An update…
I actually gave my first public tour this past Saturday! I was even more nervous than I was for my graduation tour. I did discover it’s not a good idea to take along your notes, at least, for me! I kept checking them to make sure I’d not left anything out. If I don’t have the notes, I’ll rely on my brain! I’m also now certified for Gallery Conversations which are just what they sound like…talking with people in the galleries. Today, though, is the third Thursday of the month which means it’s time for another Ageless Style challenge. This month, Bo chose “Back to School.” Last month, Amy selected “Beat the Heat” looks. In the past we have worn “Beat the Heat,” tropical prints, graphic tees, and many other ideas. If you’re curious, you can find some of my looks here, here, here, and here. Next month’s prompt is “Colors of Fall” if you’d like to join us! Please do visit the other hostesses of the link party (oh, yes, there’s a link party) at their various sites!
A little reminiscing…
You know how certain scents can transport you to a completely different place or time? The smell of diesel fuel does that for me every time! I am instantly carried right back to my seat on the school bus! I am sure I smelled it before as my Grandpa Luderman had a farm with big tractors and trucks to haul grain. But, the first scent memory I have is of riding a school bus for the very first time. When I was six years old, I started first grade at Columbia Township School. At the time, Columbia (or CT as we Blazers called it) didn’t have Kindergarten. Only one kid in my class had gone to kindergarten, and that’s because the school where his mom taught had it.
A little more…
It would be fair to say I loved real school from that first whiff of diesel to walking in the doors for the very first time. There were no Open Houses or Meet the Teacher Nights back then. You went to school on the first day, and that was that! I remember we always started on the Friday before Labor Day. It was a half day (afternoon, I think). We would find out which teacher and room were ours somehow or other. It’s been a few years since I was in first grade! I know we got all kinds of registration materials for our parents to complete and bring back on the following Tuesday.
Still more…
When we built our house up north, all my kids went to CT! My first grade classroom was my youngest son’s kindergarten classroom. We had lockers in there as well as two restrooms…one for boys and one for girls with a drinking fountain in between the two. We sat in neat rows with two rows of chairs perpendicular to the desks at the front of the room. That was for reading class. We began with phonics books then proceeded to real books. When my youngest was in first grade, his teacher had those very same books! She’d found them in the school and had them rebound! Here is a copy of what I used to learn to read (make sure you look through all the photos)! And, of course, we also read Dick and Jane books. I think these (here, here, here) are what we had though it seemed like they were much more colorful.
Even more…
Columbia was a grade school and, until it was added on to, it housed first through eighth grades. We ate in our classrooms and had helpers who took care of the trays, waste, and milk. I never wanted to be one of those “voluntolds!” When I was in second grade, our classroom was actually a larger room split in two with some kind of dividers. I don’t know what class was on the other side. During my second-grade year, the new addition was completed. We moved into the new section sometime in the late winter or early spring. It was amazing! One problem, though, was the blinds hadn’t come in, and our classroom was on the east side of the school. My teacher, Mrs. Mink, fixed the problem by getting huge sheets of white paper and letting us decorate our “blinds” until the new ones did come in.
A skosh more…
With the exception of the “city” schools, all the country schools housed grades 1-8 with a few having a kindergarten. I attended Columbia all from first through eighth grades. When I got to seventh grade, we started switching for classes. Our principal was very traditional. He refused to let us have sanitary napkin dispensers in the bathrooms because he didn’t want to upset the other girls. I’m sure he would have passed out if we’d asked for a tampon machine! He was also the math teacher in eighth grade. He was a very no-nonsense kinda guy. But, strangely enough, Nigel’s older brother lived across the street from him years later. He said Mr. Y was actually a really funny guy. I don’t know that I ever saw him smile!
Just a bit more…
We had six buses for most of the time I was there. Mr. Y would be out in the front hall as they arrived and noted down the order in which they’d arrive. A bell would ring at 3:10. We had five minutes to get ready to go home. When we girls were in eighth grade, we were able to be bus line leaders (notice the sexism). That meant we would head to the kindergarten and walk slowly through the halls, picking up the kids for our bus as we went by. It was actually a pretty good system because it was organized and relatively quiet. Oh, I bet you’re wondering how we knew when to go, right? Remember I told you Mr. Y had noted the order of buses? He would buzz the number of the buses in order. So, if on a particular day, bus 3 got there first, he would buzz three times. The eighth-grade girl who rode bus 3 would then lead the kids (who also, hopefully, rode bus 3) down the hallways to the open front doors and stand at the door of bus 3 until all the kids had gotten on. I don’t remember how long Mr. Y waited before buzzing the next group. It really sounds complicated, but it ran so smoothly because we all just knew what to do.
