Frontenac County Schools Museum
414 Regent St, Barriefield K7K 5R1 Kingston, ON, Canada

We want to bring the museum to your class! This year has introduced many new challenges in the classroom - field trips have always played an important role in teaching. This is why we have designed a virtual experience so that you and your students can still visit the museum! We are looking for teachers to join us for a trial run of our virtual program to make it the best it can be. Though targeted for Grades 2-4, all classes are welcome. The program has curriculum links to S...ocial Studies, Language and Math. The experience features images of photographs and artifacts from the museum, interviews with people who attended a one-room school, discussion questions, interactive activities, and more! The program can be delivered to your students remotely through your own Google Classroom, or in your ACTUAL classroom (just waiting for Wednesday on that one, right? ) If you are interested in participating please contact Liz at the Schools Museum by email at [email protected] or phone at 613-544-9113. We can’t wait to take you back in time! Kingston Association of Museums, Art Galleries & Historic Sites Ontario Museum Association Limestone District School Board . . . . . #ontariomuseum #kingstonmuseums #ygkmuseum #ygk #virtuallearning #virtualmuseum #history #ontariocurriculum #ontarioteacher #exploreon #discoveron

Today is national puzzle day! To celebrate we have made a puzzle featuring a special artifact! To complete the puzzle simply use one of the links below: Easy version: (18 piece) https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3757924d4933 Hard version: (40 piece) https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=16c3468e29ff ... The puzzle image is a set of Cuisenaire rods which will be familiar to anyone who has had to sit through a math class in the past 50 years. These colourful rods are used to teach math, as each differently sized rod corresponds to different numerical values. The educational tool was invented in 1945 by a Belgian teacher, Georges Cuisenaire. Cuisenaire’s invention was inspired by seeing his students struggle to learn math. Improving instruction in math and science became a priority in America after the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957. Objects like Cuisenaire rods were then introduced in classrooms to excite students about learning basic principles.

"...Poetry is 'part of the sustenance we take on board for the long voyage of life.' Millie Morton - friend, volunteer and Board member of the museum - inspired by Amanda Gorman's "The Hill we Climb", reflects on the power of poetry (click the link below to access the Globe and Mail article). Poetry and memory work were standard tools of learning in the days of the one room school. What does poetry mean to you? Did you grow up reading and reciting it? Or not at all? Either w...ay, we think you will find the article inspiring :) Well done, Millie! https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-the-power-of-poe/

We wish all students and teachers going back to school today a great first day! . Are you a teacher that would like to take your class on a virtual field trip? Contact us at [email protected] to start a trial of our first virtual program! Designed to be used in class, or through your Google classroom - lots of flexibility with this program with curriculum links to Language, Math and Social Studies. Recommended for grades 2 - 4, but would be fun for all ages. ... . Photo: Harrowsmith Public School, ca. 1890. More photos like this inside the virtual museum! . . . . . #schoolsmuseum #ygkmuseum #kingstonmuseums #museumson #virtuallearning #virtualmuseum #virtualfieldtrip #socialstudies #kingston #exploreon #discoveron #ontariocurriculum

‘Tis the season to be jolly ... And why not make someone’s holiday merry and bright by giving the gift of a Frontenac County Schools Museum membership? It’s the perfect present for an educator, family, or history enthusiast! You can purchase a museum membership online here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/7507... Simply select "annual membership" in the drop down menu, and in the "messages" section, indicate that the membership is a gift and we will get in touch with you! Happy Holidays! . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #christmas #happyholidays #shoplocal #gift

Happy National Reading Day! It’s the perfect day to curl up with a good book What are you reading?

We are back with some more Christmas postcards for you - one is from 1914 and the other from 1942, meaning that these postcards would have been sent during the First and Second World Wars, respectively. Look back to last week for more Christmas postcards and to learn about the origin of sending Christmas cards! .... . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #postcard #christmas #christmascard #vintagepostcard See more

We are back with Retro Recess to spotlight some of our favourite games! All of these games would have been seen on the playground during the days of the one room schoolhouse! This month take a look at British Bulldog! Check out the link in our bio/below to our website resource page to check out this activity along with many more! Get active with us and follow along at home or wherever!.... https://www.fcsmuseum.com/resources.html . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #recess #schoolyard #games #britishbulldog

We are so grateful for the continued support from the City of Kingston - Municipal Government and Kingston Association of Museums, Art Galleries & Historic Sites through the Heritage Fund. Thank you!

