In elementary school I was in a play of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Apparently although the story greatly pre-dates Disney, the dwarf names are copyrighted, so the teacher producing the play came up with different names for the dwarfs, all based on food items.

I was the leader of the dwarfs, named Orange Marmalade. My younger brother was the youngest, not-so-bright dwarf, named Beef Stew (or Beefy for short) Another was named Corn Fritter. I don't remember any of the others.

At one point the dwarfs were sending Beef Stew shopping and they made a song of the shopping list (I guess 'cause that's what dwarfs do) to help Beefy remember what to buy. I think it went:

Hams, clams and candied Yams
Steaks, cakes and apples baked,
A quart of Spumoni
A pound of baloney,
Snails, quails and ginger ales,
Peas, Cheese and honey from bees.
and don't forget the Ketchup ... please.

He instead returned with 7 pounds of raisins and a jellybean.

His character's rationalization was "you eat the raisins and then drink water and they will swell up and you'll feel like you've had a big meal." To which the rest of the dwarfs replied: "We'd rather actually have a big meal."

I think shortly thereafter his character stuck his tongue out at the rest of us dwarfs, and our grandmother scolded him from the audience, saying "Joe, Don't do that. That's not nice"

In 2nd grade I played the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe in our school play. After finally getting all my children settled (requiring a lot of effort on my part), I said, "Now I can play my piano." At which point I sat down and played a piece on the piano. That's the only line I remember from the play.

I haven't thought about that in years (thanks Susan and Bob), and I now realize that my role was prophetic. It's not that I grew up to have "so many children I didn't know what to do," but when my three were growing up I definitely played the piano for stress relief--every day! :-)

My public school taught the times tables in 5th grade, but I left there after my mother died and went to a Catholic convent boarding school for 5th grade. My class had learned their times tables the year before, so I never learned them.

I wish I had! I have to do the arithmetic in my head for many of them. Over the years I've committed a few to memory, but I don't trust it. If I think 8 x 7 is 56, for instance, I'll usually work it out anyway: 10 x 7 is 70, minus 14 is 56. A nuisance!

I always remember that 12 x 12 = 144, for some reason, but don't ask me what 12 x 11 equals. LOL

I still remember a poem I memorized when I was in kindergarten for a variety show. It is "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I don't remember much since then, though...LOL!

I remember hiding behind the piano most of the time in kindergarten. One boy finally coaxed me out to play with the big building blocks.....and the tower fell down on me. So it was back behind the piano.
In first grade I pronounced library as liberry and the teacher corrected me. I was so embarrassed. But she taught me the love of books.
In fifth grade we had square dancing, which I hated. So did four boys. Finally the teacher got to disgusted with us she sent us out to play baseball. I loved baseball and was a really good batter. One of the boys who got sent out ended up being a professional baseball player.

duplicate post....sorry.

This post was edited by carol_in_california on Sun, Apr 20, 14 at 16:17

Being a "crossing guard" to help kids cross the street.

stop, drop, and cover, for sure...monte Montana coming to do rope tricks..a cow on a truck for we city kids, Christmas pagents with a dradle (sp) song for the jewish kids...march of dimes, shots.. taking the city bus home and William frawley on it (yes downtown Hollywood)

In kindergarten I referred to a train as a choo-choo train and the teacher corrected me and said only babies call it a choo-choo. Other than that she was so nice.
In third grade my mom discovered a pen pal site for elementary students and told my teacher about it. We all got to sign up and get a pen pal. Mine was Kristy Morrison from Rapid City, SD.I lost contact with her over the years. Now that I live in Iowa, I wish I could find her. She would be 71 or 72 now. After we got pen pals, our teacher had the custodians build a post office in our class room and we got our mail from pen pals there.

I remember, back in 1st or 2nd grade, a new classmate appeared.
She had moved to the US from London, and told us about having to stay in bomb shelters during the war., and how scary it was..

I attended kindergarten and first grade in the old elementary building. One night the plaster ceiling in my home room came down. All of it. If it had been during the school day many kids would have been injured or killed.

They tore that building down over the summer, and for the next two years, classrooms were set up in the basements of two local churches, while the new elementary building was built.

