SCHOOL, ELEMENATARY MY DEAR READERS

MY SCHOOL WAS P.S. 38 WHICH IS NOW FRANK B. SEDITA MAGNET SCHOOL. I LIVED ONLY TWO BLOCKS FROM IT.  IT WAS A K-8 SCHOOL BEFORE MIDDLE SCHOOLS WERE POPULAR IN THE NORTHEAST US.  A PRESCHOOL PORTABLE WAS ADDED LATER NEXT TO IT.

THE FIRST DOOR WAS WHERE THE K-3 STUDENTS ENTERED AND WENT TO CLASS MOSTLY ON THE FIRST FLOOR; THE THIRD GRADERS WERE RIGHT ABOVE THE KINDERGARDEN CLASSES ON THE SECOND FLOOR.

THE MIDDLE DOORS WAS WHERE THE 4-6TH GRADERS ENTERED AND HAD TO GO UP A STAIRWAY AND TURN RIGHT TO GO TO THEIR CLASSROOMS.  THE SIXTH GRADERS WERE LOCATED RIGHT AT HEAD OF THE STAIRS NEXT TO THE RESTROOMS.

THE RESTROOMS SEPARATED THE 5TH AND 6TH GRADES FROM THE 7-8TH GRADE CLASSROOMS.
THE REST OF THE FIRST FLOOR INCLUDED THE CAFETERIA, HOME EC/STAFF LUNCHROOM, CLINIC, OFFICE, LIBRARY, AUDITORIUM, ART ROOM, MUSIC ROOM SHOP ROOM, GYM. LOCKERS ROOMS, AND POOL.

WE HAD CLASSES FROM 9-330PM WITH 7 PERIODS AT 45 MINUTES EACH AND A LUNCH AND RECESS FROM 1145AM- 1PM.

LUNCH WAS PREPAY BY DAY BEFORE THE BELL RANG TO BUY A TICKET TO STAND IN LINE,. I USUALLY HAD LUNCH IN ONLY WHEN THEY SERVED PIZZA, HAMBURGERS AND FISH FRY SANDWICHES, AND WHEN MY FOLKS WOULD NOT BE HOME. THOSE DAYS I BROUGHT A BAG LUNCH WHICH REQUIRED YOU TO RIGHT YOUR NAME ON BAG AND DROP IT OFF AT CAFETERIA BEFORE THE BELL RANG.  THOSE DAYS I WOULD ALSO EITHER BUY CHOCLAOTE PUDDING OR ICE CREAM TREAT. MY BAG LUNCH USUALLY WAS BALONEY, SALAMI, HAM, OR PBJ AND ON THOSE DREADED DAYS TUNA FISH. (YUKKO!).  AFTER LUNCH WAS RECESS WHERE WE USUALLY PLAYED IN THE PLAYGROUND NEXT TO SCHOOL. ON COLD RAINY DAYS WE STAYED IN THE AUDITORIUM UNTIL THE BELL RANG.  IF I HAD MONEY LEFT I'D STOP AT TWO OF THE STORES NEXT TO SCHOOL; JERRY'S

 AND SAM'S.

EACH HAD  DIFFRFERENT OFFERINGS.
 GOODIES FOR LATER IN CLASS AND THEN AT HOME AFTER CLASS.

THOSE SPECIAL CLASSES WERE ONLY FOR 7-8TH GRADERS (WHEEL CLASSES LATER). WE HAD A DIFFERENT ONE EACH DAY. (ART. MUSIC, GYM. SWIMMING, HOME EC FOR GIRLS, SHOP FOR BOYS,  GUIDANCE FOR 8TH GRADERS, HEALTH.) I WAS A C STUDENT IN MOST OF THEM.

ART:   I REMEMBER 4 ART PROJECTS-PLASTER STATUES, PERSPECTIVE DRAWINGS, TILE TRIVET, AND PAPER MACHE.

MUSIC: WE SANG 777 SONGS LIKE ERIE CANAL, SWING LO ETC FROM CLASSROOM MUSIC BOOKS, THEN ON TO POPULAR SINGS WE HAD TO COPY FROM BOARD AN DPUT IN OUR FOLDER, THEN MAYBE WE HAD 5-10 MINUTES TO PLAY OUR 45RPM ON THE RECORD PLAYER BEFORE THE PERIOD ENDED.

