Kindergarten and Elementary years

I remember going to Karen's Kindergarten. I remember feeling really special because I had the same name as my teacher. Mrs. Shirley Barrett also taught there. She was one of my mom's close friends. Her son, Steven and I went to swimming lessons with "Miss Lee" in Poplarville.

My memories are mostly of that first room with the "Alphabet People". Also, I remember having snacks like those butter cookies which were great as pretend rings! And, there was many a stain made on our shirts in that back play area! The biggest memories of kindergarten were of the trip on the Amtrak train in Hattiesburg and trips to the park. We always had those Mickey Mouse ice cream treats at the end to cool off. And those slides! Have you ever felt heat like the heat off the big metal slides at the city park? haha!

I remember being in Mrs. Taylor's class in first grade. We were in the trailers at that time. I was so excited to start school. Thanks to my teachers in kindergarten, I had a head start with letters, numbers, shapes, etc. I wasn't exactly the athlete, but poor Coach Fairley had a lot of patience with me during PE. The big tranisition was moving up the hill to 4th grade! Man, we were going big time when we got to be in the "basement" of that building up the hill! There was a lot of "buzz" that year also. I remember that the new elementary school was built that year. We moved into that building after Christmas. As a former teacher, I cannot imagine what those teachers went through during that Christmas vacation!

Another memory I have is music! I remember when Michael Marks hit our town. He began the group "Company". I loved watching them as a child. I, also, loved the musicals that the school put on during that time. I had dreams of being in those musicals when I "grew up" and went to high school. (I never was in a musical, sadly, until I went to PRCC. I suprisingly got the lead role in my first musical! I guess the drama/music teachers felt bad for me and knew my time was running out...hahah!)

I remember the musicals like:
Annie Get Your Gun
The Music Man
The Wizard of Oz
Cinderella
Mame
The Phantom of the Opera
and many more!

Share some of your memories! Maybe some will be motivated to begin more of these same things for the kids in Lumberton now.

One big "brag up", though. I am so impressed with the Lumberton Strings! Mrs. Ellis has done such a wonderful job. Here is an article about them:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110905/NEWS01/109050316/Teacher-inspires-pupils