On Saturday 29th July, 2000, we went to see some Amish people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  This is a picture of an Amish School.  There is only one classroom for all the children.  They only go to school until 8th Grade.  Here is a picture of their school. School usually starts around September 1 and ends May 1 and they don't get any homework.  They are lucky aren't they.   But they have to work on the farm after school.  I wouldn't like that.

Most children walk to school but some go in a buggy like this one - but not only this one!  Would you like to go to school in a buggy?  I would like to drive it.  I would go on the grass.  Sometimes horses are a bit smelly - but not this one. My Grandma likes horses but not smelly ones. She has a horse called William. This horse is called William Malachy Marian Jones (this is a joke).  They do not have cars.

They do not take photographs and some don't have electricity, radios or TV's.  The men grow big, long beards and never cut them.  They are not allowed to join the army or the airforce. They just do farming. They wear plain clothes - not sports clothes and not trendy clothes or not funny clothes.  They speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch  and also High German but they learn English at school.