North View High School - Southside Echoes Yearbook (North View, VA)

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SOUTHSIDE ECHOES ii four years high school course as laid down by the State Board of Education, and are thus the first high school graduates in Southside Virginia (excepting the cities). Other Mecklen- burg schools are following closely and will be soon graduating classes, too. We congratulate North View High School, just because she is the first to reach this point. With increased appropriations, and renewed interest, we hope to see the work go on, and that the future of the school may grow brighter and brighter! It has our best wishes! S. L. Graham.

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10 SOUTH SIDE ECHOES qualified to teach usually sought other employment. The schools of the country were crude, in every sense of the word, but the people turned to the public school. Picture to yourself the Mecklenburg school of twenty-five or thirty years ago. In a little clearing in the edge of the woods we see a rude log cabin, and a rough stone chimney at the end. The floor was mother earth. A few rude benches were placed around. The teacher, in accordance with standard of the day, taught thoroughly the elements, — the three R’s as we would now call it. School was kept only a few months during the fall and winter. Thus many of our sturdy Vir- ginians received the foundations of their education, to which they have added, and become educated self-made men. All felt the need of better public schools in Virginia. Mecklenburg’s citizens longed and groped for the light. Every one worked diligently for the betterment of the schools. Some- times it was in sunshine and sometimes in shadow, but the work went on. Men with stern hearts kept their faces to the front. Efforts were made constantly to advance, but it was uphill work, because of the lasting ravages of the war in a financial way. Thus things went on. Improvement was made, but it was slow. It took men with stout hearts to take a long look ahead in educational matters. But, lo, the light finally broke over the hills. The people of Virginia called a Constitutional Con- vention in 1902. It opened the door for higher education, and the hope for the future made us all alive. The Convention provided for high school work. Taking advantage of the op- portunity, Mecklenburg County tried to be in the vanguard. The first steps toward a high school were made at North View. The course was raised year by year until we are proud to say it has reached its culmination in 1908, and North View High School offers the first class which has completed the

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tfitorp of tfje J ortfjVieto tgf) g tfjool [The following article was written by special request. The author, Mr. Petty, was a member of the Board of Trustees at the time of the incep- tion of the N. V. H. S., and was most energetically active in having the standard of the school raised. Much of his time and energy has been given for its welfare. Though now only a patron, still the school is an idol of his heart, and an object of his fond devotion . — Class of T908.] In the year 1903, the Buckhorn School Board, realizing the necessity of having a larger building for the accommodation of the large number of scholars near North View, erected the present build- ing. About this time the State Board of Education came forward with a plan for higher education in the county schools. The Buckhorn School Board, being in accord with this plan and de- sirous of promoting the cause of edu- cation, went to work with a view of giving to Buckhorn children the advan- tage of an education practically without extra cost. The first year only two teachers were employed, one as prin- cipal, who taught the grammar grades, the other taking charge of primary grades. The school increased to such an extent the second year, it became necessary to employ three teachers. Then it was that the school was graded according to directions of the State Board. The principal took charge of high school branches, leaving the other grades to the first and the second assistants. This school has been doing full high school work for four years, with its first high schoo l graduates this year. H. L. PETTY