Going Back

Saturday, I stepped back into time—the early and mid-80s, to be exact. It was a wonderful trip.

Some of us "old teachers"—Lois Trent, me, Betty Leonard, Susie Briscoe, & Elaine Mills—with some of our former students. Laura Booth, who organized the reunion, is at the far left. Rhonda Patterson, who contributed some great goodies and helped set-up, is at the right in the front row.

From 1981 until 1989, I taught English, speech, and drama at Jackson Jr. High in SE Roanoke. I loved that school.

My second floor classroom had huge windows that actually opened, so we could see and hear what was going on in the outside world on 9th Street. Every spring, a tree near the cafeteria had the most beautiful pink blooms you could imagine.  And a few weeks after the tree blossomed, we'd have an actual graduation ceremony for the ninth graders. Some of my students had parents and grandparents that had attended Jackson. Jackson, as close to a neighborhood school as you were likely to find, had a strong sense of community.

At Jackson, I showed my English classes a 16 mm movie called "Story of A Book" about how author Marguerite Henry got an idea to write Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion. Henry, who narrated the film, told how she did research, planned the book, and eventually wrote it. I remember thinking, Hmmm. Maybe I could do that. 

When the middle school concept came, I was transferred to a school across town from Jackson. My classroom had small windows that didn't open, and I couldn't watch much of the outside world. There wasn't much sense of community, unless you count who sided with whom during the fights. Eventually, the Jackson I knew was torn down and replaced with a "new, improved" Jackson.

In 1997, I retired from public school teaching, although I taught college English for a while. And I started writing. I followed Marguerite Henry's directions, and eventually I had a book.

A few months ago, some of my former Jackson students, who'd friended me on Facebook, decided to have a reunion for those who were at Jackson in the early and mid-80s. Word spread, and plans for a reunion in Jackson Park took shape. A good time was had by all. Here are a few pictures:

Betty Leonard, who taught typing, talks to Sheldon Ybanez, who was noted for being able to work a Rubic's cube in 30-some seconds. (Edited to add: Via Facebook, Sheldon informed me his time was more than 30 seconds but still less than a minute.)

PE teacher Lois Trent (left) talks to Sgt. Rodney Franklin, who taught ROTC, and his wife Betty. 

PE teacher Elaine Mills (white shirt) looks at an annual with former student Rhonda Patterson.

Under the picnic shelter, former students and their children (and even a few grandchildren) gathered for good food and good talk.

I was delighted to learn how well some of my former students turned out and what nice children they had. Many talked about their jobs. Ricky (to the left, below) told me how he travels all over and gets paid to blow things up.

In the picture below, Leon Evans (black shirt, left of center) dropped off the grill, so Dallas Elkins could cook. (He did a great job grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs.)

Each student who wanted one received a free copy of my first book, Patches on the Same Quilt. 

And they don't even have to do a book report.

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