1917 Lacey Green School

This report is listed in Social Snapshots 1900-1968 inc. Report taken from the head teacher's logbook

Edited excepts from the book "A Chiltern Village School" by Joan West

Weather

January 9^th. Very heavy snowstorm.   Snow storms and almost impassable roads.

January 22^nd. Roads almost impassable, being very slippery.   Scholars from Loosley Row could not safely come owing to the state of the roads which are like glass.  

January 24^th. Weather still unusually severe.   Roads very slippery.  

January 25^th. Pump frozen.   Very cold: thermometer very low.  

January 26^th. Thermometer registers 32 degrees at 8-30, a good fire at the time, 37 degrees at 10-5 and 40 degrees at 3pm.   Playground slippery.   Weather increased in severity.  

January 29^th.    No coal, fires very small.   Thermometer 38 degrees at close.  

February 2^nd. Still very cold.   Ink frozen in inkwells.  

February 5^th. Ink frozen this morning.   Thermometer 38 degrees at close.  

February 6^th.   Thermometer 40 degrees at 8-30.   Fires lighted early and sun shining.   Snow still lying on ground.   Schoolroom very cold.  

February 19^th. A very wet day.  

March 5^th. Heavy snowstorm.   Children drilled today instead of going out to play.  

March 22^nd. Snow, weather severe.  

March 27^th. Snow falling occasionally during the day.  

April 2^nd. Heavy snow storm during the night made the roads almost impassable.   Only 14 present out of 82 on the books.  

April 24th. Weather fine.    

May 17^th. Thunderstorm and heavy shower at the opening of morning session.  

June 7^th. Very warm. Children seemed idle.  

June 9^th. Very heavy showers, only 36 present.  

July 18^th. Heavy showers all day.   I kept back those who were going a long distance till it was over.  

July 30^th. Very stormy day.  

July 31^st. Rained heavily throughout the day.  

August 1^st. Rained heavily all day.  

August 2^nd. Bad weather.   

August 9^th. Thunderstorm and very heavy showers.  

September 18^th. Raining all night so impossible to go blackberry picking.  

September 19^th. Raining heavily all day.    No blackberry picking possible in any way.  

October 4^th. Very stormy day.  

October 8^th. Very wet.  

October 16^th. Very wet day.  

October 17^th. Rained heavily all day.  

October 25^th. Very high wind.    

December 17^th. Weather intensely severe.   

December 20^th Weather very severe.   Thermometer 38 degrees at 10-15.    Snow on the ground and thick fog prevailing the greater part of the day.  

December 21^st. Closed at midday owing to the severity of the weather.    

ILLNESS  (Bronchitis, Severe colds, Coughs, Influenza, Pneumonia, Pleurisy, Measles.)

January 15^th. Head mistress absent with bronchitis.  February 19^th. Children away with severe colds.   Many present coughing most of the day.   April 19^th. Nurse examined heads for nits.   May Parslow the only one found to be verminous.   May 17^th. Sidney Weller had a very bad eye.  Bathed it frequently in hot water this after.   May 22^nd. Sophia Oakford has measles.   September 17^th Nurse visited and found many verminous children

DISTRACTIONS

Some children have to get medicines from Princes Risborough for the parents.   May 1^st. Many children absent carrying garlands, being May Day.   May 3^rd. There has been irregular attendance owing to employment of boys in agricultural labour.   May 4^th. Several children off to Wycombe Market.   May 14^th School closed in the afternoon for the Primitive Methodist Sunday School annual treat.   May 24^th. Reopened after Whitson, but attendance bad.   A tea party at the Baptist Chapel yesterday made the children very late in bed, consequently not up in time for morning school.  September 19^th.  Poor attendance.   Children employed in harvest, potato picking and fruit gathering.   September 24^th. Afternoon given for blackberry gathering.  Children worked well but fruit was not plentiful.   September 25^th. Afternoon given for blackberry gathering.   All scholars in charge of teachers went up the Pink and Lily Road.   Sent 14.3/4 lbs. of blackberries to centre organisers.