PE: WE STARTED BY RUNNING AROUND THE GYM 2-3X THEN ONTO GYM EQUIPMENT LIKE THE STALL BARS,

RINGS,

AND ROPES .
I COULD NEVER GO UP FAR ON THE BARS, FLIP ON THE RINGS, OR CLIMB THE ROPES.  I HATED TEAM SPORTS BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS PICKED LAST. BBALL WAS MY FAV CUS I HAD MY OWN HOOP AND THEN I SHARED IT WITH MY NEW BFF WHEN SHE WAS THERE.  I HATED THE 6 WEEKS OF PE FITNESS TESTING. I WAS SORE EVERY WEEK.
BUT I LOVED THE PARACHUTE GAMES AMD SQUARE DANCING.

SWIMMING: I NEVER LEARNED TO SWIM AND GET MY CARD SO I WAS ALWAYS IN THE SHALLOW END BY MYSELF NOT SO PLEASANT THAT IS UNTIL MY BFF STAYED THERE WITH ME EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS A SWIMMER.

HOME EC: WAS A COMBO WITH SEWING . I LIKED COOKING MORE. I REMEMBER INTERNATIONAL MONTH WHEN WE MADE TACOS, CREPES AND FONDUE (WITH 7 UP AND SWISS CHEESE, YUKKO!), AND POT ROAST. I REMEMBER GETTING BIG THICK COOKBOOK PUT TOGETHER WITH STRING. IN SEWING WE MADE AN APRON, THEN A SUIT USING A PATTERN (WHICH I NEVER FINISHED) BUT THEN MADE STUFFED ANIMALS FROM THE SCRAPS. WE USED THE OLD CHALK AND STICK HEM MARKER  LATER WE SWITCHED WITH THE BOYS FOR 6 WEEKS BU TI CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I MADE.

LIBRARY: (Fridays) : WE WERE ALLOWED TWO BOOKS FOR TWO WEEKS. IN THE BACK WAS THE TEACHER SUPPLY CLOSET WHERE THE MIMEOGRAPH WAS WHERE THE TEACHERS MADE THEIR COPIES. YES THERE WERE NO XEROX YET, OR COPIER OR COMPUTERS.

HEALTH: AND LATER SEX ED . THE BIG PROBLEM THEN WAS POLYDRUG ABUSE WITH TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL. AND WE HAD THE FAMOUS SEX ED FILM TO SEE.

GUIDANCE ON FRIDAYS TO ET READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL ADMITTANCE.

AUDITORIUM WAS LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH, AT LAST PERIOD OF THE DAY; WITH MOSTLY MOVIES, A FEW SPECIAL GUESTS AN SCHOOL EVENTS LIKE THE NATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST AND ANNUAL XMAS PLAYS.

REGULAR CLASSES

MATH: HATED FRACTIONS, AND REMEMBER MOD MATH.

SCIENCE: LOVED LITMUS RESTING OF FOODS. THANKS TO A SUB I LEARNED TO LOVE SCIENCE, GOT A B.A. IN BIOLOGY, AND CERTIFED TO TEACH SECONDARY SCIENCE AND WRITE SCIENCE WORKBOOKS.

LANGUAGE ARTS: MY FAV CLASS AND TEACHER. LOVED VOCABULARY AND BOOK CLUBS (DELL AND SCHOLASTIC) I WAS ALLOWED 2 BOOKS OR $5 WORTH BY MY MOTHER.  I REMEMBER READING "THE FLOWERS OF ALGERNON". IN SIXTH GRADE LOVED STARR READING CARDS ESP THE MAPS CARDS.

HISTORY: SECOND FAV CLASS AND TEACHER, WE HAD WORKSHEETS TO FILL OUT AND STUDY FROM IN 8TH GRADE. I REMEMBER A BULLETINN BOARD CONTEST WHERE WE HAD TO GUESS WHO WAS WHO . IN 7TH GRADE WE HAD THE CIVIC CLASS AND WE SAW FILMSTRIPS WITH THE OLD SLIDESHOW MOVIES WITH THE BEEP. IN SIXTH GARDE I MADE A SPIFFY SALT MAP .