And, then…
When we decided to build a new home, we purposely bought land directly across from old CT. I actually taught there my very first year, but I was RIFd (reduction in force) after that first year. My kids and I walked to school…I mean we literally just crossed the road! For some reason, the principal, with whom I’d grown up, didn’t use the system Mr. Y did. It was a bit of a free for all when school let out. I don’t know why he didn’t use that system. He was a bit of pompous you know what and probably thought he knew better. I have to give him credit, though. He picked me to teach fourth grade out of several applications. I am sure a lot of that had to do with growing up in the same neighborhood, but he also knew I was very smart and had been “teaching school” to the neighborhood kids for years!
The outfit…
Now, I haven’t had to go back to school for over 13 years, but I always bought a new outfit for that first day. Up until the last few years I taught, we didn’t have air conditioning. Luckily, our principal was sympathetic and let us wear shorts as long as they looked professional. I had several pairs of nice linen shorts back then. I wore sleeveless linen button ups with them, but I could still feel the sweat dripping down my back! We all rejoiced when the school board approved air conditioning for our building. Unfortunately that building is no more. It was torn down and replaced a few years after I retired. If I were still teaching, I’d wear a shirt dress for sure! I bought this Tan Stripe Embroidered Floral Callahan dress earlier this spring from Tuckernuck. It’s marked waaaay down right now. It has pockets, has that twirl factor, and has beautiful pink embroidery! Now, I wouldn’t wear this every day to school because I frequently sat on the floor with my students. It would have been a little tricky getting up and down…IYKYK!
The Lewk!
And, of course, these shoes/sandals are also on sale now. These are the Tatiana Fisherman Sandals from Cole Haan. My size, unfortunately, is sold out, or I’d be buying the Biscuit color. I stepped out of my comfort zone with these because I honestly was going to buy the Biscuit color. I don’t think of biscuits, though, as that color! But, I digress. I decided to buy the ivory pair because they’re so different from anything I have. The jewelry is Effy, I think. They were all Christmas presents over the years. My daughter bought me the cuff from Red Envelope years and years ago.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
Remember how I said we had schools out in the country. Those were township schools and run by a trustee. Well, it appears all those schools were requesting state money to do, basically, the same kinds of things…like adding on to their buildings. The state said, “Nope! You need to get together with the city schools and be one big happy corporation.” So, that happened a year or two before I taught at Columbia. Believe it or not, most of those township schools are now closed, and a couple were torn down. They were replaced by bigger schools…figure that one out! And, Columbia? Well, it was closed because the land it sat on and surrounded it was now owned by the school corporation which decided it needed to build a middle school. But, Columbia sat vacant for a few years before being torn down. It broke my heart to see it gone. Now, my high school is gone, too, and has been replaced by a huge campus near the middle school. I suppose that’s progress, right? So, can we talk? Do you have any scent memories? What was your first day of school like? Was your principal as squeamish about feminine hygiene as mine? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Affiliate links, discount codes, and such:
Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. I have a code for April Cornell. It’s a one time use only code so I’d save it for when they have sales. The code is MARSHA15 for $15 off $100. Use Marsha12 for 12% off any order of $65 or more at Buykud. I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA2098, for 20% off any purchase. I am also an affiliate with Clara Sunwoo. You can use my code, MARSHA10, for 10% off your entire order. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’
Jen – Joyful Jen
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook
Joanne ~ My Slice of Life
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
And, now, it’s your turn!
Please link up your favorite posts about denim, DIY, baking, gardening, fashion…you name it…as long as it’s family friendly! Here are links to all of the lovely ladies in the Ageless Style collaboration. Please do visit them on their various media. Link up with us, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you!
How exiting you had your first tour! I wished I could see you doing it. I never liked school, ever. It was horror for me. I can’t even remember that much from that time. Such a pity though.
Thank you, Nancy! I wish you could have been there, too. Maybe, we could do a FaceTime tour! I’m so sorry you didn’t like school. Teachers and other students make it or break it for us, right? I would have loved to have little Nancy in my classroom though I have a feeling you’d have me laughing so much I wouldn’t be doing much teaching!
Thank you Marsha, I loved hearing about your school days. And congratulations on your first art tour.
Thanks, Rosie! I’m so glad to have that first tour done and figure it can only get better. I could write for days about my school days!
I remember when I started school Kdg was a half day and there was no meet the teacher. We just showed up and went to school – my goodness, now it’s an event! I think it’s pretty cool that your son had a class in the same room you did as a child – honestly an you imagine if someone had told you as a 1st grader that one day your child would be in the same room!
