Monday, August 23, 2010

Remember When?



This is part of the Valley City High School Class of 1965 in their early elementary years at Ritchie School, circa 1953. Miss Dahl is the teacher. This scene would be illegal today, of course, and I recently wrote a column about school prayer and this photo. This essay is available on my blog at www.Wordchipper.com. The photograph was submitted by Bonnie Cink Ness (VH '65). Thanks, Bonnie! She received it from a classmate; photographer is unknown. Quite a picture that really takes me back. I remember Mrs. Bjornson's 6th grade class: we always started the day with a prayer and, of course, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. If you have some memories about grade school, various rituals, etc., please share them with a comment!  Click on photo for larger image.

4 comments:

Jerry Busche said...

What a debt of gratitude I owe to all of my excellent, caring grade school teachers at Lincoln: Miss Ida Mae Finly (first), Mrs. Alice Eckel (second), Mrs. Ward (third), Miss Lula Neumann (fourth), Miss Ruby Baarstad (fifth), and Mrs. Cynthia Kanwischer (sixth). I have nothing but the fondest memories of Lincoln: including lining up (quietly lest you risked getting smacked upside the head by our ever-vigilant principal) on the sidewalk in front of the school before marching in to a stirring march played on a wind-up Victrola (literally); square dancing (sixth grade); playing marbles, basketball, tackle football, and all the social playground games of the era; and ice skating on the rink behind the school. Most of all, I remember my classmates, many of whom are still among my best friends today! Those were the days!

Diane Sauer Hughes said...

Jerry -- I'm impressed that you remember all your gradeschool teachers' names! I came to "town school" in fifth grade and I do remember that Miss Baarstad was my teacher. Guess we were in the same class --

That classroom looks about the same size, with the same kinds of desks that we had in our one-room school -- King School south of VC along the Kathryn Road.

It all seems so long ago; such a different life!

Gary said...

Hey, you guys were lucky! most of you have only 6 teacher names to remember.I moved to Valley City in middle of the second grade.So I remember a Mrs. Rasmussen(first). Miss.Peterson (second). Miss. Jack (third and fourth). Mrs.Rickter(Fifth). Miss. Conroy(sixth) Now add 3 student teachers per year at the old Valley City State Teachers College Normal School
However Jerry is right a lot of "fond memories".
Dido Jerry " Those were the Days"
Gary Larson "CHS 61"

barbsheppard lang VCHS61 said...

Hmmmm, I'm pretty sure I had Mrs. Dahl as one of my elementary teachers - I did attend Ritchie School - can someone remember what grade she taught? Second grade, perhaps?