Tying in perfectly to history standards they are focused on this month, Ms. Starchman's third and fourth graders were treated to Ms. Caroline Wenger Korn speaking with them about what life was like in Catheys Valley when she was a young girl, including schooling at the Old School House, followed by a field trip later in the week to Catheys Valley Park, current home of the Old School House and other items of historical significance.
Ms. Korn started the field trip in Catheys Valley Park by explaining the mural on McCay Hall. The mural was painted by former Catheys Valley Elementary students and depicts items of historical significance in Catheys Valley.
Ms. Korn then brought students to the monument that explains the story of the Catheys family and the history of Catheys Valley.

Students then visited the Blacksmith Shop. Ms. Korn explained how a historical society from a neighboring county was so impressed with the efforts to save the Old School House, that they said if the group could find an appropriate spot to house blacksmith tools the group had in storage, the Catheys Valley Historical Society could have them for free. So the Catheys Valley Historical Society enlisted many volunteers to design and build the blacksmith shop.
Students took turns cranking the bellows and feeling air come out the other side.

Ms. Korn then led the students in activities as they were done around 1879. Boys and girls stood in separate lines. In the early days, at the start of the pledge, people would start by pointing to the flag and then putting their hand over their hearts. The pointing stopped after the rise of Hitler. Also, girls could wear hats during the pledge and inside the classroom. Boys could not.
Students recited the pledge as it was recited in olden days.
Ms, Korn led students through many activities as they were performed long ago, including reading books together and practicing penmanship on chalk boards.
When it was time for snack, students had a great time washing their hands and pumping the well pump.
Ms. Korn taught the students some new playground games, including one with similarities to freeze tag and capture the flag (no flag), with boys on one side and girls on the other.
Back inside, Ms. Korn showed students how to work the ink bottles and quill pens.

Ms. Starchman, her third and fourth graders, Ms. Korn, aides, and volunteers all had a wonderful time on this historic visit to Catheys Valley Park.
Here they all are on the steps of the Old School House in Catheys Valley Park.

Sierra Foothill Charter School is a free, non-profit, K-8 public school.  For more information, contact the office at 209-742-6222 or visit SFCS’s website: sierrafoothillcharterschool.org. To stay up to date on all the latest happenings, “like” SFCS on Facebook.