The new school was modern and funky, looking like a random assortment of boxes stacked willy-nillly, with a very open plan to the classrooms. There were also large concrete and stainless steel slides going from the third floor to the second, and from the second floor to the first. As they were showing the newly finished school to the school board, the wife of the school board went down one of the slides -- way too fast -- and shot out at the bottom and landed hard, and broke her tailbone.

Therefore the students had to be trained on how to safely go down the slide, and in general we were prohibited from using the slide except during fire drills, and then only if you were in one of the classrooms where the slides were your designated route.

Anybody else remember making rice pictures? You dyed rice different colors and then used them to make a picture, usually a full page picture already drawn, kind of like a coloring book picture. You glued each piece of rice on, using a toothpick to push it into position.

I remember in 4th grade I was making a swan - gee, in retrospect, that seems REALLY boring with lots of plain white rice - and a boy in my class was making a swan too. One day he got my swan and started working it, and I got his. I was further along on my swan, and I was really ticked that he wouldn't trade back.

I kept that swan picture for a long time.

A few years ago I discovered by accident, when I typed in a search of the name of my elementary school, (who does that, anyhow?) that someone had started a blog about it and had posted a few pictures and some of their memories. The school has since been torn down, but my memories came back of those days starting in the early '40's in Cleveland, Ohio.

I made contact with the person and even sent some of my class pictures and other pictures of events at the school and shared some of my memories. Unfortunately, the site hasn't been viewed by many, or at least not many have written, but it's been so interesting to read what has been written, that I had forgotten about.

It even prompted me to try to locate a gal I went through elementary school with, found her, and we've been in constant contact ever since.

Socks did we go to the same school.... lol. I also remember a stamp booklet. You would buy stamps each week or month and when it was filled you received a savings bond.

Socks, ditto everything you posted! I was so proud of that little envelope and bank book. Every friday was our deposit day.

We had weekly drills. The nuns would yell "The Russians are coming" and we would take cover under our desks. When I was 5, I vividly remember my parents introducing me to some people who were of Russian descent and I immediately ran for cover, crying. My parents were horrified.

I'm enjoying all these stories so much! What a crazy idea Bob about the slide! So funny, The rice swans, 7 dwarfs.

I found a picture of the school (google street view) showing the modern, boxy look I was describing.

It reminded that while playing baseball on the diamond in the foreground during recess, (or maybe during gym), I hit the ball and was running to first base, and decided to slide (because that was what Pete Rose always did) and cut my hand quite badly on a piece of glass in the dirt, and was just a fraction of an inch from cutting the tendon to my right thumb.

It was later explained to me that since the first baseman doesn't need to tag you, there's no point in sliding into first base ever.

I remember some of my grade school days. I attended a one room country school. The school year was 8 months. We began on or about Sept 1 and was finished by April 30. By the end of the 1st grade, we could print and cursively write the netire alphabet and could sign write our full name. Much of the multiplication table was memorized and that was completed in the 2nd grade. Emphasis was placed on the 3 Rs: readin, 'ritin, and 'rithmetic. My weak subject was grammar. I had a home language that was tough for me to correct. For example, the word, "were", was missing in Mom's vocabulary and other problems such as pronounciation.

I remember gwtting a serries of vaccinations. However, there was no vaccine for polio in the 1940s and several children in the commnity did contract that terrible disease. Our little grade school escaped, but when I entered high schllo in 1950, 2 of my fellow students were afflicted with the lasting effects of polio.

I suffered through (in different years) the mumps, whooping cough, and measles during grade school.

Nostalgic views of country schools typically shows a bell on top of the school building. We did not have such, in fact most of the country schools in the county did not have bells. The teacher used a hand bell to call the students in from the school yard.

During the war years (WW2), the school day began with the pledge of allegance. Today, that would bring out the lawyers. And, the US flag had only 48 stars.

The Rural Electrification Act (REA) ahd been enacted but was suspended during WW2. Copper was seized as a strategic material. No private automobiles were made. Management of food and home supplies revolved around rationing. Sugar, pepper, coffee, tires, and rubber products were among the rationed.

In our community, about half of the homes did not have telephones and those that did were of the party line variety. We were 10 miles from town, therefore a call to town was not reliable over 10 miles of wire driven by the old crank and battery phones.

