Do You Remember?

Here's a page where you can relive some memories from your kindergarten through senior year in high school. If you have something that you'd like added to the list, email it to Gary.

Many thanks to Vicki Thomas, who seems to remember her days at Trent School like it was yesterday!

East Valley High School

• From Ryan Whitaker
  I'm surprised there are not more entries from high school days!
  
  I don't have too many memories - I've spent a life time trying to forget most of those days!
  
  I remember in Biology class that we were studying the growth of yeast cells. They were kept in some kind of preservative solution so they would not multiply and die out too quickly. One of the kids (I forget who) smelled the alcohol put out by the yeast and said "Yum! Alcohol!" and drank a test tube of the stuff. The preservatives poisoned his liver and he had to be hauled out in an ambulance after turning bright yellow.
  
  The lockers on the sides of the halls were spaced just right so we could inch our way up by pressing our hands and feet on opposite walls. It was fun to climb up to the ceiling and then drop down next to some unsuspecting girl. That got a few screams.
  
  I remember Mr. Day's reactions to Mr. Lee. It was obvious he did not care for the man. With his classroom located on the far east end of the building, we could sometimes hear donkeys braying in the field near the school. Mr. Day would go over to the phone, call up Mr. Lee and ask him if he had said something on the intercom. Mr. Lee always replied "No, how come?" and Mr. Day would tell him, "I thought I heard your voice!" That always cracked us up. I don't think Mr. Lee ever got the joke.
  
  Mr. Day would tell us in English class that we could do anything we wanted in class, but remember we still had to take the final exam. Mike Gharst brought a pillow in and used many of the class periods as nap time. Mr. Day also said we could bring in any reading material we wanted to as long as we were reading. So Mike brought in a Playboy one time. Mr. Day said it was alright as long as he was reading the articles and not looking at the pictures!
  
  Near the end of one school year, some of the teachers left their classrooms for some reason. Several of us boys jumped out the window and climbed in to Mr. Foedish' classroom and sat down as if we belonged there. He returned and quickly noticed the extra bodies and said Mr. Lee might be interested. So we jumped back out the window and rejoined the class where we belonged.
  
  Mr. Campbell, our band director, had some vision problem where he could not see moving objects very well. He froze in fear if someone tossed him keys or something because he could not catch them. One time the upper back rows of students in the band room got in a snowball fight against opposite sides of the room. There were snowballs flying back and forth for a long time. Mr. Campbell did not see them as long as they were moving. He finally noticed some snow melting on the floor and realized what was going on.
  
  We had one English teacher who was obsessive/compulsive about his desk. I forget his name (Mr. Smith?). He was constantly aligning all the books, papers, pens, etc. on his desk so everything was exactly even and orderly. We made up reasons to go up to his desk to ask him things, just so we could bump the stuff on his desk and mess it all up. Then he would start all over and line everything up again.
  
  Remember "Running the Hill" in track practice?
  
  I never played football. I decided I would try out one year. I was a pretty good runner and thought I would like to be an End. I went to the first football meeting held in the library, and listened as Coach Schill gave us his pep speech. "If you don't want to see blood from the other team, you don't belong here! If you don't enjoy hearing their skulls crack, then you don't belong here! If you don't want to rip their legs off and beat them over their heads with the bloody stumps, then you don't belong here!" I only wanted to catch the ball and run touchdowns -- none of that other stuff, so I was out.
  
  I remember being in Art class with Brad Deacons, Marie Rose, Kelly Haight, and me. Just good times, lots of laughs.
  
  I hope these accounts spark some memories from others.
  
  My best to all of you!
  
  Ryan D. Whitaker
  
  
• BYOPs
  If you ever had Doc Nettleton, you'll remember the BYOP (By End Of Period) during-class assignments. It's was rumored that these were one of the reasons that The Doc frequently found potatoes and rutabagas shoved in his tail pipe in the morning.
  
  
• Mr. Kiblen Giving Us a Break
  Those of us who had Mr. Kiblen for last period World History remember that he always gave us a break because the last class of the day was the most difficult time slot. But then we found out that the first period also got a break for being the most difficult because it was the start-up class for the day, and the last period before lunch was the hardest, and the first class after lunch was the hardest . . .

Trent Grade School

• Unpleasant Memories
  Mixed in with the great memories of our school years there are some memories that are not so great. One of our classmates has memories of some very (and probably criminally) inappropriate behavior by one of the faculty members at Trent School.
  
  The offending faculty member (though not a P.E. teacher) would routinely visit the shower room at shower time.
  
  This classmate is anxious to talk with others who may have had similar experiences. If you were also aware of or involved with anything like this, send email to Gary and I'll get you in contact with this classmate.
  
  
• The David Johnson Fish Trial
  Held in Mr. Worthington's room, this trial was a demonstration of the U.S. judicial system. It was never proven that David killed that fish, so he walked as a free man following the trial.
  
