FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL


As school begins a new year, I remember when I first started school at the age of five. I was in first grade because we had no Kindergarten. I felt so excited to get to go to school with my two older brothers and my older sister. We had to walk to school which was a litle over a mile. It seemed a lot longer to me. My sister was in third grade and my brothers were in fifth and seventh.
The school was a two room schoolhouse with two teachers. One for grades one through four and the other for grades five through eight. We had to take our lunch as there was no cafeteria. Theres was no refrigration so we had to take lunch which would not spoil in the late July heat. Which meant we took peanut butter and crackers or biscuit and jelly with some kind of fruit or vegetable, if in season. Mama always had cookies baked for our sweets. In the winter we could take ham, bologna, or egg sandwiches.
I was anxious to learn but I loved to play at recess. We had a short morning recess and an hour at lunch time. In the afternoon we had a short break. The school was surrounded by large oak trees, which provided us with plenty of shade for playing tag, red-rover or house. Because I was one of the youngest, I got to be the baby of the family when we played house. The older boys and some girls played solftball or kick ball. We were a close knit group with the older children always looking out for the younger ones. In the winter we played games inside at recess.
The restroom facilites were outside. One for the girls and one for the boys. At recess we were to take advantage of the facilities. Sometimes we were excused to take a necessary break.
In the winter the schoolhouse was heated with a coal or wood stove. The older boys were usually paid a small fee for getting the fire started and cleaning the building. Each one had chores to do as assigned by the teacher or chosen by the students. Everyone took turns doing a job. There was a well for getting drinking water. Each one brought their own private cup for drinking.
The school day lasted from eight until four. It was a long day for a five year old. We were always looking down the road toward the post office to see if our dad was on his way home when scool was about to be dismissed. We liked the ride back home becasue it was up a long hill.
 Often we would meet strange dogs on our way to or from school and the fear of one being rabid was always present, as we had been taught to avoid the dogs which we were not familiar with. Sometimes the older boys would scare us by saying a dog was rabid or it was going to bite us
There were several house along our walk to school. We lived at the top of the hill, which was the farthest away. The Baker's lived at the bottom of the hill. They had a boy and girl who were in school. Sometimes we walked with them. Aunt Stella lived down the road from the Baker's. All of  her children were grown and she lived alone. Sometimes there was a rental house on the road, which was usually empty. The Climax Store and Post Office was next. We went to the right there and passed the Mullins' home and the cemetery. There were lots of children in the last house across from the school, but most were too young to go to school. Some children came from every direction. There were probably twenty to thirty students in each room.
We all had our books assigned to us. We were given instructions and the teacher used the blackboard for directions, tests, math, and whatever they needed to do. We did not have a copy machine. The older students helped the younger ones with reading and math.
This was how I got my start in public education. I feel like I had a pretty good background for learning to be able to go on to college and get my Degree in Education as well as a Master's Degree. I thank the Lord for schools and teachers. I was blessed to be able to teach thirty years and retire.