Page 47 - 1953

CREEMORE HIGH SCHOOL
In I845 Creemore was incorporated as a village with a population of about 700. Two years later the first public school was established.
A four room brick school was built in I88I. About I9I2, lot IO between conce&sions 4 and 6 was added to the Creemore school section. The debentures sold for this school were valued at $3,II7.50. Under the expenditures for this school such items are mentioned as a tin cup, stove pipe nook, deed of school site and a horse hire to Stayner.
It was in this school that the fifth classes were taught, the equivalent of the present day grades 9 and IO. The subjects taught in Ontario in I896 were reading, composition and grammer, English, poetical literature, history, geogra- phy, arithmetic and elementary mensuration, algebra, euclid, physiology and tem- perance. Art and commercial courses were also available. The history text book cost 50 cents then.
These classes were taught by the public school teacher. In a memorandum sent out by the Department of Education in I907, one gets the impression fifth book classes received recognition only if they were doing well. The memorandum laid down regulations concerning their attendance. No grant was to be paid for a continuation class unless the inspector reported that the obligatory subjects had received proper attention. Pupils might be promoted to the fifth form with- out passing fourth class departmental examinations if they were considered fit for the work; and fifth form classes were to receive due attention.
In the minutes of the school board matters such as these were discussed. In I890 the health officer that the privies be moved farther away from the school. A new picket fence and the interior of the school were painted in I892 and ten- ders were received for a new well and pump. A sidewalk was built and it still remains. A tight board fence was erected in I894 along the south boundary of the school. However, it was too low for the flying baseballs, and later a high- er one was constructed with barbed wire on the top. Throughout the school board expenditures bills for window glass are frequently listed.
In I916 a committee was appointed to interview a Collingwood architect on building a new school or an addition to the old one. A search was then started to find accommodation for the crowded classes. It wasn't until I9I7 that the building was actually started. The contractor was Joe Akitt of Creemore.
The pupils of I9I7-18 were given an extra week of holidays at Christmas,as the school was not ready for use. A formal opening was held in the middle of January. As Isaac Day, inspector of public schools in South Simcoe then,was the first principal of the old school, he was asked to officiate at the opening of the new school.
Listed in the equipment bought for the new school were desks for $275.25, maps $IO.OO, books $7.98, chemicals $5.15, apparatus $I4.00. The entire cost of the school was $I9,5001 which is entirely paid for now. The first teacher's salary was approximately ¥700 per annum.
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