Thursday, April 17, 2008

School in Manassa

I went to kindergarten, first, second and third grades in Manassa, before we moved to Romeo.

Betty Jean Johnson, Helen McKenzie, Shirley Jackson, ViDella Huffaker and several others that some of you may know, were my school mates.

The kindergarten class was held in the basement of the old grade school building. That is where all of my children went to grade school. The other classes were held on the upper floor. There was a bell tower above where several of the young people rang the bell when it was not authorized by the school. There are several stories floating around about that bell.

I always liked school. I was not as good a student as my children, but I enjoyed the social part and I liked literature. That was my favorite. I didn't have the talent for math and science that my mom and sons had. My mom was a math genius. So were Keith and Doris Faye. I guess recess was my favorite. I liked my teachers.

11 comments:

Kent said...

Your post brings back a flood of memories including the night in the belltower above the school.

I loved that old building and hated to see them take the upper floors off of the building.

I had my first crush there on my first grade teacher, Rose Espinoza.

Larry said...

Didn't we go to the same grade-school?

Kent said...

I believe we all did, didn't we? It was the three story brick building north of Main Street. I think it is now a one story building that has been converted into a turquoise shop.

Anonymous said...

Yes, we all went t0 that old building. I was disappointed when they disbanded it. I worked in the same building at the hot lunch.

Red said...

I remmember leadin a jack ass up the stairs of the old school.It was quite easy to lead him up the stairs. We tied his tail to the rope that rang the bell. He would ring the bell get tired and lay down. It took Dean Morgan a ligttgle while to figure it out. The best part was to get it back out of the school. They finlly decided to push it down the fire escape.

Kent said...

That means that Donnie was up in that school tower more than one time. The time I was with him, there was no animal involved.

When I went, we tied the bell to a wire and rang the bell from a barn or granary across the street from the school.

It was really not a smart thing for us to do to go up in that old building in the dark. It did get my adrenalin pumping though.

Larry said...

I never had the chance to ring the bell in the belfry. The school was abandoned when I was in the second grade.

Kent said...

When we rang the bell in the belfry, it was after it had been abandoned.

Larry said...

I have taken a hammer to the park and gotten the bell to bellow out a tune.

Kent said...

So the old school bell was taken to the park, was it? I didn't know what had happened to it.

Larry said...

It was on the stand in front of the Jack Dempsey museum. I would suppose that it is still there.