Interview with Mrs.Yvonne J. Cypress
June 7, 2003
Interviewed by Otelia Crawley-Hendrick
Mrs. Cypress and her four sisters and brothers all attended Carrollton School. She has been a lifelong resident of the area.
Q: Mrs. Johnson, thank you for agreeing to reminisce with us about your elementary school days. If you start by telling me your name and your parent's names and what part of Isle of Wight did you grow up in?
A: My name is Yvonne Johnson Cypress and my parents were Reverend and Mrs. Katie Johnson from Carrollton. I grew up in Isle of Wight County in Carrollton.
Q: Tell me about your sisters and brothers, how many do you have and their names.
A: Okay. I have, there were five of us. I have one sister, her name is Loretta Johnson Butts and I have three brothers, Alcatrous Johnson, Nathaniel Johnson and Leonard Johnson.
Q: What school did they attend?
A: They all attended Carrollton Elementary School except Leonard, I think, I'm not sure. Yeah, I think he attended Carrollton also, all of us did.
Q: What school did you attend?
A: Ah, I attended Carrollton Elementary School, also.
Q: Tell me about what grades were taught there and how many classrooms were there?
A: Okay. They had the grades from the first grade to the sixth grade and we had two classrooms. The first, second, and third grades were taught in one room and then the fourth, fifth, and sixth was taught in the other room. They were adjoining rooms.
Q: Now what about the teachers?
A: Okay. We had two teachers. The teacher for the first, second, and third was Miss Clarice White. The teacher for the fourth, fifth, and sixth was Miss Lucy Blount. Both of them from Smithfield.
Q: Did you attend Carrollton Elementary School for your entire time? Did you go from grades one through six?
A: Yes, I attended from grades one through sixth at Carrollton Elementary and then moved on. I started in the school around 1951.
Q: Do you know anything about the history of Carrollton Elementary School?
A: Okay. I know that, I don't know the year that it was built or anything like that but I know it started and we had a janitor. A person that would come in and open the school for us and that sort of thing. We didn't have all the luxuries that some of the schools might have had. All I can say is it was warm and it was nice. When I say warm I mean with love and everything but there wasn’t a lot of the luxuries, like indoor plumbing. We didn't have any of that. We didn't have indoor water, we didn't have no cafeteria, we had to purchase our lunch, bring it from home, or if you were going to buy lunch you could go down to the store, which was a about not even a half a mile down the road. The name of the store was Martin's Store. We could buy our lunch there. That's where the teachers would get their lunch.
Q: Why don't you go ahead and tell me, what did ya'll have if you didn't have the indoor plumbing?
A: We had restrooms on the outside and you had to go to the outdoor toilet. And, the water, we had a pump that was in the front of the school and that's where we got our water from and we didn't have a furnace or anything like we have now. We had coal stoves and wood stoves. As a matter of fact, there were some of the jobs we had that do you know if the janitor came in she started the fire for us. She's deceased now, but that lady’s name was Ida Bailey. That's the janitor that I can remember the most. She would come in and she would get the fire started in both the rooms for us and then it was up to us to keep it going for the day. She went back home. That was some of the jobs and things that we had to do, get wood or go get some coal and put it in the stove, you know. Especially, I mean, there was no discrimination whether the boys had to do it. Whoever was available did it. Some of the other jobs we had to do was to keep the room clean--sweeping and all this sort of thing. Another one of our jobs, everybody wanted this job, that was to go to the store to get the lunch for the Principal. You had two people that would go and get lunch and you could buy a hot dog from this store and that was really good. But, when you went to pick up the lunch if you got a chance to go and get the lunch Mrs. Blount and Miss White would always give you .25 cents or .50 cents and that was a lot of money during those days. You got a chance to go to the store plus you got a quarter. You could buy a whole lot, you could buy a Baby Ruth and you could buy a Pepsi and still have some change. That was the way it was, it was really nice. In doing that that was just one of the jobs, one of the jobs we had to do.
Q: Okay. So why two students?
A: Okay. We had one from each room. So if you had one from Mrs. Blount's room and one from Miss White's room and then we would walk together. We didn't have transportation or anything. I guess it was a safety thing, too, because both of us were just walking and it wasn't that long. It would take you about five or ten minutes to go down to the store and come back.
Q: Was Carrollton Elementary School privately owned or was it County owned?
A: It was County owned.
Q: How did you get to school?
