A few years ago my mother returned all my report cards to me
and I had fun today looking at how I did. The report card showed categories that
were not based on subject areas, but on habits like: “learning about God,” “getting
along with others,” and “things I can do.”
Each item listed under those headings has four boxes next to it, one for
each quarter. These boxes are filled
with symbols: + for “outstanding,” x for “needs attention,
and ü
for “satisfactory growth.”
I was pretty much “satisfactory”
in all areas. I had all pluses in “I
take an interest in many things.” I speak clearly and in full sentences” and
vocationally significant “I am interested in books and pictures.” I also got three pluses for “I can make short
prayers of my own.” The only less than
satisfactory mark was in the second quarter when I had a “needs attention” for “I
listen when others speak.”
On the back were some notes about the struggle the teacher,
Mrs. Marlene Will, had in getting me to participate in action songs, and other
activities where children are required to make fools of themselves. The report card did not say “fool of
themselves” but I had and still have a strong resistance to any song or game
where one is expected to flay one’s limbs about on command. I however had no trouble singing these songs
in the privacy of my own home or in leading others in such songs. Which goes to show that I don’t really mind
looking like a fool, I just don’t like being told I have to.
Kindergarten Graduation at St. John’s Lutheran School was an
elaborate affair. Months were spent
planning and weeks practicing, with a dress rehearsal before the entire student
body the same day as the evening event. Three times we had to go back to the classroom
to change costumes.
The first part we wore our Sunday best and sang religious
and patriotic songs. We were standing on risers for the show and it
was a very warm May night. They placed a
box fan under the risers to help us stay cool.
I was wearing a sun dress Mom made me.
It had wide horizontal stripes of four different colors of pastel
gingham with rows of lace between each stripe.
The dress was somewhat billowy and I spent that part of the program
constantly pushing my dress down as it filled with air.
After that we filed out and went and put on our costumes
(just hats and head gear) for the theme performance.
Our theme that year was Sesame Street and
many of us lent our teacher any records we had so she could plan out the
program and decide characters. I was
less than thrilled to be assigned Kermit the frog. Of course everyone wanted to be Big Bird, but
Heidi -the tallest student in the class- was the natural choice. Matt L, whose father was the fifth grade
teacher, read at a 2nd or 3rd grade level and was given
the roll of Bob who sort of led the program and read from a script. I didn’t really want to be Oscar the
Grouch. That roll was given to Mark who
got to spend the show standing in a trash can.
There were not quite enough characters for all of us (these were the
days before Elmo) so Mrs. Will also pulled some other Muppets. I remember feeling sorry for Cindy who was Miss
Piggy. Still I was less than happy about
how small my part was. This became apparent
to the audience during a counting song when I sighed audibly before delivering
my line “Five coconuts.” It got a big laugh.
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| Sarah using my Kermit costume for Halloween a few years later |
When the show ended we headed back to the Kindergarten room
and some mothers helped us put on our caps and gowns. We were given glasses of water and encouraged
to use the bathroom if we needed to.
When we were ready we filed back in and sang a final song and then got
our graduation certificates.
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| Mrs. Will and her class. I am in the front row 2nd from the left |
Rebecca had attended kindergarten in Japan and Sarah had
completed kindergarten at Westville Public Elementary School the year before
Dad and Mom decided we would go to St. Johns’, so Mom had no idea what a big
deal it all was. We were given tickets
for guests to attend. Grandparents liked to come to these things, but our
grandparents were much too far away to consider being there. So mom offered the tickets to some people at
church. Irene Bose who was my Sunday School
teacher and Ruby and Dean Boss -or as we girls called them, “Grandma Ruby” and “Uncle
Dean” (it was Rebecca who determined that Dean was more like an uncle than a
grandpa). Mom gave them the tickets and they came, but she did not count on the
fact that they would decide to bring me gifts.
I think mom was embarrassed by that. Certainly my sisters did not get
gifts when they completed kindergarten.
I was thrilled. The Boss’s gave
me a small locket and Miss Bose gave me a bracelet with charms that had the Ten
Commandments on them. (Dad made a point
of explaining that it was a non-Lutheran numbering of the commandments with 2
being about graven images and 10 combining what we number 9&10 -the ones
about coveting. But figured that there was no harm in my keeping it as long as
I understood that.)
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| Celebrating with family and friends after the program |
So forty years ago I finished the part of my education
concerned with coloring inside the lines, knowing how to tie my shoes, and
reciting my phone number and address.
Time was spent learning to share and to listen and to do all the things
you have to do to get by in school. I
even got my first taste of being in the minority opinion, suffering through a December
of being one of only two in the class who did not believe in Santa Claus.
At times my current vocation requires that I cut letters out
of paper, color signs, count things, alphabetize things & occasionally even
identify things by shape and color (it was a short book with a blue cover). At those times I will jokingly say to
coworkers that my education has prepared me for this work. I am after all a kindergarten graduate.
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