Wow! I had no idea there still existed a one room school! I had a friend from Algoma who first taught in a one room school in Algoma. But have never heard of anything since. I wonder what will happen with Angle Inlet with the school funding cuts.
Is there a one-room schoolhouse in Algoma WI? I had no idea and that's not too far from us. Usually the school board decides in April, and I am keeping my ears open about the Angle Inlet School. Stay tuned.
There WAS. I'm sure there no longer is. My friend, since deceased, was 15 years older than me. Will stay tuned to learn more about the Angle Inlet School and it's fate!
Thank you, Jill, for updating me on the Angle Inlet School. It has been several years since I have been up to the Angle and saw the school. I hope the Warroad District keeps it open; it's a unique learning experience for the students who attend. However, I can see with most schools struggling with funding that, it would be a cut that the Warroad District could make.
The pictures of the school look cozy, especially the one where you see snow out the window. I know schools in isolated areas have their challenges, but the pictures you included make it look so inviting!
All photo credits go to the Warroad School District itself. Even though I have been there several times when I looked through my photos I couldn't find a single one! When I was there I felt so "present" that I felt no need to photograph it. I wished I had taken "before" photos because the transformation is quite remarkable.
Considering schools in isolated communities raises so many questions. I knew a few teachers in Greece who taught in such schools on some of the more remote islands. It has to be rather difficult to project upcoming years in enrollments, since some parents choose to home-school, some move away, etc. I would really enjoy learning about the self-assessments of students who previously attended these schools. You have caused me to reflect on the lives of people in northeast Montana on the Canadian border who described their joys and challenges living in isolated communities. They were part of a documentary I worked on years ago called The Edge of America. For me there was something "romantic" about living in these places but simultaneously often lonely and severe. For example, one person I interviewed said: I’m concerned about our population going down – we are getting closer and closer to critical mass. Most of the problems we have in Daniels County – we have fewer people coming back, less of a support system. Twenty years ago I wasn’t concerned. I like being here. There are worse places to starve to death than Northeast Montana. Can we maintain enough population base – we can’t justify delivering babies. I don’t know the solution to keeping the population or the growing population. We don’t talk about growing population but we talk about maintaining the population that we have. Resident, Scobey, MT
What an interesting documentary that must have been to work on. It would be interesting to learn more about the lives of people in northeast Montana on the border today. I'd love to see what a one-room school looks like on a remote Greek island. I enjoyed reading Stell's memoir about his early schooling in Greece.
I am surprised there are not more one-room schools in America, after all the distances can be vast, and presumably there are not many children in isolated communities. In Scotland there are still one room schools, until high school when children have to bus to a larger school. I went to a one-room school for a couple of years. They can be wonderful, but only if the teachers are good, and if they are not good it can be hard to change and replace them.
What was your experience like as a student in a one-room school in Scotland? Interesting to hear there are such schools operating today. Did you have a good teacher?
Sadly I had a terrible teacher, which had an impact on the rest of my education, and the rest of my life. In a bigger school you change teachers every year, so you have a chance at experiencing some good teachers. Also, in a small village everyone knows everyone, and all the prejudices and gossip follow the kids into the classroom. It is not as bad in a larger school.
In my experience, one-room schooling can either be very, very good, or very, very bad.
Sorry to hear you had a terrible teacher in the small village where you grew up. Thanks for sharing the downside to a one-room school learning environment and the key variable: a good teacher.
The dynamics of these one room schoolhouses can be wonderful and help to teach the empathy and kindness learned in large families.
Our two daughters went to a combined pre-k through elementary Montessori school here in the urban San Francisco Bay Area. The school had one room for the “Children’s House” (Montessori-speak for children not yet accomplished in basic math and reading) and one for elementary through the 6th grade. It was a wonderful environment. The biggest challenge we had was when our youngest (by 5 years) entered the elementary before our eldest graduated, there was a bit of jealousy as all of her girl friends wanted to fawn over the little one. 🥰 they got over it.
"They got over it." Yes. This is one of the things that makes a one-room schoolhouse special. Everyone has to work it out in the classroom. And what a great place to learn those life skills.
I imagine those kids get the kind of teacher attention and education we wish all children had. My dad had fond memories of his one-room schoolhouse in Missouri in the 1920s and his skills from reading to penmanship to basic math were impressive.
One-room schools in America were the norm, especially in the rural Midwest, until the 1930s. Interesting to hear your dad's memories of his experience and your recognition of his skills which were cultivated from an early age. One of the strengths to the model of a one-room classroom is the mixed ages and levels which means students learn by teaching each other.
Thanks for sharing this piece. I’ve always been aware of this school - I remember reading about them riding snowmobiles to school when I was young and was so jealous lol - but didn’t j is a lot about them.
Yes, CBS Sunday Morning and Twin Cities Public TV have done feature segments on the school as have the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press over the years. It’s a special place dear to my heart.
Wow! I had no idea there still existed a one room school! I had a friend from Algoma who first taught in a one room school in Algoma. But have never heard of anything since. I wonder what will happen with Angle Inlet with the school funding cuts.