A: We walked. I think from what I can understand what my mind can go back to. You know I'm not as young as I use to be, but when I think about it, maybe around the first, second, or third grade, maybe we were walking. I think about time I got to fourth grade I think maybe they started giving us a bus to provide transportation for us. That covered a lot of area. That covered all the kids past the school, past Carrollton like going down towards Portsmouth that way down 17. I remember the Cannons, we went down and we picked them up also. A lot of times when we walked in those lower grades the other children of the other race were riding the bus and I can remember them throwing paper out at us as were going back up the road. They were throwing paper out the window at us as we were walking so I can remember that.
Q: So approximately how many miles, one-way, did you walk?
A: Okay. Approximately from my house, cause I lived right straight up from the school, I guess ah, I give it about a good two or three miles one-way, I think. I'm not sure. Round trip I guess it was about five you walked in a days time but I'm sure it looked about at least two or three miles. I don't think its five miles because we lived right in Carrollton and ah from our house to Smithfield was five miles so it is approximate.
Q: Did you have any special chores to do at your home in the morning before you went to school? Did you have anything you were responsible for doing once you went back home?
A: Okay. As a child growing up during that time it wasn't popular, well we didn't have indoor plumbing either even in my home at this time. We had outdoor plumbing so at night my mom would have a little pot for us to go on. It was my job and some of my brothers, and sisters’ jobs to take that pot out in the morning before we left. We were not allowed to leave that pot in the house; we had to carry it out. Before going to school we had to make our bed up and get some cereal cause my mom was working at the time. She was at home at first then she started working so by time we were in school that meant that we had to make our beds and things like that. In the evening when we got back home we had to, we didn't have a furnace or that type heat. We had a woodstove so it was our job, when we got back home; to help get the coal in and help get the wood in and there were clothes we put on the line. My job or my brother's job was to help get those clothes in. Or, if it was time to wash clothes it was our job to help get those clothes washed and put on the line and things like this. It just wasn't easy, you know. Young people now they just have it really easy. During that time it wasn't easy for us.
Q: So what time did you have to do your homework or schoolwork?
A: Well, once we finished doing all those chores and once dinner was on the table and we ate and then you had the opportunity to sit down by the woodstove and do your homework in the dining room most of the time with the other brothers and sisters.
Q: Tell me about a typical school day, start from the beginning, run through the subjects, how the teacher went about teaching you and the textbooks.
A: Ok ay. A typical day started at 9:00. We went in and had devotions. The devotions consisted of having a song and ah, “Trust and obey” was one of the songs that I can remember. “ My Faith Looks Up to Thee” 'these were the kind of songs that we sing during devotion then you had to say a memory verse or Bible verse or something like that and then we started our day, this is how we started our day with a pledge to the flag and a prayer. This is why we didn't have all the fighting and fussing cause we started our day with a prayer and with a song which came from the Bible and ah so we're having that and went on to the lessons and it was so good. Since they had three grades in one classroom most of the time the teacher started all the first grade, moved to the second grade then to the third grade and ah most people said "what were the other grades doing while she was working with those grades"? Well, most the time she gave an overall assignment--gave somebody some work to do until she could get to that grade. We had like six rows and maybe two of them would be first grade, two rows would be second grade, two rows would be third grade. That's how she worked with them. That's the way the day went on until lunchtime. After lunchtime we were taught the basic classes like reading, writing, arithmetic and we did have some social studies. We did have some social studies in there ‘cause I remember they were talking about black history week. We would learn about George Washington Carver and all these black people like this and at the end of the day we would have our closing. I can so vividly remember a song we would sing "If I have wounded any soul today, if I have caused one to go astray, Dear Lord forgive." I can remember singing that song so vividly with Mrs. Blount. And you knew when you heard that song being sung it was almost time for the end of the day. Then we would go out and wait for the bus out in front of the school and the bus would come and take you home.
Q: Was there any specific textbook?
A: During that time, far as I know we used the Ginn series for textbooks. We had that in math, the reading, everything came from there, English and whatever else, that's the series they used.
Q: Anything specific that comes to your thought and mind about your reader textbook?
A: Okay. Well during that time that's how they taught reading by "rote" reading. We call it now "Dick and Jane", Jane went to the store and you had to use words Dick, Jane, Sally. We call it now sight words and ah we used those words. Miss White gave us those words and that's how we started reading. We said, "Dick went to the store and Jane went to the store, run Dick, run" and you continued to read and that's how we learned to read.
Q: Were these new textbooks, used textbooks and where were they kept? Did you get to take them home?
A: Yeah, we got to take them home and as far as I know they were used, now who had used them before I don't know but they were used books and we got them and I guess we were just glad to have some books and that's just the way it turned out.
Q: Now what about your school day? You mentioned that it started at 9 o'clock in the morning. Now how long did it last?
