Genesee-Jackson County MI Archives News.....Cartwright School Christmas...Davison 1954 August 26, 1954
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kelly wernette http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007483 August 19, 2012, 4:59 pm

Growing Up In Davison August 26, 1954
Ralph’s Rantings by Ralph Rice.   

If memory serves me…….
                                                                               
                                                                            
I’m here in front of the old computer and wondering
what is in store as we close down on Christmas Day. It
brings me back to the days of old when I believe I was
in around the fourth or fifth grade back at Cartwright
School. That school was a two room primary district
that was for kindergarten through eighth grade. As we
called it, it had the big room and the little room. I
believe the little room was kindergarten through fourth
grade and the big room was fifth through eighth.
  Right after Thanksgiving it was time to get prepared
for the Christmas program. I believe the two teachers
rounded up a skit for the little kids and we always had
a play for the kids in the big room. We were all assigned
something to do for the program. If I’m not mistaken,
there was little choice in what we were supposed to do.
Some had big parts, and others had a little poem or as
we called it a ‘piece’ to speak at the program.
  As soon as the parts and ‘pieces’ were handed out, it
came time for us to practice. At first, it was a small part
of the day when we sat at our desks and read things but
as the time got closer to the program day, we put away
our books and spent practically all school day rehearsing
the program.
  I believe the older kids along with their dads put up
the stage at one end of the school. All it was was a few
saw horses with planks on top. Awire was strung across
the front of the stage and the teachers came up with
sheets to serve as curtains for the stage.
  The neat thing as far as we kids were concerned was
that we didn’t have to do school work. Every day was
practice and the girls restroom next to the stage was
where all participants went before the entry to the stage.
I think all the boys thought it was something that we
could be in the girls restroom. Actually it was a coat
room with the toilet and sink walled off from the rest of
the room.
  I remember one year, the skit for the little kids
involved them to be toys and there was a big box thing
at one end of the stage. All the kids were under the stage
and at the right time, they climbed out of the box. The
crowd went nuts and about 10 kids came crawling out
of that box that was about large enough to hold maybe
two tops. No one could figure out how they all got in
the box. Anyway, one of the last ones out got up and
tackled Santa. Santa was an adult and I think it took him
really by surprise. That act was the talk of  by everyone for
weeks after.
  To me, that time in school between Thanksgiving
and the Christmas program was one of the best times of
being in school. We had a blast.
  Now days, such time spent would be frowned on as
bad for education. However I think most of us at that
school went on to further education and were what I
would call successful people. In fact, when we got to
high school after all that program  practice, we found
out we were ahead of our classmates that went to a regular
school. In fact, we were able to get high school
work done and  take naps in study hall. Merry Chistmas.


Additional Comments:
This story was written by Ralph Rice a Davison High School Alumni who now owns 
and operates the Parma News in Parma, Mi.  It is a story of education in a 
more relaxed school environment in beautiful old one room school house called 
Cartwright.  Cartwright was located on the corner of Irish and Lippincott road 
in Davison.

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