My school had chalk and black boards made of real slate! A lot of wrting and math practice took place while standing and writing on the black boards. During bad weather, we also entertained ourselves during the noon hour using the black board. We were allowed to scribble, doodle, draw, and play games such as hangman and tic-tac-toe.

During my early school years, Christmas was a major feature with a play, gifts, a decorated tree, and the appearnace of "Santa" at the end of the play.

The major source of light was a west wall of double hung windows. Lighting could be augmented with Coleman type lamps hung from the ceiling, however, these were rarely used during the day.

All class work was completed at school. I rarely took work home, except for reading books.

The school library consisted of one, double door steel case cabinet. It held our entire supply of reading and reference materials. These items had to share space with other items such as supplies, meager sports equipment, and a first aid kit.

In a way, I pity students of today because so much history has happened since the 1940s. Today's school history book can not possibly give adequate space to our American history. The authors can only pick selected items.

I grew up in Chicago. Each school had a playground with a man and woman director. we had tournaments and played against other schools. school let out at three and it was activities until about 5 then back in the evening for ping pong baseball etc.

In school I remember one class when we made butter. I was in all the school activities. so many I cant recall. A school chum from those days called me yesterday to wish me Happy Easter. We were buddies and did everything together. from making the Valentine boxes to walking around the outside of the school on a narrow concrete ledge Quite a task.

Bob's picture inspired me to look up my schools. Here's PS 151, now called the Mary D. Carter School. I'll have to find out who Mary was. We lived within walking distance of the school, about 3 or 4 city blocks away.

And here's the convent boarding school I went to next:

I am loving reading about everyone's elementary school memories. I often think about my grade school classes with 35 to 40 students in each. The teacher had to manage us all with no aides. She was allowed to discipline as she saw fit (within reason, of course) and it worked.

There was a private home and a double set of railroad tracks between the school house and the school playground and athletic fields. It was a good trek, but we went out for recess whenever possible.

All 12 grades were in the building. Grades 1 through 8 were on the second floor, up about 24 steps. There was no elevator.

When I was in 2nd grade, the teacher died during the Christmas break. There was no counselor brought in to help us cope. We were not scared for life. No lasting trauma either when a classmate was killed in a farm accident during the school year and no counselor to help us with our grief.

The 'one room' school was common pre 1960's and the teacher taught all grades from 1st to 8th in that room. My husband attended such a school. The "lavatory" was outside. The older boys tended the fire in the stove in the front of the room. They brought in the coal and wood, took out the ashes. This was in the early 1950's.

My second grade class with the teacher who passed away in the middle of the term.

Jemdandy, you have lots of memories of those difficult days! My community's schools still say the pledge, and we have a majority of students from other countries. Kids still love to write on the board, but I never let them much because we had white boards and those markers are expensive! Too bad.

Those of you who have memories of your teachers, wouldn't they be pleased to know you remembered things such as making butter, the 7 Dwarfs, etc.? They work so hard to engage children.

Our school was in a very old building, built on a hillside with younger classes being in the "new" lower level and the upper grades in the old building. When I was in the 5th grade, my class was on the 3rd floor and bathrooms on the 2nd. I remember clearly the bathroom stalls had big wood doors, tiny square tile floor, porcelain pedestal sinks, and one giant window that tilted out....

I remember the bathroom so well for a reason:

Our class was on a bathroom break and as we lingered looking out the window on a warm spring day...my friend Laura dared me to jump out. Never one to back down from a dare, I climbed over the sill and was gone! ( it was at least 10 foot drop)
After I was on the grass I realized 2 things: the quickest way back in the building was past the principals office - OR I had to run all the way down the hill to the lower level, around the back side and in through the playground doors.

Not being completely stupid - playground it was!

Time was ticking and it was a long way to get back to the 3rd floor so I took off running!
As I crashed through the doors at full speed (it really was a long way back!) I met a 2nd grade teacher head on, blocking my way.
Not just any teacher.
She went to my church,
She KNEW my PARENTS!
Busted. Flat out busted.
She had seen everything. Watched me jump out, and run around - all through her class window. (clearly I hadn't thought this out too well)
After a brief questioning, she sent me back to class! Not the principal!
I sweated all day...the rest of the week really because I knew come Sunday she would tell my folks.