A: I think it lasted ‘til about 3 o'clock. We went to 3 o'clock then we were out.
Q: And what about the school year, did ya'll go twelve months a year?
A: No the school year started in September and went to May or first of June. I remember June 4th we were out for the summer. The summers seemed so long then but now they seem so short. But it really seemed you were out for a long time then when school re-opened you were back in school.
Q: How long a lunch break did ya'll have?
A: I think we had, as far as I know, an hour or half an hour. I can't remember what it was.
Q: Where did ya'll eat lunch?
A: We ate right at our desk right at our desk. We had an opportunity, if it was a nice day to go out maybe we would go outside but most times you ate right at your desk then you'd go outside. Maybe later on, once lunch was finished we got a break to go outside that's when we went out and played ball. I'm sure the teachers went out. We made our own games up and we played hopscotch, played a lot of hopscotch outside and everybody had their own little rock or piece of glass or what and you just played like that.
Q: So in other words, that break was called recess so how many recess periods did you have per day?
A: I can only remember one I don't remember us going out. Maybe later on in the afternoon maybe at the end of the day, we got out at 3:00 and sometimes we might get a little break then to go out, you know. If you walked home they'd dismiss you and you'd walk up the road or down the road or whatever. We didn't fight cause most the time you had close neighbors, neighbors that lived close to each other and everybody just walked home together and you went home and you didn't get in any trouble. If you did anything your parents would know it by time you got home cause most of them was there.
Q: Who started the morning worship service?
A: From what I can remember most the time the teacher assigned who they wanted to do it. And, what you would do is they'd say we have Yvonne to lead us into the prayers this morning or we have someone to say a prayer or someone to lead in memory verses. Then if somebody could really sing they would have you lead the song, that's the kind of jobs and duties they would give you.
Q: Tell me a little about the school classroom; describe to me how it looked.
A: Okay. Well, the first, second and third grade, I don't know why it was like this, seemed like they were facing down the road and the third, forth and fifth was facing not towards the road but away from the road because the blackboard, I think it was because of where the blackboard was. The blackboard was facing the woods like and that's the way our seats were. There were windows in the front so we couldn't put the blackboard there and ah with Mrs. White's class I think the blackboard was facing going down the road because that’s where the blackboard was. That’s how they put the chairs.
Q: Did your teacher have anything on the walls?
A: Decorations? Yeah, most the time it was decorations the children did. Pictures they made or things that they drew or stuff like that. It wasn't a lot of bought things it was a lot of things, cause I guess during the time nobody had a lot of money, even the teachers. They didn't have a lot of money to go out and buy a lot of things with. So what they did was a lot of handwork and this sort of thing.
Q: How was the teacher able to keep grades one, two, and three from going into grades four, five, and six?
A: Okay. Well, in this particular school they had something known as a divider. This divider moved. It was like an accordion door. I can remember we had a little graduation or program and that worked out fine. Everybody would go and they would practice and practice and you would get ready for this program. They would have you perform in one room and then they had the audience to sit in the other room. We made a little stage like and you would perform whatever you had learned for the school closing activity we use to call it.
Q: Did anyone take pictures?
A: I am trying to remember, some people probably took pictures but I guess that wasn't one of the things people really did in those times. I am sure somebody probably took some pictures but they were just so proud of us to know we had learned something and most times this is what you did to show what you had learned during the year.
Q: Tell me about the students’ desks and the teacher’s desk. What did they look like?
A: Okay. Well, the student’s desk, which was really cute, you see them now, it was a desk and it was closed in and you put all your books in there, but in the front of your seat was a seat so your, the front of your desk was a seat for somebody else. Somebody else sat in it, it folded down and then they sat there and the back part of it was your desk and this is the way it all went just like this. It was enough space, it was enough for you to talk and turn your head around and enough to get in trouble. I know I got in trouble a lot for talking, I don't know why but I got in trouble a lot for talking. Miss White told my mother if you can keep Yvonne from talking maybe we can get something done.
Q: Was there anything outstanding about your teacher's desk? Was it large or small?
A: Yeah, she had it set up, since there was fourth, fifth, and sixth grade she had it like set right in the middle. She could see what was going on both sides. We had the woodstove on one side and then something known as a cloakroom. You put your coats in the cloakroom and stuff like this. It was a little nail and you kept all the stuff in the cloakroom. You also kept wood and coal in the cloakroom also in a box so that was when it was cold you didn't have to go all the way outside to get the coal. Every so often you wanted it to be your job, to get away from work, to go ahead and clean up the cloakroom. You get the broom and fix it up really nice and this was actually a room that you went in. We kept any extra stuff, supplies or books or anything like that in this room.
