You go from 6th grade feeling like one of the big kids to Jr. High 7th grade and you are again at the bottom of the heap. The teachers I remember the best in Jr. High were Mrs. Frame who taught English. Mrs. Frame’s husband was a barber and he was also the Bishop of our ward when I was young. My Dad was one of his counselors when the ward was divided and Dad was called to be the Bishop. By the time I had her in 9th grade we did not have that connection. I also remember Mr. Hulet the Principle and Mr. Adams, who taught Choir. Mr. Adams was also in our ward and he led the Ward Choir. I was allowed to join the choir even though I was only in Jr. High. I think this is were I gained my love of singing and music. I had tried to play the violin when I was in grade school but I was not ever very good and I realized I did not have what it takes to develop the skills. But I could sing and when you are in a group you can blend in.
Jr. High also exposed me to other students I had not ever met because it was the only Jr. High in town all the kids from town and all the bus students were together. Also in Jr. High we had different classes and teachers for each subject and we could make our own schedules. There were some mandatory classes such as Math, English, Social Studies, History, Science, PE, and then the electives, Art, Music, Band and Orchestra. You had to have so many hours of each class in order to graduate. I tolerated the mandatory classes and lived for the electives. I loved Choir, and then in 8th and 9th grades I loved Home Economics. In 9th grade we could start Seminary and I loved that. For PE we had to get a uniform, it was a one piece blue cotton thing that had snaps down the front and a belt. I was long-waisted so I could never get one that fit very well it was always too tight in the crotch. Every week we had to check in with a clean towel and a clean uniform. We would get demerits if we didn’t comply. Showering in a community shower is lots of fun. We would get checked off as you exited the shower. Everything was figured into your grade. I was mostly a good little soldier.
In Jr. High I made friends with some girls I had never met before. Penny Stapely, Janet Corbridge, Marsh Hunt and Kathy Murray, we became a circle of friends. I think Penny was the Queen bee. But we all had lots of fun together. We would go to the Jr High dances together, movies and we would have parties at each others houses. Penny didn’t live very far from me and I would walk and meet her and we would continue on to school together. We spent many hours on the phone and I considered her my best friend. Those were pretty fun days. Once we graduated into High School I don’t know what happened but we kind of drifted apart. We didn’t have classes together and I guess our interest just didn’t mesh.