SURVEY SAYS: School Memories
Get ready to laugh out loud and feel nostalgic when you read them. Among the funny ones: “Over the intercom of my third grade classroom, in a sing-song voice, we heard ‘somebody just threw up in the lunch room, somebody just threw up in the lunch room!’ My class burst out laughing. The thing next I know, my 1st grade sister was standing at my class room door, crying ‘I just threw up in the lunch room.’”
And I can relate to some of the worst memories: Our one-piece high school gym uniforms were exactly as described by one reader, except blue, and I hated them so much, I got a “D” in 9th grade gym for not dressing out. My parents were not amused.
Fondest Memories
When I attended the Univ. of R.I. around 1971 my friends in my dorm took all my clothes off and carried me across the street and dumped me on the front of of a women’s dormitory. Needless to say I didn’t stick around long. I streaked nude before it really became popular.
Doing a “clay mation” movie of the alphabet in 6th grade. I had been assigned the letter O which I made into an octopus by having the tentacles come out of the letter.
Over the intercom of my third grade classroom, in a sing-song voice, we heard “somebody just threw up in the lunch room, somebody just threw up in the lunch room!”. My class burst out laughing. The thing next I know, my 1st grade sister was standing at my class room door, crying “I just threw up in the lunch room”
the friendships made over the years. Some are as close today as back in high school and college.
Dating myself here, but it was watching the TV’s brought in to see the first launches in the US space program.
Learning to use rotary dial phones in kindergarten
I was overheard by my high school guidance counselor congratulating a friend on being among the top 10 scholars in our graduating class and I asked my friend if he knew who got the number 1 slot. The counselor said, “you did!” Up until that moment, I had no idea of my standing among the 650 in my senior class. It was a WOW moment.
My college graduation – I barely made it & I was SO glad!
In high school, taking band trips. Took one trip to the state capital for the inauguration of our new governor. I was dating and now 42 years later of blissful marriage, we are still madly in love. Don’t play band instruments anymore, though!
I was truly blessed with much more direction, guidance and encouragement from university faculty than I ever expected. Go Dogs (SIU)!
Hanging out with my best friend in high school. More than 40 years later she is still my best friend and is still great fun to hang out with.
College – all of college. The classes, the social life, the parties.
Fondest Memories (cont.)
My fondest memory is when my band instructor arranged for everyone but me to arrive early so they could present me with a surprise. I was obsessed with the contrabass clarinet and he had gotten one for me. I walk in and they're all seated and there is this huge case on the conductor's stand. He had me put it together in front of everyone and try playing it. It was so magical!
Doing a report for a lit class in high school that the teacher used as an example for years after. We wrote poems of a graveyard society and used the popular criminals of our time, OJ Simpson, Lorena Bobbit, Jeffery Dohmer, etc. It was fun!
First date with my high school sweetheart, whom I am still married to 46 years after that first date.
Marching band, all 4 years of high school!
graduating!
Getting to celebrate my "unbirthday" in second grade. Those of us with summer birthdays never got a party otherwise so we got to pick a day during the school year to celebrate. Everyone made a card for you and there were treats.
New crayons!!!!
Mine is a combination of both. I was suspended for three days from high school. But when my dad picked me up from school, we went car shopping for my mom. He bought her a beautiful "Caddy" that day. The car was brought in for the dealer's wife and was sitting on the showroom floor. I got in and he said, "You look pretty good behind the wheel of that car" and that was it. He bought it on the spot.
Meeting my best friend Debbie in Junior High. Although I don't remember the exact moment, I remember the beginning of a true friendship that still continues, stronger than ever. Knowing you have found a person that accepts you as you really are, and still loves you--that is tremendous!
Winning a spelling bee in third grade.
Worst Memories
I was on the school bus in front of school in the 5th grade in 1960 listening to my transistor radio when I heard Bill Masorowski had hit a home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the NY Yankees in game 7 of the World Series.
One piece gym "uniforms". They were red shorts sewn together to a red horizontal-striped top that zipped in the front. One size does NOT fit all. Had to be worn in 11th and 12th grade. AWFUL!
Trying to fit in as a person who was not in the "cool" crowd in high school.
Hated those repetitive Friday afternoon pep rallys for the football team, but at least we got out of last period.
Getting sick in front of friends
My worst memory is when I learned that my elementary school principal died of a brain aneurysm. He left the priesthood to marry a former nun (my 2nd grade teacher) and within 2 years, he was gone.
Being bullied in the playground during recess while in junior high
Finding out too late that I missed being an honor graduate by 5/10's of a point. Knew I should have worked a little harder!
Sitting in my third grade classroom listening to the newsreports from Dallas when President Kennedy was shot.
My first day of sixth grade. The teacher asked who had a good summer and everyone except for me raised their hand. The teacher then asked why I didn't enjoy my summer and I told her that my grandmother had died. I will never forget what she said to me. "Well we all have to go sometime."
Forgetting my one line in my 1st grade play.
I'm pretty sure I've blacked it out.
Moving to another city during my high school years.
7th grade home ec sewing class. My neighbor and I were discussing the bags that we were making. The teacher walked over and screamed at us "F for the day!", "F for the day!". We were horrified as we never received an F on anything. What I will never understand is that she was not giving class instructions while we were discussing our sewing project and there weren't any class rules that said you weren't allowed to talk. Very strange and I will never forget it.
riding the bus for an hour to go to a special preschool, but the bus driver did give toothbrushes for Halloween.
The fifth grader who bullied me in first grade telling me that they killed my parents, so they wouldn't be there when I got home that night.
"School" school was too long ago. But, if the school of hard knocks counts, grab a cup 'o joe and get comfortable...
Kindergarten. Finger-painting day. I was the one that got the glob of brown paint that looked like a pile of dog....well, you get the picture. I am scarred for life.
We lived five houses away from our high school, and every day for lunch in my junior year, I'd rush home to be standing by the back door when my twin brother and his best friend would get there. I had a crush on his best friend, and every day, he'd come in and say, "Hi Nancy!", but my name was Julie. Nancy is my older sister. Very depressing indeed!