I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the same public school system for twelve years. Although most of the memories are locked up somewhere in the file cabinet of my mind there are still glimpses of the past that will pop into consciousness every so often.
I started school in the first grade, since kindergarten didn't exist in Plano in the '50s. The school was Plano Elementary School, later to be named Mendenhall Elementary. First grade started on the far west wing and you continued from grade to grade and finished the sixth grade at the far east wing. The building was only around 3-4 years old when I started so was modern for the time.
It's hard to remember much of my childhood in detail, but I do remember every teacher I had in elementary school. I can even still picture their faces in my mind. I also remember how I felt about each one. In first grade I had Mrs. Rogers. I guess this was the one teacher I remember liking the least and was glad to leave first grade. She wasn't mean and in fact was always kind to me and a lot of my classmates loved her, but I can remember distinct times that she made fun of someone, one of whom was me, and I guess this stuck in my mind and I was ready to move on.
In second grade I had a grandmotherly type teacher in Ella Page. She was one of my favorites and I remember crying when school was out and we'd have a new teacher the next year. She tried to comfort me, but I knew no one could take her place. Then came the third grade and Miss Streetman. I think this must have been her first teaching job and to the boys she was beautiful. We were nine and she was a much older 22 at the time. She'd give the boys a kiss on the cheek when they left class, a highlight of the day. She was a very kind person. I didn't get a penmanship certificate that year and cried about it (I cried a lot back then). She felt sorry for me and said she'd give me one if I'd work on my writing over the summer. That was the last one I got, the rest of teachers weren't such push overs.
In the fourth grade I moved to the east wing and Clara Wilson's class. She was probably the most fun of all the teachers I had in elementary. You guessed it, I cried when I left that class too. For the record this was the last time I cried moving to the next class. From there on out it was "let's move on". Fifth grade brought Jack Harris another new one to teaching but was fun to be around.
Next stop was the sixth grade. The one teacher you didn't want to get was Mrs. Kate Holder. We had heard the horror stories of bleeding hands and boxed ears from discipline. To those of us who were younger she was scary! We had two or three 6th grade classes so everyone wanted one of the others. The first time I walked into the room there she was, I had drawn the short straw, the dread of the 6th grade. But you know, what we fear is not always what is out there. Mrs. Holder was strict, but she was also kind and I enjoyed being in her class that year.
Children are impressionable and and the impression we leave on them can last a lifetime. I've no idea where all these people are today. Some have passed away and others I'm sure are retired somewhere out there. But in my memories the legacy of school that they left me is still there over 50 years later.
Jesus loved children. He encourages us to make a good impression on them and not lead them astray. In our children lies the future of the nation and the church, we should do everything to give a great impression that will lie forever in their hearts.
In my mind I can still walk the halls of Plano Elementary School and am thankful for the faces I see in my mind that made my six years there a joy to remember.
I started school in the first grade, since kindergarten didn't exist in Plano in the '50s. The school was Plano Elementary School, later to be named Mendenhall Elementary. First grade started on the far west wing and you continued from grade to grade and finished the sixth grade at the far east wing. The building was only around 3-4 years old when I started so was modern for the time.
It's hard to remember much of my childhood in detail, but I do remember every teacher I had in elementary school. I can even still picture their faces in my mind. I also remember how I felt about each one. In first grade I had Mrs. Rogers. I guess this was the one teacher I remember liking the least and was glad to leave first grade. She wasn't mean and in fact was always kind to me and a lot of my classmates loved her, but I can remember distinct times that she made fun of someone, one of whom was me, and I guess this stuck in my mind and I was ready to move on.
In second grade I had a grandmotherly type teacher in Ella Page. She was one of my favorites and I remember crying when school was out and we'd have a new teacher the next year. She tried to comfort me, but I knew no one could take her place. Then came the third grade and Miss Streetman. I think this must have been her first teaching job and to the boys she was beautiful. We were nine and she was a much older 22 at the time. She'd give the boys a kiss on the cheek when they left class, a highlight of the day. She was a very kind person. I didn't get a penmanship certificate that year and cried about it (I cried a lot back then). She felt sorry for me and said she'd give me one if I'd work on my writing over the summer. That was the last one I got, the rest of teachers weren't such push overs.
In the fourth grade I moved to the east wing and Clara Wilson's class. She was probably the most fun of all the teachers I had in elementary. You guessed it, I cried when I left that class too. For the record this was the last time I cried moving to the next class. From there on out it was "let's move on". Fifth grade brought Jack Harris another new one to teaching but was fun to be around.
Next stop was the sixth grade. The one teacher you didn't want to get was Mrs. Kate Holder. We had heard the horror stories of bleeding hands and boxed ears from discipline. To those of us who were younger she was scary! We had two or three 6th grade classes so everyone wanted one of the others. The first time I walked into the room there she was, I had drawn the short straw, the dread of the 6th grade. But you know, what we fear is not always what is out there. Mrs. Holder was strict, but she was also kind and I enjoyed being in her class that year.
Children are impressionable and and the impression we leave on them can last a lifetime. I've no idea where all these people are today. Some have passed away and others I'm sure are retired somewhere out there. But in my memories the legacy of school that they left me is still there over 50 years later.
Jesus loved children. He encourages us to make a good impression on them and not lead them astray. In our children lies the future of the nation and the church, we should do everything to give a great impression that will lie forever in their hearts.
In my mind I can still walk the halls of Plano Elementary School and am thankful for the faces I see in my mind that made my six years there a joy to remember.
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