School Dazed...And Confused

Our art teacher created this mural in the early 60s

Kemp Elementary School

Dayton, Ohio

The "older section" of the school

Uh huh, me, in the 1st grade. I have seen a few "end of school" lists floating around blog land of late. I know that our Cheryl has a cute one and our Terri added it to her blog as well. School memories can be both terribly sweet or oh so bitter. We all saw our share of both I am sure. I was one of the lucky ones I guess. I loved my elementary school and went there for 9 years, K-8th grade. I met many of my dearest life long best friends while there and am still good, no, great buddies with so many who shared those days with me. I have mostly blissful, fond memories but there are always some that make me cringe just a wee bit to think about.

A hallway in the old section...the door to the left was my Mother's room.

All in all, I enjoyed my years at Kemp. It was truly a "neighborhood" school in every sense of the word. We all walked to school, and most of us walked home again at lunch time. Returned to school an hour later and then, walked home at 3pm.

There was a tiny lunch room for those who packed and stayed. I thought that so wonderful and was thrilled when my mother had lunch room duty so I could stay with her. How else to use my pink Barbie lunch box?

My mother taught 3rd grade at Kemp from the time I was in 3rd grade until I left after 8th grade graduation. I have no sour memories of sharing the school with her. I knew that Mom would not rush to help me if I did anything wrong, but then, I *was* a Pollyanna (Yes dear Dawn! There is THAT reference again!) in school! I was a good student and loved my teachers.

Pollyanna...that is Haley Mills, not me. Um...

I was not *the* smartest or brightest but I did well. I loved school.

I loved all my teachers but yes, there were some that were definitely "old school" in the building. I was lucky enough NOT to have them for class. Whew. Considering that I attended this school from 1961-1970, when I say *OLD school*, I MEAN *OLD school*!

The principal walked the halls and instilled fear in our hearts. Even in those of us who were painfully good. But, for every scary principal and hard driving gym teacher (and being forced to take showers in a very musty smelling, basement locker room), there was a sweet and caring art teacher or custodian (I will never forget you Harry!). All the teachers I was privileged to have

Yup, THE musty smelling showers...

while there were special. I know I was lucky and I will forever be grateful.

Now, to make you even more ill, I have to tell you I was also a cheerleader. Could you gag now? I cheered in the 7th and 8th grade for the basketball team. BOYS basketball. Don't even ask if there was a girl's team!

I remember the Christmas parties & the Halloween parties where we dressed up in costume and paraded through the classrooms of the older children. The Valentine's Day parties and those artfully designed shoe boxes. End of the year Field Day activities and the yearly carnival. Throwing ping pong balls to win a goldfish.

I remember learning to read with Dick, Jane, Sally and Flip the Dog. Oh yes, Puff the cat too.

Getting our desk all neat and pretty for Open House/Parent night.

The 7th and 8th grade dances, new dresses and beauty shop hair. A popular radio station's DJ emceed. We thought we were very "uptown"!

Sitting in the gymnasium/auditorium watching the first space shots on a wheeled in, grainy 15 inch television ...and being thrilled, awe struck. We watched Alan Shepherd, Scott Carpenter, Gus Grissom and mates rocket out of our atmosphere, John Glenn make his historic orbit, Jim Lovell and crew almost get "Lost in Space".

The gymnasium/auditorium

We had once a month "after lunch" movies in the gym. For a dime, we could watch "The Long, Long Trailer" with Lucy Ball and Desi Arnaz or one of Jerry Lewis' comedies.

Show and Tell Fridays

Lining up at school for the polio vaccine

Roller skating parties...

The Yearly field trips to Aullwood Farm, the Planetarium and Nature Center

Jumping rope on the playground and noticing that our teachers were crying. The President had been shot. JF Kennedy was dead.

Robert Kennedy was dead.

Martin Luther King was dead.

The Vietnam War raged on....the Manson murders, riots....

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Simon and Garfunkel, Woodstock and Laugh In.

Watching Bonanza, Walter Cronkite and Captain Kangaroo.

All of the school photos were taken during an open house last May. I attended 2 of these open house events with friends who all shared my years at the school. We wanted to see it one more time....last Summer, our old school was torn down. I have a brick from the *newer* building and my Mother has one from the old. The playground and building are now just flattened concrete, weedy and barren. The city says it will rebuild a new facility but with the recent levy failures and the trouble that the Dayton Schools face, I have doubts that will happen.

But Kemp will live on in memories and in our hearts. It was a school that helped shape a generation of young people...it was an era that did the same.