On this day, we remember. The Roll of Honour of the Ontario Teachers Who Served in The Great War 1914-1918 is a compiled list of all the teachers in Ontario who served in the First World War. The book contains 848 names of Ontario teachers who enlisted in the war. Of these, 101 lost their lives, 210 were wounded, and 78 received decorations. Many of the teachers listed at the time were still studying in Professional Training Schools and had to leave their studies. Many female... teachers gave up their teaching positions to enlist in the military nursing forces. While many teachers and teacher students enlisted, work was still being done in one-room schools. Female students and younger boys began working more on farms to increase production. Students were even allowed to complete their school courses earlier in the year to work on the farms. Lest We Forget.

Did you know Schooling in Ontario became compulsory in the 1870s, but in remote parts of the province offering reliable schooling to children was difficult. Many isolated settlements were too small or temporary for regular schooling to be practical. In 1926 the Ontario government launched a program to attempt to combat this gap in the education system. Their response was railway car schools. The program was a success and lasted for 41 years!... Each car was equipped with a school room and living quarters for the teacher. The schoolroom contained two blackboards, roll-down maps, a globe, desks, and school books. There was even a lending library with books for children and adults. The railway car would park in a community for about a week and then leave the students with a month of homework to complete at home until the school returned. Each railway car would travel about 150 miles each serving 5 or 6 settlements! The last railway car in operation closed in 1967 after attendance dropped throughout the years. All photos sourced from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Library, 2018. . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #railway #railwayschools #northernontario

In a one room schoolhouse in rural Canada, winter could be a difficult time. Many children walked to school, making the morning "commute" quite the struggle if there was a lot of snow! Some children would have been helped by the use of snowshoes, or by making the journey on horseback. In some cases during times of extreme winter weather, like today, schools would have extended snow days. Here are some fun winter photos from throughout the years of people enjoying the snow! .... . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #winter #snow #snowday See more

Happy December! (Also, how is it December?!) We are pleased to share the first in our series of postcard highlights!... The first official Christmas card to be sent through mail was in 1848. They were invented to save time responding to correspondences. Now, it is still a very popular tradition to send messages of well wishes to loved ones during the holidays. Here are some of the Christmas postcards we have in our collection. One from the 1940s (approximately) and the other a homemade card from an unknown date. Check in over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas to see more postcards! . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #postcard #christmas #christmascard

Looking for something safe and fun to do now that the weather is getting colder? We are OPEN and offer private visits by appointment Monday - Friday from 10am-4pm. Our visits can include a private lesson taught by a school marm, or a self-guided or guided tour of the museum. We suggest that you book at least one day in advance as we may be unable to accommodate same day appointments. Thank you for understanding! ... Call 613-544-9113 or email [email protected] to book your visit now!! . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum

Halloween is just around the corner! Did you know... Halloween didn’t become popular in Canada until the 1800s when there was an influx of Scottish and Irish immigrants who introduced Halloween celebrations. Children began dressing up and trick or treating in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Eventually, Halloween started being recognized as a fun community holiday, and continues today! We have collected some of our favourite photos of school children dressed up in their festi...ve halloween costumes! Swipe through to check them out! . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #halloween #trickortreat #ontariomuseum See more

We could all use a little cheer, so please enjoy these photos of our latest Christmas display! It features postcards, teaching resources, a beautiful set of glass slides telling the story of The Night Before Christmas, and more! Starting next week, we will also be sharing some of our favourite Christmas postcards in the collection throughout the month of December, so keep an eye on our social media!... . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #ygkmuseum #ygk #ontariomuseum #Christmas #postcards #thenightbeforechristmas #museumexhibit# #discoveron #exploreon #oldschool

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Here is a fun craft for you to try this weekend :) Pressed flowers and leaves were an important keepsake for the Victorians. They were used to remember treasured moments to be put on display or kept safe in the pages of a book. This craft combines these keepsakes with a fun fall decoration. Follow along to learn how to make a leaf lantern. ... Watch our video on our YouTube channel which is linked below. Follow along until the end of the video to learn about the history of the craft! Video link: https://youtu.be/qAO9vObCnTY Send us your results if you make your own using the hashtag #fcsmcrafting! . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #fcsmcrafting #lantern #leaves #fall

To celebrate Women’s History Month we wanted to spotlight some of the women featured in our collection. Unlike other jobs or professions in the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, teaching was female dominated. There are a variety of reasons why so many teachers were women. During the nineteenth century, industrialization led men towards new economic opportunities. Industrialization also meant there were more immigrants and a faster growing population which caused more s...chools to populate Canada, so a new supply of labour was necessary. All this combined with the fact that women’s wages were typically much lower than men’s, which allowed women to find success becoming teachers during the days of the one room schoolhouse. Teaching was a demanding career that offered meager pay and very little job security. Teachers began to retaliate and unions emerged. It took a couple of decades, but by 1930 female teachers had succeeded and annual pay grew and some women began to rise to positions as principals and superintendents. Nonetheless, teaching gave many women a sense of independence and purpose despite the demanding nature of the position. It also was an opportunity to enter the public space and explore new ideas and politics. Swipe through to see some photos of female teachers through the decades! The first teacher pictured is Ethel Lloyd who taught at Desert Lake School during the early 1900s. Secondly, is Georgine Lovick, born in 1871 in Kingston, she trained as a kindergarten teacher at Ottawa Normal School.

