Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 19 text:

Miss Fairley, the Principal, who arrived after Christmas, brought discipline and order to the previovisly far too free and easy life of the school, and laid the foundations on which Trafalgar was so successfully built. She worked hard to make Trafalgar a good school, and her pupils both loved and respected her. She had a great effect on the characters of the girls whom she taught, and they remembered her with affection and admiration. Early students remember — When Trafalgar was founded, life in Montreal was completely different from what it is today. The surrounding land was almost country, with large estates with spacious grounds. There were no cars, and the girls were not allowed out on the streets without a chaperone. The school itself was an innova- tion and there were very few pupils. — there was boarders ' walk, much the same as today, but with considerably fewer girls. In the first school magazine (1918) the first boarder to arrive in 1887 recalls going on walks alone for a month accompanied only by a teacher, and living in the house in solitary splendour, waiting anxiously for the arrival of the second boarder. — also remembered were two daughters of a missionary in the Caribbean, who had only one coat between them, so that only one at a time could go out in the winter. — after Miss Fairley ' s arrival. Scripture lessons were held every Sunday, with one girl reading a passage out of the Bible each week. Everyone wanted to choose the 117th psalm (two short verses) but no one quite dared. — ■ short plays and concerts were put on by the girls in the coach-house, and they were much enjoyed, despite the frequent lack of audience. — early students remember many things, serious and funny, but their strongest memories are of Miss Fairley, and what she did for them and for the school. THE ORIGINAL TRAFALGAR GIRLS Back Row: Miss Labatt, Norah Morris, Florence Botterell Middle Row: Florence Trenholme, Lizzie Shewan, Lena Labatt, Effie Baker Front: Ethel Dobell [17]

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DONALD ROSS IN IHHl the Trafalfiar Institute, as it was Jiarn«; l at firhl, was op ;nf;d, lw ;nly y ;arH after it had [xcn found- ed accorrling to the will of Donald iioss. ' J h ; first I ' rotestant private girls ' school in Montreal, its original hoard included many distinguished man, among them I ord Strathcona and Sir William Dawson. The school was set up on its present Simpson Street location, in the house which had previously belonged to the Mitchell family, rather than on the old Tra- falgar property designated by Donald Ross. The first chairman of the hoard was the Rev. Dr. James Barclay, and the first headmistress was Miss Grace Fairley. By the end of its first year Trafalgar had six boarders, and about the same number of day girls. Miss fairley was detained by illness in her family, and did not arrive from Scotland until after Christmas. Miss Woolen became acting principal; the other teachers were Miss Smith, Miss Labatt, and Miss Sym. The classrooms and dormitories were all in part of what is now the boarding house, and the present drawing-room was then divided into a recreation room and the Principal ' s sitting room. At first there were only two classrooms, on the second floor; then more were added on the third floor, and a new wing was built. Gym and drawing classes were held in an outside building, originally a coach-hovise, and it was here that the girls sometimes put on plays. Sir William Dawson ' s arrangement of the proposed curriculum only allowed for two classes, in preparation for University, and only girls over thirteen years of age were admitted. In 1890 the trustees decided to open a Preparatory class, and in 1893 the regular division into forms was made. For quite a few years the final examinations were conducted by outside examiners, mainly from McGill. There were classes in English, French, German, Maths, History, Latin, and Botany. Gymnastics were limited, and tennis, made diflicuh by long skirts, was the only game played; basketball was introduced later. A NINETEENTH CENTURY SIXTH FORM 16]

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The nialerial lor tliis Hcdion wuh {gained f rom variouK hOurcoH old r ; or l«, school maffaziiioH (piibliHhed Kiiice 19|{ij and piclun-s loujid in trunks and boxes in th(; hasenu nl. would lik ; to lhatik Mrs. Louis I) ?Hrisay ' nee Ethel Dohell), our old(!sl livinji j raduale, a Ixjarder in who frranled us an interview duririfr whi h she ffav(; an inlereslinji pielurr- of tlir; s(;h l as it was. We are also very gralelid for tin; lin-lyj e ol ihe orifiinal hoarders, reproduced on these pa es wilh llie help ol Dr. .J. S. Marsliall, and Mrs. .Sauer (Max Sauer Studios), wliich Mrs. DeBrisay donated to the school in honour of its seventy-fifth anniversary. 1962 was a very proud and happy year for Trafalgar, for on October 21st she celebrated her 75th birthday, a record equalled by few private schools in Canada. In honour of the anniversary, Monday morning, October 22nd, was declared a holiday, while in the afternoon there was a special service at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, followed by a birthday party at school. The girls, smartly dressed in uniform, with camel hair or dark coats and navy berets, walked from school to the church. The Special Choir processed into church from t he Narthex, followed by Dr. Herbert and Dr. Berlis. During the service, the Scripture lesson, St. Matthew, (Chapter 7, verses 21-29, was read by Dr. Foster. The choir sang Beethoven ' s (Creation ' s Hymn for the anthem, while the Prefects took up the offering, which went to the Scholarship Fund. Dr. Berlis gave a most interesting sermon, entitled Trafalgar Remembers . In this he mentioned Trafalgar ' s illustrious line of Headmistresses, and the important historical events which have taken j)lac(5 during her seventy-five years. On returning to school, the Staff, parents, and friends of the school had lea downstairs in the House, lea being poured by the Prefects ' mothers and served by [h ; l r( fe(-ts. There were two beautifully decorated cakes with the Trafalgar eresi repntdueed in icing. The resi of the school had a birthday party in lh gym where Margaret Collins, the youngest child in the school, and Alherline and Margaret Alsehel, Sixth Formers who have been at Trafalgar since; Preparatory, blew oiil the candles on (he cake. I l» I