Many of the schools in the area started back this past week, signaling the end to the summer break.
As we were visiting the other night about the return to school, my wife mentioned it was the very first day in the classroom for so many and how our daughter Meghan had been pretty scared about it all years ago.
Of course, she wasn’t alone.
That brought back a lot of memories to our first days as well.
My dad and I were staying at his parents’ home on N.W. 10th Street in Oklahoma City just east of North Pennsylvania. The school where I attended kindergarten was up the street a long block away named Whittier.
That first morning my dad walked me to school, took me in and then I was all alone. At least I sure felt like it.
During those years and for so many afterwards kindergarten was only a half day. I went in the morning and don’t even remember if they offered it in the afternoon.
I think my Grandmother McCormick would come at first and walk me home around noon or even a little earlier maybe. If my memory serves me right, eventually I walked home by myself or with other kids in the neighborhood.
Today, of course, that probably wouldn’t happen just because of the way our society has changed.
I can’t remember what I did when it was raining or storming, whether dad drove me, or I might even had stayed home. Grandmother didn’t drive and I’m not sure why granddad McCormick didn’t drive me. He may have been working, not sure.
Have no idea what the name of my kindergarten teacher was, just recall that she wore her hair in a bun.
I did like her and thought she was nice, I do remember that about her. But that was 70 years ago.
I’m not sure when Whittier School closed its doors. That was the only year I attended that school.
I think the school probably closed its doors when I was in high school or college, though not sure.
That summer, in July, my dad remarried and we moved closer to my Doc and Grandmother Lynch’s house.
They lived on N.W. 32nd east of Shartel and we lived on N.W. 31st about three blocks away.
That kindergarten year I really liked a girl name Sue, but I never saw her again after that year.
It’s funny, but one of the things that stands out most to me about my kindergarten year is my teacher wanted a teepee built to have in the classroom for a while.
My dad and his good friend who hunted ducks at that time and took me along to sit in the duck blind came up with 3 long wooden poles from the woods for that teepee.
Can’t tell you much more about it, but I do remember that.