Fonds 214 Eaglesham School District 4677 fonds

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Summary information

Administrative history / Biographical sketch

The Eaglesham Progressive Association voted to establish a school district at Eaglesham in 1935. They elected Al Powers, Ovila Forget, and Willie Bolduc as trustees. Each land owner was asked to donate $20 or $20 worth of labour towards building a school. In the meantime, an agreement was made with the Catholic Church to use their building for a school in exchange for the assurance that a French Catholic teacher would be hired. In 1936, Mary Pilon (Peterson) became the first teacher. A log school was erected in 1937, one-half mile west of the hamlet on NE 24-78-26 W5. A log barn and an ice-house were completed in 1939. Teachers who followed Mary Pilon were Mrs. St. Jean, Madeline Martel, Miss Prevost, Helen Johnson, and Evelyn Schafer. In 1946-47, the school was closed and the students bussed to Fox Creek School. In 1951, the Spirit River School Division began building a centralized two-room school in Eaglesham, opening with grades 1-9 in 1952. By November 1952, the old school was reopened to accommodate the grades 4-6. In 1954, two more classrooms had been added to the centralized school, but in 1955 the old log school was moved into town to be used as an extra classroom and the Legion “Hut” was also used. In 1957, grades 1 and 7 were bussed to Fox Creek and grade 5 to another quonset used by the Evangelical Free Church. By 1958, a gymnasium and four classrooms were added, making an eight classroom school at Eaglesham. An active Home and School Association during the 1950s raised funds for many school projects. In 1961, a four classroom addition was added and more land purchased. In 1962, a science room, library, and typing room were added and a pond and sewage lagoon constructed. By 1987, the school had added rooms to for computers, language lab, home economics, industrial arts, music, business and distance education, kindergarten, office and staff room. Peak enrolment in 1967 was 390 students. Senior High classes began in 1956. Students came from Four Mile Creek in 1955, from Fox Creek and Codesa in 1956, Watino in 1958 and 1959, Tangent High School in 1968 and Tangent Elementary in 1977 and from Wanham in 1984. The original school grounds were sold to Gordon Donaldson for $300 in 1960 and became the site of Donaldson’s garage. In 1961, the log school was sold to Armand Desgagne for $50 and moved to the Blois farm.

Custodial history

The records were preserved and given to the Spirit River School Division No. 47 sometime after it was formed in 1940. Peace Wapiti School Division assumed responsibility for this division in 1994 and the records were deposited in the Grande Prairie Regional Archives in 2003.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of Daily Registers from 1936-1996.

Notes

Title notes

• Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the fonds.

Restrictions on access

There are no restrictions on access.

Accruals

No accruals are expected

Access points

• Textual record (documentary form)
• Education (subject)