October 28

Kindergarten in Coalhurst

This year, our grade 2-3 and grade 6 classes were visited by Mrs. Fiona Denhoed and Mrs. Connie Watmough, two women who were instrumental in getting kindergarten started in the “hamlet” of Coalhurst.

The best available space for a kindergarten was the old wooden Legion. The first kindergarten in Coalhurst only had about 11 students. The kindergarten opened in the fall of 1973. The students attending the kindergarten received funding from the government in order to attend school. There was only enough money to send 20 kindergarten students to school in the Lethbridge and Coalhurst area.  One of those students is one of our current teachers, Mrs. Lenz. She went to the kindergarten in 1973 and is one of the students in the original record player photo below. As a group, we posed for a similar photo in 2012. In December, for the first Christmas party in the kindergarten they all sat around a record player singing Christmas carols.  At the end of 1975 the school had a big fire and there was so much damage that they had to go to school in the basement of the Pentecostal church. They only finished the year in the church though. The following year they had their classes in a small trailer right next to the high school.  Former CES principal Ms. Laurie Wilson taught the kindergarten students for many years. The Pentecostal church is still standing in Coalhurst; it is now the Good News Center.

By: Kaytlyn and Wyatt

If you happen to have a photo of the first kindergarten class, please contact Mrs. Lenz (emma.lenz@pallisersd.ab.ca). We would love to include it in our centennial book.

2012 Students with Mrs. Watmough and Mrs. Denhoed “re-enacting” the 1973 gathering around the record player

First Christmas Party for Coalhurst Kindergarten


Posted October 28, 2012 by ces2 in category 1913-2013

About the Author

I grew up in the town of Coalhurst, graduated from Coalhurst High School and have taught here for close to 20 years. I am excited to be involved in the writing of this children's history book and look forward to hearing many stories of "Life in Coalhurst."

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