Happy Teacher's Day to all the incredible hardworking teachers! To celebrate we wanted to look back at teaching over the decades, shown through the museum's photo collection. Let us know if you have a teacher you are appreciative of in the comments!... . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #teacherday #internationalteachingday #kingstonteachers See more

This rainy day was spent doing some field research - driving around Frontenac County looking at the sites of former schools! Any guesses where this photo was taken? . . . .... . #ygk #ygkmuseum #ontariomuseum #kingstonmuseums #roadtrip #frontenaccounty #history #limestone #oldschool #historicbuilding See more

Nominations are open! :) You can nominate us in the "Sports, Recreation and Fitness" Category, followed by "Museums"!

It's time for another Retro Recess! Get out your rainboots and take a look at hopscotch! Head over to www.fcsmuseum.com on our Resources page to check out this activity along with many more! Get active with us and follow along at home or wherever!. . .... . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #recess #schoolyard #games #hopscotch See more

Spelling Bees were a common activity used to teach children’s literacy in schools. Learn how to run your own Spelling Bee complete with word suggestions! Whether you want to run a spelling bee with your class, or just at home with family, these activity sheets will teach you how and a bit about the history of spelling bees.... To download check out the link below and let us know how you did! https://drive.google.com//1v2TCKqjDHVKGfbYuD_IoS7QeZ/view . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #spellingbee

Have you ever thought about HOW or WHY schools began in the first place? Going to school now is a part of our daily lives, but that wasn’t always the case! In the early days in Upper Canada, schooling wasn’t very well established. Unreliable teachers, poor building conditions, and little resources made getting an education difficult. It was also difficult for children to attend because of poor roads, distance, weather, and the need for child labour. The Rebellion of 1837-1...838 sparked a change in attitudes towards education. Schooling started being viewed as a means to combat Americanism, and was used as a moral agency to fight crime, drunkenness, and poverty. The Education Acts of the 1840s allowed for the establishment of the Central Board of Education, which led to many improvements of the education system. The Board was responsible for creating the curriculum and providing textbooks, and teachers required more qualifications. Even with this increased focus on education, it wasn’t until 1871 that schooling became compulsory in Ontario. . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum

Thanks for sharing, Visit Kingston! Book your appointment at the Schools Museum today. And why not visit some other great sites on September 26th for Doors Open Kingston 2020? See you soon

Thank you for your questions! Read some of the questions (and answers) that we received on our stories in the comments below... and in the meantime, there's still time to ask more! Comment on this post if you have a question . . . .... . #askacurator #ygkmuseums #kingstonmuseums #ontariomuseums #museumcollection #artifacts See more

Book your spot for September 26th! We can do an 1899-style lesson, gallery tour, and some fun activities for all ages! Click the link below to book your time

Have you ever wondered what the oldest artifact in our collection is? Why can’t you touch everything? What do curators even do? ...Well September 16th is Ask a Curator day! Our Curator Liz will be answering all your questions! Submit your questions in the comments below and Liz will respond on the 16th - you can also find our responses on our Instagram or Facebook stories! Looking forward to answering all your questions! .... . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #askacurator See more

Sadly summer is coming to an end but don’t worry we will still be open !! We will continue to offer visits by appointment only as we move into the Fall, but will be changing our days of operation from Monday - Friday - so book your visit soon if you’d like to visit us on Saturday!... After this weekend, we suggest that you book at least one day in advance as we may be unable to accommodate day of appointments. Our visits can include a private lesson taught by a school m...arm, or a self-guided or guided tour of the museum. Let us know what you are looking for when you book, and we will do our best to accommodate!. Call 613-544-9113 or email [email protected] to book your visit now!! . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum

What a great idea! Be sure to check these out if you're in the area :)

That's right! Join us on September 26th!

Happy back to school to everyone! Ever wondered why we have a summer vacation? In warmer months in rural areas, children needed to work on their family farms. These few months off were used for students to help during the harvest season. Though most of us don’t have to worry about working on the farm anymore, the tradition of a summer holiday still exists!... Share your favourite summer holiday memory in the comments! . . . . . #kingstonmuseums #education #ontariomuseums #learning #oldschool #ontarioschools #ygkmuseum #summer #summerholidays #summerbreak #backtoschool