Remembering School Days

During these final days of February, I am thinking about the one-room country school that I attended for eight years. February was a special month at our school. We celebrated Valentine’s Day with a party where the parents were invited. We exchanged Valentines with each other—a large decorated box, with a slit on the top—sat on the teacher’s desk from the beginning of the month until the 14th when it was opened and the cute, mostly, little cards were exchanged.

Our teacher also made sure we knew about Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, and George Washington’s birthday on February 22. How could we forget, for these two presidents stared down on us from either side of the blackboard every day?

Besides these special events, February was a short month. Only 28 days most years. Before we could really get used to the month, March came roaring in—usually like a lion, but not always.

I have recently completed an hour-long Television documentary titled: Jerry Apps: One Room School. It will air on all Wisconsin Public TV stations on March 6, 7:00 p.m. To see the premiere of the show, travel to Wild Rose where it will be shown on the big screen at the Wild Rose High School. The date is Wednesday, February 28, starting at 6:00 p.m. I will chat a bit at both of these events.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Take time to reflect on your earlier education, you may have learned more than you thought.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Wednesday, Feb 28, 6:00 p.m. Wild Rose H.S. Auditorium, Premier showing of Jerry’s
new Public TV documentary on One-Room Country Schools.

Tuesday, March 6, 7:00 p.m. First state-wide airing on all Wisconsin Public TV stations of my hour-long documentary on One-Room Country Schools.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDs and his Books from the Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835
The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:

Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows,) and Never Curse the Rain, Jerry’s newest DVD based on his book with the same title.

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest nonfiction books, Never Curse the Rain and Old Farm Country Cookbook, and his latest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. Also available are Wisconsin Agriculture: A History, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guidebook for those who want to write their own stories.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.



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