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Help! What do we need to get started?  CLICK ON THE COLLAGE ABOVE FOR THE STARTER KIT LIST Recently, I was contacted by two New England towns who are restoring their schoolhouses and would like to open them eventually for young visitors, 3rd or 4th grades. Their dilemma was finding out what artifacts and materials they would need to stage a schoolhouse for atmosphere and what lessons would be taught during chosen time periods. Having visited hundreds of schoolhouses during CSAA conferences, personal searches, and surprise encounters along the road, the list of possibilities got mighty long. We enthusiasts have seen beautifully preserved collections that probably took years to amass. Many of these restored and staged country schools turn us green with envy or send us out on a mission of self-improvement in our own schools. The artifacts like slates, original school desks, teacher bells, period toys, and pencil boxes, etc. are becoming more scarce as the new preservationists join the search. It also depends on what era you intend to re-live during the years your schoolhouse was open. Fortunately, both preservationists I spoke with were restoring schools from the 1840's and I had been collecting for many years 1800's appropriate items. Sometimes I have to settle and "get as close as I can," to what is authentic or time sensitive, not always with success. To help out initially, I drew up a list of antiques, reproductions, or sources that could get them up and running toward programming, and shared with them a simple two-hour lesson plan. (NOTE: I'd also like to collect your daily schedules for a special sharing resources page on the CSAA website.) These are the times that CSAA can help the most. New schoolmarms/masters think we're all geniuses at the CSAA and that we have all the answers. Not all, but we have a LOT of them! Collectively, we have endless ideas that we could share with those adrift in their programming. In The Report Card editions ahead, I will post programming ideas from the 2021 Virtual CSAA Conference (virtual because of COVID). Our presenters created video slide shows of their schools, many of which have descriptions of their programs. We thank them in advance! For this post, I will share a list of items I suggested to my two new friends to help them on their way to staging their 1840's schoolhouses with affordable and useful supplies. STARTER KIT LIST: CLICK ON THE PICTURE COLLAGE AT THE TOP OF THIS POST! Your suggestions would be MOST WELCOME to add to this list especially if your school post-dates the 1840's. (Big Chief tablets, dictionaries, pencil sharpeners, flash cards, crayons, water color paints, paste jars, etc.). Make your own list and submit it here! s[email protected] The Report Card welcomes your input and we're always looking for interesting articles, by YOU.... Thank you, Susan Fineman
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