The highest grade in each neighborhood school was the 6th grade. By the time each student had conquered each grade, it was a major achievement to leave the 6th grade for the junior high. However, before you could leave the 6th grade, there were several events that one had to attend.
One was the annual 6th grade concert. It was extremely embarassing to have to audition for Mrs Adelt, the district music coordinator. Each student had to make the trip alone to the second floor lunch room to sing certain tunes for her. And, if you couldn't do it satisfactorily, you didn't make it to sing in the concert...a major embarassment.
I will never forget my audition. I am no singer. But I was determined not to fail. After all, I had to save my mother from the embarassment of not having a participant in the annual concert. I was always an alto...never did have that nice girly soprano voice. Mercifully, Mrs Adelt took pity on me and, despite my voice's cracking try-out, I was somehow chosen to sing with mostly boys and do the alto part with the group. Once per week, we walked to the junior high to practice with the other 6th graders from all across town for the concert.
When the day of the concert arrived, my mother made me wear the most god-awful baby blue dress...a full skirted, bolero-jacketed creation, something my fashion-conscious Boston grandmother had sent for the occasion. I was so unhappy...and I fought the inevitable hair curlers and the dress I had to endure to get ready for the performance. My mother won, of course. I was expected to look like a lady and to give the performance of a lifetime.
The junior high auditorium was packed with parents, kids, and other relatives. We stood on risers on the stage and sang our hearts out. The repertoire was a collection of patriotic tunes but the only tunes I can actually remember singing were "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". I did feel like I accomplished something when I was done, but it wasn't one of my proudest moments. I was just glad it was done!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
East Side Kid
We lived on the east side of the railroad tracks...a mostly Polish/eastern European ethnic neighborhood. Bill Owczarski's luncheonette/ice cream/candy/toy/bike store was on the corner, directly next to Hoosac St School. My brothers and I spent so much time there. Bruce was Bill's buddy, the kid who had to test every new bike that Bill put together. He would sit for hours while Bill patiently put togther the latest Schwinn or fixed up an old bike to resell it. Bill would let Bruce take it for a spin to make sure everything worked and Bruce would be in heaven. Bruce learned how to ride a 2-wheel bike at age 4, all by himself. Bill gave him an old beat-up bike and in no time, Bruce was motoring himself all over the neighborhhood.
Bill and his wife, Louise, made their own ice cream...flavors that you couldn't find anywhere else. My brother and I would sit on the front steps of Owczarski's store and wait for the latest batch of soft ice cream to be ready. Bill and Louise would bring us a small cup of the batch they were working on. It was just like Dairy Queen soft ice cream and so good!
We would sit on the stools at Bill's counter to ask for his wonderful cream sodas...Bill would put in the syrup, add a half glass of milk, stir, and fill with seltzer. The drink would be topped with a squirt of whipped cream. What a treat! They also made such wonderful sundaes, always topped with a huge mound of cream. High school and elementary kids were allowed to go out for lunch and many of them would end up at Bill's for a sandwich, burger, or hot dog. Bill did a great business and he was a great friend.
Bill and his wife, Louise, made their own ice cream...flavors that you couldn't find anywhere else. My brother and I would sit on the front steps of Owczarski's store and wait for the latest batch of soft ice cream to be ready. Bill and Louise would bring us a small cup of the batch they were working on. It was just like Dairy Queen soft ice cream and so good!
We would sit on the stools at Bill's counter to ask for his wonderful cream sodas...Bill would put in the syrup, add a half glass of milk, stir, and fill with seltzer. The drink would be topped with a squirt of whipped cream. What a treat! They also made such wonderful sundaes, always topped with a huge mound of cream. High school and elementary kids were allowed to go out for lunch and many of them would end up at Bill's for a sandwich, burger, or hot dog. Bill did a great business and he was a great friend.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Hoosac St School
The old schools in the 50's and 60's were like dinosaurs...with great broad stairways made of wood and smelling of oily wood polish. I'll bet the smell of that polish lingers in the schools today. They are all still standing, each now used for something else.
Each classroom was a huge room, standardized with the customary photos of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the American flag,and a huge wooden teacher's desk. But each teacher made his/her room unique, decorating it with A+ papers and drawings and bulletin boards with bright pictures. The floors were shiny with the wood polish and many were warped with the years of use.
My school had one empty room...the lunch room...where we were examined once/year by old Dr Macek and nurse, Mrs Lecuyer. We were checked over, making sure our posture was good, that our hearts were ticking, and that we had no head lice. Very embarassing. The room had other uses too...lunch for the kids that lived too far to go home, assembly-like sing-alongs, auditions for the 6th grade concert. And, when the new polio vaccine came out, we were all sent to the lunch room to get our cup of vaccine to drink.
My favorite part of the school, besides the playground, was the basement. Here were the boys and girls rest rooms...it was a long trip from the second floor down there and you never knew whom you would meet. The teachers monitored how long you were gone and if you stayed there too long, someone would be sent to fetch you. But the real reson I liked the basement was because, on rainy days, we got to have recess there. We would sing and play silly games the whole time...great fun...girls on one side, boys on the other. Awesome!
Each classroom was a huge room, standardized with the customary photos of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the American flag,and a huge wooden teacher's desk. But each teacher made his/her room unique, decorating it with A+ papers and drawings and bulletin boards with bright pictures. The floors were shiny with the wood polish and many were warped with the years of use.
My school had one empty room...the lunch room...where we were examined once/year by old Dr Macek and nurse, Mrs Lecuyer. We were checked over, making sure our posture was good, that our hearts were ticking, and that we had no head lice. Very embarassing. The room had other uses too...lunch for the kids that lived too far to go home, assembly-like sing-alongs, auditions for the 6th grade concert. And, when the new polio vaccine came out, we were all sent to the lunch room to get our cup of vaccine to drink.
My favorite part of the school, besides the playground, was the basement. Here were the boys and girls rest rooms...it was a long trip from the second floor down there and you never knew whom you would meet. The teachers monitored how long you were gone and if you stayed there too long, someone would be sent to fetch you. But the real reson I liked the basement was because, on rainy days, we got to have recess there. We would sing and play silly games the whole time...great fun...girls on one side, boys on the other. Awesome!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)