Back to Kindergarten
Just when I think my memory is shot, old images come flashing back. Yesterday I worked across the street from my first childhood home and today I went to bid a job next door to my kindergarten school building. The City of Golden Valley for many years had its own school district, number 21 I believe it was. But back in the 60s it must have been in the city’s interests to disband and allow the larger districts of Robbinsdale and Hopkins to split up the city and educate its students in its existing schools. Robbinsdale acquired from Golden Valley an old brick building built in 1921 and used it exclusively for kindergarten classes. It had 6 classrooms and that’s where I attended my first year of school. (The building now is being used by a Baptist Church.) I previously assumed that this was probably the original school building in town, but today I found out that the house next door was actually the first school house (built around the turn of last century.)
I attended classes there in the years 1963 and 1964. Yes, I did graduate within the allotted time. That building brings back many memories, both good and bad. Of course on the bad and sad side, I was there when President Kennedy was shot on November 23rd. I now think of that as the day that Aldous Huxley and (my favourite [British spelling]) C.S. Lewis also died. (This reminds me of a great book entitled Between Heaven and Hell, which presents a conversation with these three men in the afterlife, shortly after dying. It’s a well-written, fast-paced and humorous book; the first book Suzi ever gave me, and one that endeared her to me.)
But most of the memories were fond ones. Naps, collecting leaves, coloring with the big 8-color crayons, tracing found items, hearing the teacher read adventurous tales, and just being around that many kids my own age. No first-graders to pick on us there.
It was a cool place to start official school and probably helped put me on the right steps to a lifetime of loving to learn.
Oak Grove rocks!
5 comments:
My kindergarten teacher's name was Mrs. Wright. Isn't that a great name for your first teacher? She was terrific, and I remember some of the same things you do--including hearing about the Kennedy assasination at school. Even though prayer had been banned from schools for over a year, our principal (Mrs. Husband) gathered us all in the hallway to pray.
There are often days when I long for naps on my kindergarten mat, and being awakened by a chosen classmate who taps everyone gently with a "wand" to let them know naptime is over.
Timman,
Are you referring to Oak Grove? I attended kindergarten there. I think it was always a church and a kindergarten, at least that's what my mom tells me. I also was educated in the Golden Valley school district (Meadowbrook and GV Middle School)from 4th through 7th grades. The state withdrew funding after the district refused voluntary consolidation. The parents supported it directly for two or three years before finally running out of money and voluntarily dissolving in about 1986 or so. The state then carved up the former district and many friends no longer went to school together. It was a sad ending to a close-knit district
Ok, I missed where you wrote Oak Grove rocks! duh! That's why I asked if you were referring to Oak Grove. Also, I mistakenly posted on the wrong post. I drove for too many hours today and am very foggy! Do you remember that we always had Ritz crackers for snack?
Mrs. Kiihn,
Thanks for filling in the blanks regarding the Golden Valley district. Bigger schools and bigger districts sure makes accountability more difficult. And it probably lessens parental involvement. I'm surprised that the district lasted that long, until 1986.
I don't remember the Ritz crackers, but that probably explains my current love for them.
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