Red Bird Studio

Country Schools: Past and Present

Beginning in 2012, Betsey illustrated the schoolhouses and collected stories of students and teachers who attended or taught in a country school. She also visited the country schools that are still operating in the state of South Dakota.

There are now three volumes of illustrations and stories, in the series titled Country Schools: Past and Present.

Click on the links below for more information:

ILLUSTRATIONS

Some of the illustrations are listed on Country School Illustrations page.

BOOK ORDERS

Card and Print orders

Presentations/Speaking

Hi there!

We are thrilled that you are interested in one room schools.

The education the students received was more than academics, including life skills in remote areas of the country. There were many challenges as well as rewards.

Schoolhouses varied in style of architecture from simple tar paper shacks to ornate Victoriam two-story buildings.

One concept remained the same: teach the future leaders of the United States to be model citizens.

The majority of the folks who relay their stories of their student or teaching experience say "it was the best years of their life."

We can all learn the history of country schools and enjoy the fascinating tales of walking to school through creeks and cattle pastures, playing Pum Pum Pullaway, old enough to be the student assigned to raise the flag and starting the day with the Pledge of Allegiance, Art classes on Fridays, riding your horse to school sometimes with siblings on the same horse...

The remarkable thing in South Dakota in particular, is that there are still, in 2020, operating country schools in the rural remote western counties of the state.

Betsey is excited to hear folks comment about her illustrations that "It looks just like it did when I went there!"

 Happy Reading!!