Memory Monday.....

Memory Monday is a three-week old MEME by Retired Not Tired blogger!! Today's subject is "My First School", and I hope you have some fun by joining in!!

My very first school would be kindergarten. It was a private kindergarten, at a church. I remember my teacher was Miss Hill, but I'm sorry to not remember the church at all. It wasn't the church we attended, but was closer to my grandma's house.  Kindergarten was not part of the public school system "back then".  This is kindergarten graduation...I was the tallest girl, even then!

So, my first school memory will be about Washington (Court House) Elementary School, where I attended grades one through three.  The school building was Washington High School, and is where my mom went to high school, graduating in 1948, later turned into an elementary school.  My first grade teacher was Miss Gibson, second was Mrs. Everhart, and third grade was Mrs. Merriweather.

I walked to school everyday. Back then, parents didn't have to worry too much about kids being kidnapped on their way to school. I really don't ever remember my mom walking me to school, or walking with a bunch of other kids. On the way home from school, there were more of us together, though. It was a good little hike. I won't say it was five miles in knee-deep snow, but it was more than a few blocks to school.  In the 1950s, most families only had one car and we were no exception. That's when the milk man came to the door, as did the bread man. Two staples families couldn't do without, and moms had no way to get to the store, until dad came home.

The fun part of coming home from school was walking right past a penny-candy store every day. Once a week or so, I was given a nickle or a dime so I could buy candy on the way home. What a treat that was. If you chose wisely, you could get a big bag full of sweets, because quite a few selections were two for a penny!!  Watermelon slices, wax lips, wax bottles filled with liquid, licorice shoestrings, orange peanuts, strips of buttons on wax paper....not a thing that wasn't 90% sugar, but I remember the way the floors creaked (wooden), I remember the smells, and I remember the parrot behind the counter that squawked at everyone!!  You would not see that in a store today, with health department rules!  Later, it was converted to an ice cream store (long past my third grade time). I remember being sad that the candy store was gone.

Washington High School, and later Elementary.

First grade. I don't seem to have a class photo from first grade.

Second grade class. Posted before, but that's me - tallest blonde girl in the top row.

Third grade class. Again - tallest blonde student in the top row.

 Pages from my mom's senior year book. She is top left, second photo.  I pulled this, and the picture of the school building, from the internet. Did you know high school yearbooks are on-line now?

Helen Louise Cameron. She was so pretty. The year was 1948. She and dad were married in 1949. I was born in 1951. She did have a miscarriage the year before me.

I was compelled to include my mom in this memory, since my first school was actually her high school.  The city changed school districts, and in fourth grade, I was sent off on a school bus each morning, to Eastside Elementary. I was there one year only, Mrs. Gablehouse was my teacher, and then we moved to Millersport when dad got transferred to Newark (Ohio) Air Force Base. I started fifth grade there, in Mrs. Whittington's class.

I'm looking forward to reading your first school memories!! Thanks for reading mine! Wishing you a good week ahead! Today is our Board meeting day. We (staff) are always happy to have it behind us!!  Peace & blessings!