The Grandma Jar

OK, here we go--Tell about school, schools attended, special teachers, friends, classes, activities, humorous situations, achievements.

We lived in Granger when I started school. The district didn't have regular kindergarten so we went to a glorified pre-school at the church. My teacher was Louise Harmon. She later was our neighbor in Highland and was Steve's pre-school teacher also. Louise was (and I'm sure still is) Awesome!

I attended 1st grade at the old Monroe Elementary (it was torn down after I completed 2nd grade--I'm still looking for a picture). In October I was getting off the school bus with several other 1st graders. Crossing the road to Ben View Drive a few of us were hit by a speeding drunk driver. The others were treated and released but I was the most seriously injured--a concussion, a broken leg and a broken hand, serious road burn, and numerous bumps and bruises. I spent the next 3 months in the hospital were a "visiting teacher" taught me.

• Funny side story: I colored everything black. The visiting teacher became worried and ordered psychologic testing. Finally after an entire battery of tests someone actually asked me why I colored everything black. My reply, "I only have a black crayon."

My most vivid memory of 1st grade: the day that we learned the word "Cookie" (we learned to read by sight and not phonetically) our teacher brought chocolate chip cookies to school. Also, above the blackboard was a sign that read "Open doors with magic keys; one is thank you, one is please." Amazing that I still remember that!
I have few memories of 2nd grade except that my classroom was in the basement, and we never did have a full time teacher but were taught by a long line of substitutes.

Third grade was a year of changes. I started the year at the brand new Academy Park Elementry just south of our home in Kearns. In October we moved to Highland. Mom asked the neighbors where she should go to enroll us in school. She recieved an evasive answer but learned that they (the Chidester's) attended Forbes Elementry in American Fork. She loaded me, Susan, and Bruce in the car and took us to Forbes. There she learned that because the Highland kids rode the bus that the local elementry schools distributed them evenly among themselves. Forbes said that they would take Bruce, but they sent Mom, Susan and I to Greenwood Elementry. Greenwood said that they would take me but they sent Mom and Susan to Harrington Elementry--hence we were all attending different schools (Mom was less than pleased). Several yers later Shelley Elementry was completed and all of the Highland kids were allowed to go there but Bruce was the only one of the three of us to attend Shelley. I graduated from Greenwood and Susan finished at Harrington (Harrington was retired and torn down shortly after Susan finished--is there a story there?).

I have vivid memories of 3rd grade at Greenwood. My teacher was Wanda Peterson and she was awesome! She was an older teacher with a kind heart for shy little transplanted girl. When she introduced me to the class she asked me what I liked to do. My favorite recess game was chinese jump rope--an Academy Park favorite. Mrs. Peterson had never heard of chinese jump rope so she had me teach the whole class how to play during our PE period. She made me feel involved and valued. (Funny sidelite: When Samantha was about 8 we ran into Mrs. Peterson at the Castlevalley Pagent--I was so impressed that she remembered me, or at least claimed that she did. She said the Sami looked just like I had when I was in her class. Ironically, she didn't look one drop different than she had when I was in third grade. Maybe she wasn't as "older" as I remember.)

In fourth grade I had Mrs. Hackford, I don't remember much about my classroom experience but I do remember that she personally has a horrific year (I don't think that I will go any further with this).

My fifth grade teacher was Mr. Brady. His daughter was also in our class. I'm not sure that he liked teaching.

Jr. High: For sixth grade I graduated to the big wide world of Jr. High. We went up the hill to the old American Fork Jr. High building. The building was the old high school and has since been condemned and torn down. Trivia: the 1979 movie Takedown was filmed in the old Jr. High http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078358/. Local students were invited to appear in the crowd scenes, but I didn't, I'm not sure why not. Our Jr. High experience was a little unusual. Although we went to the Jr. High we were still considered elementary students and we only had one teacher. We had a brand new teacher named Miss Carr (she became Mrs. Ward sometime during the year). My most vivid memory of Mrs. Ward is that she loved to sing and her favorite musical was The King and I http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049408/. She taught us to sing every single song. On the first day of class she sang "Getting to Know You" to us and then she taught it to us. I think we sang it 1000 times that year.

During 7th, 8th, and 9th grades my favorite subject was History; and my favorite History teacher was Doug Johnson. Once when we were studying Russia he brought cavier for everyone to taste--I was instantly hooked (I was the only person in the class that like it. I attribute this to my aristocratic tastes). Mr. Johnson was a Major in the Army and every January he was gone for military duty. During this month (and at other times during the year) his wife would substitute our class. I liked her ok but we all had a running joke about her because she always wore a green dress and purple shoes--or was it a purple dress and green shoes, I can't believe that I've for gotten which. Many years later I ran into her in Penney's in Orem (sans purple and green). I was shocked that she remembered me.

High School : I loved American Fork High School! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Fork_High_School. As a High School student I was a member of the Marching Band. In 1972 AFHS didn't have the prestigious band that they have today. In fact they had to beg students to join. I was recruited, with absolutely no experience, to play the drums. We marched in parades all summer long. Our uniforms were wool and were they ever hot! We wore tall hats and sometimes we put a dripping ice bag in the top so that the cold water would run down our faces and help to keep us cool. My drum was worn over my shoulder and so it bumped on my leg with every step. I had a huge perpetual bruise on my right leg. During my senior year we were invited to travel to California and to march in the Rose Bowl parade on New Years Day. We traveled by bus to California where members of the Garden Grove LDS ward housed us. I, along with 3 other girls (I don't remember who) stayed with a Sister Calkins and her daughter Pam. They were wonderful. Besides marching in the parade we also performed for the Garden Grove ward and we got to march in the Disneyland parade down Disney main street. This was my first time visiting Disneyland http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage and I was so excited. We only had 2 hours in Disneyland so we asked the Calkins what we should definately do. They suggested that we ride Pirates of the Carribean and It's a Small world--excellent choices--they are still some of my favorites. (In the band picture I am 2nd on the right on the front row.)

In High School I also belonged to the drill team know as the Cavettes (The AFHS mascot is the Caveman). As a senior I was selected to head the committee to organize and present the Pep Club Formal--the largest girls choice dance of the year. I decorated in my favorite colors--yellow, orange, and pink. The decorations were a little unorthodox but I thought that they were wonderful.


(You can find me in the center of the second row in the funky wig in the pep club picture and I'm center front in the dance photo--notice Aunt Susan 2nd from the right on the front row.)