Highland Heights Orphanage

ACTIVITIES and EVENTS

What follows are just about all of the secular events and activites provided by the counselors at Highland Heights, aka St. Francis Orphan Asylum. Because it was essentially a religious institution, there were a number of religious events that took place throughout the year as well.

It would appear from the list that the children at Highland Heights had unlimited sources of entertainment. However, while being used as tools of discipline, which were not always impartially administered, the special events or activities were often exploited as sources of undeserving antagonism. There were always a select few children who were allowed to participate in the activities with much greater frequency while others were regularly punished by being deprived of these simple distractions that were available.

Yes, there were a lot of activities, but there were many, many more days in the life of the children at the orphanage where pain, sadness, uncertainty, and disappointment were the prevailing themes.

Friday Night Movies:

• Every week
• First run movies with a cartoon and newsreel
• Special promotional items for some movies like balloons, toys, books

Hikes to East Rock:

• Fishing from 'Third Bridge' in Mill River at the base of East Rock
• Climbing the 'Giant Steps' up to or down from East Rock
• Roasting hot dogs or marshmallows in the picnic area

Swimming at Silver Sands:

• Swimming out to 'Third Rock'
• Digging clams with your toes on the sand bar
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• Peeling sunburn

Trips to Sleeping Giant Park in Mt. Carmel:

• Cooking dinner on barbeque pits, roasting marshmallows
• Hiking in the woods
• Climbing up to the old fire lookout station [dungeon]
• Climbing down to the cave

Visiting Sunday:

• Two Sundays a month
• 'Bundles' - Left over candy and food brought by relatives; kept for future access in paper bag bundles

Candy Sales:

• Most Saturdays
• Anonymous savings account
• Money for coke machine; 6 oz. glass bottle

Christmas Party:

• Lighting the tree in the middle of the courtyard
• Singing Christmas carols
• Filling out gift request form
• Assembly, stage show, sing-along, gift receiving, special candy treats

Halloween Party:

• In gymnasium
• Costume parade
• Apple bobbing, donuts, cider

Field Day:

• Labor Day, every year, up on the hill
• Peanut hunt - money value for painted peanuts
• Races, in divisions: sack, three-legged, long jump, sprints
• Greased pole - dollar winner
• Barbeque lunch: ice cream on a stick or in a cup
• Games of chance, built and run by children
• Bonfire; songs, skits

Thanksgiving:

• Feast in refectory
• Visiting Native Americans - Indian Dances
• Football game between Hillhouse and West Haven

Special Programs:

• Choir and other performances
• Magic shows
• School talent shows
• Circus acts - sometimes go to the circus
• Visits by animated cartoon characters

School Band:

• Performances in auditorium

Pop Concerts:

• At Yale Bowl

Trips to Peabody Museum:

• On Yale campus

Flooded and frozen playground:

• Ice skating in the winter

Open showers on the playground:

• Cooling in the summer

Snow sledding:

• Down the driveway leading to the hill

Socials:

• Dances for seventh and eighth grade boys and girls

Class Trip:

• For graduating eighth graders to Savin Rock, West Haven

Cub Scouts and Brownies
Audubon Society Membership
Annual Animal Cruelty Prevention Poster Contest