The 6th grade language class interviewed Mr. Gaston, a fifty year teaching veteran, on how the educational system was 30 years ago. Zeth and Shelley report to us on the following questions:

The main question that the students asked was if the education was harder. Mr. Gaston responded, "The textbooks now have more information than then, but the teaching is about the same."

Another question the students asked was about the population of students and how many finished school. His answer was, "More children attend school and finish now than then."

Other questions included, "Was the entertainment better for school?"

"We didn't have much technology back then," he replied. "We didn't have TVs or computers in the classroom. We went on field trips most of the time."

The students also asked, "Was the discipline stricter or more lenient now or then?"

Mr. Gaston replied, "The discipline in my class is still the same."

We also questioned, "Did the sports play a bigger part in the school system?

He responded, "Sports play a bigger part now than 30 years ago."

Another student asked, "How has the actual educational system changed over time?"

Mr. Gaston replied once more, "We now have more technology in the classrooms, but the actual school system has not changed much."

We have concluded that school in general has not changed much, but technology has taken a large leap forward.

We interviewed Mrs. Betty Anderson and Mrs. Alice Gaston. They taught at Springlake-Earth between 1959 and 1979. Our school has gotten smaller. They had one library in each building. Our elementary gym was their cafeteria. Now we have a new library and cafeteria. The elementary principals were Mr. J.J. Davis and Mr. Bill Verden. At the time we had a colored School. Mr. and Mrs. Osborn were the teachers. They taught 1st-12th at this school. Back then they had no computers and did everthing by hand. They had an excellent girl's basketball team. The band director was the coach of the team. The band was excellent; we went to many sweepstakes. We had golf, tennis and football teams for the boys. No one could wear shorts to school, and the girls rarely wore pants. Back then the teachers swatted kids themselves instead of sending them to the principal's office. We really enjoyed learning about the good old days at Springlake-Earth.

INTERVIEW

Our Kindergarten classes did an interview with a woman that use to be a teacher at Springlake-Earth. Her name is Evanel Winders, but Mrs. Carr calls her Nana. She is Mrs. Carr's Mama! Mrs. Winders taught at S-E for 25 years. She told us about different things that went on in her classroom and around the school. Some things were:

1. They had a milk period in the afternoon. The students paid

two -three cents to have milk and crackers.

2. Students paid 35cents per day for lunches and teachers

paid 75 cents.

3. Mrs. Winders said she had taught a lot of our parents

when they were in the Second Grade.

The best thing of all was Mrs. Winders brought a picture to show us of Mrs. Carr in the First Grade! There was not a kindergarten class for Mrs. Carr to go to in the old days! Boy, was Mrs. Carr funny looking! We had a very good time with Mrs. Winders! We even had our picture made with her!