Pages taken from the record of accounts of the boarders, Saint-François-de-Sales-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud (Saint-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud), Canada East (Quebec), 1838.
These pages from the record of boarder accounts show that students began classes at different times of the year: Françoise Garand entered the conventon September 28, Madeleine Colin, on February 1 and the two young Langlois sisters on August 22. At that time school calendars did not exist. Teaching was more personalized and the teachers moved around to meet the needs of small groups. Instruction began with learning how to read, which was closely connected to religion. Some children stayed in school only a few months, the time it took to receive their First Communion, learn how to spell, read prayers and write their names. Those who stayed longer, like the Langlois sisters, further developed their reading, writing and arithmetic skills as well as their ability to perform small manual tasks.