This Building Committee report is from the Hopedale Town Report of 1927. Land donation for school Early Hopedale School History HOME . |
Unless you went to General Draper High School before 1957, you might be wondering about the large room in the drawing above. That was called "the main room," and all students in the school would be there at the beginning and the end of the school day. At the front there was a low platform with a desk on it. The principal and assistant principal would be there. In my time, that was Mr. Dennett and Mr. Drisko. We'd have opening exercises and announcements, and then head off for class. We'd return at the end of the day for more announcements.
than about 120 pupils in the entire school. The increase in numbers brought about the end of the main room. It was divided into three smaller rooms, and everyone was assigned a homeroom where we'd start and end the day. The end of the main room resulted in the end of rhetoricals. All sophomores and juniors were required to memorize a talk of a few minutes and deliver it to the entire school from the platform at the front of the room. A few would do that each morning until all had taken their turn. The best were selected for what was called prize speaking, which was held at the town hall in the earlier days, and at Memorial School after that was built. The end of the main room resulted in the end of rhetoricals and prize speaking. |