School Daze
Its inevitable. We all have to go. We all have to endure (or enjoy if your weird like that) a good 13 years of schooling…including Kindergarten. School was so different when I attended back in the 60’s and 70’s compared to these days. First of all, the school year never began before Labor Day. Kindergarten was always half a day. Elementary school went through sixth grade, middle school was seventh and eighth grade. High school was split into two categories. Junior High included ninth (Freshmen) and tenth grades (Sophmore). Senior High included eleventh (Junior) and twelfth grades (Senior).
These days, kids go to kindergarten all day long and are expected to learn to read and write. Some schools require children to already know how to write their names and the alphabet before entering Kindergarten. When I went, it was half day and we learned how to share toys and tie our shoes and how to say please and thank you. We learned manners and how to play games nicely with each other. What a big difference!
We moved around a lot when I was growing up. I can remember attending nine different schools and I never did graduate. I got my GED when my children were very young. We never lived in any one place more than two years. My record now that I’m in my 50’s is around 10 years in the same house. I’ve moved twice since then though and I’m not settled yet. There are at least one to two more moves in my near future before I will feel good and settled. Sad but true. Circumstances… life…separation…more life… you know what I mean?
So back to Kindergarden. My Mom made me go. She says I gave her a hard time about leaving me on the first day of Kindergarten. My baby brother had to come with us. Eventually she said she told me she had to take my brother home for his nap and convinced me that she’d be right back to get me. I said ok. Here is a Kindergarten picture.
I remember a few things about my kindergarten room. It had black and white square tile floors. Each week we could purchase either white milk, chocolate milk or orange drink to have for our snack time. I usually had chocolate milk. Both my brothers and I grew up to be chocolate milk junkies. Mmmmm. The third thing I remember is the large play house in the back of the room. We could crawl inside and play around in the kitchen. I remember pretending to wash dishes in the little sink.
Below is a second grade picture. My Mother made the red, white and blue outfit for me.
In third grade I was in Mrs. Millers class. She was my favorite teacher. I also took modeling lessons and did a few shows. I can still remember how to walk down the runway and turn around graciously. Todays models aren’t doin it right! They do this weird marching step that’s so not feminine.
By fifth grade we moved to Philadelphia and I had Mrs Lyons. I did not like her. She yelled at me in front of the whole class and I remember the embarrassment I felt. I also have this weird memory of having a coughing attack in that class during a movie we were watching with the lights out. I kept trying to stifle it but it just wasn’t working. At least Mrs. Lyons didn’t yell at me for it! So weird the things we remember.
Sixth grade was extra weird because my brother and I went to a Catholic school. I think it was called Saint Martin of Tours. My uniform was gray and maroon and classes were taught by nuns. We were not Catholic so when it came time for Wednesday chapel, I was excused from confession and taking communion. I just sat in the pew and waited for the rest of the students to return to their seats.
I very clearly remember my Religion book. I thought it was weird to have a class called Religion. I remember the concrete school yard we played in and the Chinese jump rope we played every chance we had. I loved that game! Any of you remember playing it? I remember..in, out, side by side, on, in out and repeat. There was also a lot of double dutch jump rope that year. I was a champ at that!
My brother Todd used to get in trouble a lot in that school and would get his hands slapped with a ruler from one of the nuns. He was not a trouble making kind of kid. He never got in to trouble before or after that year so I think those people were just a little slap happy. I never got in trouble that year myself…phew! One day on our walk home from school, Todd and I found $30.00 on the sidewalk. A 20 and a 10 dollar bill. I remember giving it to my Mother and how shocked she was. $30.00 was a lot back in 1975. I guess she spent it on bills or groceries.
Seventh grade found me at a new address and in my first year of middle school. I started middle school the month before my 12 birthday and spent the week before school started with my first period. What a stressful time that was. I remember it well and that it was September first, 1976! School started on the eighth.