Q: You had a blackboard back then?
A: Yes, we just used that for writing. We didn't do a lot of writing in our seats. We had to go to the board. In other words when it was time for you to do a math problem you went to that board.
Q: What about taking tests? Did the teacher write the test on paper or where did she write them?
A: Most the time she did it on the board and we had to write the questions down and write the answers and she would tell you "get out two pieces of paper". You were supposed to use one to cover your work that was the means to cover your work you know. Cause like I said the desks were so close together.
Q: Were there any kind of teaching aides on the wall?
A: The only thing I can remember is ABC's and I remember numbers. Like I was saying about the black history ah, ah, I can remember seeing Mrs. Blount putting pictures around the wall, there were certain pictures they put around the wall during black history time.
Q: What did you use for light?
A: They had regular lighting in the school Regular light as far as I can remember. Electricity, yeah, we didn't have any lamplights or anything like that. Electricity had come into play by the time I got into school.
Q: Tell me about the window.
A: Yeah well, evidently I don't know, well nobody had air conditioning and they had these huge windows and they would just push them up and this is how we got our air. That's the only means of air conditioning that we could get but it was cool. By the time it really got hot we was out of school. They had a window in the cloakroom so we would get a cross-breeze sometimes. We would open that cloakroom window and the breeze would come through like that.
Q: What sort of discipline or punishment was used?
A: Well um, by the time you got to the fourth grade Miss White had already broken you in and then in first, second, or third because I can remember her now. She would take that ruler and she would beat your knuckles or you could open your hand and that's all they did. You didn't want that cause that hurt, that really hurt. She would take that ruler and hit your hand, so that by the time you got to fourth, fifth and sixth grade you were straight. She already straightened you out.
Q: What are some of your positive memories of your school days, your teachers or any student and then what are some, if you have any, negative memories?
A: Okay. Well, when you think about the positive, the things that you learn and the relationships you had and how close they were with you and how they talked to your parents and stuff like this it makes you feel like you were one happy family. Some of the negative things, one of the negative things people said about the walking, having to walk home and the other people of the other persuasion throwing paper out on you and we lived in Carrollton and we had to go up the road to our home. I can remember this man who had this big farm right on the road where we went to school and sometimes looks like just about time for us to get out of school he would be letting his cows out and he had those bulls. We were really scared. We were young children and if you had red on a bull will run ya, you know. He would come out with his cows just about time for us to go home. We would have to wait for the cows to go by and make sure you didn't have red on so those bulls wouldn't run ya. He would be taking them from one side of the road to the other side. He stopped traffic and everything.
Q: Did anyone ever play any tricks on the teachers, Miss White or Mrs. Blount?
A: I can't think of any. You didn't play no tricks on those teachers back then in those days. You got tricked if they found out who did it. You know kids putting tacks in teacher’s chair; we didn't do no stuff like that. We would get in trouble. They would get you at school and then your parents would get you at home.
Q: Is there any other school experience you'd like to share with us?
A: No, I can't think of anything. You was just glad when you moved from Carrollton Elementary to Smithfield cause we had the seventh grade in Smithfield.
Q: Do you feel that your basic education at Carrollton Elementary provided you with the needed resources that was required for you to be able to move on to your educational pursuits?
A: Yeah, I think it was a good foundation. But I think if we had had the opportunity to not to be so close being it was such a small area I think if it could have been a little larger but I think on a whole we learned a lot for what we had to work with. We made something out of nothing. Just like I was saying about the books, I don't know who used the books before we did but these were the books and then we had started buying the books and sometimes you didn't have all the necessary money. But people did sell them to you at a cheaper price and that sort of thing.
Q: Now Mrs. Johnson, tell me a little bit about yourself and what work you are doing and if you are married and how many children?
A: Okay, right now, okay. Well I'm married and ah to a minister and a principal. My husband is principal of Jamestown High School in Williamsburg and I am presently working in Williamsburg also as a pre-school teacher in the public schools. I have been there twenty-three years. I worked three years in Newport News as a teacher and so that means I have twenty-six years with the state now. I have two lovely children, one has blessed me with 2 children and both of them working for themselves and, I stressed that it’s important that they get jobs, they both have degrees, that’s what I’ve taught them. I’ve been married for thirty-two years, to the same man, and right now we’re living in Smithfield. We decided to come back home and we’ve been here for thirteen years and there’s no place like home.
Q. It’s very good of the two of you to give back something to the community. I would like to thank you, Mrs. Yvonne Johnson Cypress, for participating with the Schoolhouse oral history project and you did provide us with the some additional information, and my name is Otelia Crawley-Hendrick.