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Little Red Schoolhouse
2009
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Through the dedication of Sharon Zankel, our local town historian, and the Brunswick
Historical Society we have a wonderful local history project that
now spans several years. Volunteers provide the programming and
students in grades kindergarten through the fifth grade have the
opportunity to learn about their local history in two historic schoolhouses that reside within the Town of Brunswick:
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The Garfield School (now the home to the
Brunswick Historical Society) |
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District School No. 6, The Little Red Schoolhouse,
which is almost within site of our school campus and is owned by
Brunswick CSD. |
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 In
2008 local community members, the school community and the New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation worked together to have our
Little Red Schoolhouse placed upon the New York State Historic Register
and the National Register of Historic Places.
To honor this
occasion, Mrs. Motzer's fourth grade class worked in 2008-09 with the town historian,
local volunteers, their teacher and the Service Learning Coordinator,
Suzanne Myers,
to create a celebration. The students researched by visiting the
schoolhouse, interviewing local resident Clarence Newton who had attended the schoolhouse
as a child,
meeting with the town historian and by examining old letters, maps
and other documents. |
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The students created original artwork that was used for
the invitations and for the programs. Most remarkably, they worked
with the school's music teacher to write a song that wove all that
history together to commemorate the day. |
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On June 12, 2009 local officials, members of the historic archive
community, school officials and other invited guests joined the
students in the schoolhouse. Students led the group in reciting the
"Pledge of Allegiance" and
singing "My Country Tis of Thee." They displayed a very special 48
star flag, the type that would have flown over the schoolhouse in
the last years it was open as a working school. Today's students read
letters from students who had attended our little school long ago. The Town of
Brunswick declared a resolution honoring the occasion.
Mrs. Motzer's students shared
their own personal reflections about working on this important
project. When they sang their original song the audience was clearly
moved. A lilac bush was planted to commemorate the occasion,
and all were invited to add some mulch to help this new plant grow. |
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