When I started ninth grade we were living on the street right next to the High School. There was never any excuse to be late to school that year! Every morning while still in bed I could hear the band practicing in the football field right across the street. Also, right behind us was a bakery. Their scrumptious smells of fresh breads and cinnamon rolls wafted into my bedroom window every single day! Those mornings hold good memories for me. My boyfriend Bob lived next door and his bedroom window was directly across from mine. Sometimes I’d even window to window talk with his Mother!
A lot of things happened that year or two we lived in that double block. We started going to church and within six months the whole family was saved and our lives would be forever changed and I met the boy who would eventually become my first AND second husband. But thats a story for another blog.
Ninth grade did not end very well. I failed three classes and ended up flunking ninth grade. If I stayed in that school I would have to repeat that grade. Ugh!
So onward to tenth grade! We attended an Assembly of God church that also had a private Christian school . Both my brothers and I attended and my Mother worked there as a monitor. We wore red, white and blue uniforms that we called monkey suits. I thought they were pretty comfortable. Weird looking but comfy. Here's a picture of me in my monkey suit but I don't recall the year.
Now I forgot to mention a couple things about me and my relationship with school. I hate school. From fifth grade on I could not stand it. I suffered inside daily. Each year only got worse for me. I stopped having good grades and glided by with report cards filled with C’s and D’s. I didn’t care, at least I passed. Until ninth grade of course.
When I was 17 I had reached a point where I could not bare going another day and I quit because I found out that at 17 I did not need my parents permission to do so. This action caused A LOT of strife in my home and between my Mother and Step Father. They argued over me everyday. I finally gave in and went back to school just to keep the peace in the house.
Not too long after that I started dating Joey and we became engaged. When we got married I was 18 and had less than a year of school to complete. Joey was in the Marine Corps and we wanted to get on the list for base housing because it was supposed to be a years wait. I moved into my Grandmothers house (paid rent) because she had a spare bedroom and we got along wonderfully.
A week after our wedding Joey headed back to base in NC and I returned to school. Sitting there that first day back was awkward. I was a married woman in a small Christian school and I used this new change in my life as the excuse I needed to quit school.
At the end of the day I walked into the office and told someone that I would not be returning. Was 18, married and did not need anyones permission so I gathered my belonging and walked out the door…never looking back. Thirty five years later and I still have no regrets. My parents and husband were not too happy with my decision but I didn’t care. I was a bit rebellious back then but happy!
A year later when I was 19 and pregnant with our son I sign up and paid $20 for the GED test but as the date got closer I decided that I could not sit a solid eight hours because of all the potty breaks I would need and the general discomfort I was going through daily at six months pregnant. So I skipped that test.
When my two children were ages six and three I decided it was time to get my GED. I know its not the same as graduating even though its considered equivalent. Now that my kids were starting their school years I didn’t want to be the drop out Mom. I wanted to have that GED to show them that even though I did not physically graduate, I still finished. This time it was an eight hour test spread out over two days. Where was that option 7 years earlier I ask? Done!
So with a positive attitude toward school throughout my children’s school years I hoped and prayed that I could help them realize how important their education was for their future. My hard work paid off when they both graduated from High School. As adults they now understand what I went through with school and how much I hated it. But I never let them know this during their school years. I faked it good! Was that right? I don’t know. All I know is that both my kids finished school. I started out their school years determined to see them both through graduation. The goal was met and I couldn’t be happier for them.
In my late 30’s I attempted college classes. I took two classes for one semester and quit! Ugh! I passed both classes but I just could not balance college courses, a full time job, a house, a husband, two teenagers, two cats and a dog! I felt like a failure at the time but looking back I can see now that I had set unrealistic goals for myself so I felt I had no other choice but to drop the classes. I made the right decision because the stress of continuing down that busy highway would have caused me to crash! If I had the money I believe I would be taking classes right now, but one at a time. Would be fun actually.
So, now you know! Heheheheh. I hated school. I quit. Three times! But no way do I endorse or try to encourage others to quit school. Make your Mom proud, stay in school and graduate!
Be Blessed,
Cheryl
*** Do you have a similar school experience? Maybe you went "all the way”? Care to share this in the comments? Don’t quit on me now! (Pun intended)! Tell me your thoughts and share this if you think it may help someone.
