September 1963 - The Sixth Grade

I don’t know what to expect this year in school. Mrs. Carey is unknown to us, but most of us are relieved that we don’t have Mr. Smith. When I walk into class and see Mrs. Carey for the first time I get kinda nervous, because she looks pretty stern. Mrs. Carey looks like she’s all business, and she resembles that designer in Hollywood, you know, Edith Head.
Mrs. Carey is all business at first. She treats us more like adults than any of our previous teachers, and she expects us to behave accordingly. We work hard in class, and we have more homework than ever before too. My first marking period isn’t quite the cake-walk Fifth Grade was, and I end up with more B’s than A’s.
After a while Mrs. Carey begins to lighten up, and we see that she’s really a nice lady behind all that seriousness, and she has a genuine desire to see us all do well. I begin to relax and my grades get better.

Front Row L to R: Sue Burns, Bob Erich, Diana Gabel, Janice Martin, Mary Lou Louis, Paul LaPann, Christine Lawrence. Center Row L to R: Debbie Pryzwara, Me, Nancy Fleisch, Don Vanneman, Lora Carter, Greg Jones, Patsy Mullin, Steve Kay, Ann Trocolli, Mrs. Carey. Back Row L to R: Max Reihmann, Judy Hampton, Billy Hills, Joyce Hoefers, Tommy Moore, Richie Hearn, Sheila McLaughlin, Jimmy Matsuk, Linda Hankin, Bradley Lloyd

The Saint Margaret’s Catholic School is a lot newer than our old public school building. It’s got modern desks and it’s ground level. It doesn’t have the same character as the old elementary school, but we’re kind of in our own world here, so it’s kinda cool. Cool? Yeah, we’re using new words now to describe things that are really neat. Cool, groovy and hip are the words being used now, and we embrace them.
There’s not much of a playground here at Saint Margaret’s. Mostly a big paved parking lot. We play huge games of Team Tag every morning, boys against the girls, and even the kids from the “other” Sixth Grade join in. I still try to catch Sue Burns, but if somebody else gets her I go after Sheila or Ann or even Patty McShane from the “other” class.
It’s a longer walk or bike ride to school this year, but I hook up with Steve Kay along the way, so the trip goes by quickly. I can walk home with a lot of the guys from class part of the way, so I’m no longer alone on the trail.
The trek to school is the same but different, and next year it will be shorter, since Gateway Regional High School will be right behind my house. I still like to stand on the banks of the lake and ponder and skip stones. How much things have changed from the time one of the Goss brothers tried to steal my bike by throwing me in the lake, and I can still feel the sting of embarrassment from Joyce ducking me under the water. I stare out at the raft, and I can’t wait for summer because next year I’ll be swimming out to it and I’ll be able to come to the lake on my own. Yeah, lots of changes this year, things are gonna be different.
I’m wishing one thing hadn’t changed though. It’s when I look up Walnut Ave and all I see is an empty driveway instead of that ugly brown boxer waiting for me to come home....