Heritage School

Yesterday I got to go on a field trip to Heritage School.  I didn't know I was going and also didn't know dressing up was a requirement of going.  No fears, the teacher had a "costume" ready for me and boy was it something special.

Not only did it look like a green hospital gown but it also did nothing to flatter this body of mine.  It was too short (probably a kid's costume then) and yet it was for someone who must weigh 175+ pounds.


My dear friend Heather did some handy work with some yarn and this is the best we could come up with. 

Yes, that is the bathroom at my work.  And yes, I did lock myself in it with my camera to get pictures of it.

Heritage school was very interesting.  It is set in 1892 in an authentic one room school house that was moved from Valparaiso to Lincoln years ago.  The kids take the day and learn as they do back then.  They grind corn, churn butter (we made our own!), practice orthography (spelling), arithmetic, history, and so on.  We ate lunch like they did-- in our desk, no talking, being lectured to as we ate.  We learned how the different grades were taught, how they handled discipline-- most were thankful paddles and rulers are no longer used for hitting, and the expectations of Nebraska kids in the 1800s.  Though I had to wear a ridiculous dress, I'm glad I got to experience it.

You can find some pics of the kids at school (and one of me with my dear fourth grader!) here!