Sunday came and went and she never told.

That is until I was well into my 30's and she finally spilled the beans. Now we laugh about it every time we meet.
Mrs. R is well into her 80's and I still love her dearly.

I am enjoying reading your grade school memories. We certainly share many. I remember the air raid drills. We went in to the halls, crouched down with our head toward the wall and covered the back of our heads with our hands -- like that was going to save us from a nuclear bomb attack! Strange that I never really worried about that happening. I enjoyed the break in the day.

When we lined up to go to different classes (gym, art, etc), we always lined up by height. I was always near the end of the line since I was tall for my age.

In first grade we had to write every number from one to one hundred. It was so boring! I actually coerced someone else into doing it for me. The prize for finishing was a rubber eraser.

There actually was a teacher who would put masking tape over the mouths of kids who talked in class and made them stand in the hall. I was not in that class but remember seeing the poor kids in the hall. Can you imagine that happening today?

In fourth grade I was in the class Thanksgiving play. I was Tillie the Turkey. I came running in from offstage and fell on my butt. I was wearing brown tights, no shoes, and went flying on the wood floor.

The stage was in the gym and we each had to set up a chair before every assembly. In gym we played dodge ball, which I hated. that ball stung and the boys made every effort to clobber you.

I lived close enough to walk home for lunch once in awhile, but mostly ate in the cafeteria. I always got milk in those waxy little cartons and the "platter".

One time my dog followed me to school and my mother had to be called to retrieve him. I was so embarrassed, although I did bring him into my classroom where he got lots of pats.

I could go on forever with happy memories of those years. My school recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. I still keep in touch with grade school friends.

Alisande, your boarding school was beautiful. I hope that was a nice experience for you. How sad to lose your mother at such a young age.

I lived equal distance from two grammar schools in my northwest suburban Chicago hometown. One school was K - 8. My mother started me at the smaller school, K - 6. Everyone on our side of town attended the larger school for 7th and 8th grades. There was a similar setup on the other side of town. The high school was a township school with students from three different suburbs -- overcrowded by the time I graduated. All those Boomers!

My grammar school offered morning or afternoon kindergarten and had two classrooms of 18 - 20 kids for each grade. We had Art once a week and Music once a week and Phys Ed three times a week. There was an hour for lunch; most of us walked or rode our bikes home and back. Mothers were at home in those days. We had 20-minute recess too in that 9 - 3:30 day. I think all that exercise kept us more manageable!

I had only one busy street to cross between home and school, guarded by a Patrol Boy. I remember the fuss when one student in my class lobbied for and won the right to be a Patrol GIRL!

My school days began by being socked in the stomach by a boy on the first day of kindergarten. It was rude of me to gape, but he was the first Japanese person I'd ever met. As to his taking offense, WWII had just ended. (He became president of our senior class in HS.)

Except for a few kids moving, this group that started kindergarten together pretty much moved on through high school graduation together before going our separate ways to college or work. They are the only people I'd want to see again at any HS reunion. Our mothers had a 'mothers' club' that continued to meet for years after we were all grown. We were almost 'family'.

I went to elementary school in the mid 40's. I was the oldest of 4 girls. We all went to the same school and walked to and from school. On rainy days our mom drove us. I loved our elementary school, to me it seemed modern with the bricks it was made of. and lots of tall windows. Our school had a very nice library and I loved to go there. I remember one teacher said it was a crime to cut up a National Geographic magazine for homework. When I went to junior high school it was at the same location as the high school. Had to take a transit bus to get there. No school buses. All these schools are still in existence to this day. I went to school in Cincinnati, Ohio. I remember climbing the rope in the gym and the rings also. We played out doors on nice days at lunch. Kick ball was my favorite. In the spring we had relay races. We had a nice lunch room but a mean lunch lady. You always had to eat your sauerkraut. She would stand by the trash can and if you tried to throw it out she would make you go back to the table and eat it. We didn't have year books in elementary school just class pictures. Oh those were the good old days.
Mary

I'm really impressed by the lucid memories many of you have. It's funny how factors that seem minor or incidental at the time can make a lasting impression on kids.