Extra-Curricula

January 23^rd. Boys went to the garden to gather sprouts which were sold at 2d per bottle.  

February 7^th. Ten toy chairs and a table made by the boys in woodwork class sold to Connie Gomme for halfpenny.  

March 1^st. Went to the garden today.   Sowed onion seed on the plots that are ready.  

May 1^st. Went to the garden both morning and afternoon.  

May 3^rd. Almost completed setting seeds in the garden.  The boys have worked well.  

May 8^th. Went to the gardens both morning and afternoon to complete the number of hours required before the end of the month.  

May 24^th. Empire Day.  Children paraded the village with flags and sang patriotic songs en route.   A collection was made for the “Over Seas Club”.   Almost every scholar bringing pence.  

June 11^th. C.G.Watkins addressed the children, advising them to keep early hours so as to grow up healthy and useful citizens.   Girls went to Princes Risborough for cookery classes.  

September 27^th. Boys went to gardens this afternoon while girls went to cookery classes.  

October 1^st. Took the children blackberrying this afternoon.   Gathered 43.1/2 pounds.  

October 2^nd. Blackberrying this afternoon.   Gathered in two days 119.1/4 pounds.  

October 10^th. Blackberrying this morning.   Have gathered 89 pounds in the last two days.

Requisites.

January 29^th. Sent again to Mr East for coal.  

January 30^th. Still no coal.   Children sent home.  

January 31^st. Coals arrived.   School reopened.  

February 20^th. 1 bucket, 1 hand brush, 3 doormats, 1 shovel.  

February 23^rd. E.C. Streatfield visited and gave two shillings to buy a screwdriver for the use of the school.  

March 5^th. Ordered more coal.  

December 19^th. Mr. East writes he is unable to deliver coal ordered owing to slippery roads and cannot get his horses rough shod.   Wrote to Mr Saunders at Stocking Farm, asking for a loan of a barrow-load till the coals arrive, which he has kindly granted.   Sent Harry Floyd and Frank Brooks to fetch it.  

December 21^st. Four sanitary buckets arrived.

Notes.

January 16^th. Fred Brown ran away from school this morning because a pistol was taken from him with which he was playing.   Some of the elder boys captured him and brought him back to school.  

February 21^st. Forbade the boys to play football in the road.   Discovered a pipe is broken in the boys’ lavatory and a basin cracked.

March 19^th. Miss Janes has been granted a rise in salary.   Her annual rate of wages is now £12.   Prior to this it has been £9 for nearly 18 years.  

April 17^th. Notified the vicar that the piping round the roof of the boys’ lavatory blew off during the recent gale.  

July 9^th. London Institute for the Advancement of Plain Needlework, report of Bertha Anderson, result 1^st class.

September 27th. Mr R. Gomme came to examine pumps as no water could be obtaind from either.  Frank Hawes and Frank Brooks cleared the leaves out of the pipes round the building.   Mr. Gomme looked at the tank and found the water very low.   His report was that the cistern leaked or water had not been running in, owing to the spouting being choked.   Sent vegetables to the sanatorium.   Value 1 shilling and 7.1/2d (8p).   October 5th. Mr. Hutchins, assistant education secretary, examined the cookery and the gardening registers.   He gave some excellent advice to the children as to the necessity of regularity and need of education.  

October 23^rd. A collection was made for “Trafalgar Day”.  

December 15^th. Sent amount realised by sale of the garden produce, £5 – 1s – 6d. to Education Office.  

December 17^th. The classroom was seized by the military, who are guarding an aeroplane that descended in the field adjoining the school on Sunday. Afternoon during a blinding snowstorm.   Infants taught with the elder scholars today.  

December 18^th. Infants’ room still occupied by the military who are guarding the aeroplane.   Infants taught in the main room, which is causing no inconvenience as the numbers are smaller owing to the severity of the weather.  

December 19^th. Military vacated the infants’ room.  Aeroplane removed at 8pm last night.