(Just thought I would try using this.  I've been on a website that uses forums like this, but I've never started a topic.)  I didn't attend kindergarten because Keene School didn't have one.  But I am sure there are others out there with some kind of a memory of kindergarten?  Do any of you remember crying after Mommy left the first day of school?  Or your first bus ride?  Or show and tell?

Mrs. Phelps, in that little house out on the corner....I remember being nervous of going to 1st grade with all the other kids in the "big" part of Wells but felt special that we had our own little room all by itself

Well, I didn't go to kindergarten with any of you but I thought I would post here to see if we can figure out how this works and then maybe I'll try starting another thread so we can see how it works. I didn't move to Tehachapi until January of Seventh Grade and it's been fun seeing the pictures of some of you from the "little grades." I use that expression because I picked it up from Donna years ago. I remember late in high school she remembered someone, can't recall his name, that she had a crush on in what she called "the little grades" so we tracked him down and called him up. Don't remember how that turned out, either, but "the little grades" stuck and I've used that term ever since.

I am testing this again. This time instead of clicking on Reply at the bottom, I clicked on the Reply in Bekki's latest post. So now I will hit SAVE and see what happens. It's sort of like we're in kindergarten figuring this out.

Another test. Within the topic, such as Memories of Kindergarten, it doesn't seem to matter which of the many REPLY buttons you hit, your response will show up at the bottom. I think. We'll see in a minute when I hit REPLY again.

I can remember in Kindergarten a lot of my friends walked to school.  I was a bus rider. So, one day I decided to walk home with my friends.  What I didn't realize was they all lived closer to the school than I did.  I lived out in Iriart Tract on Black Oak.  So by the time I got to the pear orchard on curry I was all by myself.  I can remember clear as day seeing the bus coming down the road and stopping, and the bus door opening and there was my Mom.  Needless to say I never walked home without permission againI

I loved being in Mrs. Phelp's class in the little house.  Kindergarten sure was differnet back .  Now you have to pass tests just to get in. 

I was in Ms. Phelps class and we had naps everydays - still my favorite time of day!  We had our ownlittle blankets and got graham crackers and little cartons of milk.  My grandmother lived just down the block and I went to her house when my mom worked.  Did you know Ms. Phelps "little house" is gone?  Every time I am in town I go by the school and my grandmother's house - such wonderful memories and good feelings.  I loved kingergarten and I loved my grandmother.  Now first grade - that's another chapter!  :)

Ok,

I will try this too.  I have no idea why all the icons at the top task bars, maybe for editing?  Jacque. Your story made me laugh.

I didn't go to kindergarten in Tehachapi.  Can't remember where I went.  maybe one in Minnesota somewhere, and another in another city.  When my folks passed I was going through the house sorting things and found some stuff my mother had kept unbeknowst to me.  One of my kindergarten "report cards".  It was had written on a sheet of paper.  I was so surprised to find that and read it......   You'd think they wouldn't have given out report cards in kindergarten. 

Now to see if I push the right button to post  Wow, looks like you can even load a photo, (task bar icon) and links hmmm

I was in Mrs. Smith's class.  Don't remember her much.  But I have a similiar experience  to Jacque's walking by the pear orchard by myself when I was 5.  We lived on Curry near Bill  and his family. I made it to town and  was at the corner of Green and F when my parents pulled up in the car, threw open the door, pulled me in and spanked me right then and there.  Needless to say, I never did that again. 

But my Mom said wherever I was planning to go it must have been pretty special because I was all dressed up and carrying my favorite purse.

  I had Mrs. Smith for afternoon classes.  She certainly was a strange, eccentric person.  I remember going to her house on the last day of school for a picnic. She had this huge grand piano in her living room. She played for us as we danced all over the room.  Once when my Mom came to a conference, we were all suppose to be napping on our little blankets.  Mrs. Smith, not knowing whose mother she was, pointed to me and said "I can't get that little devil to go to sleep."  My Mom said, very calmly, "That's MY little devil.  YIKES!!  Imagine, her calling me a little devil?? Ha-Ha.  Little Patty McBride was really crying for her Mom to stay with her.  She then pointed to me and said, "See, Patty, that little girl isn't crying."  She was right--I couldn't wait for my Mom to leave so the fun could begin!!

