| CLASS BREAKS |
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| The class breaks were for several reasons.
We usually had a Thanksgiving Pro-
gram and made paper turkeys and Pilgrims to decorate the classroom. Then came the Christmas Program complete with a Christmas Tree from the school grounds, and the tree was lighted by wax candles. Parents were invited to hear us sing Jingle Bells and Silent Night and other all time favorites. It also meant that Santa Claus would soon make his visit. |
| Then came Spring when nature decorated the community with beautiful wild flowers, birds and baby animals and freshness. It was now picnic time with red soda water, creme sodas, and barefoot wading in the creek water. The favorite picnic places were: “The Waterfall,” or the banks “The Slough,” or on the banks of the Skull Creek by the old bridge. |
| “The Waterfall” was on the branch of the
Skull Creek that originated near Shelby. The
large rocks above the falls made a pretty place to have a picnic lunch
and wade in the clear water
pools in the rock. The waterfall scenery
was pretty. |
| “The Slough” was a by-passed course of
the Mill Creek many years ago which was filled
with water whenever the Mill Creek overflowed. The water was not
very deep, but this large body
of water was a good place to fish for mud cat and other crawfish
which were plentiful among the willows that
lined the banks. There also was a cabin on
the banks of “The Slough” in which lived a free slave from the Fordtran
Plantation. His name was Wesly Ray, and here he raised his large
family in a very meager existence. He and his family were hard field
wor-
kers, and every farmer in the community would hire him for field labor. “The Slough” was a peaceful by-passed place in the Mill Creek woods, and it also was a nice place to have a picnic. |
| The old Skull Creek Bridge used to have high steel railings and a wooden plank floor. The creek flowed from under the trees and under the bridge where there always was a little water hole caused by flood waters swirling around the bridge pilings. The large live oak trees provided shade for a picnic on the banks of the creek near the bridge. |
| With the Spring also came time for school closing for another year. In about late April, it was time to put aside the books and work in the fields. The school closing program was more elaborate and usually included a staged play for the parents and grandparents to enjoy as well as refreshments. For the Seventh Grade, it also meant receiving a graduation diploma from Skull Creek School. |
| With the advent of Parent-Teacher-Associations
(PTA) in the 1930’s, the teach-
er sponsored picnics and class breaks were replaced by monthly PTA meetings. At each monthly meeting a program of music, song, poems, readings, and skits was presented which replaced the school plays and other forms of class breaks. |
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