School Days: My BEST writing

School Days: My BEST writing

Second Grade Printing. Collection of the author, 2018, September, 1954, Grade 2

I attended the Oaklawn School for grades 1-4. Oaklawn (the village) is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was at one time a Quaker community. When I was in 2nd grade, the "new school building" was under construction. In 2014, I went back to see what was left of my school. The part of the school that wrapped around the oldest ("new part") part is gone.

When they hung the girls bathroom mirrors, the principal pulled me out of the classroom and went with me into the bathroom. I was the smallest child on that floor. Afterwards, she explained that I should never go into the girls room without an adult female teacher if there were men in the bathroom. I was scared.

I also remember that when I was in third grade, polio vaccine was being administered to schoolchildren and we did not start school until 21 September 1955 (on my report card) so that they could monitor possible outbreaks from those children that had not been inoculated.

Oaklawn School began in the Quaker section and it is now the Oaklawn Public Library. For all of us that grew up in the area, we remember fondly the wonderful May breakfast tradition.  The Quaker building is long gone and the Baptist church still stands.

19 Aug 2014, collection of the author.