One-room schoolhouse teacher retires after 35 years in same island classroom

Elizabeth Sutherland's first day on the job at Big Tancook Island Elementary School 35 years ago ended with a moment of doubt. She stood at the edge of the wharf, lookedout at the water and thought, "Oh my god, what have I gotten myself into?"

Fresh out of teacherscollege, the Antigonish, N.S., native was hired in 1982 to teach attheone-room schoolhouse on an island that's about a45-minute ferry ride from Chester, N.S.

Now, for the first time in 35 years, Sutherland won't be checking the ferry crossings this September.

That's because sheretired at the end of June.

"It was not an easy decision. I struggled with it," Sutherland told CBC's Information Morning.

She's working on a book that documents her experience as the island's only teacher.

When Sutherland started, there were about 30 students and another teacher who taught grades 4 to 6.

As enrolment dwindled, she became the school's lone teacher, principal and Christmas play organizer.

At times, she taught as many as 16 students, but in recent years it was closer to two or three.

About 100 people live on the island year-round.

Regular school reviews

The school has frequently been in the newsfor its efforts to stay open despite several school-closure reviews. The latest one was in March 2016 whena motion to close the school by the South Shore Regional School Board ended ina tie, which meant the motion was defeated.

Sutherlandwascompletely dedicated and devoted to theisland. In times of bad weather, she would stay on the island overnight to ensure the school would be open the following day.

Rhiannon Dionne, 13, said she always enjoyed the one-on-one teaching that only a school like Big Tancook Island Elementarycould provide.

"She would take us down to the beach a lot and we'd havecampfires, but she'd also get all the work done," said RhiannonDionne.

There are now five kids enrolled at the schoolfor September, according to Rhiannon's mother, Hillary Dionne, and a new family is ready to move to the island next month.

The South Shore Regional School Board has hired teacher Paula Baker to fill the position.

Know your mudrats

Sutherland's advice to her replacementis to pay attention to the often unpredictable weatherand to get a cellphone appwith the ferry schedule.

It also wouldn't hurt to learn what a mudrat is. One day, Sutherland recalls finding a muskrat or mudrat to those on the island in the school's compost.

"I had to get a stick and try and chase him out, and they're really, really nasty animals and I thought to myself when I was doing it, 'I bet I'm the only teacher in Nova Scotia fighting with a mudrat this morning,'" said Sutherlandwith a laugh.