This valentine from my own souvenir box is signed by a classmate named “Roland.” I have some happy memories of Valentine days at the Dollard school in Southwest Saskatchewan. It was exciting for all children to go buy valentines, address them and bring them to the school party. But, now another memory emerges after seeing again the name “Roland.” He and I are in Grade 6. We are in a classroom that holds students from Grades 1 to Grade 7 — about 40 pupils. It is spring and we all have just returned to our desks after recess. Suddenly, our teacher calls us to attention. She shows us a partially destroyed crepe paper lantern — part of a Grade 4 social studies project — the grade that my sister is in. The teacher is demanding “Who broke this lantern?” No answer. Finally, she declares: “Okay, no one wants to talk well then you will all get your ears pulled!” Now, we were all frozen in silent fear! Then as the teacher marched down the aisles shaking and pulling our ears several times, the cries erupted and grew. I recall this very painful event clearly to this day. Through tears, I turn to look at Roland across the aisle, his eyes are filled with tears and he shows me his bleeding ear! After school, some of us talk and we suspect the guilty party was one girl in grade 3 — the only kid who was not seen outside at recess! My sister and I ran home to tell our parents. Perhaps, the school trustees got involved, for this teacher did not return the next fall. This grave injustice and others I suffered, or witnessed, or was told about, or read about to this day, across the world, in boarding schools, in private or public schools, homes and elsewhere made me a lifelong advocate against physical punishment, and an advocate of children’s rights — the protection from all abuse.
We are always seeking photos, event cards of the past such as Easter cards, Valentine’s Day cards, Halloween cards, New Year’s, etc.
Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722
[email protected]
.JPG;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