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann! Wow, I never thought about that…first grade me would never have believed I was going to have kids in the first place! Yeah, those first days are definitely an event. We had to do a little speech, and then, of course, the parents wanted to talk to us. I didn’t blame them for that, though. I don’t know that my kids’ school had them, but I knew all the teachers anyway!
That is such a cute dress! I never gave it much thought but the schools I taught in didn’t have air conditioning either. I don’t remember it being really hot at back to school time but June was definitely uncomfortably warm so all us teachers had fans galore in our rooms. We couldn’t put them in the windows though as we had the old windows that just tilted in but didn’t open fully.
Thanks, Joanne! Those sound like the kind of windows I had. Our principal put up blinds, but he chose vertical ones. They were a real pain if we opened the windows to get air in. We also had ceiling fans which just blew the hot air around. Your June was probably like our August. I’m just glad we eventually got air conditioning.
You’ll do fantastic on your tour because you have a fun and interesting personality which will shine through.
I love the embroidery on your dress. Gosh..no AC at first. That would be tough.
And those shoes are great. Love that you are willing to take risks and try things, Marsha,
XOOX
Jodie
Thank you, Jodie! I just needed to calm down and enjoy the time. I knew what I was talking about but taking the notes kinda discombobulated me. Thanks for the compliment on the dress…I’m a sucker for embroidery. And, yes, no AC in either school. Both of my classrooms were on the west side of the school so we got that really hot afternoon sun. We had vertical blinds, but our windows opened inward so you could either have closed blinds or open windows!
Congrats on the tour! I think you are going to have a lot of fun. The Gallery conversations sound really nice, I think I would like that.
What a cute dress!
First schooldays were an event in my time and I think they are still now. We have the tradition of the “Schultüte”, I don’t know if you are familar with that, if not, you could google images. They are large cones that are given to children on their first schoolday, filled with candy or little presents. I remember having a bar of white crunch chocolate in mine and I’ve loved white chocolate ever since. I have no idea what my “Tüte” looked like, though. We only have a picture of my little brother with his 😉
Thanks, Cat! My only problem will be “reading the room” and being quiet and not overwhelming the people! I may talk just a little too much…hahaha!!! Whoa!!! I did google Schultute (I can’t do the umlaut). They are huge and what fun to receive them. Did they come from the school or parents? I would love that tradition!
That’s a matter of practice, I would think! You’re a teacher, you can do this?
That said, I forced my neighbors today to listen to the history of piggy banks (we were talking about saving) and about an upcoming post, lol.
I figured it would work without the umlaut, but I thought you’d might copy and paste (you could also use the vowel with an e, ü = ue, ä = ae, ö = oe). Aren’t they fun? They come from the parents. Some crafty parents even make their own.
Yes, it is just a matter of practice. I’m going to additional training for VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) tours. I really like those and can’t wait to be certified in that. It’s actually a teaching strategy. I didn’t even think about copying and pasting…shame on me! I didn’t know about adding the vowels. I love the sound the umlaut adds to the vowel! Do the parents get all “mine is bigger and better than yours?” They surely would here!
I’m sure some of them do, lol!
This is a really cute dress! Love the embroidery and the twirl factor! I have some good memories of school, the scent one being about the soaps in the bathrooms, they were the kidney that was like an oval soap bar on a bar that stuck out of the wall. I remember chocolate croissant vending machine in high school and the scent of the alcohol for the carbon copies. I always got in trouble for talking or passing notes! They built a Pre K through 3rd grade school in our neighborhood 2 years ago: it is humongous. I counted the buses one day: 18 of them at least.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! I hadn’t even considered the twirl factor until I did it! We just had nasty liquid soap that dried out our hands. But, I love the idea of a chocolate croissant vending machine! Oh, yes, we got conduct grades on our report cards. I always got a C…talks too much, bothers others! There’s a new elementary just a hop, skip, and a jump from us. I don’t have any idea how many buses there are. But, the parents start lining up (in their cars) about 45-60 minutes before school lets out. There’s a special lane they put in…I don’t know if it was for parents picking up or not. I was hoping we’d hear the kids on the playground, but it’s on the other side of the school. Eventually, they will add another school onto this one. They plan schools like that here. So, there are double elementaries all around. They share some of the building facilities, but I’m not sure what. My daughter works for the facilities department so that’s how I know.
Oh I love Tuckernuck pieces, especially when they are on sale! Haha! That dress is so pretty! I love the embroidery detail!
Thanks, Laura! This was my first! But, dang! This dress is on major sale right now! I don’t even know how I happened to get on their mailing list!