Is there a one-room schoolhouse in Algoma WI? I had no idea and that's not too far from us. Usually the school board decides in April, and I am keeping my ears open about the Angle Inlet School. Stay tuned.
There WAS. I'm sure there no longer is. My friend, since deceased, was 15 years older than me. Will stay tuned to learn more about the Angle Inlet School and it's fate!
Wonderful school memories for me. I attended 1979-1982. 😍
Great to hear from an alum. And glad to hear you have good memories. What do you remember most about those years?
Thank you, Jill, for updating me on the Angle Inlet School. It has been several years since I have been up to the Angle and saw the school. I hope the Warroad District keeps it open; it's a unique learning experience for the students who attend. However, I can see with most schools struggling with funding that, it would be a cut that the Warroad District could make.
Tough decisions ahead.
The pictures of the school look cozy, especially the one where you see snow out the window. I know schools in isolated areas have their challenges, but the pictures you included make it look so inviting!
All photo credits go to the Warroad School District itself. Even though I have been there several times when I looked through my photos I couldn't find a single one! When I was there I felt so "present" that I felt no need to photograph it. I wished I had taken "before" photos because the transformation is quite remarkable.
Considering schools in isolated communities raises so many questions. I knew a few teachers in Greece who taught in such schools on some of the more remote islands. It has to be rather difficult to project upcoming years in enrollments, since some parents choose to home-school, some move away, etc. I would really enjoy learning about the self-assessments of students who previously attended these schools. You have caused me to reflect on the lives of people in northeast Montana on the Canadian border who described their joys and challenges living in isolated communities. They were part of a documentary I worked on years ago called The Edge of America. For me there was something "romantic" about living in these places but simultaneously often lonely and severe. For example, one person I interviewed said: I’m concerned about our population going down – we are getting closer and closer to critical mass. Most of the problems we have in Daniels County – we have fewer people coming back, less of a support system. Twenty years ago I wasn’t concerned. I like being here. There are worse places to starve to death than Northeast Montana. Can we maintain enough population base – we can’t justify delivering babies. I don’t know the solution to keeping the population or the growing population. We don’t talk about growing population but we talk about maintaining the population that we have. Resident, Scobey, MT
What an interesting documentary that must have been to work on. It would be interesting to learn more about the lives of people in northeast Montana on the border today. I'd love to see what a one-room school looks like on a remote Greek island. I enjoyed reading Stell's memoir about his early schooling in Greece.
I am surprised there are not more one-room schools in America, after all the distances can be vast, and presumably there are not many children in isolated communities. In Scotland there are still one room schools, until high school when children have to bus to a larger school. I went to a one-room school for a couple of years. They can be wonderful, but only if the teachers are good, and if they are not good it can be hard to change and replace them.
What was your experience like as a student in a one-room school in Scotland? Interesting to hear there are such schools operating today. Did you have a good teacher?
Sadly I had a terrible teacher, which had an impact on the rest of my education, and the rest of my life. In a bigger school you change teachers every year, so you have a chance at experiencing some good teachers. Also, in a small village everyone knows everyone, and all the prejudices and gossip follow the kids into the classroom. It is not as bad in a larger school.
In my experience, one-room schooling can either be very, very good, or very, very bad.
Sorry to hear you had a terrible teacher in the small village where you grew up. Thanks for sharing the downside to a one-room school learning environment and the key variable: a good teacher.
The dynamics of these one room schoolhouses can be wonderful and help to teach the empathy and kindness learned in large families.
Our two daughters went to a combined pre-k through elementary Montessori school here in the urban San Francisco Bay Area. The school had one room for the “Children’s House” (Montessori-speak for children not yet accomplished in basic math and reading) and one for elementary through the 6th grade. It was a wonderful environment. The biggest challenge we had was when our youngest (by 5 years) entered the elementary before our eldest graduated, there was a bit of jealousy as all of her girl friends wanted to fawn over the little one. 🥰 they got over it.
"They got over it." Yes. This is one of the things that makes a one-room schoolhouse special. Everyone has to work it out in the classroom. And what a great place to learn those life skills.
I imagine those kids get the kind of teacher attention and education we wish all children had. My dad had fond memories of his one-room schoolhouse in Missouri in the 1920s and his skills from reading to penmanship to basic math were impressive.
One-room schools in America were the norm, especially in the rural Midwest, until the 1930s. Interesting to hear your dad's memories of his experience and your recognition of his skills which were cultivated from an early age. One of the strengths to the model of a one-room classroom is the mixed ages and levels which means students learn by teaching each other.
Thanks for sharing this piece. I’ve always been aware of this school - I remember reading about them riding snowmobiles to school when I was young and was so jealous lol - but didn’t j is a lot about them.
Yes, CBS Sunday Morning and Twin Cities Public TV have done feature segments on the school as have the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press over the years. It’s a special place dear to my heart.
https://www.politico.eu/interactive/greek-school-with-single-student-arkoi-island-in-pictures/
Thank you! What a beautiful photo essay.
Great to know that this is going on. But also good to recognize that the politics may be the end of a great story. Thanks!
Let's hope the school board follows the Warrior Way.