Schoolhouse Quilt Block and Memories of Rapp School, a One-Room Kansas School Part II

Schoolhouse Quilt Block
http://quilting.about.com/od/blockofthemonth/ss/house_quilt.htm

My mother continues her story about attending Rapp Schoolhouse, a one-room school in Osage County, Kansas:

"Everybody brought their own lunches.  Most had lunch boxes, but I remember some carried tin syrup pails instead of a lunch box.  Getting a branch new lunch box for the school year was exciting as was the new pencil box with little compartments for pencils, erasers, etc.  Everybody bought a new big Red Chief tablet for school.  I still love the smell of new crayons and remember how exciting it was to have a new box for school.  We ate inside during cold weather, but on nice days we ate outside on the steps or where we wanted to.

Rapp Schoolhouse in Osage County, Kansas
http://www.osageco.org/AboutOsageCounty/SpecialPlaces/RappSchool/tabid/4485/Default.aspx

"We always played outside at recess unless it was raining.  We had a large yard.  The boys played football.  The girls played hopscotch, jacks, and jump rope.  In the spring, boys and girls played baseball together.  We also played other games together.  When there was snow, we played Fox and Geese and always hoped the snow stayed a long time so we could keep the paths we made for that game.

Oil Painting of Rapp Schoolhouse by My Cousin Annmarie Thomas
http://annmariethomaspaintings.com/2013/01/13/one-room-school-house/

"The first book or story I read in school was The Gingerbread Boy.  There was a brand new encyclopedia set, and I loved looking at those books.  My mother had always read to me and my three sisters.  I especially remember listening to stories read out of the Big Green Nature Book that had been one of her college textbooks.  I brought home books from the school library and remember listening to her read Heidi the first time.

Rapp School when my mother was in 8th grade, her final year there. 
She is in the center of the middle row.  
Cousin Annmarie's mother is on her left and another sister is on her right. 
 The youngest sister is not in school yet. 

"I have very happy memories from school.  I always loved school - clear through college and was a little sad when I graduated.  My mother had two years of college and taught before she married.  Daddy never had the chance to go to college but felt education was very important and always encouraged us and saw to it that all his children graduated from college and also helped his grandchildren with college expenses.  Now I hope that all of our nine (now eleven) grandchildren get good educations and graduate from college!"

There's a wonderful short video produced by Sunflower Journeys in which you can see inside Rapp Schoolhouse and hear from some former students, including my cousin Janice Briggs.  Click here to watch.

You can read Part I of Memories of Rapp Schoolhouse, a One-Room Kansas School here.