A taste of life in the olden days

Suzie Harrison

Learning about Thanksgiving goes beyond reading about it in a book or

hearing a lecture. At El Morro Elementary School’s annual Colonial

Days event Monday and Tuesday, students got to experience it.

What used to be the multi-purpose room was transformed into a

Colonial Village with everyone dressed as settlers, pilgrims and

Native Americans.

The students not only dressed the part, but also participated in

the many tasks and crafts of the period.

El Morro student teacher Jeannette Shaw recalls being in

Kindergarten and experiencing the first Colonial Days 19 years ago.

“I remember the main things, making soap and candles,� Shaw said.

“It changed, it used to be outside.�

Shaw said parent Marlena McDermitt started the event and the PTA

has carried on the tradition.

“This year for the first time our school did a quilt and every

class made a square,� Colonial Days chair Lynn Gregory said. “It

shows unity when they all came together ... it shows what people can

create. It’s amazing.�

Gregory said they had sewing and weaving to coincide with the

quilt. Rope tying and Colonial dance were also taught.

Students excitedly went from using quills for calligraphy to the

pottery station and onto creating cornhusk dolls and candle making.

Second-grade teacher Debbie Finnerty said her class learned some

of the details about pilgrim life.

“These activities help them learn about and experience what the

colonial settlers experienced,� Finnerty said. “We talked about the

types of chores the children had to do then and how school was very

different.�

Charlotte McManus, 7, was busily making necklaces and leather

tooling, which was one of the students’ favorites.

“I know how to do most [of the activities] because I’ve been to

Colonial Days before,� Charlotte said. “Each year I learn more and

more.�

Mia Martin, 9, said she’s glad she lives in today’s society verses

Colonial times.

“I’ve learned it’s kind of hard to make stuff and being a child

was hard because you had to work,� Mia said. “Life was not easy in

the olden days.