I Remember . . .

This is a little blurb that Dawn Gadsden wrote back in October 2002, and posted on the Classmates.com web page.
Dawn graduated from Cherrywood Public School in 1973. Dawn refers to this as her ramblings, but it has always brought back similar memories for me and it reminds me of simpler times.

From: DAWN GADSDEN
I remember...
I remember the maple trees lining the school yard had buckets attached every spring to tap the sugar, and I can remember a big fire behind Morrishes where they would boil the sap. I remember hanging out at the pond ice skating when we were really little. Any fights were always resolved behind the church.

I remember getting my tongue stuck to the monkey bars and leaving a piece of it behind. In grade 6, I was the only one in the class with a new watch, so I was the bell ringer (which my mother still has!). I remember the teeter totter in front of the school, and receiving family education lessons while the boys played baseball! And did I ever want to be playing baseball. I remember the slide right out front, and Barb Lea falling off and breaking her arm.

I remember hot dog days, and my mother would bring my youngest brother, Drew, when he was 2 or 3, and he would walk into our class and sit down like he belonged. Mrs. Hill used to bring us sugar cane from Jamaica that we could suck on. Mrs. Wright used that ruler on the boys. Mrs. Bird was the music teacher, and told me in grade 4 I was throwing off all the people around me, so I was to pretend to sing, but I got to play the triangle (the first lip-syncher!).

I remember walking to school for grades 1 and 2, and being afraid to cross where the little bridge was on the third concession (where the Clark's lived) because the geese would chase us and they bit! Altona road was 60 mph, and we used to cross this twice each day without a crossing guard!

I remember cleaning up the church yard one day in grade 5, and wrestling, and breaking my bottom front tooth on the back of Tommy Litherland's head. I remember class trips to Pioneer Village and Center Island, and Mrs. McKean spending a lot of time in our class although she wasn't a teacher. I think she wrote the Cherrywood theme song that we sang although I don't remember much of it. It went to an Elvis tune - the one that goes "Oh, my darling, I love you, and I always will." I always forget what it is called, because I always sing the Cherrywood part of the song through its title!

I can remember Hector Barber tying Brenda Van Dusen, Cindy Gillard and myself to the slide with our skipping rope so that he could kiss us. And, I've already confessed this memory to Clark - I remember trying to kiss him in grade 2 and he wouldn't let me! It was when the entire class was wiped out with chicken pox, and for 3 weeks the only kids were he and I. Mrs. Hill ran out of things for us to do (we were very competitive with each other) so she gave us the 12 times table to memorize. It's all I know today!

What do you remember?