School days, school days

SeekUp

As the (somewhat short) summer winds down, I got to thinking about fall and how, even though I hated for the summer to end, I looked forward to the new school year -- new school supplies, new clothes, new friends (and old ones, too)!

Even now, I see the fall as a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

Those were the days of handwritten book reports and hall passes, of recess and snow days, of grape juice and naptime, of first crushes and field trips.

What do you remember fondly and/or miss about your childhood school experiences?

skywards

Being near my friends and such. I live out in the middle of nowhere and work odd hours, I haven't seen some of them in a year >.<

pookie82

SeekUp wrote: »

As the (somewhat short) summer winds down, I got to thinking about fall and how, even though I hated for the summer to end, I looked forward to the new school year -- new school supplies, new clothes, new friends (and old ones, too)!

Even now, I see the fall as a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

Those were the days of handwritten book reports and hall passes, of recess and snow days, of grape juice and naptime, of first crushes and field trips.

What do you remember fondly and/or miss about your childhood school experiences?

I'm exactly the same as you in that I see this time of year as a new start, much more so than the actual start of a new calendar year. I really love September to December, it's my favourite time of year.

Can't say I ever really enjoyed going back to school (I didn't hate it but didn't love it either) but I did love getting the new pencil case and lunch box and shoes and coat that came with starting back to school.

And I remember that my brother and I used to stand in our back doorway in the bitter cold mornings watching for the school bus coming over the distant hill and then legging it out to the end of the road to catch it with our mum shouting at us to slow down, he (the driver) knew we were coming and would wait for us. And I remember coming home and throwing down my bag and mum having our dinners ready, heating slowly on the range, all the ingredients mashed together in a fashion I still miss. Watching the end of the Den for the evening.

Good old days!!!

Edit: oh and who could forget the covering of the school books in brown paper or cellophane type clear stuff, or even wallpaper for some kids! My mum hated covering books but she did each and every one meticulously until they were all perfect, no torn corners or anything.

Birdie086

My birthday is the first of sept......
so always loved first day at school as it usually kicked off with pressies and cards - woop, woop but bedsides thati always looked forward to going back to see my friends, I lived in rough estate and didn't really mix in with the kids from the area especially by the time i went to secondary school.

minidazzler

I simply miss having something to do, I liked the learning part, but I didn´t like some of my classmates, so I am not sure if I would want to go back.

I do drop in every now and then for a chat with some of my old teachers, the ones I was friends with.

cuckoo

I miss buying new stationery, even the sewing of name tags onto uniforms!

It is a time of new starts, January is too bleak a month to do anything except spend quality time with the telly and the couch so September is when I make plans and changes.

iguana

Nothing. I hate, hate, hated school once I passed the age of 8. I lived near all my friends so I saw them all summer. I have a very high IQ and had adult reading and mathematical ability from the age of 7. The school I was in up to 2nd class had a very progressive headmaster who made every effort to teach each child at their own pace. So another pupil in my class and I would do math and English projects together while the rest of the class followed the set curriculum.

Then we moved house and I went to a school where a lot of the teachers seemed resentful of any student who excelled. All I learned in that school was how to skate by with minimum effort, a skill I took with me into secondary school, college and later life. I forgot how much I loved learning and just became very lazy academically. School had an incredibly damaging effect on my life I occasionally have nightmares that I am back there and wake up crying. I will be considering very carefully if any children I have will attend.

I do love autumn though, I love Halloween, Christmas time and my December birthday. I just like it better as an adult as I'm not sent to prison for 9 months once September starts.

Novella

I don't really miss school but I do remember it fondly.

I remember being really sick on the day of my Communion, knitting tea cosies in fourth class. I remember school tours to Dublin Zoo and Fort Lucan. Oh, and Clara Lara!! Those were the days! Letterland, Annie Apple, Bouncy Ben, Clever Cat etc etc. Making up plays in Irish when we were in sixth class and thinking we were really cool. I also remember the playground and being pooped on by a bird Losing my retainer in the swimming pool........


