Interview with Mrs. Myrteen Green Wrenn
March 22, 2003
Interviewed by Sandra Lowe
Mrs. Wrenn attended Trinity School for the first three years and then to Isle of Wight Training School. She became a teacher and administrator in the county before retiring.
Q: Mrs. Wrenn, first of all, could you tell us what area of Isle of Wight you grew up in?
A: I grew up in near Bass Creek Area in Smithfield.
Q: And how many sisters and brothers did you have?
A: Had one brother.
Q: And did they attend the same schools that you did?
A: Yes, he did.
Q: And what school was that?
A: Trinity School.
Q: Do you recall what grades were taught at Trinity?
A: I believe it was one through six, I believe.
Q: How many classrooms were available for those six grades?
A: There were three classrooms there.
Q: Were those three classrooms occupied with classes? Did you have two classes per room? Is that?
A: It was probably two grades to each room.
Q: Do you recall some of your teachers?
A: I remember Elmira Denson and I remember Miss Geraldine Holloway and she was Geraldine Reed then and then I remember Mrs. Elsie Godwin. She was a teacher and she acted as the principal also there.
Q: Do you have any information about the history of your school?
A: I really don’t know that much about the school. I only went there. I have no idea when it was built or anything of that nature.
Q: Do you know if the number of rooms available changed over time or were there always three rooms?
A: There were always those three rooms that I remember. Because there was a porch leading into two of the classrooms and the other classroom had a porch that was on in the back.
Q: Do you recall any other information about the way the building looked?
A: I remember the glass windows and the wooden building. It was a wooden structure, and we had plenty of glass- windowpanes.
Q: How did you get to and from school?
A: I walked. And later years my brother had a bicycle so I rode on a bicycle.
Q: Do you have any idea how far that was?
A: Approximately a mile and a half to two miles.
Q: Did you have any jobs to do before and after school?
A: None that I know of. I was a lucky one.
Q: No chores?
A: I don’t remember any chores no more than the usual—probably washing dishes or whatever—make my bed.
Q: What do you remember about the way the school day started?
A: Well, when we got to school, of course, we put away our coats and whatever. And I remember we had devotions. Then we would go into the regular class and study.
Q: What subjects do you recall?
A: Definitely I remember reading—Dick, Jane, and Sally. I mostly remember my reading. I’m sure there was math and our other subjects—maybe geography, this type of thing.
Q: Do you remember any specific textbooks? Dick and Jane?
A: That’s the best I remember right now.
Q: Was there a particular place in the room where the books were kept?
A: There was bookcase in each room. It was a shelf type thing and it had a glass front. And all the books were stored in there.
Q: How long was the school day?
A: As far as I know it was a regular day, maybe nine to three.
Q: And the school year? Was it a nine-month?
A: It was a nine-month.
Q: What can you tell me about the lunch period?
A: Well, I remember bringing lunch to school and most of the time I think we would take our lunch out and just eat right there in the classroom. I remember we had a cooler and I think we would go to that and get some water to drink with our lunch. On good days might go outside, but that was very rare.
Q: So you had a short recess period along with lunch?
A: There was a short recess, yes.
Q: And was there any other recess during the day?
A: We would go out, I believe, in the evening and we would play games or whatever.
Q: What do you remember of the games that you played?
A: Well, we did dodge ball; we did ring-around-the-roses, tisket-a-tasket, All Around the Mulberry Bush. The basic games that were played then we played most of them.
Q: How would you describe the classroom that you were in?
A: The classroom that I was in had a stove, potbelly stove that was run by coal and we had desks that were in rows. These desks that we had was a desk and then it had a seat of its own. It wasn’t connected. It was a separate seat. And it would fold up and then you could put it down. I remember in this room that we were in we would have plays sometimes. And it was a stage that was pre built and they would bring it into the classroom and set it up. And we would have plays in this room.
Q: What was the situation with the restrooms?
A: Outdoor toilets.
Q: Where was your water supply?
A: We had a pump. There was a pump on the outside of the school and I believe they would fill the cooler with the water and we would get the water from there.
Q: What about chalkboards or blackboards?
A: We had the standard chalkboards. They were blackboards then, we called them. On the wall we had them and the erasers and, of course, the chalk. There was only one in our classroom.
Q: Do you recall any other school supplies that were in the room or any teaching aides on the walls?
A: I remember we always had the writing tablets and we were supplied the pencils. Around the wall at the top we had the alphabets. There were alphabets around the wall. We had the cursive one and the printed one. I believe they were on black. The background was black and that was white—the letters were white.
Q: Did you feel that the lighting was sufficient in your room? What produced your light?
A: Well, we had a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It was about two in our room. Of course, as I said before, we had plenty windows. I guess at the time I thought we were doing all right. I could see what I was writing until I needed glasses.
Q: Did your building have a cloakroom? Where did you hang your coats and hats?
A: There was a rack on the wall. We hung our coats there and at the bottom, if you wore galoshes or anything like that, they were put at the bottom. Right there on the floor, I believe. I don’t think we had a floor thing there for the boots. But I do remember the hanging rack there to hang our coats.
Q: Do you recall any other things about the building or the classroom itself?
A: Not really. It’s been quite some time. But I do remember one of the rooms that was unique had a wall there that stored all our papers and pencils and stuff like that. There was a wall there and some other stuff was back there. But being children we weren’t allowed to look back in there. I knew something was behind that wall. It could have been where they kept mops and stuff like that, too.
Q: What can you tell us about discipline and punishment?
A: During my experience at Trinity I don’t remember punishment per se. I don’t remember seeing anybody punished. I guess they took them out of our room if anything was done. We never saw spanking of the hands or anything like that. I don’t recall. It may have been done, but I don’t recall while I was there.
Q: Were there any additional school experiences that you would like to tell us about, or incidents, or students that you went to school with?
A: One thing I do remember is that they used to have parades in town and one year I was on the what we called the float that left. And we were in this parade in town and I remember my mom had made me this beautiful dress and back then we wore clothespins on our hair. My mom had combed my hair real good and put these clothespins in my hair. And I was ready to ride.
Q: Are there any other early childhood memories you recall about growing up that wouldn’t have to have happened at school?
A: Not really. As far as I can remember I liked school. I really didn’t have any problems with school and I guess I was disappointed one time because I thought I was going back to Trinity. And when I left third grade I was supposed to go to Isle of Wight Training. That was my last year there and I didn’t have to walk any more so I started riding the school bus then. When I started down at Isle of Wight Training School.
Q: Do you know any dates as far as when you started school or when you left Trinity?
A: I started the average six-year old because my birthday came before October, so I’m sure I started about ’47-’48 school year.
Q: After attending school, what jobs or changes or experiences do you recall happening in the County?
A: Well, of course, I remember after graduation I went on to college and I finished school with a teaching degree and administration degree. I came back to the County and I taught here for 13 years and I was assistant principal for 12 and, of course, now I am retired. I’ve seen some changes in the County—some good and some I guess I could have made some differences in and did not and should have. But I hope that what I did through my years of teaching did make a change in the County.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add as we bring our interview to a close?
A: I think that’s about all.