reading and math. Each class was called to the front for their daily lessons. The kindergarteners sat on a bench, and the other students sat in the front desks reserved for that purpose.

The teacher always maintained control in the classroom, and the students treated her with the respect she deserved. During the 1940s, the teacher took some time off due to a death in the family. As a result, the Cooper students were taught by a substitute teacher. In the absence of his regular teacher, one boy decided to bring a bag of popcorn to school and hide it in his desk. He snuck a handful now and again throughout the day, thoroughly enjoying his afternoon snack. Perhaps it was the smell of his delightful treat or maybe it was the sound of the crunch, but eventually the substitute teacher realized what he was up to and confiscated the remaining popcorn. The lad always suspected the teacher just wanted a taste!

The County Superintendent visited the school periodically and unannounced. The teacher would stop what she was doing and walk to the back of the room to greet him. He would always speak with the teacher privately before leaving and also look at her lesson plan book. He rarely acknowledged the students. The children were fascinated with his red Stutebaker car. The students always found a reason to go to the cloakroom window to catch a glimpse of it or examine it more closely if they were dismissed for an early recess while he was there. The car looked the same in the front as it did in the back - pointed!

The Cooper School teacher in the 1950s always went above and beyond the call of duty in the classroom. Although the "three R's" were a necessity, learning life skills was equally important. She even taught the older children about electricity and wiring. Her former students believe she definitely did not get paid her worth.

All of the one-room country school eighth-grade students participated in a mass county graduation exercise. The Huron County Intermediate School Superintendent and the Huron County Intermediate School Board were in attendance. The usual graduation speeches were conducted. The graduates received their diplomas when their names were called in alphabetical order. In the mid-1950s, one of the board members handed a gift to each of the graduates - an Eskimo pie!

The Cooper School district annexed into the Harbor Beach Community School District in 1966. Many of the Cooper students found themselves adjusting to a major transition as they continued their education in the public school system. In the mid-1960s, while all the sixth grade girls wore bobby socks in the country school, their public school counterparts were already wearing knee socks and nylons. The students were used to doing everything in their one-room schoolhouse, including eating. In the public school, they found their class traveling to the cafeteria to eat their lunch. The changes didn't stop there. Gone were the days of turning down a neighbor who stopped to offer the school children a ride home, choosing instead to dawdle and play with their friends as they walked home down their country dirt road. Instead, there was a bus to catch!

The Cooper schoolhouse still stands, and while the building was used for many years as a pump-over station, it is now used as a storage facility.

In researching this article, I gathered tidbits of information from 14 of Cooper's former students. The dates and information are as factual as their memories would allow. Special thanks goes out to Susan Laeder, who provided much detailed information about her days at Cooper. So well written were her descriptions, I used much of her writing verbatim, with her permission. I thank everyone who so willingly offered their time, memories, and photographs, allowing all of us a glimpse inside Cooper School. Be sure to look for my column in next month's issue as I explore the history of the Ruth Public School.

If you would like to see your schoolhouse featured in this series and are willing to share your experiences, please email Janis at janis@lakeshoreguardian.com or write to Janis at The Lakeshore Guardian, 9697 Purdy Rd., Harbor Beach, MI 48441.

Copyright © 2004 Janis Stein