Sometimes there are occasions – times when we are young and very impressionable – when special people enter our lives and we remember them. Sometimes short-lived, but these are times that plant thoughts that will last our entire lives. Such was the case close to a century ago right here in Concord during the approaching Christmas season. A very special elementary school teacher named Eleanor Meade gathered her students around and instilled the thoughts that Christmas should bring.
A century ago the technology in school was limited to books, lectures, primers and a slate blackboard at the front of the room.Paper was a luxury that was monitored and not to be wasted, and the room was heated with coal or steam in some modern schools of the day.
In 1926, Meade found much excitement in her classroom. Christmas is approaching and there was plans to be made. She has planned a joyous season for her students, but the funds are very limited as usual. She has chosen this early December day to tell her young students there will be a class Christmas party before the school recess for the holiday season. Her announcement is met with wide applause as the children imagine the coming days, days that will allow them to focus on candy canes and decorations instead of math and spelling. Meade has a plan: a plan that will provide the joy of the season on a budget and leave the children with those lasting memories.
The Christmas party will involve a trip to the corner store to purchase some ingredients to make a Christmas cake, assorted pies and cookies. Meade will need funds to do this, something her students will help her with during recess. Meade gathers her flock of young students and ventures into the Concord forest surrounding her small school, a field trip of sorts with the students dressed warmly in their boots, wool coats, hats and mittens. Meadeinstructs her students to gather small pine branches to bring back to the classroom. The scent of pine in the warm classroom only enhances the smell of the holiday season, the pine branches are placed on a table covered in old newspaper to contain any remaining sap. She gathers the green pine branches and ties them elegantly together with a thick red ribbon she has donated from her collection at home. The end result is truly beautiful and most festive. She sends the students home at the end of the day with a few of these Christmas decorations and asks them to sell them to their neighbors for 25 cents each, the money is due on Friday and the sales will be brisk during these cold winter days. The students return with their coins and proudly place each coin in an empty glass quart milk bottle that Meade prominently displays on her large oak desk. The money now available she visits the corner store to purchase her flour, sugar and more for the class Christmas party. Meade spends the weekend baking and preparing her treats for her young students.
The following Monday she tells her students they will focus on making Christmas presents for their mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Simple gifts with so much meaning, bursting with pride the students create knitted slippers, aprons, bookends, iron holders, placemats, facecloths, reed baskets, coaster sets and dresses for dolls. The classroom resembles Santa’s workshop at the North Pole with the children as the many elves that help Santa. The students enjoy a festive and productive week that concludes with the many gifts being wrapped in colorful Christmas paper.
As the holidays approach, the students find it very hard to contain their excitement. But there are more surprises ahead for her flock of young students.
As the day of the Christmas party arrives the students attend class with colorful ribbons, bows and pins. They present their beloved teacher with Christmas cards they made at home, cards that Meade will save for the rest of her life. The Christmas treats have been arranged on a table at the front of the room and the students sing once again. As they engage in song, the large door leading into their classroom opens and parents enter, joining in song with the entire class. Meade secretly invited all of the parents to this Christmas party. This wonderful young teacher working in her Concord classroom almost a century ago planned, baked, orchestrated a holiday fundraiser and delighted so many young children. When the party concluded, the students were allowed to leave the school early and walk home with their parents. As each child departed for the extended holiday recess Meade places a gift-wrapped present in their hands. She had spent her evenings knitting by her fireplace at home creating colorful hats and mittens for each and every student in her classroom.
I have those close memories within my heart to this very day, I’m sure you also have your versions too. As a student many decades ago at St. Peter’s School, we were educated by the Sisters of Mercy.
I remember standing on the stage during our Christmas play singing with my classmates. We were in homemade costumes and the audience was filled with our family members. We were young and so very proud of our Christmas play that year and performed with anticipation of the approaching Christmas.
Certainly, my most nostalgic memories with Santa was on his way.