DOES ANYONE ELSE REMEMBER.......

MEMORIES OF GINTER PARK ELEMENTARY DAYS

Frankie Willard Daniel

 

Junior Primary 1 -MISS MIRIAM LACY

..We entered in February and I was upset that our classroom was Room 2 and I was in first grade

..a piano in the room, mats for our rest time, cloak closets in the back of the room, smelly paint easels, Dick, Jane, Spot, Puff, Sally

....my mother got Miss Lacy nylon stockings for Christmas which was a special treat during the war

 

Junior Primary 4- MISS ANN DAVIS

 ...I  especially remember buying “War Bonds stamps” in her class with quarters from my grandfather....we thought Miss Davis was pretty

 

Second Grade-  MRS. CURRY

 ....we made a cave man mural on the back wall and got to use paint and colored chalk

 

Third Grade- MRS. KATHLEEN SEWARD

....I remember her as one of the best teachers I ever had.  She was strong on phonics, a stickler for handwriting, and we learned “adding by endings”.  My mathematician mother had to go to school to learn this strategy  to tutor me at home. 

....We watched the convoys go up Chamberlayne Ave. from our class window.

...Was this the year we had Social studies with Bunga in the Malay peninsula?

...our play with all of us dressed in Dutch costumes

 

Fourth Grade- MISS BELA OUTLAW

....The year began with a split class...poor Miss Outlaw.  Her initials were B.O. and we thought that was hilarious.  She wore braids around her head and was strict.

...ink wells built into our desks, scratchy stick pens, flimsy little cursive writing books to send in to Mr. Locker for a passing penmanship grade

...Miss Outlaw had taught in Alaska and we had a year of totem poles. Perhaps this is where I learned what first hand experiences can do for teaching

....paper drives with stacks in the hall (fire codes????)

..We made enormous Virginia scrapbooks

...trips to the Y for swimming lessons...having to spread our toes apart to check for Athlete’s foot

 

Fifth Grade-  MISS SPEIGHT

...Miss Speight was just out of college and got engaged during the year.  Lots of us went to her wedding that summer.

...She listed the days’ activities on the board and I never understood why she called Social Studies Social Science

...I had a project on Canada...a cake frosted with the provinces  in different colors

 ...mother was embarrassed because we ate it and she had not used eggs in the batter

 

Sixth Grade- MRS. HARDY

...another teacher who had a profound impact on my life

...she and her husband had been living in Japan and I still remember so much of what she told us about Japan....specifically that the students had to use the edges of newspapers to write on because of the scarcity of paper after the war.

 

General memories

...the art teacher and Miss Willard (the music teacher) coming around to our rooms with a cart...checking in with the nurse after an absence

...the smells in the cafeteria, peanut butter and jelly,  limp carrot sticks, and twinkies

...boys and girls sides on the playground...little recess in the morning and big recess later

,  the stability of our classes with a notable lack of transiency,

...rainy day recess chasing around  the girls’ basement, also movies in the movie room in the basement

...parties at Sue Powell’s Dad’s hotel  ....Mr. Thoms teaching us about trees

...our graduation party at the Ginter Park community house...would we dance with a boy or a girl?......on to Jr. High!

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