Editor’s note: The following article is a synopsis written by staff members and volunteers of the Cary Public Library highlighting one of the suggested reading books, as determined by their staff.
Having grown up in a tiny rural school setting, Eva Murray’s “Island School House – One Room For Many” sounded like a fun read. It turned out to be not only fun, and educational, but a very discerning book on the tiny island schools on Maine’s coast.
Imagine your child’s classroom in a regular session: the door suddenly opens and a group of tourists (complete strangers) enter and exclaim, “Oh, how quaint. This is so cool. And you have children, too”.
Duh! IT IS A SCHOOL!
Years ago I suggested to a school board member “There are worse things than a small school.” And indeed we have learned just that with extremely long and costly bus routes, bullying, and overcrowding in some schools, not to mention costs of heating huge drafty buildings.
Ms. Murray chronicles the caring, personal guidance, faster paced learning because of individualized lessons. Younger students benefit from older students knowledge and older students learning to care and empathize with “youngsters” in the same room. There are wonderful opportunities for outdoor projects, using math and problem-solving in hands-on building.
To catch the full flavor of an island school is to recognize the importance of a school in identifying a community. It is the center for the whole island.
Now, to be fair, these are not always idealistic havens for education: storms, uncooperative parents, high schoolers traveling to mainland via ferry and mail boats, costs per student (although many adults bear heavier costs just to keep their island school).
It is quite amazing to learn how technology has broadened the learning environment. Yet, kids will be kids and one high schooler wrote from the mainland to the tiny school she attended through eighth grade “Learn to dance. Have a dance!”
It is a very good book to help us understand the politics, long-range effects and future of Maine’s unique heritage of island schools.
The Cary Public Library is open Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 532-1302.
