It took years to restore the Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse to its original 1869 form and now, it's filled with students once again.
For 17 years, Tina Hansen McEnroe has been taking students back in time. Santa Barbara County students grades 1st through 8th visit the Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse in the Santa Ynez Valley for a day of learning with their current curriculum but in 1800s style.
"The spelling words are done by spelling bees. The arithmetic is written on original slate boards. Reading time is, you know, reading out of original McGuffey readers. We learn vocabulary by acting out charade form on the teacher stage. We have a lot of fun," McEnroe said.
Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse is the only wooden one-room schoolhouse in Santa Barbara County offering immersive classes, complete with historical items like school records, books, pianos and clocks. Students even dress in traditional clothing to complete the experience.
"And it's so fun. It's so fun," says 4th grader June Malloy, a student at Vista de Las Cruces School in Gaviota where McEnroe used to teach.
Students say it's hard to choose a favorite part, but they agree music is a highlight.
“I like how there's a piano in the classroom,” Malloy says.
“It's really cool,” echoed 3rd grader Valentina Tapia.
Students also say they enjoy greeting their teacher in the morning and often bring those manners back to their own classrooms.
"Respect is a byproduct of what I do here, but they don't really know it. And so, everyone respects one another and it does work," McEnroe explained.
McEnroe says over the years, The 141-year-old schoolhouse has seen thousands of students.
"It's really been fun for me and I feel very, very fortunate to be able to do this for the community," McEnroe said.
