Recollections
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What follows is one former student's recollection of her days at River Road
School. If you or a family member would like to share your memories of the
school, please contact the Lyndhurst Historical Society.
Although I didn't live in a log cabin or do my school work by the light of the
fireplace like Abe Lincoln, I did attend a one-room schoolhouse.
The Little Red Schoolhouse was actually called River Road School when I
attended in 1930. Why? Because it stood on River Road, so called
because the Passaic River runs along side. At the time I attended, it wasn't
red at all, but painted pale yellow.
The good ladies of the Lyndhurst Historical Society have had the school
declared an historic site. Not because I went there of course, I don't go
back that far, but because the land was purchased in 1804 from the
Indians for a certain number of peppercorns. A pretty shrewd real estate
deal, I'd say. There was something included with the peppercorns, but
since I wasn't there at the time, I don't recall what it was.
I was not anxious to start school I guess. Mama told me she took me when
I was five but I cried so hard, she took me home until I was six!
When I finally got to go I loved it so much I wouldn't stay home even when I
hurt my neck going under the bed to get my puppy. I couldn't straighten my
head it was turned to my shoulder. Teacher said, "Please come and get
Alida she looks so forlorn!"
The teacher, Mrs.Shanager, taught three grades in one classroom.
Pre-primer, One A and One B. Mrs. Shanager was a widow. We had all
heard rumors about the story about how her husband, a railroad engineer,
had been killed at work.
When we entered the school we hung our coats on wire hooks in the
Cloakroom. We went to our desks and sat with our hands folded. Teacher
would call the roll and we would answer "present". There would be a
salute to the flag and then Teacher would read from the Bible. That was
the way our day would begin.
The dear lady's idea of punishment when we misbehaved was to have us
sit in her big chair at her desk. For instance, if you were caught, Heaven
forbid, chewing gum, you had to sit in her chair with the gum on your nose!
One time Audrey Laque (sp?) was seen tossing her big hair bow in the air
when Mrs. Shanager entered the room so poor Audrey was forced to sit in
the dreaded big chair and toss her bow in the air over and over again. How
humiliating! I was a good girl and never had to go through that horrible
ordeal.
I was taught one of life's little lessons however. Don't be a tattletale. Mrs.
Shanager had us rest quietly sitting at our desks putting our heads down
on our folded arms and closing our eyes. (Probably a rest for Teacher as
well)...I raised my hand and said, "Mrs. Shanager, so and so isn't doing it!"
"Well, Alida, she said, "if you had your eyes closed and head down you
wouldn't have seen her."
At recess we played in the schoolyard. If you were very good, you would be
chosen to pull the rope to ring the big school bell to call us into class.
Along with our ABC's we played games, "Ring Around the Rosy" and
"London Bridges Falling Down!". We sang songs. I remember this one,
"Where, oh where, has my little dog gone? Oh, where or where has he
gone? With his ears cut short and his tail cut long. Oh, where oh were has
he gone?" We sang this one with all the appropriate gestures. An
occasion that scarred me forever when it came to my singing voice, when
one of my classmates told teacher, "Alida isn't singing, she's just saying
the words!"
Even though we didn't have to trudge through snow or rain for miles &
miles, most of us would have to walk quite a long ways. Mrs. Shanager
would take our galoshes off and dry our little cold wet feet.
I have had many more teachers during my school years. I can't even name
them all. But dear Mrs. Shanager and the little one room schoolhouse
have stayed in my memory all these many years.
- Alida (Hak) Mandel
School. If you or a family member would like to share your memories of the
school, please contact the Lyndhurst Historical Society.
Although I didn't live in a log cabin or do my school work by the light of the
fireplace like Abe Lincoln, I did attend a one-room schoolhouse.
The Little Red Schoolhouse was actually called River Road School when I
attended in 1930. Why? Because it stood on River Road, so called
because the Passaic River runs along side. At the time I attended, it wasn't
red at all, but painted pale yellow.
