Going to School

If I am calculating right, I started first grade in 1959. I have some very distinct memories of my first year of elementary school. Each room had a low wall unit of Cubby-holes where we placed our books, book bags, and belongings. I don't remember any stealing going on back then. We did misplace things like mittens or sweaters but no one really worried about stealing. We carried book bags. I wonder when back packs came along? Just so you know what a book bag looked like here is a photo of one from the early 1970's. Ours were not so cute. I remember carrying a similar one to this only it was a red plaid.

We had a Cloak Room where I hung my brown corduroy car coat with the barrel buttons. In that Cloak room I would remove my corduroy pants from under my dress. In winter we were allowed to wear pants on the bus but we had to remove them and be properly dressed little girls for the classroom. I remember the little wooden school desks that would give you splinters if you weren't careful. The reason? We were wearing dresses! So bare little legs would suffer if you slide the wrong way. That would get you a trip to the school nurse! Such were the everyday concerns of school life.

Oh! And our Dick and Jane Readers! Such lovely boring little books! "Come Dick. Come Jane. Come and Go! Let's find Spot."  Oh, but I thought they were great. But maybe the best thing about the 1950's was that it didn't take a lot to keep our attention. Obviously. What other explanation is there for Captain Kangaroo and later on Mr. Rogers. I think I looked alot like Jane here, but the hair color.

I still love the smell of Crayola crayons. There was nothing like a new box of pointy unused smelly crayons! I loved cutting out shapes from construction paper but I remember the blunt little scissors were impossible. Safe but impossible. I am glad that I got to be a part of the 1950's, because things didn't stay the way they were very long. I guess I still long for that kind of sweet and innocent simple living.