I was fortunate to have attended kindergarten in the days before it was made mandatory. I’m sure Mrs. Parks, the owner and sole teacher of the school followed a curriculum, but I don’t remember it being a rigorous course of instruction.
My fellow classmates and I played and sang and created small works of art, while learning about the letters of the alphabet and how to count. A few children in the class learned to read that year. I wasn’t one of those children, but I used to tell people that I was. Nothing was forced as kindergarten learning seems to be nowadays.
At the end of that precious year Mrs. Parks directed us in a play to mark our graduation. One of my Floydada friends posted the picture of our class on Facebook this weekend. Weren’t we adorable?
That’s me on the back row. I’m the tall brown haired girl in the pink dress next to the headdress wearing brave and behind the tiny little doll in yellow.
I can still name all but two of my former classmates from the picture. Floydada is a small Texas town and I went to school with most of those pictured until my family moved to Dumas the summer before my senior year of high school. That was a tough move. I thought my world had ended, when it really was just beginning.
There’s really no message in this post, but our youngest granddaughter started kindergarten this year at a small school in Illinois, and I hope her memories of her year will someday be as sweet to her as mine are to me.
This is Harper on Ag day, which she preferred calling “Egg Day.” She’s a great deal sassier than I ever was. Heaven help us all.
Peace, people.
Praying for Eyebrowz 
Thanks for the memories….your experience was admirable.
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You’re welcome! And thank you.
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So sweet!!
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Thanks!
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How cute, and what a great class picture! My youngest started 1st grade a few weeks ago and we are hanging in there!
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Thank you! Hope your first grader has a terrific year.
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😊😊😊
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I found you straight away. Sweet memories.
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Thank you!
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This is a lovely piece and actually it is about a lot. We never had kindergarten…nursery…where I grew up x
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Thank you! I believe my parents probably sacrificed a lot for me to attend kindergarten. We weren’t wealthy and it wasn’t cheap.
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I can believe that which is why I love that photograph. It is one to treasure cos I am reckoning it is peopled by the children of those who were not along that way. Anyway it is a great picture. x
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Cute! Both of you! – Marty
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Thank you. Harper is everything I wasn’t. I was afraid of my own shadow and she fears nothing.
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A great memento. I always had to stand at the back, too.
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For a girl that was devastating. I was always the only girl on the back row as I went through the elementary grades.
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One of the more obvious differences – it made a boy proud. Jackie found it difficult too
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I love the photo. That is you, no doubt, you needn’t have pointed it out.
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The little girl in yellow grew up to be a great beauty. She was the one all the boys sighed over and lusted for. I was the one they wanted to be taller than. Sigh.
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