Connie,

Do you recall where Mrs. Smith lived?  For some reason I thought she lived on West F Street.

I remember Mrs. Beal lived on West E Street with her daughter Nancy.  Seems like alot of the teachers lived in that neighborhood.  Mrs. Frost lived on the corner of E and Curry.

My sister and brother both had Mrs. Smith.  Anyone remember her first name?

  Becky  

I don't remember where Mrs. Smith lived.  It might have been on West F. Street.  I lived on East F. Street.

I think her first name was Helen.  

Talk about memory (or lack of) in one of the other threads...I finally remembered Mrs. Smith's first name.  Took me a few days but finally.  Had a pad of paper and pencil next to my bed at night in case I remembered in the middle of the night.  Her name was Evelyn.  Sorry guys about rambling on.  I got so excited about remembering something!

And Connie, I think Helen belonged to Mrs. Fry.

I remember another couple of stories about Mrs. Smith.  A little boy named Allan swallowed his milk money and Mrs Smith ran around the room grabbing pieces of our sandwiches and bananas to try and bind him up so the money would come out easier. She was frantic.  My oldest daughter swallowed a dime when she was 2 years old and I freaked OUT.  Called the Doctor and he said, "Don't worry, in about three days you will get your money back." 

Another time, I was with my Mom at the grocery store and Mrs. Smith was in the produce dept. and she was unrolling dozens of those plastic vegetable bags and putting them in her purse.  It's funny the little things you remember from our early days.  Now sometimes I can't remember what I went into a room for!!

Connie, you make me laugh!  My son is always surprised when I tell him some little tidbit from my "younger years" - he will say,"how do you do that, when you can't remember what you went into the other room for!"  I always laugh and say, "just you wait, you'll see how it works!"  Have you ever got up and headed into another room for something, forget what it was and then go back to your original spot only to remember what it was you wanted and have to start all over again?  :)  Oh so frustrating!  :)

Donna, yes, it happens to me all of the time especially at home.  I can juggle three tasks at a time at work all day and when I come home I can't remember where I put stuff for "safe keeping"  or why I walked into a room. It's reassuring to hear someone going through the same thing!!

Thank God I am not the only one.  I was visiting with my dad and we were reminiscing about when I was little, and I couldn't believe the stuff I could remember, and as we were talking, I kept thinking I need to find my glasses, and they were right on my head!  Sometimes I am such a mess.  LOL  Of all my grammar school years I remember Kindergarten the best.  I loved Mrs. Phelps and the little house. 

OK, please explain, what was the "little house" in kindergarten? Not sure what I missed that you all remember so well.

Hi Claudia--

"Little House" -- there was an older little bungalow out on the corner of D -across the playground and across the street from the pear orchard--Mrs. Phelps classroom was out there-I'm not sure why--it was later used as a curriculum lab and then demolished.

My daughter Katie and her family were in town not too long ago and we tried to "tour" Wells school- could look in the windows--it's kinda sad to see it not being used.

Do you all remember when we had "bomb" drills while we were at Wells--we ducked, and covered, and evacuated in the school buses--those lucky enuf had "bomb shelters" at their houses--the rest of us had to be traumatized that we probably wouldn't survive..unless we stacked mattresses in the hallways of our houses and holed up for a week!  (Oh gosh, the threat is still here, isn't it?)

CQ

Wells is in terrible condition.  It's so sad to walk by and remember how it was.  The weeds on the playground were really getting up there and  because of complaints the school board finally ordered them mowed.  There are broken windows and apparently some flood damage.

Since it's smack in the middle of town, you'd think they would do something with it. 

But some good news.  They are breaking ground for the new depot on Saturday afternoon.  We may have a new depot in time for the reunion!!

Why isn't Wells being used?  I'm assuming there is a new elementary school?  I have never thought to ask my mom about this when I am home.  I will be in town briefly tomorrow and now I plan on "touring" Wells to see what it now looks like.  I remember well the bomb drills.  Of course, now we know that "ducking" wasn't going to save us from a neucular bomb!  But hey, it got us out of school for awhile.  Did people in town actually have bomb shelters?  I can't remember, did we actually go home?