For another glimpse of long-gone school days, this is the April 1941 issue of the Hopewell Elementary School student paper, The Keyhole, kindly shared by the Kolbert family (see earlier post). It is fourteen typewritten pages with illustrations by Eleanora McAlinden, including news for what each grade was doing, personal updates on some of the students, student writing and poetry, plus lots of favorite jokes and riddles.
Do you know of other school papers like this from the Hopewell Valley? We have one other example – the Hopewell Hi-Lights from 1956. These student papers do seem to be intermittent: Just for Hopewell Elementary, newspaper reports show The Keyhole in 1931 and 1941, The School Scout in 1949 and 1950, and Hopewell Hi-Lights in 1956.
== View the April 1941 issue of The Keyhole from Hopewell Elementary School (PDF) ==
School Activities
The paper includes reports on each of the classes, from kindergarten to eighth grade.
Eighth Grade Mother Goose Operetta
The major eight grade activity was a Mother Goose operetta (and fund raiser) that featured the eighth graders:
An operetta was given by the pupils of all grades with the pupils of eighth grade taking the character parts. The title of the operetta was “The Land of Dreams Come True”. It was built around Mother Goose characters. The director of the operetta was our sixth grade teacher, Mr. Malesky. It was very well rendered and a neat sum realized.
The associated newspaper article reports that after the children eat “magic berries” they travel to the world of Mother Goose for fantastical adventures, and when they return home they decide that it “must have been a dream.”
Seventh Grade Bicycle Ride to Kunkel’s Park
Seventh graders took a bicycle ride to Kunkle’s Park during Easter vacation. This was a full-day trip, 5 1/2 miles each way, with time for food and games:
Twelve members of the seventh grade class went on a bicycle ride to Kunkel’s Park. We left the school ground at 10:00 o’clock in the morning. The cyclists walked nearly to the top of Mount Rose hill, turned right, and proceeded via a very stony dirt road to the park, arriving about 12:00 o’clock. After a very brief rest period everyone enjoyed roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. A baseball game followed, after which the party started home. We arrived in Hopewell about 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon.
The trip route started south out of Hopewell with a long walk up the hill to Mount Rose (our Princeton Avenue / Hopewell-Princeton Road), and then turned right and followed the “stony dirt road” (Pennington-Rocky Hill Road) to the edge of Pennington (where East Delaware Avenue meets Federal City Road), before turning right at the Stony Brook bridge up to the park on King George Road.
Seventh Grade Learning
The seventh grade recreated a radio show to help to review for history class:
Recently in history class the 7th grade has been having a board of experts. This is modeled after the radio program “Information Please.” Members of the class fire questions at the board of experts who attempt to answer them. This method of class procedure has been used to review for history tests.
The seventh grade also held a debate as the last assembly program in March. The topic was “Resolved that the North got the better of the bargain in the Compromise of 1850.” (This was the attempt before the Civil War to diffuse the conflict over slavery in the new territories.)
Personal News
The paper also included personal news, including destinations for Easter vacation, near and far: fishing the Stony Brook, on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, visiting a cousin in Philadelphia, and longer trips to Valley Forge and Florida.
It also listed some of the medical issues keeping students out of school:
– Betty Adler caught her leg in the grating back of the school house. It was bruised quite badly but is all right now.
– Audrey Simpson had scarlet fever and was obliged to be absent from school.
– Adelaide Sicignano is expected to return to our school soon. She has been in the hospital for several weeks. Her classmates miss her and will be glad when she is well enough to return.
– David Billis is confined to his home with measles.
Sense and Nonsense
The paper concluded with a Sense and Nonsense section, with some profound and some not-so-deep thoughts:
– There are two occasions when the mouth should be kept shut – when swimming and when angry.
– Pick a real tough job for yourself. Then you won’t have so much competition.
– There was an earthquake once, which frightened the inhabitants of a certain town. One couple sent their little boy to stay with an uncle in another district, explaining the reason for the boy’s unexpected visit. A day or two later, the parents received this telegram: “Am returning your boy; send the earthquake.”
