Figure 1.--Here we are in 1946 with our school vegetable garden. We all took a real interest in watching "our" vegetables grow. Tom

Therfore my parents organized a German speaking school without the catholic component. It was attended by the children of the sanitorium employees as well as the children of some patients. At that time antibiotics did not yet exist and many patients spent months or years at the sanatorium. Therefore many families followed them and lived near by. Our primary school was very small and was a one-room school. The school was working under the regulations and curiculum of the Dept. of Education from the Canton Bern, which was the nearest German speaking Canton to ours and who had a well developed educational system. Our teachers were certified teachers from that Canton. As it was a one-room school, we only had one teacher at the time. Most teachers came for one year and therefore we got new teachers every year. We had kids in every grade from 1st to 6th grade. In school we had to wear the obligatory smock.

Foundation

Therfore my parents organized a German speaking school without the catholic component. The school was working under the regulations and curiculum of the Dept. of Education from the Canton Bern, which was the nearest German speaking Canton to ours and who had a well developed educational system.

Students

Our school was attended by the children of the sanitorium employees as well as the children of some patients. At that time antibiotics did not yet exist and many patients spent months or years at the sanatorium. Therefore many families followed them and lived near by. Our primary school was very small and was a one-room school. We had kids in every grade from 1st to 6th grade.

Teachers

Our teachers were certified teachers from that Canton. As it was a one-room school, we only had one teacher at the time. Most teachers came for one year and therefore we got new teachers every year. I know they were provided free food and lodging and I am certain that my parents paid them a salary. The school was housed in the basement of the employee-building of the sanatorium and therefore we had absolutely no relationship with the local village school.

Vegetable Garden

As this was during World War II, we were mandated by the government to use a large portio of our land for cultivation of vegetables. We had a good amount of land and therefore we had a few potato-fields besides a very large vegetable garden. As we lived at an altitude of 6,000 ft or 1,500 meters, there was some limitation what could grow, becuse the growing season was rather short. While the potato fields required a lot of time at the beginning and at the end, the vegetable garden required daily attention. Our school- garden, was a small section of our own vegetable garden. We kids loved to have our own section and to take care of it our selves. We grew lettuce, cabbage, beans, brussel-sprouts carrots etc. and also some flowers. The teacher showed us how to plant things and every day after school was over or during lunch we would go over there and water everything and pull the weeds. Naturally the highlight was whnn we could bring some of our harvest home. It made us always very proud to help provide and these vegetables always tasted much better.

School Clothing

In school we had to wear the obligatory smock. I do not know if the smoks were mandated in the public schools. I think that it was the case. It was also just ""normal" that kids wore smocks at school. We only wore them in the school-room. Part of the "ritual" was to put on the smock upon arrival and before leaving to remove it and hang it over the back of the chair.

Sources

Voute, Tom. E-mail message, May 13-23, 2006.

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Created: 6:06 PM 5/22/2006
Last updated: 6:06 PM 5/22/2006