I guess I started school when I was about 5 years old, that would be about 1951. Kindergarten was 6 weeks in the summer before 1st grade. I remember being excited to be going to school. We went for a few hours every day. I don’t remember too much but I think we had a nap time and snacks.
I went to West Elementary. This was a very old brick building. It was two stories and had a basement for the restrooms and a kitchen and lunch room. It sat on a large block with the Jr High, and the High School. The school district offices were in another building. That building also had a large auditorium that all three schools used for assemblies, movies, and special programs, and community programs. The auditorium was on the second floor and instead of stairs they had ramps. I remember marching in line up those ramps to go see news reels, puppet shows, plays that the High School staged, Christmas programs, all kinds of programs. One thing that I always remember about that auditorium was every year we would be marched up those ramps to get shots. Both sides of the auditorium would be lined with Doctors and Nurses and we would be sent down what felt like a death march. I felt like I was running the gauntlet. We would get a boaster shot that was supposed to keep us healthy. What it did was make our arms very soar and stiff for the next two weeks. The boys would hit you in the arm and laugh because it hurt. There would be a lot of screaming and crying and I would try to be brave but it was hard. The nurse would grab your arm and swab on the cold alcahol and the Doctor would jab you with that needle and it always hurt. I don’t care what they say it never didn’t hurt. Then we would be sent down the back stairs and back to our class rooms.
The lower grades were on the first floor and the 4th, 5th and 6th grades were on the second floor. One year the school built an attachment that connected the Jr. High and the Grade School building so that it became one large building. This attachment had a Home Economics room, Art room, and Choir room. The Jr. High and High School both used these class rooms. The doors connecting the grade school with the Jr. High were usually kept closed.
The grade school had a large slide, some swings, one of those merry-go-round things that could kill you if you let go when it was going fast. Our play ground was concrete and gravel. There were some basketball hoops and a large field for baseball. Over by the High School were some tennis courts.
By the time I was in the 4th grade I loved baseball and I think I was a pretty good hitter although I don’t remember being a very good fielder. We only played soft ball and I never learned how to use a baseball glove. But I was a pretty good tom boy. There are so many school year memories that I can not possibly get them all in one post. I think that is enough for today.