My elementary school years were split between the 50s and 60s. Other than the random recollections we all have, two things stand out for me. The first one is that while in 2nd or 3rd grade (I don't remember which) I was one of the kids on Art Linkletter's House Party. Along with three other kids from my school, we were picked up in a limousine and then spent a fabulous day at the CBS TV complex. Our responses were our own but we were given the questions and rehearsed the responses before airtime. The show was broadcast live. We were the TV stars of the school and the neighborhood for years to come.

The second memorable thing was my sixth grade teacher, an African American man who joined our school as his first teaching assignment. He was huge and had a very deep voice. His intimidating and scary first impression belied the big heart and love he felt for the kids in his class. He was perhaps one of the best teachers I had. He went on to a career in administration as superintendent of several large school systems.

This is the school where I attended first through seventh grade, in Washington, D.C.

I have many memories of those days. We lived right across the street, and the playground was open for us anytime, to use the swings and monkey bars, etc.

One highlight of my memory, is winning the Spelling Bee, in either the 6th. or 7th, grade. The word was bureau. Doesn't quite compare to words used in the Spelling Bees now, does it?

This is a great thread. I've often wondered if the school is still there, but never thought about checking it out. But I did just now and see that it is, although changed. I'm going to add that to my ToDo list and I copied this pic to post here.

Sue

I remember the bathrooms with the little toilets for little students. I remember getting trouble for talking during naptime in Kindergarten.

Here is one thing that has stuck with me for 60 years. IN 5th grade the teacher asked us to say a word that they liked when they saw it in a book. My answer was 'suddenly" because it meant that something was going to happen. I thought it was a darn good answer and the teacher totally ignored me, she just called on the next person. I was so hurt! I remember it to this day and it WAS a good answer.

Another time in history class in 5th grade I was called on and I had no idea of the answer. Let's say you had a choice of the right answer being Washington or New York. Well, I guessed Washington and that was wrong. The teacher looked at me as said, in a mean voice, "50 - 50 chance and you lost". I was mortified but use that expression all the time now in jest.

Every new post I read brings back something else to me!

Snidely, why does it not surprise me that you were on Art Linkletter!? (Please take this in the friendly jest it is intended to be!)

Dedtired, funny how these small but hurtful things stick in our minds. Maybe the suddenly teacher didn't realize what she did, and maybe the 50-50 meant her comment in a friendly way. I taught for 19 years and hope I never hurt a child that way.

These wonderful replies should be compiled into a book.

Oh gosh, I have a million memories of elementary school. I remember trying to play kickball in slick shoes and falling. Or splitting my pants, or getting soaking wet with rain the very first day of school. I can remember how Sheila just whipped out snowflakes (the type you cut from construction paper). I loved how she wriggled paper to go just the direction she wanted and I wished oh so hard I could do that. I still can't. I still wish I could. My friend Audrey and I liked to sit in the shade and she would embroider. I remember Miss Luna talking to me one day when I was on the playground at the end of the day. I lived close enough I could walk home to school (K-4th grade). Everyone else was gone. I think she was worried about my homelife. She was right, but nothing came of it. They tested me for skipping a grade, but decided factors, other than intelligence, were insurmountable and left me where I was. I am glad for that because there were times people were very mean to Valerie when they found out she had skipped a grade. I remember how I got to go home early one day. A very special day. Daddy was home, on leave from Thailand (he was "never in" Viet Nam. He flew reconnaissance). This is all just K-2nd. I could go on, but there aren't any paragraphs. Where would you stop/start? They're just bits and pieces.

I remember in 3rd grade my female teacher thought we all had to be brillant math majors. We all had to go buy clear cellophane sheets & pens for the overhead reader and work math problems in front of the class.

Then for recess we would all stand around and pound red sandstone rocks into sand. We were told to stop because we weren't interacting with each other "and" someone might get hurt. :0)

Also in 3rd grade the little boy across the street played the organ, with a metronone sitting on it and had a trampoline. His mother had my mother sign a trampoline use consent form to release her from any legal liability in case I got hurt.

And people think times have changed so much. wink

That little boy also had a tree house & shot magpies with his BB gun.

Used to eat by Sara Isabell, and she always ate her dessert first.

One of my favorite luncheon meals, was a thin slice of mystery meat with some red sauce on top.

