Back when Ruby Hendriks was a young girl and going to school, the didn't have big schools with separate classes. They had one room schools that contained children of all ages and grades.

She went to R. M. Moore for one week, but it was too long of a walk through the bush, and the bathroom was a shed at the back of school and it was scary for her.

After that week, she moved to Edith Cavell which has now been changed to S.F. Howe. There were approximately 40 to 50 students per class. It was hard for Ruby to learn in school because everything the other grades were doing was more interesting to her than what she was doing. Sometimes the teacher would catch her listening to the lesson for the other grade. Then she would get a tongue lashing (she would yell at her).

One of her greatest memories in school was when the teacher would read a story called Little Black Sambo. This story was about a little boy who gets chased by lions. Then he climbed up a tree and the lions circled the tree until they turned into butter. He would then take the butter home to his mother, and she would make pancakes with butter. She liked this story because she liked pancakes with butter. This story is not told anymore because it is considered racist.

She also remembers when she was in grade three, she had a really grouchy teacher (she called her crabby) but you really couldn't blame her, because she lived in Echo Bay and she had to drive to school everyday in the winter with no windows in her car. When she got to school, she looked like the abominable snowman. Now Mrs. Hendriks feels badly that she called her crabby because she found out that she had a mental breakdown.

Mrs. Hendriks also liked to read Nancy Drew Series. When she finished grade eight, she wasn't allowed to go on to high school. In those days, women were only supposed to get married and raise a family. She really wanted to go to high school. That's why she made each and every one of her children go through university.

According to Mrs. Hendriks, the majority of her classmates were nice. She had lots of friends but she didn't get to see them much after school because she lived too far away. The friend that was the closest to her lived two miles away. To us now, two miles is a long ways away. But since she did so much walking this wasn't a very long distance to her.

Interviewing Mrs. Hendricks was interesting, and amusing experience for me. I really enjoyed talking to her and listening to her stories. I hope you will enjoy reading these stories.