Riddles
Some other student riddles:
– What confection did Noah have in the ark?
… Preserved pairs (pears)
– Why is a visitor to Paris nearly always in bad company?
… Because he is surrounded by Paris-ites.
– What is it that the miser spends and a spendthrift saves?
… Nothing.
– Why is a man in jail like a ship full of water?
… They both need bailing out.
== View the April 1941 issue of The Keyhole from Hopewell Elementary School (PDF) ==
Please contact us if you have additional Hopewell Valley school papers, or other school information (see links below).
More on Hopewell Valley Schools
Posts on school materials, including yearbooks, graduation programs, and plays.
- See also post on St. Michael’s Orphanage and School
Browse all School materials in the Image Album and Pamphlet Collection:
- Hopewell Schools History Posters – Hopewell Elementary School at the Harvest Fair
- Images – Hopewell Valley Schools Album – Class photos, classrooms, etc. (search by name, etc.)
- Pamphlets – Hopewell Valley Schools – Yearbooks, commencements, etc. (select by town, name, etc.)
Hopewell Valley Schools – History
- Post on Hopewell School Mascots – and the Frog – School names, mascots and logos
- Post on The Timberlane School Name – The Timberlane Drive development
- Post on Learning Your Letters – School Signs – Princeton High School (1919 / 1920)
- Post on Toll Gate and Hopewell Elementary School Centennials (2026)
Hopewell Borough Schools History – Grammar & High Schools
- Post on Hopewell Elementary School History – Hopewell Schools History posters
- Documents on Hopewell Borough Schools – Briefs and Posters
Hopewell Grammar School (Model Ave.) – 1888 – Posts & Materials
- Post on Model Ave. Grammar School Annex – Jewelry, invention, guitars, metalwork
- Post on c1912 Hopewell Grammar School Kids – Photos on Model Ave.
- Post on 1920s Hopewell Teachers – Scott & Scharring-Hausen
- Brief – Hopewell Grammar School Summary Brief (PDF)
- Brief – Hopewell Grammar School Annex Summary Brief (PDF)
Hopewell Elementary School (Princeton Ave.) – 1926 – Posts & Materials
- Post on the Hopewell Elementary School Centennial – history and additions
- Post on Hopewell Elementary School Class Plaques – 1926-1966 – Photos and names
- Post on 1941 Hopewell Elementary School Newspaper
- Post on 1952 Hopewell Elementary School – Graduation program and yearbook
- Pamphlets – 1956 Hopewell Elementary School “Hi-Lights” Newsletters
- Pamphlets – All Hopewell Elementary School Pamphlets – with yearbooks, graduation programs, newsletters
- Brief – Hopewell Elementary School Summary Brief (PDF)
Pennington Grammar School – Posts & Materials
- Post on 1950s Memories of Pennington – Mike Thomsen – Building evolution
Hopewell High School (Columbia Ave.) – 1910 – Posts & Materials
- Post on The Confusing Hopewell Firehouse – and Boro Hall and High School (1910)
- Post on 1917 Hopewell High School Yearbook – “Blue and Gold”
- Post on 1920s Hopewell High School – Commencement / Class Day books
- Post on 1924 Hopewell High School Program and Ads – Senior class play
- Post on 1927 Hopewell High School Diploma & Autograph Book
- Pamphlets – All Hopewell High School Pamphlets – with yearbooks, graduation programs, diploma
Hopewell Valley Central High School(s) (Pennington) – 1929 / 1958 – Posts & Materials
- Post on 1950s Memories of Pennington – Mike Thomsen – Buildings, school days
- Post on Central High School 1962 Practicum Report – School operations
- Post on Central High School 1961 Student Handbook – Rules & Clubs
- Post on Business Classes at Central High School, c. 1966 – Typing & bookkeeping
- Post on Central High School Class of 1966 – 2016 Reunion Scrapbook – Valley Images
- Post on Central High School Curriculum: 1962 & 1976 – Booklets
- Pamphlets – All Central High School Pamphlets – Yearbooks, graduation programs, curriculum
See also the Document Archive for additional historical school materials.
