A Little More Nostalgia

After reading other posts, I decided to write a little more about how our schools have changed since I went. Back in my day, your elementary schools (primary to some of you) went from first grade to sixth grade. I went to Grover Cleveland Elementary from first grade until the third grade when we moved. Here is a picture of Grover Cleveland. Most schools seemed to have been name after presidents or other famous people.

After we moved I sent to Stephen Foster Elementary until I finished at the end of my sixth year. Here is a picture of that school. It was more modern than Grover Cleveland (which was a very old school).

After elementary school, you went to 'junior high school' which was the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. I went to Slight Junior High. I walked to all of these schools. They have rules here that you have to live more than a mile away from the school you are attending to qualify for a school bus. I couldn't find a picture of the school to show you.

After junior high school, you went to 'high' school which was your 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. You graduated after completing your senior (12th) year. By this time we finally lived far enough away that I could ride the school bus. But, by then, you didn't want to be caught dead riding the bus, so I would ride with friends who had cars. My parents could not afford to buy me a car. In fact, I did not own one until I was married. The high school I went to was Hillsborough High. It was the oldest and most prestigious high school in Tampa originally built in the 1880's and had several locations before the final campus was built in 1925. It was beautiful with a clock tower and huge stained glass windows. Here are some pictures.

Both of my siblings graduated from Hillsborough as well. It had three stories with stairs you had to climb with all of your books. It was a great time though. I remember all of my school years with great fondness (though I wish I had known then what I know now for I would have done things differently LOL).

As I mentioned earlier, school is very different now. My daughter and DIL are elementary school teachers. Basically all that is taught now is how to pass the government FCAT tests. Teaching as we knew it no longer exists. It is very sad that the kids today can not enjoy school as we did because of this new system.

Take care everyone. xxxxx