Caledonia School District No. 1 reunion

   The days of the one room schoolhouse may seem so long ago to the baby boomers, but in reality it was just over 50 years ago that many children in Caledonia were students at School District No. 1 on Black Street Road.

   Children attended school there from 1822 to 1946. On August 13, Bob and Sheila SinClair, who make the School District No. 1 building their home, will host a reunion of former students, teachers and their families. SinClair says it’s been 14 years since the last reunion, and realizes that this is probably be the last time students and teachers of School No. 1 will be able to gather together.

   Students who attended School No. 1 ranged from first through the eighth grade. Betty DeNoon, who substitute taught at the school for a short time and also taught in a Canandaigua one room schoolhouse, says the students learned much more than the three R’s in this setting.

   "The older students would finish their work first and then help the younger ones. They got so much more out of school by being together with children of all ages," DeNoon believes.

   Students of the one room schoolhouse learned discipline, there was no talking during class, and respect, the teacher was the authority figure in the room.

   DeNoon recalls a typical school day began around 9 a.m. At 10:30 the students would take a 15 minute recess and, weather permitting, they would go outside and play games. When they returned it was all-quiet while the teacher presented the lesson. At midday, the students would have a one-hour lunch break. Those who lived close by would walk home; the others would carry a lunch to school. The day would end between 3 and 4 p.m. Then the students would begin the sometimes-long walk home.