  
• The Blitz
  If you had Mr. McKenna for civics, you'll remember the blitz. These single question pass-or-fail tests were given daily. Those who got the questions right on Monday through Thursday were exempt from the blitz on Friday. And the groups in the class picked a number between 1 and 10 each day, and on the lucky days that they guessed the right number, they also got an exemption. But too many Fs and you had to wear the dunce hat on a stool in the back of the class.
  
  
• Gum on your Nose
  Mr. Strong put your gum on your nose if he caught you chewing it. Mr Strong once took Brad Deakin's chair and shoved him in the closet for a bit. I don't remember what he did wrong to deserve it though...
  
  
• Dissecting Sentences
  Remember dissecting sentences in Mrs. McMurray's class? And the graduations that she organized for all the classes back then? She did a great job!
  
  
• Merry-go-round
  I remember the merry go round on the playground. Many children got badly hurt on that thing and the monkey bars too. It was located on the pavement!
  
  
• Shows in the Auditorium
  Remember walking down the incline to the auditorium to watch a movie for a special occasion? Usually it was a Ma and Pa movie. That was fun! No classes!
  
  
• Playground Time
  Remember in 8th grade the classes would get to go outside during school hours and play kick ball or softball? Mr. Worthington's class did. And I remember going out onto the school yard in the shade to have a class if it was very hot in our room during the spring months....
  
  
• Rocket Parts on Pines Road
  Remember sitting in Mrs. McMurray or Mr. McKenna's class and looking out to Pines Road out the window? I remember many times watching body parts of rocket ships going down Pines on the bed of trucks and wondering where they were going to.
  
  
• Field Trips
  Remember in Kindergarten there were afternoon and morning classes. On our field day, the morning class and afternoon class got together for a trip to the Early Dawn Dairy. We got to wear these Early Dawn Dairy hats as we toured the dairy farm and got to see the Dairy mascot - Reddy the Rooster. We received and ate an ice cream bar at the end of our tour.
  
  
• The Kindergarten Room
  Remember the monkey bars and teeter totter in the kindergarten room? And the big blocks? The milk and graham crackers we would have for snacks?
  
  
• Air Raid Drills
  Remember practicing for a bombing raid in kindergarden/first grade? We would have to go out into the hallway and curl up in a ball up against the wall and sometimes we got underneath our desks for cover during practices. (I remember worrying if my underpants were showing or not. V.T.) LOL
  
  
• Class Partys
  Remember in kindergarten, first, and second grades that at Halloween we got to bring our costumes to school and put them on and parade to the upper classes in their rooms? How cute is that!!
  
  And during holidays we got to put our desks together and have a party! We unscrambled the words Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day as a game. We had room mothers that would bring the food/drink. Kathy Keeling's mom was room mother for many years.
  
  
• 4th Grade Play
  Remember the play that we put on in Mr. Worthington's 4th grade class. It was about a king and a queen. I, was the Queen and Ernie Parker was the king. I remember Doug Wood wanted to be the king as he had a crush on me and wanted to be my husband. LOL (V.T.)
  
  
• Mr. Thompson's Dances
  Remember the dances that Mr. Thompson let the 8th graders have in his room? Who was it that got in trouble for doing the "Gator" in the middle of the floor?
  
  
• Valentines
  Remember in first grade for Valentine's Day we made our own unique "Valentine Bag" and then taped them up at the chalkboard with our names on them and waited for the day that all the students would put their Valentines in each other's bags?
  
  
• Talent Shows
  Remember the talent shows we had in the auditorium?
  
  
• Carnivals
  The carnivals we would have at Trent! I remember the fishing booth and the cake walks. I would go to the auditorium and play BINGO with my mom later....
  
  
• Mrs. Ford's Safety Pin Game
  Mrs Ford would put a few safety pins into a container and shake it to make a sound. Everyone would lay their heads down on their desk (we had double desks, remember?) Then she would walk around the room and put the container into someone's hand and they would shake it. Another player would walk around and try to find the person that shook the container. Then when that person was found, they got to walk around and find the next person, etc. It was fun and you always wished that you would be chosen!
  
  
• Rainy Days in Mrs. Ford's Class
  I remember the swinging closets we put our lunches and coats in. And remember the steam heaters that we layed our wet glove/mittens on when they got wet outside playing on recess? Sometimes it would get pretty loaded of mittens! And the games that we played inside when it rained during our recess time.
  
  Remember the paper skirts that the boys had to wear when they got their pants wet on the playground after a snow?
  
  
• Reading Groups
  I remember our Reading groups too. There were 3 I think. There was an advanced reading group and then a next one and then a 3rd one that needed extra reading help. I remember Becky Rowberg was always in the top class.
  
  We would go in our groups at the front of the class in a circle and do our reading of Dick, Jane, Spot, and Puff. They were paper reading books.
  
  Do you remember the counter at the back of the room, and the first time that one of your friends talked you into eating a finger full of library paste?
  
  

Trentwood Elementary

• Send in some suggestions

Otis Orchards

• Send in some suggestions