I loved that trip down memory lane! It is so neat that you were able to teach at the same school you went to! I love the outfit too. And I am impressed you are doing the tours. Anytime I open my mouth to teach something I just get all tongue tied and feel lightheaded. Public speaking is not for me!
Thanks, Lisa! Unfortunately, it was only for that one year. But, if I’d not been laid off, I would never have met my best friend and wouldn’t have become a special education teacher. So, it really worked out for the best. The other downside to it was that I went home with the kids. We had dinner, and then I went back over to the school (again just across the road and we were the last house beside the road) until bedtime. It wasn’t good for our family life. I had a 20 minute drive each way when I moved to a different corporation which was the perfect amount of time to decompress or rev myself up for the day. Oh, Lisa, I will talk to the wall if it will stay there and listen! Hahaha!!!
So happy to hear that it’s going well with your tours! I would love to be on one someday. Speaking of school, taking my youngest back to college today which means back to an empty nest. 🙁 I adore this cute dress! The embroidery is so pretty and love the flirty hem.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I am really loving it. I’m learning about new art and artists. It’s a dream come true. We weren’t empty nesters for several years as our youngest chose to commute. It was nice having him there because Mike was doing a lot of commuting between home and New Jersey for work. I loved the dress (though I’d love it more if I’d gotten it for that sale price)!
This was such a fun read, Marsha! I, too, associate the diesel smell with school but my memories center on all the field trips I supervised during my teaching career – sitting in the back of a bus with countless first graders and then kindergartners over the years! I loved reading about Columbia and your experiences there – so many changes! I love your dress, too! It would have been a perfect option for the first day “lewk”!
Thanks, Laura! Oh, you kindergarten and first grade teachers are heroes in my book! I also always sat at the back of the bus because no one else would! I loved going on field trips, though! I taught my students to respond “Here” when I called roll on those buses. Once, when I went as a parent on a field trip with my oldest, they actually left a first grader at the zoo playground. Luckily, he’d had the sense to find someone to take him back to the zoo. I never forgot that so I always double and triple checked I had everyone with me! Yes, I am a CT Blazer through and through. When the building was torn down, I really had hoped they would find a way to preserve the Blazer which had been painted under layers and layers of floor lacquer in the gym. But, it was destroyed along with everything else. I’m glad you enjoyed my latest stroll down Memory Lane!
Fun to go down memory lane with you Marsha. How nice to live so close to the school. For one half of a school year I taught at our neighborhood school and it was glorious. Now I drove 23 minutes each way (we work for the whole division, our city) so they can move you anywhere they want at anytime, usually I as admin every 3-5 years. Anyways, I love the dress you choose today, it looks great on you and it’s pretty. Congratulations on your first tour!!
bosbodaciousblog.blogspot.ca
Thanks, Bo! It really was nice except I spent so much time there because I knew I could just walk across. After I got my next job, I had a 21 minute commute which meant when I left I had to be done. I don’t remember if we could be moved anywhere within the corporation or not. I know we could be moved grade levels. There were principals in our corporation who thought teachers should move every 3 or 4 years. They didn’t get that you’d bought all these curriculum materials and had invested so much money in your current grade. And, thanks for the compliments!
Congratulations on completing your first public tour, Marsha. Also, I really enjoyed reading about your early school days. That’s so funny that they wouldn’t put feminine products in the bathrooms, so as not to upset the younger girls. I remember those days of getting back-to-school clothes. That was the best part of school!
Thanks, Christie! I’m glad to have the first one under my belt. Now, on to developing new ones! I know…the whole period product thing was so silly. I did forget to mention we could go to the office to get something, but then we’d have to ask to go to the office rather than the restroom. The other thing was none of us girls carried purses except for those weeks. It was just an embarrassment all the way round! Yes, the clothes shopping was fun after I got older. I got hand me downs when I was a kid, but those were wonderful because they were new to me!
I don’t remember much about the first day of school for kindergarten or any grade really. Probably because I was really shy and didn’t like going to school. That’s pretty cool that your son had the same classroom and books! This is such a cute look! Love your dress!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thanks, Jill! I don’t really remember the first day…in fact, the only first day I do remember is the first day I taught fourth grade. It was the day my daughter had to leave for college. Mike took her, and they swung by the school to say goodbye. I was in tears when they left because I knew she’d never be back…and she wasn’t until the summer before she got married. Yeah, it was fun to go to Back to School night with him and reminisce about that classroom.
Pretty dress, love the pink embroidery. I can’t say diesel is a very evocative scent for me but I remember the smell of melting tar on the roads. Lovely. Thanks for linking.
Thanks so much, Penny! Oh, melting tar…I lived in the country when I was growing up so I remember that smell quite well.