Little Schools in the Parkland

“How can we give our children the education that we have deprived them of by settling in this barren land?”

This was a serious concern of the first Chauvin settlers and homesteaders even before they thought of incorporating a village. The question awakened the small population who turned out to a meeting in May, 1910, to discuss the possibility of forming a school. Joseph St. Pierre, E.E Hass and E. Webber, who acted as secretary, was the executive chosen.

The new school board held their first regular meeting on June 10, 1910, in the office of E. Webber, a machine agent and village councillor. A debenture was taken out for the sum of $1,807.50 at 6% interest to build a structure 25 ft. x 35 ft. x 15 ft. The school site was one acre on the NW ¼ of 7-43-1 W4th. The tender of Jas. St. Pierre Jr. to build the school at a cost of $600.00 was accepted.

During the time the school was being erected, Mrs. Patrick O’Brien taught seven children in her home. Among them were Edwin and Eva Hass, Phillip Sevigny, Antoinette, Malvina and Tom St. Pierre and Rita La Plante.

Patrick O’Brien’s brother was the first teacher of the new school at a monthly wage of $65.00. This “phenomenal” salary was hard to come by in those early years as it was not affluent times with the settlers, and residents and merchants were heavily taxed to pay back the loan and to operate the school. Only outdoor plumbing could be offered!

At first the secretary of the board changed every few months. In 1915, however, Tom Saul became secretary with a salary of $75.00 per year. His duties included assessing each business and residence, and then being responsible for collecting the taxes. He held this position for several years.

Some memorabilia includes:

1913—the installation of a Waterbury heating system, the first heaters that brought in cold air to circulate with the warm air, thus making a healthier environment and producing more heat. Tales were told of children sitting in school with frozen feet, in overshoes.

1915—The placement of a drinking fountain rather than the pail and dipper
— The school enrollment necessitated the building of a second school. Thos. La Plante built this at a cost of $670.00 and this structure later became the high school.

1917—Crowded conditions again existed and plans were made to build a four-room school in which the high school students from surrounding districts could be consolidated into one school. At this time it was announced that a separate Catholic school would open in the fall, so these plans for consolidation were tabled. Pat O’Brien was an instigator in the plans for a Catholic school. By this time there were quite a few French families in the Chauvin district, and a French priest, Father Huet, was here.

1918—Dr. Horace Greely Folkins served his first year on the school board. He continued to push for the consolidation of schools, a plan first instigated by Mr. Churchman, a Barr Colonist and early homesteader and railroader.

1919—High School was taught in Chauvin. The class was held in Dr. Folkins’ home for a short time until there was a room available at the school.

1920—The first edition of the A.T.A. magazine appeared—its purpose being to help teachers and parents keep up-to-date with the times in school affairs.
—Mrs. Tom Saul was elected as a trustee, thus having a vote in the affairs of our local educational system before women’s rights were established. History was in the making!!
—A public health nurse was hired cooperatively by all the surrounding districts. Small tombstones and grave markers in the old cemetery and on some homesteads attest to the number of child- ren who died in the flu, pox and scarlet fever epidemics in 1918, 1919, and successive years.
—a gramophone was purchased jointly with funds from the Women’s Institute and the school children, who gave the proceeds from a concert.
—the local board arranged a spelling match between Edgerton and Chauvin to be held in the I.O.O.F. Hall. Mr. D’Albertanson, local newspaper editor, paid the transportation for the Edgerton children. Sorry there is no record of the outcome of the match and who the successful contestants were.

1921— March, a lock was purchased for the “big gate.”
—The primary classroom was closed due to a scarlet fever and measles epidemic. A good scrubbing with formaldehyde provided the necessary fumigation.
—Chauvin School won a $6.00 Strathcona Trust prize for physical training. Ball equipment was purchased for the Primary room.
—A skating rink was constructed, flooded and “ready to go” in December. The Board talked about a tennis court.

