Current News
Welcome to our website!
The Friends of the Schoolhouse web site will keep you informed about The Old Britannia Schoolhouse and the activities and events planned by the Friends' organization. We encourage
you to check this site often. New information will be added monthly.
Autumn Splendour at the Schoolhouse
October is a colourful month at the schoolhouse. Although the flower gardens are starting to fade, the trees burst into brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. Here are a few memories of the autumn garden in years past.
On the north side of the schoolyard is the heritage garden. At the back of the garden are trees that provide a colourful backdrop. There are the reds of the maples and the yellow of the birch. Later in the month the oak tree given to the schoolhouse by Queen Elizabeth and King Geiorge will start to show colour too.
One year a determined rose bush produced one final bloom to compete with the coloured leaves and a maple leaf fluttered to the ground waiting for someone to pick it up and perhaps press it to keep it as a memory of the autumn beauty.
Autumn at the Old Britannia Schoolhouse would not be complete without the harvesting of the pumpkin patch. Before COVID, children planted pumpkin seeds in the spring and in September, when they returned to school, were excited to see their pumpkin crop.
COVID has taken a toll on the gardens, but not the glorious colours of the trees.
Save Those Colourful Leaves
The old-fashioned way of preserving leaves was to press them between the pages of a heavy book. Sometimes people would forget they had done this and years later, when someone was sorting through the books, a dried leaf would fall out of the pages. Today there is a much better way to do this, though perhaps not as quick as inserting a leaf in a book.
You will need:
- Fresh leaves with interesting colours
- Wax paper
- A sheet of heavy paper
- An iron and ironing board
- A towel
- Scissors
What to do:
- Cut two sheets of wax paper larger than the leaf
- Place the sheet of heavy paper on the ironing board
- Place one sheet of wax paper on the heavy paper
- Put the leaf on the wax paper and put the second sheet of wax paper on top
- Cover the wax psper with the towel
- With the iron on low heat, firmly press the leaf. The heat will transfer the wax to the leaf to preserve it.
- Let cool. Remove the towel.
- Carefully cut around the leaf leaving a small margin to ensure a good seal.
Your leaf is now preserved with a coating of wax.
Coming Events
No events are planned during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Time to Renew Your Membership
Our membership year runs from January to December. Membership forms for renewal or new membership are on this website. Click here to get the form. Please note that because of the COVID19 pandemic, we are suspending the payment of membership fees for 2021. Our newsletters and website will continue to be available to members. Donations to support the schoolhouse and its programs are always welcome and appreciated.
Echoes of the Past
This book, written and published by Friends of the Schoolhouse, documents the history of all of the rural one room schools that existed in Peel County. Full colour, 208 pages, $30 It is available at all our events or from any member of the Friends of the Schoolhouse Executive. There is a $10 charge for mailing.
Book Talks
Since the book, Echoes of The Past, was published in May 2016, the writers have been giving illustrated talks to historical societies and other interested groups. We talk about the book and tailor each presentation
to suit the audience and the one room schools that were in their local area.
If your group would be interested in having a presentation, please contact Jean (905 826 3475) jkrob@rogers.com for further information.
Come and Join Us
If you have a couple of hours a month or only a few hours once or twice a year you could help us support the schoolhouse and its programs. The executive committee meets on the second
Tuesday of the month from September to June to conduct the business of the Friends of the Schoolhouse and to plan programs and events. Our meetings are from 4 to 6 in the afternoon at the schoolhouse. Volunteers help on an occasional basis
with our events and in the gardens. Not only do we support a worthwhile cause, we have a lot of fun doing it. Email our Executive Director Shirley Hoad at shoad@bell.net, if you have a few hours to spare
and an interest in helping preserve a community treasure for future generations of children.
Mark Your Calendar
To see a list of our year's events go to the Events page.
Researching our Roots
There is still much more to discover about the Old Britannia Schoolhouse and other early one room schools. Read below for a wish list of "Wanted" items that will help us learn more about our historic schoolhouse.
For use in a book on one-room schools in Peel County:
- Minute Books
- Cash Books
- Class Photos
- Report Cards
- Prize Ribbons
- Medals
- Certificates
- Shields
- Contracts
- Trustee Memorabilia
- Teacher Memorabilia
- Newspaper Clippings
- School Registers
Your contribution will be acknowledged. Materials supplied will either be returned to you or donated to the Peel County Archives on your behalf.
SLATE Group
SLATE stands for So Let's All Talk Education (in a one room school), or as one witty person suggested, being truly Canadian, So Let's All Talk Eh! Each year for a day in the spring people involved in working or volunteering
in living history one room schoolhouses get together to exchange ideas and learn from each other. We meet at a different schoolhouse location each year which gives everyone the opportunity to experience how living history is presented
in a setting different from their own.
If you are a staff member or volunteer in a living history one room schoolhouse and would like more information about SLATE, contact:
Christine Chapel
The Old Britannia Schoolhouse
5576 Hurontario Street
Mississauga, ON
L5R 1B3
905-890-1010 ext 2911
