The original print of this picture is the property of Betty (Rose) Morris of Port Dover, Norfolk County, who scanned it and emailed it to us on 7 Jan 2011. Betty appears in this photo and provided our students' names list for this photo.

Betty is not certain precisely when this photo was taken. "1945" is written on the back of their print. Since the girls in the photo do not appear in the Simcoe High photo for 1945-46 and do appear in the Simcoe High photo for 1947-48, we assume this photo was taken during the 1945-46 school year. It was obviously taken on the front lawn of South School, which can be seen in the photo on the left in the background. 

Betty does not remember who took this photo. Her print measures appropriated 3-inches by 5-inches, suggesting it is a snapshot taken by an amateur photographer. Since the girls in the photo appear to have dressed for the occasion, one might assume its taking was planned, perhaps by a teacher. (Betty recalls Mr. Kennedy was one of their teachers.)

There are 24 girls -- no teacher -- in this photo, who Betty identifies as all grade eight students. Where were the boys? Good question. Perhaps one of Betty's classmates will be able to tell us.

The print and consequently our scan reflects remarkably little wear and tear over the years. What imperfections exist have not been massaged out. 

South School was a multi-classroom elementary school located at the corner of Kent Street and South Drive, built circa 1930. A twin of North School, South School was built so Central School could be demolished to make way for the new American Can factory. South School is no more. It was taken down and townhouses erected on that land a few years ago.

Robinson Street was the south/north dividing line for school attendance. Those living on the south side of Robinson Street, attended South School. Those living on the north side of Robinson Street attended North School. Another school wouldn't be added to the mix until Elgin Ave. Public School opened in 1950.

At the time this photo was taken, Ontario elementary education consisted of eight grades: 
1 through 8. Typically students would have started elementary school at approximately age 5 and graduated eight years later, age 13, so the students in this photo would have been born in the early 1930s.

Many, if not all, of these students presumably appear in one of our photos of Simcoe High students from the 1940s.