According to the 1947-1948 year book, the school on
The main building was connected by an enclosed walkway to a portable structure where there existed another three classrooms. Obviously, today's strict fire codes and regulations did not exist in those days, as the walkway was used as a storage depot for drums of heating oil and was insulated with lime and wood shavings. According to Roy Wilson, the lime was used to keep out unwanted rodents and pests. The three room structure was affectionately called the "chicken coop".
The physical conditions for work and study in the original school building
on
Up until 1948, students spent the entire day in the same classroom. Rotating classes, where students and teachers moved to different classrooms for each period, began in the 1949-1950 school year. Teachers having classes in both the Van Horne building and the chicken coop were required to carry all their equipment to and from both locations on a daily basis. For classes like Harry McMaster's Grade 10 chemistry, there was a lot to haul.