“School Days, School Days!”

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Central High School – West Allis, WI

I entered the first grade at McKinley School when I was five. I left home the first morning very excited, my hair carefully brushed and a handkerchief pinned to my dress. I had gone to kindergarten so the idea of school was not new to me. In fact I had had just enough of school to make it seem fascinating. I looked forward to learning how to print and read.

In the first grade we dramatized the story “Hansel and Gretel.” I was first given the part of an angel and then later the part of the witch–I don’t know whether my character had anything to do with the change. I remember all the practicing we did and the thrill of being made up with black charcoal to give my face “age lines.” I wore a black costume, a high pointed black hat, and oh yes, I had a broomstick.

I had a birthday party while I was in first grade and invited ten of my new friends. The day of my birthday was clear and cold (about seventeen degrees below zero) but the party was a success in spite of the weather.

In first grade I had my first pet, a grey and white angora cat named Tuffy. We all became very attached to him and when we had our choice of subjects to write a story about I usually wrote about Tuffy. If I remember correctly the stories usually began, “Tuffy is my cat. I like him very much.”

Everything seems to have happened in the first grade. In the spring of that year I broke my left wrist while roller skating. As soon as I got in the house my Mother, shocked herself, tried to tell me I had probably only sprained my wrist. I knew differently–something inside of my wrist felt limp and I felt doomed. My Father was immediately called from work, and he in turn immediately called the doctor. The doctor rushed me to St. Luke’s Hospital to have X-rays taken and my wrist set. Now I think the shock of it all hurt me the most. But taking the X-rays really did hurt too. My arm was turned this way and that by what I thought were merciless nurses. Finally they were through and the X-rays were developed. I found out that I had been lucky–if the break had been one inch nearer the joint my arm would have been stiff for life. My wrist was set and the setting did not hurt half as much as they had led me to believe it would. Finally my arm was put in splints and I was taken home. I felt helpless. I was naturally left-handed and depended on my left hand for eating and writing. My parents decided (to my dismay) that I was able to go to school the next day. I was treated as a great curiosity, my experience was told and re-told, and everyone offered his sympathy. My wrist was kept in splints for six weeks, (in that time I got used to having yards and yards of adhesive tape pulled from my arm). During that time I used my right hand for writing and did so well that my teacher urged me to keep on that way. Or at least I hope that was her reason. I resent the idea that she just wanted to switch me because I feel that left-handed people can do everything just as well as right-handed people. As soon as I was able I went back to using my left hand for eating and I still do. Now my wrist is as good as ever and I too have the distinction of being able to predict rainy weather.

I had liked music from babyhood, probably due to the fact that my Father played the piano and listed to music a great deal. In the second grade to my great joy I began taking music lessons. Although I no longer take lessons I still enjoy playing the piano. I also had the measles while I was in the second grade.

From the time I had started school until the third grade my hair was not cut and I wore it in two long braids. However, in third grade I decided I was too old for “pigtails”–after all, I was growing up. I thought my hair just had to be cut. My Mother refused to cut it herself but during the summer while my Aunt was visiting us she cut my hair and I have never worn braids since (except in an upsweep that is). I also had the mumps while I was in the third grade.

Fourth, fifth, and sixth grades went by without anything particularly interesting happening. School had certainly lost all the fascination it had held for me in first grade.

After I had gone through sixth grade at McKinley and had started seventh grade at John Dewey Junior High School, I believe the whole class thought we were getting up in the world. I made new friends from the other schools and liked the idea of having lockers, homerooms, and changing rooms for each period. Most of my teachers were very easy to get along with.

My grandfather died during the winter I was in seventh grade. His death came as a shock and brought great sorrow to me because my grandfather had always been very good to me. We drove up to Wausau immediately and stayed there until after the funeral.

Eighth grade went by quickly. About March of that year the Auxiliary of the Legion of Spanish American War Veterans held an essay contest. To my great despair we were all required to write an essay. In June they announced the winners and then to my great surprise I found I had won third place in the state.

Before I knew it I was in ninth grade. The electives I chose were algebra and Latin. Algebra soon became my favorite subject.

In April I was confirmed. All my relatives were over and I shall certainly remember that day for a long time.

The day I was confirmed one of my cousins asked me to be a bridesmaid for her wedding in May. Everything had to be gotten ready at short notice and there was much hustle and bustle in shopping for our gowns and rehearsing. Another serious problem was trying to find out whether the ushers would be able to get leaves (luckily the bridegroom was on a thirty day leave). Before I knew it the day of the wedding was here and gone. It was a day packed with exciting happenings and I think I shall always remember it.

The week after the wedding the ninth grade class had its graduation dinner. That evening too was something to remember. It seemed impossible that we had been at John Dewey for three years and were already leaving it. I enjoyed the years I spent there and the teachers I shall always remember with the greatest respect are Mr. Revercomb, my principal and also Math teacher for one and one-half years, Miss Howard, my Latin, English, and homeroom teacher, Miss Stowe, my algebra teacher, and Miss Toussaint, my ninth grade social science teacher.

The summer went by with amazing speed and soon it was time to again start in a new school, Central. Here too, I made many new friends and the teachers were very easy to get along with. Now it again seems impossible to believe that almost another year has gone by. I am looking forward to what my next two years at Central have to offer.

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