I still see my first crush sometimes! I have a wee diary at home and written all over in it pink and purple glitter pens is "I LOVE ****". I can't write his name here 'cause if certain people saw it and knew I was completely and utterly head over heels in lurve with him when I was ten, they'd never let me live it down!!! He was beautiful though. :rolleyes:

SeekUp

Birdie086 wrote: »

My birthday is the first of sept......
so always loved first day at school as it usually kicked off with pressies and cards - woop, woop but bedsides thati always looked forward to going back to see my friends, I lived in rough estate and didn't really mix in with the kids from the area especially by the time i went to secondary school.

Oooooh, yes! Everyone got cupcakes or something on everyone else's birthday! Loved it.

SeekUp

iguana wrote: »

Then we moved house and I went to a school where a lot of the teachers seemed resentful of any student who excelled. All I learned in that school was how to skate by with minimum effort, a skill I took with me into secondary school, college and later life. I forgot how much I loved learning and just became very lazy academically. School had an incredibly damaging effect on my life I occasionally have nightmares that I am back there and wake up crying. I will be considering very carefully if any children I have will attend.

That's so sad -- I actually think that happens to a lot of children, that they find themselves kind of environment where they aren't able to learn/function to their best ability. Every child is different, and learns differently; both teachers and parents should make an effort to address that, I think.

metaoblivia

Just going to school and learning. It's so much more interesting than working (to me at least). I love the classroom environment, meeting new people (my high school had upwards of 2000 students, so you could always meet someone new), after school activities like choir and theatre. The pep rallies were fun too, even though it's cooler not to like them. But I love parades and marching bands and the like.
I loved uni. I love the freedom of chosing your own schedule, hanging out on the green on a nice afternoon, soaping the fountains, going to the football games - and again, the halftime shows with the marching bands, the color guard and the cheerleaders.

Dudess

pookie82 wrote: »

I'm exactly the same as you in that I see this time of year as a new start, much more so than the actual start of a new calendar year. I really love September to December, it's my favourite time of year.

That's a really good perspective - I have the more conventional view: "sh1t, winter's coming " basically being a sum-up of it. I'm going to try to change my perspective to yours and SeekUp's now.

Aisling(",)

Im about to start my 15th year in school!!!
it aint as fun when youre actually going back

Ickle Magoo

SeekUp wrote: »

What do you remember fondly and/or miss about your childhood school experiences?

It's funny you should ask, I was just sitting wrapping my son's books ready for his first day of school & taking a wee trip down memory lane of the weird and wonderful things that covered my school books over the years.

minidazzler

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

It's funny you should ask, I was just sitting wrapping my son's books ready for his first day of school & taking a wee trip down memory lane of the weird and wonderful things that covered my school books over the years.

What are you wrapping it in? Brown Paper?

When I was in 4th year the Outside cover of my journal ripped off so my dad eventually ended up making another one out of a poster I had of Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun, needless to say, I had the coolest journal in my whole school.

Do something like that for your kid with whatever kids like these days, he will be instantly cool!!

SeekUp

Dudess wrote: »

That's a really good perspective - I have the more conventional view: "sh1t, winter's coming " basically being a sum-up of it. I'm going to try to change my perspective to yours and SeekUp's now.

I love fall, so I just tend to procrastinate . . . I wait until I can say "sh*t, winter's here."

Dudess

Yeah, I tend to get all angsty in early August about "winter coming" and I'm seemingly oblivious to the fact that there's nearly a whole season to go before winter... :rolleyes:

Ickle Magoo

minidazzler wrote: »

What are you wrapping it in? Brown Paper?

When I was in 4th year the Outside cover of my journal ripped off so my dad eventually ended up making another one out of a poster I had of Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun, needless to say, I had the coolest journal in my whole school.

Do something like that for your kid with whatever kids like these days, he will be instantly cool!!

Spiderman? Ben10? Lol, no, it's wrapped in very boring see-thru sticky paper...I figured when he can read the title and no longer needs to see the picture on it to know what book it is, he can wrap in what he wants!

I used to cut out lots of pictures & articles that interested me then wrap in in the see-thru stuff, hence the memory jog.