1924—A 32 foot addition was built on the north side of the High School by George Goede, at a cost of $950.00. Miss Todd was the first teacher in this room.
—In the early school years teacher came and often stayed for only three months or less. Nervous breakdowns were not uncommon. Workload and working conditions were not considered in their contracts, and the Board was at liberty to hire and fire as they pleased.
—One teacher is remembered for wearing a different shoe on each foot on some days (could it have been troublesome corns, bunions, or chilblains?).

Prior to and for several years after the decade of the “thirties,” three teachers made up the staff of Chauvin School. The primary teacher taught Grades I – IV, the elementary teacher grades V to VIII and the high school teacher instructed Grades IX to XII. For several years the Grade eight students wrote Departmental examinations. Then during the thirties this formality changed and for the next thirty years at least, Grade Nine students were prepared to write Departmentals. The Governor-General’s Award was presented each year to the grade nine student who had the highest marks in the province. Chauvin can boast of several successful contenders.

With just one teacher for all the high school grades, a full matriculation program, providing each student with the required 35 credits a year, was an impossibility. Thus many of our students were forced to seek Grade Twelve elsewhere, and we had graduates from Camrose Lutheran College, Vermilion School of Agriculture and Victoria Composite High in Edmonton to name a few.

During the “thirties” school track meets came into existence, and competitive sports were held in May between schools in Edgerton, Chauvin and Paradise Valley. Each village school took a turn at hosting the competition. The “old bluff” on the north side of the sports ground provided shade and shelter for many athletes at the Chauvin meet. For several years a big attraction in the Chauvin school grounds was the Ferris wheel built by a Mr. Stebbins.

Outdoor basketball standards had been erected in most schools, and Chauvin had highly competitive teams. The girls challenged J. Percy Page’s famous Grads one year—they went down in defeat but by a fairly close score.

Gerald Berry, who later held an office in the Department of Education, was principal of Chauvin school during the late “thirties.” His coaching led the high school boys to capturing the coveted cup in a basketball match with Edgerton. Also, under his training, Douglas Perry competed in the Provincial Track Meet held in Calgary in 1938 and won the grand aggregate award (an engraved silver cup), for his class.

In the early 1930’s schools in Wainwright Inspectorate were eligible to compete in the Musical Festivals held each year in Wainwright. Chauvin School, under the principalship of G.P. Smith, and the musical training of several local highly qualified ladies, brought home many medals and shields for first place winners. One year, Mr. Perrin Baker, Minister of Education, presented the coveted awards to the successful competitors.

1942—Sigurd A. Sorenson, B. Ed., Principal of Chauvin School from Sept., 1942 – June, 1947, published the first Year Book with his class, and started the first Home and School Association meetings. He stressed “the need of combined effort and resources of the whole community to build an adequate school plant where more efficient instruction could be given —provision for new facilities providing instruction in Home Economics, Shop, and an auditorium for drama and athletic events.”

The Chauvin School District joined the Wainwright School Division No. 32 in 1948, and work commenced on the new Dr. Folkins School. Bussing began the same year when Roros and Edinglassie students were driven to Chauvin by Bill Spence.

Sig’s hopes and dreams materialized with the opening of Dr. Folkins School in 1949 — a modern school equipped for instruction from Grade I to XII. Gradually, all the schools in the Chauvin area were closed. Northern Crown School was moved to town and served as a “Shop” room and then a storage space for several years. (It is now one of the buildings in Roger Folkins’ barn yard). The Butzeville School was moved to Chauvin in 1955 and converted into a roomy teacherage.

With the influx of students and increase in enrollment, classrooms bulged at the seams. Forty to forty-five pupils were squeezed into some classrooms, so an additional two rooms were added in 1958. The staff increased from a teacher for two grades to a teacher per grade with three instructors in the High School. A full matriculation program was offered. When more classrooms were needed, the new Ribstone School was moved to Chauvin in 1962.

