Sixth Grade

I have lots of stories that I remember about 6th grade, but I don't remember my teacher's name. I had her for everything but muisc and math. For Math we had Mr. Farmer.

Sixth Grade was my artsy year. Martha Sue would have been proud of me. Besides doing the lettering for many of the class posters and had two paintings that were selected class winners and were entered into the citywide art contest. One was a drawing of a horse's head and the other was an abstract with lots of mixed colors and could be construed as a field of wildflowers.

I was also asked by the music teacher to be Hansel in Hansel and Gretel but it would have required me to miss PE for all the special rehearsals. We were playing the other classes in softball to determine the sixth grade champions and I wasn't about to miss that. I told her no and was a lead Sandman instead. I can still remember part of my little solo. "The little sandman am I, and nothing evil plan I. You children I love dearly and ??? ??? ?? I don;t remeber from there.

During the winter months, probably February, we had a heavy, heavy snow one day while we were in school. School was officially closed during the morning and parents were allowed to pick up their kids and take them home. Since we lived across the street I decided I needed to go home for lunch. It took some convincing but my teacher finally let me go. Of course, I stayed home once I got there. Gary stayed and went to Mr. Farmer's Math class after school. Since there were just a few kids their Mr Farmer taught them a special formula that we would learn in junior high, but he made the kids promise not to tell anyone else. Gary still hasn't told me to this day. I think it was the area of a circle or triangle or something. I couldn't believe Gary would never tell me.

Also during that second semester Tommy Waterson got into a fight. He was the Safety Patrol representative from our class. As punishment for the fight he was kicked off Safety Patrol. The teacher asked for a volunteer to take his place and I raised my hand. I was the only one, so I got it. I got to wear a big silver badge like a policeman's and manned a crosswalk at the corner of the school to stop traffic and let kids cross the street. Now days we have hired adult crossing guards.

During the last week of school the sixth grade had a swim party where we all went out to Lucas Park. Lucas Park was on the edge of town at about Arkansas and Fielder. My mom had made Gary and me a towel cover-up. It was like a jacket or a shirt. Anyway, I wore my swimsuit and the coverup to school instead of pants and a shirt. One of the linemen on the football team started making fun of me by the bicycle rack for wearing the towel thing. I told him to shut-up or I was going to puch him in the nose. He didn't and I did. One right hand to the nose and it was busted. He was bleeding everywhere. He didn;t tease me anymore. He also didn't tell on me so I didn't get into trouble.

When I talked about 5th grade I talked about my broken finger clicking on the piano keys at the recital. What I didn't say was the recital was at the Crow Elementary auditorium and they made do a little fashion show type walk out to the piano, do a litle turnaround, and then play. All the time thet where making some comments about what we were wearing. Gary and I played a duet of Skip to My Lou. For my sixth grade recital I played the Marines Hymn. For my last recital (7th grade) I played Battle Hymn of the Republic. You've heard me play it more than once. I can still play it, sort of.

Anyway, that was sixth grade. We moved out into the country that summer so that was my last year at CB Berry and the Arilington School district.