May 28, 1980 SUSQUEHANNA TIMES—Page 7
‘Happy Maytown Day!’ say third grade students
IF YOU HAVE ONE
DISASTER, DON'T
HAVE ANOTHER.
“Happy Maytown Day!”’
This greeting was heard
many times on Friday, May
23, in the Maytown Elemen-
tary School gymnasium as
the third grade students in
Mrs. Hazel Weigard’s class
shared with their peers,
parents, building personnel,
and school administration
their findings about the first
century of Maytown’s his-
tory, 1760-1860.
Throughout the unit on
Maytown social studies was
i | combined with music and
J language arts to piece
together the early begin-
nings of this small town in
A disaster like fire is bad
enough—another due to inflatior:
is even worse. But youcankeep uy
with building costs with our
homeowners insurance with
inflation protection.
Lancaster County.
During this time the
group had a variety of
experiences in learning.
One was listening to the
music of this ear, including
Revolutionary War songs
and those composed by
Stephen Collins Foster. The
group also learned the
dance steps to the minuet.
Another of the learning
experiences included hear-
ing stories about the
Eastern Woodland Indians,
the Conestogas, Conoys,
and the Susquehannocks, all
part of the larger tribe of
Iroquois Indians, who
roamed this area before
Maytown was settled. A
small group dyed cloth
using berry juice as these
Indians did, ‘‘fixing’’ the
dyes so they would not fade
or run by using the juice of
the wild crabapple.
Maytown’s early history
was also researched through
reading books and by
interviewing and recording
information from towns-
people. The students con-
ducted the interviews in
pairs, using an interview
form put together by the
entire class. The children
asked about early fire-
fighting equipment, the old
pump in the square, the
early schools and the reason
for people living in May-
town.
Mrs. Hazel Crankshaw
and Reverend John Hies-
tand talked to the class
about the 100 year period
following Jacob Downer’s
founding of Maytown in
1760. They also pointed out
the changes that have taken
place in their own lifespans.
These resource people had
the students think back to a
time when someone from
the family had to bring
water from the square’s
pump several times a day;
when one would stop in to
watch the blacksmith repair
tools or shoe a horse; or
when a child would take
home a loaf of warm bread,
so tempted by the fresh
smell that it would arrive on
the kitchen table minus a
part of the crust.
The students also took a
waling tour through the
town, visiting the oldest
homes, the Square, one of
the oldest churches and a
200-year-old restaurant with
its log and plaster walls.
Third Grade students at Maytown Elementary School display the material collected on local Indians
Finally the students gath-
ered together some old-
fashioned Maytown recipes
and made (with the help of
parents) brown sugar drop
cakes and vanilla and Ger-
mantown pie. These recipes
were supplied by Mrs. Alice
Shenk, a resident of May-
town. The students also had
on supply cornmeal puffs
and raisins and nuts as the
Indian part of the menu.
After all of the informa-
tion was gathered together,
the students made and sent
out invitations to the other
classes and parents.
Each of the ten visiting
classes enjoyed a 15 minute
visit with the third grade
class in the gym. They
began by signing in and
then viewing the Indian
station, the Indian and
Maytown exhibits and final-
ly sampling the menu.
During this time, the boys
and girls of the host class
were answering questions,
directing traffic, serving
food, doing the minuet, and
acting as curators of their
displays. Food tables were
decorated in green and
white, Donegal’s school
colors, and Stephen Foster
compositions added yet
another dimension. The
visiting students were also
given an entry blank for a
‘“Maytown Day’’ contest.
The form included ten
questions about Maytown
and the winner of the
contest was announced the
following Tuesday.
One youngster summed it
up at the end of the unit like
Students dance the minuet for ‘‘Maytown Day’
Gymnastics show rescheduled
The PACT meeting of the
Riverview Elementary
School, Marietta, has been
rescheduled for Thursday,
May 29, at 7:30 pm.
Entertainment for the
session will be a gym show
under the direction of
Warren Hayman. The public
is invited to attend.
this: “‘I’ve lived in Maytown
all of my life (nine years),
and 1 thought I knew all
about the town; but when
we got halfway through
studying, I found out how
little I knew!’’ What else
can be said except ‘‘Happy
Maytown Day!”’
JACK
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