Visit Old Elm Springs Colony School

History-  Old Elm Springs Colony is a daughter colony of New Elm Springs Colony, also in the Parkston School District.  The school was started in the early 1990's with one teacher.  Now there are two teachers and 22 students at the site.  
School Day -- The school day for a Hutterite child starts early in the morning, at 7:30 with German school with the German teacher, who is a member of the colony.  All children from age five to age fifteen are expected to attend.  They are taught their history, songs, prayers, bible stories and how to write and speak in German.  After that the English school day starts for them, and they are taught math, spelling, English, reading, social studies, science, art, physical education and music.  When school is dismissed at 3:30, they can go home for lunch and then  at 4:00 it is back to German school for an hour.  At around 5:00 they are called for supper.  After supper there is usually church.  Some of the girls baby-sit for mothers who have children not old enough go church, and therefore do not need to be in attendance.  In the fall and spring the evening German school is not held as the children often help with the garden work.
Summer Days --  During the summer most children are assigned jobs and work with someone else.  The boys may work in the hog barn, turkey barn, chicken barn, carpentry shop, mechanic shop, or the orchard.   The girls will either baby-sit for a family, or help in the garden.  Some of those job assignments continue throughout the school year.

To find more information about the Hutterite Colonies in the United States you can check out the following addresses.  

 

http://www.hutterianbrethren.com/

http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/media/newspapers/news/old_news/hutterite14b.htm

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