In 1967, St. Aubin Roman Catholic School was closed to instruction. Arrangement was made for Chauvin primary grades to use the facilities at St. Aubin, and Sister Madeline Louzon, the last member of the “Sisters” teaching staff, was added to the Dr. Folkins staff.

In 1970, to further improve facilities, a gymnasium, Home Economics room, and Grade 5 classroom with connecting hallways were constructed to unite the Ribstone and Dr. Folkins schools into a squared U-shaped plant.

One June 1, 1978, the original Dr. Folkins school burned to the ground, and students were housed in temporary quarters for two years. A “Save Our School” committee and our local trustee were able, after a bitter struggle, to convince the Wainwright School Board that it was more profitable (and community wise) to keep our high school here, rather than bus the students elsewhere. Two years later in September, 1980, students from Grade I to XII went back to a beautiful renovated school. Richard Perry, now principal, is the third generation in his family to teach in Chauvin School.

Local ladies and graduates of Chauvin high, who have taught in their home school are: Flora Perry, Florence Farbridge, Phyllis Worrall, Florence Dewar, Stella Spence Taylor, Irene Cargill, Grace Burton, Laura Gray, Claire Folkins, Eleanor Perry, Emmy Nysetvold, Ines White, Hazel Dallyn, Gretchen Wright, Betty Lou Pitman, Berenice Moncrieff, Mildred Reinhart, Darleene Skinner, and Neil Nysetvold. More recently local teachers include Heather Seim, Brenda Chapman, Rae Beatty, Anita Roy, Tarla Watson, and Carol Benoit.

Always working towards improved facilities, maintenance and improvement of instruction have been our local trustees: Dr. H.G. Folkins, Cecil Gordon, Lucy Paradis, Howard White, Jack Worrall and presently Mary Simard.

The history of the school must indeed include mention of the young men and women who leave the hallowed halls to fill the places in the professions. Some have carried Chauvin’s name to distant places —to oil fields in Arabia, to NATO forces in Germany, to fisheries and meat packing plants in the maritime provinces, to the air space centre in California and the field of atomics.

Consider those at home who have added to the district’s character, fibre and vitality — teachers, doctors, nurses, dentists, musicians, lawyer and judge, secretaries, clergyman and Lab technicians who have graduated from our school. Sonja (Spence) Taylor, School Secretary at Dr. Folkins, is currently working on her 21st year of proficient service.

One technologist, who was successful in isolating a very rare Salmonella bacteria, saved the life of a small boy with acute symptoms of the disease. Did she expect fanfare, honourable mention or a medal? CERTAINLY NOT. She was playing a daily role in the ongoing field of research.

Certainly Chauvin’s young men and women who joined the forces in World conflicts are ample evidence of the quality of calibre of our youth.

They left their jobs, their school, their youthful plans,
To give their strife
There may emerge a brotherhood of man.”

Some displays of courage and bravery in action is something that will never be fully comprehended, and adequately recorded. Many of our local students and graduates did not return. To them we bow in a minute of silence, and wear a poppy, remembering that they sacrificed a life for our free way of living.

Let’s not forget our young farmers who are trained, skilled and excellent custodians of Chauvin’s richest natural resources — the soil and the oil fields. Together with the improvement and introduction of new breeds of cattle, this is a rich, diversified farming area.

1993— Dr. Folkins’ present enrollment is 196, including beginners in Kindergarten to the graduating class of Grade XII. Children from country districts are conveyed to and from school by 5 buses.

Such is the story the winds of change have unfolded in a century! New challenges, scientific advancement at an alarming pace, and new fields of endeavour confront the learners of today. Chauvin’s students, I’m sure, instructed by subject specialists will meet the hurdles in our educational system, and add new interesting accomplishments to our legend of progress.

Chauvin School District No. 2196
Submitted by Mrs. Eleanor Perry

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