The good ladies of the Lyndhurst Historical Society have had the school
declared an historic site. Not because I went there of course, I don't go
back that far, but because the land was purchased in 1804 from the
Indians for a certain number of peppercorns. A pretty shrewd real estate
deal, I'd say. There was something included with the peppercorns, but
since I wasn't there at the time, I don't recall what it was.
I was not anxious to start school I guess. Mama told me she took me when
I was five but I cried so hard, she took me home until I was six!
When I finally got to go I loved it so much I wouldn't stay home even when I
hurt my neck going under the bed to get my puppy. I couldn't straighten my
head it was turned to my shoulder. Teacher said, "Please come and get
Alida she looks so forlorn!"
The teacher, Mrs.Shanager, taught three grades in one classroom.
Pre-primer, One A and One B. Mrs. Shanager was a widow. We had all
heard rumors about the story about how her husband, a railroad engineer,
had been killed at work.
When we entered the school we hung our coats on wire hooks in the
Cloakroom. We went to our desks and sat with our hands folded. Teacher
would call the roll and we would answer "present". There would be a
salute to the flag and then Teacher would read from the Bible. That was
the way our day would begin.
The dear lady's idea of punishment when we misbehaved was to have us
sit in her big chair at her desk. For instance, if you were caught, Heaven
forbid, chewing gum, you had to sit in her chair with the gum on your nose!
One time Audrey Laque (sp?) was seen tossing her big hair bow in the air
when Mrs. Shanager entered the room so poor Audrey was forced to sit in
the dreaded big chair and toss her bow in the air over and over again. How
humiliating! I was a good girl and never had to go through that horrible
ordeal.
I was taught one of life's little lessons however. Don't be a tattletale. Mrs.
Shanager had us rest quietly sitting at our desks putting our heads down
on our folded arms and closing our eyes. (Probably a rest for Teacher as
well)...I raised my hand and said, "Mrs. Shanager, so and so isn't doing it!"
"Well, Alida, she said, "if you had your eyes closed and head down you
wouldn't have seen her."
At recess we played in the schoolyard. If you were very good, you would be
chosen to pull the rope to ring the big school bell to call us into class.
Along with our ABC's we played games, "Ring Around the Rosy" and
"London Bridges Falling Down!". We sang songs. I remember this one,
"Where, oh where, has my little dog gone? Oh, where or where has he
gone? With his ears cut short and his tail cut long. Oh, where oh were has
he gone?" We sang this one with all the appropriate gestures. An
occasion that scarred me forever when it came to my singing voice, when
one of my classmates told teacher, "Alida isn't singing, she's just saying
the words!"
Even though we didn't have to trudge through snow or rain for miles &
miles, most of us would have to walk quite a long ways. Mrs. Shanager
would take our galoshes off and dry our little cold wet feet.
I have had many more teachers during my school years. I can't even name
them all. But dear Mrs. Shanager and the little one room schoolhouse
have stayed in my memory all these many years.
- Alida (Hak) Mandel
(1.) Malcolm Evans (11) Kenneth Funabashi (12) Robin Cameron (13) Dominick (?) (18) Eileen
Broderick (21) Robert Saum (24) Noboru Kondo (26) Grace (?) (27) Alida Hak (Mandel) (31)
Peggy Parks (34) Ethel (?) (35) Martha (?) (37) Audrey Laque (sp) (38) Annette Armstrong.
Photo and caption courtesy of Alida (Hak) Mandel. If you can identify any of the students in this
photo, please send an e-mail to the Lyndhurst Historical Society.
Broderick (21) Robert Saum (24) Noboru Kondo (26) Grace (?) (27) Alida Hak (Mandel) (31)
Peggy Parks (34) Ethel (?) (35) Martha (?) (37) Audrey Laque (sp) (38) Annette Armstrong.
Photo and caption courtesy of Alida (Hak) Mandel. If you can identify any of the students in this
photo, please send an e-mail to the Lyndhurst Historical Society.