Loved the Halloween festivals, particularly the cake walks in the front yard. Our mother's always baked the cakes.

Joan and I iused to walk or ride our bikes to school.

In first grade my first grade teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up and I said a missionary. :o)

socks, it must be because you remember that Kids Say The Darndest Things (the title of several of his books).

In the innocent "I don't understand but here's what it seems like to me" perspective of a small kid, my answers to his questions revealed a couple of private (but harmless) details about my parents habits that drew big laughs from the audience. And, as later I found out, big laughts from all the friends and family who were watching me on TV. We were teased about it for months, my parents laughed about it too.

Oh yes, Snidley, Art loved it when the kids revealed family secrets.

In kindergarten I walked to and from school with David. One day after school I brought home the front end of a dead cat. My mother phoned David's mother to tell her, and she said David had brought home the back end. Oh yuck!

I remember in the old elementary school, the boys bathroom was down in the basement and was sort of scary and once shortly after getting a new watch as a present, I took it off there to wash my hands and left it on the edge of the sink. When I went back to find it, it was gone. :-(

Another time on the marble stairs leading up to the main hall of the elementary, two friends were having a contest to see who could jump down to most stairs. Starting at 3 steps from the bottom and jumping to the bottom, and then 4 steps, and then 5 steps, then 6. I was just about to ask to join the contest, because it didn't look that hard and I thought I could win. But with the next jump one of the boys slipped and landed on the steps with his arm beneath him, and got up screaming and crying and holding his arm which looked like it had two extra elbows.

I also remember walking to visit a friend for the first time who only lived about a block further then the school (which was six blocks from my house) and being nervous about being able to find my way home. Although I'm now really questioning whether that would have been the old elementary school, which was first grade, or some time later. Anyway when I was looking for a picture of the school online, I saw campaign signs saying that that friend was running for head of city council (at whatever time the google street view truck was there)

Socks, that particular teacher really was a meanie. When I went to my 40th high school reunion everyone who had had her back in the 5th grade was laughing about what a nasty old thing she was. Looking back, I know appreciate the teachers who were always kind and encouraging. I bet that isn't easy.

I also remember how rough the boys were on the playground. Amazing all of them survived.

Like others, we had a classmate who died. He went on a Boy Scout overnight trip and fell into an old well that that had been covered over. Very sad. It may have happened over the summer because I don't remember learning about it at school.

I was in elementary school in the early 60's. I remember my fifth grade teacher threw chalk at us when he got upset over something. I liked him though. He was kind and also funny. My sixth grade teacher used to talk dirty to the girls. I didn't understand at all but I was aware that he was doing something wrong. The things he said made no sense then but of course do now. A group of us girls were going to go tell the principal but got cold feet when we thought we'd get in trouble for talking about a teacher that way. Much later when I was a teenager, there was an article about him in the local paper-he'd been fired for talking dirty to the girls. Times sure have changed-now kids are encouraged to speak up, whereas we were afraid to.

We lived so far out in the country away from cities that we had no concern about bomb raids, Our main concern was where we'd get the next dollar for food.

Well, I thought that I was insulated from the war until one Saturday, I was visiting my neighbor and heard a low hum in the distance but saw nothing. And then suddently, a pair of P51D Mustangs appeared over the rise and passed overhead. They were at about 50 to 100 ft altitude practicing terrain following at full throttle. It was a mighty noise that came and went in a flash. The chickens scattered and I recall seeing chicken feathers floating down afterward. (We lived 100 miles south of Chanute air base and that was the only time I recall being startled by their actions.)

While while my sister and I was walking home from school, we saw for the first time a jet contrail in the sky. Not knowing what it might be, we young ones wondered if we were seeing a comet LOL. We'd never seen a comet either.

OMG. You got me curious about the school I attended when I made my rice picture - see my first post way up towards the top of this thread.

I haven't been back there for many, many years. Now I'm thinking about it . . . .

Here is a link that might be useful: My school is haunted!

I just remembered-it was erasers Mr. Fulton threw, it was chalk he chewed on. He used to say, "My name is Robert Fulton and I weigh a full ton !"
He was crying when the news of Kennedy's death came over the loudspeaker. All the kids started crying. I think now that we kids were crying because the adults were. I don't think that the kids really understood what had happened.