I don’t have a very good memory, but I can remember a lot about kindergarten. I remember that I didn’t want to go. I remember getting upset when my mom dropped me off and left me with a bunch of strangers. I remember nap time. I remember waiting at the door for my mom to pick me up and take me back home. Noticing a pattern here? My mom still tells stories about how bad she felt for leaving me there because my teacher always told her that I threw a fit when she left.
The name of the school was Gilder Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska. It was located just a couple of blocks from where I lived and it was pretty new when I first started attending it. According to their website, the school opened in 1964. My first year there would have been 1971. The school was just one story, so it was long and spread out. The playground sat at the bottom of a huge hill. Back then, I really didn’t like the playground much because I didn’t like to get dirty.
By the time I was in second grade, I experience my first bully. His name was Dwayne and I hated him. He picked on me because I was overweight. The problem was, he was older and more filled out than I was. I finally got to the point where I was willing to fight him if that was what it took, but it never happened. He seemed to gain respect for me once I was willing to stick up for myself.
After second grade, my parents divorced and my mom moved my sister and I to a different neighborhood. I had to start all over at a different school, but I had an easier time there. I fit in better for some reason, so I was happy that I got the chance to change schools. While Gilder never really felt right to me, it became a permanent part of my history.
What do you remember about your first school?
4 comments:
The name of the school escapes me, but it was in Dallas, TX. Daily Mass, the Daughters of Charity had huge white wimples and giant wooden rosaries hanging on their belts. Scary. Rulers on my knuckles because I loved chewing the big eraser off of the big pencil. Recess on the blacktop. Being told not to ask "Why?" so much in catechism class while preparing for my first communion. Needless to say, I was not the model Catholic school girl...I continued to ask "Why?" until I found someone who showed me the answer is Jesus!
It's amazing what we remember about grade school, isn't it?
Lee - You really sent me down memory lane this time. I do actually remember my first school, Union Primary School in Rumford, Rhode Island. It was actualy red with wood floors. I did a search and found out that although the building is no longer there, it was built in 1873 and closed in 1989 and was 116 years old. The search reminded me that we used to walk home for lunch in those days. I only remember one teacher, first grade. She was Miss Cute and was about 100 years old. I remember she had white hair. We had benches to stand on to reach the board. I had a severe stuttering problem all the way through school and college and was also over weight so all school was also painful although I did have a couple of friends. Thanks for helping me to remember those times a very long time ago. I often think of making a road trip back to that area and time of my life.
Blessings, Doc. Bear
Doc. Bear, thanks for sharing your story about your first school. I think it's cool that you took the time to search for your old school. Too bad it is no longer there. But you'll always have the memories.
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