Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

Page 6 text:

6 SAMARA struggled to survive where Mrs. Buck ' s house now stands, and the whole vicinity was noted for- its mosquitoes. The school survived various mis- chances and handicaps. Two years after it began, a near-by red barn was joined to the house. This served as an Assembly Hall and the upstairs was divided into three class-rooms. People in the class- rooms above were able to see, through various holes in the floor, those in the Hall below; this arrangement, they thought merely unique and they did not complain. In 1919, Mrs. Edward Fauquier and Mrs. Harry Southam purchased the property and presented it as a school; they became its first gov- ernors. When, in 1920, financial difficulties threatened, and Elmwood was in great danger of being closed, Mr. Thomas Ahearn bought all the school furniture and equipment and presented them to the school. Thanks to this generous action, Elnwood was able to continue, and its future was assured. Grateful Elmwoodians realize that our school might not exist today if it were not for the Honourable Thomas Ahearn in whose memory our splendid new wing is named. From 1930 to 1938 he was our helper and friend. A prominent Canadian citizen, Mr. Ahearrt ' s name is widely known as that of the first man in North Arlaerica to say that electric street-cars could be run throughout the winter in Canada, In Ottawa he proved his statement to be t rue . In 1923, a generous gift by the Honourable Cairine Wilson, who be- came a governor that year, enabled the school to make considerable improvements so that the Barn- Assembly Hall became a really fine school building. Further gifts on the part of the governors made poss- ible various extensions and inprove- ments. In 1925, the original build- ing was completely demolished and the present main building erected as a boarding school. In 1929, the Hall was still further improved and en- larged. The climax of this devel- opment came last year when Mrs. Harry Southam and Mr. Frank Ahearn presented tlie school with the Thomas Ahearn Memorial Wing in memory of their father, Elmwood ' s great friend and benefactor. The wing is, indeed, a wonderful gift. Downstairs, the nursery school and kindergarten enjoy many happy hours as the little children work and play busily in the spacious- rooms. These rooms which are attractively coloured and well lighted seem to welcome the children and invite them to be happy. Up- stairs V D is the envied form that has been assigned the cheerful southeast corner room with its wide windows and new freshly-polished desks. Across the hall from this room is the new laboratory. This room, large and airy like the whole new wing, would be a joy to any teacher or pupil, but it can be fully appreciated, perhaps, only by those who in former years have t ried to perform experiments in a

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SAMARA SJj ®l|0maB Alj arn illmonal Wing Last September, Elmwood staff and pupils returned with eager antici- pation to find the new Thomas Ahearn «emorial Wing which had been started aarly last spring approaching coci; pletion. The great ' moving in came in November. Looking at the school as it stands now with the vonderful new wing, equipped with :harming rooms for juniors and with a modern laboratory, it is interest- jing to note the advances made since the school was founded by Mrs. Hamlet . Philpot in a rambling frame and (tucco house thirty-two years ago. Mrs. Philpot, a charming English lady, gave Elmwood the daffodil as its emblem; our colours, green and gold; and established the tradition of ' Service, fellowship, freedom and fair-play! The Rockcliffe Preparatory School, as it was then called, began with four pupils all under the age of ten; the surround- ings were certainly a marked con- trast to those of today. At that time most of Rockcliffe was part of the Keefer estate; there were cows in the field opposite the school and a swamp behind it. A potato patch

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THE OLD BUILDING miniature cupboard- 1 ike room with poor lighting and inadequate equip- ment which in comparison with our present accommodation would be like the Black Hole of Calcutta compared with a marble palace. Indeed we often had to carry the experiment out of the room in order to complete it. The new lab possesses seven Bun- sen burners instead of two, seven sinks (providing for twelve workers) instead of one, a fume cabinet where before there was an old chim- ney pipe and lots of coughing, fluorescent lighting instead of one yellow bulb, a quantity of cupboard space and separate cupboards for the equipment of each student. There is also a wonderful microscope presented by Mrs. F. W. White. There is a demonstration desk on a raised platform and behind it a very adequate blackboard. The walls are pale green with matching wood-work. Next term we are prom- ised specially constructed lab- oratory chairs a gift from Mrs. Edward Fauquier; and further science equipment is being provided by a generous gift of the Old Qirls. Altogether it is a lab worthy of a young chemist ' s dream, and we great- ly appreciate its inclusion in the new wing. iJrs. Buck had her moment of triumph when she ushered the departmental inspector into a real lab at last. Elmwood is, indeed, most grate- ful to the donors and very proud of this marvellous gift - The Thomas Ahearn Memorial Wing.